Our Art Picks are created in collaboration with The Visualist, Chicago’s leading visual arts calendar, and cross-promoted through Windy City Times, one of the longest locally-published LGBTQ weeklies with a national reach. Throughout 2018 we will also be highlighting exhibitions and events that are part of Art Design Chicago , a year-long celebration of the unique and vital role Chicago plays as America’s crossroads of art and design, creativity and commerce, organized by the Terra Foundation for American Art.

Click here to get our Art Picks and latest articles delivered to your inbox monthly.

This is a growing list, so check back often for new additions.

FEATURED

April 3 – July 22, 2018
Into the City: Art in Chicago 
Smart Museum of Art (5550 S Greenwood Av)
Free

Wed, April 4, 6-7:15pm
We Say No More
Daley Plaza (50 W Washington St)
Free

Fri, April 6, 6-9pm
Lukey Walden: Laundry Day
AMFM Gallery (2151 W 21st St)
Free

Sat, April 7, 7-10pm
Mouth as is a kiln
Obst (1801 S Peoria St)
Free

Up through April 8, 2018
Bill Walker: Urban Griot 
Hyde Park Art Center (5020 S Cornell Av)
Free

Mon, April 9, 7pm
The BreakBeat Poets Vol. 2: Black Girl Magic – Book Release
Poetry Foundation (61 W Superior St)
Free

Thur, April 12, 5pm
In Their Own Form: Opening Reception + Artist Talk with Ayana V. Jackson
Museum of Contemporary Photography (600 S Michigan Av)
Free

Up through April 19
Derrick Woods-Morrow: Keeping Record
Chicago Artists Coalition (217 N Carpenter St)
Free

Up through Aug 19, 2018
Arte Diseño Xicágo: Mexican Inspiration from the World’s Columbian Exposition to the Civil Rights Era 
National Museum of Mexican Art (1852 W 19th St)
Free

April 20–August 18, 2018
Great Ideas of Humanity: Out of the Container 
Chicago Design Museum (108 N State Street, 3rd Fl)
Free

April 28–December 30, 2018
Picture Fiction: Kenneth Josephson and Contemporary Photography 
Museum of Contemporary Art Chicago (220 E Chicago Av)
Free

April Art Picks

Sun, April 1, 2-3pm
There and Back Again: The Fool in Retrograde
The Franklin (3522 W Franklin Blvd)
Free

Sun, April 1, 3pm
Choreo-Chat with Bebe Miller & Molly Shanahan
Links Hall (3111 N Western Ave)
Free

Tues, April 3, 6-7:30pm
Sky Hopinka
Gallery 400 (400 S Peoria St)
Free

Tues, April 3, 6-7:30pm
Anthony Ray Hinton: The Sun Does Shine
The Seminary Co-op Bookstores (5751 S Woodlawn Ave)
Free

Tues, April 3, 6-8pm
Chicago Art Critics Forum: Salon Review
Graham Foundation for Advanced Studies in the Fine Arts (4 W Burton Pl)
Free

Tues, April 3, 6-8pm
In Progress: Nicole Garneau
Museum of Contemporary Art Chicago (220 E Chicago Av)
Free

Wed, April 4, 5:30-7:30pm
Weaving Patterns and Perceptions: Art Workshop led by Victoria Martinez
Center for the Study of Race, Politics, and Culture (5733 S University Ave, Room 103)
Free

Wed, April 4, 7-9pm
Muting as manner: An Interrupted Screening
Sector 2337 + The Green Lantern Press (2337 N Milwaukee Av)
Free

Wed, April 4, 3-8pm
Murmur of Democracy
DePaul University, Courtelyou Commons (2324 N Fremont St)
Free

Wed, April 4, 5:30-7:30pm
Hayoun Kwon: Films and Virtual Realities
Gene Siskel Film Center of the School of the Art Institute of Chicago (164 N State St)
$5-11

Wed, April 4, 6:30-8:30pm
In-Session: Migration as a layer, a food recipe as a layer
Threewalls (2738 W North Ave)
Free

Thurs, April 5, 7-9pm
Raising Bertie
Block Museum (40 Arts Circle Dr)
Free

Thurs, April 5, 6-8pm
The Master and Form
Graham Foundation for Advanced Studies in the Fine Arts (4 W Burton Pl)
Free

Thurs, April 5, 7-9pm
A.L Nielsen + Duriel E. Harris
Sector 2337 + The Green Lantern Press (2337 N Milwaukee Av)
Free

Fri, April 6, 6-9pm
Eli Haymer: Word Stream
Plus Gallery (1800 W. 18th St)
Free

Fri, April 6, 6-10pm
Rhonda Wheatley: At Your Soul’s Discretion
Aurora Public Art, Third Floor Gallery (20 E Downer Place, Aurora, IL)
Free

Fri, April 6, 6-9pm
Short Circuit
ACRE (1345 W 19th St)
Free

Fri, April 6, 7-10pm
Reque Proque
Fernwey Gallery (916 N Damen Av)
Free

Fri, April 6, 6-9pm
Matt Morris: Madame Web
ADDS DONNA (3252 W North Av)
Free

Fri, April 6, 4:30-9pm
Helps it to feel, compels it to make
Weinberg / Newton Gallery (300 W Superior St #203)
Free

Fri, April 6, 6-9pm
Transgressions
University Of Illinois School of Art and Art History (400 S Peoria St)
Free

Sat, April 7, 10am
Sis, U Belong Here: A Gathering for Black Women
Northwestern University – Locy Hall (1850 S Campus Dr, Evanston)
$20-25

Sat, April 7, 10am-1pm
Southside Roots Mural Tour: Art Inspired by William Walker, Hosted by Hyde Park Art Center
Various locations
$20

Sat, April 7, 10am
For Eternity: 40 Years Of Prince
The Silver Room (1506 E 53rd St)
Free

Sun, April 8, 3-7pm
Northwestern MFA Open Studios
Links Hall (3111 N Western Ave)
Free

Sun, April 8, 3-6pm
Dianna Frid and Monika Müller: The Registers
GOLDFINCH (319 N Albany Av)
Free

Sun, April 8, 12-1:30pm
Kunz Extended: Jazz X-tet Performance
Hyde Park Art Center (5020 S. Cornell Av)
Free

Mon, April 9, 6-7pm
Helen Molesworth
Logan Center for the Arts (915 E 60th St)
Free

Mon, April 9, 6-9pm
Black Artists Retreat: Reflections on Convening
BING Art Books (307 E Garfield Blvd)
Free

Tues, April 10, 6:30-8pm
Embodying Diaspora: Orisha
Arts Incubator (301 E Garfield Blvd)
Free

Tues, April 10, 6-7pm
Della Wells and Debra Brehmer in Conversation
Loyola University Museum of Art (820 N Michigan Av)
Free

Wed, April 11, 6-9pm
Organizing Skills Series: Facilitating Popular Education Spaces
Chicago Freedom School (719 S State St, 4th Fl)
Free

Thurs, April 12, 7:30pm
Okwui Okpokwasili: Poor People’s TV Room
Museum of Contemporary Art Chicago (220 E Chicago Ave)
Free

Fri, April 13, 7pm-1am
Ten x Ten
Star Lounge (2521 W Chicago Ave)
Free

Fri, April 13, 5:30pm
Don’t Tell Anyone (No le digas a nadie)
Yollocalli Arts Reach (2801 S Ridgeway Av)
Free

Sat, April 14, 3-6pm
Andrew Yang: Prismisms
Roman Susan (1224 West Loyola Av)
Free

Sat, April 14, 1-3pm
Meg Duguid: Parade for a Nuclear Bomb
boundary (2334 W 111th Pl)
Free

Sat, April 14, 3-7pm
4.14 her.
Firecat Projects (2124 N Damen Ave)
Free

Sun, April 15, 3pm
Celia Calder: Queer Dance Connection: A Workshop Series
Links Hall (3111 N Western Ave)
$5

Wed, April 18, 6-7:30pm
Nari Ward
The Art Institute of Chicago, Rubloff Auditorium (230 S Columbus Dr)
Free

Thurs, April 19, 6-8pm
Joan Jonas
Gene Siskel Film Center of the School of the Art Institute of Chicago (164 N State St)
$5-11

April 20 – May 26
Rhapsody Refracted with Kambui Olujimi
Aspect/Ratio (864 N Ashland Av)
Free

Fri, April 27, 6-9pm
Jonathan Herrera: Entre Rios y Montañas
Spudnik Press Cooperative (1821 W Hubbard St, Suite 302)
Free

Fri, April 27, 6-9pm
Body as Image
Chicago Artists Coalition (217 N Carpenter St)
Free

Sun, April 29, 3-5pm
Alex McKenzie: Carousel
Project 1612 (1612 W Margaret Ave, Peoria)
Free

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Featured Image: A black, white, and grayscale abstract and intentionally pixellated image. Faded silhouette of people standing can be vaguely seen. From Jonathan Herrera: Entre Rios y Montañas, opening at Spudnik Press Cooperative on April 27th.