The Chicago Cultural Center, located at Millennium Park, offers free art shows throughout the year. The Cultural Center doesn't focus on any one medium, but offers paintings, sculptures, photographs and more in its many exhibitions. In 2011 you could view Chicago mayors through the years in honor of the mayoral election in which Mayor Richard Daley relinquished his crown to the first new mayor in Chicago in more than 20 years. Other exhibits include work from Chicago street photographers and works from architects, especially those who helped build the City of Big Shoulders.
The Art Institute of Chicago offers free days to visitors during certain months and on certain days of the year, but the dates change almost yearly. Generally two days a month are set aside for free visits. The museum also offers a discount on its admission for students and for residents of the city of Chicago. Check the website before you go, because free days are subject to change.
The Woman Made Gallery lies in the River North neighborhood of Chicago and caters to female artists. It is a nonprofit organization founded in 1992 that seeks to raise awareness of women's issues and their cultural contributions. The gallery has six exhibition cycles each year, and each program it offers is created with the public in mind. There are juried group exhibitions as well as invitational and solo exhibitions. There are also workshops offered for both beginning and advanced artists.
The Gold Coast Art Fair started in the mid 1950s and is one of the oldest free art festivals in the city of Chicago. The fair, which actually takes place in Grant Park near Chicago's lakefront, features 450 juried artists who are showcasing their original works and sometimes has more than 350,000 visitors. If you're looking to buy art, it will be available through the individual artists.
