Beverly Art Walk Offers Enhanced Exhibits, Trolley, Music

CHICAGO, IL -- The third annual Beverly Art Walk, a free, family-friendly event that celebrates visual and performance art in Chicago’s Beverly/Morgan Park neighborhood, will be held Saturday, Oct. 1, from noon to 7 p.m. at locations throughout the community.

The walk features work by 200 artists, including paintings, photography, pottery, sculpture, video, and textile art in 55 venues ranging from small retailers and pop-up galleries to home studios and the Beverly Arts Center. Participants can start the tour at any participating venue and self-guide or experience the event on a free trolley.

All participants will receive a guidebook and map. New this year are art partnerships with guest curators and artists from surrounding arts communities, including Pullman Arts, the Blue Island Arts Alliance and Bronzeville’s Gallery Guichard.

Beverly Art Walk activities include artist demonstrations, storytelling, live music, dance, public art and a dedicated children’s venue. Craft beer and food from local chefs and restaurants will be offered in several locations. More than 35 makers and craft vendors will sell a variety of handmade items at the Uprising Craft Market.

Mitchel Egly’s visual mosaic of images and words reflecting Beverly/Morgan Park and its important historic and cultural treasures will also be unveiled at 99th and Walden Parkway. The community art project is commissioned by the Beverly Area Arts Alliance with generous sponsorship from Beverly Bank and Trust.

Beverly Art Walk Highlights

Six pop-up galleries will showcase group shows on the Beverly Art Walk, including Gallery Guichard@ Pelar presenting work by 13 highly regarded artists celebrating the African Diaspora; 95th Street Gallery, featuring an interactive project by renowned artist Cecil McDonald, Jr.; the Blue Island Arts Gallery, presenting a multi-disciplinary group show organized by the Blue Island Arts Alliance; Citizens Gallery and Annex, a series of small spaces transformed into extraordinary multi-media environments via artist collaborations; and Pullman Arts Gallery, featuring media ranging from stained glass and ceramics to painting and a children’s book.

Artists Judie Anderson, Ray Broady, Betty Callihan, and Pat Egan, open their home studios sharing insight on the artistic process, their inspirations, and the work they produce.

The Beverly Art Walk Children’s Park, a dedicated children’s area, will feature interactive art activities, face painting, live music, and storytelling, plus projects hosted by the Southwest Chicago Diversity Collaborative.

Chicago’s vibrant music scene will be showcased on three main stages plus locations throughout the neighborhood, with more than 20 acts, including the Southwest Symphony Orchestra.

Complete schedules and information is available on the Beverly Art Walk website.