Njapf Collage Copy

Support

Not Just Another Pretty Face is a collaborative commissioning project created by the Hyde Park Art Center that explores contemporary portraiture. The Art Center arranges commissions between patrons and artists who create personal works of art (from the traditional to the very untraditional). 

2012 marks the fifth installment of Not Just Another Pretty Face, and will culminate in an unveiling event on December 14, 2013, an exhibition in the Art Center’s main gallery through March 2014, and a catalogue documenting the works and participant experiences.

Goals:

  • Activate local collectors to invest in their city’s artists directly 
  • Encourage a new and diverse group of people to think of themselves as supporters and patrons of contemporary art
  • Build lasting relationships between artists and patrons, creating a new base of patronage for artists and investing in the vitality of Chicago’s cultural community

Impact:

  • Over $200,000 directly in the hands of talented local artists
  • Over $200,000 for the Hyde Park Art Center’s programs
  • Over 200 original works of art
  • Provided more than 200 patrons with memorable experiences as well as meaningful artworks by artists they now know
  • A new model for how an institution can support its city’s artists in a way that is fun, distinctive and sustainable—replicated by organizations in Boise, Indianapolis, Philadelphia and Salt Lake

Press:

Chicago Gallery News - September 2012

The Atlantic Cities - February 2013

Get Involved:

If you are interested in exploring the possibilities of a commission, please contact Megha Ralapati at mralapati@hydeparkart.org or call 773.324.5520x1001 to find out how!

Participating Artists:

To learn about the artists, click on their name to be redirected to their website. You can also browse through a sampling of their work on our Flickr page.

Please contact Megha Ralapati at mralapati@hydeparkart.org or 773.324.5520 x1001 if you have any questions or would like more information about Not Just Another Pretty Face and related events.