By John Walker
Special to Inside
From Sept. 19 to 21, Unilever is holding a public sale of its 92-piece photography collection to benefit Marwen, a Chicago-based nonprofit arts education organization; from Sept. 19 to Oct. 8, the collection will be on display for the public. Proceeds from the sale support the creation of "Unilever and Youth in Focus," a three-year comprehensive photography and imaging program for Marwen students in grades six through 12.
The collection, consisting entirely of black-and-white, museum-quality works, was originally assembled in the mid-'80s. Such famous 20th century photographers as Jacques Henri Lartigue, André Kertesz, Robert Frank, Henri Cartier-Bresson, Irving Penn and Diane Arbus are represented in the collection. Among the many noteworthy photographs are such timeless images as Alfred Stieglitz' "Steerage" and Richard Avedon's "Dovima with Elephants." Choosing to utilize the collection for art education and interpersonal development of young people, Unilever turned to Marwen.
"The show is just the beginning of an exhilarating opportunity to collaborate with young artists in Chicago," said Jon Achenbaum, senior vice president of Unilever, Global Skin Innovation Center. "Through the sale, not only does the public have an opportunity to acquire these acclaimed works, but, more importantly, a future generation of photographers will benefit."
"Unilever's support of Marwen's photography programming is a remarkable commitment to nurturing Chicago's young artists and building their self esteem," said Antonia Contro, executive director for Marwen. "The exhibition at the Marwen gallery provides our students an opportunity to work with a museum-quality collection in an art school environment."
"Unilever and Youth in Focus" will more than double Marwen's photography course offerings; provide approximately 300 students with technical and creative skills in fine art, commercial and journalistic photography; and introduce Marwen's advanced students to career opportunities in photography.
The public sale of the Unilever photography collection begins Sept. 19, and runs through Sept. 21. The sale hours are 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. on Friday, Sept. 19; noon to 6 p.m. on Saturday, Sept. 20; and 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Sunday, Sept. 21. The sale is conducted by Nixon Art Associates and Shashi Caudill Photographs and Fine Art; a preview of the images and sale information are available at www.nixonart.com. The sale takes place at Marwen's gallery, 833 N. Orleans St., and the collection remains on display free to the public until Oct. 8. Gallery hours are 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Monday through Friday.
Marwen provides high-quality visual arts education, college planning and career development programs—all free of charge—to Chicago's under-served youth in grades six through 12. Over the past 16 years, Marwen has evolved from a small after-school program, serving less than 100 students annually, into a vibrant center for the arts that now welcomes 4,500 students, alumni, artists, teachers and families each year. For more information on Marwen, visit www.marwen.org, or call (312) 944-2418.
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