november west town first fridays

Explore West Town on the first Friday of every month, when our neighborhood galleries and arts- based businesses stay open until 8PM.

ARC Gallery presents three exhibitions, opening November 7, 2025, 5–8 PM:
• Lee Stanton: Lost Words — A reflection on the fading language of the natural world, reclaiming words and imagery that root us in environmental memory.
• Hannah Fitzgerald: Not Everything We’ve Inherited Is Worthy — Installations examining motherhood, familial expectation, and the emotional dynamics between parents and children.
• Sophia Brueckner: Hearts and Flowers: Hunting for Love — Hybrid garments blending Laura Ashley florals with hunting camouflage to explore gender roles, domesticity, and power.

ARC Gallery

Volume Gallery presents What we knew before knowing, a meditation on memory by OOIEE after RO/LU with Matt Olson. The exhibition treats design as a transitional state, inviting viewers to perceive beyond judgment. Olson’s “open practice” uncovers objects through recognition and recontextualization, creating work that feels flickering, unstable, and alive. Opening November 7, 2025, 5–8 PM.

Volume Gallery

Western Exhibitions presents Lilli Carré: Fallen Anvils + Evacuations, a two-part exhibition opening November 7. Evacuations, an animated film, screens on loop in Gallery 2, while Gallery 1 features ceramic works and selected hand-painted cels. The pieces explore frantic movement, transformation, and displacement across animated and sculptural forms.

Western Exhibitions

DOCUMENT presents Things change quickly, Luísa Jacinto’s first solo exhibition with the gallery, opening November 11, 2025. Jacinto’s work examines image-making, fragmentation, and the tension between clarity and obscuration, using materials that blur boundaries between painting, sculpture, and installation.

DOCUMENT

The West Town Chamber of Commerce is so excited to host Grace Coudal for her first-ever solo show opening in our Member Exhibition Space during West Town First Fridays, on November 7 from 5–8pm! 🎉
Grace will be showing brand new work that will be available for purchase for the very first time. Come ready to browse, mingle, and celebrate one of our incredible independent artist Members! Expect snacks, drinks and tunes.

West Town Chamber of Commerce

Fulton Street Collective presents the FSC Studio Members Show, opening November 7 from 6–10 PM. The exhibition features work across painting, drawing, photography, ceramics, and assemblage by resident studio artists, with artists onsite offering studio tours. Curated by Ryan Miller.

Fulton Street Collective

Filter Photo presents The Tenderness of Tides, a solo exhibition by Alison Chen, curated by María Sprowls-Cervantes. The work reflects on motherhood through the metaphor of tidal movement, exploring unseen forces that shape care across generations.

Suite 207

Filter Photo

CFAS hosts the Closing Reception for Saturation, a group exhibition featuring more than 30 local artists using bold, vibrant color across a variety of media.

Chicago Fine Art Salon (CFAS)

November West Town First Fridays

Descubre West Town el primer viernes de cada mes, cuando nuestras galerías de barrio y negocios relacionados con el arte permanecen abiertos hasta las 8 de la tarde.

Primeros viernes de noviembre en West Town

west town public art

This 23-stop walking tour was created by the West Town Chamber of Commerce to celebrate the colorful, creative spirit of our neighborhood. Many of the murals, facades, and installations you’ll see along the way were made possible by SSA 29, which helps bring public art to life in West Town. From bold murals to hidden gems, from flying elephants to blooming flowers, each stop adds its own spark to the streets we call home. Take your time, snap some photos, and enjoy discovering the art (and the artists!) that make West Town shine.

Outside Semicolon Books, this mural honors the importance of keeping Black bookstores and community spaces safe during a time when they were under attack.

Protect This House, 2014 – Ahmad Lee

This cheerful neighborhood sign greets you as you enter West Town—your official “you’ve arrived!” moment. Take a picture with the sign and throw up a W!

Welcome to West Town

Step into a secret alley-turned-art show where neighbors turned their garages into canvases. You’ll spot birds, robots, and plenty of playful surprises. Pick your favorite and don’t forget to snap a photo with it!

Garage Gallery

Outside of Provare Chicago, you will find a sweet, floral piece that adds a splash of romance and beauty to the neighborhood.

Rose 

Sick Fisher transforms a blank wall into a playful, surreal storefront—his signature style that brings humor and illusion to everyday spaces. This piece was funded by SSA 29, supporting neighborhood public art.

Fry the Coop Facade Mural - Sick Fisher

Part of a 2023 Chicago Bulls campaign that added three murals across the city, Max Sansing’s piece is a slam dunk for West Town. Bold, dynamic, and full of hometown energy. Go Bulls!

Bulls Pride – Max Sansing

On the west wall: Embracing Life by Miguel A. Del Real. On the east wall: Reckless Behavior by Persue. Both murals were completed in 2017 and funded by SSA 29—two different vibes in one stop.

Two Sides of the Story – Miguel A. Del Real & Persue

From 2015–2021, the Goldblatt’s Building (home to the West Town Library) was wrapped in scaffolding. Sick Fisher painted it with giant book spines, turning construction into art. Today, the scaffolding hangs above the library’s front desk—take a peek (quietly!). Originally funded by SSA 29.

Library Scaffolding – Sick Fisher

A big, beautiful orange kitty stretches across this wall in the largest mural in West Town. Completed in 2023 and funded by SSA 29, it’s the purr-fect photo op.

Resting Place – Caesar Perez

This towering mural on 1708 W. Chicago Ave brings Chicago’s official bird to life in dramatic style. Artist Justin Suarez—who volunteered at a birds-of-prey sanctuary in New York—painted each feather with obsessive detail, drawing on his up-close experiences with raptors. 

The project was created in collaboration with the Field Museum’s Chicago Peregrine Program, which monitors and supports the falcon population in the city. 

Fun fact: the peregrine falcon originally nested on cliffs — in an urban twist, it’s now adapted to high-rises, making city skylines its “pseudo-cliffs.”

Peregrine Falcon - Justin Suarez

West Town’s newest mural, completed in 2025 and funded by SSA 29, is bold, colorful, and hard to miss. Step back, circle around, and take it in from all angles.

Color Burst – Mauricio Ramírez

Outside Chicago Truborn, this untitled mural bursts with EELCO’s bold style. Truborn, established in 2011, has been supporting local, emerging, and established artists for over a decade. Funded by SSA 29.

Chicago Truborn - EELCO

Completed in 2017, this large-scale mural features Key Detail and Yu Baba’s signature surreal imagery: a massive dragon alongside a whimsical bunny. A perfect example of their playful yet intricate style.

Taco Veloz Mural - Key Detail & Yu Baba

Commissioned by the Chicago Bears in partnership with Truborn, this mural by Cujo Dah brings football pride to West Town. Part of a 2023 campaign encouraging fans to bring their team spirit to life in unique ways

Bear Down – Cujo Dah

Completed in 2025, this vibrant display of bugs brightens the windows of the West Town Chamber of Commerce. It’s the final stop on your art walk, and fittingly, it’s right here at the Chamber—we love public art and are proud to support it in our neighborhood. Stop in anytime to say hello and see what’s happening in West Town!

Window Display – Amy Gillman

Colorful and dynamic, Radial Fields (2018) by Anthony Lewellen lights up the Barcocina patio view. Look up and to the right to spot Joseph Renda Jr’s delicate Blue Flower from the same year. Both funded by SSA 29.

Radial Fields & Blue Flower – Anthony Lewellen & Joseph Renda Jr

When you’re at the Children’s Place, look up to the left—what has big ears, strong wings, and is ready for lift-off?

Take Off – Bunny!XLV

Painted in 2022, this mural depicts a Ukrainian girl shooting sunflowers from her hands. A fitting symbol: sunflowers are the national flower of Ukraine, representing strength and resilience.

Flower Power – Sean Archer

The School of Rock facade got its makeover in 2017 thanks to Lauren Asta. Funded by SSA 29, it’s a bold and playful nod to creativity.

Rock On – Lauren Asta

Originally started in 2019 and expanded in 2021, this mural bursts with Ouizi’s signature oversized floral patterns. Funded by SSA 29, it brings a lush garden right to the heart of West Town.

West Town in Bloom – Ouizi

Hidden behind Sprout, this 2024 mural by Jeff Zimmerman turns an alley into a gallery. Another gem made possible by SSA 29.

Alley Treasure – Jeff Zimmerman

Completed in 2022, this massive mural was painted to promote a Chicago concert for Belgian electronic duo Ganja White Night. It features superhero-like figures and a forest of alien weed plants—blending music, fantasy, and street art into one wild vision.

Extraterrestrial Groove – Renaud Taelemans (My Name Is Ebo)

On a quiet Ukrainian Village street, a mural of a reclining woman radiates calm and cool energy. The perfect neighborhood vibe check.

Chill Vibes – Artist Unknown

West Town Public Art

Este recorrido a pie de 23 paradas fue creado por la Cámara de Comercio de West Town para celebrar el espíritu colorido y creativo de nuestro barrio. Muchos de los murales, fachadas e instalaciones que verá a lo largo del camino fueron posibles gracias a la SSA 29, que ayuda a revitalizar el arte público en West Town. Desde murales llamativos hasta joyas ocultas, desde elefantes voladores hasta flores florecientes, cada parada le da su toque personal a las calles que consideramos nuestro hogar. Tómese su tiempo, tome algunas fotos y disfrute descubriendo el arte (¡y los artistas!) que hacen brillar a West Town.

Arte público de West Town

september west town first fridays

Charlie Goss: Inner Beauty, Outer Expression
Opening Reception: Friday, September 5, 2025, 5–8pm
Exhibition Dates: September 4–26, 2025

A collection of figurative oil paintings exploring the complexities of the human form while challenging beauty standards. Bold colors and expressive gestures highlight inner strength and invite a personal dialogue with each subject.

Diane Jurado: The Ambiguous Narrative
Opening Reception: Friday, September 5, 2025, 5–8pm
Exhibition Dates: September 4–26, 2025

Jurado’s abstract paintings emerge through discovery, blending personal experience and memory. Shapes evoke movement and interaction, creating implied narratives that are both ambiguous and surprising.

Sara Ditchman: Focus, Flow, Form
Opening Reception & Pottery Sale: Friday, September 5, 2025, 5–8pm
Exhibition Dates: September 4–26, 2025

Fulton Street Collective member Sara Ditchman presents new ceramics, sculpture, and two-dimensional works exploring focus, flow, and form. Rooted in intuitive play and tactile joy, her practice celebrates transformation, curiosity, and the vibrance of everyday life.

The West Town Chamber of Commerce is hosting Honest Twill in the Member Exhibition Space. Honest Twill is a local weaving club and Independent Artist Member of WTCC. 

The Scenic Route — Group Exhibition
Artists: Joseph Renda Jr., Laura Catherwood & Jerome Tiunayan
Opening Reception: Friday, September 5, 2025, 5–8pm
Exhibition Dates: September 5–27, 2025

Vertical Gallery showcases three Chicago painters who are central to its community. This exhibition highlights their creativity, storytelling, and shared growth as artists and collaborators.

Vertical Gallery

Fresh Terrain — Group Exhibition (Closing Reception)
Closing Reception: Friday, September 5, 2025, 5–9pm

The final chance to see CFAS’s Fresh Terrain group art show. Meet the artists and celebrate the closing of this collaborative exhibition.

Chicago Fine Art Salon

September West Town First Fridays

Explore West Town el primer viernes de cada mes, cuando nuestras galerías del barrio y negocios artísticos permanecen abiertos hasta las 8 p. m.

West Town Chamber of Commerce

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