2013 Fall Arts Guide

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Object/Subjective Fri, Nov 8, 12pm Smart Museum

Suicide Narcissus and the Anthropocene Sun, Nov 24, 2pm Swift Hall, room 106

There is no one way to look at art. In a lunchtime discussion series, the Smart invites two special guests to reflect and share their unique perspectives on a single body of art in the Smart galleries. Join in the looking, participate in the dialogue, and continue the conversation over lunch in the Smart Café. This Friday, join artist Zach Cahill and Hannah Feldman, associate professor in the Department of Art History at Northwestern University, for a discussion about landscape painting in relation to Cahill’s current project at the Smart, USSA 2012: Wellness Center: Idyllic—affair of the heart. Lunch is provided. Visit smartmuseum.uchicago.edu for advance reservations. Free. Presented by Smart Museum.

Joe Masco, Professor of Anthropology and Social Sciences in the College, UChicago, is the author of The Nuclear Borderlands: The Manhattan Project in Post-Cold War New Mexico. Through a series of articles, his interest in science and technology, U.S. national security culture, political ecology, mass media, and critical theory have led him to chart the socio-political and socio-psychological transition from nuclear to natural holocaust. This lecture will focus on topics raised through the work in the exhibition, Suicide Narcissus, on view at The Renaissance Society through December 15. Free. Presented by The Renaissance Society.

UChicago 2013 Presidential Arts Fellow Robert Morris' art has been at the forefront of Minimalism, Performance Art, Process Art, and Conceptual Art, just to name a few major artistic movements in the second half of the 20th Century. His career has also been marked by a restless intellect that works across the disciplines such as dance, theater, philosophy, art history, and criticism. For this public presentation Morris will reflect on the art and ideas that he is working with today. Free. Presented by Critical Inquiry and the Department of Visual Arts; Sponsored by University of Chicago's Department of Art History, Graduate Student Affairs (GSA), the Open Practice Committee, University of Illinois at Chicago School of Art and Art History, Northwestern University's Department of Art Theory and Practice (AT&P), and the Office of the Graduate Dean at the School of the Art Institute of Chicago. Third Thursday: Inflatable U Thu, Nov 20, 5:30-7:30pm Smart Museum Drop in, relax, and reflect on all things inflatable—from bladders to balloons, blimps to bounce houses. Using Ant Farm’s 1973 Inflatocookbook as a guide, build inflatable sculptures to awe and surprise. All materials provided. Open to adults of all skill levels. Free. Presented by Smart Museum. Artist Talk: Paul Petritsch, Lucy Skaer, and Daniel Steegmann Mangrané Sat, Nov 23, 2pm Swift Hall, room 106 Three of the artists featured in The Renaissance Society’s exhibition Suicide Narcissus discuss their works and the themes of the show. Free. Presented by The Renaissance Society.

Below: The Arts Incubator in Washington Park, directly across the street from the Garfield stop on the Green Line.

Workshop: Sketching in the Egyptian Gallery–Simple Perspective Sat, Dec 7, 1-3pm Oriental Institute Museum Explore the world-renowned collection of the Oriental Institute Museum during a two-hour workshop, honing your sketching skills while developing a new appreciation for art and artifacts created thousands of years ago. Each session focuses on a different gallery and introduces students to a different artistic skill, all while under the guidance of Vesna Jovanovic, a local visual artist with interests in science and perceptual phenomena. No prior art experience is necessary. For age 16 and older. Participants are responsible for bringing their own materials. A supply list will be sent upon registration. Visit oi.uchicago. edu to register. Non-members $25 / members $20. Presented by Oriental Institute. Object/Subjective Fri, Dec 13, 12pm Smart Museum There is no one way to look at art. In a lunchtime discussion series, the Smart invites two special guests to reflect and share their unique perspectives on a single body of art in our galleries. Join in the looking, participate in the dialogue, and continue the conversation over lunch in the Smart Café. This Friday, explore the relationship between body, action, and documentation in the work of Bruce Nauman with Sarah Mendelsohn, artist and Smart Museum executive assistant for program support, and Faye R. Gleisser, PhD candidate at Northwestern University. Lunch is provided. Visit smartmuseum.uchicago.edu to request reservations. Free. Presented by Smart Museum. Third Thursday: Darkness and Light Thu, Dec 19, 5:30-7:30pm Smart Museum Banish the darkness of winter with luminescent artworks by Bruce Nauman and Barbara T. Smith. Then create your own art using artificial lights like glow sticks and lightbulb strands. All materials provided. Open to adults of all skill levels. Free. Presented by Smart Museum.

Q&A with Theaster Gates On Arts and Public Life and the Arts Incubator

What is the purpose of Arts and Public Life? The Arts and Public Life initiative seeks to build artistic connections between the University of Chicago, local artists, and the surrounding community that amplify the vibrant creativity already occurring in the area. The newly renovated Arts Incubator in Washington Park, along with the Logan Center for the Arts on the University of Chicago campus, are art-focused spaces that can make these connections happen. What happens at the Arts Incubator? The Arts Incubator is a space for local artists to grow professionally and connect with the surrounding cultural community. It houses studio spaces for the Arts and Public Life artists-in-residence; the Design Apprenticeship Program, which is essentially a small shop that will assist in the beautification of Washington Park; and project and program spaces for exhibitions and events.

Why did you decide to create the Arts Incubator in Washington Park? The Arts Incubator was born out of a clear set of considerations. First, artists are a valued part of our community. Second, there are very few spaces for cultural production for artists in Chicago, and even fewer venues for artists to grow in their craft, which leads to losing artists to other cities. And third, art and culture have the ability to create real and deep meaning in a place. While Washington Park has an amazing legacy of cultural life, it is not immediately evident on the main street. The Arts Incubator seeks to make some of the cultural life of the neighborhood more evident. What is known about the Arts Incubator building, and what measures were taken to preserve its historic character? The building is a beautiful 1920s terracotta structure that had seen better days. It had been abandoned for over 20 years. Before that it had been a thriving mixed-use building. We have heard stories of pool halls, grocery stores, dry cleaning and laundry facilities. It was an active business generator. When renovating the building we learned there were so many levels of successful businesses that occupied the space, but from those stories we could also feel the impact of the subsequent economic downturn on the South Side. People in the neighborhood frequently stop by to tell stories about what happened in the building. We see value when people recognize the significant reinvestment in the building and are reminded of those memories. Why is the University of Chicago invested in the Arts Incubator project? Arts and culture are important at the University of Chicago. Equally important is the role

that community engagement plays in our ability to be a thriving institution. As an urban university, we are committed to serving as a good neighbor, friend, and cultural collaborator in the surrounding neighborhoods, including Washington Park. Garfield Boulevard and the South Side more broadly have a rich cultural legacy that UChicago believes the Arts Incubator can help to amplify. How does the Arts Incubator fit into the work you do outside the University? Large and small institutions bring culture to life in a place. I am not doing this work alone and have the pleasure of sharing the vision of a dense tapestry of culture with many others throughout the city! Amplifying the amazing work that is already happening and the resources and assets in the surrounding area is at the core of the Arts and Public Life mission. I feel like I’m just doing my job as a University employee and brother on the South Side. Other initiatives that I have started, like Dorchester Projects and the Stony Island Arts Bank Project, are all part of a larger desire to see culture thrive throughout the South Side and the city. Is there evidence to show that the work you do has impact? Art is important. Period. Economic development is important. Period. But while art can be used to spur economic development, it’s not automatic. “Placemaking” is a new name for an old phenomenon. When people drop anchor and establish a place, they are makers of place. This has been happening in Washington Park for a long time, collectively and individually. I’m interested in continuing this work. For us, the evidence of the Arts Incubator’s impact will be the social shift that happens when the buildings that are

currently transitioning from boarded-up to active start giving people an opportunity to come in from the bus stop and listen to some music, get a coffee, read a book, or get to other cultural destinations from our arts hub. People on the block are already coming into the space and asking how they can be a part. The block is cleaner and richer. What opportunities are available for the public at the Arts Incubator? We have worked hard over the past year to talk with organizations in Washington Park and cultural leaders about what’s going on in Chicago and about what is possible. The artist residency and design apprenticeship programs are intended to be resources for people on the South Side. We want to support people interested in design and architecture. The Arts Incubator will be open to the public throughout the week and through advertised special events. As we get into the space more fully, the calendar and programs will be available on the Arts and Public Life website and inside the building. Ten years down the road, what do you think the Arts Incubator will be? In the near term, I hope it acts as a model for cities around the country. And eventually, I hope poignant cultural spaces and projects—large and small—will overshadow the Arts Incubator. I want the space to be part of a constellation of cultural activity where extraordinary talent can thrive. Visit artsandpubliclife.uchicago.edu to learn more.

EXHIBITIONS & VISUAL ARTS | arts.uchicago.edu 13

12 EXHIBITIONS & VISUAL ARTS | arts.uchicago.edu

Robert Morris: IS A POUND OF PASSIVITY WORTH A PINCH OF PIQUE? Fri, Nov 15, 7pm Logan Center, Performance Hall

Left: Theaster Gates discusses the Arts Incubator during a symposium on placemaking.


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