Chicago Like a Local blog

Unique perspectives on the city from the people who live here.

Claude Monet. Stacks of Wheat (End of Summer), 1890:91. The Art Institute of Chicago, Gift of Arthur M. Wood, Sr. in memory of Pauline Palmer Wood.

Museums

Monet and Chicago exhibit now open at the Art Institute

Monet and Chicago at the Art Institute of Chicago Sept. 5, 2020 – Jan. 18, 2021 Buy tickets The Art Institute of Chicago has long…

Published on August 28, 2020 by Hayley Grgurich

Installation view, Duro Olowu: Seeing Chicago, 2020. Photo: Kendall McCaugherty.

Blog, Museums

Inside the MCA’s ground-breaking exhibit — Duro Olowu: Seeing Chicago

Chicago is a city filled with an expansive art and design history. In a new exhibition titled Duro Olowu: Seeing Chicago, the internationally acclaimed fashion…

Published on August 14, 2020 by Rosalind Cummings-Yeates

Museums

10 must-see Chicago museum exhibits this March

The City of Chicago and the State of Illinois have placed restrictions on many events and businesses to prevent the spread of COVID-19. We strongly…

Published on March 1, 2020 by Choose Chicago

Arts, culture & entertainment, Family, Museums, Sponsored

Discover the Art Institute of Chicago

Founded in 1879, the Art Institute of Chicago is one of the world’s great art museums, housing an extraordinary collection of objects from across places,…

Andy Warhol. Ethel Scull 36 Times, 1963. Whitney Museum of American Art, New York; jointly owned by the Whitney Museum of American Art and The Metropolitan Museum of Art; gift of Ethel Redner Scull. © 2019 The Andy Warhol Foundation for the Visual Arts, Inc. / Artists Rights Society (ARS), New York.

Arts, culture & entertainment, Blog, Nightlife

Warhol in Chicago: 7 spots for pop art cocktails, immersive experiences, and more

The blockbuster Andy Warhol exhibit has landed in Chicago, and the whole city is getting in on the celebration of one of the world’s most…

Published on October 28, 2019 by Kelsey O'Connor

Blog

Experience the inaugural Black Fine Art Month in Chicago

The inaugural Black Fine Art Month kicks off in Chicago this October. The month, a global celebration of the Black art aesthetic and tradition, will…

Published on October 7, 2019 by Rosalind Cummings-Yeates

Architecture & history, Arts, culture & entertainment

24 hours in Chicago’s Bronzeville

History lines the streets in Chicago’s landmark Bronzeville neighborhood. Dubbed the city’s “Black Metropolis,” this south side community served as the headquarters for African American…

Published on September 10, 2019 by Rosalind Cummings-Yeates

Festivals & special events, Museums & art

Chicago museums open late for after-hours events

Update: While Chicago museums are reopening, many have changed or canceled upcoming events due to COVID-19. Contact individual museums for details. Chicago’s museums are packed with…

Free & cheap, Museums & art

Free museum days in Chicago

Experience Chicago’s award-winning museums, without spending a dime. Check out our ever-growing list of free museum days in 2020, plus some Chicago museums that are…

Museums & art, Tours & attractions

Explore Chicago’s Museum Campus South

Seven of Chicago’s must-see museums, all in one breathtaking setting. Chicago’s Museum Campus South is one of the city’s most vibrant cultural areas, home to…

Architecture & history, Festivals & special events, Museums & art

5 must-see art & architecture events in Chicago

Chicago has a long legacy of influential art and architecture. And the city celebrates its creative legacy in a big way every year. The calendar…

Itineraries, Museums & art

Chicago arts and culture weekend in the Loop

Take the ultimate Chicago culture trip to discover public art by the likes of Picasso and Chagall, art gallery districts exploding with fine art, incredible…