An amazing collection of work from a prolific photographer whose work spans not only cities, but…read morecontinents across the world. The initial feeling as you walk into the exhibition is one of excitement, as rows and rows of his work consume the walls of the gallery. Familiar, iconic images can be found scattered amidst many other equally defining works. The joy is just really going through them all to find the "decisive moment" in each of his works, but then relishing in the unexpected pieces that you discovered somewhere along the way. Coming back again for the free Thursday night admission? I'd skip all the other works and make a beeline for Henri's work and start right there. Because then you can be sure that you leave the AIC without any other regrets before the museum closes its doors for the evening. But I can't promise what you MAY regret after the doors have closed and you've been left to your own devices for the rest of the night that has yet to begun!

when i was in chicago rolling through town, i made it a point to see this exhibition and boy was it…read moreamazing. the tickets were reasonably priced for such a famed photographer. there are a lot of original prints in this exhibit and the space they created for his photos reflects the same feel that's in his photos.

Located in Chicago's Uptown Neighborhood, The Haitian American Museum of Chicago (HAMOC) - the…read morefirst of its kind in the Midwest - showcases the art, culture, and history of Haiti. The museum features exhibits and programming that celebrate Haiti's rich and complex heritage. One such program that I had the opportunity to attend was the Tenth Anniversary Concert featuring Crossing Borders Music string quartet. The program focused on music by Haitian composers, presented in response to Haiti's humanitarian crisis. I especially enjoyed Rudy Perrault's sweeping "Exodus" string quartet which tells through music the story of Haitian immigrants and refugees. Before the performance, I had the opportunity to tour the space. While intimate, the gallery does an exceptional job of contextualizing paintings, sculpture, and primary sources, with descriptive wall text that is engaging and informative. I later learned that HAMOC has been in its current location on Clark Street since September -formerly the museum was located in a much smaller, 500-sq.-ft. space on Racine Avenue. HAMOC Founder/Executive Director Elsie Hernandez provided introductory remarks and helped the experience come alive. The staff members' enthusiasm for the culture of Haiti and desire to create museum programming that is impactful and inclusive was palpable. Also good to know: HAMOC hosts a number of "know your rights" presentations, as it is one of eleven agencies in Chicago that can refer individuals to the National Immigrant Justice Center (NIJC) for legal immigration services. Overall, I thoroughly enjoyed my outing to HAMOC. The pairing of art and music enriched my enjoyment of both and opened new perspectives.

A little shocked more people haven't written about this--for my money it's the most consistently…read moreenjoyable gallery in the West Loop/Peoria area. Specializes in contemporary Asian art--lots of Chinese artists, but plenty of material from India, South Korea, and elsewhere. What I love about it is the sheer variety of the exhibits--you really never know what you might find, could be sculpture, photos, paintings, found objects, whatever you like, yet it's always compelling stuff. I've honestly never been disappointed. Their next opening is September 11th--given that just about every other gallery in the area's also having an opening that day, you can head down there and make a night of it--it'll be fun.

they exhibit primarily contemporary asian art. if you want to know what's really going on in the…read moreart world on the other side of the globe, go there.

EXPO Chicago is an opportunity for galleries from around the world to display the work from one…read moretheir featured artists. The Festival Hall at Navy Pier is a perfect venue for it. The space is huge - like a department store, complete with concrete floors - and is divided into booths. Each booth has a different gallery. Lesser known, emerging artists are around the perimeter and more familiar, established artists are in the middle. Each gallery has a representative there with a Mac Book, ready to discuss the work, the artist, or a sale. Also throughout Festival Hall are places to buy drinks and snacks. There are places to sit. At least two VIP sections are upstairs with (what I understood to be) the same drinks and food for purchase. This year (and I'm not sure if this is the case every year), the food and drinks were provided by Eataly. A number of the artists had social and political artwork; however, most was not. I believe there was a nice variety of art and that everyone could find something that spoke to them. I had a grand time at the EXPO but when my friend told me that the prices for each piece of art was over $10K, everything I saw was colored with privilege. For example, the privilege to make art in the first place, the privilege to buy expensive art, and the privilege to pay to walk around (essentially) a large art store. I like art and I own nice pieces, but I can still appreciate that it's a privilege.

Forget anything else about the architecture or this structure and just focus on the historical…read moresignificance and that alone makes it worth a look. It's old enough to predate the Great Fire, making it one of the few structures to survive. The Chicago Water Tower is still here, kind of looking out of place among the skyscrapers and whatever. Along with the tower is the pump house. Sometimes there will be art galleries and you can get inside. As for the actual structure, it's also a piece of art. It certainly was built sturdy to make it this long. The tower is in the middle of the intersection of Chicago and Michigan, close to many other tourist attractions and the overpriced shopping. A small park also surrounds it. The pump house is across the street, which can't be forgotten about if looking at this historic structure so go take a look at it too. Also there's a popular mall next to here. They have souvenirs and that kind of stuff you can buy there. Going to just check out the outside of it is enough of a reason to look around here. It's also open at certain times for art galleries, or it used to be that is. This is close enough for certain people to walk to from Navy Pier, and just up the street from the shopping and whatever.

The water tower looks like a castle near all of the upscale shops on the magnificent mile. Happily…read moreI was able to go inside and see all of the pumps, it was fascinating. By the 1860s, Chicago's water supply was inadequate for its growing population. Near-shore lake water was too polluted to be used because of runoff from the Chicago River. In 1867, Chesbrough, an engineer designed a water supply tunnel system running nearly 2 miles offshore pumped back to shore through this pumping station. Boyington designed both the pumping works building & Water Tower that houses the standpipe. Both buildings were built in the Gothic Revival style with distinctive yellow Joliet limestone. The buildings look like something out of a fairy tale. The Chicago Water Tower was the most iconic structure that remained standing after the Great Fire of 1871. It was a rallying point for the city. It stood as a symbol for a city determined to rise from its own ashes. Sadly at 9 o'clock on a Friday morning homeless filled most of the benches panhandling with all of their belongings.

We went to the opening reception for "Chicago Icons" at the Chicago Fine Art Salon in West Town a…read morecouple of nights ago. Although the gallery is not very large, the exhibition is professionally presented and flows very well. According to their website, "Chicago Icons is a group exhibition that digs into the soul of the city that is unapologetically itself -- the history, culture, and everything that makes it unique." Most of the artwork really does capture something distinctive about Chicago and is beautiful to see. There is also a wonderful variety of media, including photography, painting, collage, beading, and more. The gallery owner was very friendly and welcoming, offering us wine and drinks. We had a great time chatting with some of the artists and learning more about their work and inspiration. "Chicago Icons" runs from October 2 through October 31, and much of the artwork is available for purchase. If you're in the area, I highly recommend stopping by to see the exhibition.

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

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.

Wow...impressive resume and contributions to Chicago's public art scene…read more I first learned about Muralist Hector Duarte's work on a Chicago Architecture Tour's "Historic Neighborhoods Tour" when our bus tour visited/toured Pilsen. Our guide, Delta pointed out his studio which has a colossal mural of a man of gigantic proportions attempting to break free from being held down by barbed wire. Impressive in design and important in the Barrio Art Movement in the United States. The Mural is titled: "Gulliver in Wonderland." (If you do not take a bus tour to see it-take the Pink Line Train and it is only a few blocks away by foot and not far from The National Museum of Mexican Art). Mr. Duarte was born in Mexico and studied under the tutelage of David Alfaro Siqueiros one of the famous three muralists commissioned by the Mexican Government commencing in the 1920s to paint murals around Mexico in order to address social issues and educate the public about the legacy of the cultures and history of the country. (The other two muralists were Diego Rivera and Jose Clemente Orozco). According to his profile under "The Chicago Art Group" Mr. Duarte states: "I tend to use bright colors--I attribute this to my Latin American origins, where the presence of the sun influences our view of color--but have a very broad palette. I use recognizable symbols and images that dramatize life to Latinos here in the U.S. These have included corn, images from the Day of the Dead, and the Loteria game as well as the heart, which has both pre- and post-Colombian religious significance and is something all people can identify with. I usually choose themes that deal with the local community in some way or themes that speak to all of us." He is industrious and innovative...with 45 or more murals exhibited along walls in Chicago. He is also involved in organizing and providing opportunities within Chicago in association with Pilsen Fest 2017. Chicago is truly lucky to have him as part of our community and a true asset to the legacy of public art in Chicago. For more information about Mr. Duarte see: http://www.chicagopublicartgroup.org/hector-duarte/ PS. I wish the Chicago Architecture Foundation would provide a tour to visit/tour all of his murals in Chicago via bus????