Manifest Exhibitions
Run by SAIC graduates Josh Reames and Amber Thomas, this quaint and cold underground space in Logan Square has been the talk of the town. So what’s so special about it? Respected artists like Richard Hull, Eric Lebofsky, Jeff Parrott and Tyson Reeder have graced its walls—but it’s the affordable prices that have everyone excited.
Manifest Exhibitions
2950 North Allen
manifestexhibitions.
Best of Chicago 2011
Printworks
Since 1980, Printworks has been exhibiting mostly works on paper by Chicago artists in an intimate setting. Many of the Printworks artists have been showing in Chicago for decades. This level of sustained commitment and support is rare and indispensable.
Printworks
311 West Superior #105
(312)664-9407
printworkschicago.com
Best of Chicago 2011
The Field Museum
The Field Museum has relics from the catacombs of Egypt, one of the largest dinosaur re-creations ever and, apparently, the best bathrooms in the country. This according to Cintas Corp. who honored the museum with the accolade in this year’s tenth annual “America’s Best Restroom Contest,” as voted on by online readers. The eco-friendly, first-floor facilities were chosen for their art-filled break rooms, automated water faucets and hourly cleanings. We can only imagine the celebratory souvenirs coming to the Field’s gift shop.
The Field Museum
1400 South Lake Shore
(312)922-9410
fieldmuseum.org
Best of Chicago 2011
Peanut Gallery
Don’t be fooled by the funky name. Peanut is not a comedy club but an artist’s collective; think of them as a punk band formed by artist and writer Kelly Reaves and artists Charlie Megna and Brandon Howe. The type of art they promote is gutsy, crafty and hardcore—didactic conceptualism has no place here. One of our favorites in their roster is Jack Edinger, who makes dramatic photographs of amateur wrestlers in their natural habitats.
Peanut Gallery
1000 North California
(312)291-1739
peanutgallerychicago.com
Best of Chicago 2011
Next’s drink pairings
We’re taught drinking wine with a meal enhances the flavor of the dish, but Next recognizes spices like cardamom and fennel combined in non-liquor drinks also emphasizes a meal. While dining at Next, you can opt for elaborate wine pairings or these cheaper non-alcoholic pairings, which are pretty tasty and inventive. The refreshing drinks are made from ingredients like ginger, elderflower, saffron, pomegranate, verjus and sanbitter that complement Next’s (so far) rich French, Thai and American samplings.
Next
953 West Fulton Market
(312)226-0858
nextrestaurant.com
Best of Chicago 2011
Kay Rosen’s “Go Do Good”
If you thought Tony Tasset’s giant fiberglass eyeball was nothing more than an expensive roadside attraction in a time of austerity, then you must have been unpleasantly stoked by the unveiling of the Chicago Loop Alliance’s new public art extravaganza “GO DO GOOD,” Kay Rosen’s six-story mural above the Old Navy on State and Washington. The idea was to motivate people to carry out thousands of good deeds but the text was too designy, and people had trouble making out the words. To make things even worse, “GO DO GOOD” had the appearance of a state-sponsored marketing campaign—and people just don’t like to be preached at while shopping.
Best of Chicago 2011
The Boiler Room
This industrial-themed Logan Square pizza restaurant is a steampunk’s dream watering hole. The bar’s large television screens are housed inside what appears to be parts from locomotive engines. There’s brass, wood and whiskey (on tap). Their aesthetic isn’t replicated anywhere in the city—and that goes double for their bathrooms, even if they were built to look like CTA train cars.
The Boiler Room
2210 North California
(773)276-5625
boilerroomlogansquare.com
Best of Chicago 2011
It’s a tie! Mindy Rose Schwartz and Heidi Norton
We should be so lucky. On one hand we had Mindy Rose Schwartz’ odd pottery, large vintage credenzas and ceramic water fountains occupying the whole of Threewalls, and on the other Heidi Norton’s impressive fossilized plants, encrusted in heavy glass plates, proved that it was time for Ebersmoore to aim higher and move into a bigger space where they can show off their stable. Between these two artists there’s so much sculptural dexterity to melt the surface of the earth. It’s time to include them in the next Whitney Biennial by any means possible.
Threewalls (Mindy Rose Schwartz)
119 North Peoria #2c
(312)432-3972
three-walls.org
Ebersmoore Gallery (Heidi Norton)
350 North Ogden, Suite 100
(312)772-3021
ebersmoore.com
Best of Chicago 2011
Subterranean Isle by Jay Heikes at Shane Campbell Gallery
According to the press release, Heikes’ new paintings are meant to be “sculptural representations of Paleolithic cave paintings,” which is a principle hard to grasp for those of us who have never been to Lascaux. What is undeniable is how incredibly nostalgic and mystical his new abstractions felt at Shane Campbell. Faded pastel colors bled through highly laborious rubbings, and hand imprints, on top of highly textured surfaces, seemed frozen in time. As beautiful as staring at aged walls of ancient cities.
Shane Campbell Gallery
673 North Milwaukee
(312)226-2223
shanecampbellgallery.com
Best of Chicago 2011
The Owl
Logan Square nightlife has reached a tipping point with the opening of this giant 5am drinking complex. As the latest addition to the already-great Milwaukee Avenue tavern corridor—which includes The Boiler Room, Revolution Brewing, Cole’s, The Whistler and more—The Owl seals the neighborhood’s fate as a libation destination. This multi-room bar is surprisingly comfy for such a huge space, featuring plush couches, warm woodwork, mirrored walls, a dance floor and even a working fountain. An extensive craft-beer list and a kick-ass jukebox, featuring everything from Siouxsie to Sharon Jones, means your late-night session at the Owl is sure to be a hoot.
The Owl
2521 North Milwaukee
(773)235-5300
owlbarchicago.com
Audience choice:
Haymarket Pub & Brewery
737 West Randolph
(312)638-0700
haymarketbrewing.com
Best of Chicago 2011
