This is a cultivating sculpture that grabs your attention. It is near the museum campus/water…read morefront. Parking to take a closer look can be a bit of a challenge. I recommend planning ahead and using one of the parking apps to find parking deals. Because it is so difficult to park here you would probably not just park to see this sculpture. It would be park of a larger itinerary. I stopped here on my way to the aquarium. I was here for about 5 minutes and it does make for some very instagramable pictures. The sculpture consists of 106 sets of randomly placed legs standing on cement pads. Each of the pieces are massive, standing 9 feet tall and weigh about 1,800 pounds. They are made iron that is seemless and has been hallowed from the backside. It has also being intentionally rusted, to create a rustic appearance. in front of the pieces you will see a big rock with a bronze plaque in it that gives information on the sculpture. This amazing sculpture is the work of Polish artist Magdalena Abakanowicz and is located on the south end of Grant Park. They were made between 2004 and 2006 in Poznań, Poland and were brought over by the city on a permeant loan from the Polish Ministry of Culture. Abakanowicz intended visitors to walk through the sculptures and contemplate the work. "Agora", the title of the piece, actually refers to the urban meeting places of the Ancient Greek city-states. I am really not sure how that ties into this piece, but I am guessing that all the legs are heading to or are at an agora.I am not sure if I am right or not, but that is the beauty of abstract art. It is up to your interpretation. To see some many pieces as part of one sculpture is impressive and must have taken a lot of time to do. This is definitely worth a stop if you are in the area. I surely would not make a special trip to see it though, primarily, as I noted, it is challenging to get to.

This was on our way to see the bean. What a cool sculpture garden. Agora means "marketplace" in…read moreGreek. Thus, "agoraphobia" is fear of the market, or likening to the home. Isn't that super fun and interesting? Anyways, this garden had a lot of trash and some graffiti which kind of takes away from the deep inner meaning I was trying to meditate for. Is it a stance on the modern world and how we feel so distant to each other despite being in an agora, or a big city? I digress. Nice sculptures.

Love this free gallery. Every time we visit Evanston we pop in to see the latest exhibits on the…read morefirst and second floor. The art markets they host are nice- a wide variety of art/handicrafts for sale by local artists.

Such a great venue for art and events. Attend the multisensory In the Realm of Senses here,…read morerecently, and enjoyed the art hanging on the walls, the space, and the performance. In the Realm of Senses showcases live and digital music pieces, while featuring visuals, live painting, and even filling the room with signature scents, all around a theme for each event. Evanston Art Center had a great space for this event, with great art on the walls, a boon to the community.

Beautiful displays of art from artists local and beyond. I wish there was more merch on sale to…read morehelp support the center - I did buy what was available, a tiny pin representing the art center. I enjoyed my afternoon here and hope I am in town for one of their events next time!

The trolley dropped us here with so much great information. Apparently First Lady Eleanor Roosevelt…read morecame to the opening! the tour guide was lively and informative. (Happy Belated Birthday). The art, bites, and Chicago made (also only African American made) Bleu vodka samples were awesome. There were small and big pieces, and 3 levels. We missed some live music but that's ok. I hope there is an elevator. I'm fine to go up stairs but some may find it challenging. The building is one of the few in a brownstone, in a residential area. It does not 'look' like a center but rather like a cozy, inviting house. They are very receptive of young/new artists too. My sister bought a piece here from a young artist (Raylinda?)some years back that she still admires.

Great place to stop in to check out and support work from local artists. Owners and staff are very…read morefriendly. Prices are very reasonable.

Most favorite local art spot to shop at, I've found so many gifts here already just living down the…read morestreet. Everything is reasonably priced and honestly SUPPORT YOUR LOCAL ARTIST DUH! They have pop ups every now and then to display different vendors and artists as well.

Such a cool place and such a cool concept! I've gone to events a few times and the staff has been…read morenothing but sweet and accommodating. We need more places like this in Chicago! The atmosphere and art on the walls is also gorgeous.

I take classes here and love it. Love the environment and the teachers are Great. Would recommend…read moreto anyone

We went to the Bucktown Art Festival on Saturday, August 23. This art festival has been around for…read moreover 30 years! Of course, it was an ugly gray and gloomy day in Chicago with hard rain coming down from time to time. A typical muggy and uncomfortable summer day, but this did not stop us from checking out the Bucktown Art Festival. There were over 275 Artists, Photographers, Pottery Makers, Jewelry Artisans, Arts & Craft artists displaying their pieces at this huge art festival. It had been years since we had been to this art festival, and now I know why. The Art Festival itself is a very, very large event. It is truly an inspirational event. Due to how large it has become over the years one day is not enough to see all of the exhibits at this art festival. Also, the vibe has definitely changed. The Artists and/or Artisans used to be so much more welcoming and/or friendly. Not anymore. Since it was a rainy, gray and gloomy day, some of the tents were zipped up while a few artists had packed up and closed up shop all together. There were several vendors selling food, but we didn't grab a bite here. The musicians were fantastic and we stood holding our umbrellas listening to the music for a while, because the band was incredibly outstanding (wish I knew the name of the band but I cannot recall). At any rate, we enjoyed walking around and viewing all the interesting, creative pieces of art despite the crappy rainy day. I am a fan of the Bucktown Art Festival. I appreciate when an Artist puts up a short bio of his or her background and his or her art pieces. I like to read about their background and where they received their education and/or training. They should make it mandatory and request that each Artist display a short bio, however, I only saw two short biographies posted. I was a bit disappointed. I asked a few questions, because I was interested in learning more about specific pieces of art that I really, really liked and was seriously considering purchasing. However, these Artists didn't seem to want to be bothered with questions. When I entered the tent to view the pieces that I was interested in purchasing I didn't receive a "Hello" or "Hi, how are you today?" In fact, there was minimal interaction and eye contact, which I thought was weird. Nevertheless, we dodged huge puddles of water, and saw lots of mud in the park area where additional artists were displaying their pieces. It was nice to get out on a Saturday afternoon and walk around for about 2-hours. After a while, we worked up an appetite and headed over to Palador on Western Avenue for some fantastic Cuban cuisine. That was really the highlight of our afternoon. I recommend this art festival to people seeking to invest in some serious art pieces. Everything that I really, really liked was over $1,000 or higher. I went to the Bucktown Art Festival with the intention of making a purchase. I like to think of art as an "investment" and not a "luxury" item. Yeah, we are the people with disposable income, and no kids so we have money to invest in art as well as antique pieces. In the end, we didn't make one single purchase. The unfriendly and disinterested vibe that I got from these Artists was the reason I didn't make that $2,000 purchase.

Go! Visit this place as soon as you can and take a class if you've been curious about stained glass…read moreor fused glass. You might look at the price and turn the other way but the knowledge and care during classes is worth every penny. I took a private class today with Mika and had the best time. Mika was a great instructor and super knowledgeable. I'm excited to take a class again at some point soon.

I was attracted to this place by the gorgeous glass art in the window, and came in to find…read morebeautiful jewelry, suncatchers and other art. I came back with my adult daughter for a fused art class, and Evelina welcomed everyone with wine and appetizers and an explanation of how to make art. There were bins of colored glass in many shapes and sizes to play with. She spent extra time with my daughter who was having trouble letting her creative side out. They made a glass dish together that everyone compliments. Then Jessie began to play with shapes and colors to make a few other pieces. Her confidence came out! I get compliments on the art pendants I created, too. I'll be bringing more friends with me next time!

This place is amazing…read more The building is incredible. It's a modern-inspired, L shape... that includes a garden upon entering. This is the first space in Chicago dedicated solely to the art of poetry. They host a 30,000 volume poetry library and an exhibition gallery. It's free to enter, and you'll have the opportunity to read as much as you can - for as long as you'd like (within their hours of course). The collection in here is massive - I held published articles and books that I have never had access to before. I was very impressed by this space and learned that Harriet Monroe's dream was to help poets pursue their art, so they essentially are carrying out her mission with this foundation. It was truly inspiring to see literature/poetry being celebrated this way. If you are a writer, someone who enjoys poetry, or even can appreciate beautiful architecture - visit!

i do this every day time set aside to absorb words…read moreof byron, whitman, plath, keats wait, no i don't and that is why this hour passed seated by my love in a cathedral of language far removed from a classroom or mandatory enjoyment has felt sweeter than a thousand laughs woven together