“Theaster Gates: How to Sell Hardware”

Local artists and philanthropist Theaster Gates explores the contents of a family-owned True Value hardware store, which once sold hardware on Chicago's South Side. A thriving business in the ’70s and ’80s, the shop couldn't compete with big-box chains that dominated sales in the ensuing decades and eventually went under. Gates purchased the contents of the store in 2014 and memorializes its remaining inventory through an installation that arranges reclaimed items on shelves and walls throughout the gallery. "How to Sell Hardware" is an examination of changing times and a celebration of the off-the-shelf parts that artists rely on when creating.