Great little gallery!…read more Current show is Jim MacRoberts - a talented woodworking artist, and a real gentleman (a dying breed nowdays). Great art, really fantastic stuff. Incredible use of wood. There was even a few framed kids drawings, and the little artists were in attendance greeting their public. What a fun show. The opening was lively and fun. Lots of snacks and wine for patrons. Extremely kid friendly. Juice was on offer too!

A friend of mine hosted a surprise 50th b day party for her husband at this establishment. It was…read morenothing short of a horrible experience. Party was scheduled to end at 1am. The owner pretty much stalked us the entire time. (9pm to 1am) He did not approve of our choice of music. We are African American. The party was classy but the owner was NOT. He insisted that we shut the music off well ahead of our scheduled end time. I would not recommend patronizing this establishment. We ultimately moved the party to a different location.

Madron is a fine art gallery in Lincoln Park, specializing in impressionism and 20th C. abstract…read moreworks and more. I visited for an artist's show and was greeted warmly and later told about the art and artist by the curator. I made the mistake of entering on North Ave (which is where their address is listed), but you can park in the main lot and enter the front doors from the strip mall entrance by West Elm.

Highly recommend and a fantastic counterpoint to the Expo Chicago art fair. Yes, it is a…read moresubstantial schlep from the main touristy part of the city, but worth it. Loved seeing the wide variety of artists showing there. It was absolutely packed, but we were still able to get in and around fairly quickly (as we needed to). Extra cool that they offered wrapping stations for purchased pieces. Hope to go back again in the future. Loved it.

One of my favorite galleries in Chicago. They have a gorgeous selection of original…read morecontemporary/street art from local artists. Regularly gallery openings are a great place to see work from local emerging artists like Kayla Mahaffey, or be the first to nab pieces by local legends like Hebru Brantley and Pose. Other gallery openings have included national and international big names in the street art world like Anthony Lister. The environment for gallery openings in unpretentious and lively. Drinks and a younger crowd make for a fun and eventful evening. The gallery also has a room in the back which is usually viewable during gallery openings. There is a long standing collection of amazing works for sale including pieces by icons such as Barabara Kruger and Keith Haring. My favorite thing about Line Dot is that they often curate select pieces as limited edition prints which make art much more affordable for new collectors. Beautiful gallery. Friendly staff. Always enjoy my experience here.

At the time of this writing (they just opened), Johalla is a true up-and-comer in the Chicago art…read morescene. This gallery was started very recently by a friend (disclaimer activated), Anne Marie Cerniglia, and a merry gang of her friends. Yes, it's run in Wicker Park, and yes, it's across the street and pinched in by the likes of Double Door, Myopic Books and Earwax. But they're centrally located with plenty of after-show activities available especially if you're of the twenty or thirty-something pursuasion. And the work is easily some of the most adroitly curated work at its level, with excitement bubbling over for what they'll do next after only their second show. Matter of fact, a recent fundraiser there (not an official Johalla show, mind you) drew a Tribune 10 best notice (you can view the pick online here: http://www.chicagotribune.com/entertainment/events/chi-100128-chicago-winter-events-pictures,0,1470838.photogallery). That said, the Trib's art coverage has been at troglodyte levels for months now, but Johalla will stand over time I expect in the best traditions of Chicago's go-it-alone, apartment/alt galleries. Don't believe me, though, check out the website, find out about their upcoming show and head out for a look-see yourself.

WOW. wow. wow. wow…read more Four hours today and it still wasn't enough. I plan on going back tomorrow or Monday. I loved everything about Art Chicago. The art (duh.), the people, the fashion. People from everywhere in the world speaking all different kinds of languages... all there to buy and look at art. The NEXT floor was like one giant fashion show. I had as much fun looking at the people as I did looking at the art. Most of the gallery staff were friendly and would engage in conversation with my friend and me... even though we obviously would not be buying anything. Spending the day here reminded me of being at the Tate Modern in London... which I visited three times in the month I was there. Such a great vibe. I can't wait to go back... and... I wish there was something permanent like this in Chicago.

Art Chicago for 2009 is housed in the Merchandise Mart, though events are occurring throughout the…read morecity. This annual international fair of contemporary and modern art, brings together the world's leading emerging and established art galleries. Art Chicago offers curators, collectors, artists and art enthusiasts a comprehensive survey of current and historic work, from cutting edge to modern masters in a wide variety of media including: painting, photography, drawings, prints, sculpture, video and special installations. Now that I've got the official information over lets get down to brass tacks............. As a fine art photographer myself I was thrilled to be able to attend an Opening preview of this 4 day event last night. If you've never been on an upper floor of the Merchandise mart, you'll be shocked at the shear size of this building. It took me 2 hours to cover just one and a half floors on this building............and I was moving pretty quickly seeking primarily just photographic artist. Keep in mind these floors house not 1, not 2, but 3 cafes they are so big and over 18 elevators per floor. The 12th floor housed the primary galleries where collectors were looking at the hottest artist in the America and the world today. I was amazed at the artists I saw in this space and who were some of the best fine art photographers in the world. Artist like Michael Wolfe; Fred Korth; Wayne Miller who did some incredible imagery of the lives of average blacks living in the Southside of Chicago in the 40s; Luis Gonzalez Palma; Walker Evans; Alec Soth; and Achim Lippoth just to name a few. But there were painters that also inspired me.......Yigai Ozeri is a painter that does such a good job with oils that his paintings look like photographs!!! But I want to be clear about art in America......it is run, managed, directed, and facilitated by the very wealthy and very powerful and no where was that more evident than last night. There were many people there looking to buy or promote art and when pieces are going in 5 and 6 digit prices and they range in the thousands, this is the Super Bowl of art collecting at its best. Art, particularly in such economic times is a luxury and usually only a luxury the rich can afford. The crowd was no less than the most eclectic group of folks assembled in one place that I have ever seen and fashion statements abound. The event will cover the first 4 days in the month of May and involves just about every type of art venue in the city. If you get a chance you should definite check this out.

Had a good time at this art museum and gallery. It certainly is a way to know about a local artist…read morewho had a big impact. The Ed Paschke Art Center is the biggest collection of his work. Also it's free. There's a lot of permanent collections, and you can find exhibits by other local artists who come here for training. A few things about him. In 1939 he was born on the North Side. There was early influence by his father who made Disney animation and sketches among other things. After graduating from The School Of The Art Institute Of Chicago, he got a travel scholarship to Mexico. There he was influenced by the art colors and patterns. He was in the army, making drawings for weapons manuals. Then he started making collages using images from newspapers. He would enlarge and reproduce these using oil on canvas. Then getting his MFA at SAIC, he was influenced by the first museum exhibition held by Andy Warhol. He was getting popular as an artist. Then he also began teaching classes at several universities. Often he would invite students over to his studio, and tell them to grab a brush and start painting on a canvas. The Art Institute Of Chicago had a traveling career retrospective in 1989 that was one of his career highlights. In 2004 he passed away. The city honored him by naming a street after him. A few years later this art center was created by his children and the Rabb Family Foundation. This opened in 2014 and increased the awareness of his work and life. Admission is free. This is because of their commitment to accessibility to the public. In the permanent collection is the Howard Street Studio installation. This reimagines his art studio with unfinished art works, source material, and souvenirs. Basically it's like giving you an idea of how he made art. One can get a sense of his painting techniques, like how he used sponges to get the color and volume. A lot of other stuff in the permanent collection. Vaca Victoria was a part of the 1999 public art project "Cows On Parade." It was one of hundreds of fiberglass cows created by Chicago artists. This used to be on Superior in River North. It was only there a few days. There was controversy about some local gang symbols. It has a head painted like the Bulls logo. The six stars represent the NBA Championship wins. Also there's stuff by other local artists. This has a residency program where they can learn. Getting here is pretty easy without a car. It's located on Higgins by Milwaukee Avenue and the Jefferson Park Metra station. This is easy to get to with public transportation.

I'd love to see more of his exhibits or his artworks. I was awestruck when I come across his art…read moreexhibits at art institute I begged my dad to take me there when I was in high school. There I met Ed Paschke after I grabbed bought art book about him, got his autograph. I treasure this art book with his signature when I greeted him politely and told him my name. ( I wrote it down on note because I'm deaf and too shy to talk. Thank you Ed Paschke. May your colorful spirit in arts live on! I hope or wish to have one of your masterpieces. They are so beautiful and vibrant! I'll post pic once I find my art book.

LVL3's professionalism and openings are constantly on the rise. Openings usually held on Saturday…read moreevenings--are well attended and booze is provided. With a corner of the gallery now designated as a book shop, LVL3 has yet again shown its ability to maintain a steady flow of artwork and followers of its events.