always a great opportunity to find your community through this space. Timeless art venue that will…read moreinspire you regardless of your craft. take a moment and visit.

My friend and I stumbled upon this hidden gem while walking in wicker park. Aside from the gallery…read morethey have a cute shop with clothes, trinkets, and jewelry. Francine was so sweet and helpful. She answered all of our questions and let us use one of their rooms as a fitting room. If you're in the area make sure to check this place out! Also, follow them on Instagram for upcoming events.

I've walked past this gallery a million times, yet never stopped in. Until Roger (KELLIE K.!!) and…read moreDon headed up to Clark Street one night, for some carousing. Hey! There's a lot of people in there, and they look fun, and have drinks in hand! Minutes later, we were clutching cold cans of Pabst (though we're not hipsters) and checking out the art. A wide array, some good some . . . well, nice try. They had some old boom boxes that were decorated all crazy, and those were pretty cool. Some of the stuff was not mounted all that well - no frames whatsoever. There was a wide variety of art, and for that reason alone, it's worth checking out this little gallery. They really did have lot to look at in there. One of the many storefront gems that make Andersonville such a great place.

I can't add anything more about the art or artists except that this is a decent gallery that…read moreeveryone seems to like. I've bought at least one thing there, and the gallery owner was pleasant. Having wrote that, I really wish they'd bump up their professionalism a notch or two. For a gallery that's only open two days a week, I think it's strange that the gallery doesn't have bio information on all seven of their represented artists. They need to have a better answer than, "Sorry, I don't think we have anything about him."

I would definitely describe The Arts Club of Chicago as hidden in plain sight, located off the…read morebustle of Michigan Avenue, on the corner of Ontario Street. It was only yesterday that I had the opportunity to venture here to attend a CPL library breakfast that was held on the second floor. The service was impeccable and the food (fresh fruit, mini pastries, and a frittata dish) was delicious although, puzzlingly, I could not discern any knives on the breakfast setup. Most importantly, caffeinated beverages (coffee and hot tea) were self-serve and plentiful for that early hour of the morning. The room itself was elegant, with pieces of art placed at tasteful intervals. The first floor gallery space is free and open to the public on selected days of the week. Visitors can also make private appointments to tour the collection. The space is manageable to wander around, so I would probably not opt for the tour, unless I happened to be coming in with a group. Looking at the website, it seems like there are a various events/lectures that are free and open to all, as well as a rotating slate of exhibitions. I am keen on attending these types of events, so I will be checking back on the website, and have signed up for the mailing list.

Designed by John Vinci in 1997, this two-story arts center holds the famous reconstructed steel…read morestaircase designed by Ludwig Mies van der Rohe. It was in the original Arts Club building formerly at 109 East Ontario but demolished in 1995. It was a big deal to preservationists when the original was about to be torn down. The modern stair is the centerpiece of the new interior space, and it is hard to keep your eyes off of it while you are attempting to view the art on display here.

When we were there saw wonderful paintings by a local…read morefemale artist. Beautifully displayed: with her huge works, set alongside her tiny variations of that painting's themes. Staff were very cordial. Only hassle was that the outside buzzer system wasn't working. Otherwise superb !

I came here for a private tour and reception through Gen Art. I didn't really care for any of the…read moreart. It just wasn't my thing. However, the staff was outstanding. The owner graciously greeted us as we were checking out the exhibit.

This is a must visit when in Chicago if you are an art enthusiasts. It is a private and nonprofit…read moremuseum. I read it houses over permanently 300,000 arts from all over the world . I enjoyed the place and educational experience it offers. The place and aura of the institute. Great architects and exhibits inside the each wings. Sculptures, famous painters like Monet, Van Gogh, Renoir , Cezanne O'keefe and more were amazing. Early centuries Cultures and artifacts from well preserved. I admired Chagall stained glass. The Egyptian Museum was impressive. Overall the Chicago Institute of Arts worthy .

A top notch addition to the Art Institute. Fully accessible entrance off of Monroe, and the…read morequickest way into the museum from the Millenium Park Garage. Gorgeous multistory entryway. Top notch permanent collection from the 20th century, and excellent rotating exhibits to match. Access the public cafe on the second floor to absorb the interior view, and head up to the third floor and head outside to get a gorgeous view of Chicago's skyline. There is also a member's lounge on the third floor. A giant ramp will allow you to walk/wheel from the third floor over Monroe to the heart of Millenium Park, dropping you off by the Pritzker Pavilion. Its a steep incline - I would not want to walk up it, or push a stroller/wheelchair. If you are in a wheelchair and are athletic, its a thrilling ride to the bottom. Beware of blisters!

Yes. Very good. I do like this. It is small and far from the maddening crowd. I would recommend…read morethis.

My friend and I traveled up to Chicago from Indianapolis for the sole purpose of seeing "Van Gogh's…read moreBedrooms", an exhibit at the Art Institute of Chicago that explores a set of paintings with significance to the artist. The collection brings together all three versions of "The Bedroom" for the first time in North America. The first version was painted in 1888 just after moving into his "Yellow House" in Arles, France, but when its integrity was threatened due to water damage, he made a second version while at an asylum in Saint-Remy in 1889. He painted the third, a smaller version, just a couple weeks later for his mother and sister. Although the paintings appear at first glance to be identical, there are subtle differences in each, which the exhibit details at length with a video illustration, a video explaining the science behind figuring out the order the versions were painted, and a living model of the bedroom that inspired Van Gogh. Perhaps it's the fact I live in a small city that isn't able to bring exhibits of this quality, but I was blown away by the sheer volume of Van Gogh works on display - 36 total - and it presented much more than just the bedrooms. It includes earlier works of cottages, bird nests, books, boots, and items depicting the theme of a sense of home throughout the artist's life. It also includes his earliest surviving self-portrait and depictions of the asylum he was at. We paid $7 for the audio tour, which is a great supplement to the exhibit and good for works throughout the entire museum. You are allowed to take photographs, but no flash. Pro-tip: purchase admission tickets ($25 for out-of-towners) and tickets for the exhibit (an extra $5) online in advance. I'd estimate there were 400 people waiting in the cold just to buy tickets. We were high-fiving each other for our well-planned ways (my friends don't call me The Event Planner for nothing!) - dipping right around the line - then we got to the line for the exhibit. The posted signs based on our position indicated we started around a 75 minute wait, but it actually only took about 30 minutes to get in, which is still pretty packed so introverts, claustrophobes, and those who generally hate people should prepare for that. We went on a Saturday morning during peak time so you might consider going during the week if that's an option for you. We also took a bit of time afterward to explore the rest of the museum, which has a number of well-known works and artists on display - American Gothic, Nighthawks, several by Andy Warhol, several by Picasso, Dali, an entire room of Monet, Seurat's Sunday Afternoon on La Grande Jatte, several by Jackson Pollack, and Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec's At the Moulin Rouge, which has particular significance for us. Three months earlier, we went to an exhibit at the Musee d'Orsay in Paris called the "Splendors and Misery of Prostitution", which had this painting on display and was also presented on all of the marketing materials for the exhibit. We weren't allowed at that exhibit to photograph any of the paintings so we felt like we had a small victory in being able to photograph it here.

We rented an office space at this location for when we were in town for an independent film shoot…read more The owner, Mark, and his staff are incredibly friendly and accommodating. The offices are mostly occupied by artists, so they prefer to keep a very low volume level. The building has secure 24/7 access, there is ample street parking and even a lot attached should you need to rent additional parking. The offices and parking are affordable, clean and in a new safe and up & coming neighborhood. Lots of restaurants in walking distance. Walking distance to the blue line and easy freeway access for commuters. I can't recommend this place enough! Should you need a short term or long term office space, consider this location! They also have a recording studio attached.

Far enough away and off the grid to be Very Special!You are cool if you come here! Art abounds at…read moregood prices and poets awesome!

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.