Art in Chicago: A Traveler's Guide

Chicago is a huge melting pot of many different cultures and entertainment venues. The city itself is a huge canvas for many types of artists from architecture to street murals and many different art museums.

One of the most different and eye catching museums is the Museum of Holography. It is located at 1134 West Washington Boulevard in downtown Chicago. The price for admission is a mere $5.00 per adult and well worth the trip there. This museum showcases captivating holograms from around the world and other three-dimensional images produced by laser lights, with a focus on artistic use. In the last part of the tour is a medical exhibit. It is very interesting to say the least and you must see the Lung Tree.

Of course one of the major stops to see in Chicago is the Art Institute. It is located at 111 South Michigan Avenue and offers many treats for your eyes and hands. The Touch Gallery is located on the lower level and allows you to touch each piece. It truly is a new experience and a new appreciation for art. One of my favorite exhibits is the Court Arts from Nigeria. Take a look into their website for upcoming exhibits http://www.artic.edu/aic/ .

The next must see museum is the Museum of Contemporary Art. It is located at 220 East Chicago Avenue. It houses thought provoking paintings, sculptures and photography. If you wait and go to the museum on a Tuesday, admission is free. There are always some interesting performances or workshops to attend here. I am waiting patiently for the Exhibition of The Italian Art between tradition and revolution to open up. It will be called Italics and will run through the fall. Take a look at their website for information on upcoming events and programs to make your visit more fulfilling http://www.mcachicago.org/ .

The Monique Meloche Gallery which is located at 118 N. Peoria in Chicago runs many different exhibits year round. It houses art that is more on the controversial and cutting edge side of the media. The Boys of Summer is just one of the exhibits that demonstrate just that. It will run through August 2cnd of this year. This group shows a different approach to traditional ideas of masculinity, race, sexuality, and entertainment by threading the needle of cultural assumptions. One of the pieces on the exhibit is one by Zane Lewis and Russell Nachman. It is an iconic treatment of Barack Obama and The Beach Boys, respectively.

FLATFILEgalleries located at 217 N. Carpenter Street in Chicago is one of the largest galleries in Chicago. Inside of the gallery you will see everything from contemporary sculptures to brightly colored paintings at every turn. Even in the flat file drawers there is more art. They have over 1,000 photographs and works on paper in them.

Downtown Chicago is in itself an artist's palate. At any given moment your eyes will meet with the works of a graffiti artist to that of a tagger. Each one different, almost telling you a story. The paintings themselves do not last long, as the city sand blasts or paints them away on a regular basis. So if you are walking downtown, keep your eyes open, they won't regret that you did.

Taking a step away from downtown and into the "burbs" for a look into a different style of art you should visit the Skokie Public Library. It houses many different eclectic art works from around the world. There is even art work located outside the building in the form of a nine foot tall bronze sculpture. The town of Skokie is also something to see. The abandoned store fronts adorn artwork done by upcoming local artists.