Beautiful art in a beautiful gallery. I loved that we were able walk through at our own pace. There…read morewas staff present who were very nice. This was a free exhibit, which felt like such an honor. There was information at the front desk about the art, but it would've been nice for the information to be next to the art in the wall, but still a great experience.

I'll be honest--I dislike this gallery. I have yet to figure out just what Monique's represented…read moreartists have to say that would convince me to take something they created home with me. This is another "contemporary" art gallery that takes itself way too seriously with work that has little true artistic merit. I wonder if any of the artists visited an art museum after their third year in art school? I just don't get it, and I don't want a sociology degree or have to read three pages of rambling, phony diatribe from the artist or the gallery to decipher what's going on. These are actual psycho-babble quotes from a gallery release about an exhibition: "...assembled to create an iconic pattern; a ritualized reordering of passing impressions." "...the benign communal vocabularies of organized religion and public display..." "...stems from their role as intercessors between the ineffable abstraction of heaven and the concrete reality of earth..." Yes, folks; someone gets paid to come up with this crap. Furthermore, I don't give a rat's butt how a 25 year-old interprets heaven, religion or the 'reality of earth." It's all so pretentious and naive, and that's what makes me go crazy when I see it.

I just made my first purchase at DLG and I have to say it was an absolute pleasure! I am a fairly…read moreserious collector of Donald Topp's work but nothing David is!! This is the largest collection of his work I've ever seen!! He had the exact piece I was looking for and was even able to accommodate my specific request related to the numbering sequence of the piece. Amazing service and beyond expert in his knowledge of the artists he features. The gallery itself is in a great neighborhood downtown. It was easy to find and, very surprisingly, parking was a breeze right on the street across from the shop. It's a very cozy space and the walls are covered from floor to ceiling. It's any easy place to spend any amount of time. There is a lot to see! David is an extremely gracious and entertaining host as well. I cannot express how much I enjoyed the service I received and what a pleasure it was to see so much of Donald's work in one place! David was even able to point out subtle differences in the prints and explain the process by which they are made. Given the scale of his collection, it was truly impressive. I'm giving DLG five stars only because I can't give them six! They will definitely be seeing me back!!

David Leonardis Gallery is a nice small gem painting gallery. The paintings are impeccable and…read moreevery painting has its own unique, colorful story on a canvas. I love how pleasant and informative David Leonardis is about each painting that aligns the walls in his gallery. I had such a great evening on last night laughing and chatting it up with him. David has such an amazing spirit and personality. David was kind to show me some cool new pieces in his galaxy. I'm really shocked about some of the negative reviews. Always excellent customer service. I even parked my car right in front of the gallery and he wasn't rude to me. But he did ask was that my car? but he didn't throw me any shade or give me an attitude. The paintings are well worth an investment and he even works with you to set up payment installments. Nice Gallery. Wall Full of Fun Colorful Paintings. David is a really cool and chill guy. He even offered and gave me a chill bottle of water.

Great selection of art at many different price points.read more

I've never had the pleasure of visiting Curly Tale Fine Art in person but I've gotten very familiar…read morewith online browsing. I got introduced to this gallery. through an artist I follow and every time I've ordered something Anita has personally delivered top notch customer service. She's very responsive, packs items carefully, sends pictures, prices and answers questions very quickly. If you're in the market for some eclectic art, Curly Tale is a wonderful place to start and end your search. I have nothing but good things to say.

Had a good time at this art museum and gallery. It certainly is a way to know about a local artist…read morewho had a big impact. The Ed Paschke Art Center is the biggest collection of his work. Also it's free. There's a lot of permanent collections, and you can find exhibits by other local artists who come here for training. A few things about him. In 1939 he was born on the North Side. There was early influence by his father who made Disney animation and sketches among other things. After graduating from The School Of The Art Institute Of Chicago, he got a travel scholarship to Mexico. There he was influenced by the art colors and patterns. He was in the army, making drawings for weapons manuals. Then he started making collages using images from newspapers. He would enlarge and reproduce these using oil on canvas. Then getting his MFA at SAIC, he was influenced by the first museum exhibition held by Andy Warhol. He was getting popular as an artist. Then he also began teaching classes at several universities. Often he would invite students over to his studio, and tell them to grab a brush and start painting on a canvas. The Art Institute Of Chicago had a traveling career retrospective in 1989 that was one of his career highlights. In 2004 he passed away. The city honored him by naming a street after him. A few years later this art center was created by his children and the Rabb Family Foundation. This opened in 2014 and increased the awareness of his work and life. Admission is free. This is because of their commitment to accessibility to the public. In the permanent collection is the Howard Street Studio installation. This reimagines his art studio with unfinished art works, source material, and souvenirs. Basically it's like giving you an idea of how he made art. One can get a sense of his painting techniques, like how he used sponges to get the color and volume. A lot of other stuff in the permanent collection. Vaca Victoria was a part of the 1999 public art project "Cows On Parade." It was one of hundreds of fiberglass cows created by Chicago artists. This used to be on Superior in River North. It was only there a few days. There was controversy about some local gang symbols. It has a head painted like the Bulls logo. The six stars represent the NBA Championship wins. Also there's stuff by other local artists. This has a residency program where they can learn. Getting here is pretty easy without a car. It's located on Higgins by Milwaukee Avenue and the Jefferson Park Metra station. This is easy to get to with public transportation.

I'd love to see more of his exhibits or his artworks. I was awestruck when I come across his art…read moreexhibits at art institute I begged my dad to take me there when I was in high school. There I met Ed Paschke after I grabbed bought art book about him, got his autograph. I treasure this art book with his signature when I greeted him politely and told him my name. ( I wrote it down on note because I'm deaf and too shy to talk. Thank you Ed Paschke. May your colorful spirit in arts live on! I hope or wish to have one of your masterpieces. They are so beautiful and vibrant! I'll post pic once I find my art book.

At the time of this writing (they just opened), Johalla is a true up-and-comer in the Chicago art…read morescene. This gallery was started very recently by a friend (disclaimer activated), Anne Marie Cerniglia, and a merry gang of her friends. Yes, it's run in Wicker Park, and yes, it's across the street and pinched in by the likes of Double Door, Myopic Books and Earwax. But they're centrally located with plenty of after-show activities available especially if you're of the twenty or thirty-something pursuasion. And the work is easily some of the most adroitly curated work at its level, with excitement bubbling over for what they'll do next after only their second show. Matter of fact, a recent fundraiser there (not an official Johalla show, mind you) drew a Tribune 10 best notice (you can view the pick online here: http://www.chicagotribune.com/entertainment/events/chi-100128-chicago-winter-events-pictures,0,1470838.photogallery). That said, the Trib's art coverage has been at troglodyte levels for months now, but Johalla will stand over time I expect in the best traditions of Chicago's go-it-alone, apartment/alt galleries. Don't believe me, though, check out the website, find out about their upcoming show and head out for a look-see yourself.

Great little gallery!…read more Current show is Jim MacRoberts - a talented woodworking artist, and a real gentleman (a dying breed nowdays). Great art, really fantastic stuff. Incredible use of wood. There was even a few framed kids drawings, and the little artists were in attendance greeting their public. What a fun show. The opening was lively and fun. Lots of snacks and wine for patrons. Extremely kid friendly. Juice was on offer too!

A friend of mine hosted a surprise 50th b day party for her husband at this establishment. It was…read morenothing short of a horrible experience. Party was scheduled to end at 1am. The owner pretty much stalked us the entire time. (9pm to 1am) He did not approve of our choice of music. We are African American. The party was classy but the owner was NOT. He insisted that we shut the music off well ahead of our scheduled end time. I would not recommend patronizing this establishment. We ultimately moved the party to a different location.

I had a summer internship with Aron Packer back when his gallery was on Peoria and really loved…read moreworking with him. I hadn't been to his new space (having merged with Schopf on Lake) until tonight. It was the same great owner and artwork, but in a bigger, even more beautiful space. Aron is a really friendly, fun guy who is very knowledgeable about the work he carries. Some of my favorite pieces are photos by Toni Hafkensheid and the really fun "Shark Girl" work by Casey Riordan Millard. Packer Schopf is a great place too look at some contemporary artwork and have a glass of wine (in tonight's case, served in Spongebob Dixie cups).

I'm really lucky, because one of my closest friends, Victoria Fuller, is an artist - a sculptor and…read morepainter. Not just your average every day artist, but I mean a real one. Since I'm kind of on a staycation this week, we took our boys into the city for an art gallery experience... a private tour of *Auntie* Vicki's art show and tour of the rest of the exhibits. Aside from the fact that her show is incredible, especially seeing all the little tidbits of art she's been working on around her studio all come together in entirety, the gallery is small and really nice inside. You wouldn't know from the outside what to expect. It looks like any older building in the area, but walk in and you are greeted by a completely renovated space that feels like a designer showroom from the Mart. Well lit, with artwork nicely displayed. The sculpture exhibits are upstairs, and downstairs there is a unique basement space, with lots of head room and art on paper. Today we saw engraved laptops by Michael Dinges in his exploration of objects that go on living after they are dead, and a custom canoe made from siding. Vicki's exhibit explores nature and our environment around us, and Geoffry Smalley's works on paper jabs at the world of American sports. There were also scanned collage pieces by Karen Savage exploring the various emotions and angles of depression and anxiety. I met the owner of the gallery, Aron Packer, who is super nice and welcoming (and a banjo player). It was nice to be in a space that didn't feel stuffy and unwelcoming to my two inquisitive eight-year old boys. Parking is a bit of a challenge around there, but so worth the stop. The train on Lake makes a stop right outside the gallery if you are local. Also, lots of great restaurants in the area, like Little Goat and Grange Hall Burger Bar (our stop) for a true urban experience.

The flat iron arts building is a lovely space where art galleries open to the public once a month…read moreduring First Fridays! There is also a guitar store, music school, art classes, and more that are open regularly! Its full of awesome art and very friendly humans who are excited to show you their creations and to chat :) It's fun wandering the few floors of intricate hallways and perusing the art both in the hallways and in the galleries. On First Friday in November, we got to see and participate in some interactive exhibits, like a claw machine with food (loved the concept related to SNAP benefits) and Wrath + Love's confessions project which involved a typewriter. There was live music from Phil's Circle Music which is an adult music school and someone was freestyling while others played instruments. And shout-out to Bri and Andrew from Screams Everything Studio, who are so friendly and make really cool art! Definitely recommend checking out their studio and visiting the building during first Fridays. Overall awesome vibe and a great way to experience Wicker Park, it's art and people :) I think we spent a little over an hour walking around the building but we came late and took our time, so we didn't get a chance to see some of the open galleries. But I think you could expect to spend about an hour or two there depending on your pace. First Fridays is free and a lovely way to spend an evening!

Checked out common language at the flat iron building for a silly rebound workout class! The…read morearchitecture of this building is so historic and unique, it felt like you traveled back in time :)