Mentioned by Choose Chicago
Open Museums in Chicago: Full Guide to Museums Reopening
"Installation view, Duro Olowu: Seeing Chicago, MCA Chicago Feb 29-May 10, 2020 Photo: Nathan Keay, © MCA Chicago. The Museum of Contemporary Art is always free for visitors under age 18, visitors with disabilities and their caregivers receive free admission, members of the military and police and fire departments and veterans, and Illinois elementary and high school teachers. To encourage more people to visit and visit often, the MCA has a pay-what-you-can policy — no one will be turned away."
"This accredited museum in the Pilsen area is dedicated to preserving and facilitating knowledge about Latino life and history. Exhibits focus on Mexican culture as it's represented in the US and in Mexico, and the permanent collection includes folk art, ephemera, sculpture, textiles and drawings. Performing arts are also featured and the center hosts special events throughout the year to advance the museum's objectives."
"Then, head over to the Mexican Art Museum. This is the largest collection of Latino artwork in the United States. If you’re at all interested in the fascinating, diverse world of Mexican art, it’s worth spending at least two hours here. It even has free admission."
"Part of Columbia College Chicago, the Museum of Contemporary Photography contains images by some of America’s greatest photographers. This includes Ansel Adams, Dorothea Lange and Walker Evans. A particular highlight is the Farm Security Administration collection of images, which portray life during the Great Depression and the Dust Bowl."
"Arranged on the University of Chicago grounds in Hyde Park, the Smart Museum of Art was considered as an establishment where researchers could examine expressions of the human experience and foster displays. Today, it’s available to general society (affirmation is in every case free) and is home to the school’s assortment of compelling artwork and artifacts, including parchments and ceramics from China just as contemporary works by any semblance of Kerry James Marshall and Andy Warhol. Investigate shows committed to rambling establishments and neighborhood craftsmanship developments prior to sitting down in the gallery’s yard mold garden."
"Founded in 1974, the Smart Museum of Art is part of the University of Chicago and is home to acclaimed special exhibitions and a permanent collection that spans five thousand years of artistic creation."
"Intuit: The Center for Intuitive and Outsider Art in Chicago is a non-profit with a mission to share the work of outsiders. The center defines an outsider in the art world as "the work of artists who demonstrate little influence from the mainstream art world, and who instead are motivated by their unique personal vision." Since its inception in 1991, Intuit has become a leader in the field of promoting outsider and intuitive art. The museum's permanent collection, which they began amassing in 2002, has come to include more than 1,1000 works of art."
"Now open This unique museum, dedicated to work by self-taught artists, has reopened to the public. Intuit has taken several new precautions, including directional signage, reduced touch points, and enhanced sanitation. They’ve even re-installed their exhibition Outsider Art: The Collection of Victor F. Keen to increase spacing and allow more distancing."
"This is a term coined by its founders to describe art created by self-taught artists or those without any formal training. The focus here is on artists who for any number of reasons exist outside of mainstream art. The permanent collection features artists including Minnie Evans, Miles Carpenter, and William Hawkins."
"The Renaissance Society is a kunsthalle-style museum that presents about 4 exhibits a year from international artists. It focuses on contemporary art and is located at the University of Chicago."
"Restaurants Bakeries Near South Side. Life's sweet at Veranda Runsewe's South Loop bakery, where the pastries are baked fresh daily and the custom cakes are crafted with love. The muffins and loaf cakes pair nicely with the lengthy list of tea varieties, from cinnamon-plum and jade oolong to matcha-ginger buzz."
"Day 1: Magnificent Mile, Millennium Park, Chicago Athletic Club, Riverwalk, Flamingo Rum Club, Signature Room at the 95th Kick off your Chicago trip in the heart of the action, by wandering past the glittering storefronts lining North Michigan Avenue, AKA the Magnificent Mile. This 13-block stretch in the Loop area hosts more than 460 stores including luxury brands like Gucci, Burberry and Louis Vuitton, nearly 300 restaurants, and some of the city’s top hotels. Art aficionados will want to pop into LIK Fine Art Chicago, which displays incredible pieces from famed photographer Peter Lik."
"Michigan Ave. also referred to as the “Magnificent Mile” is the major shopping district of downtown Chicago. It has all sorts of stores such as UGG, Forever 21, Nike, H&M, Addidas, Marshalls, Zara, and more. The area surrounding the magnificent mile is filled with every restaurant under the sun, Italian restaurants, pizza shops, steakhouses, and any other type of restaurant you can think of."
"No trip to Chicago would be complete without a stroll up Michigan Ave and the Magnificent Mile, so head up there after the aquarium. Most of the shops here are super high-end (think Gucci), so if you’re like me, you’re mostly window shopping, but it’s still fun to walk along and enjoy what is Chicago’s version of NYC’s Fifth Avenue."
"Next on my list of top art galleries in Chicago, this is one of the oldest galleries in Chicago. The Zolla / Lieberman Gallery has stood by the river for years, it’s timeless collection showcases art from all periods and from all across the world. With no main theme instead choosing to embrace the whole of the art world, its varied and truly inspiring works are a must see, as one of the Top 5 art galleries in Chicago."
"The trendsetting Zolla/Lieberman Gallery was the first occupant of the River North Gallery District before the area became one of Chicago’s most saturated arts and culture destinations. The art space doesn’t restrict itself to a single period or style; instead, it searches for new artists and embraces multiple genres to curate collections based on impeccable taste."
"First opening its doors in 1976, Zolla/Lieberman Gallery founded the area that is now known as the River North Gallery District, a lively neighborhood in the Near North Side. Now located at 325 W. Huron Street, the gallery embraces a wide range of genres and artists, offering a variety of work."
"Description: The new home for the Poetry Foundation was designed by John Ronan Architects and built in 2011, being 26,000 sq ft its project area. Yet so small it is one of the most effective buildings in terms of concept. Like a poem that invites multiple readings, the space encourages repeated visits, revealing itself slowly over time."
"The Poetry Foundation Library is another attraction that you can’t find anywhere else in Illinois. In fact, you’d be hard-pressed to find it anywhere else in the US. There are only a handful of poetry libraries in the entire world, but the good news is that the Chicago version is one of the best."
"We love this sophisticated home of Poetry magazine for its underplayed elegance and hushed presence among bustling River North. It’s not shouting, “Look at me!. ” in any way or trying to be the biggest or tallest; it’s just quietly doing its job."
"Vertical Gallery, billed as “Chicago’s premier urban-contemporary art gallery,” features monthly exhibits that spotlight work influenced by street art, graffiti, urban environments, graphic design, pop culture and illustration. Patrick Hull, a Bay Area marketing executive who dreamed of fostering a street-art scene in Chicago that rivaled those on the East and West Coasts, founded the art space. The gallery has helped launch the careers of many urban-contemporary artists who have gone on to exhibit at renowned museums and galleries across the globe."
"Located in the Ukrainian Village neighborhood on the near west side of Chicago, Vertical Gallery is the city's premier urban-contemporary gallery. Founded in 2013, the space has established a reputation for its consistent programming of significant emerging and established local, national and international artists. Their main focus is on the works influenced by street art, urban environments, graffiti, pop culture, graphic design and illustration."
"Probably my favourite on this list of top art galleries in Chicago… The Vertical Gallery. The Vertical Gallery was, voted “Chicago’s premier urban-contemporary art gallery,” the Vertical Gallery is a showcase of urban and unorthodox arts. It was founded by Patrick Hull, who fostered an artistic community to rival anywhere else in the world."