Can Chicago Become America's Next Great City for Artists?

Chicago is losing its artists, to New York City and Los Angeles and San Francisco. This is admitted, from various members--with varying statures--of the art community, either begrudgingly or with ease, but in the end, is always admitted.

“It's difficult for me to generalize this, because people move for different reasons,” explains Jason Foumberg, contributing art editor at Newcity (where I've freelanced in the past) and Chicago magazine's art critic. “The art market here is smaller, so people tend to follow the money if they want to have an art career.”

Many art collectors who live in Chicago do the bulk of their buying from New York galleries and from art fairs in Miami. New York's better established peripheral infrastructure attracts artists too. “Take a look at the various types of jobs that artists tend to take: adjunct lecturer at an art school, preparator at a gallery. We have plenty of art schools in Chicago, but the politics and unions tend to make the hiring process very difficult. Preparator jobs, not enough galleries to sustain full-time employment.”