Created in collaboration with The Visualist, Chicago’s leading visual arts calendar, Sixty’s Art Picks is a wide selection of Midwest arts events, handpicked for our audience of artists, cultural workers, and curators, prioritizing the spaces and events of historically marginalized peoples. Our list is broad but by no means comprehensive; please look at venue calendars to find more events.
All times are listed in Central Standard Time unless otherwise noted. Click here to get our Art Picks and latest articles delivered to your inbox monthly. You can find Art Picks from previous months here.
Before attending any in-person events, we hope you’ll read this open letter cowritten by a group of disabled queers to the Chicago party community, demanding COVID-safe protocols and mindful gathering to protect the most vulnerable members of our community during the COVID-19 pandemic. The goal of this letter is to reach organizers who plan events and cultivate spaces for queer community building and joy. Please remember to mask; the pandemic is on-going.
Click a button below to jump to a specific week of events.
Sun, December 1, 10am-4pm
Sarah Young Bear-Brown Beading Workshop
Des Moines Art Center: 4700 Grand Ave, Des Moines, IA
Free
Sun, December 1, 6:30-8:30pm
A Day With(out) Art: Red Reminds Me
International Museum of Surgical Science: 1524 N Lake Shore Dr, Chicago
Free
Sun, December 1, 7-8:30pm
The Bi Wives Club: a comedy showcase
Dorothy: 2500 W Chicago Ave, Chicago
$12-17
Sun, December 1, 9pm
Adasiewicz/Acevedo/Daisy Trio
Hungry Brain: 2319 W Belmont Ave, Chicago
$15
Mon, December 2, 11am-2pm
Contributing Member Luncheon and Tour of Sophie Calle: Overshare
Walker Art Center: 725 Vineland Place, Minneapolis, MN
$50 for Walker Members
Mon, December 2, 7-8:30pm
Lesbian Holiday Film Series at Dorothy: Under the Christmas Tree
Dorothy: 2500 W Chicago Ave, Chicago
Free
Tue, December 3, 6-7pm
Ayer, hoy y mañana: Exploring Spanish Language Newspapers in Chicago
Harold Washington Library Center: 400 S State St, Chicago
Free
Tue, December 3, 7-8:30pm
Blues in Stereo: The Early Works of Langston Hughes edited by Danez Smith
Women & Children First: 5233 N Clark St, Chicago
Free
Wed, December 4, 12:15-1:15pm
Art Bites: “Beyond the Object: Women Working in Abstraction”
Cedar Rapids Museum of Art: 410 Third Avenue SE, Cedar Rapids, IA
Free
Wed, December 4, 6-7pm(EST)
Chamber Music in the Atrium: A Musical Interlude for the Holidays
Cleveland Museum of Art: 11150 East Blvd, Cleveland, OH
Free
Wed, December 4, 7-8:30pm
How to Fuck Like a Girl book launch
Women & Children First: 5233 N Clark St, Chicago
Free
Thurs, December 5, 6-7pm
Chicago Punk: Photography, Art, and Design
Newberry Library: 60 W Walton St, Chicago
Free
Thurs, December 5, 6-7pm
Virtual Talks with Video Activists: Susan Mogul with Alexandra Juhasz
Media Burn Archive: Online
Free
Thurs, December 5, 6-7:30pm
Natasha Florentino: Artist Talk
National Public Housing Museum: Online
Free
Thurs, December 5, 6-7:30pm
Art of Recovery Tour
Des Moines Art Center: 4700 Grand Ave, Des Moines, IA
Free
Thurs, December 5, 6-7:30pm(EST)
Public Lecture: Jomo Tariku
Cranbrook Art Museum deSalle Auditorium: 39221 Woodward Ave, Bloomfield Hills, MI
Free
Thurs, December 5, 6:30-8pm(EST)
An Asian American Journey: An interview with Dana Tai Soon Burgess
Cranbrook Kingswood Upper School: 39221 Woodward Ave, Bloomfield Hills, MI
Free
Thurs, December 5, 7pm
Under the Pendant Light
Soft Systems @ Stella’s: 935 N Western Ave, Chicago
Free
Fri, December 6, 5-7pm
Mapping Home by Michael Hawkins-Burgos
MOWA | West Bend: 205 Veterans Ave, West Bend, WI
Free
Fri, December 6, 5-8pm (EST)
KNAS Holiday Art Sale
Kalamazoo Institute of Arts: 314 S Park St, Kalamazoo, MI
Free
Fri, December 6, 5-8pm
Holiday in the Gallery
South Bend Museum of Art:120 S Dr Martin Luther King Jr Blvd, South Bend, IN
Free
Fri, December 6, 5-8pm
Healers and Dreamers
Lubeznik Center for the Arts: 101 West 2nd St, Michigan City, IN
Free
Fri, December 6, 6pm
Ishbel Rodriguez & Robert Rusch: Probable Monuments
free range gallery: 3257 W Lawrence Ave, Chicago
Free
Fri, December 6, 6-9pm
Entre ritos y portales
Co-Prosperity: 3219 S Morgan St, Chicago
Free
Fri, December 6, 6-9pm
Holly Holmes: REVERBERATIONS
Epiphany Center for the Arts: 201 S Ashland Ave, Chicago
Free
Fri, December 6, 7-8:30pm(EST)
Friday Night Live! Connor Chee’s Sandpaintings for Piano
Rivera Court: 5200 Woodward Ave, Detroit, MI
Free with admission
Fri, December 6, 7-8:30pm
Kafkaesque: Experimental Short Films from Germany and the US
Chicago Filmmakers:1326 W Hollywood Ave, Chicago
$10
Fri, December 6, 7-8:30pm
Drag, Jokes & Football Folks: a comedy fundraiser
Dorothy: 2500 W Chicago Ave, Chicago
$15-20
Fri, December 6, 8:30pm
Catalytic Sound Festival
Constellation: 3111 N Western Ave, Chicago
$15-60
Fri, December 6, 8:30pm
Claire’s Lobotomy EP release w/ Lark Lyra Lou, kezia waters, olula negre
Tritriangle: 1550 N Milwaukee Ave, Fl 3, Chicago
$10-15
December 7-21, 2024
School & Studio Sale + Fundraiser
Hyde Park Art Center: 5020 S Cornell Ave, Chicago
Free
Sat, December 7, 9-11am
TAILS AND TRADITIONS: FAMILY FESTIVAL
Watkins Museum of History: 1047 Massachusetts St, Lawrence, KS
Free
Sat, December 7, 9am-5pm
Winter Gathering & Art Festival
Trickster Cultural Center: 190 S Roselle Rd, Schaumburg, IL
Free
Sat, December 7, 10am-4pm
Queerkindlmarkt – Booksale and Artist Market
Gerber/Hart Library and Archives: 6500 N Clark St 2nd Fl, Chicago
Free
Sat, December 7, 1-4pm
Center Day
Hyde Park Art Center: 5020 S Cornell Ave, Chicago
Free
Sat, December 7, 1-4pm
Andi Crist: Office Hours
Tiger Strikes Asteroid Chicago: 2233 S Throop St, 4th Floor, Chicago
Free
Sat, December 7, 2-5pm
Jairo Granados Cardenas: barely there barely here
cam.contemporarie: 2233 S Throop St, Unit 920, Chicago
Free
Sat, December 7, 2-6pm
The Hunt of the Unicorn [unicorn themed art show and free workshop]
Hoofprint: 3143 S Morgan St, Chicago
Free
Sat, December 7, 3pm
Echoes of Soul: The Roots of House and Black Music Culture
Stony Island Arts Bank: 6760 S Stony Island Ave, Chicago
Free
Sat, December 7, 5-8pm
Kamille Kirschling + Josephine Dorsey-Lauck: OPENING IN THE PLANE
Murmuration: 2846 W North Ave, Chicago
Free
Sun, December 8, 1-5pm
Gnarly or Gnice Ceramic Holiday Sale!
Bourbon on Division: 2050 W Division St, Chicago
Free
Sun, December 8, 3pm
New Music Ensemble
Logan Center, Performance Penthouse: 915 E 60th St, Chicago
Free
Sun, December 8, 3-6pm
Jay Wolke: Building Place: Big Boat Little Pond
Riverside Arts Center: 32 E Quincy St, Riverside, IL
Free
Sun, December 8, 6pm
Tree Rat Festival
SPACE.01: 2334 N Milwaukee Ave, Chicago
Free
Tues, December 10, 12-1pm(EST)
ArtBreak: Legendary Artist’s Talk: James Palmore
Kalamazoo Institute of Arts: 314 S Park St, Kalamazoo, MI
Free
Wed, December 11, 6-9:30pm
Art & Dining After Dark
Minneapolis Institute of Art: 2400 Third Avenue South, Minneapolis, M
$375-475
December 12, 2024-March 29, 2025
Making an Impression: Immigrant Printing in Chicago
Newberry Library: 60 W Walton St, Chicago
Free
Thurs, December 12, 6-8pm
ArtHouse Chicago’s Artist Salon Series: How to Rent Commercial/Studio Space
Solflo Life Urban Retreat Center: 1834 W North Ave, 2nd fl, Chicago
Free
Thurs, December 12, 6-8:30pm
VIDEO DATA BANK PRESENTS: ROUNDABOUT FEATURING LIGHT CONE
Gene Siskel Film Center: 164 N State St, Chicago
$14.50
Thurs, December 12, 6-10pm
RADIO SHOW
Patient Info: 902 N Western Ave, Chicago
Free
Thurs, December 12, 6:30-8pm(EST)
Detroit As Resource: Material Identity
Cranbrook Art Museum: 39221 Woodward Ave, Bloomfield Hills, MI
Free
Thurs, December 12, 6:30-9:30pm
MOJO Museum Annual Holiday Blues Soirée
Logan Center, Performance Penthouse: 915 E 60th St, Chicago
$100
Fri, December 13, 7-8:30pm(EST)
Friday Night Live! My Brightest Diamond Chamber Ensemble
Rivera Court: 5200 Woodward Ave, Detroit, MI
Free with admission
Sat, December 14, 1-4pm
Board Gaymes at Gerber/Hart
Gerber/Hart Library and Archives: 6500 N Clark St, 2nd Fl, Chicago
Free
Sat, December 14, 6-9pm
Dyke the Halls at Dorothy
Dorothy: 2500 W Chicago Ave, Chicago
$7-15
Sat, December 14, 6-10pm
Bria Bridges: The Subconshis Mind
SPACE.01: 2334 N Milwaukee Ave, Chicago
Free
Sat, December 14, 7pm
AIRMW: Reduction 10
Museum of Contemporary Art Chicago: 220 E Chicago Ave, Chicago
$20
Sun, December 15, 1:30pm
Artist Samantha Box in Conversation with Luke Williams
Levitt Auditorium: 4700 Grand Ave, Des Moines, IA
Free
Sun, December 15, 2-4pm
STREET SIGNS: MURALS IN CHICAGO
Chicago Art Department: 1932 S Halsted St, #100, Chicago
Free
Sun, December 15, 2-5pm
Indian Classical Concert: Ashwin Rode and Friends
Logan Center, Performance Penthouse: 915 E 60th St, Chicago
$20
Sun, December 15, 7-8:30pm
CHISME: a Holiday Extravaganza!
Dorothy: 2500 W Chicago Ave, Chicago
$12-15
Sun, December 21, 6pm
Peixuan Ouyang: SOUND BLEEDS
Roman Susan: 1224 W Loyola Ave, Chicago
Free
Sun, December 21, 7-11:30pm
Fetish Film Forum, Edward Scissorhands & Batman Returns!
Leather Archives & Museum: 6418 N Greenview Ave, Chicago
$12-15
Sun, December 21, 8pm
34th Annual Winter Solstice Evening Concert 2024
Constellation: 3111 N Western Ave, Chicago
$30
6 October – 8 December 2024
CLOSING – Austin McCann: Turn Over
Letters to Nora: 1500 S. Western Ave. Ste. 407, Chicago
Free
November 10 – December 21, 2024
CLOSING: Gwendolyn Zabicki
Goldfinch Gallery: 319 N. Albany Avenue, Chicago
Free
November 10 – December 21, 2024
CLOSING: Yifan Li
Goldfinch Gallery: 319 N. Albany Avenue, Chicago
Free
Exhibtion extended to Dec 22, 2023 (Viewing by appointment only)
CLOSING: Athi-Patra Ruga: …looking for The One.
Iceberg Projects: 7714 North Sheridan Road, Chicago
Free
About the illustrator: Kalief Dinkins is a 26 year-old Visual Artist based in Chicago and inspiring Creatives everywhere.
