CGN Art Preview: May 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 - from a tiny art fair to the summer start of Randolph Street Market to a big wave out in the suburbs...
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
• Auctions
Prints and Multiples
Wednesday, May 7
20 | 21 Art: The Chicago Edition
Wednesday, May 28
• Exhibitions
Herminio Rodríguez: Osamenta
May 2 - Jun 1; Opening: Friday, May 2, 5:00 PM – 9:00 PM
Osamenta, a powerful photographic exhibition by Herminio Rodríguez, explores the landscapes of decay and resilience across Puerto Rico. Rodríguez’s work captures a profound narrative of socioeconomic hardship, offering audiences a deep look into the often-overlooked aftermath of economic recession, governmental debt, and natural disasters on the island. In Osamenta, Rodríguez shares the results of a six-year journey through Puerto Rico’s seventy-eight municipalities and its islands, Vieques and Culebra.
Paul Pfeiffer: Prologue to the Story of the Birth of Freedom
May 3 - Aug 31
Museum of Contemporary Art Chicago (MCA)
Prologue to the Story of the Birth of Freedom is a survey that covers twenty-five years of work from artist Paul Pfeiffer (b. 1966, Honolulu, HI; lives in New York), whose practice interrogates ideas of spectacle, celebrity, and mass culture. The exhibition brings together works from across Pfeiffer’s career, spanning from his early photo and video works to his latest experiments in sculpture and installation. Prologue to the Story of the Birth of Freedom focuses on the artist’s use of media manipulation to reveal audiences’ participation in both adoration and objectification.
Tactile Terrain
May 12 - Jun 29; Opening: Friday, May 16, 6:00 PM – 10:00 PM
Jackson Junge Gallery is pleased to present their second group exhibition of the year, TACTILE TERRAIN, featuring the artwork of thirty-two artists. The exhibition celebrates techniques passed down by artists and craftspeople for generations, with handcrafted work made from fiber, textiles, weaving, woodwork, pottery, ceramics and more. TACTILE TERRAIN brings together artists whose work draws directly from the earth, composed of natural elements and inspired by organic textures and forms.
Rory McEwen: A New Perspective on Nature
May 16 - Aug 17
Rory McEwen: A New Perspective on Nature, an exhibition exploring the trailblazing career and legacy of Scottish artist Rory McEwen, whose work is considered one of the major turning points in the development of contemporary botanical art. Presenting over one hundred works, including sculpture and manuscripts, the exhibition reveals how McEwen forged his own personal interpretation of 20th century modernism, portraying flowers, leaves, and vegetables as individual subjects worthy of their own portraits. Establishing McEwen’s role in shaping new generations of artists, the exhibition also features the work of contemporary botanical artists who continue to shape McEwen’s artistic legacy today.
Catalyst: Im/migration and Self-taught Art in Chicago
May 23, 2025 - Jan 11, 2026
Catalyst: Im/migration and Self-taught Art in Chicago, the first exhibition to open in Intuit’s newly-renovated museum, is part of Art Design Chicago, a citywide collaboration initiated by the Terra Foundation for American Art that highlights the city’s artistic heritage and creative communities.
Catalyst: Im/migration and Self-taught Art in Chicago is the first major exhibition to focus on the importance of immigration and migration in the genre of self-taught art. The exhibition underscores the creative contributions of migrants and immigrants, broadening the scope to include artists deserving of greater attention, while posing questions about access to the art world and how art comes to be defined and valued.
Hokusai and Ukiyo-e: The Floating World, Artworks from the Chiossone Collection
May 31 - Sep 21
The Cleve Carney Museum of Art (CCMA)
The exhibition will feature a collection of 53 works of art and 13 artifacts that has never been seen before in the U.S. More than a museum show, this arts center experience will immerse guests in Japanese Edo culture through several interactive exhibits, from a peaceful outdoor Japanese garden to an anime exhibit.
Hokusai is widely recognized as one of Japan's greatest artists, as he was instrumental in developing the genre of ukiyo-e and modernized traditional print styles. Widely considered as one of the most recognizable images in the world, the exhibition will feature Hokusai's iconic masterpiece, The Great Wave off Kanagawa. In addition, visitors will have the rare opportunity to view nine original works by the legendary artist. There will also be 17 works by Hiroshige and works by 15 of their contemporaries.
• Art Fairs, Special Events
Western Exhibitions at the Barely Fair: Elijah Burgher, Edie Fake, Dutes Miller, Miller & Shellabarger, Ruby T
Barely Fair 2025
Thru May 11
BARELY FAIR 2025 is the 5th edition of this tiny fair. 24 exhibitors join in a return to the white cube origin.
Randolph Street Market Festival
May 24 & 25
Randolph Street Market Fest presents Summer 2025 GARDEN PARTY Kick-Off on Memorial Day weekend in the West Loop.
200 Indoor/Outdoor Sellers! Find the best vintage, antique & repurposed furniture, art, decor, ephemera, vintage fashion AND global goods. CONTINUOUS Live Music & DJ’s! Fun Food & Libations!
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