I took a class here a few months ago, and I have to say that this studio has the nicest people. It…read morereally is a friendly community that encourages you to explore your creative ideas. The instructors are wonderful and super great teachers. They are very attentive and will help you execute your pottery. The only reason I stopped going to the studio is that it is really hard to get to for me by public transportation but there is plenty of street parking if you have a car. The studio is more economical, and that's reflected in the price you pay for the class (less bougie than some other studios but wayyyyyy most cost-effective). They are also wonderful because they have a makeup class if you miss yours. Overall highly recommend! If you were interested though you should call or email to hold your spot - the waitlist is a few months.

At the behest of my friend, I finally decided to take pottery classes at Creative Claythings. I was…read morehesitant at first due to my only experience with clay being back in junior high, but came out at the end with pieces of pottery that I was quite proud of making. Big thanks to the teacher Christine for answering my questions regarding technique with intricate details.

Why not continue my tradition of reviewing libraries? This time, it's an academic library. The…read moreRichardson library, located on DePaul's Lincoln Park Campus, is beautiful and a really great campus space. It was named after John Richardson, DePaul's president from 1981-1993 and chancellor 1993-2017. There are of course plaques honoring him at the entrance, but perhaps my favorite thing is that there's a framed copy of the title page and first page of manuscript of a mixed voice and instrumental piece that was written in his honor. I'd love to hear it played sometime! The library is very large and its four floors are dedicated to varying activity--the first and second are collaborative floors where you can speak regularly, with the third and fourth floor being quiet floors. Lots of windows let in a good deal of natural light, and there are clusters of comfy chairs scattered around the place. There are a few meeting rooms on the first floor, at least, and of course computer workstations available. There are also a few spaces where students can share their work on a larger screen to work from together. Also really cool is the artwork by the faculty of the department of art, media, and design is installed throughout the library. I'm glad that when I was most recently in the library it was spring break and I was the only one there, so I could look at the pieces without bothering others. Staff are very friendly--librarians love to help! During the pandemic (still, anyway, as of March 2022), you must use your ID card in order to swipe into the library.

This library has been a second home to me since I moved to Chicago. And to be honest, it has a…read morecharm that not a lot of universities offer in addition to its accessibility. The staff has done a great job maintaining this building constantly throughout the day. Although WiFi is not offered to the public, the space enables people to get studying or any sort of readings done in test-like conditions. The hours are very flexible and the lighting is stimulating. I think a lot of students and visitors would agree that this library is SUPER COLD during the summer. I bring a north face or a hoodie to cover my body and sensitive ears. It's understandable that's the case to maintain the books but at times, it is a bit unbearable to keep on working. I love the heat they put on during the cold winters!!

DO patronize this place. I've been coming here for a bit over a year and have had a wonderful time…read moredoing so. I've learned how to make figures, mugs, bowls, vases, and how to glaze them in so many different ways. The owner Meg will be sure to show you physical examples and lend you books if you have an idea of a piece you want to do or a color you want to try, and she'll talk you through the steps but still say it's your piece to do what you want with! They also have a wonderful scholarship program that I've been able to utilize from time to time and if you buy a mug from their wall it goes towards that fund. I am so grateful to have found this community and to be able to learn in this kind and open space.

After reading a recent review by Rianna D., I had to check out the windows. I must say I was QUITE…read moredisappointed by the terrible inaccuracies of Rianna's review. I did not see any violence and there was not a single ERECT PENIS to be found. What I did see was a most varied collection of distinct and unique art that clearly represented the artists that work from their most welcoming space! I have worked out of several studios, and have to say Lincoln Square Pottery & Learning Center has been the most welcoming, supportive and generous art space I have been a part. If you are looking for interesting gifts and unique ceramics, come on by. If you are looking boring, uninspired, slap it in a frame and call it art art, just keep walking. If you a re looking for ART, something that might challenge you, or perhaps a mug to give as a gift, there is both and everything in between. And a little advice for Rianna, look up St. Sebastian, that was the inspiration for one of the "pornographic" pieces you referred. And before referencing something you clearly know nothing about, BDSM, do some research on that topic as well. And by the way, YOU DID contact the Alderman to report the "debaucherous" display, and they did not have a problem with it AT ALL! You might want to check out that little thing called the First Amendment, it covers Freedom of Expression of which artistic expression is covered.

My favorite College Radio station in Chicago. Best website. Best female DJ's. I only listen…read morebetween 1PM-9PM.

I really like the downtown loyola campus because it is so close to Michigan Ave in the beautiful…read morecity of Chicago. Close to all the stores, shops and boutiques. The only downside is that if you attend Loyola University you won't have money to spend it on these stores because of tuition. The school itself is good the buildings are nice and I believe there is a new building now for business majors that will be open soon. The library downtown is really nice, multiple floors with computers on hand. Many rooms with computers to just browse the web or do some homework. The cafeteria is nice with a good assortment of sandwiches, pizzas, breakfast and drinks. This school is close by the red line train and there is also a shuttle that can take you back to the Lakeshore Campus.

We can't say enough about our class last night. To start, our instructor, Nicole, was a gem. She…read moremade us feel right at home, was patient, and took the time to educate us about pottery and what we were making. Her demonstrations and explanations were so helpful as well. We were lucky enough to have a great group in the class which added to the whole experience. Educational and fun. Thank you for a great time!

Nikki was an outstanding instructor with a great balance of knowledge, patience, and humor that…read moremade the whole night a wonderful experience.

This college is located in a convenient location close to transportation, downtown Chicago and…read moreChinatown. On campus, there are plenty of trees and greenery. Some of the buildings are modern with great architecture. My favorite is the Kaplan building. As soon as you walk in, there is a robot near the front desk. In Kaplan, I feel like I'm in a college geared for the 21st century and beyond. This is STEM based campus for people with majors such as physics, mechanical engineering, computer science, chemical engineering, bioinformatics etc. Because of its great architectural design, films and movies have been filmed here. The popular show Empire has used the college for filming. The food in the Commons cafeteria is delicious, especially the stir fried rice. It had just the right amount of teriyaki sauce and veggies. The server prepares the fried rice, with vegetables, rice and chicken in front of the customers. The line for the stir fried rice was the longest line. The chocolate chip boondies were superb. I went over my calorie limit today!

Graduated with a BS in Chemical Engineering and Business. Great school. Challenging curriculum…read more Demanding professors. This is the place to come if you really want to learn, and aspire to be the best in your field. You will be pushed, but it will change your life. Also, IIT Greek Life is the place to be, FYI.

Spudnik is a co-op that allows creatives and such to use their equipment in the studio for their…read moreown personal pursuits. They have letterpress, screen printing equipment, lithography, and more at your disposal. A membership with Spudnik gains you access to all of this and there are different levels based on what you want to use the studio for (basic and volunteer for more casual artists and keyholder for those who, say, make a living off of their art). If you're new to all of this they also lead classes and workshops for outside groups as well, including classes on screen printing, zine making, lithography, risography, letterpress, photoshop and more. I had a great time here designing and screen printing t-shirts with my colleagues last week. Tara and the other Spudnik folks were so fantastic, walking us through the process of creating the image (we did a collaborative drawing but you can also use their computers to create something digitally) then taking us through the steps of screen printing. I had done some INCREDIBLY DIY screen printing years ago so it was great to see how it's done in a proper setting with a dark room and all that good stuff. She told us all about the different screen gauges, the emulsion process, and more. So fun and educational! A super cool space that I wish I had known about when I lived in Chicago. I would have definitely joined and exercised my creativity, no doubt.

Loved my experience at Spudnik! We rented out the place for a team bonding screen printing…read moreexperience and had a blast! As others have mentioned, this is a space for creatives to play. While there are studios for individual artists that are in-house, there are letterpress and screen printing machines as well as workshops that are offered to the general public. Our group made a screenprinting design, where we collaborated on a drawing between the 12 of us and the wonderful staff helped us make T-Shirts with the original screenprint that we created! It was a fun, involved process and the staff at Spudnik made it easy, seamless and stress-free. If you're looking for a fun experience or just looking to get more connected to the creative community in Chicago, check out Spudnik!

A friend invited me to a free screening of an Italian film during the week and I have been working…read moreon being more Italian. Definitely get on their mailing list and check out their cultural events. For all those Italians (or those who wish they were) looking to do more interesting things with their lives, check out Instituto! After the screening, my friend bumped into her instructor and had a chat about her travels to the motherland. Being the bad Italian I am, I wasn't able to pick out any of the 5 words I know, but love that the instructors also support events outside of the classroom.

"Instituto Italiano di Cultura di Chicago" is how you would be calling this facility if you were…read morelearning to speak Italian here. But it is also their offices and a comfortably large gallery for art and media exhibitions. I was attending the gallery space for the opening reception of their extensive exhibition of contemporary artist, illustrator, cartoonist, and animator, Lorenzo Mattotti (Brescia, 1954). The organizers had worked out a logical traffic pattern from the elevators to the reception area where wine and beverages were served, then an option to go directly into the gallery space or off to a small library room, where the hors d'oeuvres table had been laid out. A well-dressed crowd of about 30 to 40 mingled throughout and were attentive when a screening of a short film about the artist was convened. So go to visit their gallery, attend a class in Italian (this is handled through another entity, which has extensive options for private or semi-private instruction at all levels and fees - http://www.italidea.org/), or check their site for lectures and other events happening there. You can see the Mattotti exhibit through July 30, 2010, Monday - Friday, 9 AM to 1 PM and 2 to 5 PM. Admission to the exhibit is free.