By GINNY VAN ALYEA 

It seems September's early openings just happened, but here we in October, and a new slate of exhibitions opens tomorrow evening in galleries around the city. 

This weekend there are also several special seasonal events happening, including extended hours at Frank LLoyd Wright's Robie House, as well as Intuit. The Chicago Architecture Biennial also has a family festival on Saturday in Garfield Park.

Enjoy this start to one of the most festive months of the year. Before you know it, SOFA will be back again at Navy Pier, and we will start to close in on the end of 2019. We are already busy planning the next annual CGN Arts Guide that will cover 2020 and are reaching out to galleries and advertisers to share their updates and upcoming plans.  

Obviously there is a lot of great art to see and even participate in; these are just a few highlights from this first weekend of the month around the city. 

Don't forget to view our full calendar of events. 

Enjoy all the art, and we will see you in the galleries! 

Terrain Biennial 2019

Various locations throughout the Chicago area and country through November 17.

Opening weekend: October 4–7

Block Party Opening Event: Saturday, October 5, 2–7pm
1150 Block of Lyman Ave, Oak Park, IL, 60304

Terrain Exhibitions was founded in 2011 by the late artist, curator, and educator Sabina Ott at her home in Oak Park. The original format of the exhibition space existed as monthly installations in her front yard, from which grew the Terrain Biennial. Ott passed away in the summer of 2018.

The Terrain Biennial takes place on lawns, in front yards, on porches, beneath awnings, and in windows. Residents partner with artists to bring striking, contemporary artwork into their communities. The Terrain Biennial challenges the way art is often confined to institutional spaces and class-specific audiences. Building on Chicago’s rich tradition of apartment galleries and artist-run spaces, the Biennial brings contemporary art into the intimate terrain of the front yard, fostering dialogue between neighbors and providing access to new art for a wide range of people. The theme of this year's Terrain Biennial is to take stock of the landscape that people are living in today. What is the terrain that we occupy? What is the topology of our moment? Artists and hosts have been asked to reflect upon the ways in which our environment changes us and how we are changing it. 

George Klauba: Last Chance Tattoo

Hofheimer Gallery

Opening Friday, October 4. 

George Klauba is self-taught fine artist. This show of new work at Hofheimer Gallery is a sort of return from retirement. Klauba was previously represented by Ann Nathan Gallery for many years. 

Born in 1938 on Chicago's southwest side to parents of Lithuanian descent, Klauba's father was a machinist by trade who moonlighted as a stage magician. His mother introduced him to the Art Institute of Chicago and the Field Museum of Natural History, places Klauba says influenced his education more than traditional schooling. In 1956, just short of his eighteenth birthday, Klauba enlisted in the Navy, serving for three years. After being discharged, he pursued a commercial art career at Chicago's American Academy of Art and he was a graphic designer for the Sun Times for 27 years before becoming a fine artist. 

Erwin Overes: Round 2

Gallery Studio Oh! 

Opening Friday, October 4. 

Erwin Overes was born and raised in the Netherlands, where he worked as an RN.  He changed his career path to cultivate his artistic side and moved to the US to go back to school. Erwin tried his hand at interior design, but realized that he was more of a director than a creator. He began to craft furniture that he wanted to place in these planned interiors. Working as a furniture designer/maker on his own for 2 years, he discovered that the restrictions of the need of functionality steered him more towards sculptural work. After receiving his masters, focusing on wood sculpture, he has been privileged to work in his own studio creating pieces with total artistic freedom.

Cornelia Arts Building Open Studio

Opening Friday, October 4.

Established in 1986, the Cornelia Arts Building is one of the largest all-artist-studio buildings on Chicago’s Northside. CAB is located in the epicenter of three distinct Chicago Neighborhoods: Lakeview, Roscoe Village, and Ravenswood/North Center.

More than 40 artists in the building host multiple open studio events throughout the year, featuring painting, photography, jewelry, sculpture, ceramics, metal smithing and more, plus hallway guest artist exhibitions. 

Word to Mother: Let Love Lead the Way

Vertical Gallery

Opening Saturday, October 5. 

“Let Love Lead the Way” assembles paintings created over the past two years in Word To Mother’s seaside studio — a collection of work that examines the virtues of a positive mindset, celebrating moments of happiness and kindness through the lens of primitive characters inspired by 1930's cartoons. The exhibition is split into two bodies — salvaged pieces and layered paintings — featuring cartoon animals united by a shared spirit of perseverance and positivity. A range of textures and objects including rusted metal surfaces and vintage wooden patinas (some in WTM’s personal collection since 2004) provide the perfect backdrop for the artist’s menagerie of characters, which he executes in a limited palette with minimal use of gold leaf. Gestural marks and layers of illustrations form the surfaces of the contrasting pieces, with WTM's singular line work exploring the optimism and joy that the character forms express.  

Born and raised in an English seaside town, Word To Mother studied illustration in art school, from there expanding into graffiti and tattoo art — pursuits that profoundly shaped his latter-day mixed-media work, which juxtaposes signature flourishes like hand-drawn personal sentiments and tight sign-written letters evoking vintage typography.

Autumn After Hours at Robie House

Friday, October 4, 5 – 8 pm

Autumn in Chicago, when a spectrum of russet colors transforms our surrounding parks and landscapes, is the best time to visit the Robie House. Frank Lloyd Wright’s Prairie-style palette throughout the house exquisitely reflects the season. In this special time of year, the Trust announces a new 8-week program during October and November: Autumn After Hours at Robie House.

Each Friday from 5 - 8 pm, guests have the opportunity to make the house their own, moving freely through beautifully restored rooms, socializing with friends, learning about the house from veteran interpreters, enjoying regional wines and seasonal brews, live music, and presentations by local artists and craftsmen. Join us as autumn comes alive at Robie House.

Location: Robie House, 5757 S. Woodlawn Avenue, Chicago

Admission: $40 General, $35 Trust members

Intuit Fall Friday

Intuit: Center for Intuitive and Outsider Art

Friday, October 4

Another recurring Friday evening fall event (through November) is Intuit's new Fall Friday. It's hard to find time to visit your favorite museum, so Intuit is extending its hours each Friday during the fall to give you extra hours to enjoy everything Intuit has to offer. Same affordable admission, same exhibitions you love, now available for you at a convenient time. 

Positive Slope: Stories of Chicago Public Schools

Firecat Projects 

Opening Friday, October 4. 

This group show with art by CPS Lives artists features photographs by Marzena Abrahamik, Kioto Aoki, Kris Brailey, Suzette Bross, Doug Fogelson, Scott Fortino, JimIska, Michelle Keim, Carlos Matallana, Janet Mesic-Mackie, Jeff Phillips, Eileen Ryan, Jaclyn Silverman, Sa Schloff, Jan Tichy & Jay Wolke.

Read more info about artist Suzette Bross's CPS Lives here

As I Am, You Will Be - An Evocative Group Show

Chicago Truborn 

Opening Friday, October 4. 

This "Evocative Group Show" is inspired by Hunter S. Thompson just in time for The Witching Season. West Town's Chicago Truborn is celebrating with a spooktacular lineup featuring nearly 30 of their favorite artists. Participating artists were asked to create original (20"x20") works inspired only by the infamous Hunter S. Thompson quote "As You Were, I Was. As I Am, You Will Be." Two in store murals will be revealed as the show opens and will be on display through October.

Chicago Architectural Biennial Family Festival

Saturday, October 5. 

In case you need a reason to visit the Garfield Park Conservatory, head to the Chicago Architecture Center's Biennial Family Festival,  in honor of the Chicago Architecture Biennial, from noon to 4pm on Saturday. Families with children ages 5-12 are invited to come learn about architecture and design through hands-on activities.

Tom Huck

Gallery Victor Armendariz

Opening Friday, October 4. 

Tom Huck was born on December 9, 1971 in Farmington, Missouri and grew up in nearby Potosi.  He received a BFA in drawing from Southern Illinois University at Carbondale in 1993. He currently lives in St. Louis, Missouri where he runs his own press, Evil Prints.  Tom Huck is a visual artist best known for his large scale woodcuts. His imagery draws heavily upon the influence of Albrecht Durer, Jose Guadalupe Posada, R. Crumb and Honore Daumier. He is a regular contributor to BLAB! and was the illustrator of The Roots’ Phrenology album art in 2003.  Huck’s woodcut prints are included in numerous public and private collections, including the Whitney Museum of American Art, Spencer Museum of Art, Nelson Atkins Museum of Art, St. Louis Art Museum. Milwaukee Art Museum, Minneapolis Institute of Art, Fogg Art Museum and New York Public Library.