Art & Museums, Design, Installation

Review: The Business of Beauty at the Art Institute Displays William Morris’ Genius in Home Textiles and Design

“Have nothing in your houses that you do not know to be useful, or believe to be beautiful.” English textile designer William Morris said in 1880. The statement represented his […]

Nancy S Bishop /
Art & Museums, Feature, Festivals & events

EXPO Chicago 2022: Our Reflections on the Annual Art Fair at Navy Pier

The 2022 EXPO Chicago took place April 7-10 in Festival Hall at Navy Pier with 140 leading galleries from 25 countries and 65 cities from around the world. As in […]

Carrie McGath /
Art & Museums, Gallery, Painting & sculpture, Photography, Sculpture

Feature: Cornelia Arts Building Displays Compelling Variety in Open Studio Event

The Cornelia Arts Building recently held their spring open studio event where the public had the opportunity to see work by dozens of artists. The building, located at the corner […]

Thomas Wawzenek /
Architecture, Art & Museums, Beyond

Feature: Houses of Tomorrow Exhibit Explores Solar Design From the 1930s to Today

When the Homes of Tomorrow exhibit opened at Chicago’s 1933 Century of Progress, George Fred Keck’s design for a solar-powered glass house was a radical move into the future. Today, […]

Nancy S Bishop /
Art & Museums, Fiction, Gallery, Lit, Museum, Museums, Painting & sculpture, Sculpture

Review: Just Add Water, The Fountain, by David Scott Hay

The Fountain By David Scott Hay Whiskey Tit Jasper P. Duckworth is a critic in an alternate universe Chicago for Chicago Shoulders, a New City-like (or, if you will, Third […]

Patrick T. Reardon /
Art & Museums, Beyond, Event, Museum, Museums, Parks and zoos, Suburbs and exurbs

GALLERY: Chicago Botanic Garden’s 2022 Orchid Show, Untamed Brings a Burst of Beautiful Color to Your February

  [smartslider3 slider=”25″] The sun might be shining and the weather getting warmer (some days, right after a bunch of snow) but it’s still solidly winter in Chicago. Whether you’re […]

Marielle Bokor /
Art & Museums, Stages, Theater

Preview: Puppet Theater Festival Opens With the Social Commentary of The Plastic Bag Store

At long last the 4th annual Chicago International Puppet Theater Festival, after a COVID 19- induced delay, is here. If the opening of Robin Frohardt’s Plastic Bag Store on Michigan […]

Angela Allyn /
Art & Museums, Lit, Painting & sculpture, Photography

Gift Ideas for Art Lovers: Ten Great Art Books Published in 2021

Looking for gift ideas for art lovers in your life? Or perhaps you want to treat yourself by buying a book that will not only inspire and educate you about […]

Thomas Wawzenek /
Art & Museums, Beyond, Event, Event, Installation, Parks and zoos, Suburbs and exurbs

GALLERY: Lightscape at the Chicago Botanic Garden Sparkles in 2021

If you haven’t spent a lot of time hanging around any botanic gardens, conservatories or arboretums in the area, you might think the season is long past over once the […]

Marielle Bokor /
Art & Museums, Gallery, Photography

Review: A Search for Meaning and Beauty During the Pandemic at Eat Paint Studio

Virgen de Lourdes, Monterrey, Mexico,

In the past year, a number of visual artists, writers and musicians have been exploring the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic in our lives. Artists are not only reflecting how […]

Thomas Wawzenek /
Art & Museums, Museum, Painting & sculpture

Review: Unseen Reality Through the Eyes of Post 9/11 Veterans at National Veterans Art Museum

Jake Baker, “Two Thousand Ten,”

The latest exhibition at the National Veterans Art Museum (NVAM)  is Scene|Unseen, featuring the works of four post 9/11 veteran/artists—Jake Baker, Jenn Hassin, Brian Kennedy and Aaron Webb. This exhibition […]

Thomas Wawzenek /
Art & Museums, Beer and wine, Cafes and restaurants, Food, Gallery

Review: Visual and Visceral Nourishment at Bright and Airy Pilsen Yards

Light, airy, woody Pilsen Yards opened at 1163 W. 18th St. in January, an inviting rehab of the former Mediterranean-style Monnie Burke’s into a modern speakeasy. The façade is clean […]

Karin McKie /