Very charming gallery in Oak Park. The area is quite residential but there are a number of cute…read moreshops and restaurants nearby along Harrison. The gallery owner was really lovely and had great background stories on the artists. The price of the art was very reasonable - and the artists/art really varied throughout the store. I will come back for sure.

One word: WOW…read more Seriously, the women of Otonohana are damn near amazing. Creative, talented, genuine, unique, dedicated, artistic, passionate and...FUNNY. No, seriously...they were cracking me up the entire time I worked with them. I spent some long hours assembling those photos, and these ladies made it an enjoyable experience from start to finish. Fun, accessible, unique, authentic art for all. These women know what's up...keep an eye out for their next show, get involved and support local art. Very cool. Glad I could be a part of one...an excellent experience all around.

Otonohana is awesome. Otonohana is fun. Otonohana is accessible. Otonohana is all about Chicago…read more Well, at least that's what we want it to be.... that's right, I am reviewing my own (and Jamie K's, Mindy M's, Sarah K's, and Carrie J's) little creative collective. Otonohana throws creative events around Chicago that are accessible to you, not just the cool kids who got their BFA for the Art Institute. We wanted to have events/parties/shows that everyone in Chicago could creatively contribute to and not feel like they are at a disadvantage from anyone else. This is how we do it: 1. We come up with a theme that puts all participants on a level playing field i.e. 12 photos in 24 hours, photos of your neighborhood, etc 2. You shoot the assignment with a disposable camera 3. You return the cameras to Otonohana. We develop the film and mount the photographs. 4. We throw a little open to public gallery showcasing all the photographs submitted. 5. Throw in a little local music, a local DJ, some booze, and a lot of dancing and you have a PARTY, Otonohana style. You shoot. We print and present the photographs. You enjoy the party. Hopefully we will see some Yelpers at tonight's Elite event at West Loop Studio. Tell us what you think. After all... our motto is "I [heart] criticism."

Very nice art center! They have a parking lot. Very convenient! I was here visiting my friend we…read morewent to their café that they have downstairs. They close at 3:30 PM. We got coffees, they were delicious! The staff was very nice as well and our drinks came out pretty quickly. We also got lemonades, they were satisfying. They have many different artists outlets. You can have an event here as well they have many different spaces for different types of events. You have a very broad selection you will be getting your moneys worth. I loved it here!

Beautiful art space and exhibit center. I see that it is also used for reception and gatherings…read more There is plenty of parking space and a Maritime Museum also available to check out.

This was a great first immersive experience…read more Was such a different experience than going to an art museum and just staring at a painting. I felt that since the Walls displayed many of Monets work I felt a deeper appreciation. There are about 5 rooms where you can view. I would recommend the middle part and the upstairs to get the best view. I will say it is a bit pricey and luckily I got free tickets but say there was another exhibit I would totally pay the price.

This was my first Immersive Experience and I really enjoyed it. It was awesome being able to…read moreexperience these paintings across different perspectives. There are 5 rooms for your viewing pleasure. While I saw people sitting and enjoying the show, I think this is really an event to move around and catch different perspectives of the same painting. For example when standing slightly off center in room 3 resulted in viewing a life sized panoramic image shifting across 3 rooms. Some rooms only give a small piece of the puzzle, so it's up to you to walk around and explore. I went in to the 730 showing and I think I've would've had a better time if I planned it for earlier. I think it's worth seeing the show play out twice in different rooms, especially the upstairs. The upstairs had it own panoramic situation as well. I spent majority of my time upstairs to be able to capture all that I can. I would've loved for the ticket taker to explain more of the process. They made it seem that you had to flow from room to room in order, when actually you should be moving freely about to capture the full perspective. For example, the raining scenes/paintings should be experienced in multiple rooms. As the painting is across more than one room. It gives more perspective. The bar was also closed for the 730 show. But it would've been nice to have been able to enjoy the wine/cocktails while taking in these scenes. They did have a cafe that served small snacks, water, soda, coffee, etc. At the end, the gift shop was running a sale and I picked up some great finds leftover from the Van Gogh experience. I would recommend others to go but would opt for a time when you can see the show run through twice. Make sure to stop by the gift shop!

Amazing location with a lot of great Illinois cases to read on and oddities to look at. The amount…read moreof stuff for John Wayne Gavy was great too. I would love to see some things about Drew Peterson in this museum on the next visit.

One of the coolest little museums about things that most people are too afraid to talk about. It's…read morea part of a record store, which I love. The workers were really friendly too!! I forget her name but there was a woman working who was super welcoming. The last time I came here, I wasn't greeted by anyone and then was too afraid to ask about how to get into the museum, so I just left lol. It's located in the back of their record store behind a curtain, and it can feel confusing on how to access it or if it's even accessible to the public. Most people probably won't even know there is a museum/if they are allowed in unless they ask. I think it costs $15 for Chicago residents and $20 for non-residents. They have an amazing collection of stuff so I think it's worth it to support them. If you take the time to read and look at everything, it could take up to an hour, but at least 20 minutes if you just skim through. There's also a free pinball machines in the basement for when you are finished with the museum and need something to refresh your mind, but we had to leave to get to the restaurant we were going to. Unfortunately we also didn't get to listen in on the man giving a more in-depth talking tour, but I enjoyed just doing a self-guided tour and looking at everything on my own. There's so much information written for each thing. I would love to come back and really read everything since I didn't really get to this time!

Intuit Art Museum is a cultural experience not to be missed -- for Chicago buffs and newcomers…read morealike. It champions self-taught and outsider artists with sincerity and respect, giving voice to those who have forged their own artistic paths. The works presented here lack nothing in skill, beauty, ingenuity, or eloquence. The exhibition Catalyst: Im/migration and Self-Taught Art in Chicago deepened my understanding of the city's history and connects meaningfully to conversations about immigration today. Barberena's linocuts are especially striking, emotional, and deeply resonant. Other highlights from my visit included a beautiful commissioned work by Della Wells, stunning fiber art by Pooja Pittie, and the dazzling portraits of Drossos Skyllas, shimmering with character and skill. Henry Darger's story -- and the work itself -- is haunting in the best, most imaginative way. Our tour with Claire was outstanding: passionate, informed, and clearly invested in the artists' lives and contexts. I highly recommend getting a tour! I left inspired and grateful that a museum like this exists. Strongly recommend.

Intuit Art Museum has recently completed a massive renovation that expanded the facility threefold…read moreor so. Intuit features self-taught art by artists many of whom have a Chicagoland connection. My lovely wife and I have been to the "old" museum before, and it was an eye-opener to visit yesterday (Memorial Day) during a special free admission Grand Re-Opening weekend (the regular admission fee has also tripled to $15 from its former $5 ticket price). The star attraction is the recreation of Henry Darger's apartment and studio, along with a celebration of his works and methodologies. There are also spaces for the interesting and diverse Permanent Collection, as well as Special Exhibitions. Also interesting is the fact that the museum featuring self-taught art has bathrooms with fairly posh fixtures. Intuit Art Museum is not far from the Chicago Blue Line station. Check out the compact but cute gift shop before you leave.

My fiancée and I enjoy visiting museums anytime we visit a new city. While researching something…read moreelse, she came across the National Museum of Mexican Art, and it became something we had to go see. We're so glad that we did! Chicago is one of the centers of Mexican-American and Chicano culture in the United States, and the artwork on display reflects the stories and history exceptionally well. We found the exhibits on political art as well as the pieces focused on Chicago to be very interesting. The gift shop offered many things we'd have liked to purchase, but we only had limited space in our bags! The museum is free to get in, and is a wonderful way to spend an afternoon. It has important stories to tell.

It's mediocre the expos are whatever Chicano Expos (not for everybody)…read more The store sale cheap souvenirs at high prices it doesn't represent the real Mexican art Also it's very focus in Dia de Muertos, Frida, Virgen de Gpe the Mexican art it's very extensive every state has its own art it should have more variety Over Priced Cheap Art

We went to the Bucktown Art Festival on Saturday, August 23. This art festival has been around for…read moreover 30 years! Of course, it was an ugly gray and gloomy day in Chicago with hard rain coming down from time to time. A typical muggy and uncomfortable summer day, but this did not stop us from checking out the Bucktown Art Festival. There were over 275 Artists, Photographers, Pottery Makers, Jewelry Artisans, Arts & Craft artists displaying their pieces at this huge art festival. It had been years since we had been to this art festival, and now I know why. The Art Festival itself is a very, very large event. It is truly an inspirational event. Due to how large it has become over the years one day is not enough to see all of the exhibits at this art festival. Also, the vibe has definitely changed. The Artists and/or Artisans used to be so much more welcoming and/or friendly. Not anymore. Since it was a rainy, gray and gloomy day, some of the tents were zipped up while a few artists had packed up and closed up shop all together. There were several vendors selling food, but we didn't grab a bite here. The musicians were fantastic and we stood holding our umbrellas listening to the music for a while, because the band was incredibly outstanding (wish I knew the name of the band but I cannot recall). At any rate, we enjoyed walking around and viewing all the interesting, creative pieces of art despite the crappy rainy day. I am a fan of the Bucktown Art Festival. I appreciate when an Artist puts up a short bio of his or her background and his or her art pieces. I like to read about their background and where they received their education and/or training. They should make it mandatory and request that each Artist display a short bio, however, I only saw two short biographies posted. I was a bit disappointed. I asked a few questions, because I was interested in learning more about specific pieces of art that I really, really liked and was seriously considering purchasing. However, these Artists didn't seem to want to be bothered with questions. When I entered the tent to view the pieces that I was interested in purchasing I didn't receive a "Hello" or "Hi, how are you today?" In fact, there was minimal interaction and eye contact, which I thought was weird. Nevertheless, we dodged huge puddles of water, and saw lots of mud in the park area where additional artists were displaying their pieces. It was nice to get out on a Saturday afternoon and walk around for about 2-hours. After a while, we worked up an appetite and headed over to Palador on Western Avenue for some fantastic Cuban cuisine. That was really the highlight of our afternoon. I recommend this art festival to people seeking to invest in some serious art pieces. Everything that I really, really liked was over $1,000 or higher. I went to the Bucktown Art Festival with the intention of making a purchase. I like to think of art as an "investment" and not a "luxury" item. Yeah, we are the people with disposable income, and no kids so we have money to invest in art as well as antique pieces. In the end, we didn't make one single purchase. The unfriendly and disinterested vibe that I got from these Artists was the reason I didn't make that $2,000 purchase.