DO patronize this place. I've been coming here for a bit over a year and have had a wonderful time…read moredoing so. I've learned how to make figures, mugs, bowls, vases, and how to glaze them in so many different ways. The owner Meg will be sure to show you physical examples and lend you books if you have an idea of a piece you want to do or a color you want to try, and she'll talk you through the steps but still say it's your piece to do what you want with! They also have a wonderful scholarship program that I've been able to utilize from time to time and if you buy a mug from their wall it goes towards that fund. I am so grateful to have found this community and to be able to learn in this kind and open space.

After reading a recent review by Rianna D., I had to check out the windows. I must say I was QUITE…read moredisappointed by the terrible inaccuracies of Rianna's review. I did not see any violence and there was not a single ERECT PENIS to be found. What I did see was a most varied collection of distinct and unique art that clearly represented the artists that work from their most welcoming space! I have worked out of several studios, and have to say Lincoln Square Pottery & Learning Center has been the most welcoming, supportive and generous art space I have been a part. If you are looking for interesting gifts and unique ceramics, come on by. If you are looking boring, uninspired, slap it in a frame and call it art art, just keep walking. If you a re looking for ART, something that might challenge you, or perhaps a mug to give as a gift, there is both and everything in between. And a little advice for Rianna, look up St. Sebastian, that was the inspiration for one of the "pornographic" pieces you referred. And before referencing something you clearly know nothing about, BDSM, do some research on that topic as well. And by the way, YOU DID contact the Alderman to report the "debaucherous" display, and they did not have a problem with it AT ALL! You might want to check out that little thing called the First Amendment, it covers Freedom of Expression of which artistic expression is covered.

Are you looking for something to give your house or apartment a unique touch? Are you looking for…read morean unexpected housewarming, birthday, anniversary, or wedding gift? Why not consider buying a piece of art? And I am not talking about going to Target or Walmart and buying one of those generic, made a million of 'em, mass-produced posters or "printed" paintings. I am talking about going to Project Onward, on the fourth floor at the Bridgeport Art Center, and selecting from thousands of one-of-a-kind paintings, ceramic sculptures, and drawings. Project Onward is an amazing studio and gallery where they give artists with mental and developmental disabilities a "visual voice" to tell their stories and change the perceptions of the world. Their non-profit studio is inclusive, and they embrace artists with a wide range of life experiences. Some are self-taught artists who have Autism, while some are formally trained artists who have bipolar disorder. There are other artists with challenges that are equally complex. However, all of them willingly explore the innermost recesses of their minds to create powerful works of art. Most of the Project Onward artists live on low incomes and cannot afford to pay for studio space, or purchase supplies. So there is no cost for them to be a part of Project Onward. Many of their artists have received accolades for artistic excellence. Artwork created in their Chicago studio has been widely exhibited, and can be found in private, and corporate collections throughout the world. Project Onward's studio and gallery is a beehive of creative activity. The artists are friendly and delighted to see visitors interested in their creations. Volunteer guides are at hand to show you the artwork available for purchase, or you can just flip through the art bins at your leisure. There is so much incredible artwork to choose from--and most of it is affordably-priced. My husband and I recently spent a fun and engaging afternoon there, chatting with the artists and volunteers--and we found the perfect housewarming gift of art for a friend. When you purchase a piece of art from Project Onward, you're helping support a good cause, and you get something unique and beautiful to have or to give. I highly recommend supporting Project Onward, and treating yourself or a loved one to the gift of art!!

I ended up at the Cultural Center today and stumbled upon the Project Onward studio + gallery on my…read moreway out. WOW, what an amazing place! The artwork is unique to each artist - many focus on a certain theme or style. I was admiring an awesome Jimi Hendrix piece on the wall (sadly, far out of my price range) when the artist greeted me and told me more about his work and how he got started. His focus is memorial portraits, which he began 7 years ago after experiencing a loss of a family member who was close to him. I felt touched that he shared his story and passion with me. There is definitely something in everyone's price range - many $10, $20, and $35 pieces (many on corrugated cardboard - interesting!). Others were in the hundreds, like the Hendrix piece I was admiring. I ended up going back and picking up a $20 Chicago-themed piece for my new apartment. 70% of sales go back to the artist. As another reviewer said, you also see some artists at work. Their stations are seemingly as unique as the artwork. The artist who uses glitter...wow! Loved that station! I spoke with one of the managers on my return trip today, and he said they have around 40 artists. I'm looking forward to telling some of my students about Project Onward as well. Overall a very positive place focused on community and art appreciation.

If you want an incredibly memorable and unique group event, then this is the place for you! I set…read moreup a small birthday party for my wife, and Leah, our instructor, made it an amazing experience. Leah explained instructions very thoroughly, which was helpful as none of us had experience going in. The team also set up a table for us to put food and drink for our party. The actual activity was incredibly fun - and we did not feel rushed at all (we had enough time to chat and eat food). You should really consider this place for your next group event. We all had a lot of fun.

This school is amazing and so much fun. Signing up for classes gives you amazing access to teachers…read morethat really have so much experience and knowledge and all of them have been great. I recently took the lasted shoe making class with Ray Serna and he is truly an expert in shoe design and production and I would recommend it to everyone! Look at the shoes I made!

Spudnik is a co-op that allows creatives and such to use their equipment in the studio for their…read moreown personal pursuits. They have letterpress, screen printing equipment, lithography, and more at your disposal. A membership with Spudnik gains you access to all of this and there are different levels based on what you want to use the studio for (basic and volunteer for more casual artists and keyholder for those who, say, make a living off of their art). If you're new to all of this they also lead classes and workshops for outside groups as well, including classes on screen printing, zine making, lithography, risography, letterpress, photoshop and more. I had a great time here designing and screen printing t-shirts with my colleagues last week. Tara and the other Spudnik folks were so fantastic, walking us through the process of creating the image (we did a collaborative drawing but you can also use their computers to create something digitally) then taking us through the steps of screen printing. I had done some INCREDIBLY DIY screen printing years ago so it was great to see how it's done in a proper setting with a dark room and all that good stuff. She told us all about the different screen gauges, the emulsion process, and more. So fun and educational! A super cool space that I wish I had known about when I lived in Chicago. I would have definitely joined and exercised my creativity, no doubt.

Loved my experience at Spudnik! We rented out the place for a team bonding screen printing…read moreexperience and had a blast! As others have mentioned, this is a space for creatives to play. While there are studios for individual artists that are in-house, there are letterpress and screen printing machines as well as workshops that are offered to the general public. Our group made a screenprinting design, where we collaborated on a drawing between the 12 of us and the wonderful staff helped us make T-Shirts with the original screenprint that we created! It was a fun, involved process and the staff at Spudnik made it easy, seamless and stress-free. If you're looking for a fun experience or just looking to get more connected to the creative community in Chicago, check out Spudnik!

This was our second time attending an art show opening at the Bridgeport Art Center. Other than…read moretwo popular event venues, namely the Skyline Loft on the 5th floor and the Sculpture Garden on the first floor, the huge building also provides art studios and office spaces, and two spacious art galleries on the 3rd and 4th floors. Both times we attended the art openings on the 4th floor by taking a manned-freight elevator from the 1st floor. The first time we went two years ago, there was a public ticketed event going on. So, there were long lines just getting into the building. This time we arrived at 8:00 pm for a 7:00 - 10:00 pm opening, they had the entrance on the side of the building, and there were no lines. We attended "The Landscape is Changing" art exhibition that runs from July 18 to September 5, 2025 on the 4th Floor Gallery. It featured multimedia artworks from 101 contributing artist. There were paintings, photos, 3-D art, and sculptures that depicted natural and man-made structures of our surroundings, inspired and influenced by the landscape. The galleries were spacious and well-lit, and the exhibitions well-planned and professionally done. Since refreshments and beverages were on the 3rd floor, we decided to go down one floor by taking the stairs instead of the freight elevator. However, be prepared to go through quiet hallways of storage spaces that felt like a maze and adventure. It was nice that all the spaces were clean and well-maintained. However, I hope Bridgeport Art Center would look into improving the air conditioning in the art gallery spaces. Two years ago, it was hot and miserable during a hot summer night. This year, we were lucky that we had an exceptionally cool summer evening, that the outside temperature was only in the 70s. But the inside of the galleries was not too hot, but still on the warm side. I saw a couple of ladies fanning themselves with paper or something in their hands, while complaining about being too warm. However, other parts of the building could be nice and cool, that included their office. When we were leaving, the freight elevator door opened on the 5th floor, where a wedding reception was going on, we could feel a nice blast of cold air getting into the elevator. I highly recommend "The Landscape is Changing" art exhibition with free admission and runs until September 5, 2025, but please check the weather forecast and pick a cool day so that your experience will be more enjoyable.

Was at the venue as a guest for a wedding in the Sculpture garden…read more Was an elegant well run event. Building is gorgeous and all was done efficiently and without issue. Plenty of parking was a nice bonus. Dinner service was done effortlessly. No complaints as a guest.

The Pottery Studio is an absolutely gorgeous studio space. The natural light, high ceilings, and…read moreopen space make the perfect workspace where creativity flows. They play relaxing classical music. The space is well kept and always clean. The prices may be on the pricer side for a hobbyist, but as a serious artist I find the membership price to be incredibly affordable for such a beautiful studio. The staff here is absolutely amazing. I'm a member so I can't speak to the class experience but I've watched from afar and they seem great. They also have a couple free parking spaces!

In terms of a welcoming, beautiful, open space to work on some personal projects, this place…read moredefinitely hits the mark. If you're a complete beginner looking for some structure to learn the pottery basics, I can't say this is the place I'd go to. Originally had booked a one-time evening class and on the day of the event we all arrived only for the teachers to not know there was a class and had nothing planned. The people working there were super accommodating and I was offered a private make up class at a discounted rate. While I really liked our teacher, the makeup class was very unstructured and I would have appreciated something a bit more organized so I could learn basics instead of what felt like floundering around with play-doh. When I came to pick up the pieces, I noticed there were a few missing and some things we wanted glazed were not so they cannot be food safe now. All that said, my handicraft pot turned out well and I use it as a vase. Id only recommend coming here if you already know the basics and want a clean open studio to work in.

Clean facility. Very professional, friendly knowledgeable staff. Throughly explained step by step…read moreinstructions on how to create my masterpiece. I had an amazing girls night out sipping wine, chatting, and being creative. Class went so well I am considering taking the 6 week course. Shout out to Jack and Carmen for being amazing hosts!

Took a one-time class. Natalie and the assistant (I'm so sorry I forgot their name) were amazing…read more Super helpful and patient with my beginner fumbling. Despite being slow and bad at it, I was able to get a few decent pieces due to their help ! Would come back again for sure.

What a good place for an art gallery and event space! Artists can have their voices heard (or seen)…read moreand create while showing their wares. WE came in as part of Bronzeville Summer Nights, with a punch card, but the arresting images would have drawn us in anyway. We met the artist, chatted a bit, and my party bought a small postcard for framing. The artist's name was Jenny Sammons. I hope they decide to have openings and shows. I'm 'old school' so I was expecting a paper card with upcoming events, but I'll just follow then on social media. It is not immediately a large space, but the walls have lots of room for artwork. I did not purchase any so I cannot speak to prices, and there was of course music playing, so it's a fun atmosphere. I just missed an opening, and I may do a 2nd review if I can get to the current show or another opening. (Given where they are, I assume the artist are from or near Bronzeville and identify as people of color, but it's a good idea to ask within if you are an artist wanting to have a show).

Wandered in here and was delightfully surprised by the staff and the culture/space they are…read morecultivating. A must visit!!