“Son So & So” by Candida Alvarez is a work of acrylic
and graphite from 2001. This is one of 114 works of art donated by Chuck Thurow
to the DePaul Art Museum’s permanent collection. (Image courtesy of DePaul Art Museum)
“Thinking of You” by Brian Calvin is a work of pen, ink,
acrylic and watercolor on paper from 1994. This is one of 114 works of art
donated by Chuck Thurow to the DePaul Art Museum’s permanent collection. (Image
courtesy of DePaul Art Museum)
“A
Young Woman Between Carolburg Place and Half Street” by Dawoud Bey is a gelatin
silver print from 1989. This is one of 114 works of art donated by Chuck
Thurow to the DePaul Art Museum’s permanent collection. (Image courtesy of
DePaul Art Museum)
“Nick Standing in front of the Hole in his Wall” by Lisa
Lindvay is a digital inkjet print from 2014. This is one of 114 works of art
donated by Chuck Thurow to the DePaul Art Museum’s permanent collection. (Image
courtesy of DePaul Art Museum)
Jeremiah Hulsebos-Spofford’s “H.C Westermann aborad the USS Enterprise” is an inkjet print from 2010. This is one of 114 works of art donated by Chuck Thurow to the DePaul Art Museum’s permanent collection. (Image courtesy of DePaul Art Museum)
Collector
Chuck Thurow donated the 114 works by 59 Chicago artists to the DePaul Art
Museum’s permanent collection, strengthening the museum’s hometown focus that
positions Chicago as a global city. The works include paintings, photography,
sculpture, drawings and other works on paper.
“This gift
supports the DePaul Art Museum’s vision to reflect the history of art in
Chicago, from the modern era to the present,” said Julie Rodrigues Widholm,
director and chief curator of the museum. “Whether artists have spent their
whole career here, studied here or were born here, we are interested in all of
those scenarios in which Chicago is a touch point for artists.”
“It is
significant that this gift is from Chuck Thurow, who rallied support for
artists in Chicago as director of the Hyde Park Arts Center and has played a
significant role in the story of art in Chicago that we’re trying to tell,”
Widholm added.
Many of the
artists were
not previously represented in the DePaul Art Museum’s collection, and the
donation significantly expands the museum’s holdings of local art. Works include:
- Paintings by Jim Lutes, Phyllis
Bramson, Candida Alvarez and Philip Hanson.
- Photography by Dawoud Bey, Bob Thall,
Jay Boersma, Ben Gest, Shane Huffman, Lisa Lindvay and Jeremiah Hulsebos-Spofford.
- Works on paper by Linda Kramer, Oli Watt,
Richard Rezac, Mike Lash, Paul LaMantia, Eleanor Speiss-Ferris, Max King Cap,
Karl Wirsum and Sandra Perlow.
- Works from Latino artists
including Juan
Angel Chavez, Nicolas de Jesus, Arnaldo Roche, Michael Hernandez de Luna, Paul
Sierra and Santiago Filemon.
- Early work from Theaster Gates, Brian
Calvin and Marie Krane Bergman.
- Small sculptures by Chris Garofalo, Faheem Majeed,
and Marva Jolly.
- Works by self-taught
artists: Mr.
Imagination, Derek Webster and Stephen Warde Anderson.
Thurow
collected the artwork during his tenure as director of the Hyde Park Art Center
on Chicago’s South Side, from 1998 to 2010. Throughout his career, Thurow said
he worked to “make Chicago a great place for artists to live and work.”
“Part of
that is not only the exhibition spaces, but places that are building a legacy
of art in the city, and DePaul is one of those places. I was very delighted to
give the work to their collection,” Thurow said.
DePaul’s faculty
and students will have access to study these works at the museum. According to Thurow,
he was drawn to that scholarship and the museum’s connection to Chicago.
“It’s a
chance to tackle the question: What is the relationship between the physical
place and the creativity in that place? And that’s an exciting topic to me, to
have the collection in an academic setting where people are looking at those
kinds of questions. That’s one of the reasons I love having given the material
to DePaul,” said Thurow.
Earlier this
year, the DePaul Art Museum lent several works by Chicago artists to the Smart
Museum of Art at the University of Chicago for its “Monster Roster” exhibition.
Thurow noticed that the holdings from DePaul rounded out the show. “You would
not be able to do a show in-depth like that without the DePaul Art Museum.”
Chicago
artists are also featured in this summer’s exhibitions at the DePaul Art Museum.
Tony Fitzpatrick’s “The Secret Birds” and Barbara Rossi’s “Poor Traits” and
“Eye Owe You!” are on display through Aug. 21.
Widholm
hopes that Thurow’s donation will be a catalyst for other gifts.
“As we seek
to expand the art historical canon for future generations to study, I hope
people will think of us if they have work by significant, interesting artists
with ties to Chicago. We would like to be the home for that work to create a
meaningful platform for its study and display alongside great works of art from
around the world.” she said.
For more
information, visit http://museums.depaul.edu/.
###
Source:
Julie
Rodrigues Widholm
(312) 325-7229
julie.widholm@depaul.edu
Media contact:
Kristin
Claes Mathews
kristin.mathews@depaul.edu
312-362-7735