Who, What and Where | Exploring Chicago's Artist Scene

Who, What and Where | Exploring Chicago's Artist Scene

  • Extraordinary Living
  • 03/25/22

Western Exhibitions

Chicago is home to an abundance of galleries filled with a spectrum of experiences from which art lovers and first-timers can choose. Majority of the city's 77 neighborhoods contain at least one exciting gallery to expose you to some of Chicago's finest works in all genres of art. From performance art that'll shift your perspective to an oil painting that will take your breath away, Chicago's galleries cover it all. Here's where you can find some of the most innovative and unique art galleries in Chicago and expand your creative perspective.

 

South Side

Known for it’s cultural diversity, the Southside offers dozens of smaller, tucked-away galleries as well as large warehouses, featuring young artists and distinct media.

Mana Contemporary

Pilsen, Bridgeport, and Hyde Park

Bridgeport Art Center

 

1200 W. 35th Street

Housed in the former Spiegel catalog warehouse, the Bridgeport Art Center is hope to over 100 artists including fashion designers, woodworkers, and ceramicists.

 
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Co-Prosperity

 

3219 S Morgan Street

An experimental cultural center located in the neighborhood of Bridgeport - this space is used to showcase work by artists, performers and cultural workers of all stripes.

 
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Mana Contemporary Chicago

 

2233 S Throop Street

This contemporary arts centerunites artist studios, exhibition spaces, and ancillary services in a single location.

 
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Pilsen Arts & Community House

 

1637 W. 18th Street

This community-led gallery hosts exhibitions, art instruction and mentorships.

 
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Woman Made Gallery

 

2150 S Canalport Ave #4A-3

A non-profit gallery known for elevating women-identified and non-binary artists through exhibitions, membership, and community dialogue programs - they also offer art for sale online.

 
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Stony Island Arts Bank

 

6760 S Stony Is Ave

Founded by Theaster Gates, this hybrid gallery, media archive, library, community center also houses Rebuild Foundation's archives and collections.

 
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Gallery Guichard

 

436 E 47th Street

Gallery Guichard features a rotating collection of works from numerous global artists, specializing in the African diaspora.

 
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Hyde Park Art Center

 

5020 S. Cornell Avenue

Hyde Park Art Center hosts exhibitions in addition to offering adult and youth studio art classes.

 
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West Side

Home to a vibrant art scene, Chicago’s West Side has no shortage of neighborhood galleries to frequent. From the chic, industrial West Town institutions, to the more eccentric Logan Square pop-ups, this side of town is the ideal place to find unusual, one-of-a-kind artworks that won’t break the bank.

Soccer Club Club

West Town, Wicker Park and Logan Square

Patron Gallery

 

1612 W Chicago Ave

Located in an old theater building, the newest addition to West Town’s Gallery District aims to uplift those underrepresented in the art scene.

 
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Western Exhibitions

 

1709 W Chicago Ave

Part gallery, part artist books store, Western Exhibitions highlights thought-provoking and visually innovative artists who work across most media.

 
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Matthew Rachman Gallery

 

2023 W Carroll Ave

This appointment only gallery features a carefully curated collection of unique modern furnishings and original contemporary art.

 
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Heaven Gallery

 

1550 N Milwaukee Ave #2

For over 20 years, Heaven Gallery has been a non-profit and multi-disciplinary arts space in that presents emerging artists and musicians.

 
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LVL3

 

1542 N Milwaukee Ave #3

LVL3 a volunteer artist-run exhibition space and digital publication focusing on local makers.

 
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Comfort Station

 

2579 N Milwaukee Ave

A turn-of-the-century structure turned multidisciplinary arts space in the heart of Logan Square.

 
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Soccer Club Club

 

2923 N Cicero Ave

Once been a private club for a Polish soccer team, the space now operates as an intimate venue for art exhibitions and musical performances.

 
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Olivia Gallery

 

3816 W Armitage Ave

Oliva Gallery focuses on the best of 20th century design in the form of fine art, lighting, home decor, and costume jewelry, and features emerging artists from the Chicagoland area.

 
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North Side

Whether you’re firing a clay pot on the kiln or relishing a painting as you imbibe, there are plenty of art-centered, immersive experiences throughout Chicago’s North Side.

Dusk

Lincoln Park, Old Town, and Ravenswood

Dusk Cocktail Bar and Gallery

 

1518 N Throop Street

Appropriately named Dusk, this art gallery morphs into a bar in the evening.

 
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Chicago Printmakers Collaborative

 

4912 N Western Ave

This space offers prints made by local artists as well as a number of workshops and classes.

 
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Madron Gallery

 

1000 West North Avenue

Madron Gallery specializes in paintings, drawings, sculptures, photographs, and prints from the late nineteenth century.

 
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Gallery 1871

 

1871 N Clybourn Ave

Representing over 100 artists both emerging and established, this gallery focuses on painting, mixed media, and sculpture.

 
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Wrightwood 659

 

659 W Wrightwood Ave

Designed by Tadao Ando, this site provides contemplative experiences of art and architecture, and social issues.

 
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Wrightwood 659

 

659 W Wrightwood Ave

Designed by Tadao Ando, this site provides contemplative experiences of art and architecture, and social issues.

 
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Cornelia Arts Building

 

1800 W. Cornelia Ave

One of Chicago’s oldest arts buildings, now hosts over 40 local artists whose work spans disciplines including painting and drawing, sculpture, photography, print-making, jewelry design and performance.

 
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Lillistreet Art Center

 

4401 N. Ravenswood Ave

Lillistreet’s facilities include classrooms for arts education, a gallery, an artist residency program, studio spaces, and a community outreach program.

 
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