I came here for a Saturday opening and reception of Composing Color: Paintings by Alma Thomas and…read moreBeyond Boundaries: Three Decades of Contemporary Chinese Art. It was so nice to go to a reception on a Saturday afternoon instead of a week night. The setup of the place is such that the food and drinks are floor level, but no food/drinks are allowed in the gallery space. Not convenient but understandable. This was my 2nd or 3rd time in this space. There was cheese/meat/fruit in one area, sealed pieces of cake in another area, and bartenders pouring wine, beer, soda, and water. Also a special drink dedicated to Alma Thomas. I was not familiar with her work, she was big admirer of outer space. It coincided with the Artemis II lunar space trip, so that was just awesome! The other exhibit about the University of Chicago's history with Chinese art was visually arresting and thought-provoking. There was a space separate for kids to do crafts as well. the bathrooms were small but clean, and a coat rack was provided, which was quite convenient. It is not far from public transportation, and I can't speak to parking, but the campus is so nice, if you live a mile or so away, it's a nice walk.

Family Day at the Smart Museum…read more When my daughter booked our family for Family Day as what we thought was part of U Chicago's Family Day, we were quite excited. A fun crafting adventure for the weekend. We almost didn't go as we were running late. Called and they said to come, so we did. Lucky to find a parking spot next to the Smart Museum on the University of Chicago campus. Walked in to the open atrium where we saw families of preschool aged kids with their mommies and daddies weaving on paper looms. My daughters have progressed to grad school, so we were a bit surprised. The museum curator also said when she scheduled Family Day at the Smart Museum of Art, she didn't realize that was also UChicago's Family Day. What a coincidence! So....we explored the museum first for inspiration. The museum is small, but had some beautiful installations. My favorite was the sunflower quilt print. The Sunflower Quilting Bee at Arles. Rosa Parks. Sojourner Truth. Ida Wells. Mary McLeod Bethune. Harriet Tubman. Vincent Van Gogh watching strong women advocate for equality from a distance. So powerful. Then, back to the atrium to pick up paper looms and fill brown paper bags with and assortment of strands of yarn, cord, shells and cards. Not having a plan, we went to work. Creativity inspired by our love for each other. Nice to have their featured artist come check on us. No, we were not on our phones. We were weaving small works of art. A great opportunity to spend a few quality hours with my daughters away from their responsibilities as adults studying to make an impact on the world. Family Day at the Smart Museum of Art. #2700

Unfortunately, it seems as if the Podmajersky's have really priced out all of the working artists…read morein Pilsen. About 10 years ago almost all of the buildings between 18th street and Cermak along Halsted were filled with high quality fine artists. From photographers to large scale installation artists. I personally knew the tenant who rented the building smack dab on the corner of Halsted and 18th and he had a wonderful working installation piece that was an arch with thousands of bottle caps riveted into the 20 foot sculpture....he was priced out of the space. Moved to LA where the rent is just as high but the exposure and acceptance of artists is much more viable. Chicago is a shitty place for most visual artists who have not yet made a name for themselves. Most midwesterners have more interest in the Cubs than the arts. Even if the Cubs continue to lose they still have people paying for tickets. Not so with art. The minute the economy got bad and the real estate market started sliding the artists who used to be part of this vibrant community were shafted by slumlord tactics of high rents and an 'imagined' River North Gallery atmosphere. When it was evident the 'district' was not going to bloom in the gentrified way they wanted, the owners just alienated the artists enough by raising the rents and leaving the buildings in dilapidated conditions so they would leave. AND, guess what? Surprise, they did. They mecca'd to NYC and LA. I wasn't surprised. The artistic environment in Chicago is quite small and limited and does very little to encourage artists to reach their creative peak and then, even if they do, most of the community is ready to tear them down for fear of never clawing their way to the figurative 'top'. It is no surprise that most of the reviews of the Chicago Arts District are negative. If you could have actually seen the district when it was a supportive, creative, vibrant microcosm of art you probably would have a different opinion. But, all we can do now is continue to support the people who have stuck it out in Pilsen, literally against all odds. There are some really great stores, Deliciously Vintage, Agga B....to name a couple. The Chicago Art department is an artists collective that has gallery space there and they produce some stunning works for working peoples' prices. Attend the 2nd Friday's event they host once a month. Stop in at the 'tourist center' on the south corner of 18th and Halsted and grab a brochure of galleries open during the event. You will be amazed and surprised that there is life beyond River North. The galleries are warm and friendly, not pretentious. Most of the owners and artists are present and love to talk about their work. The last 2nd friday's event was even sponsored by the Italian Expo...and they had the best risotto I have ever had. It is important to support this community instead of just schlepping down Halsted and complaining that you don't like the art. Now more than ever, Pilsen artists need to be supported in Chicago. Otherwise they will just move on to where they are appreciated and then you can have something else to bitch about.

If you are coming from out of town, don't get mislead by the name if this neighborhood, and think…read moreit's some thriving artists' community. It's not. Once a year, there is an open house of the artists-who-live-and-work-here galleries/workshops and lofts, which is fun and voyeuristic. The other 363 days of the year, it's a depressing ghost town. It sucks. Hardly a "community" in any sense of the word. No street life or activity. No storefront businesses. No public transit save a long wait for the Halsted bus. You can count on one hand the places remotely worth visiting: The Sylark, Kristoffer's Cafe and Bakery, Simone's., and of course the galleries on Halsted, when you can find one open. If you are looking for vibrant, stimulating, diverse, areas with street traffic, human activities, art, food, theater, cafes, live music and good pubs, head to Wicker Park or the Morse/Glenwood area of Rogers Park. I don't understand where this area of East Pilsen deserves the seemingly centralized and offciial moniker "Chicago Arts District." There may be some artists living and working there, but otherwise the title is quite the misnomer.

Finally visited this adorable theatre center to go see an indie film from Colombia. THE POET…read more What a wonderful theatre and very cozy and spacious despite tit being not so big. Bathrooms are clean and the theaters are comfy.

Another reviewer said in 2018:…read more I have severe issues with the SMELL of common general air. Consistently the same smell throughout the years and events. Oddly, this is the only public building I know of that has this smell, outside from Greyhound eeky bathroom. And I sadly confirm that creepy "Greyhound eeky bathroom" smell is quite present today. Great film showings here but wow, the stench....

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 our second time attending an art show opening at the Bridgeport Art Center. Other than…read moretwo popular event venues, namely the Skyline Loft on the 5th floor and the Sculpture Garden on the first floor, the huge building also provides art studios and office spaces, and two spacious art galleries on the 3rd and 4th floors. Both times we attended the art openings on the 4th floor by taking a manned-freight elevator from the 1st floor. The first time we went two years ago, there was a public ticketed event going on. So, there were long lines just getting into the building. This time we arrived at 8:00 pm for a 7:00 - 10:00 pm opening, they had the entrance on the side of the building, and there were no lines. We attended "The Landscape is Changing" art exhibition that runs from July 18 to September 5, 2025 on the 4th Floor Gallery. It featured multimedia artworks from 101 contributing artist. There were paintings, photos, 3-D art, and sculptures that depicted natural and man-made structures of our surroundings, inspired and influenced by the landscape. The galleries were spacious and well-lit, and the exhibitions well-planned and professionally done. Since refreshments and beverages were on the 3rd floor, we decided to go down one floor by taking the stairs instead of the freight elevator. However, be prepared to go through quiet hallways of storage spaces that felt like a maze and adventure. It was nice that all the spaces were clean and well-maintained. However, I hope Bridgeport Art Center would look into improving the air conditioning in the art gallery spaces. Two years ago, it was hot and miserable during a hot summer night. This year, we were lucky that we had an exceptionally cool summer evening, that the outside temperature was only in the 70s. But the inside of the galleries was not too hot, but still on the warm side. I saw a couple of ladies fanning themselves with paper or something in their hands, while complaining about being too warm. However, other parts of the building could be nice and cool, that included their office. When we were leaving, the freight elevator door opened on the 5th floor, where a wedding reception was going on, we could feel a nice blast of cold air getting into the elevator. I highly recommend "The Landscape is Changing" art exhibition with free admission and runs until September 5, 2025, but please check the weather forecast and pick a cool day so that your experience will be more enjoyable.

It's a cool museum with artifacts also well maintained . I attended a talk on Jade presented by a…read morefriend and quite enjoyed it. Their gift shop is pretty nice an I bought some hand painted soup spoons . Will certainly revisit if in the neighborhood

They moved. Opening night at their new location .Fresh Modern industrial loft space housing…read moreinteresting, unique and nicely displayed works of Asian art. Free parking. Worth a visit.

One of the lamest things ever. They just play the same 5…read moreminute loop over and over again. On top of that a highschool kid could come up with a better show. They should really do something impressive or nothing at all Don't waste your precious time on this.

Art on theMart is a must see experience if your downtown. The digital art projections is displayed…read moreon the Merchandise Mart Building nightly around 9PM. The illumination art display on Merchandise Mart is mind blowing. The art work is colorful and your able to witness Art come alive. It was entertaining and well worth seeing. Very memorizing to see art displayed by the water. A Nice Date Night or Solo Adventure.

This is by far one of the may big and most diverse art fairs around, featuring glass art, jewelry,…read moresculptures, paintings, and so much more. The diverse food options meant no huge lines to wait in, and they also sold drinks and offered activities for kids to enjoy. I definitely recommend coming, even if you don't think you'll buy anything. The talent here is incredible, and the work is truly inspirational and worth experiencing firsthand.

This is so much a late-spring tradition that it's hard for me to look at it critically. It's a…read morelovely area and there's some interesting art here, but nothing that compelled me. Maybe if I were in need of expensive artisanal jewelry I'd have been more engaged with the offerings but mostly I just enjoy the music and architecture. Right after the pandemic the crowds in the area were insane; things have calmed down considerably. The whole thing is habit-forming in a good way.

The Edgewater Historical Society, in addition to displaying the history of Edgewater and its…read moreenvirons, hosts on occasion events to welcome people from the neighborhood and beyond. During summer they have their Summer Nights in Edgwater program, which is when they host a band in their (incredibly lovely!) garden. I went last night with my daughter to hear a jazz-ish band and it was nice. There were quite a few more people there than I expected; though some folks were seated within the garden itself, most of us were sitting along the sidewalk and walkways. Many people brought their own chairs, but the EHS also pulled out some chairs for folks. Others, like me, chose to stand. There was ample seating at this event. You might not be able to see the band over the garden, because they're growing a beautiful native garden at this building so the coneflowers and other plants are tall--but it's a concert and what's important is hearing the music! The museum was open during the concert, so folks could wander through. There's no fee for the museum, and at this particular event they took tips but it went toward the musicians, not the historical society. They also have quite a few events happening over the coming weeks and months, from walking tours of the neighborhood, a book club discussion at the Edgewater Branch of CPL, to a walking tour of Rosehill Cemetery. They offer a membership for $5 for the first year I think they said. They currently have an exhibit about the indigenous history of Edgewater, so when I head back here for another of their summer concerts I'll hopefully be able to wander in and take a look.

Celebrating the coolness and historical audacity that is Andersonville/Edgewater/Edgewater Beach…read more We like it here, by the lake. FREE admission!