Who, What and Where | Exploring Chicago's Artist Scene
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.
Right: 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.
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.
Mana Contemporary Chicago
2233 S Throop Street
This contemporary arts centerunites artist studios, exhibition spaces, and ancillary services in a single location.
Pilsen Arts & Community House
1637 W. 18th Street
This community-led gallery hosts exhibitions, art instruction and mentorships.
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.
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.
Hyde Park Art Center
5020 S. Cornell Avenue
Hyde Park Art Center hosts exhibitions in addition to offering adult and youth studio art classes.
Gallery Guichard
436 E 47th Street
Gallery Guichard features a rotating collection of works from numerous global artists, specializing in the African diaspora.
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.
Left: Soccer Club Club
West Town, Wicker Park and Logan Square
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.
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.
Matthew Rachman Gallery
2023 W Carroll Ave
This appointment only gallery features a carefully curated collection of unique modern furnishings and original contemporary art.
LVL3
1542 N Milwaukee Ave #3
LVL3 a volunteer artist-run exhibition space and digital publication focusing on local makers.
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.
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.
Comfort Station
2579 N Milwaukee Ave
A turn-of-the-century structure turned multidisciplinary arts space in the heart of Logan Square.
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.
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.
Left: 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.
Madron Gallery
1000 West North Avenue
Madron Gallery specializes in paintings, drawings, sculptures, photographs, and prints from the late nineteenth century.
Wrightwood 659
659 W Wrightwood Ave
Designed by Tadao Ando, this site provides contemplative experiences of art and architecture, and social issues.
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.
Chicago Printmakers Collaborative
4912 N Western Ave
This space offers prints made by local artists as well as a number of workshops and classes.
gallery 1871
1871 N Clybourn Ave
Representing over 100 artists both emerging and established, this gallery focuses on painting, mixed media, and sculpture.
Wrightwood 659
659 W Wrightwood Ave
Designed by Tadao Ando, this site provides contemplative experiences of art and architecture, and social issues.
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.