Related Recs

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chicago meetup ?!

for my 100th rec i am proposing a chicago meetup sometime this summer, inspired by other city rendezvous(es?) ~~~ would love to meet some of u lovely people in person! comment if you’re interested we can brainstorm places 2 go 💫

@ryn

Jun 15, 2024

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Western Pole

Located at the intersection of Western and Cermak in Chicago, the Western Pole is a makeshift rotating exhibition space on a city-owned light pole. It’s run by the artist and curator Jesse Malmed and is one of the single most delightful things in my life. I get to walk by it on my commute to the train and see the exhibitions change at a seemingly random cadence. They’re usually poster-based in format but I’ve seen a very cool sculpture of a birdhouse affixed to the pole and sometimes the work is interactive, using phone numbers, QR codes, and even links to artist’s Venmo’s. I’m aching to know how artists are picked and what the general “infrastructure” of running the pole is. But also, I’m addicted to the mystery and in love with the reclamation of The Commons. Chicago has a gorgeous and historied community of alternative art spaces, including an ecosystem of apartment galleries and non-traditional exhibition spaces. We have Barely Fair, a miniature art fair with tiny booths. There’s a gallery run out of someone’s purse and a now-closed space that existed inside of someone’s medicine cabinet! One curator commissioned artists to make earrings and used her earlobes and neck as an exhibition space. I’m even in on it. My husband and I ran Curb Appeal Gallery out of our living room for a year and a half! I guess what I’m trying to say is, be scrappy, be nimble, and be creative. You want to do a show, build up your artist CV, get into curatorial work? Make the spaces you want to be within. They can be as simple as a city light pole.

@salad_valet

Feb 25, 2025

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chicago meetup !!

if you are in the metro chicago area pls join us at central park bar in avondale next saturday, august 17 at 4pm. mossyelfiethickrimmedgirlronen and i will be there for sure ! here is the discord for chat ! pls come join us !!

@ryn

Aug 11, 2024

Top Recs from @Chips

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GETTING FIRED

let’s make it a trend so i’m not alone on this

@Chips

Apr 2, 2025

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MAKING YOUR OWN MAGAZINE

And having a release party at a tattoo shop! It’s so much fun bringing writers and artists and art lovers together. Community building is rewarding as heck!

@Chips

Apr 8, 2025

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GREEK FISHERMEN

so much swag…

@Chips

Apr 1, 2025