Intuit: The Center for Intuitive and Outsider Art

07/16/2021

OPENING FRIDAY, JULY 23—Methods and Manipulations

Transitioning from the perspective of Darger as author to Darger as artist, the series Henry Darger: The Room Revealed continues with the exhibition Methods and Manipulations.

The second exhibit in the trilogy takes a close look at the visual culture with which Darger grew up and the source materials from which he drew inspiration and, in some cases, appropriated in his art. The show explores how Darger used imagery from diverse sources and highlights his art making process and techniques with a special focus on select themes, including his use of collage and incorporation of the panorama format.

🎟 Tickets for opening weekend are available on Tock!

#HenryDarger #MethodsAndManipulations #TheRoomRevealed

Image: Henry Darger (American, 1892–1973). Untitled (little girls looking over their shoulder), n.d. Ink, pencil, and watercolor on paper, 9 x 12 in. Collection of Intuit: The Center for Intuitive and Outsider Art, Henry Darger Room Collection and Archive, gift of Kiyoko Lerner, 2000.579a. © 2021 Kiyoko Lerner / Artists Rights Society (ARS), New York

OPENING FRIDAY, JULY 23—Methods and Manipulations

Transitioning from the perspective of Darger as author to Darger as artist, the series Henry Darger: The Room Revealed continues with the exhibition Methods and Manipulations.

The second exhibit in the trilogy takes a close look at the visual culture with which Darger grew up and the source materials from which he drew inspiration and, in some cases, appropriated in his art. The show explores how Darger used imagery from diverse sources and highlights his art making process and techniques with a special focus on select themes, including his use of collage and incorporation of the panorama format.

🎟 Tickets for opening weekend are available on Tock!

#HenryDarger #MethodsAndManipulations #TheRoomRevealed

Image: Henry Darger (American, 1892–1973). Untitled (little girls looking over their shoulder), n.d. Ink, pencil, and watercolor on paper, 9 x 12 in. Collection of Intuit: The Center for Intuitive and Outsider Art, Henry Darger Room Collection and Archive, gift of Kiyoko Lerner, 2000.579a. © 2021 Kiyoko Lerner / Artists Rights Society (ARS), New York

07/15/2021

FINAL WEEKEND—Darger as Reader, Writer and Bookmaker closes this Sunday, July 18, so be sure to reserve your tickets today on Tock (https://www.exploretock.com/intuit) and stop by Intuit to see the exhibition!

Image: Installation photograph by Cheri Eisenberg

FINAL WEEKEND—Darger as Reader, Writer and Bookmaker closes this Sunday, July 18, so be sure to reserve your tickets today on Tock (https://www.exploretock.com/intuit) and stop by Intuit to see the exhibition!

Image: Installation photograph by Cheri Eisenberg

07/14/2021

Inspired by the healing potential of natural materials, Emery Blagdon began assembling sculptures from foil, beads, magnets and other found objects to create his Healing Machines. Paired with patterned paintings, these assemblages resided in a shed on his property from which he worked and eventually filled completely.

Tomorrow, July 15, artist, art educator and Intuit Summer Fellow Cielo Aguilera leads Art After Work, in which she will guide an art-making workshop inspired by Blagdon's Healing Machines.

Make Emery Blagdon-inspired art with us! Register for the virtual program on Eventbrite.

#EmeryBlagdon #TraumaLossReflectionHope

Image: Installation photograph by Cheri Eisenberg

Inspired by the healing potential of natural materials, Emery Blagdon began assembling sculptures from foil, beads, magnets and other found objects to create his Healing Machines. Paired with patterned paintings, these assemblages resided in a shed on his property from which he worked and eventually filled completely.

Tomorrow, July 15, artist, art educator and Intuit Summer Fellow Cielo Aguilera leads Art After Work, in which she will guide an art-making workshop inspired by Blagdon's Healing Machines.

Make Emery Blagdon-inspired art with us! Register for the virtual program on Eventbrite.

#EmeryBlagdon #TraumaLossReflectionHope

Image: Installation photograph by Cheri Eisenberg

07/12/2021

Eugene Andolsek worked as a stenographer for a railroad company, a job he disliked doing. To ease his stress in the evenings, Andolsek would draw intricate and vibrant kaleidoscopic compositions using graph paper, a compass and colorful inks. Throughout his lifetime, he carefully drew thousands of these vivid drawings.

#EugeneAndolsek #TraumaLossReflectionHope

Image: Eugene Andolsek (American, 1921-2008). Untitled, ca. 1993-2003. Colored ink on graph paper, 14 x 18 in. Collection of Intuit: The Center for Intuitive and Outsider Art, gift of Eugene Andolsek and Aarne Anton, 2007.2

Eugene Andolsek worked as a stenographer for a railroad company, a job he disliked doing. To ease his stress in the evenings, Andolsek would draw intricate and vibrant kaleidoscopic compositions using graph paper, a compass and colorful inks. Throughout his lifetime, he carefully drew thousands of these vivid drawings.

#EugeneAndolsek #TraumaLossReflectionHope

Image: Eugene Andolsek (American, 1921-2008). Untitled, ca. 1993-2003. Colored ink on graph paper, 14 x 18 in. Collection of Intuit: The Center for Intuitive and Outsider Art, gift of Eugene Andolsek and Aarne Anton, 2007.2

07/10/2021

Intuit staff, board and friends mourn loss of founder Susann Craig (1936-2021) - Intuit

Intuit grieves with the family and friends of Intuit life trustee Susann Craig, who recently passed away on June 28, 2021. Loved ones remember Craig for her radiant love of life, creativity and sense of adventure.

Learn more about Susann:

July 10, 2021—CHICAGO—Susann Eickmeyer Craig, visionary Chicago art collector and a founder of Intuit, passed away peacefully on June 28, 2021, at Providence St. John’s Hospital in Santa Monica, Calif. Born on Dec. 27, 1936, in Youngstown, Ohio, Craig spent…

07/08/2021

From the young artists who design the quilt blocks to the volunteer embroiderers who embellish these pieces and sew them together, community members are involved in every step of the Social Justice Sewing Academy's quilt-making process. Made during Community Quilt and Remembrance Project workshops, these textiles reflect social issues important to creators across the country.

The show Social Justice Sewing Academy: Connecting Generations through Cloth is on view at Intuit until August 22, 2021.

#ConnectingGenerationsThroughCloth

Image: Installation photograph by Cheri Eisenberg

From the young artists who design the quilt blocks to the volunteer embroiderers who embellish these pieces and sew them together, community members are involved in every step of the Social Justice Sewing Academy's quilt-making process. Made during Community Quilt and Remembrance Project workshops, these textiles reflect social issues important to creators across the country.

The show Social Justice Sewing Academy: Connecting Generations through Cloth is on view at Intuit until August 22, 2021.

#ConnectingGenerationsThroughCloth

Image: Installation photograph by Cheri Eisenberg

07/07/2021

Photos from Outsider Art Fair's post

07/02/2021

Meet the characters from Henry Darger's 15,000-page novel, known in short as "In the Realms of the Unreal," in the exhibition Darger as Reader, Writer and Bookmaker. Featured in the select cast of characters are the Vivian girls and their friends and foes, including their father Robert Angelic Vivian, their guardian Jack Ambrose Evans, and the leader of the evil Glandelinian army, John Manley.

#HenryDarger #ReaderWriterBookmaker #TheRoomRevealed

Images: Installation photographs from Darger as Reader, Writer and Bookmaker

06/30/2021

Self-taught artist Betty Zakoian, a survivor of the 1915 Armenian Genocide who settled in Chicago with her family in 1937, often incorporated cultural and spiritual motifs into her paintings, including imagery from nature like flowers, birds and insects.

#BettyZakoian #TraumaLossReflectionHope

Image: Badaskhan "Betty" Zakoian (Armenian, active in America, 1908-1978). Untitled, n.d. Tempera and pen on paper, 6 x 4 in. Collection of Intuit: The Center for Intuitive and Outsider Art, gift of the Zakoian Family, 2007.5.29

Self-taught artist Betty Zakoian, a survivor of the 1915 Armenian Genocide who settled in Chicago with her family in 1937, often incorporated cultural and spiritual motifs into her paintings, including imagery from nature like flowers, birds and insects.

#BettyZakoian #TraumaLossReflectionHope

Image: Badaskhan "Betty" Zakoian (Armenian, active in America, 1908-1978). Untitled, n.d. Tempera and pen on paper, 6 x 4 in. Collection of Intuit: The Center for Intuitive and Outsider Art, gift of the Zakoian Family, 2007.5.29

06/29/2021

Remembering Inuvialuk artist Floyd Kuptana, whose dark vision brought important issues to light

The Toronto Star reflects on the life and work of artist Floyd Kuptana, who passed away in late May. Interviewed in the article, Richard D. Mohr, author of "Floyd Kuptana, Canada's Outsider" in the 2018 edition of The Outsider, speaks to the significance of Kuptana's work and the dark themes he often depicted.

Read the full article here:

For Floyd Kuptana, painting and sculpting were ways to connect with his people, culture and traumatic roots. He died at age 57, but he packed an extraordinary life into the limited time he had.

06/26/2021

Judith Scott developed her artistic practice as a fiber artist at Creative Growth Art Center, where she intricately wove sculptures from found objects, fabrics, yarns and other cloth materials. 🧶🧵 This Wednesday, June 30, take a close look at this untitled piece by Judith Scott with Guest Services Associate Zoe Patricia Smith at One Night Stand. Zoe will discuss the life and work of Judith Scott and lead attendees in a focused conversation about this piece on view in the exhibition Trauma and Loss, Reflection and Hope.

Join the conversation! Register for the virtual program on Eventbrite.

#JudithScott #TraumaLossReflectionHope

Image: Judith Scott (American, 1943-2005). Untitled (Blue Bird Pod) (detail), n.d. Mixed fibers on found object, 13 x 20 x 17 in. Collection of Intuit: The Center for Intuitive and Outsider Art, gift of Creative Growth Art Center, 2004.6.4

Judith Scott developed her artistic practice as a fiber artist at Creative Growth Art Center, where she intricately wove sculptures from found objects, fabrics, yarns and other cloth materials. 🧶🧵 This Wednesday, June 30, take a close look at this untitled piece by Judith Scott with Guest Services Associate Zoe Patricia Smith at One Night Stand. Zoe will discuss the life and work of Judith Scott and lead attendees in a focused conversation about this piece on view in the exhibition Trauma and Loss, Reflection and Hope.

Join the conversation! Register for the virtual program on Eventbrite.

#JudithScott #TraumaLossReflectionHope

Image: Judith Scott (American, 1943-2005). Untitled (Blue Bird Pod) (detail), n.d. Mixed fibers on found object, 13 x 20 x 17 in. Collection of Intuit: The Center for Intuitive and Outsider Art, gift of Creative Growth Art Center, 2004.6.4

06/23/2021

Found among Darger's belongings were clippings from cartoons, coloring books, magazines and newspapers, including advertisements. He often used these source materials as inspiration for his artistic representation of the Vivian girls. Here, the Vivian sisters stand with their backs to the viewer and peer into the distance. Darger scholar and guest curator Leisa Rundquist notes their clothing and features are reminiscent of department store advertisements for children's clothing that Darger clipped and used to fashion their style.

#HenryDarger #ReaderWriterBookmaker #TheRoomRevealed

Image: Henry Darger (American, 1892–1973). At Wickey Sansinia Meet Gertrude Angeline (detail), n.d. Pencil and watercolor on pieced paper, 19 x 47 in. Collection of Robert A. Roth. © 2021 Kiyoko Lerner / Artists Rights Society (ARS), New York

06/21/2021

The Important Complexity of Hope: A Review of Trauma and Loss, Reflection and Hope at Intuit

Newcity covers the exhibition Trauma and Loss, Reflection and Hope and writes about the works on view: "As a collective, they challenge the current world and call out for necessary hope and change."

Read more:

Each artist’s attempt to process and wrestle with their trauma or loss gives viewers the opportunity to confront their own.

06/19/2021

This Juneteenth, Intuit wishes to celebrate the significant contributions made by African American artists by sharing the work of Dr. Charles Smith.

From 1986 to 2001, Vietnam veteran and artist Dr. Charles Smith constructed an art environment from his home in Aurora, Illinois, known as the African American Heritage Museum and Black Veteran's Archive. Home to more than 600 sculptures, the museum commemorated events and people of African American history, from slavery to the Civil Rights movement to the present day. Smith moved to Louisiana to care for his mother in 2001 when sculptures from his first museum were donated to and collected by cultural institutions like Intuit. Smith began constructing a second museum in Hammond, Louisiana, where he lives and works today.

Three works by Dr. Charles Smith are currently in the exhibition Trauma and Loss, Reflection and Hope: "Spot," "Memorial to Velma Smith's Son, Michael," and "Underground Railroad."

#DrCharlesSmith #TraumaLossReflectionHope

Image: Installation photograph from Trauma and Loss, Reflection and Hope: Selections from the Collection

This Juneteenth, Intuit wishes to celebrate the significant contributions made by African American artists by sharing the work of Dr. Charles Smith.

From 1986 to 2001, Vietnam veteran and artist Dr. Charles Smith constructed an art environment from his home in Aurora, Illinois, known as the African American Heritage Museum and Black Veteran's Archive. Home to more than 600 sculptures, the museum commemorated events and people of African American history, from slavery to the Civil Rights movement to the present day. Smith moved to Louisiana to care for his mother in 2001 when sculptures from his first museum were donated to and collected by cultural institutions like Intuit. Smith began constructing a second museum in Hammond, Louisiana, where he lives and works today.

Three works by Dr. Charles Smith are currently in the exhibition Trauma and Loss, Reflection and Hope: "Spot," "Memorial to Velma Smith's Son, Michael," and "Underground Railroad."

#DrCharlesSmith #TraumaLossReflectionHope

Image: Installation photograph from Trauma and Loss, Reflection and Hope: Selections from the Collection

06/19/2021

Juneteenth, now celebrated as a federal holiday, commemorates the end of slavery in the United States. Intuit encourages you to honor Juneteenth with Chicago cultural organizations like the DuSable Museum of African American History and the Chicago History Museum, which are hosting commemorative programs today.

06/17/2021

Art After Work: Minnie Evans

Create colorful dreamscapes with us this evening at Art After Work: Minnie Evans! Register for the virtual workshop on Eventbrite:

Artist and museum educator Mayra Palafox guides an art-making workshop inspired by Minnie Evans.

06/17/2021

Plan Your Visit - Intuit

Thank you for your continued support of Intuit as we reopen. Beginning today, June 17, in alignment with the reopening guidelines from the City of Chicago, fully vaccinated guests are no longer required—but are encouraged—to wear a face covering in the museum. In line with public health authorities, Intuit requires guests who are unvaccinated or not fully vaccinated to wear a face covering during their visit.

In addition to these updates, Intuit is now open from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Thursday through Sunday! Guests need to reserve timed-entry tickets in advance, so please check Tock for availability.

For more information, please read the Plan Your Visit web page:

What To Know Before You Go To Intuit Friday, June 11, the City of Chicago enters Phase 5 of the Restore Illinois reopening plan with the State of Illinois, which eases previous COVID-19 procedures. This weekend, June 11–13, the museum’s…

06/17/2021

Thank you, The North American Reciprocal Museum Association, for spotlighting Henry Darger: The Room Revealed, a trilogy of exhibitions that explores Chicago’s world-renowned outsider artist in collaboration with audiences and advisors.

The first of three exhibitions, Darger as Reader, Writer and Bookmaker, is on view at Intuit until July 18. Reserve tickets here: https://www.exploretock.com/intuit

Henry Darger: The Room Revealed
On view through July 18, 2021
Intuit: The Center for Intuitive and Outsider Art
Chicago, Illinois
www.art.org

"Henry Darger: The Room Revealed" is a series of three six-week exhibitions that explore Chicago's world-renowned outsider artist in collaboration with audiences and advisors. Due to growing concern about the fragility of the objects on view, Intuit will de-install the Room for conservation review. Before and during the de-installation, Intuit will engage audiences through these three successive exhibitions that serve as a guest-engagement laboratory to inform the Room's future re-installation.

[Image: Henry Darger (American, 1892–1973). Angeline Celistine Vivian, c. 1940s. Mixed media on paper, 17 ¼ x 15 ¼ in. Collection of Robert A. Roth. © 2021 Kiyoko Lerner / Artists Rights Society (ARS), New York. Photo © John Faier]