1. Addendum & The Blind Light, the Pyre of Night at Linda Warren Gallery

Addendum features work by Jason Peot and The Blind Light, the Pyre of Night features work by Conrad Freiburg.

Linda Warren Gallery is located at 1052 W. Fulton Mkt. Reception is Friday from 6-9pm.

2. Space Out, Space In at Andrew Rafacz

Curated by Scott Wolniak. Work by Thorne Brandt, Ken Fandell, Young Joon Kwak, Jesse McLean, Shana Moulton, Jon Rafman, Andy Roche, Ben Russell, Jen Stark and Kirsten Stoltmann.

Andrew Rafacz Gallery is located at 835 W Washington Blvd. Reception is Saturday from 4-7pm.

3. People Don’t Like to Read Art at Western Exhibitions

Work by Nicholas Frank, Adriane Herman, John Parot, Mark Wagner, Joe Hardesty, Deb Sokolow, Rebecca Blakley, Elijah Burgher, Simon Evans, Cat Glennon, Meg Hitchcock, Rachel Foster, David Leggett, Andy Moore, and Angie Waller.

Western Exhibitions is located at 119 N. Peoria St., suite 2A. Reception Saturday from 6-9pm.

4. Samuel D. York at Courtney Blades

New works by Samuel D. York.

Courtney Blades is located at 1324 W Grand Ave. Reception is Friday from 7-10pm.

5. Part Wolf at What It Is

Work by Jacob Crose, Chris Holmes, and Vaughnda Johnson.

What It Is is located at 1155 Lyman. Reception Saturday from 3-8pm.  

1. TWEEN at Octagon Gallery

Work by Aaron Orsini, Adam Farcus, Adam Grossi, Alberto Aguilar, Alicja Zelazko, Angeline Evans, Arielle Bielak, Adam Trowbridge, Ben Russell, Big Bad Ron, Brandon Alvendia, Brian Wadford, Burak Birinci, Chris Hammes, E. Aaron Ross, Eric Fleischauer, Emily Keuhn, Hooliganship, Isak Berbic, Jake Myers, Jerimiah Chiu, Jesse Avina, Jon Satrom, Kevin Jennings, Kevin Robinson, Kirsten Leenaars, Kyle Fletcher, Laura Boban, Lara Stall, Mark Sansone, Michelle Harris, Michael Radziewicz, Miguel Cortez, PaperRad, Philip Parcellano, Philip von Zweck, Rob Ray, Silas Reeves, Steven Pate, Tim Pigot, Tom Burtonwood, Theo Darst and more.

Octagon Gallery is located at 1318 N Milwaukee Ave, #300. Reception Saturday, 7-10pm.

2. A Rod Stewart Little Richard Prince Charles Manson Family at LVL3

Work by Carson Fisk-Vittori, Derek Frech,  Justin Kemp, Joe Lacina, Joshua Pavlacky and Daniel Wallace

LVL3 is located at 1452 N Milwaukee Ave, 3. Reception Saturday, 6-10pm.

3. IF OUR WORLD PROTECTS at Monument 2

Work by Lenox-Lenox.

Monument 2 is located at 2007 N Point St. Reception Saturday, 7-10pm.

4. Registry & Milking at Threewalls

Work by Betsy Odom and Montgomery Perry Smith, respectively.

Threewalls is located at 119 N. Peoria St., #2C. Reception Friday, 6-9pm.

5. Marshland & 21st. C. Slideshows at Catherine Edelman Gallery

Work by Fred Stonehouse and Tim Tate, respectively.

Catherine Edelman Gallery is located at 300 W. Superior St. Reception Friday, 5-7pm.

1. Uncle Freddy’s All-Stars at Co-Prosperity Sphere

Work by Em’rynn Artunian, Thomas Hagen, and Billy Pozzo.

Co-Prosperity Sphere is located at 3219 S. Morgan St. Reception is Friday from 6-9pm.

2. Uh-Oh It’s Magic at Threewalls

Work by Ben Russell.

Threewalls is located at 119 N. Peoria St., #2C. Reception is Friday from 6-9pm.

3. Dawoud Bey: Early Portraits at Stephen Daiter Gallery

Early work by Dawoud Bey.

Stephen Daiter Gallery is located at 311 W. Superior St., #408. Reception is Friday from 5-8pm.

4. Black at Peregrineprogram

Work by Candida Alvarez.

Peregrineprogram is located at 500 W. Cermak Rd., #727. Reception is Saturday from 1-4pm.

5. Waiting for Daylight at Iceberg Projects

Work by Dana Carter.

Iceberg Projects is located at 7714 N. Sheridan Rd. Reception is Saturday from 6-9pm.

1. Street Anatomy at International Museum of Surgical Science

The most recent installment of Anatomy in the Gallery. This round is a group exhibition curated by local artist Vanessa Ruiz and features artists from around the country, including CAKE (New York), Heather Tompkins (San Francisco), Robyn Roth (Kentucky), Jason Freeny (New York), David Foox (New Zealand), Emilio Garcia (Spain), Noah Scalin (Virginia), and Stephen J. Shanabrook.

International Museum of Surgical Science is located at 1524 N. Lake Shore Dr. Reception Friday from 5-9pm.

2. From the Wash at Antena

The first of a pair of introspective, desert themed shows opening this weekend. This one, featuring the work of Pilsen resident Mark Nelson, explores the desert of Arizona through video and installation.

Antena is located at 1765 S Laflin St. Reception Friday from 6-10pm.

3. 12 x 12: Ben Russell at the MCA

The second desert work opening this weekend, Ben Russell’s Trypps. The show consists of a series of screenings of Russell’s Trypps series, included the featured image above, Trypps #7 (Badlands) which, “charts, through an intimate long-take, a young woman’s LSD trip in the Badlands National Park before descending into a psychedelic, formal abstraction of the expansive desert landscape.” Opening is during First Fridays, so get yourself comped in, or wait till after the meat market to see the show.

Museum of Contemporary Art is located at 220 E. Chicago Ave. Reception Friday from 6-10pm.

4. Bare Squared and Bedtime Stories at OhNo!Doom Gallery

Something on the cutely morbid side to lighten your weekend.  Not exactly critical work, but fun. Half the show (Bare Squared) features the work of bro-sis duo Max and Zoë Bare. The other half (Bedtime Stories) features monsters by Amanda Louise Spayd.

OhNo!Doom Gallery is located at 1800 N. Milwaukee Ave. Reception Saturday from 6-10pm.

5. Autumn Ramsey at Julius Cæsar

Wrap up your weekend at one of Chicago’s awesome alternative spaces, Julius Cæsar. Another kind of creature feature, the paintings at JC by artist Autumn Ramsey reference art history and mythology.

Julius Cæsar is located at 3144 W Carroll Ave, 2G. Reception Sunday from 4-7pm.

Hello again!

The madness of Artopolis is over my friends, and I’m glad for it, it was a long weekend. But this by no means indicates a lack of awesome art. This weekend is surprisingly busy, and here’s what I think shouldn’t be missed:

1. Immersioni/Immersions at Johalla Projects

A primarily, though not exclusively,  video based exhibition jointly curated by Anna Cerniglia and Susanna Horvatovicova, and featuring the work of Elise Blue, Ben Russell, Rakele Tombini, and Chiara Tommasi.

Johalla Projects is located at 1561 N. Milwaukee Ave., 2nd fl. Opening Reception Friday, from 7-11pm.

2. Alphabetization at Noble & Superior Projects

An exploration of language curated by Ania Szremski, and featuring the work of Brandon Alvendia, Scott Carter, Eric Fleischauer, Brookhart Jonquil and Daniel Lavitt.

Noble & Superior Projects is located at 1418 W. Superior St. Opening Reception Friday, from 6-10pm.

3. The Home Front: What You Can Do! at Pritzker Military Library

WWII motivational propaganda posters. Have you started your war garden?

Pritzker Military Library is located at 610 N. Fairbanks Ct., 2nd fl. Show begins May 7th.

4. Flat 6 at Floor Length and Tux

Experiments in spicy with Jon Bollo, Luca Scala, Jonathan Ozik, Matty Colston, Catie Olson, and EC Brown.

Floor Length and Tux is located at 2332 W. Augusta, #3. Reception Saturday, beginning at 7pm, DJ at 11pm.

5. As you pass by and cast an eye as you are now so once was I at Western Exhibitions

Creepy sculpture and flat work by Rachel Niffenegger. John Parot’s show Hobbies also opens at Western Ex.

Western Exhibitions is located at 119 N Peoria St. 2A. Reception Saturday, from 5-8pm.