1. Living By Example at Northeastern Illinois University Fine Arts Center

Work by Jeroen Nelemans, Ryan Richey, Ryan Travis Christian, Molly Zuckerman-Hartung, Deborah Boardman, Dana Carter, Kirsten Leenaars, Zachary Cahill, Ann Toebbe, Melissa Oresky, Alberto Alguilar, Corinne Halbert, Meg Duguid, Heidi Norton, Paul Nudd, Maria Gaspar, Mindy Rose-Schwartz, Eric Brown, Catie Olsen, and Michael Rea.

Northeastern Illinois University Fine Arts Center is located at 5500 N St. Louis. Reception Friday from 6-9pm.

2. the big stink moves like a moth towards the light at HungryMan Gallery

Work by Ethan Cook, McKeever Donovan, Michael Hunter, Andrew Laumann, Mallory Anita Lawson, Sofia Leiby, John Roebas, Letha Wilson, and Eric Veit.

HungryMan Gallery is located at 2135 N. Rockwell St. Reception Saturday from 7-10pm.

3. The Warmest Guest at Autumn Space Gallery

Work by Magalie Guérin.

Autumn Space Gallery is located at 1700 Irving Park #207. Reception Saturday from 6-9pm.

4. Honk If You Love Painting at Terrain

Work by Anna Kunz.

Terrain is located at 704 Highland Ave., Oak Park. Reception is Sunday from 2-4pm.

5. Accidents in Gravity at ACRE Projects

Work by Michelle Anne Harris.

ACRE Projects is located at 1913 W 17th St. Reception is Sunday from 4-8pm.

1. Transmissions From The Outpost at Thomas Robertello Gallery

Work by Adam Ekberg. In the project space: I Believe in Harvey Dent or Three Months in Valparaiso, work by Jason Robert Bell

Thomas Robertello Gallery is located at 27 N. Morgan St. Reception Friday, 6-8pm

2. Future Perfect at Co-Prosperity Sphere

Work by by Judy Natal.

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

3. Rodney Graham at Donald Young Gallery

New photographs, sculptures, and paintings.

Donald Young Gallery 224 S. Michigan Ave. #266. Reception Friday, 5-7pm.

4. PHONEBOOK 3 at Threewalls

Release Party for PHONEBOOK 3

Threewalls is located at 119 N. Peoria. Party Saturday, 8-11pm.

5. The River Rats at Western Exhibitions

Work by Ryan Travis Christian, with collaborative work in Gallery 2.

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

+1 – The MDW Fair at GeoLofts, opening Friday at 8pm. Open to 11pm. $5, free beer.

Participating curatorial groups and galleries: 2612 Space, 65GRAND, ACRE, Alderman Exhibitions, antenna, ANTIDOTE, Bad at Sports, Chicago Artists, Coalition, BOLT Residency, Chicago Urban Arts, DEFIBRILLATOR, Devening Projects + Editions, Document, Drawn Lots, Green Gallery, Happy Collaborationists, Harold Arts, High Concept Lab, The Hills, Hinge Gallery, Hungryman, Iceberg Projects, Itsa_pony, LVL3, Trevor Martin, Abr Gallery, North Branch Projects, Nudashank, Old Seoul, Packer Schopf Gallery, Peanut Gallery, Pentagon, portage ARTspace, Reference, Reuben Kincaid, Roots & Culture, Sixty Inches From Center, Small Space, Spudnik Press, threewalls, Uncle Freddy’s Treats, Linda Warren, Western Exhibitions, What It Is, and Propeller Fund grantees 2010.

GeoLofts is located at 3636 S. Iron At. The MDW Fair will continue through Saturday and Sunday, noon to 6pm.

1. Pleasures and Pursuits in Georgian England at Northwestern University Block Museum of Art

Work by Thomas Rowlandson.

Northwestern University Block Museum of Art is located at 40 Arts Circle Dr. Exhibition begins Friday.

2. Declaimed at 65Grand

Work by Nicholas Knight.

65Grand is located at 1369 W. Grand Ave. Reception is Friday from 7-10pm.

3. Heads on Poles at Western Exhibitions

Work by Mike Andrews, Ali Bailey, Jason Robert Bell & Marni Kotak, Nick Black, Daniel Bruttig, Andrew Burkholder, Lilli Carré, Joseph Cassan, Mariano Chavez, Ryan Travis Christian, Vincent Como, Bruce Conkle, Jean-Louis Costes, Vincent Dermody, Mike Diana, Edie Fake, Scott Fife, R.E.H. Gordon, John Hankiewicz, Keith Herzik, Carol Jackson, Bob Jones, Chris Kerr, David Leggett, Mike Lopez, Teena McClelland, Dutes Miller, Miller & Shellabarger, Joe Miller, Andy Moore, Max Morris, Rachel Niffenegger, William J. O’Brien, Onsmith, David Paleo, John Parot, Michael Rea, Tyson Reeder, Dan Rhodehamel, Bruno Richard, John Riepenhoff, Kristen Romaniszak, Steve Ruiz, David Sandlin, Mike Schuh, Mindy Rose Schwartz, David Shrigley, Edith Sloat & Sophie Greenstalk, Edra Soto, Ryan Standfest, William Staples, Ben Stone, Bill Thelen, Jeremy Tinder, Sean Townley, Jim Trainor, Anne Van der Linden, Jason Villegas, Sarah Beth Woods, and Aaron Wrinkle.

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

4. He Opened Up Somewhere Along the Eastern Shore at iceberg projects

Work by Jason Hanasik.

iceberg projects is located at 7714 N Sheridan Rd. Reception is Saturday from 6-9pm.

5. Oooopa! at Johalla Projects

Work by Sean Fader.

Johalla Projects is located at 1561 N Milwaukee Ave. Reception is Sunday from 7-11pm.

This week I do have a full Top 5 for you, and this isn’t all there is out there worth seeing this weekend. Golden Gallery is opening a new show, as well as their annex. HungryMan is hosting a solo exhibit curated by Jason Lazaus. NoCoast and Perigrineprogram are both rocking out with new shows over in Pilsen. Revolution Tattoo looks like it’s hosting some fucked-up version of the Muppet show, and the grand ole’ ‘Tute is beginning a fantastic tribute show to Louis Sullivan. And to top it off, you can go see punk-folk at CvsD. And this isn’t even the Top 5 picks yet! It’s squaring up to be a good weekend. No sitting at home drinking beer, get off your ass and go see some art!

1. Putting Your Money Where Your Mouth Is…A LOVE STORY at Western Exhibitions

The second iteration of a joint show featuring the works of Genesis Breyer P-Orridge and Daniel Albrigo. Also opening that night at WesEx: The Power of Selection, part 2, curated by Ryan Travis Christian and featuring the work of Evan Gruzis, Denise Kupferschmidt, Keegan McHargue, and Dana Dart-McLean.

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

2. My Funhouse at Eastern Expansion

Oh ICP, you will never cease to inspire amazing things. My Funhouse, a series from Johanna Wawro and Andy Resekis, is a photo and video installation about the Juggalo Family.

Eastern Expansion is located at 244 W 31st St. Reception is Saturday from 7-11pm.

3. Remembering the Future at The Hills Esthetic Center

And I quote, “A conglomeration of new photographs, drawings, sculpture, moving image and sound by the founding members of ACRE, Chicago’s newest Artist Residency (that takes place in the great state of Wisconsin!).” Including the work of Caitlin Arnold, Olivia Ciummo, Scott Cowan, Kyle Cronan, Melissa Damasauskas, Rachel Ettling, Aron Gent, Henry James Glover, John Paul Glover, Emily Green, Brieanne Hauger, Katy Keefe, Jason Lazarus, Greg Stimac and Nicholas Wylie.

The Hills Esthetic Center is located at 128 N Campbell Ave, G. Reception is Friday from 8-11pm.

4. Passionate Holiness at La Llorona

And I quote, “The images depict influential, yet highly overlooked and occasionally controversial Christian figures who, had they lived in the present, might have been a source of inspiration to gays and lesbians.” Work by Robert Lentz, Lewis Williams, William Hart McNichols, and David Lee Csicsko.

La Llorona is located at 1474 W. Webster Ave. Reception is Friday from 6pm-1am.

5. New Directions in Collage “Contemporary Collage” at the NEIU Fine Arts Center Gallery

And I quote, “Contemporary collage inspired work by Juan Angel Chavez, Lydia Diemer, Stephen Eichhorn, Clark Ellithorpe, Chad Kouri, Alexis Mackenzie, Leslie Mutchler, and Neva Sills.”

NEIU Fine Arts Center Gallery is located at 5500 N St Louis Ave. Reception is Friday from 6-9pm.

Ok, so for those of you who don’t know yet, CAA (College Art Association) has dubbed Chicago worthy for it’s pedagogical adventures, and has settled in our fair city for the weekend. As a member of CAA, I’ll be cruising from lecture to lecture the next few days, trying to suck up as much strange knowledge as I can while the circus is in town. But I’m not the only one excited about the CAA crew. As a result of the conference, just about everyone else in town is trotting out something or other, much of which is AWESOME! As a result, I bring you The Biggest Top 5 You’ve Ever Seen! Rather than picking individual galleries for the Top 5, I’ve corralled a Top 5 of places (in no particular order) you should go this weekend. Hope ya’ll enjoy.

1. Pilsen

The self-proclaimed Chicago Arts District is holding it’s monthly 2nd Fridays round of openings. Here’s the places I’d go if I were you:

Chicago Art Department – 1837 S. Halsted. Cultural Excavation, work by Christopher Piatt, Ben Valentine, Wayne Bertola, Virginia Broersma, Allison Rae Butkus, Seth Gershberg, Jennifer Hines, Jennifer Jackson, Sarah Leitten, Amanda Paulson, Aaron Wooten and others. Reception Friday, from 6-10pm.

ROOMS Gallery – 645 W 18th St. ORACLE:CHANNELING, with Marrakesh & Todd Frugia. Performance Friday, from 8-10pm.

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