by Deena Bogan

Finally! The Art Institute of Chicago's world class Impressionist and Post-Impressionist collection is back home! After a 6-month absence while the galleries were being renovated and reconfigured (and 95% of the collection was on loan to the Kimball Museum in Forth Worth, TX), the collection has been permanently reinstalled and opens to the public on Friday December 19, 2008. YIPPEEE!

By Alan Carter

This last weekend, Dec. 4-7, the Merchandise Mart in Chicago hosted the annual One-of-a-Kind show. 500 artists jammed onto the 8th floor plus another 50 on the 7th made for an exhausting and occasionally frustrating excursion in holiday shopping.

"Trunk Show" usually means viewing designer clothes that cost more than a subcompact. This Saturday's D.I.Y. Trunk Show features items that are similarly one-of-a-kind, but whose prices are more inline with normal people budgets.

If you're planning a visit to the Art Institute of Chicago, be aware that lots of exhibits are only partially open. A Modern wing is being added and due to the construction many of the galleries have limited works on view:

Every time I drive by Lane Tech with my son, he says "that looks like a college", and we're amazed that a school of that size and that grandeur is a high school. Sitting on 33 acres, the institution has long been considered one of the top public prep schools in the country and has graduated more Ph.D. holders than any other.

River North has the largest concentration of galleries outside of Manhattan, but that's not the only place to find art in Chicago. The city's canvassed in it, and in October we celebrate our vibrant and diverse palette.

This Saturday 220 Communications is hosting the 5th Annual Artists and Authors at Columbia College. This event highlights upcoming authors, filmmakers, and playwrites. Participating this year is NY Times bestselling author Omar Tyree. A portion of the proceeds will go to Tyree's Urban Literacy Project.

This October is the fourth annual Fashion Focus Chicago, a week dedicated to showcasing the city's top designers and thriving fashion scene.
The Hard Rock Hotel hosted a press conference to announce the events at the show. Mayor Daley proudly discussed the growth of the industry in Chicago and was followed by Chicago-area native and Fall Out Boys bass player Pete Wentz, whose clothing line, Clandestine Industries, will be featured in the first runway show. Alex Sanchez presented Lancome as the official make-up sponsor, and Jessa Brinkmeyer of Pivot discussed the importance of sustainability in clothing.
Here's the complete schedule:

Now that the art fair season is in full bloom, it’s time to talk
about how to get the most out of them. I speak from some experience.
For more than 20 years I exhibited my paintings at

The Museum of Contemporary