If you enjoyed art or were a collector in the 1960's you might be familiar with The Distelheim Gallery, a staple of Chicago's Gold Coast for decades. Founded by Irv Distelheim, he designed a space on Oak Street that stood for years.
"My father was a physician and he spent a lot of times with gallery owners on his days off. One of them said he should open his own gallery and he thought it was a great idea. He opened The Distelheim Galleries and he focused on American contemporary artists. He wanted to bring international and American contemporary modern art to Chicago. At that time, contemporary art, modern and abstract art wasn't a big thing as it is in the art scene now," said Lisa Distelheim Barron.
The original space was at 113 E. Oak Street. Soon, Dr. Distelheim moved to 67 E. Oak Street.
He had a full time practice but was heavily involved in the contemporary art world.
Dr. Distelheim spent years bringing artists from Europe and a lot of American artists to the initial space.
"In the late 60's he moved to a new space, a real gallery space. He acquired and designed 67 E. Oak Street. It looks like the Hollywood Squares building. It was perfect for his art gallery and other art galleries moved in and he really started this modern art corridor on oak street which was thriving." said Distelheim Barron.
The space is now set for demolition.
"The building that he designed was the last mid century building left on Oak Street. There's a lot of history at 67 E. Oak Street. Hubert Humphrey used it as a headquarters at one point. I was gutted because they were tearing down a piece of my father's legacy, a piece of Chicago's art history." she said.
The old Distelheim Gallery at 67 E. Oak, already in the process of being demolished
Lisa Distelheim Barron
Distelheim Barron knew she wanted to carry on her father's legacy, so she and her husband, Jefferey Cornett, found a new space in East Pilsen.
"At the same time of the scheduled demolition, Jeff was navigating a Stage 4 cancer diagnosis, so we started thinking a lot about legacy and what you leave behind and what it means to create a legacy and we wanted to do it in a positive way, rather than a sorrowful way, so we- together-devised this idea of Distelheim Galleries 2.0, which is The Distelheim Gallery with Jeff as the modern, abstract artist, with my father's name behind it and my name as well and to make it an online gallery." she said.
Cornett says it was a no brainer for him to be part of not only his father in law Irv's legacy, but his own.
"I was diagnosed and given two years, two years ago, so here I am. Art has always been in my life. This work, oh man," he paused and sighed. "Part of my healing has been finding the right elements from a legacy that I wanted to leave. It helped me with my healing and it also helped other people with the experience of what the art was. It's for people to experience what I experience as I am making art. There is a lot of healing with that." he said. "Reality hits and you say, what can I do, what are the gifts and talents that I can do to move forward? This was it," he smiled.
Pieces from Cornett's collection "Orange & Black" inside the new Distelheim Gallery.
Lisa Fielding/WBBM Newsradio
Cornett's work features bright colors, includes large pieces, limited edition prints, tabletop and wearable art. He and Distelheim Barron say the partnership and the reinvention happened organically.
"This was something that was so unique to me because of Jeff's story and him being an artist, that it was something natural for us to do and it made a lot of sense and a lot of people are thrilled that his name is back there attached to a gallery," said Distelheim Barron.
Dr. Irv Distelheim passed away in 2018, just shy of his 100th birthday but was involved with art until he died.
"My father would be thrilled to know that his name associated with the new gallery is back out there and that people are learning about his contributions to modern art and what he brought to the city's cultural scene and he wouldn't expect it but he would be surprised. He would have loved this." said Distelheim Barron. "He would be honored and thrilled that art that was so important to him that is continuing to live on and the whole idea of sharing art, through what he created, is continuing." she smiled.
Lisa Distelheim Barron and her father, famed art gallery owner, Dr. Irv Distelheim
Lisa Distelheim Barron
Orange & Black, is the inaugural collection featured at the gallery. The Blue Room and The American Spirit Collection, to be featured in the coming months.
“Orange & Black is vibrant abstract art that delves into the dynamic interplay between these contrasting colors,” Cornett says. “The powerful color pairing evokes intense contrasts, symbolism and emotional response.” He adds that the works pay tribute to the intellectual heritage of Princeton University, Distelheim Barron’s alma mater, by employing the institution’s storied palette of orange and black.
In addition to offering the online platform and gallery/studio, Distelheim Barron and Cornett plan to hold occasional pop-up sales in Chicago and other markets, to attract collectors and build awareness of the Cornett collections and the gallery.
You can see his work, and learn more about the Distelheim legacy here.
Part of Cornett's collection "Orange & Black"
Lisa Fielding/WBBM Newsradio
