Art & Artist

Rodney Smith’s iconic photographs exert a gravitational pull. These are not images that rest quietly on walls. They beg to be looked at, pulling you in with their stunning technical perfection and evocations of exuberance, mystery, whimsy, heroism, and vulnerability. Whether Smith’s subjects were a couple clasping hands above a tiny blue Fiat in Amalfi,

It’s a Friday night in Málaga and a constant hum runs through the streets of the city’s historic center. At a restaurant on the Plaza del Obispo, steps from the massive, Baroque cathedral, a group of mature women sings happy birthday to one of their own. A few streets away, voices raised in civil disputation

There is a movement growing in Highland Park fueled by passionate women and the magnetic appeal that always accompanies innovation. Long considered by many as the creative hub of the North Shore, Highland Park is now home to Laughlin Gallery, a space causing a stir with an approach to selling art that relies more on

Every business has an origin story but Simes Studios’ story is a striking one. Like the Studios’ work, this origin story is a romantic one set against the backdrop of Old World elegance but infused with New World bravado and innovation. It is an origin story that has led to a decades-long presence in Chicago

Thousands of humans living on the street without the food or support they needed to survive. Faced with the inhumanity of this scene, other people might keep walking, careful not to make eye contact. But that’s not how Lake Forest artist Diane Feldpausch Tang navigates this world. Instead, she uses what she encountered on one

Colorful, joyful, abstract, and thought-provoking are just a few words that describe artist Karen Ross’ body of work. Ross’ encaustic paintings, named for the ancient art form in which pigments are mixed with hot wax, ignite the senses and invite introspection. When viewing Ross’ works, one catches the faint aroma of beeswax while contemplating her