ARTIST BARRETT KEITHLEY COMPLETES EXPRESSWAY MURAL MARKING 100TH ANNIVERSARY OF YOUTH GUIDANCE
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Artist Barrett Keithley, co-founder of the mural project Paint the City, was tapped to create a mural commemorating the 100th anniversary of Youth Guidance, an organization that creates and implements school-based programs that enable children to overcome obstacles, focus on their education and ultimately to succeed in school and life.
The mural, situated along the I-94 Expressway at the North Avenue exit, depicts the mentor | mentee relationship that the organization supports through its iconic programs including Becoming a Man (BAM) and Working on Womanhood (WAM).
GILDED AGILITY OPENS AT THE INTERNATIONAL MUSEUM OF SURGICAL SCIENCES
“Gilded Agility,” finds artist D. Lammie Hanson embarking on a journey inspired by three intertwining veins of science. The genesis of “Gilded Agility” traces back to the Renaissance luminary, Leonardo Da Vinci, and his iconic “Vitruvian Man” and his dual roles as an artist and scientist. The second source of inspiration emerged from the scientific revelations of Sir Isaac Newton, specifically his exploration of the electromagnetic spectrum of color. It was the often-overlooked seventh color, Indigo, that captivated the artist, and she pays homage to that color dynamic in this exhibition. The third scientific vein that informs this series delves into the intricate musculature of dancers. The artist is a former dancer the who relishes the profound beauty and strength inherent in the human body unfolded during mesmerizing performances by the American Ballet Theatre and Alvin Ailey Dance Theatre.
BLACK GALLERIST NEED TO EXPLORE AND INNOVATE FOR MARKET SUCCESS
ATIM ANNETTE OTON, CALABAR
Gallerists tend to be optimistic rather than realistic. The change in the art market began in late 2022 after a period of excessive buying and selling from 2020 to 2022 and heightened awareness created from the racial reckoning. Then came interest rates and inflation which affected the consumer, and for young collectors, the return of student loan payments further contracted their ability to buy art at the capacity they were doing in 2020–2022.
Though the stock market has been doing well, 2023 saw layoffs in the tech and financial industries, both a sizable group of collectors. Enter 2024, an election year, during which sales trend to lower. My take is the market is stagnant! Even most of the art fairs are experiencing slow sales, galleries are experiencing lower sales as well. And, the truth, we opened too many galleries, so, we are seeing significant closures. Yet, in the midst of this some auction markets are booming and showing very high numbers. According to Forbes the U.S. remains the top art market, followed closely by China. Online art sales remain strong as well.
The consumer has moved from major cities to their second homes, changed cities, and is doing the wait and see, buying selectively, and taking longer to decide on purchases. We have been here before, but the major hiccup has been covid, even now four years later, we still have not completely recovered. The consumer after covid-19 is a different one, they are choosing to travel more now.
Some solutions: artists need to continue working, gallerists need to explore and innovate new ways of working and markets.
MIGRATIONS IN BLACK AND WHITE | 2.0 ARTIST CALL
The art exhibition titled “Migrations in Black and White | 2.0” is a bold showcase of black and white artworks, exclusively. It will be showcased at the Evanston Art Center August 11 — September 8th. With a thematic focus on the essence of freedom, it reflects on recent global events while projecting forward into the future. This exhibition stands out for its unique approach to color theory, allowing artists to use only black and white, defined in color theory as shade and tint, rather than colors. Globally and symbolically, black and white carry implications connected to culture, religion, race, life and death, and myriad other concepts.
Final Submission Deadline: June 23, 2024, by midnight
On View: August 11 to September 8, 2024
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