Lincoln Park Art Night To Feature Free Trolley Rides Between 6 Neighborhood Art Galleries

Dec 15, 2023

The participating art galleries are staying open late and allowing visitors in for free to view their current art exhibitions.

LINCOLN PARK — Six art galleries and museums in Lincoln Park are staying open late Thursday for the first Lincoln Park Art Night.

Free trolley rides will be available 5:30-8:30 p.m. for visitors to travel between the galleries, many of which have new shows they’ll display for free.

"This is our first attempt to create a gallery walk for Lincoln Park, but because we’re so much more spread out, we’ve got trolleys," said Barbara Guttmann, director of operations for the Old Town Triangle Association.

Participating galleries:

"Lincoln Park and Old Town have such a long history in the arts, from the many arts festivals to being the bohemian center of the city for a while," Guttmann said. "And still so many residents are artists, working artists and arts lovers."

Artists and curators will be available at each stop to talk about their shows and answer any questions, Guttmann said.

At Josh Moulton Fine Art Gallery, artist Josh Moulton will on hand to share his artwork and creative process and take orders or commissions, he said.

"This is a really exciting opportunity," Moulton said. "I’ve been here 11 years now, and a lot of times people will come in and say they had no idea I was here, which kills me. This is a helpful way to raise awareness for our spaces."

Moulton's gallery will feature original paintings of Chicago, including some of popular restaurants and bars that the artist creates from photographs he takes, he said.

"This is where I produce everything, too, so people will be able to see my drawing board and pieces in progress," Moulton said. "People can make a whole night out of it, taking the trolley to different galleries and maybe also stopping at a local bar or restaurant."

Guttmann said the event was organized to raise awareness of the neighborhood's vibrant arts scene.

"We’re known for theater in Lincoln Park, but we’ve not promoted how much we have of the visual art, so this is our chance to start getting people to recognize that there's more than one place they can go to," Guttmann said.

Subscribe to Block Club Chicago, an independent, 501(c)(3), journalist-run newsroom. Every dime we make funds reporting from Chicago's neighborhoods.

Click here to support Block Club with a tax-deductible donation.

Thanks for subscribing to Block Club Chicago, an independent, 501(c)(3), journalist-run newsroom. Every dime we make funds reporting from Chicago's neighborhoods. Click here to support Block Club with a tax-deductible donation.

Listen to "It's All Good: A Block Club Chicago Podcast":

Isabella Avila, 11, got last-minute tickets to the Taylor Swift concert — and got to meet her idol. "She smelled like cherries and her hands were soft," the young Swiftie recalls.

A Cook County judge overruled the city's decision to block Southside Recycling from opening last week. As Mayor Johnson vows to appeal, neighbors and activists blasted the ruling for rejecting the community's will.

"Vienna Beef Plaza" will include offices for the hot dog brand and additional retail space. The restaurant is slated for a spring 2024 opening.

"Art and Pep" portrays Art Johnston and José Pepe Peña's relationship against the backdrop of Sidetrack's rise to prominence and the local movement for LGBTQ+ equality.