Free (f)art gallery housed in the first-and-a-half floor of the University of Illinois at Chicago's…read moreArt and Design Hall. For a school that attempts so hard to be cutting edge and up to date, they sure hate the idea of accessibility and simplicity. First, to park, you have to battle condo and greektown street parking (not to mention student parking) or fall into the trap known as UIC lot parking. Word to the wise, take the train or bus (bike/walk) to get here, if you seriously need to take a car come early and hunt down a street spot because you'll be trapped in lots or be towed if you don't. Second, it is pretty hard to find. Its in the nondescript building marked by a bland painted steel sign, walk through the door with the glass facade and follow the hall to the left and up some stairs. If you do not do stairs, you have to take the elevator the ever-annoying 1/2 flight of stairs, delineated in the elevator as "1F" rather than "1." Perhaps the F is for "fuck, what moron built an art gallery 1.5 floors up?" Third, the reason its free is due to the fact that they happen to think the graduate work that is rotated in is.. get this, worth viewing. The redeeming quality about this place is its free. You can't vote someplace that is free with one star unless you get suckerpunched, in my opinion. I haven't been hit visiting the gallery yet. Currently there are some fantastic graduate works (MFA show) for the next few weeks, but it can be hit or miss. C. Britt and M. Jinks are showing work until April, when E. Fleischauer and D. Carter (amongst others) are showing work, shouldn't be missed. Hey, at least its not SAIC..

Solid gallery with amazing history. If you're looking for a place that has been around for a long…read moretime, worked with a slew of Chicago artists, with the funkiest/weirdest floors you'll ever see, this is the place. UIC connected, in the arts building, fitting...and great staff!

This was the highlight of our trip to Chicago. Had a full blown museum tour of the shop's history…read moreand collection. It was beautiful and very educational. We had a very amazing time. The atmosphere was very welcoming. Glen was amazing storyteller. He was not snobbish and very passionate of his work. We love listerning to those type of stories. My sister who loves art history said she had a blast. Came out with 2 beautiful jewelry for me and my sister. I love anything one of a kind. I buy a lot of antique and vintage jewelry, I believed was pretty reasonable price. Will come back again.

Excellent Collectables !!! There's a wide variety of items to choose from. I got an African Oratory…read moreStaff.

Great place. Everyone I have met there is amazingly and genuinely friendly. Tom can really tell a…read morestory. The gallery concentrates mainly on modern art and abstract works, but they do have other stuff. It's kind of hard to be too restrictive when you specialize in artists as varied in style as Jan Matulka. So all in all, a great place. Stop by and see some art.

Notre is hands down my favorite designer boutique in Chicago. I've been here multiple times over…read morethe years, and the clothing options are always absolutely stunning. The interior design is amazing, and I love how they've updated the store layout over time while keeping everything chic and stylish. The staff are incredibly friendly, and even the changing room is cute with a fake grass floor, which I'm obsessed with lol.

I've a been a fan and a customer since , and then I had to make a return due to a sizing issue…read more After the agent informed me (4 days after my initial inquiry) they do not accept returns at their store I was provided a return address and informed I needed to pay for shipping to return the item. In the meantime I would need to buy the correct size for the item. So I did as instructed and provided tracking details. I get a call from UPS the next day informing me that the address provided was no longer in use by Notre's Return Department. I mentioned this to the return agent who "promised to make it right." Another 4 days later of no response or next steps I reach out and I was provided a new address to ship the item to. Notre wanted me to pay to ship the item to them again after providing me with the wrong information to start. A better way to have resolved this issue would have been to send me a prepaid shipping label with the correct address info. Alternatively they should have allowed me to return the item in store like I wanted to at the start of this request. When I asked the service agent to provide details on how they are going to make good on the error, they went dark. It's been several days and I don't anticipate ever hearing back from them. I was an evangelist for this store. Their curation of the store is great. Their customer service is atrocious. I'll spend my money at svrn.

Carrie Secrist Gallery focuses mainly on established contemporary artists. The gallery represents…read moreall media and tends often to feature the strongest exhibitions in the West Loop. ("The Last Seduction," 2007, was a particular hit, with a catalog of contemporary heavy weights hard to match anywhere else at any given point.) CS's space is cold, but not without its charms. Unlike many Chicago galleries, the space (very large overall) is broken down into several viewing rooms, some outfitted with comfortable furniture and precisely dimmed lights. CS might as well be Chicago's uncanny little piece of Chelsea, for better or worse. The scene is a bit familiar, albeit a risk-free way to spend a Friday evening milling about an opening, or a midday pop-in. Overall, the curation is smart and deliberate, if rather inevitable.

Based on what I have seen in this gallery and on the website, I think that Andrew Rafacz has a…read morereally developed aesthetic judgment. I have a degree in art history (worthless) and really dislike a lot of art done after the reign of the Salon at L'Academie ended. Those damned impressionists ruined everything. I digress, but this history is a way of showing how remarkable it is that I find contemporary pieces here that I like. The gallery space is very attractive. I was at a party there last night and It is a wonderful spot for entertaining. If I were a bit richer, I would add this gallery to the list of places that I would patronize. Even if the Impressionists did ruin the Salon and help end the needed classical training all artists once had, there would not be interesting galleries like Andrew Rafacz without them.

From the owner: Andrew Rafacz is a contemporary gallery and dealer in Chicago's West Loop…read more Specializing in emerging and mid-career artists from Chicago and beyond, the gallery aims to educate patrons and collectors while supporting its artists through solo exhibitions and dynamic programming. Established in 2004, Andrew Rafacz continues to be committed to both the Chicago visual arts community and the art world at large.