CHICAGO – The exhibit hall was at double capacity. Like the champagne bottles welling over the kitchenette’s threshold, anxious guests overflowed into the foyer, hoping for a glimpse of the canvases that summoned every eye with their soulful depth and luminosity.
These very patient people came from all walks of life – from consul generals of India and Iceland, to trendy Windy City gallery owners and aspiring artists, to wide-eyed suburban teens, to Fourth Wave Ukrainian immigrants visiting the museum for the first time.