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    Hyde Park Art Center

    4.2 (38 reviews)
    Open 9:00 am - 8:00 pm

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    Painting (Catwoman War) by Gladys Nilsson from exhibit catalogue.  Exhibit at U.C. Berkeley in 1970.
    Tom B.

    This describes part of the early history of Hyde Park Art Center, and contributions by Don Baum. My review is based on the fact that, in the year 1970, I saw an exhibition at U.C. Berkeley that included paintings by four of the Chicago Imagists. The exhibition catalogue was called, "Human Concern/Personal Torment." When I was a freshman student at U.C. Berkeley, I attended this exhibition and saw paintings by Chicago Imagists Karl Wirsum (Baseball Girl), Jim Nutt (Miss E. Knows), Gladys Nilsson (Catwomen War), and Ed Paschke (Dos Criados). These paintings are in the catalogue, and attached here are my photographs of two paintings from the catalogue (Jim Nutt; Gladys Nillson). The Acknowledgments section of the catalogue states that, "For the encouragement, advice, and assistance, I am pleased to thank . . . Donald Baum . . . many colleagues will have contributed assistance by the time the exhibition and catalogue are completed." In the years, 1980 to 1984, I lived in Madison, WI and, during that era, visited Chicago to view exhibits at Phyllis Kind Gallery, where I saw paintings by Ed Paschke, Chicago Institute of Art, and Museum of Contemporary Art. My review is also based on the documentary directed by Leslie Buchbinder, called, "A Walk on Da Hairy Side !" The movie is available from Pentimenti Productions. My attached photos include screenshots from this movie, showing the outside of Hyde Park Art Center (at 4 minutes), a screenshot showing young Don Baum (at 14 minutes), and a photo of older Don Baum (at 16 minutes). Here are some quotations from the movie. "There weren't that many places back in the mid-1960's where there walls available, and the gallery scene was minimal, not too many commercial galleries," spoken by Gladys Nilsson. At 13 minutes, Jim Nutt says, "For young artists, there really wasn't a scene. And then, the Hyde Park Art Center was basically the only real opening." "We started exhibiting around '64 at the Hyde Park Art Center," says Gladys Nilsson at 14 min. At 14 min, we see a black and white still photo of Don Baum, and the narrator says, "The Hyde Park Art Center gained momentum in the 1950's through the vision of a maverick curator, Don Baum." In an interview, Mr. Baum says, "My idea for the Hyde Park Art Center was that it would be a place where artists who had no previous exhibiting experience could show! I always felt my role was to permit!" At 15 min, Don Baum says, "There was an animal, vegetable, and mineral . . . three separately." Then, Jim Nutt says, "All the paintings had to be about animal, vegetable, or mineral." Then, Art Green says, "I remember I was in the vegetable series, for sure, and I think in the mineral series as well." At 16 minutes, a video shows Don Baum at an opening at Hyde Park Art Center, and wearing a Turkish fez. Critic Dennis Adrian says, "Don Baum was a fireworks display, going off all the time." Then, the narrator says, "Located 7 miles south of downtown Hyde Park was home to the University of Chicago, a magnet for the city's intellectual elite, and a hotbed of cultural non-conformity." Then, Don Baum says, "There was a period in which this kind of flamboyance was right on the nose." At 23 minutes, the narrator says, "From the very beginning The Hairy Who paid homage to their beloved form of the comic book, by publishing their own comics, for each of their Hyde Park Art Center shows, in 1966, 1967, and 1968." At 36 minutes, artist Kerig Pope says, "Don Baum managed to convince them [The Hairy Who] that they weren't competing with each other, they were competing against the world."

    Hyde Park Art Center
    Bill M.

    The new building for the recently relocated Hyde Park Art Center was designed by local architect Douglas Garofalo. Its east wall along Cornell features the largest exterior digital facade, so experimental artists like Inigo Manglano-Ovalle can get a crack at doing their artistic thing with the building, which used to be a printing plant. HPAC recently hosted a 36-hour "Creative Move", a free grand opening festival which introduced visitors to works by local artists along with a variety of dances, presentations, and lectures.

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    Review Highlights - Hyde Park Art Center

    Berkeley that included paintings by four of the Chicago Imagists.

    Mentioned in 2 reviews

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    Really great pottery program for any ages wanting to learn. 8 week curriculum for 3 hours of…read moreinstruction time per week + open studio on Saturdays. All supplies included, bring a towel. Would recommend to anyone wanting to take a stab at the wheel. The studio is beautiful and always very peaceful.

    Very disappointing experience overall. I took two hand building classes recently. They're 8 weeks…read morelong, but in reality you have 6 weeks of time to work because the first week is the introductory info and the 8th week you're just picking up your glazed work. The teacher, Set, seems nice at first, but there's a lot of gossip about the owner, Jay, and other students. Do I really need to know that Jay lives in the building and is proud that he doesn't have a place to bathe in his space? Initially we were told that her Tues and Wed night students could come on both nights to work if they were interested. She said Jay a didn't know what's going on and if asked, just say you were making up a missed class. She then rescinded that offer when she decided that she didn't like me for some reason. I have no idea what I did to inspire this treatment, but Set told me I was "intolerable" and when I asked what I'd done she claimed I was harassing her. She got upset and said she was going to call the owner to get the police!! I can only think I ask too many questions and asked for her help too often. She tried to draw other students into the conflict by saying "WE". As a former teacher I find that so unprofessional. If I've ever needed to talk to a student about a problem, I ask the student to speak to me away from other students, not try to get them on "my side". I contacted Jay and after talking to her, his response was it seemed she was having a bad day. I'll say! Set knows where her bread is buttered. She is so proud of a huge bust of Jay, the owner, that took her 2 years to finish. We all had to go and look at it. She knows who to pander to. Overall she's a pretty good artist, but NOT A GREAT TEACHER. Never again will I take a class there. It's full of older rich white (suburban) women and those are just not my kind of people. I'm sad that I can't continue taking classes as it's very close to my home.

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    After 5:00 summer series Wednesday wine down:I recently visited this Little Black Pearl, and I have…read moreto say the energy when I walked in was great. I was surrounded by such positive, welcoming people of all ages. Throughout the night, we sang karaoke, played cards, shot pool and listened to good music. What really stood out to me was how safe, inclusive, and comfortable the environment felt. Everyone was so kind and genuine. But what truly touched my heart was how the community embraced my brother, who is special needs. There was no judgment only acceptance, laughter, and open arms. For the first time in a long time, I didn't feel like I had to be on guard, watching to make sure he was being treated with respect because everyone just welcomed. It was a relaxing night filled with connection and joy. I would absolutely come back and recommend it to anyone looking for a fun, warm, and safe space. Thank you for such an unforgettable expeience.

    The organization for which I work recently held an event at Little Black Pearl (LBP). The support…read moreand service we received was beyond stellar! LBP provided the space, catered the food (via their onsite cafe, Carver 47), connected us to amazing balloon and floral vendors, and provided other accoutrements (e.g., tables and chairs, table coverings, a stage, sound and tech support, package management). LBP's one-stop shop especially helpful given that our planning team resided outside of Chicago. There is so much to applaud from the experience: the warm and inviting space exuded elegance; the feast was as beautiful as it was delicious; and the LBP team's interactions with us (from planning to completion) was the epitome of grace and hospitality. They accommodated every request and did so with an exceptional level of excellence. When we asked that the menu include a vegetarian and Halal dish, they ensured guests had multiple options. When we requested assistance erecting our banner, they took on the task of assembling the entire structure, even machine washing and drying it when they noticed a stain. Compared to other spaces we considered (and have used in the past) across the city, LBP's offerings and support stood head and shoulders above and their love was palpable in their attention to details.That they have a heart-centered mission and work in support of youth and community was tasty icing on an already amazing cake. Thank you, Little Black Pearl team, for making our event a world-class experience!

    Hyde Park Art Center - galleries - Updated May 2026

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