Acentury in Images
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ACentury in Images 100 YEAR ANNIVERSARY // THE ARTS CLUB OF CHICAGO By Anastasia Karpova Tinari [ [THETHE SEEN SEEN] ] TheThe Arts Arts Club Club of of Chicago Chicago was was founded founded a hundred a hundred years years ago ago with with a missiona mission to to promote promote Modernism, Modernism, precedingpreceding like-minded like-minded institutions institutions such such as as the the Société Société Anonyme, Anonyme, Inc., Inc., Barnes Barnes Collection Collection and and Museum Museum ofof Modern Modern Art Art in in New New York, York, and and was was the the first first in inChicago Chicago to to exhibit exhibit works works by by Brancusi, Brancusi, Alexander Alexander Calder,Calder, Jackson Jackson Pollock, Pollock, and and Robert Robert Rauschenberg, Rauschenberg, among among many many others. others. ———————————— ———————————— —————————————————— The The Club’s Club’s interdiscipli interdisciplinarynary member member programming programming has has featured featured an an incredible incredible arrayarray of of the the avant-garde: avant-garde: literary literary figures figures Margaret Margaret Anderson Anderson and and Harriet Harriet Monroe, Monroe, Gertrude Gertrude Stein, Stein, Carl Carl Sandburg;Sandburg; musicians musicians Igor Igor Stravinsky Stravinsky Prokofiev, Prokofiev, Leonard Leonard Bernstein, Bernstein, John John Cage; Cage; and and dancers dancers Adolph Adolph Bohm,Bohm, Ruth Ruth Page, Page, and and Merce Merce Cunningham. Cunningham. Yet Yet through through the the years years the the visual visual arts arts exhibition exhibition program program hashas remained remained at at the the institution’s institution’s core. core. Its Its original original missi missionon expanded expanded as asModernism Modernism gained gained acceptance, acceptance, andand Chicago’s Chicago’s museums museums embraced embraced contemporary contemporary art, art, but but The The Arts Arts Club Club has has always always remained remained forward-lookingforward-looking and and interdisciplinary interdisciplinary in in its its approach. approach. Since Since 2000 2000 alone, alone, the the Club’s Club’s galleries galleries have have hostedhosted impressive impressive installations installations by by internationally internationally renowned renowned artists artists including including Pedro Pedro Cabrita Cabrita Reis, Reis, JosiahJosiah McElheny, McElheny, Marcel Marcel Broodthaers, Broodthaers, Marlene Marlene Dumas, Dumas, and and many many more. more. NOVEMBERNOVEMBER 3, 3,1915 1915 19181918 1922–19271922–1927 19231923 TheThe 1913 1913 Armory Armory Show Show in Chicagoin Chicago RueRue Winterbotham Winterbotham Carpenter Carpenter and and TheThe Arts Arts Club Club occupies occupies a gallery a gallery of of AmongAmong the the most most important important of theof the highlightshighlights the the divisive divisive nature nature of of AliceAlice Roullier Roullier take take the the helm helm as as ArtArt Institute Institute of Chicago. of Chicago. Exhibitions Exhibitions exhibitionsexhibitions arranged arranged at theat the Art Art avant-gardeavant-garde art art in the in theUnited United States. States. PresidentPresident and and Chair Chair of Exhibiof Exhibitionstions ChairChair Alice Alice Roullier Roullier works works with with InstituteInstitute was was North North America’s America’s first first EvenEven as Modernas Modern Art Art becomes becomes Committee,Committee, respectively. respectively. The The Arts Arts dealers,dealers, institutions, institutions, and and private private showshow to focusto focus solely solely on onPablo Pablo institutionalizedinstitutionalized with with the the first first ClubClub moves moves in toin newto new galleries galleries at at collectorscollectors to bringto bring exhibitionsby exhibitionsby Picasso’sPicasso’s drawings. drawings. The The Arts Arts Club Club PicassoPicasso hung hung in ain U.S. a U.S. museum, museum, 610610 S. MichiganS. Michigan Ave., Ave., designed designed by by Picasso,Picasso, Matisse, Matisse, Braques, Braques, startsstarts a Purchase a Purchase Fund Fund and and acquires acquires publicpublic outrage outrage at theat the affront affront on on ClubClub member member and and architect architect Arthur Arthur Laurencin,Laurencin, Chagall, Chagall, Rodin, Rodin, and and Picasso’sPicasso’sTêteTêtedeFemme de Femme as theas the classicalclassical ideals ideals culminates culminates in art in art Heun.Heun. more.more. Because Because The The Arts Arts Club Club inauguralinaugural work work in itsin itscollection. collection. studentsstudents burning burning Matisse’s Matisse’sBlueBlue exhibitionsexhibitions feature feature works works for for sale, sale, NudeNudein effigy.in effigy. In theIn the wake wake of thatof that theythey also also become become an an important important historichistoric moment, moment, Chicago’s Chicago’s cultural cultural sourcesource for for important important Chicago Chicago eliteelite meets meets at the at the Art Art Institute Institute of of collections.collections. ChicagoChicago to form to form a club a club devoted devoted to to avant-garde,avant-garde, international international art. art. The The ArtsArts Club Club opens opens in Thein The Fine Fine Arts Arts Building,Building, 410 410 S. Michigan S. Michigan Ave., Ave., in in 1916.1916. Founding Founding members members included included Mrs.Mrs. Potter Potter Palmer, Palmer, Mrs. Mrs. McGann, McGann, Mrs.Mrs. John John Winterbotham, Winterbotham, Mrs. Mrs. ArthurArthur Ryerson, Ryerson, Mrs. Mrs. Ray Ray Atherton, Atherton, andand others. others. FALLFALL 1917 1917 RenownedRenowned architect architect Frank Frank Lloyd Lloyd Wright,Wright, who who also also had had an an office office in thein the FineFine Arts Arts Building, Building, exhibits exhibits his his collectioncollection of Japaneseof Japaneseprints,prints, screens,screens, and and baskets, baskets, accompanied accompanied OneOne of Theof The Arts Arts Club’s Club’s galleries, galleries, 610 610 S. S. by bya catalogue a catalogue and and related related lecture. lecture. MichiganMichigan Ave., Ave., Chicago, Chicago, 1918/23. 1918/23. PabloPablo Picasso, Picasso,HeadHead of a of a TheThe Chicago Chicago Sunday Sunday Tribune’s Tribune’s DesignedDesigned by Arthur by Arthur Heun, Heun, William William WomanWoman (Tête (Tête de Femme) de Femme), 1922., 1922. LouiseLouise James James Bargelt Bargelt writes writes “The “The ErnestErnest Walke, Walke, and and Rue Rue Winterbotham Winterbotham RedRed and and black black chalk chalk with with chalk chalk collectioncollection of Japaneseof Japanese color color prints… prints… Carpenter.Carpenter. Photo: Photo: Frederick Frederick O. Bemm. O. Bemm. washwash on tan on tan laid laid paper, paper, laid laid is provingis proving to be to bequite quite as muchas much of a of a ArtsArts Club Club Papers, Papers, Newberry Newberry Library. Library. downdown on lightweight on lightweight Japanese Japanese charmercharmer as evenas even the themost most fervid fervid CoverCover of Original of Original paper;paper; 24 7⁄16 24 7⁄16 × 19 × in. 19 Collection in. Collection enthusiastenthusiast of thisof this uniquely uniquely oriental oriental DrawingsDrawings by Pablo by Pablo of Theof The Arts Arts Club Club of Chicago. of Chicago. branchbranch of artof artcould could possibly possibly desire. desire. PicassoPicassoexhibitionexhibition AgainstAgainst the the pastel pastel gold gold of theof the gallery gallery catalogue,catalogue, March March 1923. 1923. wallswalls these these prints prints stand stand out out in daringin daring ArtsArts Club Club Files. Files. colorcolor combinati combinations,ons, effecting effecting a a fairylikefairylike brightness brightness of hueof hue which which is is amazinglyamazingly different different from from any any exhibitionexhibition of westernof western art art ever ever seen.” seen.” NotableNotable exhibitions exhibitions from from this this early early periodperiod included included Post-Impressionism, Post-Impressionism, PaintingsPaintings by by Joseph Joseph Stella, Stella, Oscar Oscar Bluemner,Bluemner, and and Jennings Jennings Tofel, Tofel, and and SculptureSculpture by byGaston Gaston Lachaise Lachaise and and StanislawStanislaw Szukalski. Szukalski. [ [A CENTURYA CENTURY IN IMAGES:IN IMAGES: 100 100 YEAR YEAR ANNIVERSARY ANNIVERSARY // THE // THE ARTS ARTS CLUB CLUB OF OF CHICAGO CHICAGO|41|41] ] [ 42 | THE SEEN ] 1927 1930 1933 1936 Marcel Duchamp organizes an The Arts Club hosts an exhibition of Alongside the “Century of Progress The Arts Club moves into its exhibition of work by Romanian portrait sculptures and drawings by Exposition” world’s fair held in Wrigley Building quarters, opening artist Constantin Brancusi, the Isamu Noguchi, initiating a long- Chicago 1933–34, The Arts Club with an exhibition of abstract art by artist’s first in the United States. lasting, important relationship hosts Special exhibition of Modern Naum Gabo, Antoine Pevsner, Piet From the exhibition, The Arts Club between the artist and The Arts Sculpture, featuring Archipenko, Mondrian, and Cesar Domela three acquires Golden Bird for $1,200. Club. 50 years later in 1981, Brancusi, Coubine, Degas, months before Alfred Barr, Jr.’s The sculpture becomes central to the Noguchi would deliver a Rue Shaw Duchamp-Villon, Epstein, Gargallo, Cubism and Abstract Art at MoMA. collection and later saves the Arts Memorial Lecture. Gerard, Kolbe, Lachaise, Laurent, Club from ruin when its sale to the Laurens, Lehmbruck, Loutchansky, 1939 Art Institute allows