A month ago, Chicago Avenue was packed for the 16th annual West Town Art Walk. Forty-plus galleries, shops and restaurants opened their doors, and we wrote about why this neighborhood changed everything for us.
Here's what many neighbors still don't know. That energy doesn't disappear until next October. On the first Friday of every month, West Town's galleries and arts-based businesses stay open until 8pm. The West Town Chamber of Commerce started the program in 2022, at the request of its own member galleries, and it has quietly become one of the best free nights out in the city.
Tomorrow, Friday, November 6, is next. The lineup is strong; almost all of it is on or near Chicago Avenue, and most of it fits in a single walk.
What First Fridays Is
No tickets, no wristbands. Participating spots stay open from at least 6 to 8pm, and several open their new shows that night with receptions. Some are traditional galleries. Others are shops and studios showing art on their walls. The Chamber publishes a map each month so you can plan your own route.
The November Lineup
ARC Gallery, 1463 W. Chicago Ave. Chicago's first woman artist-run gallery and cooperative opens three new solo shows tomorrow. Abigail Engstrand's portraits honor the women she admires, worked in paint, wool and felting. Alejandro Mazon's paintings blend Indian pigment traditions with Latin American Baroque color. Laura Farahzad Mayer works in prints, artist books, and small sculpture about memory and family. All three run through December 4.
Dovetail, 1452 W. Chicago Ave. A one-night trunk show from Chicago designer Chris Williford (CWILI), 5 to 8pm. Meet the designer, try on his fall collection, and take 15% off select vintage.
Western Exhibitions, 1709 W. Chicago Ave. Two openings with a public reception from 5 to 8pm. Married collaborators Miller & Shellabarger show their sixth exhibition here, including paintings for the first time ever. In the second gallery, Paul Nudd fills the room with wildly colored ceramic heads, his first show devoted only to ceramics. Both run through December 19.
Chicago Truborn, 1741 W. Chicago Ave. "The Seer, The Slayer, and The Stray" is the debut solo show from Kolormore, the Chicago artist behind one of West Town's newest murals. If you've walked past the mural, this is your chance to take a piece of it home.
West Town Chamber of Commerce, 1819 W. Chicago Ave. The Chamber's own office doubles as a gallery. This month it's "For Here!" by Elsie How, a Filipino-American artist raised in rural Iowa, with playful paintings that celebrate the late-night diner.
Altar Home, 1858 W. Chicago Ave. Mixed-media work by Georgios Angelakopoulos, layering acrylic, oil, crayon, spray paint and collage in geometric frames.
Fulton Street Collective, 1821 W. Hubbard St. "Collective Brilliance," a group opening of work by the collective's member artists, curated by Jessica Hu.
Sunroom, 2401 W. Ohio St. A rotating selection of risograph prints designed in-house. A little farther west, and worth it if you collect prints.
How we'd do the night
Start west and walk east, so the night ends at dinner.
- 5:00pm, Western Exhibitions. Get there for the start of the reception, before the room fills.
- Chicago Truborn, then the Chamber gallery and Altar Home. All three sit within a block and a half of each other, between Wood and Wolcott.
- Fulton Street Collective, if you want one more stop. It's about half a mile south on Hubbard, so it's the one to drive or skip.
- ARC Gallery and Dovetail. Head back east to the 1400 block. Catch the three new solo shows and the trunk show before 8pm.
- Dinner at Gilda, 1421 W. Chicago Ave. It's steps from ARC and open until 10 on Fridays. It only has 44 seats, so book ahead.
Why we love this block
The 1400 block of Chicago Avenue is personal for us. In the last few months, we've closed on 1427, 1429 and 1436 W. Huron, one block south of where this walk ends. Galleries, a designer shop and one of the city's most talked-about new restaurants, all within a two-minute walk of a quiet residential street. Buyers notice that, and so do we.
An art night doesn't set the price of anyone's home. Comps, condition and timing do, and we'll always walk you through those numbers plainly. But nights like this are a big part of why people choose West Town, and why so many of them stay.
Coming up next month
On Saturday, December 5, the Chamber kicks off It's a Wonderful West Town with a Sip & Shop from noon to 5pm: carolers, treats and deals across the neighborhood, with holiday promotions running through December 24. We'll have our route for that one, too.
Thinking about your next move?
Maybe you've owned your West Town, Wicker Park or Bucktown home for years and you're curious what it's worth now. Maybe you're thinking about coming back to the neighborhood. Either way, start with a gallery walk tomorrow night. And if a question about your home comes up, call us. We'll give you a straight answer.
