Masters of arts

CREATIVE CLASS Columbia College prof Dawoud Bey photographed Theresa (2003) and 11 other local high-school students for “The Chicago Project,” a 2003 multimedia exhibition at the Smart Museum of Art.

Photo: Courtesy of the Smart Museum of Art

Want to learn about something other than organic chemistry? Impress a date on the cheap without leaving campus? These institutions make it easy. Unless otherwise noted, admission is free.

Columbia College various South Loop locations (312-663-1600, colum.edu). Columbia displays top-notch professional work as well as the usual student shows at its A+D, C33, Glass Curtain and Hokin Galleries, where we saw contemporary Asian fashion, Palestinian video art and Brazilian textiles, all in the spring of 2008 alone. Columbia’s Center for Book and Paper Arts has its own gallery, and the Anchor Graphics print studio offers a fine lecture series.

DePaul University Art Museum 2350 N Kenmore Ave at Fullerton Ave (773-325-7506, museums.depaul.edu). Mon–Thu 11am–5pm; Fri 11am–7pm; Sat, Sun noon–5pm. DePaul’s 4,000-square-foot art museum occupies two galleries in the university’s John T. Richardson Library: One houses temporary exhibitions; the other highlights objects from the museum’s permanent collection, which is especially strong in mid-20th-century Midwestern painting.

Gage Gallery Roosevelt University, 18 S Michigan Ave at Madison St (312-341-6458, roosevelt.edu/gagegallery). Mon–Fri 9am–5pm. This small gallery presents shows that engage Roosevelt U.’s “ideals of social justice.” Its thought-provoking exhibitions have included “The Border Film Project,” which collected photographs from both Mexican illegal immigrants and the Minutemen who tried to stop them from entering the U.S.

Gallery 400 UIC, 400 S Peoria St at Van Buren St (312-996-6114, uic.edu/aa/college/gallery400). Tue–Fri 10am–6pm; Sat noon–6pm. During the past three years, this forward-looking institution has staged a tomato fight, offered visitors the chance to film their own (fake) deaths and taken up temporary residence in a former Jewel. The gallery presents several temporary shows each year as well as At the Edge site-specific experimental projects. Don’t miss the free Voices lecture series, which has featured artists such as Olafur Eliasson and Kara Walker.

Loyola University Museum of Art (LUMA) 820 N Michigan Ave at Pearson St (312-915-7805, luc.edu/luma). Tue 10am–8pm; Wed–Sun 10am–5pm. Admission is free for students, but $6 for the general public. LUMA interprets its mission broadly: One of its efforts to “illuminate…enduring spiritual questions” was an installation of Andy Warhol’s Silver Clouds. Its permanent collection includes medieval, Renaissance and Baroque art.

Mary & Leigh Block Museum of Art Northwestern University, 40 Arts Circle, Evanston (847-491-4000, blockmuseum.northwestern.edu). Tue 10am–5pm; Wed–Fri 10am–8pm; Sat, Sun noon–5pm. If it’s too cold to enjoy the Block’s outdoor sculpture garden, take in one of the museum’s consistently impressive exhibitions: Its survey of computer art was one of our favorites in 2008. The Block also boasts a permanent collection with 4,000-plus works by artists such as Jasper Johns and Chuck Close, and its Pick-Laudati Auditorium hosts the artsy Block Cinema.

Museum of Contemporary Photography Columbia College, 600 S Michigan Ave at Harrison St (312-344-7779, mocp.org). Mon–Sat 10am–5pm; Thu 10am–8pm; Sun noon–5pm. The MoCP’s exciting exhibitions attract some of the world’s best photographers and video artists, while its Midwest Photographers Project highlights local contemporary work.

Renaissance Society University of Chicago, 5811 S Ellis Ave between 58th and 59th Sts (773-702-8670, renaissancesociety.org). Tue–Fri 10am–5pm; Sat, Sun noon–5pm. You won’t find any Michelangelos here; this gallery in the U. of C.’s Cobb Hall has specialized in cutting-edge art since it opened in 1915. The “Ren” introduced Alexander Calder and Fernand Léger to the U.S. and still puts on some of the most daring shows in Chicago.

School of the Art Institute of Chicago (SAIC) various Loop locations (saic.edu). The SAIC’s Betty Rymer Gallery and its Gallery 2 and Project Space show a mix of student and professional work. The Visiting Artists Program’s annual roster of lectures and performances is open to the public.

Smart Museum of Art University of Chicago, 5550 S Greenwood Ave at 55th St (773-702-0200, smartmuseum.uchicago.edu). This museum is named after the founders of Esquire, but its moniker could refer to its innovative shows (frequently curated by U. of C. faculty), its collection of 10,000-plus objects or its café, which extends into the pleasant courtyard.