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

February 1st - February 28th, 2026 <a rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://vividartgallery.net/matthew-schaefer-february-featured-artist" target="_blank">See the Exhibit</a>

Matthew Schaefer: Journey of Intention

Exhibition of art of and by ВІРОС (Black Indigenous People of Color) ArtistsCurated by Fran JoyPictured: Reuniting Family (Leaving the South Under Threat of Klan Violence) by Jevoid Simmons

Resilience in Color

The Evanston Art Center (EAC) is excited to welcome the public to our upcoming exhibition by Eli Williamson,&nbsp;Fellowship.&nbsp;The exhibition will be on display from January 24 - March 1, 2026.In&nbsp;Fellowship, South Side Chicago native and photo essayist Williamson&nbsp;visually&nbsp;explores the sacred spaces where Black men and boys learn, grow, and heal in each other’s presence. Through imagery, the exhibition asks: Where are the rituals that teach manhood?&nbsp;Fellowship&nbsp;is an installment of Williamson's ongoing series,&nbsp;The Four Virtues,&nbsp;a four-part monograph that cements the virtue of Black men and boys through images and writing.Fellowship&nbsp;will be exhibited in the Lobby Gallery of the Art Center. The opening reception is free and open to the public. This exhibition is partially funded by the Illinois Arts Council, a state agency, and the EAC’s general membership.Evanston Art Center, a nonprofit 501 (c)(3) organization, is dedicated to fostering the appreciation and expression of the arts among diverse audiences. The Art Center offers extensive and innovative instruction in broad areas of artistic endeavor through classes, exhibitions, interactive arts activities, and community outreach initiatives.

Eli Williamson: Fellowship

Perspective Gallery presents&nbsp;"HOLD,"&nbsp;Perspective Gallery’s 2026 Invitational Exhibition featuring works by selected BFA students from the School of the Art Institute.&nbsp;Curated by Aimee Beaubien, Professor &amp; Chair in the Department of Photography at the School of the Art Institute of Chicago,&nbsp;"HOLD" features work by six emerging artists currently pursuing their BFA, and working within the Department of Photography at the School of the Art Institute of Chicago: Abigail Brooke Ackles, Ethan Kunoff, Isabel Lim, Collin Lust, Sarah Price, Dev Kili Stolkiner.The&nbsp;Opening Reception&nbsp;will be held on Saturday, February 7th, 2026 from 5-7pm at Perspective Gallery. Guests will have the opportunity to experience the art firsthand and meet the artists. On Thursday, February 19th at 7 PM, Perspective will host an&nbsp;Virtual Artist’s Talk&nbsp;via Zoom on February 19th, 2026.The curator and the exhibiting artists will be present to answer your questions and discuss their work.&nbsp;<a rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://perspectivegallery.us3.list-manage.com/track/click?u=04a588cae42ffc5c2d944d823&amp;id=a5bc6d2433&amp;e=49b9939ea4" target="_blank">Register here</a>&nbsp;for the Artists’ Talk.&nbsp;"HOLD" is a meditation on loss, distance, identity, and memory. This exhibition reflects the many ways images attempt to grasp what is already slipping away. Together, these works ask us toconsider what we keep, what we return to, and what holds us. We are invited to enter this space of continuum, where photographs become conduits between generations, between past and present, between the remembered and the reconstructed.

Hold

Anne Loucks Gallery is pleased to announce the opening of a new exhibition featuring the work of Lisa Ridgers and Linc Thelen. The show will be on view in our Glencoe gallery at 309 Park Avenue until March 2nd. Please join us for a reception with the artists this Saturday, January 24th from 4 - 6 pm (this has been rescheduled from January 23rd due to cold weather) Lisa Ridgers is known for her abstract compositions that balance harmonious color, movement, and emotion. Her recent paintings invoke a quiet presence, soft palette, and intuitive visual rhythm. Linc Thelen's work represents his ongoing study of color, texture, form and light. His abstract compositions focus on free-flowing organic forms, circular shapes and gestural marks, all depicted in rich saturated color.

Lisa Ridgers & Linc Thelen: Fresh Tracks

Paul Rinaldi Retrospective

Paul Rinaldi: Seeing Through Time — Selected Works from a Creative Life, a retrospective exhibition honoring the late Paul Rinaldi, a beloved Prairie State College professor who taught for over twenty-five years. This exhibition brings together a wide range of Rinaldi’s extraordinary work as a painter, tracing a creative practice that evolved from early figurative imagery to non-objective abstraction. The works reflect his lifelong commitment to experimentation, looking, and transformation, offering insight into an artist who continuously redefined his visual language. The exhibition celebrates not only Rinaldi’s artistic achievements, but also his enduring legacy as a teacher, mentor, and creative force within the Prairie State College community. Faculty are encouraged to visit the exhibition and to share this opportunity with their students. Proceeds from the sales of the work will fund the Rinaldi Family Prize in the Arts Scholarship Fund at Prairie State College.

PAUL RINALDI (1961-2025), Seeing Through Time - Selected Works from a Creative Life

ESSENCE&nbsp;witnessed by clouds&nbsp; Eight black artists. Seven men, one woman. Seven Nigerian, one American. Through spirit, story, emotion, nature, and culture, ESSENCE reflects the truth that every human being carries within them a light that gives life value, direction, and meaning, and gives voice to the desire to leave something meaningful behind. Opening Reception: February 21, 2026, 5-9 PM ShadowBoxX Gallery, 116 Washington St, Waukegan IL Zoom Collectors Preview/Artist Talk: Friday February 20, 9 AM

Essence

RECEPTION AND GALLERY TALK: FEBRUARY 19, 7PMCelebrate Women Artists at the Field with Rebecca Banasiak, Peggy Macnamara, and Adrienne Stroup, whose work bridges art and science in bold, imaginative ways. Inspired by the museum’s collections and mission to connect all of us to the natural world, their creations reveal the beauty of discovery and the power of visual storytelling. Join this visionary collective during Women’s History Month, February–March 2026, in celebration of STEAM and creativity.

Women Artists in the Field

Choreographic Place is an exhibition program presented by Bridge, premiering at the Evanston Art Center, that explores the evolving relationships between dance, sculpture, movement, written choreography, and civic space through the framework of William Forsythe’s notion of “choreographic objects”. Bridge collective members Michelle Kranicke, David Sundry, and Michael Workman seek to expand the definition to architectural or sculptural forms designed not simply to occupy space, but to shape how bodies move, and behaviors may be regulated within it, how choreography is written and read, and how movement is negotiated collectively in shared environments.

Choreographic Place

The Evanston Art Center (EAC) is excited to welcome the public to our upcoming exhibition,&nbsp;In Paper &amp; Shadow. The exhibition will be on display from&nbsp;February 21 - March 15, 2026, and will be free and open to the public. Sarah Nguyen is a mixed media artist, working primarily with paper. Storytelling is central to her hand-cut fiber panels and paintings. Her work has appeared in numerous national and international solo and group exhibitions and publications. Her work has been part of exhibitions in museums and festivals, including (but not limited to) Seattle’s Wing Luke Museum of Asian Pacific Experience, the Daum Museum, Pyramid Hill Sculpture Grounds and Museum, the Truman Museum, Cheekwood Estates &amp; Gardens, and Kansas City’s 2018 Open Spaces. She has taken part in a number of artist residencies from around the world as a visiting artist and teacher, including Serbia, Bulgaria, Japan, and France, as well as the United States.

In Paper & Shadow

Are you looking for an opportunity to share and discuss your creative practice? Our monthly Artist Critique Group offers a positive and productive space to develop your ideas through in-depth conversations. Bring your complete or in-progress work and join our supportive artist community. All mediums are welcome! Join us for an individual session or register for the full five session series. Series participants will have free access to all of Art Encounter's Weekend Art Walks, and will also have an opportunity to show their work in an exhibition at the Noyes Cultural Arts Center in September 2026. Group meets at Space 900 Gallery in Evanston, IL. Email program leader Joanna Pinsky, Artistic Director and Co-founder of Art Encounter, at <a rel="noopener noreferrer" href="mailto:joanna@artencounter.org?subject=CGN%20Art%20Encounter" target="_blank">joanna@artencounter.org</a> with any questions. When: Tuesdays, 1:00–3:00 pmWhere: Space 900, 816 Dempster St., EvanstonMember Price: $35 per session; $140 for full series of 5 sessionsNon-Member Price: $45 per session; $175 for full series of 5 sessions Spring 2026 Series: Feb. 17, Mar. 17, Apr. 21, May 19, Jun. 16 Flexible pricing is available for anyone who inquires. Please email&nbsp;<a style="color: rgb(44, 175, 154);" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="mailto:annie@artencounter.org?subject=Flexible%20pricing%20option%20for%20Artist%20Critique%20Group" target="_blank">annie@artencounter.org</a>&nbsp;for our “pay what you can” registration form. <a style="background-color: rgb(44, 175, 154); color: rgb(238, 247, 239);" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://secure.lglforms.com/form_engine/s/E3YFeWZMnmBqubrOnQPxrg" target="_blank">Register and Submit Payment</a> Visit <a rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://www.artencounter.org/artist-critique-group" target="_blank">artencounter.org/artist-critique-group</a> for more information.

Artist Critique Group: A Monthly Series for Practicing Artists

The title of the exhibition is&nbsp;Her Story. The "her" of the title is our daughter, Temma Day Lowly. The title is also a bit of a feminist twist on "history." The&nbsp;Her Story&nbsp;project consists of vertical format black &amp; white paintings, each of which will be accompanied by a text (title + essay, poem, dictionary entry, etc.) written by my partner (and Temma's mother) Sherrie Lowly.&nbsp;Concurrently with paintings of the&nbsp;Her Story&nbsp;project I will be showing a current collaborative project, the&nbsp;Trio Mandorla. This large drawing also depicts Temma, but with her mother Sherrie and caregiver Ellen Herbert). Begun 3 years ago, this project involves a collaborative component wherein people who are interested can draw onto the 2 parts of the drawing that depict quilts. I have exhibited this project previously, and numerous people have joined in the participatory compontent of the piece.

Her Story

The Evanston Art Center (EAC) is excited to welcome the public to&nbsp;Ruth Poor: Beatrice. The exhibition will be on display from February 21 to March 18, 2026, in our Second Floor Atrium Gallery and will be free and open to the public.Beatrice&nbsp;is the culmination of a nearly year-long study and performative execution of "grief-work" as a means to ground oneself amidst the shared loss of environmental sanctity, bodily autonomy, and community from rising authoritarianism, Christo-fascism, and consumerism.&nbsp;Ruth L. Poor, an interdisciplinary artist, embraces an evolving process of creation rooted in research and journaling/sketching as observation. Often implementing or commenting on spiritual/religious practice and ritual as it intersects with the macrocosm of American history and politics, alongside the parallelism of the personal.&nbsp;

Ruth Poor: Beatrice

Join us on Thursday, February 12, from 6:00 to 8:00 pm, for an exhilarating evening as we unveil a captivating new show at the Kavanagh Gallery!&nbsp;Meet some of the artists and other members of your Fine Line community and view the incredible art.This reception, like all Fine Line receptions, is free and open to everyone. Light refreshments will be served. Artists' talks and award presentations will begin at 6.30 pm.

Paper

Get to know Chicago's galleries and the contemporary art world at large with our interactive Weekend Art Walks! On March 21, we'll view and discuss sculptures, photographs, embroidery, and more in four West Town locations: Andrew Rafacz Gallery, Western Exhibitions, Document Gallery, and the newly-opened Elise Seigenthaler Gallery. Learn more or register at <a rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://www.artencounter.org/weekend-art-walks" target="_blank">artencounter.org/weekend-art-walks</a>.

Weekend Art Walk: West Town Galleries

Description of event:&nbsp;On Friday, March 6th, we will be having an exhibit opening for featured artist Sheila Arora's show "Impromptu." The opening will run from 5-7 PM and will display Sheila's spontaneous, minimalistic abstract paintings, which form as a result of unexpected marks, awkward color palettes, and a composition that is off-centered but balanced.&nbsp;Image: Sheila Arora, 300 DPI image of "Untitled."&nbsp;

Impromptu

Photographic artists from around the US will be on display March 5th – 29th at Perspective Gallery for LENS2026, the gallery’s 16th annual juried international exhibition of fine art photography. The show opens Thursday, March 5th, with an Opening Reception and Awards Ceremony on March 7th from 5 to 7 p.m.Juror Ann M. Jastrab, the Executive Director at the Center for Photographic Art (CPA) in Carmel, California, selected 28 artists from the 299 photographers who submitted over 1430 images.&nbsp;This year there were entries from 38 states and several international countries.&nbsp;Artists whose work was selected by Jastrab include: Samuel Anderson, Robin Bailey, Terry Barczak, Rupert Chambers, Lisa Di Giacomo, Alexander Diaz, Caity Fares, David Gardner, Veronica Gray, Jim Hill, Trevor Jackson, Dave Jordano, Daniel Kariko, Chris Kleihege, Wheaton Mahoney, Jill Obermaier, Samantha Oulavong, Catherine Panebianco, Russ Rowland, Philip Sager, Dina Santos, Mark Sawrie, Connor Schaal, Jeff Schewe, Riel Sturchio, Eryn Turner, Kay Westhues, and Darby Williams.A virtual artists’ talk will be held on March 12th at 7 p.m. (CT).&nbsp;Register&nbsp;<a rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://perspectivegallery.us3.list-manage.com/track/click?u=04a588cae42ffc5c2d944d823&amp;id=89265e9db3&amp;e=49b9939ea4" target="_blank">here</a>&nbsp;for the discussion which will include Ann M. Jastrab, Juror, and LENS2026 artists.Above image: Lisa di Giacomo,&nbsp;1957,&nbsp;LENS2026 Artist

LENS 2026

Opens March 1Sunday, March 1 | 1:00 pm - 3:00 pm | Brushwood Center at Ryerson Woods | Free&nbsp;Rest and Recharge: Practicing Radical Self Care in an Uncertain World&nbsp;invites visitors into a spacious pause. In a world saturated with constant alerts, urgent headlines, and an unrelenting stream of information, our nervous systems are rarely given time to settle. While some messages truly demand our immediate action, many linger as ambient noise, subtly shaping our thoughts, elevating stress, and eroding our capacity for presence and rest.&nbsp;This exhibition acknowledges the quiet toll of that overload and offers a gentle counterbalance. Through visual art, space, and silence,&nbsp;Rest and Recharge&nbsp;creates an environment that encourages slowing down, tuning inward, and reconnecting with rhythms that sustain us rather than deplete us. The works on view explore rest not as withdrawal or passivity, but as an active, necessary practice—one rooted in attention, care, and renewal.&nbsp;The exhibition features work from over forty artists, including: Joan Ackerman-Zimny, Cat Aldana, Anna Archinger, Beverly Behrens, Sinead Carus, Margarete de Soleil, Maureen Ivy Fisher, Jennifer L. Hodges, Ruth Hutter, Jack Vonty, Moritz Kellerman,Karen Kloubec, Phyllis Levun-Agostino, Hope Limbos, Carol Luc, Patrick Miceli, David Narens, Julie Nauman-Mikulski, Lisa Nemacheck, Jua Nochio, Marcela Adeze Okeke, Jacalin Oser, Mielle Park, Rochelle Peeples, Amy Pilkington, Paula Poda, Rhonda Popko, Marty Potts, Kathryn Rodrigues, Lorra Rudman, Kirsten Saunders, Lilach Schrag, Kathryn Scott, Emily Settles, Vavi Sol, Letitia L. Star, Raychel Steinbach, Steffanie Tulk, Sue Turayhi, J.C. Villalon, Deborah Weil, and Betty Wolff.&nbsp;&nbsp;Join us for an opening reception and artist panel discussion on March 1, 2026, at 1:00 pm. Moderated by Farah Salem, artists Marcela Adeze Okeke, Maureen Ivy Fisher, and Jennifer L. Hodges discuss their own relationship to rest. What brings a sense of grounding or ease? What practices, places, or moments allow the body to soften and the mind to breathe?&nbsp; <a style="color: rgb(255, 255, 255); background-color: rgb(0, 140, 149);" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://u42186243.ct.sendgrid.net/ls/click?upn=u001.zxVNEzr3j7bKoUk7A4NXGcpGwMfj6vJ4WEjrTTKzH3HdpBNVgaP1Qa1nHWL7mFlITtSdOGvvMjjwxpMBWx-2FIhvLdWS7A9vvCGOD8a7-2BTlRfPGUmDJpVbeZ7ALw-2FFz9Z-2BJCjGJh5rOOxznnYea0fflA-3D-3DydjC_0g5QiKQ3ANfCkWXxwzczn1phIok0-2FnBF8GNWXrNhq2-2B4ftGj9DI8Jn4AfRAGeAJV6p50DTUtccMTuJzCj5PiKqNJ-2Fq1PCq6ajZtG-2Bhv9JzGstHV66aqJKMzF1zEpjnbLOzAt0IWllenWNm72BdZHIM756FSXiU3UVl-2F9nGeZTlDejTY4W6zRTHxH7Ob8T-2FyCLUp02bbUpUYzKloWHZj4EAqV1sZ322yaXekVBUDZ42krrAsf3RpJlVPOb7Uq6S2TjRTnJvEeGM5JXfXLtZ9ObIuELILbQKPkk1Vc4SSJe1rsvEW0dpCUl1-2FN3-2F4YhcPcbuZfR2lIx8XNrUFTPglOXqGW1zGz5WvLDBUfkhorbs0-2FFcWwLab3Vo86W0266czf" target="_blank">RSVP to the Reception</a>

Rest and Recharge

Featured artists:&nbsp;J. Adams, Jeff Crisman, Mario Desa, Chad Koeplinger, Dianne Mansfield, Josh Mason, Danny Reed, Dan Santoro, Adam Shrewsbury, Leo Zulueta.Image by Dianne MansfieldOpening alongside&nbsp;KLAUBA,&nbsp;Beyond the Needle&nbsp;is an exhibition featuring ten tattoo artists from across the United States. Also curated by Teresa Hofheimer, each artist works in a variety of media—from ink drawings to photography—representing the wide world of body art.

Beyond the Needle

The Art Center Highland Park is proud to announce its forthcoming exhibition KLAUBA, a survey of the works of painter and tattoo artist George Klauba. This show will be on view at The Art Center from March 6 to April 4, 2026.Curated by gallerist Teresa Hofheimer, this large exhibition of paintings and sculpture spans over two decades, referencing George Klauba’s life works as a Navy officer, a tattoo artist, and eventually a celebrated painter and fine artist.Works by George Klauba are in public and private collections across the U.S., including the New Bedford Whaling Museum, MA; the Rockford Art Museum, Rockford, IL, and the VermillionCounty War Museum in Danville, IL. Three Moby-Dick paintings have been chosen for the book covers of Melville’s novel.KLAUBA will open with a free, public reception at The Art Center from 5:30 to 8:00 pm on March 6, with all works on display for sale through the exhibition’s run.

George Klauba

ChingARTE: The Poetics of Defiance

Reception and Awards: April 9, 7pmGallery Talk with Prize Winners: April 22, 2pm The President’s 18th Annual Art Exhibition highlights the top artwork from Lewis Students and Alumni. This important juried exhibition is hosted by the Department of Art and Design and sponsored by Dr. David Livingston,President of Lewis University. Image Description:&nbsp;Electric Madonna, oil on canvas by Annabelle Makselan, First Place 2025

Reception and Awards: The President’s 18th Annual Art Exhibition

Chair-ish&nbsp;is a presentation of multimodal works made in tandem by Chicago-based artists Alex Chitty and Norman Teague. Working together for the first time, the pairing of their distinct yet complementary approaches to design, craft, and the love of joyous, intuitive making result in an exhibition where the process "IS" the product. Through a collaborative exchange of tactics and speculations, Chitty and Teague create new works that critique, absorb, reposition and remix the narratives, materials, and aesthetics of modern design while inspiring fresh modes of measuring value and utility.

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