A contemporary art celebration of epic proportions
September is undoubtedly a pivot point of the year, with back to school and the onset of fall shifting everyone’s day-to-day routines. Amidst all the frenzy, there’s also plenty of reason to step back, take a breather, and enjoy what the city has to offer.
For one whole week in September, the entire city will celebrate talent across all art forms. There’s a whole community out there that’s creating groundbreaking things and you shouldn’t miss it. Here’s a quick guide to everything you’ll see in Chicago during Art Week, and why you’ll remember in September that Chicago is truly a city for artists.
EXPO Chicago
September 22-25: This annual event can be considered the climax of Art Week, as exhibitions and installations of contemporary art from 140 different galleries from across the globe will descend upon Navy Pier for a world-renowned gathering. On-site features include special exhibitions, dialogues, and videos. EXPO Chicago will open on Friday and Saturday at 11am and close at 7pm. It will open on Sunday at 11am and close at 6pm. For the complete roster of galleries in attendance, visit the exhibitors section on the website.
Chicago Billboard Display
Photo Credit: Expo Chicago
August 29 – September 25: Beginning at the end of this month, EXPO Chicago will take over the city with “Override: A Billboard Project.” So while you’re on your daily commute, look into the sky above you to see artwork replace traditional billboards and transform the city. The artwork will be displayed in rotation with regular advertisements via digital billboards, and some may be somewhat inconspicuous as they might play off of ads we see every day. The 15 participating artists will all be featured at EXPO Chicago, and the organizers intend to make this a permanent annual installation.
Daily Events
September 19-25: For an entire week, spotlights on artists of various mediums will take place throughout the city. From screenings, gallery openings, and dance performances, to auctions, market fairs, fundraisers, and photography exhibitions, each day will feature uniquely immersive experiences.
Tuesday, September 20
Double Diablerie
John David Mooney Foundation, 114 West Kinzie Street, #1
5:30pm – 8pm
The Arts Club of Chicago at 100 – Exhibition Opening
The Arts Club of Chicago, 201 East Ontario Street
6pm – 8pm
TAP Presents: Museums in America: City to City
The Arts Palette, Address provided upon purchase
7pm – 8:30pm
Wednesday, September 21
Next Level Badass | Miles Davis & Francine Turk Opening Night
Francine Turk, 2110 South Wabash
6pm – 7pm
Screening: Conceptual Paradise
Goethe Institut at Gene Siskel Film Center, Art Institute 111 South Michigan Ave
8pm
IIT Architecture Dean’s Lecture Series featuring Dutch photographer and filmmaker Erwin Olaf
IIT College of Architecture, S. R. Crown Hall, 3360 South State Street
6:30pm
Larry Achiampong: Open Season – Opening Reception
Logan Center Gallery, 915 East 60th Street
6pm – 8pm
Jakob Kolding
Neubauer Collegium for Culture and Society, University of Chicago, 5701 South Woodlawn Ave
6pm – 8pm
“Why Art Matters in Interiors” with internationally renowned designer Michael del Piero
Matthew Rachman Gallery, 1659 West Chicago Avenue
6pm – 8pm
Thursday, September 22
Untitled presents: The Silver Factory
Untitled Supper Club, 111 West Kinzie Street
8pm
Filter Photo | Artist Lecture: Joel-Peter Witkin
Columbia College Chicago, 618 South Michigan Ave
7pm
Art & Design Auction
Wright Auction House, 1440 West Hubbard Street
10am – 4pm
Friday, September 23
After Dark
Art Institute of Chicago, 111 South Michigan Ave
9pm – 12am
#InHonor Alumni-in-Residence Exhibition & Reception
C33 Gallery, 33 East Congress Parkway
6pm – 9pm
Wasalu Jaco Show – Opening Reception
Ed Paschke Art Center, 5415 West Higgins Ave
6pm – 9pm
Skillshot, The Collaborative Art of Pinball Opening Reception
Glass Curtain Gallery, 1104 South Wabash Ave
6pm – 9pm
stARTup Art Fair – Opening Night Celebration
MileNorth Hotel, 166 East Superior Street
7pm – 10pm
#30 Día de los Muertos: Journey of the Soul – Opening Reception
National Museum of Mexican Art, 1852 West 19th Street
6pm – 9pm
Sullivan Galleries at the School of the Art Institute of Chicago
33 South State Street #7
6pm – 9pm
GAME ART VS. ART GAME – Opening Reception
The Arcade, 618 S. Michigan Ave., 2nd Floor
6pm – 9pm
Purchasing Power: Chicago’s Relationship with Conscious Consumerism – Opening Reception
The Hokin Project at Columbia College Chicago, 623 South Wabash Ave., First Floor
6pm – 9pm
Wabash Arts Corridor Mural Tour
Wabash Arts Corridor / Columbia College Chicago, 623 South Wabash (lobby)
6pm
Saturday, September 24
Photo Credit: SAIC
Maria Pinto: 25 Years
City Gallery in the Historic Water Tower, 806 North Michigan Ave
4:30pm – 6:30pm
Xenophilia – Conversation and Closing Cocktails
Fulton Street Collective at Hubbard Street Lofts, 3rd floor, 1821 West Hubbard Street
4pm – 7pm
On Radical Intimacy and Cultural ReProduction: A Conversation with Artist Christa Donner
Gallery 400, 400 South Peoria Street
1pm – 3pm
Screening: Lo Schermo dell’Arte | World Premiere of Luca Trevisani “Sudan” and Screening of Alfredo Jaar “The Ashes of Pasolini”
Gene Siskel Film Center, 164 North State Streetpm
1pm
Roger Brown: Pop Artist. Kathryn Andrews, Lisa Wainwright, and John Yau, moderated by Dan Nadel
Kavi Gupta, 835 West Washington Boulevard
12pm
Becoming
LVL3, 1542 North Milwaukee Ave
6pm – 10pm
Spun
Stuart & Co. Gallery, 2250 West Ohio Street
1pm – 3pm
Sunday, September 25
Filter Photo | Opening Reception
Filter Space, 1821 West Hubbard Street, Ste 207
5:30pm – 8pm
UP! UP!: Uplifting Lives in a Unified Purpose | Premier Launch Party
Museum of Contemporary Art, 220 East Chicago Ave
Dose Market
Morgan MFG, 401 North Morgan Street
10am – 4pm
For more information on EXPO Chicago and Art Week events throughout the city, visit EXPOChicago.com.
