• Alogon 1049 N. Paulina, 3rd fl. (entrance on Cortez). “Alogon,” group show, Sat 5/10-Sat 6/7.  opens Sat 5/10, 7-10 PM. Sun 1-4. 713-302-9599
• ARC 832 W. Superior #204. “60 Years: Israeli and Palestinian Artists,” group show; “Peculiar Perspectives,” paintings by Nancy Fritz, through Sat 5/31.  reception Fri 5/9, 6-9 PM; panel discussion with artists from the “60 Years” show on the challenges of making political art, Sat 5/10, 3 PM. Wed-Sat noon-6, Sun noon-4. 312-733-2787
• Art on Armitage 4125 W. Armitage, window installation. Work by Alan Lerner that “explores acts of violence,” through Sat 5/31.  reception Fri 5/9, 6-8 PM. 773-235-8583
• Beacon Street 410 S. Michigan #732. “Beginnings,” work by college students, through Fri 6/6.  reception Fri 5/9, 5-8 PM. Wed-Sat 11-4. 312-212-1323
• Clothes Optional 2918 N. Clark. “Owl-themed” group show, Fri 5/9-Wed 7/9.  opens Fri 5/9, 9 PM-midnight. Mon-Sat 11-8, Sun noon-6. 773-296-6630
• Dubhe Carreno 1841 S. Halsted. “Cultured Cleaning,” ceramic sculpture by Tyler Lotz; “Assimilation and Accommodation,” mixed-media sculpture by Barbara Wakefield, Fri 5/9-Sat 6/7. opens Fri 5/9, 6-9 PM. Fri-Sat 11-5. 312-666-3150
• Elmhurst Artists' Guild 150 Cottage Hill, Elmhurst. Work by members of the guild, through Fri 5/30. reception Fri 5/9, 7-9 PM. Tue, Thu, and Sat 10-4, Wed 1-8, Fri and Sun 1-4. 630-279-1009
• Finestra 410 S. Michigan #516. Charm and Strangeness, installation by Richard Laurent, through Thu 5/29.  reception Fri 5/9, 5-9 PM. Fri-Sat 2-6. 847-977-0526
• 4Art 1932 S. Halsted #100. “Phase VI,” group show, Fri 5/9-Sat 5/31.  opens Fri 5/9, 6-10 PM. Tue-Sat 10-6. 312-850-1816
• Gallery Uno 410 S. Michigan #541. “Self Inflicted,” paintings and drawings by Sunah Yun, through Sat 5/31.  opens Fri 5/9, 4-8 PM. Fri-Sat 2-6. 847-977-0526
• Giftshop Project Space 1039 W. Lake, 2nd fl. Drawings and paper cutouts by Seth Nelson and Hunter Stabler, Fri 5/9-Sat 5/31.  opens Fri 5/9, 6-9 PM. Tue-Sat noon-6. 773-757-4836
• Heartland Cafe 7000 N. Glenwood. “The Children of Darfur,” photos by Ron Haviv, through Mon 5/12.  reception with a talk by Greg Harris, Heather Steans, and Dori Dinsmore on the conflict in Darfur, Fri 5/9, 7-9 PM. Mon-Fri 8 AM-10 PM (Fri till 11), Sat 8 AM-11 PM, Sun 8 AM-10 PM. 773-465-8005
• David Leonardis River North 217 W. Huron #5. Work by Jay Boeldt and Miro Ledajaks, Fri 5/9-Wed 6/4.  opens Fri 5/9, 6-11 PM. Mon-Fri noon-5:30, Sat noon-4. 312-863-9045
• David Leonardis Wicker Park 1346 N. Paulina. Group show, Sat 5/10-Wed 6/11.  opens Sat 5/10, 6 PM-midnight. Tue-Fri noon-6. 773-278-3058
• Logsdon 1909 S. Halsted. “South of Eden,” work by Steve Armstrong, Mike Goodlett, and Diane Kahlo, Fri 5/9-Sat 6/7.  opens Fri 5/9, 6-10 PM. Sat noon-5. 312-666-8966
• Marx-Saunders 230 W. Superior. Work by Bertil Vallien, Fri 5/9-Thu 6/26. opens Fri 5/9, 5-7 PM. Tue-Fri 10-5:30, Sat 11-5. 312-573-1400
• People Projects 2129 N. Milwaukee. Apiary, installation by Keelin Mayer, Fri 5/9-Sun 6/1. opens Fri 5/9, 6-10 PM. Sat-Sun noon-5. 773-474-0979
• Revolution Tattoo 2221 N. Western. “Confessions of a City,” work by Chucho, Sat 5/10-Mon 6/30. opens Sat 5/10, 8 PM-midnight. Mon-Sat noon-9. 773-486-8888
• Riverside Arts Center Freeark Gallery 32 E. Quincy, Riverside. “Me, Myself, & I,” group show of self-portraits, Fri 5/9-Sun 6/8.  opens Fri 5/9, 6-9 PM. Tue-Thu 1-5, Fri-Sat 11-5. 708-442-6400
• Sacred Art 2040 W. Roscoe. Paintings by Julie Sulzen, through Sat 5/31. opens Thu 5/8, 6-9 PM. Mon 1-7, Tue-Fri 11-7, Sat 11-6, Sun 11:30-5. 773-404-8790
• 32nd and Urban 3201 S. Halsted. “Mr. Thor vs. the Tomorrow People,” Sat 5/10-Sun 6/8. opens Sat 5/10, 7-11 PM. Thu-Fri 6-9, Sat noon-5. 312-846-6569
• Chicago Cultural Center Renaissance Court Gallery 77 E. Randolph. “In the Beginning,” paintings by Charlotte Sasser, Fri 5/9-Sun 6/15. opens Fri 5/9, 5-7:30 PM.  Mon-Thu 8-7, Fri 8-6, Sat 9-6, Sun 10-6. 312-744-6630, chicagoculturalcenter.org
• Hyde Park Art Center 5020 S. Cornell. “Selected Shots by Young Artists,” photos by Chicago Public Schools students; “Dirty,” paintings and sculptures by Paul Nudd and Casey Ann Wasniewski; “Faster, Cheaper, Bolder,” work from the Art Center's silk-screen classes, through Sun 7/20. reception for all three exhibits, Sun 5/11, 3-5 PM.  Mon-Thu 10-8, Fri-Sat 10-5, Sun noon-5. 773-324-5520, hydeparkart.org
• Instituto Cervantes 31 W. Ohio. “Don Qui,” Roberto Matta's homage to Don Quixote, Fri 5/9-Fri 6/20. opens Fri 5/9, 6:30-8:30 PM.  Mon-Thu 9-7, Fri 9-5, Sat 9-1. 312-335-1996
• Ukrainian National Museum 2249 W. Superior. Paintings and drawings by Anatole Kolomayets, Fri 5/9-Sun 5/25. opens Fri 5/9, 7-9 PM.  Thu-Sun 11-4. $5. 312-421-8020

antena presents...

"What makes a man start fires?"

• Opening Friday April 25 from 6pm-10pm
• new work by Noelle Mason
• thru May 24

"antena" is a new project space headed by Miguel Cortez of the Polvo Collective. The Polvo space closed in December 2007 after 4 years of non-stop shows and this new space in Chicago's Pilsen neighborhood continues where the previous one left off. The spanish word "antena" means a device that is a transducer designed to transmit or receive electromagnetic waves but in this case it is meant to define it as a cultural space that transmits/broadcasts symbolically art ideas, new media and installation projects on a local and global scale.

For the first show we will showcase the work of Noelle Mason. Noelle received her MFA from the School of the Art Institute of Chicago and has a BA from the University of California-Irvine. Her past exhibits include Alagon (Chicago), Thomas Robertello Gallery (Miami), Track 16 (Santa Monica, CA), la Space (Hong Kong), Polvo (Chicago) and Wendy Cooper Gallery (Chicago).

"'What makes a man start fires?' is an autobiographical investigation of the contemporary American cultural climate as seen through the lens of video games, night vision, and super-mans x-ray vision. "What makes a man start fires?" questions the atomization of society and the futile attempt to shake an addiction to anesthesia, the safety of the picket fence; the nuclear family and perpetual childhood of privilege. The electric fence; the misplaced violence of school shooters, vigilantes and ultimate fighting champions. The virtual fence; xenophobia and the unauthorized desires of the sexually repressed. " -- Noelle Mason

antena [http://www.antenapilsen.com]
1765 S. Laflin, St. Chicago, IL 60608 -- 773-344-1940 info(at)antenapilsen(dot)com

David Weinberg Galery presents...

"Elizabeth Opalenik: Poetic Grace"

• Opening and book signing Friday, April 18th, 5-8PM
• photographs from 1979-2007
• Through May 31

"Elizabeth Opalenik: Poetic Grace" showcases images from Opalenik's mordançage series of nudes and portraits spanning her 25 year career.

In mordançage, the technique for which Elizabeth Opalenik is considered one of the world masters, the silver emulsion is lifted, removed or rearranged in the shadow areas of the silver print, resulting in an image that is one-of-a-kind and can never be reproduced.

David Weinberg Gallery [http://www.davidweinberggallery.com]
300 W Superior Suite 203 Chicago, IL 60610 -- 312-529-5090

www.kittyspit.net By Erik
But it is not a blog. Instead it is a well annotated and informed list of art-specific blogs, and pages on getting exposure for your web-based art (for which see [here]). This is a good starting point.

www.houndstooth.blogspot.com By Jason.
Really good, easy to read, captivating, "Self-reflective Musings about Art in Chicago and Wherever Else I Find It"

www.freshpaint.blogspot.com by Cynthia
Often political, otherwise: "A blog about painting, printmaking, writing, sweaters, and anything else I can think up"

www.artletter.com/html/current.html by Paul Klein
Former owner of Klein Art Work, continues comments on the Chicago art scene, "I've heard ... that my aesthetic and input are missed."

artoridiocy.blogspot.com by The Artist Extraordinaire
Local reviews, food, top ten, dogs, music, local, NYC.

www.foldingchair.org/ by Rowley
Brief art comments, "Posting will be extremely light the next few weeks. I'll be working on papers for the end of the semester."

www.iconoduel.org/main/ by Dan
High end and literate, not untypical: "Reviews of art fairs tend toward the scattershot. By nature too large and unfocused to be amenable to easy summary, fairs invariably lend themselves to unfocused lists that lose the forest for the trees on the one hand or impossibly general blanket assessments leveled against often incommensurable variety on the other."

erikandtheanimals.com/blog/blog.html by Erik Fabian
Chicago-centric comments on performance art .. "performance, installation and interviews, Performance Art plumbing, bridge burning, and commentary."

notifbutwhen.com/2/ by Brian Ulrich
"Featuring as much writing as photography," someone commented. And I should add, as much political insight, commercial practice, and local art comments.

The New Modernist by Edward Lifson
Sound opinions on archtecture, public sculpture. As he says, "All the arts going on around town. Slight emphasis on architecture."

Anyone else in Chicago? Send me a URL.

... Real and Virtual Art Spaces ...