"If Chicago is a city of civic cheerleaders with self-esteem issues, this might serve as the inspiration for a better future. It’s the smartest, most thorough one-stop argument for the importance of Chicago art since Thomas Dyja’s 'The Third Coast.'"

Chicago Tribune

"Art in Chicago: A History from the Fire to Now is the first book to follow the flow of Chicago art from the nineteenth century to the present, and it is revelatory. Art historians Taft and Cozzolino and their expert contributors illuminate multiple dimensions of the Chicago art world, from its established institutions to its 'bohemian enclaves.' Era by era, elements that distinguish Chicago come into focus, especially the insurgent use of art as a force for dissent, social change, and community improvement."

Booklist

"The most comprehensive treatment of the topic to date. . . . The book conspicuously lacks timelines and keywords, avoiding the encyclopaedic approach of past efforts. At the heart of this new history is instead a compelling story about how artistic identity is formed in the shadows. . . . All of these topics are deeply covered in the book's excellent essays."

Art Newspaper

"The book makes a persuasive proposal that Chicago, as a metropolitan art center, was and still is ahead of the curve. . . . The contributing authors and editors of Art in Chicago do not merely chronicle the recent progress and issues that arise around this unique but fickle economy; they also present tangible dialogue between artists, writers, and curators in an extensive series of interviews that comprise the latter half of this book. I have barely been able to touch on the wealth of knowledge and history this comprehensive text has to offer, let alone the cultural ambitions that can be garnered from the discussions in it. . . . It is a resource and reference that feels essential not only to anyone who is interested in art but also to anyone who is interested in urban life and culture, as well as politics and history."

New Art Examiner

"Art in Chicago: A History from the Fire to Now, edited by Maggie Taft and Robert Cozzolino, addresses Chicago’s art world in both its historical precedents and contemporary trajectory... It is a city that has, according to Taft and Cozzolino, the 'strength of art education, the prominence of women in the arts and the flourishing of African-American cultural institutions, the constancy of activism and social practice,' and these assets continue to attract people from all over the world to the city."

Newcity Art

"Art in Chicago surpasses all previous accounts of the city’s artistic heritage. Unintimidated by the immensity of the task, its editors have matched their subject in ambition, inclusiveness, and verve. If you are a Chicagoan, this history will make you proud."
 

Art in America

"Art in Chicago, the ambitious new attempt to fit the city’s art history between the covers of a book… explicitly pushes against the New York-centric art world narrative… With seven chapters on periods of Chicago’s art history each written by a different author or authors, editors Maggie Taft and Robert Cozzolino’s project grapples with Chicago’s insider-outsider status in the art world, negotiating between its geographic focus on a city that is not the capital of the modern world or modern art, and its interest in artistic tendencies outside the central thrust of art-historical narratives."

South Side Weekly