West Town, Wicker Park, Ukrainian Village, Kinzie Corridor, Humboldt Park

West Town

Wisconsin

IL • MI • IN

West Loop, Fulton Market, East Garfield Park

West Loop and West Side

Evanston, The North Shore, Northern, Western and Southern Suburbs

Suburbs

Old Town, Lincoln Park, Lakeview, Roscoe Village, Bucktown, Wicker Park, Logan Square, Lincoln Square, Ravenswood, Uptown, Edgewater, Andersonville, Rogers Park

North Side

Michigan Avenue, Streeterville, The Gold Coast, The Loop, and South Loop

Michigan Avenue

Pilsen, Bridgeport, Chinatown, plus Hyde Park, Jackson Park/Dorchester, and Bronzeville

South Side

Superior and Franklin streets, West Chicago Ave, and down to Merchandise Mart and the River

River North

The River North Design District proudly announces this year's annual River North Design District Fall Gallery Walk on September 11. The walk is comprised of 17 locations with special events throughout River North, featuring 31 artists and 16 designer vignettes. This year, the Gallery Walk's philanthropic partner is Tunnel to Towers, which will receive a portion of the proceeds. 17 design showrooms and galleries will come alive with art from some of the brightest talents on the scene, paired with vignettes from Chicago's top designers. The result? Insta-worthy feasts for the eye to inspire anyone who wants to make their home a beautiful haven. The walk is free and open to the public except for the afterparty. Showrooms will have extended hours on September 11, from 5–8 p.m., and will offer food and libations. The vignettes will be on display through October 9. The Gallery Walk is free to attend. A $10 suggested donation supports our philanthropic parter Tunnel to Towers as well as RNDD programming. The event's host committee includes Reem Hassaballa with Reems Design, Julie Laux with J. Jordan Homes, Clare Hennessy, Lisa Rodriguez with Mobili Möbel, Carrie Lannon of Lannon Consulting, Cortney Hall with NBC's&nbsp;Open House, and Joyce and Dusty Sang with Ryan Licht Sang Bipolar Foundation. <blockquote>"As we mark a decade of creativity and innovation since the River North Design District's Fall Gallery Walk began, we're thrilled to present an exceptional evening. This immersive event brings together industry leaders, passionate collectors, and visionary designers for a dynamic celebration of art and design. Guests will experience a diverse range of work from acclaimed artists around the world, alongside contributions from some of Chicago's most respected design voices. More than design destinations, we're proud to reaffirm our role as collaborators—supporting and elevating the vibrant art community at the heart of River North."</blockquote><blockquote>— Mike Cao, President, River North Design District</blockquote> Attend Light after Dark, the official after party closing the 10th Annual River North Design District Gallery Walk on September 11 from&nbsp;8:00–10:30 p.m.&nbsp;Hosted at the&nbsp;BSH Experience Center&nbsp;in the Merchandise Mart, the evening commemorates the 25th anniversary of 9/11 while celebrating a decade of art and design within the River North Design District. Guests are encouraged to dress in avant-garde fashion and will enjoy music by DJ Disko Kitty, crafted cocktails, and culinary offerings from the chefs at the BSH Experience Center. At the heart of the evening is&nbsp;Art is Living Fashion, a 6' × 30' immersive installation presented by Brizo. Conceived as a monumental textile, the work unites art, fashion, and design through 20 artist-created panels exploring themes of strength, resilience, courage, and light. Together, the panels form a continuous collective expression honoring both individual voice and shared humanity. The installation will be sold by the square foot at the event, with&nbsp;100% of proceeds benefiting the Tunnel to Towers Foundation. After Party tickets start at&nbsp;$100&nbsp;each if purchased in advance. <a href="https://www.eventbrite.com/e/10th-annual-river-north-design-district-rndd-fall-gallery-walk-tickets-1992886102981?aff=oddtdtcreator" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Buy tickets HERE</a>. Check the website for periodic event updates. Image courtesy of Jasmin Reese Interiors, Photography by Michael Alan Kaskel

River North Design District 10th Annual Fall Gallery Walk

Welcome to In/Between. This September 18 – 27, everyone is invited to a new festival of visual and performing arts. The mostly free public biennial brings together exhibitions, pop-up music and poetry, circus arts, wellness programs, films, tours, workshops, and social events at locations throughout Racine County. Newly announced festival highlights include: Rooted: Artist Welcome Dinner on September 18, 6 – 9pm at Hotel Verdant Ballroom, a multi-course dinner with artists; Dan Devening: Finestra Falsa from September 18 – 19 &amp; 25 – 26, 12 – 5 pm; September 24, 5 – 8pm at OS Projects, featuring recent paintings and works on paper by Dan Devening; English Paper Piecing with Rosy Petri on September 24, 6 – 9pm at RAM Wustum, a workshop on hand-sewing technique; Paper, Pattern, &amp; Play with Michael Velliquette on September 26, 10am – 2pm at RAM Wustum, exploring paper cutting; Craft &amp; Draft: A Night of Makers on September 26, 6 – 10:30pm at RAM Wustum, a celebration of regional artists with demonstrations, live music, and hands-on art experiences. <a href="https://us.list-manage.com/Zyg8I7n_wEp?e=db6c531f0b&amp;c2id=7490e2c96350ef93f5850a9e4303a67d" rel="noopener noreferrer" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);" target="_blank">Discover In/Between</a> Newly announced festival highlights. <a href="https://us.list-manage.com/pa85pL3r9My?e=db6c531f0b&amp;c2id=7490e2c96350ef93f5850a9e4303a67d" rel="noopener noreferrer" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);" target="_blank">Rooted: Artist Welcome Dinner&nbsp;</a>September 18, 6 – 9pm, Hotel Verdant BallroomKick off&nbsp;In/Between&nbsp;with a multi-course dinner where guests will be joined by artists participating in the festival. <a href="https://us.list-manage.com/EkhSauhQlr5?e=db6c531f0b&amp;c2id=7490e2c96350ef93f5850a9e4303a67d" rel="noopener noreferrer" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);" target="_blank">Dan Devening: Finestra Falsa</a>September 18 – 19 &amp; 25 – 26, 12 – 5 pm; September 24, 5 – 8pm, OS Projects&nbsp;View recent paintings and works on paper by Chicago artist Dan Devening who explores color, surface, perception, and the relationship between digital and painterly imagery.&nbsp; <a href="https://us.list-manage.com/zJhzsRqAQZm?e=db6c531f0b&amp;c2id=7490e2c96350ef93f5850a9e4303a67d" rel="noopener noreferrer" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);" target="_blank">English Paper Piecing with Rosy Petri</a>September 24, 6 – 9pm, RAM WustumLearn directly from a Milwaukee-based mixed media artist as she teaches the basics of a relaxing hand-sewing technique. <a href="https://us.list-manage.com/NSvIe8gy3d8?e=db6c531f0b&amp;c2id=7490e2c96350ef93f5850a9e4303a67d" rel="noopener noreferrer" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);" target="_blank">Paper, Pattern, &amp; Play with Michael Velliquette&nbsp;</a>September 26, 10am – 2pm, RAM WustumExplore color, geometry, and abstraction through paper cutting, inspired by Velliquette’s&nbsp;<a href="https://us.list-manage.com/gljKvJqViOV?e=db6c531f0b&amp;c2id=7490e2c96350ef93f5850a9e4303a67d" rel="noopener noreferrer" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);" target="_blank">Intuitive Patterns</a>&nbsp;installation at RAM Downtown.&nbsp; <a href="https://us.list-manage.com/1BHq2qZne3E?e=db6c531f0b&amp;c2id=7490e2c96350ef93f5850a9e4303a67d" rel="noopener noreferrer" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);" target="_blank">Craft &amp; Draft: A Night of Makers&nbsp;</a>September 26, 6&nbsp;– 10:30pm, RAM WustumMark the festival’s closing weekend with a celebration of regional artists that features demonstrations, live music, and hands-on art experiences.<a href="https://us.list-manage.com/XIUqixf21Km?e=db6c531f0b&amp;c2id=7490e2c96350ef93f5850a9e4303a67d" rel="noopener noreferrer" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);" target="_blank">Explore all festival events</a>

In/Between

Join us for a closing reception on Saturday, September 29 from 6-9pm. Maybe we will serve tea and paint our nails and smoke hookah. Open every Sunday, 12-4pm &amp; by appointment. 4222 W Fullerton Avenue, Chicago, IL 60639. www.sawhorsespace.net info@sawhorsespace.net

Jesse Bond's Own Who You Are

Come celebrate the official inauguration of the Italian Cultural Institute in its new home!&nbsp;On&nbsp;Tuesday, September 22,&nbsp;the Italian Cultural Institute will open its doors to the public in its new space at 150 N Michigan Ave, Suite 1580, Chicago, IL 60601. Join us to discover our new spaces, learn more about our initiatives, cultural events, and language classes, and enjoy an evening featuring music, art and more:<ul><li class="ql-align-justify">Hear live the music by the wildly popular Italian singer/songwriter duo&nbsp;<a href="https://iicchicago.esteri.it/en/gli_eventi/calendario/open-house-colapesce-dimartino-duo-acoustic-live/" rel="noopener noreferrer" style="color: rgb(25, 25, 25);" target="_blank">Colapesce Dimartino</a>,&nbsp;performing a selection of their&nbsp;most acclaimed songs including their Sanremo hits, in an exclusive U.S. reunion for this special occasion;</li><li class="ql-align-justify">Experience the sensation of standing beneath the fronds of an imaginative palm grove in&nbsp;<a href="https://iicchicago.esteri.it/en/gli_eventi/calendario/open-house-a-palm-of-victory-exhibition-opening/" rel="noopener noreferrer" style="color: rgb(25, 25, 25);" target="_blank">A Palm of Victory,</a>&nbsp;Chicago’s first exhibition of work by acclaimed Italian artist&nbsp;Emilia Faro;</li><li class="ql-align-justify">Discover&nbsp;<a href="https://italculturachicago.com/" rel="noopener noreferrer" style="color: rgb(25, 25, 25);" target="_blank">ItalCultura</a>’s Italian language classes and Italian Book and Film Club.</li></ul>Doors open at 5:30 PM, and the evening’s program begins at 6 PM&nbsp;with welcome remarks, an introduction to&nbsp;<a href="https://www.emiliafaro.com/" rel="noopener noreferrer" style="color: rgb(25, 25, 25);" target="_blank">Emilia Faro</a>’s exhibition by curator Maria Chiara Di Trapani, and the live performance by&nbsp;<a href="https://www.youtube.com/@colapescedimartino499/featured" rel="noopener noreferrer" style="color: rgb(25, 25, 25);" target="_blank">Colapesce Dimartino</a>. Food &amp; drinks&nbsp;and&nbsp;giveaways&nbsp;available (while supplies last).Looking forward to seeing you all there.&nbsp;Vi aspettiamo! Free entry. Advance registration is required, and all guests must bring a valid photo ID. Please reserve your space <a href="https://iicchicago.esteri.it/en/gli_eventi/calendario/open-house-2026-inauguration-of-the-italian-cultural-institute/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">here</a>. For any questions, please email iicchicago@esteri.it.

Open House 2026 / Inauguration of the Italian Cultural Institute

Bad at Sports&nbsp;| 21st Anniversary and Season One Wrap PartyAnne &amp; Kern Terrace Garden and Edlis Neeson Theater&nbsp;Bad at Sports,&nbsp;the world’s oldest contemporary art podcast, wraps its 21-year first season with a series of interview events around the museum. Tailgate in the afternoon with episodes live on the MCA Terrace, followed by a celebratory recording of the climactic and unforgettable episode 999 in the Edlis Neeson Theater.

Bad at Sports | 21st Anniversary and Season One Wrap Party

The closing conversation will bring Petrides and Basa together to discuss their respective practices, the relationship between paper and clay within the exhibition, and the ideas surrounding rupture, material, fragmentation, and observation that connect their work. Closing Reception &amp; Conversation Saturday, October 3, 2026 1:00–3:00 p.m. Moderated by Chanelle Lacy Location Oliva Gallery 3816 W. Armitage Ave. Chicago, IL 60647 About the Moderator Chanelle Lacy is a curator, cultural producer, and Reiki Master whose work exists at the intersection of contemporary art, community, and healing. Passionate about bringing ambitious, rigorous, and deeply considered projects to life, she works closely with artists at all stages of their careers to nurture expansive practices and contribute to a more inclusive and evolving art historical canon. Her curatorial practice is grounded in a commitment to amplifying voices that have been historically underrepresented, while creating meaningful points of connection between artists, institutions, and communities. Chanelle is also the founder of On Ancestral Wings, a creative healing platform rooted in the belief that marginalized communities carry an innate capacity for power, restoration, and transformation. Through energetic modalities and inner exploration, the platform creates space for reconnection, remembrance, and collective healing. This impulse to bring art and healing into dialogue is central to Chanelle’s practice, where she is continually creating space for unexpected worlds, ideas, and ways of being to meet. Currently serving as the Managing Director at Gertie, Chanelle works alongside the organization’s founder to shape the platform’s artistic vision, programming, partnerships, and growth. She is also at the helm of citywide cultural activations including Chicago Exhibition Week (CXW), advancing Gertie’s mission to deepen engagement with Chicago’s artists, institutions, collectors, and broader cultural community.

Closing Reception & Conversation: Witness to Bedlam

Our Free Days Are Taking The Night Shift! From March through November, we’re returning to Free First Tuesdays! On the first Tuesday of every month, enjoy extended hours from 5:00 pm to 8:00 pm - admission is free for all, no residency restrictions.

Free First Tuesday

Our Free Days Are Taking The Night Shift! From March through November, we’re returning to Free First Tuesdays! On the first Tuesday of every month, enjoy extended hours from 5:00 pm to 8:00 pm - admission is free for all, no residency restrictions. Want more chances to visit? Take a look at our full lineup of 2026 Free Days below and mark your calendar! From March through November, we’re returning to Free First Tuesdays! On the first Tuesday of every month, enjoy extended hours from 5:00 pm to 8:00 pm - admission is free for all, no residency restrictions.

Free First Tuesdays

Oliva Gallery presents the closing reception for Pleasure Spread, featuring Tara Sabini’s maximalist oil paintings and Jeremy Plotkin Wong’s biomorphic ceramic sculpture. The exhibition explores pleasure as seductive, excessive, unstable, and psychologically charged. Sabini layers pattern, ornament, and the body until abundance becomes pressurized. Wong pushes the ceramic vessel beyond utility into swelling, contorted forms that blur the line between object and organism. Join Oliva Gallery for a final opportunity to experience Pleasure Spread before it closes. About the Artists Tara Sabini is a Chicago-based maximalist oil painter and graduate of the Rhode Island School of Design. Her work has been exhibited nationally, with recent residencies including Vermont Studio Center and Lillstreet Art Center. Jeremy Plotkin Wong is a Chicago-based performance and sculpture artist whose interdisciplinary practice combines sculptural form, material experimentation, abstraction, and performance. Wong received a BFA from the School of the Art Institute of Chicago and entered the MFA program in Ceramics at Cranbrook Academy of Art in 2025.

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