Nathaniel McLin was a Chicago-based Art Critic - From the Archives


This blog post is in remembrance of a supporter of the Phantom Gallery Chicago and was my advisor. He was a fixture at gallery openings, exhibits and art lectures, Mr. McLin, 55, died Wednesday, Jan. 13, 2010.

Nathaniel McLin, who grew up in a family of respected musicians, promoted local African-American artists who didn't get the attention he felt they deserved and hosted a radio program for 25 years devoted to art. Nathaniel was a support of the Phantom Gallery Chicago Network, he shared so much of his intellectual property with myself and fellow artists. He was the curator for the Phantom Gallery Chicago 2009 PostProduction Exhibit, hosted at the Murphy Hill Gallery, featuring artists Fredrick Owens and Everett Williams. The curatorial discussion was carried on amongst curators: Owens, Williams, Patti, Hill, and moderated by Alpha Bruton.



Nathaniel McLin was a Chicago-based art critic who's been published in numerous publications and frequently wrote for Paint magazine.

He also hosted a radio show called “The Art Museum of Chicago” on WHPK 88.5 FM in Chicago. Nathaniel also contributed an essay for Kerry James Marshall’s catalog One True Thing: Meditations on Black Aesthetics. Nathaniel McLin made a comment on Joyce Owens: Artist on Art concerning art critics and getting reviews published:
Nat McLin featured ranter, began to sing his rant for the  RantAthon fundraiser at LBP. 

“I would say as an art critic it is very difficult to get editors to publish a review of an artist/home studio show. 
Editors prefer to publish reviews of the artist in third party venues. Also, most of the major organizations that promote artists on their web sites and lists refuse to deal with artist cooperatives. I found I will hurt my career by pushing artists that are not in the gallery system. Every time I try to write about a local artist that is not a recent MFA grad following a trendy movement I risk being cut off from that publication permanently.”

Reference Links:
http://neotericart.com/2008/07/08/one-question-with-nathaniel-mclin/
http://octobergallery.com/paintmagazine/index.html,
https://www.chicagotribune.com/news/ct-xpm-2010-01-22-1001210853-story.html,
http://neotericart.com/2008/07/08/one-question-with-nathaniel-mclin/,
http://bronzevilleblogchicago.blogspot.com/2010/01/renaissance-man-of-arts-art-critic.html,




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