Kathryn Hixson wrote ten extended reviews of exhibitions and events taking place in Chicago, Texas, and the greater Midwest, addressing relevant issues of art production and its reception in these regional areas. Hixson’s texts were based on first-hand experience of artworks and time-based projects seen in museums, non-profits, galleries, art fairs, and the public sphere. Each review contextualized the art under consideration within the specific histories of its region of origin and place of exhibition, and was published in national and international magazines in order to expand the audience for artworks by regionally based producers as well as to critically participate in both local and international discussions about artistic practices. In addition, the project included observations of the growing regional art scene, including the opening of the Art Institute of Chicago’s major new modern art wing, the evolution of Chicago’s artistic community with several young galleries, new pedagogical programs, and a struggling art fair.
Kathryn Hixson regularly contributed reviews and catalogue essays to a variety of venues, including, “Nauman, Wittgenstein, Beckett: The 1960s Studio Films,” Art US (Summer 2008); “Michael Smith,” Art US (Spring 2008); “Jorge Macchi at Blanton Museum,” Art on Paper (March/April 2008); and “Robert Rauschenberg: Cardboards and Related Pieces at The Menil Collection,” Art on Paper (May/June 2007). Hixson received an MFA from the School of the Art Institute of Chicago and is a doctoral candidate in art history at the University of Texas, Austin.