2009

Art Chicago Speaks

Art Chicago Speaks 2009 featured an international roster of artists, writers, curators and critics brought together during the fair to discuss current trends and provocative issues confronting the contemporary art market.

Friday, May 1

11am - 12:30pm: Friday, May 1
Crisis and Opportunity: Programming and Exhibitions in the New Economy
A CONVERGE Chicago: Contemporary Curators Forum program
In recent months, museums and art centers have been forced to shave budgets, reduce programs and exhibitions, and even cut hours and staff. Many curators, however, are successfully and creatively mounting ambitious and well-executed projects. In this panel, curators discuss innovative uses of the exhibition space and fresh approaches to programming that are fueled by big ideas rather than big budgets. Moderated by Brian Sholis, Artforum, this panel includes Ruba Katrib, Museum of Contemporary Art, North Miami, Dean Sobel, the Clyfford Still Museum and Benjamin Godsill, The New Museum.
Location: NEXT Talk Shop

11:30am -1pm: Friday, May 1
A Night at the Opera: Performance and Process in Contemporary Sculpture
Presented by the International Sculpture Center (ISC)In the last decade, performance has become an important aspect of the work of many contemporary sculptures, not only in their use of video and the incorporation of theatrical venues into the presentation of their work, but also in the importance for the artists of performative aspects of the creation of their work. These four artists look at art, performance, and process through their varied use of media and materials, time and space. Panelists include Anne Wilson, Chakaia Booker, Oliver Herring and Jun Kaneko; Moderated by David McFadden, Curator, the Museum of Art and Design, New York.
Location: Merchandise Mart Conference Center

12-1pm: Friday, May 1
Outsider Art 101Presented by Intuit: The Center for Intuitive and Outsider Art
What is self-taught, intuitive and outsider art? Randy Vick, Associate Professor and Chair, Department of Art Therapy, at the School of the Art Institute of Chicago, will discuss what is and what isn’t.
Location: Art Spot, on the Art Chicago show floor

1-2:30pm: Friday, May 1
Doctor Artist: PhDs, MFAs, and the Future of Artistic Production
New Insight Public Program
From Black Mountain College in North Carolina to New York’s Art Student’s League, the United States has a rich history of art and education. But in spite of our often bohemian roots, collegiate art education may soon take a “doctoral” turn, as PhD programs in studio art are beginning to find their way into the United States. Join Art Historian James Elkins and students participating in the New Insight exhibition for a discussion that addresses the MFA program and its value today.
Location: NEXT Talk Shop, 7th Floor

1:15pm: Friday, May 1
Kirk Pederson: Urban Asia book signing and artist reception presented by Atrium Gallery, an Art Chicago exhibitor.
Location: Art Spot, Art Chicago show floor

2-3:30pm: Friday, May 1
Artists as Catalysts for New Ways of Working
Presented in coordination with the Museum of Contemporary Art, Chicago
Chicago-based artist Catherine Sullivan, Mexican artist Pedro Reyes, Hammer Museum Director of Residency Programs Aimee Chang, and the MCA's Pamela Alper Associate Curator Julie Rodrigues Widholm discuss the many ways artist residencies-at institutions ranging from museums and universities to nonprofit spaces and private foundations-expand the role of the artist to include more collaborative methods of art-making that benefit both the artist and the institution.
Organized for Art Chicago Speaks by Isolde Brielmaier.
Location: Merchandise Mart Conference Center2:30-3:30pm: Friday, May 1

Art and Critique in an Obama Climate: A Conversation
A CONVERGE Chicago: Contemporary Curators Forum Public Program
Curators lead a discussion that addresses art, curating and criticality in the changing economic and political climate. Has there been a noticable shift in critical practices or artistic strategies? Participants include Naomi Beckwith, The Studio Museum.
Location: Art Spot, Art Chicago Show Floor

3:30-5pm: Friday, May 1
The NEW: Collecting in an Expanded Art World
Over the last several years, new markets across the globe have been bursting with influence, producing rising artists, prolific collectors and innovative new galleries and museums. As a result, in the new marketplace, the exchange of art and ideas has not only become more global, but more rapid. An international group of art professionals and collectors known for travelling the globe in pursuit of new art will address buying, selling and working on a global scale. Moderated by Michael Danoff, The Neuberger Berman, panelists include New York-based collector Susan Goodman, and art advisors David Hunt and Lowell Petit.
Location: NEXT Talk Shop, 7th Floor

4-5pm: Friday, May 1
One on One: A Creative Conversation between Cynthia Rowley and Nick Cave
Art meets style when designer Cynthia Rowley and artist Nick Cave discuss fashion, art and creativity in a special one on one conversation.
Location: Art Spot, on the Art Chicago show floor

5:15pm: Friday, May 1
Meet the Artists: Vivek Vilasini and Murali Cheeroth, presented by PAC Gallery, an Art Chicago exhibitor.
Location: Art Spot, on the Art Chicago show floor

6-7:30pm: Friday, May 1
Tania Bruguera Performance
Presented in coordination with Our Literal Speed (www.ourliteralspeed.com)
A performance by Tania Bruguera, artist, University of Chicago, with William Ayers, educator/activist, University of Illinois at Chicago, and Bernardine Dohrn, educator/activist, Northwestern University. Presented for Art Chicago Speaks in coordination with Our Literal Speed, a global art and theory conference held in Chicago, 30 April - 2 May, 2009.
Location: Merchandise Mart Conference Center

Saturday, May 2

11-12:30pm: Saturday, May 2
Past, Present, Future: Curators Speak on the Three Biggest Challenges and Opportunities They Face Today
A CONVERGE Chicago: Contemporary Curators Forum program
Four dynamic curators from regional museums will discuss their thoughts on the three biggest challenges and opportunities—from cultivating the generation of museum supporters and young collectors to dealing with growing permanent collections—facing their institutions and curatorial practices. Moderated by Stephanie Smith of the Smart Museum, panelists include Anthony Huberman, Contemporary Art Museum St. Louis; Margo Crutchfield, Cleveland MOCA; Jane Simon, Madison Museum of Contemporary Art; and Peter Eleey, Walker Art Center.
Organized for Art Chicago Speaks by Isolde Brielmaier.
Location: Merchandise Mart Conference Center

11-12:30: Saturday, May 2
A Fine Art Claim: Appraisal, Insurance and Conservation
Presented by AXA Art Insurance and The Chicago Conservation Center
What protection plans do you have in place for your art collection, and how would you handle a fine art claim? On this panel discussion, leading experts in the field will offer details and examples of the fine art claim process from appraisal, to insurance and conservation along with suggestions for preventive measures and strategic planning. Panelsts include Heather Becker, CEO of The Chicago Conservation Center, Inc., Christiane Fischer, president and CEO of AXA Art Insurance Corporation and Jane C.H. Jacob, president and CEO of Jacob Fine Art.
Location: NEXT Talk Shop, 7th floor

12-1pm: Saturday, May 2
Outsider Art 101
Presented by Intuit: The Center for Intuitive and Outsider Art
What is a self-taught, intuitive and outsider artist? How are they different from academically trained artists? James Yood, Adjunct Professor, Art History, Theory and Criticism at the School of the Art Institute of Chicago will discuss outsider art and the academy.
Location: Art Spot, on the Art Chicago show floor1pm: Saturday, May 2

Curating and Context
A CONVERGE Chicago: Contemporary Curators Forum program
This panel discussion will address the support of local and/or emerging artists in the context of an international exhibition program. How does a curator negotiate the integration of local and/or emerging artists into such a platform alongside globally well-known artists? When is it right to present young practices alongside those that are more developed? Curators discuss their strategies. Moderated by Helena Reckitt, The Power Plant, participating panelists include Shamim Momin, Whitney Museum, Kris Douglas, Rochester Art Center, and Christopher Cook, Kemper Art Museum.
Location: NEXT Talk Shop

1:30pm: Saturday, May 2
Art Spot: The Hairy Who and Imagist Legacy in Contemporary Art
Hyde Park Art Center will present an Art Spot, held in conjunction with onsite exhibition The Hairy Who and Imagist Legacy in Contemporary Art, curated by Lynne Warren. One of Chicago's most esteemed nonprofit art centers, The Hyde Park Art Center has played an important role in the history of Chicago art practice, exhibition and collection, figuring centrally in the history of Chicago Imagist and Hairy Who artists.
Location: Art Spot, on the Art Chicago Show Floor

12:45-2:15pm: Saturday, May 2
New Realms, New Markets
A diverse group of art world professionals come together to discuss the continued global expansion of the contemporary art market, exploring international art, artists, collectors and the developing commercial realms of Latin America, Africa and the Middle East. Moderated by Amy Goldrich, international art lawyer and collector, the panel features Ana Sokoloff, New York-based Art Advisor, collector Hugo Brown, and visual arts writer Linda Yablonsky.
Organized for Art Chicago Speaks by Isolde Brielmaier.
Location: Merchandise Mart Conference Center

2:30-4pm, Saturday, May 2
Museums on the Line: Cutbacks, Closures and Opportunities
A CONVERGE Chicago: Contemporary Curators Forum program
Michael Rush, director of the Rose Museum of Art at Brandeis University, a discussion about how recent and dramatic shifts in the economic and political climate have profoundly affected virtually every aspect of museum practice. Panelists include Anthony Hirschel, director of the Smart Museum of Art at the University of Chicago and artist Mary Lucier. Using Rose Museum de-accessioning controversy as a starting point for an extended dialogue, this panel will address museum de-accessioning practices; the symbolic value of public collections; institutional transparency; and the role of the museum in tough times.
Location: Merchandise Mart Conference Center

4-5:30pm: Saturday, May 2
Beyond Collecting: New Models for Contemporary Art Collections
Just as institutions are taking more inventive approaches to collecting, there have been remarkable shifts in the building of private and corporate collections which exemplify new, alternative models for collections. Featuring panelists known for their innovative collecting practices, the discussion will address new strategies for acquiring, displaying and preserving art collections. Moderated by Paige West, The West Collection, panelists include Victor Zamudio-Taylor, Jumex Collection, Jacqueline Lawrence, UBS Art Collection, Alexander 'Sandy' Kemper, The Collectors Fund and Jennifer Phelps, The Chambers Luxury Art Hotel.
Location: NEXT Talk Shop, 7th Floor

4:15pm: Saturday, May 2
Stimulation: A History of the Society for Contemporary Art at the Art Institute of Chicago
The Society for Contemporary Art (SCA) has purchased acquisitions for the permanent collection of the Art Institute of Chicago for over 65 years. In that time, extraordinary works by Jackson Pollock, Doris Salcedo, Carl Andre, Doug Aitken, Wolfgang Tillmans, and Rosemarie Trockel to name but a few, were selected for purchase by SCA members. Now a new group of works is under consideration, and may be seen in the context of Art Chicago in Booths 619 and 620. Visit the exhibition before or after this conversation to consider how you might vote.

Annie Morse, former SCA administrator, now Senior Lecturer in the AIC's Department of Museum Education, shares her perspective on the history of the organization and the landmark works accessioned under its name.
Location: Art Chicago Art Spot, Art Chicago show floor

4:30-6pm: Saturday, May 2
First Impressions, Lasting Impressions
Presented by the International Fine Print Dealers Association (IFPDA)
Why are artists today making prints? How did they discover the medium and what excites them about it? How do these works relate to their artistic practice? What makes their prints attractive to collectors? A great introduction to the medium for new collectors and an opportunity for experienced connoisseurs to gain new insights, the panel discussion will be moderated by Debora Wood, senior curator at the Mary and Leigh Block Museum at Northwestern University and feature artists Judy Plaff and David Klamen along with Paula McCarthy Panczenco, director, Tandem Press.
Location: Merchandise Mart Conference Center

5pm: Saturday, May 2
Barbara Crane: Artist Talk
Meet renowned photographer Barbara Crane at an intimate artist talk and book signing, presented by the Aperture Foundation.
Location: Art Spot, Art Chicago Show Floor

Sunday, May 3

11-12:30pm: Sunday, May 3
Art and the New Economy
Presented by ArtTable
Join Paul Morris, Vice President of the MMPI Art Group, for a discussion about art and the changing economy. Focusing on positive and effective ways to navigate challenging times, this discussion will explore funding, collecting and the market. Panelists include Sarah Herda, executive director of the Graham Foundation, Rhona Hoffman, Rhona Hoffman Gallery, and Dominic Molon, MCA Chicago.
Location: Merchandise Mart Conference Center

11:15-12:15pm: Sunday, May 3
Art Fairs and Evaluation – How Art Fairs Influence our Judgments about Art
Presented by the Art Dealers Association of Chicago
David Klamen will moderate a panel of experts in a discussion exploring the ideas of how art fairs influence our judgments about art. Klamen is a renowned artist with works in the permanent collections of the Whitney, the Metropolitan and other museums. He is also a Professor at Indiana University Northwest. Panel will include: Catherine Edelman, owner Catherine Edelman Gallery and President, Art Dealers Association of Chicago; Ken Saunders, Director, Marx-Saunders Gallery and Board member Art Dealers Association of Chicago; and Timothy Van Laar, Professor of Art, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign.
Location: Art Spot, on the Art Chicago show floor

1pm: Sunday, May 3
Outsider Art 101: Collecting
Presented by Intuit: The Center for Intuitive and Outsider Art
Susan Craig, collector and founding member of Intuit will discuss aspects of collecting outsider art.
Location: Art Spot, on the Art Chicago show floor

2-3:30pm: Sunday, May 3
The Creative Collector: Collectors on Building Collections and Supporting Institutions
This panel brings together four emerging and established collectors who act locally but think and collect globally. The collectors on this panel are committed not only to their own broad acquisitions, but also to their local institutions. Collectors will discuss the artists and artworks they collect and how they use their role as a collector to support the outreach efforts of their local institutions while encouraging the mobilization of new supporters in difficult economic times. Moderated by Jeremy E. Steinke, art historian, consultant, collector and Chair of the Intervals exhibition series at the Guggenheim, New York, panelists include Curt Conklin, Chicago; Susan Sherman, Saint Louis; Peter Remes, Minneapolis; and Steve Russell, Indianapolis.
Organized for Art Chicago Speaks by Isolde Brielmaier.
Location: Merchandise Mart Conference Center

2pm: Sunday, May 3
Ryan Schulz in conversation with artist Jason Hackenwerth
Location: Art Spot, Art Chicago show floor

3pm: Sunday, May 3
Dawoud Bey: Artist Talk
Meet renowned photographer Dawoud Bey at an intimate artist talk and book signing, presented by the Aperture Foundation.
Location: Art Spot, on the Art Chicago show floor

Monday, May 4

1-2:30pm, Monday, May 4
Response: Art and the Art of Criticism
Presented by I Space Gallery, University of Illinois at Urbana Champaign in conjunction with the Chicago Art Critics Association
This panel addresses art criticism as the center of a resonant, disorderly and critical cultural conversation that fosters dialogue about the place of visual art in the contemporary world. Based on a related exhibition at I Space, this panel will feature Chicago-based critics from the show hich includes Fred Camper, Janina Ciezadlo, Alicia Eler, Jason Foumberg, Claire Wolf Krantz, Corey Postiglione, Lane Relyea, Polly Ullrich and Lori Waxman.
Location: Merchandise Mart Conference Center