Director Israel Hernandez of Prospectus Gallery provides his artists and audience with hospitality…read moreand professionalism. On March 9, 2018 a free public reception will once again take place with a new exhibit of paintings and prints by Mark Nelson titled "Sounds of Painting," an array of works on the subject of music. These works express spontaneity, humor, seduction and personal memory through Nelson's use of the vibrant colors of his past, the parody of our times and the beauty of music. Mark Nelson has been a resident of Chicago since 1984 where he arrived from the Panama Canal Zone, Republic of Panama' to attend the School of the Art Institute of Chicago. His work was shaped by his roots as an extranjero residing from adolescence into adulthood in a Latin American country where the "land divided and the world united."

This is a great small art gallery in pilsen. My gf and I have been here before and we stopped by…read moreagain this weekend now that we were in the pilsen neighborhood and also because we both love art. As stated again its a small gallery, and displays art from local latin and latin-american artists. Also admission is free! Exhibits change every few months so make sure you stop by to view whats new.

The Oak Park Fine Arts show is sponsored by the American Society of Artists. The show is always…read moreheld in August. This year, it is August 16 and 17 (Sunday, 9 am to 5 pm). We have been to this art show several times over the years. I love this art show for many reasons. First, the Artists are very creative and down-to-earth and excited to discuss their art pieces. I always enjoy hearing the story behind HOW an Artist got the inspiration to create a piece of art. I always ask the Artist questions and they are always happy to answer them which I appreciate. Second, this Art show is just the right size and you can actually view all art exhibits (from beautiful Artisan sterling jewelry to sculptures, to photographs, paintings and art work made from tiny tiles creating an actual picture as well as beautiful and colorful handmade unique tote bags, handbags, scarves and so many other things) in under 2-hours! Third, parking is easy and, best of all, it is FREE on Sunday (if you park on the street). This Fine Arts and Craft Show is now in its 40th Year! We checked it out on Saturday, but it was too hot/humid so we left within 45-minutes without a purchase. There were less than 50 exhibits/artists which made the event nice and easy for viewing all the exhibits. This Art & Craft Show is held in Scoville Park at the corner of Oak Park Ave and Lake Street. Although we didn't stay long we stopped off at our favorite Venezuelan restaurant, Aripo's on Marion Street, and enjoyed a very good lunch. The food is hearty, incredibly reasonable and service is always hospitable and warm. This is a mom and pop operation. Best of all, the food is incredibly flavorful, perfectly seasoned and the meat is melt-in-your mouth tender. It is worthy of 4-stars! We found a free spot on Oak Park Ave on both days. We were really lucky! I also like the fact that there tons of restaurants nearby. We returned Sunday, and stayed for 2-hours. It was an overcast, dismal day, but there was a nice breeze which made it nice for staying longer. Afterward, we walked over to Erik's Deli (I wrote a review for Erik's Deli) for sandwiches. There are so many art and craft exhibits in Chicago and the suburbs during the summer months. My two favorites are in Oak Park, IL and Evanston, IL. The price-point for the arts & craft shows varies from moderate ($$) to expensive ($$$$) depending upon what you purchase at the Fine Arts Show. This is a great Fine Arts Show, because it is family friendly and dog friendly. There were so many beautiful pieces of Artisan jewelry, but I didn't purchase any jewelry. We ended up purchasing a beautiful Fall painting with bold colors. The Artist was very friendly and took the time to talk with us about her work. If you cannot find legal parking spot on the street, head over to the Oak Park Public Library (Lake Street just a bit west of Oak Park Ave), and walk over to the Art & Craft exhibit. I am not 100% sure if parking is FREE at the library parking lot on Sunday. However, I do know that if you are at the library parking lot less than two hours it is only $1 -- if you are there for over 3-hours it is 5 bucks-- still a lot cheaper than getting a parking ticket from an Oak Park cop! If you missed this show, you can always check out the Park Ridge Art Show which is also sponsored by the American Society of Artists, September 20, 2014 from 9 to 5 pm.

Wow...impressive resume and contributions to Chicago's public art scene…read more I first learned about Muralist Hector Duarte's work on a Chicago Architecture Tour's "Historic Neighborhoods Tour" when our bus tour visited/toured Pilsen. Our guide, Delta pointed out his studio which has a colossal mural of a man of gigantic proportions attempting to break free from being held down by barbed wire. Impressive in design and important in the Barrio Art Movement in the United States. The Mural is titled: "Gulliver in Wonderland." (If you do not take a bus tour to see it-take the Pink Line Train and it is only a few blocks away by foot and not far from The National Museum of Mexican Art). Mr. Duarte was born in Mexico and studied under the tutelage of David Alfaro Siqueiros one of the famous three muralists commissioned by the Mexican Government commencing in the 1920s to paint murals around Mexico in order to address social issues and educate the public about the legacy of the cultures and history of the country. (The other two muralists were Diego Rivera and Jose Clemente Orozco). According to his profile under "The Chicago Art Group" Mr. Duarte states: "I tend to use bright colors--I attribute this to my Latin American origins, where the presence of the sun influences our view of color--but have a very broad palette. I use recognizable symbols and images that dramatize life to Latinos here in the U.S. These have included corn, images from the Day of the Dead, and the Loteria game as well as the heart, which has both pre- and post-Colombian religious significance and is something all people can identify with. I usually choose themes that deal with the local community in some way or themes that speak to all of us." He is industrious and innovative...with 45 or more murals exhibited along walls in Chicago. He is also involved in organizing and providing opportunities within Chicago in association with Pilsen Fest 2017. Chicago is truly lucky to have him as part of our community and a true asset to the legacy of public art in Chicago. For more information about Mr. Duarte see: http://www.chicagopublicartgroup.org/hector-duarte/ PS. I wish the Chicago Architecture Foundation would provide a tour to visit/tour all of his murals in Chicago via bus????

This was my first Immersive Experience and I really enjoyed it. It was awesome being able to…read moreexperience these paintings across different perspectives. There are 5 rooms for your viewing pleasure. While I saw people sitting and enjoying the show, I think this is really an event to move around and catch different perspectives of the same painting. For example when standing slightly off center in room 3 resulted in viewing a life sized panoramic image shifting across 3 rooms. Some rooms only give a small piece of the puzzle, so it's up to you to walk around and explore. I went in to the 730 showing and I think I've would've had a better time if I planned it for earlier. I think it's worth seeing the show play out twice in different rooms, especially the upstairs. The upstairs had it own panoramic situation as well. I spent majority of my time upstairs to be able to capture all that I can. I would've loved for the ticket taker to explain more of the process. They made it seem that you had to flow from room to room in order, when actually you should be moving freely about to capture the full perspective. For example, the raining scenes/paintings should be experienced in multiple rooms. As the painting is across more than one room. It gives more perspective. The bar was also closed for the 730 show. But it would've been nice to have been able to enjoy the wine/cocktails while taking in these scenes. They did have a cafe that served small snacks, water, soda, coffee, etc. At the end, the gift shop was running a sale and I picked up some great finds leftover from the Van Gogh experience. I would recommend others to go but would opt for a time when you can see the show run through twice. Make sure to stop by the gift shop!

Anticipation is a cruel thing when you're expecting to be seduced by art and worse when your…read moreexpectations are not met. Despite this opening statement - yes, I would still recommend this exhibition. You see, I'm comparing this to Nirvana - which was immersive VanGogh. By itself, this show is worth exploring. Arrangement is everything when you're presenting art previously viewed by everyone before. In this case, the images move too fast to immerse me into their world. I've always felt as a spectator and was never taken by it all. The sound track sounded tinny and unfamiliar. There are moments in the show that do deserve mention such as the Bolero routine and the opening sequence. As I said, this is still good art that's avant-garde in its exposition and a show not to be missed. We went on Monday night and paid $30. Beware of surge pricing.

David Leonardis Gallery is a nice small gem painting gallery. The paintings are impeccable and…read moreevery painting has its own unique, colorful story on a canvas. I love how pleasant and informative David Leonardis is about each painting that aligns the walls in his gallery. I had such a great evening on last night laughing and chatting it up with him. David has such an amazing spirit and personality. David was kind to show me some cool new pieces in his galaxy. I'm really shocked about some of the negative reviews. Always excellent customer service. I even parked my car right in front of the gallery and he wasn't rude to me. But he did ask was that my car? but he didn't throw me any shade or give me an attitude. The paintings are well worth an investment and he even works with you to set up payment installments. Nice Gallery. Wall Full of Fun Colorful Paintings. David is a really cool and chill guy. He even offered and gave me a chill bottle of water.

Wow...you have to visit this gem on N. Paulina Street in Chicago! If you're a collector, or a…read morebrowser (and visiting here will make want to be a collector), spend some time and immerse yourself in a great experience...you won't be disappointed!

A hidden gem!…read more Located in Lincoln Park, this museum offers education, fun kids' activities, a ballroom you can rent for wedding or events, a cafe with good food, interactive exhibits, and tons of Chicago info, of course. + Affordable entrance fee + Complimentary coat check + Educational, thought provoking exhibits + Children's section with interactive exhibits + Cafe with good food + Friendly staff + Museum store with cool Chicago souvenirs + Beautiful architecture + Ballroom to rent for events overlooking Lincoln Park The only negative: - Street parking is hard to find. Approx time you'll spend here: 2 hrs Highly recommended!

To understand who we are we must look at our history. It's…read moreamazing how much creativity, protest and innovation came out of Chicago and continues to come out of Chicago. Start on the second floor and you will see the products, the protest and special exhibits including Al Capone stuff. On the bottom floor are some amazing dioramas from back in the day. Can easily spend three hours here. The person who checked me in and give me a great history lesson of the combination of San Francisco in Chicago.

Primitive is the main store. Look for its separate listing here (it is located at 130 N. Jefferson…read moreSt., Chicago, IL 60661). The phone number is the same for both that and this, their warehouse. The Primitive Warehouse is normally open by appointment only. But in the Spring and Fall (when we went), there are special warehouse sales days and hours that you should take advantage of. It was a thrilling experience to explore this "Salvage 1" of collectible Asian artifacts and crafts -- sometimes called "Orientalia." There was no heavy sales pressure, just helpful and informative assistance to appreciate what you were being amazed at seeing. What you will see are quite a few monumental pieces of sculptural quality decorative items with an almost religious aura about them. There are also plenty (enough variety to choose from) of practical pieces of furniture and functional items for your home or garden. If you are lucky to have a sizable yard, there are very heavy stone pieces that will impart a peaceful air of Buddhist serenity. These are pieces that won't need to be anchored down ("stools" of petrified wood, bird baths and fountains of solid stone.) The majority of items are oversized pieces from various provinces in China or regions of India. These were much too large to be displayed at their main store in the Near West Side. There are countless massive urns and hammered metal pots that could contain a good-sized plant, a small tree, or perhaps, because of their size and design, for hiding the thieves from the story of Ali Baba. Everything is in two huge rooms of this old warehouse (their flyer claims "30,000 square feet" of area). Plan to take about two hours to see, touch, and learn about everything. Luckily it's not all in a jumble, but much like at Salvage 1, items of the same category are grouped together. So it will be easy enough to find just the right storage bureau, sedan chair, large urn, or campaign stool from all there is to choose from. There are also some items that may be too specialized to appeal to anyone other than dedicated collectors: a half dozen wooden Chinese bedroom chambers (sort of like raised futon platforms with canopies), many stone mortars (carved into standing bowls) for grinding grains, 40 or so non-matching pestles (ground and polished into watermelon shapes) to do that grain grinding with, a wide range of sizes of buttons and pins glorifying Chairman Mao Zedong, and kitschy movie posters (circa 1970s) for films from the West, painted in Ghana on stitched together back sides of recycled cloth flour sacks. The rest of this warehouse building is home to about a dozen artists. So if you are planning a day of arts exploration, you could do much of it here. Also down the street (on 35th Street) is the Zhou Brothers Art Center, where more contemporary Asian art can be found (listed on Yelp as "Zhou B Art Center.")

Artistic, talented, defined. What more can I say about Fidel and his gallery?! Bravo!read more

The venue for the invitation only 4th Annual Children's Coat Drive and a Holiday Party with…read moreunmotivated entertainers and participants. Acrylic Paintings didn't motivate party momentum. A cliquish anti-social event disguised as a party. THE IT SPACE -- the back room. SEATING -- plenty but there is no one wall that you can endlessly stare. SPACE -- plenty, but the party attendees behaved like its a dive bar so they congregated at the bar area with NO drinks. FOOD -- embarrassing to take photos. Caterer is missing after 1.5 hours after so-called party started. DESSERT -- too sweet, significantly ordinary from www.asweetsgirl.com. You can easily bake it at home.