Chicago Artists Coalition
Founded in 1974, Chicago Artists Coalition is a non-profit organization that supports emerging and mid-career artists through exhibitions, residencies, and resources. Their Fulton Market space contains a shop with t-shirts and accessories that support the coalition.
Chicago Truborn
For more than a decade, Chicago Truborn has specialized in street, urban, and graffiti art while its artists have produced work for Nike and the Chicago Bears. Owner and curator Sara Dulkin believes that art should be accessible and affordable, with most of the prints on the gallery’s website available for less than $1,000. Chicago Truborn is located in West Town.
Comfort Station
The name Comfort Station comes from the building’s architectural design. The Tudor-style structure was built in the 1920s as a public transportation shelter. The Logan Square gallery, which opened in 2011, also has weekly movie screenings and musical performances.
FLXST Contemporary
FLXST Contemporary aims to promote artists of color, immigrants and members of the LGBTQ community who create art that they define as “highly evocative and uncompromising” in its reflection of modern life. The gallery of fine art and photography sits in historic Motor Row on the Near South Side, steps away from McCormick Place.
Firecat Projects
Located inside a fine art framing shop in Bucktown, one of Chicago’s hippest neighborhoods, Firecat Projects takes no commissions from sales in order to allow artists to grow. Instead, merchandise sales and the production of plays supports the gallery.
The Arts Club of Chicago
The Arts Club of Chicago established in 1916 to elevate the role of art in the then-relatively new city. It hosts three or four exhibitions every year in its Streeterville home, and its permanent collection includes pieces by such names as Picasso, Matisse, and Miró. Private tours of the permanent collection are available, while first-floor galleries are free and open Tuesday through Saturday.
The Renaissance Society
Located on the University of Chicago’s campus in Hyde Park, the Renaissance Society commissions new works in multiple disciplines for its gallery. The society was created in 1915 and has been influential in bringing major names in contemporary art to Chicago.
Gallery 400
Celebrating 40 years at the University of Illinois at Chicago, the not-for-profit Gallery 400 presents exhibitions and programs that promote contemporary art, architecture and design. In 2021, Gallery 400 was awarded $100,000 as one of 50 recipients of an Andy Warhol Foundation for the Visual Arts grant.
Vertical Gallery
The artists affiliated with Vertical Gallery are influenced by street art, pop culture, and graphic design. Many are known to appear on higher profiles after their work has been displayed at the Ukrainian Village space. All pieces from its current and past exhibitions are available for sale at the gallery and its online shop.
Woman Made Gallery
For more than 30 years, Pilsen’s Woman Made Gallery has displayed artwork by more than 9,000 women and non-binary artists from around the world. In addition to its exhibitions, the gallery regularly hosts programs, such as poetry readings and panel discussions. These events further the gallery’s goal of using art to see the world from a feminist perspective.
Jackson Junge Gallery
The Jackson Junge Gallery opened in Wicker Park in 2009 as a place for Laura Lee Junge to promote her works. It has since become a center for nearly 50 artists and craftspeople. High-quality reproductions of the art on display are available at various price points. There is also an on-site framing gallery led by co-owner Chris Jackson.
The art scene in Chicago is endless, so consider checking out CP’s Guide to Chicago’s Art Galleries for more details!
