Beautiful art in a beautiful gallery. I loved that we were able walk through at our own pace. There…read morewas staff present who were very nice. This was a free exhibit, which felt like such an honor. There was information at the front desk about the art, but it would've been nice for the information to be next to the art in the wall, but still a great experience.

I'll be honest--I dislike this gallery. I have yet to figure out just what Monique's represented…read moreartists have to say that would convince me to take something they created home with me. This is another "contemporary" art gallery that takes itself way too seriously with work that has little true artistic merit. I wonder if any of the artists visited an art museum after their third year in art school? I just don't get it, and I don't want a sociology degree or have to read three pages of rambling, phony diatribe from the artist or the gallery to decipher what's going on. These are actual psycho-babble quotes from a gallery release about an exhibition: "...assembled to create an iconic pattern; a ritualized reordering of passing impressions." "...the benign communal vocabularies of organized religion and public display..." "...stems from their role as intercessors between the ineffable abstraction of heaven and the concrete reality of earth..." Yes, folks; someone gets paid to come up with this crap. Furthermore, I don't give a rat's butt how a 25 year-old interprets heaven, religion or the 'reality of earth." It's all so pretentious and naive, and that's what makes me go crazy when I see it.

Running from May 30, 2009 to June 30, 2009, the Old Town Art School Student/Faculty Exhibition is a…read moretreat -- a diversity of art from the very talented students of the Old Town Art School and a few examples from their instructors. No admission, and easily viewed in less than an hour, it seems that every student had one piece indicative of their style (no artists' statements to be found) on the walls. Most of the art is available for sale and reasonably priced; pieces seemed to range from $100 to $800, with instructor pieces or really large works coming in in the $1000 to $1500 range. There are a variety of styles to enjoy and absolutely no pressure to buy. The instructors included this year are Robert Brasher, Grace Cole, Tom Francesconi, Didiet Nolet, Phil Renaud, and Illinois Artist Laureate Kay Smith. I had the pleasure of attending the opening reception on Sunday (apologies for not yelping it in advance!) and the artists, teachers, and patrons were all accessible, friendly people. They ran the event themselves but the food and drink assortment was nicely balanced -- wine, cheese, crudites, sweets, and non-alcoholic drinks -- and the live harpist set a wonderful tone. I would encourage everyone to go this June if they have the time or are strolling around the neighborhood. Who knows if any of these artists are up and coming stars -- but the art itself is truly enjoyable, and that's the important part.

DELETED BY COMPANY. CUZ THEY KNOW IT'S TRUE…read more This used to be the gold standard for sheet music (I would know--I worked for Carl Fischer back in the day, on Wabash). They were always a bit on the snooty side, but at least they had the goods (such as they were), and a good crowd. Well, today, after years away from Chicago, I walked in to literal radio silence (they used to always have on classical/WFMT) and one girl sitting in the corner so far back I thought she was a disembodied voice. She was pleasant enough at first, but after I asked for 10% off of an anthology with a clearly damaged cover (both ends curled up straight into the air), it went downhill from there. I also had a number of used choral pieces, and when I asked what the price of some of the unmarked ones were, she pointed to the new price and told me, "I didn't understand what she was talking about." I said, "That's the new price," to which she testily told me, "You don't have to buy it." Huh??!! So, at her suggestion, I didn't. Saved me about $50, probably. But it also cost them the same. Not that this girl (who I tried with all my might to engage, with even more radio silence as the result) seemed to care. I was just short of boring her by saying that going through that music made me nostalgic for Fischer. The old days. But that store, like so many things of that nature, are long gone. And judging by their empty store, they soon will be, too. And in this particular case, I say Good Riddance

The practice rooms were good! Very convenient. A great selection of sheet music too! Helpful staff…read moretoo

One of the coolest little museums about things that most people are too afraid to talk about. It's…read morea part of a record store, which I love. The workers were really friendly too!! I forget her name but there was a woman working who was super welcoming. The last time I came here, I wasn't greeted by anyone and then was too afraid to ask about how to get into the museum, so I just left lol. It's located in the back of their record store behind a curtain, and it can feel confusing on how to access it or if it's even accessible to the public. Most people probably won't even know there is a museum/if they are allowed in unless they ask. I think it costs $15 for Chicago residents and $20 for non-residents. They have an amazing collection of stuff so I think it's worth it to support them. If you take the time to read and look at everything, it could take up to an hour, but at least 20 minutes if you just skim through. There's also a free pinball machines in the basement for when you are finished with the museum and need something to refresh your mind, but we had to leave to get to the restaurant we were going to. Unfortunately we also didn't get to listen in on the man giving a more in-depth talking tour, but I enjoyed just doing a self-guided tour and looking at everything on my own. There's so much information written for each thing. I would love to come back and really read everything since I didn't really get to this time!

Everyone is very friendly and knowledgeable on the collections. This was a true treat to find!read more

A beautiful exhibit, it was different, it was sad, it was full of queer joy and romance. It was…read moreeverything every person who identifies with the LGBTQ+ community should see. It was well worth the price of the tickets, it was definitely worth scheduling a slot to go and see all of the pieces. We spent about 2 hours inside looking and taking in all of the work. The docents were knowledgeable and kind, some talked more than others but they were all lovely and polite. You must go see this exhibit if you have time, everyone needs to see queer art!

An amazingly curated and important exhibition- The First Homosexuals: 1869-1939. Our first time at…read morethe gallery. It's beautiful. In a converted apartment complex from the 1920s. Four floors and this exhibit takes up the entire space. Timing of the exhibit goes from 1869 - the first time the word "homosexual" was used in print thru 1939, the start of WWII and includes a nice coverage of Magnus Hirschfeld and his Institute for Sexual Science and includes a recast of his bust (destroyed during the n*zi book burning of his institute) and even his passport.

Hella good prices, hella artsy goods. Better wall art than big box or bougie galleries. Found some…read moreunexpected gifts for hard to shop for anti capitalist friends with ease. Owner was friendly and easy to talk with about different aspects of the scene.

Really fun place to pick out some cool screen prints. Lots of hidden gems, I got an old JC Rivera…read morescreen print last time I went. The owner, Billy is really nice and welcoming.

Such a cute store with so many great finds! Perfect place to find creative gifts for music lovers…read more I purchased a lovely cello Christmas ornament. I've been looking for the perfect one for over a year and I finally found it. High quality craftsmanship. A variety of woodworkings throughout the store, as well as fantastic metal sculptures and keychains. Fun socks and apparel. Books, CDs, notebooks, and so much more! Lots of unique items and reasonable prices. Friendly and helpful service. Lovely experience!

I was here for the Merry, Merry Chicago opening night and disappointed that the store was closed…read moreafter the show. I happened to be not too far away for a different event the next day so I circled back. The selection for gifts for musicians is very unique and most of the items were funny if you understand music to any degree. The pricing is far and comparable to souvenirs from surrounding fine arts. The Merry, Merry, Chicago ornament was very pretty and I almost purchased it, but I am getting to that point in my life where not having the thing from the experience doesn't mean I won't remember it. I did pick up a postcard to hang by my work desk and so did my teenage daughter for her own space. The items offered are DEFINITELY unique--ranging from egg timers that sing when your eggs are boiled to wind chimes that play a specific song when activated to items made out of recycled instrument parts. 10/10 recommend if you have someone that would get surprise and delight out of an item like that. The staff was kind, greeted us upon our arrival, and was patient as we took the time to look at, like, literally everything. (With our eyes, not our hands!) My only suggestion for the future was to have shopping time around the nighttime shows? I don't know if it was open before the show, but the trek from the suburbs didn't allow me the time to find out!

I can't say enough good things about this gallery. The space itself is stunning, and their online…read morestore is incredibly user-friendly. I purchased a piece I never imagined would fit my budget, but the founder, Matthew, was kind, responsive, and went above and beyond to make it possible. Artist Replete offers a diverse collection that suits different price points and speak to a wide variety of tastes and perspectives. Highly recommend! Thank you, Artist Replete!

Some traditions were made to be broken…read more With a mantra like this, you know that the art is going to be unique. Artist Replete showcases so many different mediums. Digital designs. Street art. Literature. Paintings. Sculptures. So interesting to visit their first official flagship store in the Water Tower Place. The art is so interesting. Love the use of toy soldiers and Lego people to create portraits. Artist Replete also gives more back to the artists as they take substantially less than the traditional 50% commission charged by most art gallery owners. Worth a stop. Located on the second floor near the Lego Store.