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. Click here to get our Art Picks and latest articles delivered to your inbox monthly.
Our featured image this month is a photo of an installation by Emily Hermant for the 2015 Terrain Biennial in Oak Park, IL on the front façade of the home of Terrain founders Sabina Ott and educator John Paulett. Join the Terrain Biennial 2019 Launch Party on August 29th at Aspect/Ratio. And if you can’t make it for the launch, donate some dollars to the Terrain Exhibitions Founding Fund.
This is a growing list, so check back often for new additions.
August Art Picks
August 1- December 12, 3:30-7:30(Thursdays)
FS Storyfront Youth Ensemble Program
Free Street’s Storyfront in Back of the Yards: 4346 S Ashland Ave
Free
Through September 1
All We Want to See Is Ourselves
FLXST Contemporary: 2251 South Michigan Av
Free
August 1-3, 2019
Design + Diversity Conference
Columbia College Chicago: 600 S Michigan Ave
$300-575
Thurs, Aug 1, 6pm
Eliza Myrie: Garden/Ruinate
Arts Club of Chicago: 201 E Ontario
Free
Thurs, Aug 1, 5-9pm
Justin Suico: Meditative Gardens
Elephant Room Gallery: 704 S Wabash Ave
Free
Thurs, Aug 1, 5:30-7pm
At War: Alternative Games and Critical Play
DePaul Art Museum: 935 W Fullerton Ave
Free
Thurs, Aug 1, 6-8pm
Public Newsroom 112: Alderperson Accountability in the 20th Ward
Build Coffee: 6100 S Blackstone Ave
Free
Thurs, Aug 1, 6-8pm
Giovanna Aguirre-Peresson: Controversial Truth
Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México Chicago: 350 W Erie St
Free
Thurs, Aug 1, 6:45-8pm
a yolk, suspended: Dinner and Roundtable
Annas: 629 W Cermak Rd, Suite 240
Free
Thurs, Aug 1, 7-10pm
Rogers Park Prisoner Letter Writing Coalition ~ Meet-up #2
PO Box Collective: 6900 N Glenwood Ave
Free
Fri, Aug 2, 6-9pm
Reclamation: of time, of agency, of narrative
ACRE Projects: 1345 W 19th St
Free
Fri, Aug 2, 7-8:30pm
Am I Man Enough?: Storytelling and A Facilitated Dialogue
Women & Children First Bookstore: 5233 N Clark St
Free
Fri, Aug 2, 7-10pm
Aay Preston-Myint: Wormhole
Adler & Floyd: 3537 S Western Blvd, #5
Free
Fri, Aug 2, 7-11pm
Dead Futures
Heaven Gallery: 1550 N Milwaukee Ave, 2nd Floor
Free
August 2-September 14
Nicholas Perry: By Themselves
The Alice Wilds: 900 S 5th St, STE 102, Milwaukee, WI
Free
Sat, Aug 3, 9am-5pm
Pottery by Pai Patio Pop-Up
Build Coffee: 6100 S Blackstone Ave
Free
Sat, Aug 3, 10am-8pm
Soulful Chicago Book Fair
King Dr & 61st St
Free
Sat, Aug 3, 12-3pm
Intro to DIY Screen-Printing Workshop
PO Box Collective: 6900 N Glenwood Ave
Free
Sat, Aug 3, 12-7pm
2019 North Lawndale Arts Festival
Douglas Park Field House & Ponds: 1401 S Sacramento Ave
Free
Sat, Aug 3, 2-4pm
Solange Knowles: When I Get Home
Museum of Contemporary Art Chicago: 220 E Chicago Ave
Free
Sat, Aug 3, 3-5pm
Still/Here: Manifesting Joy and Survival with NOITP
Walsh Park: 7059 S South Shore Dr
Free
Sat, Aug 3, 7:30-8:30pm
Autumn Knight: Documents
Krannert Art Museum, University of Illinois: 500 E Peabody Dr
Free
Sat, Aug 3, 8pm-2am
Hydration Party:::The Sick Muse 12
RSVP at this link for the address
Free
Sat, Aug 3, 1-3pm
The Great Poor Farm Experiment
The Poor Farm: E6325 County Highway BB, Manawa, WI
More info…
Sun, Aug 4, 2-6pm
Justin T. Nalley: This Is Not A Ramp
Compound Yellow: 244 Lake St, Oak Park
Free
Sun, Aug 4, 3-5pm
Slow-Res: a Free and Self-Taught MFA Community
Read/Write Library: 914 N California Ave
Free
Sun, Aug 4, 4-6pm
Inga bookshop opening party
Inga: 1740 W 18th St
Free
Mon, Aug 5, 6-9pm
Writer’s Studio Open House/Open Mic
Volumes Bookcafe: 1474 N Milwaukee Ave
Free
Mon, Aug 5, 7-9pm
Alisa Kolot
Experimental Sound Studio: 5925 N Ravenswood Ave
Free
Wed, Aug 7, 6-7pm
Talk: On Style and the Invisible Medium of Scent with Ben Gorham
Museum of Contemporary Art Chicago: 220 E Chicago Ave
$8-15
Wed, Aug 7, 7:30-9pm
Queer Asian American/Asian Diaspora Storytelling
National Cambodian Heritage Museum and Killing Fields Memorial: 2831 W Lawrence Ave
Free
Aug 8- Sept 7 (Thurs-Sat), 2019
FLY HONEY 10
The Den Theatre: 1331 N Milwaukee Ave
$22.50-30
Thurs, Aug 8, 10:30am-12pm
Rise & Shine: Uniting Chicago’s Womxn Filmmakers
Stage 18 Chicago: 2558 W 16th St
Free
Fri, Aug 9, 7-10pm
Disoriented Awareness
featuring Jan Brugger, Matt Mancini, and Alessandra Norman
Baby Blue Gallery: 2201 S Halsted St
Free
Fri, Aug 9, 6pm
In Progress: Lykanthea
Museum of Contemporary Art Chicago: 220 E Chicago Ave
Free
Fri, Aug 9, 6pm
A Voyage in Metaphors: Through Chicago
Positive Space Studios: 3520 W Fullerton Ave
Free
Fri, Aug 9, 6-9pm
Perto de Lá <> Close to There
Comfort Station Logan Square: 2579 N Milwaukee Ave
Free
Fri, Aug 9, 7:30-11:30pm
Lasers & Fast & Shit / Multicult / Tongue Party / William Covert
Co-Prosperity Sphere: 3219 S Morgan St
Free
Fri, Aug 9, 8-10:30pm
EXPLODE! queer dance: Midwest
Links Hall: 3111 N Western Ave
$20
Fri, Aug 9, 1-5pm
SculptureMKE Artist Meet-Up & Photoshoot
Wisconsin Ave, Milwaukee, WI
Free
Sat, Aug 10, 10am-5pm
Summer Made in Chicago Market
Local 130 Plumbers Union Hall: 1340 W Washington St
Free
Sat, Aug 10, 2-4pm
Elliot Bergman: Polygongs
DePaul Art Museum: 935 W Fullerton Ave
Free
Sat, Aug 10, 3-6pm
Molecular Revolutions and Domestic Institutions
The Franklin: 3522 W Franklin Blvd
Free
Sat, Aug 10, 6-10pm
In-Betweenness
LVL3: 1542 N Milwaukee Ave, 3rd Fl
Free
Sat, Aug 10, 1-2:30pm
Perto de Lá <> Close To There: Comfort Society: w/ Edbrass Brasil
Comfort Station Logan Square: 2579 N Milwaukee Ave
Free
Sun, Aug 11, 3-5pm
Justin T. Nalley: EAP! Workshop Series
Compound Yellow: 244 Lake St, Oak Park
Free
Sun, Aug 11, 3-5pm
Rosemary Ollison: Prosperity in a Million Scraps Opening
Lynden Sculpture Garden: 2145 W Brown Deer Rd, River Hills, WI
Free
Sun, August 11, 6-9pm
Black Summer: Gallery Opening
Westside Justice Center: 601 S California Av
Free
Mon, Aug 12, 1-2pm
Curator Tour of The Tokyo Show: Black & Brown Are Beautiful
Hyde Park Art Center: 5020 S Cornell Ave
Free
Mon, Aug 12, 6-7pm
Perto de Lá <> Close To There: Forms & Features with Alex Simões: Visual Poetry
Poetry Foundation: 61 W Superior St
Free
Wed, Aug 14, 7-9pm
Pour One Out: Against All Odds, I Dared To
Volumes Bookcafe: 1474 N Milwaukee Ave
Free
Wed, Aug 14, 7:30-9:30pm
Perto de Lá <> Close To There: Bahian Vibrations
Links Hall: 3111 N Western Ave
Free
Thurs, Aug 17, 5-8pm
Looking at You From a Distance Not Too Far: Work by Marvin Tate
Intuit: The Center for Intuitive and Outsider Art: 756 N Milwaukee
Free
Thurs, Aug 15, 7pm
Platica y Poetry
Pilsen Outpost: 1637 W 18th St
Free
Thurs, Aug 15, 9-11pm
Perto de Lá <> Close To There: Collective Jam (CANCELLED)
Co-Prosperity Sphere: 3219 S Morgan St
Free
Fri, Aug 16, 6-9pm
Domina Domi
Okay Gallery: 2215 S Union Ave
Free
Fri, Aug 16, 7:30pm
Dahlak Brathwaite: Try/Step/Trip
Museum of Contemporary Art Chicago: 220 E Chicago Ave
$8-15
Fri, Aug 16, 8-9pm
Perto de Lá <> Close to There: Inaê Moreira: TEMPO
Dorchester Art + Housing Collaborative: 1456 E 70th St
Free
August 16-18th
Moonlight Retreat
Burlington, WI
More info…
Sat, Aug 17, 12-10pm
Pilsen Fest 2019
18th St and Blue Island Ave
Free
Sat, Aug 17, 12-1pm
Art Speaks
Catherine Edelman Gallery: 1637 West Chicago Av
Free, RSVP
Sat, Aug 17, 2-5pm
ENVISIONING JUSTICE
Sullivan Galleries: 33 S State St
Free
Sun, Aug 18, 11am-6pm
ZINEmercado 2019
Comfort Station Logan Square: 2579 N Milwaukee Ave
Free
Sun, Aug 18, 12-4pm
Hyde Park Handmade Bazaar
The Promontory: 5311 S Lake Park Ave
Free
Tue, Aug 20, 5:30-8pm
Ben LaMar Gay
Museum of Contemporary Art Chicago: 220 E Chicago Ave
Free
Tue, Aug 20, 5:30-8pm
Built by Women: Start-up Stories from Chicago Entrepreneurs
Marz Community Brewing: 3630 S Iron St
Free
Wed, Aug 21, 8am-10pm
International Design Conference 2019
SIX10: 610 S Michigan Ave
Free
Wed, Aug 21, 7:30-9pm
TALK STORIES: An Asian American/Asian Diaspora Storytelling Show
Chinese American Museum of Chicago: 238 W 23rd St
Free
Sat, Aug 21, 5-7pm
MKE Generations
Willie G. & Michael Davidson
UWM Union Art Gallery: 2200 E Kenwood Blvd, Milwaukee, WI
Free
Thurs, Aug 22, 5:30pm
At the Wake: On Blackness & Creating
Hyde Park Art Center: 5020 S Cornell Av
Free
Fri, Aug 23, 5-9pm
The #BreathingRoom Series: 5 Year Anniversary Celebration
The Breathing Room Space: 1434 W 51st St
Free
Fri, Aug 23, 7:30pm; Sat, Aug 24, 2pm
Rennie Harris: Lifted
Museum of Contemporary Art Chicago: 220 E Chicago Ave
$10-30
Sat, Aug 24, 4-10pm
Enchélate Launch Party
Ojo De Fortuna 2024 S Ashland Av
Free
Sat, Aug 24, 6-9pm
Bodies; Residual Tools and Instruments featuring Laura Figa, Sarah H. Reynolds, and Candice Davis
Gluon Gallery: 2964 N Holton St, Milwaukee
Free
Sat, August 24, 6-9pm
Andy Moore: Positive
boundary: 2334 W. 111th Place
Free
Sun, Aug 25, 11am-1pm
Nneka Kai: Material Sounding: The Dimensionality of A Thread
Material: 2025 W Belmont Ave
Free
Sun, Aug 25, 12-5pm
Consider Pink (and Others’ Great Yellows)
Basement: 836 W. Cullerton St
Free
Sun, Aug 25, 1-4pm
Water Music on the Beach
Starting at 6018NORTH: 6018 N Kenmore Av
Free
Sun, Aug 25, 7pm
Art Is Bonfire (Last Sundays)
Promontory Point: 5491 S Shore Dr
Free
Tues, Aug 27, 5:30-6pm
IN SOUND
Hyde Park Art Center: 5020 S Cornell Av
Free
August 29, 7 – 9pm
Terrain Biennial 2019: Launch Party
Aspect/Ratio: 864 N Ashland Av
$25, Get Tickets
Fri, Aug 30, 9:30pm
Angel Bat Dawid’s Mothership9: Lufuki & Divine Providence & PMC
Elastic Arts: 3429 W Diversey, #208
Free
Fri, Aug 30, 7-10:30pm
Psychogeographies
Comfort Station Logan Square: 2579 N Milwaukee Av
Free
Fri, Aug 30, 1-10pm
30th Annual African Festival of the Arts
African Festival of the Arts: 5100 S Cottage Grove Ave
Free
Sat, Aug 31, 7pm-12am and Sun, Sept 1, 10am-4pm
Families Belong Together: Fundraiser + Yard Sale for OCAD & RAICES
8/31 at Reunion Chicago: 2557 W North Av
9/1 at Comfort Station: 2579 N Milwaukee Av
Free
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Featured Image: A photo of an installation by Emily Hermant for the 2015 Terrain Biennial in Oak Park, IL on the front façade of the home of Terrain founders Sabina Ott and educator John Paulett. Join the Terrain Biennial 2019 Launch Party on August 29th at Aspect/Ratio.
