The city grew rapidly from the start. From the Town of Chicago with a population of 200 in 1833, the count swelled to 4,000 in just seven years, at which time the City of Chicago was officially established. Serving as a transportation hub, it quickly built a railroad and opened the Illinois and Michigan Canal. This influx in economy drew settlers from surrounding rural areas, as well as immigrants from overseas.

With a humid continental climate, Chicago sees hot and humid summers, cold winters with snow, and a mild spring and fall. Plenty of arts and culture venues make it an entertaining city regardless of the weather, and the streets offer plenty of public art to be enjoyed on outdoor excursions.

ART GALLERIES AND MUSEUMS

• The Art Institute of Chicago is the second largest art museum in the United States, with a permanent collection of more than 260,000 pieces, including over thirty pieces by Monet, numerous Renoir paintings, and the famous Georges Seurat piece A Sunday Afternoon on the Island of La Grande Jatte, which measures more than 6 by 10 feet. The collection also holds many pieces that explore the history of African American art, including works by the well-known 20th century painter Archibald John Motley, Jr. The museum building is in the Beaux Arts style, and was erected for the 1893 World's Columbian Exhibition. The building now includes a Modern Wing, which added more than 250,000 square feet of space and showcases the museum's 20th century European art.

• Founded in 1976, the Museum of Contemporary Photography, is respected for its approach to exhibitions that includes actively searching for undiscovered talent to display in shows of both emerging and established photographic artists. The museum houses the Midwest Photographers Project, which includes the portfolios of artists who live in the midwestern United States, as well as a permanent collection of more than 10,000 images. Famous artists represented in the collection include Ansel Adams, Dorothea Lange, Aaron Siskind, and Walker Evans.

• Displaying and collecting visual artworks created after World War II, the Museum of Contemporary Art, Chicago has played host to many significant primary shows, including the first solo exhibit of Jeff Koons and the first American exhibit of Frida Kahlo. The museum's permanent collection includes pieces by Warhol, Jasper Johns, Cindy Sherman, and other artists who created in the surrealism, pop art, minimalism, and conceptual genres. Displays extend to works in video, sculpture, installation and more. Established in 1967 as a venue for temporary exhibits, the museum decided to begin collecting permanent works in 1974. Free weekly jazz concerts are hosted during the summer, and a community event featuring entertainment and artists is held on the first Friday of each month.

• Intuit: The Center for Intuitive and Outsider Art is considered a worldwide forerunner in the exhibition of "outsider art", and even publishes its own magazine, The Outsider. The center was developed in 1991 by a group interested in bringing art by untrained artists to the cultural foreground. An initial gathering of 80 people has since expanded to more than 600 members around the world. The movement helped to establish a market for outsider art collection in the city, and has hosted more than 80 exhibits, as well as lectures, film screenings, performances and art fairs.

• Chicago Design Museum
• Elmhurst Art Museum
• Andrew Bae Gallery
• Corbett vs. Dempsey
• David and Alfred Smart Museum of Art
• Alderman Exhibitions
• Chicago Cultural Center
• Rotofugi Gallery
• The Arts Club of Chicago
• Woman Made Gallery
• National Museum of Mexican Art
• Aspect Ratio
• Ukrainian Institute of Modern Art
• Douglas Dawson Gallery

Chicago, Illinois

Chicago at night.

ARTISTIC INSTITUTIONS

• One of the USA's largest art schools, the School of the Art Institute of Chicago is affiliated with the Art Institute of Chicago art museum, and offers undergraduate and graduate degrees in a variety of concentrations. Established in 1866 as the Chicago Academy of Design, the school offers a Visiting Artists program that began only two years after the school opened. The program hosts public events that feature discussions and performances by artists, designers and art historians. Students enrolled in the school can receive Bachelor's degrees in art history, interior architecture, studio arts, or visual and critical studies, as well as Master's degrees in journalism, fashion design, studio art and designed objects.

• Founded in 1923, the American Academy of Art offers four year undergraduate programs in web design, oil painting, watercolor painting, illustration, and more. The school accepts four to five hundred students each year, and boasts famous graduates such as John Tobias, the co-creator of Mortal Kombat, and Joyce Ballantyne, who created the iconic Coppertone sunblock image. The academy requires a large number of studio hours, both to work on class projects and develop their own unique style.

• Tribeca Flashpoint Media Arts Academy is a private college that offers two and four year degrees in digital media and technology. Established in 2007, the school is partnered with Tribeca Enterprises, the corporation responsible for the Tribeca Film Festival, manned in part by Robert De Niro. Located in the Burnham Center, the academy boasts a screening room, recording studio, green screen wall, and sound design labs. Students can study digital art, postproduction, digital marketing, animation, recording arts, game and interactive media, and more.

• With Bachelor of Arts programs in art history, graphic design, fine arts, illustration, and interior architecture, Columbia College Chicago is yet another option for the artistically inclined. Founded in 1890 as the Columbia School of Oratory, and later renamed the Columbia College of Expression, the school takes pride in its progressive social agenda and ability to draw instructors from the best of the city's creative circle. In addition to its array of undergraduate programs, the school also offers graduate degrees in interdisciplinary arts and media, journalism, photography, and creative producing.

• Study fine arts, graphic design, theatre, or music at Oakton Community College.
• DePaul University offers programs in animation, acting, media and design, costume design, and more.
• For an education in studio art, art history, studio craft, or art education, check out Chicago State University.
• University of Chicago offers graduate programs in art history, visual arts, and creative writing.
• With degrees in curatorial studies, media studies, theatre, and graphic design, North Park University is yet another option for the artsy.
• One Strange Bird offers art classes for all ages.
• Learn figure and portrait drawing and linear perspective at Vitruvian Studio.
• At the Chicago Art and Design Center, enroll in an oil painting, mosaic, or watercolor class.

NATIVE ARTISTS

There are plenty of artistic people originally from, or currently living in Chicago, Illinois!

• The realist painter Ivan Albright was best known for his still lifes and self portraits. He attended the Art Institute of Chicago.

• The renowned architect Dankmar Adler was born in Germany but immigrated to Chicago. He designed the Old Chicago Tribune Building, Kingsbury Hall, and many more buildings around the city.

• Ed Paschke was a painter inspired by abstraction and expressionism, who also attended the Art Institute of Chicago.

• The pen and ink drawings of Edward Gorey are recognizable by their slightly disturbing depictions of Victorian and Edwardian life.

• Performance artist Karen Finley is known for the obscenity of her work.

• Actors Mandy Patinkin, Danny Pudi, John C. Reilly, Raquel Welch, and Jennifer Morrison.

ART AND CULTURAL EVENTS

Annual Events

• The 57th Street Art Fair is an event held in June each year since 1948. The founder, Mary Louise Womer, started the fair to encourage interaction between the young artists that lived and worked near her gallery. Though originally anyone could pay a small amount to show their pieces, today the event is juried due to the mass of entrants. The fair, held in Hyde Park, shows only original works, which are on sale to the public over the course of two days.

• A world-renowned art fair, SOFA Chicago runs for four days in November and takes place on Navy Pier. SOFA stands for Sculpture Objects Functional Art+Design and is dedicated to the exhibition and sale of three dimensional art and design pieces. Held each year since 1994, the fair is known for blurring the boundaries between art and functional design. The event brings in more than 30,000 people, and shows work by over 80 dealers. Lectures and special, educational exhibits on design around the world take place as well.

• During Chicago Artists Month, more than 300 events take place over a five-week period, all of which celebrate creativity within the city. Local artists and performers showcase their work, in a wide variety of media, in an effort to find new audiences and engage the community and their fellow artists. Held in October, the lengthy festival includes art walks, markets, studio tours, classes, and discussions.

• Manifest is an event hosted by Columbia College Chicago, which features the work of graduate students and senior undergrads from the college's various departments. Established in 2002, the festival includes musical performance, film screenings, readings, and gallery exhibits. Manifest, the "Urban Arts Festival", is held on a Friday in May, and tens of thousands of guests attend each year.

Other Events and Sights to See

• Catch a baseball game (and maybe even a baseball!) at Wrigley Stadium, home of the Chicago Cubs.
• Visit Granddad, the oldest known fish in the world, at the Shedd Aquarium.
• Check out the tigers at Lincoln Park Zoo.
• The Chicago Humanities Festival is a series of lectures, concerts and films held in November, on a variety of humanities topics.
• See a production at the landmark Chicago Theatre, which hosts dance, comedy, and musical shows.
• Read and be read to at the Printer's Row Lit Fest, running for two days each June.
• Catch a musical performance at The Hideout, which has entertained guests for more than 100 years.
• Browse and buy at the Wells Street Art Festival, held each June.

• Prints on Canvas Your digital files, printed on canvas and Gallery wrapped around wooden frames. Frames, canvas floaters available.
• Fine Art Prints Your personal and professional art immortalized on your choice of high quality art and photographic papers.
• Custom Picture Frames Order the exact frame you need, along with mats, plexiglass and backing, fitting also available.
• Plaque Mounting Permanent, glass-free signs and art for your business and home. Easy to hang and built to last.
• Handmade Oil Paintings Add a special touch to your favourite image by having it hand painted by one of our talented artists.
• Digital Image Effects Our qualified and artistic graphic designer can tweak and twinkle your image with sepia, pop art and more.
• Photo Mosaics Create a dynamic, interesting art piece that lets you showcase multiple images while celebrating your favorite one.
• Photo Collages Display a collection of wedding or baby photos with a custom-designed collage, laid out by our talented designer.
• Resin Coating Cover your canvas or artwork with a clear, high shine coating that will protect your art and create a glass-like effect.
• Classical Art Prints Choose from our wide selection of famous artists. Now a Van Gogh or Monet canvas is more affordable than ever.
• Custom Greeting Cards Ship your favorite images to your favorite people with our 4x6" or 5x7" greeting cards with envelopes.
• Canvas Transfers Want more than a copy of your favourite poster? Transfer it to canvas for a long-lasting, uniquely personal artwork.
• Dry Mounting Mount any printed image to foam board, aluminum sheeting or wood panelling. Resin coating optional.
• Artwork Scanning Our large, flatbed scanner takes a digital image of your print or original for endless reproductions.
• Custom made Stretcher Frames We build your custom blank canvas to any dimensions and depth, primed or unprimed canvas.
• Custom-size Artist Canvases We build your custom blank canvas to any dimensions and depth, primed or unprimed canvas.
• Custom Cut Mounting Boards We will cut your chosen substrate to any size! Foam core, Gatorboard, Plexiglass and ...
• Wood Panels Quality birch plywood panels in your choice of size and depth. Great for tempera paints and resin coatings.

A division of USAOnCanvas.com Chicago Laser Engraving & Cutting Services