NEW ISSUE: Western Exhibitions celebrates 20 years

Plus: CPD announces $1 million workforce study. [View this email in your browser]( | [chicagoreader.com]( by Maja Stachnik|November 7, 2024 Happy Thursday! We have a new issue out today, featuring Bustle by artist Edie Fake on the cover. Taken by James Prinz, the photo is courtesy of gallery Western Exhibitions, which you can read more about below. As always, you can pick up a copy of the print issue at a [Reader distribution point near you]( there quick before they’re gone. [Scott Speh stands in the foreground, in the middle of his gallery Western Exhibitions. To his left are Deb Sokolow, wearing an orange top and sneakers, Dutes Miller, wearing dark pants and a white button, and to his right are Geoffrey Todd Smith, wearing a jean jacket and a baseball cap, and Aya Nakamura wearing a grey and black dress. On the walls are archival materials arranged chronologically.]( Gallery founder Scott Speh with Western Exhibitions artists Deb Sokolow, Dutes Miller, Geoffrey Todd Smith, and Aya Nakamura [Credit: Josh Druding for Chicago Reader] [The past and future of Western Exhibitions]( Western Exhibitions, a commercial gallery that started out as a nomadic curatorial endeavor, is celebrating its 20th anniversary with “20 Years of Western Exhibitions.” Culture editor Kerry Cardoza reports that the show is a journey through the gallery’s history, featuring archival materials—including artists’ work hung salon-style in the office space and the owner’s to-do journals. Gallery founder Scott Speh first launched with no formal training in curation, business, or arts administration, back in Chicago working a full-time admissions role at SAIC after a stint in New York City. He starting putting on shows in his apartment and around town at other galleries, eventually opening a proper gallery location in a shared loft with gallerist Lisa Boyle. After a handful of moves—including a space in the West Loop, then the center of the city’s art district—Western Exhibitions moved to its current location at 1709 W. Chicago, along with Document, Volume Gallery, and Paris London Hong Kong. Speh not only shows his artists’ work and handles sales, he takes it to art fairs, works to get it into museums and other collections, promotes other exhibitions the artists might be having, and assists with contracts and logistics like shipping. As artist Stan Shellabarger puts it, “Chicago would be a far less interesting art city if Scott wasn’t doing what he was doing.” [READ MORE](  NEWS & POLITICS - The Chicago Police Department is embarking on a [$1 million thorough study of police staffing]( resulting in department-wide recommendations that will be shared publicly. Recently announced during a meeting of the city’s Community Commission for Public Safety and Accountability, the effort grew out of federal lawsuit Illinois v. Chicago, which established a consent decree related to alleged systemic misconduct by the police department. “[T]he police department’s data does not lend itself to a good and clear view of how many people are working at any one time; the data is stored in too many different places,” said Inspector General Deborah Witzburg. “That’s a problem for us from an oversight perspective. It’s a problem for the department from a management perspective.” It’s also a problem for Chicago residents frustrated with a perceived lack of police response, and for activists who push for greater police accountability. This story was copublished by [Inside Chicago Government]( and the Chicago Reader.  COLUMNS & OPINIONS - The University of Chicago has undertaken an AI-enabled new study that [analyzed presidential speech and quantified the distinctiveness of Trump talk](. Researchers compared Donald Trump’s speeches to those of other presidents and presidential candidates, finding that he is not only the champion of short sentences and repetition, but his “use of divisive and antagonistic language and his tendency to target political opponents distinguish him from all other presidential candidates.” Columnist Deanna Isaacs asked Stephen Reicher, a psychology professor at the University of St. Andrews, Scotland, about how dictators come to power. Reicher writes, via email, that modern leaders and followers share a group identity, presenting themselves as both one of that group and the only person who can solve its problems.  MUSIC & NIGHTLIFE - Shoegaze band Sunshy’s debut album [I Don’t Care What Comes Next came out last month]( which band members Sascha Deng and Wesley Park have been working on since graduating from Northwestern in 2022. In this week’s Gossip Wolf, Leor Galil writes that the record marks them out as one of the most compelling bands of the ongoing shoegaze resurgence. The band debuted as a four-piece at Cole’s in June 2023, adding Gwen Giedeman on bass and Blinker drummer John Golden. Having recently added a new member—Jordan Zamansky, who plays synth, sampler, and tambourine—[Sunshy are back at Cole’s]( with Zastava, Harvey Waters, and Ira Glass on Friday, November 8. Tickets are $13, and the show starts at 10 PM. Plus, the 20th and [final CHIRP Record Fair & Other Delights is this Saturday]( November 9. CHIRP Radio founder and general manager Shawn Campbell promises the station will continue to host other record-related events, though not a larger festival like this, due in part to shifts in the record-buying landscape. The fair has always been a fundraiser for its namesake station: customers pay a small entrance fee ($7, or $20 for early admission), and vendors pay $100 for a table. The “Other Delights” portion of the fair includes surprise DJ sets and live performances. Early admission begins at 9 AM, and general admission starts at 10:30 AM, going until 5 PM. - [Chaos and clarity converge in the improvisations of Dani Dobkin and Matt Sargent]( (Sun 11/10 at Constellation).  PODCASTS When it came to election predictions, Ben admits he got everything wrong. Legendary journalist [Jack White joined Joravsky and Monroe Anderson]( on yesterday’s episode of The Ben Joravsky Show; the trio break everything down, including what to do next. [Other guests this week]( include state representative Kam Buckner, 47th ward alderperson Matt Martin, and political strategist and communications expert Delmarie Cobb. Also, we’ve got a spiffy [new podcast page]( on the website—check out the vital conversations that make us love (and sometimes hate) this city.  BEHIND-THE-SCENES The Reader’s art department will be at [art book and print fair Staple + Stitch]( November 15–17! Hosted at 21c Museum Hotel Chicago, exhibitors include arts publishers, small and independent presses, book artists, zine makers, and printmakers. Tandem programming includes book signings, workshops, and demonstrations open to all ages. The three-day fair is free and open to the public with an emphasis on publications, artist books, zines, and other print-related materials. Come say hi! 📰 LATEST ISSUE: NOVEMBER 7, 2024 📰 [READ ONLINE]( | [COVER]( | [DOWNLOAD PDF]( [Facebook icon]( [Instagram icon]( [X icon]( [LinkedIn icon]( [Threads icon]( [YouTube icon]( [logo] You received this email because you signed up for newsletters from the Chicago Reader. Want fewer emails from us? [Click here to choose what you want us to send you](. Or, [unsubscribe from all Reader emails](. We’ll miss you! [Sign up for emails from the Chicago Reader]( | [Forward this e-mail to a friend]( © 2024 Chicago Reader. All rights reserved. Chicago Reader, 2930 S. Michigan Ave., Suite 102, Chicago, IL 60616