CGN Art Preview: July 2025
CGN adds to its calendar of art events daily, and there is no shortage of new exhibitions, openings, art fairs, talks and family art events to explore. We have put together a preview of what is coming up the rest of this month as an art-filled summer ramps up.
Events happen throughout the city as well as in the suburbs and within a day's drive. Whether you have an hour after work or you are looking for a weekend road trip, take a look and do a little planning in order to take a step into the world of art. Everyone is welcome!
Highlights are organized by event type. Dates vary and are subject to change.
– Ginny
CGN Publisher
• Exhibitions
City in a Garden: Queer Art and Activism in Chicago
Jul 5, 2025 - Jan 25, 2026
Museum of Contemporary Art Chicago (MCA)
City in a Garden: Queer Art and Activism in Chicago is an intergenerational group exhibition that highlights Chicago’s essential, yet often underacknowledged, role in the story of queer art and activism. The exhibition examines this history from the mid-1980s, when activists radically mobilized in response to the US government’s disastrous handling of the AIDS crisis.
Mau Mau Solo Show
Jul 11, 2025 - Jul 26, 2025
Opening: Friday, Jul 11, 2025 5:00 PM – 8:00 PM
Mau Mau is a renowned British urban graffiti artist who’s gained an international following with his humorous street, print and graffiti work. He incorporates political, environmental and cultural commentary to his work – often with his trademark character of a mischievous and fun loving Fox. With roots planted in surf and country vibes of the North Devon coast, Mau Mau brings an air of rural sophistication to the art he has been creating for twenty years. He has painted his way around the world, his artwork appearing on everything from shipwrecks to surfboards and billboards to city walls.
Alex Katz: White Lotus
Jul 11, 2025 - Sep 20, 2025
Though titled after the hit television show, White Lotus by Alex Katz bears very little relation to HBO’s dark comedy. Rather, the paintings in this series are guided more by the tools of cinema, through Katz's use of monumental canvas, dramatic lighting, and repeating figures.
Opening at GRAY’s Chicago gallery on July 11, 2025, White Lotus is a testament not only to Katz’s nonstop creative output, but also his status as one of the most groundbreaking American artists of the 20th and 21st centuries.
Leopold Segedin | A Habit of Art: Paintings from 2015 to the Present
Jul 8, 2025 - Aug 10, 2025
Opening: Sunday, Jul 13, 2025 1:00 PM – 4:00 PM
Leopold Segedin is a Chicago-born painter (b. 1927) who has been exhibiting his work since 1944. His works have been shown at the Art Institute of Chicago, the Corcoran Art Gallery in Washington, D.C., and the Milwaukee Art Institute. At 97, Segedin currently lives and works in Evanston from his home studio.
Kathleen Waterloo. New Encaustic paintings
Jul 11, 2025 - Sep 1, 2025
Opening: Friday, Jul 11, 2025 5:00 PM – 8:00 PM
Solo exhibition - Kathleen Waterloo. New Encaustic painting
LUMINOSITY: The Ocean Between VIII
Jul 18, 2025 - Aug 16, 2025
Opening: Friday, Jul 18, 2025 5:00 PM – 9:00 PM
Curated by Marianna Buchwald and Tamara Wasserman this group exhibition brings together a dynamic roster of international and Chicago-based artists whose work reflects the fluid intersections of culture, imagination, and personal mythology. The exhibition explores light, not only as a visual phenomenon, but as a metaphor for transformation, connection, and creative vision.
Through diverse media including painting, sculpture, mixed media, and installation, the featured artists illuminate the conceptual distance between places, people, and identities, transforming it into a shared space of artistic inquiry.
• Summer Road Trips: Rockford, Wisconsin, SW Michigan
Art Fair on the Square
Jul 12 and 13, 2025
Madison Museum of Contemporary Art (MMoCA)
One of the Midwest’s most popular and highly regarded outdoor celebrations of the arts will return to the Capitol Square on Saturday, July 12 and Sunday, July 13, 2025, as MMoCA presents the 67th annual Art Fair on the Square.
With its mix of music, entertainment, and outdoor dining, as well as over 500 artists exhibiting paintings, prints, photographs, sculpture, jewelry, handmade clothing and accessories, and fine craft, the fair draws nearly 200,000 visitors to Madison’s Capitol Square.
Day Trip: Art of Rockford, IL
Thursday, Jul 17, 2025 8:30 AM – 6:30 PM
Mark your calendars for our bus trip to Rockford, IL, a city bursting with artistic energy and local charm! Join Art Encounter's Sarah Packer and Joanna Pinsky to visit a local muralist in his studio, take a guided tour of the Rockford Art Museum, explore the city's renowned public art, and meet a unique collective of artists.
Forward
Jul 16, 2025 - Aug 31, 2025
Opening: Friday, Jul 18, 2025 6:00 PM – 8:00 PM in conjunction with Gallery Night MKE
Since 1851, Wisconsin has embraced the word "Forward" as its state motto, a simple yet powerful declaration of progress and positivity. At Lily Pad | West, we have embodied this spirit for the past eight years, consistently advancing our vision of showcasing world-class art through a dynamic mix of local, national, and international artists. As the gallery expands its horizons, we are proud to remain deeply rooted in supporting the vibrant community of contemporary Wisconsin artists.
"Forward" is the gallery's fourth annual group exhibition featuring an impressive lineup of Wisconsin-based artists.
April Behnke: Mind Games
Jul 18, 2025 - Aug 16, 2025
Opening: Friday, Jul 18, 2025 5:00 PM – 8:00 PM (Gallery Night MKE)
Artist Talk: Saturday, July 19 beginning at 1PM (Gallery Day MKE)
Kim Storage Gallery is thrilled to present "Mind Games," a solo exhibition by Chicago-based artist April Behnke. This captivating show features a new body of work showcasing Behnke's exploration of perceptual play through paintings and drawings. The exhibition delves into the ways we use vision to perceive patterns and make sense of the world. Behnke skillfully interrupts these patterns, mixing up foreground and background to create a visual experience that is both familiar and disorienting. Visitors will be intrigued by the dynamic interplay of colors and shapes, which challenge and engage the viewer's perception. "Mind Games" not only references the show's main theme but also invites viewers to participate in a playful and interactive experience. Behnke's work draws inspiration from both board games and early video games, incorporating structured patterns and visual interruptions that evoke a sense of nostalgia and curiosity. This exhibition marks Behnke's first solo show at Kim Storage Gallery, and it promises to be a thought-provoking and visually stimulating event. Join us for the opening reception and artist talk, where Behnke will provide deeper insights into her creative process and the conceptual underpinnings of her work.
Randolph Street Market – in Three Oaks Michigan
Jul 26 and Jul 27, 2025
Chicago's internationally renowned Randolph Street Market is taking a road trip this summer to Three Oaks Michigan!
We're bringing 50 of the best dealers our Windy City extravaganza has to offer, just ninety minutes from downtown but a world away!
If you're missing us this summer, take a day trip or stay the weekend.
Come shop the wares of some of the dealers you love, cruise the stores on Three Oaks' main drag and even stop for a swim at Warren Dunes State Park.
