Blogs

Curator's Corner

Artist Birthday: Carlos Mérida

Monday, December 2, 2024 | Karl Cole

In 1941 Mérida was invited to teach frescoes at the University of Austin in Texas. He remained there two years. Tempo in Red Major dates from that visit. It certainly reflects, in its title the ...

Curator's Corner

Election Year Antidote: Robert Delaunay

Monday, November 4, 2024 | Karl Cole

There is seriously no better distraction from a nerve-wracking election year than to look at beautiful art. By now you know my idea of “beautiful” is FULL OF VIBRANT COLOR. Robert Delaunay ...

Curator's Corner

Art for National Peach Month 2024

Monday, August 19, 2024 | Karl Cole

August was first declared National Peach Month in the United States in 1982. Since August is the month when peaches are supposed to be at their peak ripeness, let’s look at some works of art tha ...

Curator's Corner

Jewish American Heritage Month 2024

Tuesday, May 28, 2024 | Karl Cole

May was proclaimed Jewish American Heritage Month in 2006 to celebrate 350 years of Jewish contributions to American history and culture. To celebrate Jewish contributions to American art, this week I ...

Curator's Corner

International Dance Day 2024

Monday, April 29, 2024 | Karl Cole

I cannot think of a more joyous April sendoff than art that features dancing in celebration of International Dance Day. The International Theater Institute began International Dance Day on April 29, 1 ...

Curator's Corner

Gem of the Month: Kumi Sugaï

Monday, March 18, 2024 | Karl Cole

Abstraction was not an invention of Western artists in the early 1900s. The following definitions indicate that abstraction has been part of art throughout the world since the cave paintings of pre-hi ...

Curator's Corner

Gem of the Month: Joan Mitchell

Monday, November 27, 2023 | Karl Cole

As a fiend for color in painting, it will come as no surprise that I absolutely worship the work of Abstract Expressionist painter Joan Mitchell. It’s very confusing to me—no, it’s i ...

Curator's Corner

An August Painting: Mark Tobey

Monday, August 14, 2023 | Karl Cole

I know we’re no longer on the “edge of August,” but this painting’s title gives me an excuse to showcase the work of one of the less-hyped New York School artists. Like many of ...

Curator's Corner

Saying Goodbye to World Watercolor Month 2023

Monday, July 31, 2023 | Karl Cole

Watercolor can be a very unforgiving medium—boy, don’t I know it! I started out studying for an MFA in painting using gouache and watercolor, but my professors suggested that what I was tr ...

Curator's Corner

Gem of the Month: Morgan Russell

Monday, July 10, 2023 | Karl Cole

As I did with Charles Willson Peale (1741–1827) last week, I'm presenting another American original today: Morgan Russell. Russell was one of the first American artists to exhibit nono ...

Curator's Corner

Celebrating Juneteenth: Norman Lewis

Monday, June 19, 2023 | Karl Cole

In celebration of Juneteenth, or Freedom Day, let’s honor Harlem Renaissance (ca. 1920s–1930s) (and beyond) artist Norman Lewis, one of the earliest African American artists to embrace abs ...

Curator's Corner

Gem for Pride Month 2023: Anne Ryan

Monday, June 12, 2023 | Karl Cole

Our Gem for this Pride Month is Anne Ryan, an artist who was one of the first women who dedicated a large portion of her body of work to collage. She was one of the many gay artists who were active ar ...

Curator's Corner

Pride Month 2023: Ellsworth Kelly

Monday, June 5, 2023 | Karl Cole

Let’s celebrate the life of one of the pioneers of the Color Field movement in American modernism, Ellsworth Kelly, to mark the beginning of LGBT Pride Month. Kelly was one of the many gay artis ...

Curator's Corner

AAPI Heritage Month 2023: Walasse Ting

Monday, May 22, 2023 | Karl Cole

One of the great things about America is the fact that, since colonial times, awesome artists from all over the world have come here and made amazing contributions to American art history. As time has ...

Curator's Corner

AAPI Heritage Month 2023: Miyoko Ito

Monday, May 15, 2023 | Karl Cole

Let’s recognize a true original in Chicago abstract painting to celebrate Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage month: Miyoko Ito. There were two strains in painting that characterized th ...

Curator's Corner

Spring Green from Gary Hume

Monday, April 24, 2023 | Karl Cole

In my ongoing celebration of spring, I’m featuring British artist Gary Hume. His Spring Angels series of eight screenprints sets just the right tone with their vibrant colors. In some of the pri ...

Request
Catalog
or Planner

Blogs

abstraction

Topics

Most Popular

Tags

Artist Birthday: Carlos Mérida

Election Year Antidote: Robert Delaunay

Art for National Peach Month 2024

Jewish American Heritage Month 2024

International Dance Day 2024

Gem of the Month: Kumi Sugaï

Gem of the Month: Joan Mitchell

An August Painting: Mark Tobey

Saying Goodbye to World Watercolor Month 2023

Gem of the Month: Morgan Russell

Celebrating Juneteenth: Norman Lewis

Gem for Pride Month 2023: Anne Ryan

Pride Month 2023: Ellsworth Kelly

AAPI Heritage Month 2023: Walasse Ting

AAPI Heritage Month 2023: Miyoko Ito

Spring Green from Gary Hume

Topics

Share

Most Popular

Tags

Always Stay in the Loop