The 2024 Fall Art Season Kicks Off This Weekend: River North and Beyond

By GINNY VAN ALYEA

August at CGN is a nail-biter. My kids are still out of school and in summer vacation mode, but the CGN office has to work on-the-go with its team of two (plus some stellar helpers!) We do everything we can to get the big fall issue to the printer on time so that it's out before the fall openings. Days are spent writing articles and completing interviews. Sometimes we go out to someone's home to photograph a collection. Then we confirm reams of information about upcoming exhibitions and openings, sending reminders to send in missing information and ad materials, then we size and convert images for print. We proofread, fact check, make last minute changes, prepare shipping lists, and then we send the files to the printer and cross our fingers. While we wait for the magazines to arrive we go back to updating the CGN website with all the info coming up in a couple of weeks. I've been at CGN for 22 years as of this November. That's half my life! Still, it's always so exciting (3 x a year) to have the hard copies of CGN arrive and to see something we actually made. I really love print – CGN is a magazine about art, so I also really believe in print, but it's worth remembering that our digital inclinations and bad habits are new. Print is the OG, and it's still here, helping to make everyone excited about fall in the art world. At least at CGN, for 42 years we have been printing and promoting. When opening night is over the Instagram stories are gone, you can enjoy your morning coffee on Saturday while flipping through a copy of CGN. I hope you pick up one in a gallery this weekend or, even better, subscribe to get it all year. 

Following is an overview of all that is happening this fall and how you might take advantage of it on your own.

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Friday, September 6 dozens of spaces throughout Chicago and farther afield will open their fall exhibitions. For many galleries these fall shows are the biggest of the year. The River North Design District is hosting its 9th annual RNDD Gallery Walk in River North and there are many other art events happening as well. 

In the spirit of 'back to school' in the art world, there is new art, new energy and returning crowds of collectors, artists and gallery hoppers. Then, the following weekend on September 13 and 14, more galleries will open their exhibitions – many in West Town. Randolph Street Market also takes place at the end of the month as well as other seasonal shopping opportunities. And in early October there is the second Chicago Exhibition Weekend, happening October 3–6 in dozens of galleries and institutions around the city. 

• Please sign up for CGN's twice-weekly newsletter. This is your best guide to what's happening in galleries and museums. It's free! 

• While I could give you a breakdown of the shows and events coming up, I encourage you to use CGN's calendar to find what you would like to do and to do it on your own time. You can browse openings, talks, tours, fundraisers and more on our calendar. If Friday nights don't work for you, galleries are open on Saturdays, and visiting on a weekend morning is a great habit to start. Attend a talk or program – many galleries have artist talks during the course of an exhibition, and sometimes opening night is just too busy to hear from the artist while you're catching up with friends and running from space to space. Find a museum or art space you love and commit to attending an annual fundraiser. 

• Several collector groups in the area organize tours and exclusive programming for members, offering more intimate access to a range of spaces and programs all year long. Along the way you can meet artist, curators and other collectors. Many are museum-affiliated, like the Art Institute's Society for Contemporary Art, but not all. Most have a membership fee or donation level and offer tickets to special events and dinners. 

• Fall is also very busy in the auction world, and since we have several excellent Chicago-based houses right here you can preview lots in person. Check out this fall's auction lineup.

Enjoy this new season of art and I wish you good luck finding you own way to enjoy it all! 

Thumbnail: Just for fun – Tom McCormick with artist Whitney Bradshaw at her 2021 exhibition OUTCRY at the gallery.