A note from the CGN publisher: 

As we are all highly aware, many public events have been or may be cancelled out of an abundance of caution because of Coronavirus. Most area art spaces will be closed temporarily in the interest of public safety and in order to slow the spread of COVID-19. In many cases galleries are closed or open by appt. only but they are reachable by email and phone. While everyone is committed to keeping their spaces clean and to keeping visitors safe above all, we advise you to contact galleries and art venues directly before showing up to visit in person. Most museums have announcements about their particular changes on their website.

At the end of this post is a list of area museum closures and art fair updates that we have been able to confirm as of 3/13/20. Most links go directly to the organization's own COVID-19 update.

We do encourage you to view exhibitions online! You have full permission, and probably time, to surf and scroll away. Many excellent shows that are installed in galleries now are also largely viewable from the comfort of your couch. There are even a couple of online-only auctions coming up at Hindman and Susanin's this month, so you can buy amazing art and antiques from home. We invite you to browse the endless amount of art on CGN's website and calendar, and to check us out on Instagram   

In honor of this extended home stay, we also came up with a short list of spaces that have enough content in their video archives to keep you entertained and informed for a long time:

Here is Part I

Here is Part II

Watch for virtual gallery hops next! 

Stay healthy, and please don't forget about the art, and the artists who create it! Keep the faith that one day soon all of these marvelous spaces and institutions will once again welcome us back in for amazing art and culture.

We will see you in the galleries again soon. 

– Ginny Van Alyea, CGN Publisher

Confirmed museum closures and art event cancellations that we know of (3/15/20)

• The Art Institute of Chicago is closed March 14–27
• MCA - closed through March 29 (updated from earlier)
• Chicago Cultural Center - closed through April 12 (updated from earlier)
• Clarke House Museum - closed through April 12
• Exhibitions at Expo 72 - closed through April 12
• City Gallery in the Historic Water Tower - closed through April 12
• Millennium Park remains open, but Cloud Gate Plaza is closed (The Bean)
• Lincoln Park Zoo is closed through April 10
• Block Museum of Art - Museum events scheduled March 12 to April 15 cancelled
• Elmhurst Art Museum - closed until April 1
• Rockford Art Museum - some events cancelled
• The Shedd Aquarium - closed March 13–29
• The Field Museum - closed March 14–29
• Adler Planetarium - closed as of March 14. All events will be rescheduled or cancelled through May 1
• The Museum of Science and Industry - closed March 14-April 6
• The Chicago Flower and Garden Show has been cancelled
• The Other Art Fair has been postponed until fall 2020
• The Chicago Antiques Art + Design Fair has been postponed until fall 2020
• Chicago Artist Coalition's Work in Progress benefit has been postponed
• DuSable Museum closed through March 31
• Mana Contemporary is closed until further notice
• National Museum of Mexican Art - all events are postponed.
• Hyde Park Art Center – closed until further notice
• University of Chicago and Logan Center announced that large events and gatherings were being suspended on campus through April 15
• Smart Museum - closed March 15-30
• Museum of Contemporary Photography - reopening April 9
• Krannert Art Museum - closed until further notice
• The Arts Club - closed until further notice
• Driehaus Museum - closed until further notice
• Chicago Artists Coalition - closed until further notice
• Water Street Studios - closed March 15-29
• Haggerty Museum of Art Community - closed March 15-April 10
• Intuit: The Center for Intuitive and Outsider Art - closed March 15-31
• Charles Allis and Villa Terrace Museums - closed thru April 30
• The Renaissance Society - closed March 15-April 18
• Jean Albano Gallery - by appointment only. Lee Grantham exhibition will still open on Friday April 3, 2020.
• Lubeznik Art center - closed until April 6.
• R.S. Johnson - closed until further notice
• The Art Center Highland Park - closed until further notice
• Kavi Gupta - by appointment only
• Gallery Victor Armendariz - by appointment only
• Regards - by appointment only
• Andrew Rafacz - closed until further notice
• Snite Museum of Art - closed until April 13
• Both Adventureland and The Dime – open by appointment only until the end of April.
• Northern Illinois University Museum of Art - closed until at least April 6
• Fermilab - All public events and tours are cancelled or postponed through the end of April.
• Weinberg/Newton Gallery - closed until March 31
• Carl Hammer Gallery - closed until March 31
• Art on theMART - postponed until further notice
• Evanston Art Center - closed through April 12
• Art De Triumph & Artful Framers Studio - closed until further notice, certain services available by appointment
• Perspective Group and Photography Gallery - closed until further notice