Fine Arts Building | Home | Chicago's artist haven since 1898.

Second Fridays

Explore the Fine Arts Building during our monthly open tenant studios event to discover the creativity and history throughout all ten floors of the Fine Arts Building.

Upcoming Events

Experience the musicals, comedy shows, concerts, dance, puppetry, opera, and more at the majestic Studebaker Theater in the Fine Arts Building.

Our History

From the 19th century to today, the Fine Arts Building is the heartbeat of arts and culture in America, home to music schools, literary clubs – and social, political, and cultural movements.

Windows Into History

Explore the Fine Arts Building's history with two exhibits on the 5th floor, in celebration of the building's 125th anniversary.

Visit the Directory

Tenant Directory

Discover the tenants of the Fine Arts Building - musicians, architects, dancers, artists, puppeteers, booksellers, luthiers, and much more - who make this building a home for art in all forms.

Visit The Fine Arts Building

The Fine Arts Building

Fine Arts Building, 410 South Michigan Avenue, Chicago, IL, USA

Join Our Mailing List

Keep up to date about performances, events, open studios, and more at the Fine Arts Building by signing up for our mailing list.

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Happy Theater Thursday! Join us in the Studebaker

Happy Theater Thursday! Join us in the Studebaker Theater next week on May 17 to Party Like It’s 1983 with the Chicago Gay Men’s Chorus @cgmc ! Immerse yourself in the magic of the 80s as they pay homage to their founding year in the grand finale of their 40th season!

Tickets at the link in our bio.

#fineartsbuilding #fineartsbuildingchicago #studebakertheater #studebakertheaterchicago #chicagogaymenschorus #gaymenschorus #80smusic #40thanniversary #80s #80saesthetic

As a part of this month's Second Fridays open stud

As a part of this month's Second Fridays open studios, join cello teacher Heather Dunn to play music of any genre! Bring your instrument to join in, or stop by Studio 935 to listen in on the fun. Just one of many incredible artists to discover at the Fine Arts Building's Second Fridays!

RSVP at the link in our bio.

#fineartsbuilding #fineartsbuildingchicago #chicagoart #chicagoarts #chicagoartist #chicagoartists #chicagoartscene #openstudio #openstudios #openstudiodays #artiststudios #artiststudio #artiststudiovisit #celloteacher #celloteachers #secondfridays #secondfridayschicago #freechicagoevents

Have you always wanted to bring your creativity to

Have you always wanted to bring your creativity to the Fine Arts Building? Now's your chance! Visit our May Second Fridays this Friday from 5pm - 9pm for your chance to win free rehearsal and studio space, and unleash your creativity in the Annex or Little Studio!

While you're visiting Second Fridays this week, stop by the Annex on the 3rd floor to register for your chance to win free studio space in the Annex or Little Studio! One lucky winner will win 3 free days in the Annex or Little Studio, or 50% off the rental of a full week!

Make sure to RSVP to Second Fridays at the link in our bio, and visit the Annex on May 10th for your chance to win!

Meet Matt Bodett, a visual artist and founder of t

Meet Matt Bodett, a visual artist and founder of the Center for Mad Culture at the Fine Arts Building!

Website: mattbodett.com
Instagram: @mattbodett

Center for Mad Culture: madculture.org

Bodett lives and works in Chicago as an artist and mad/disability advocate. Drawing from lived experience he utilizes artwork to explore and critique visual culture and its role in stigma. Having gone to school in Boise, Idaho Bodett moved to Chicago in 2013 to pursue a more serious studio practice. Since then he has exhibited art, performance, and poetic works at cultural institutions like Steppenwolf theater and The Poetry Foundation in Chicago, The Freud Museum in London, and for the No Limits festival in Berlin.

Aside from a full time studio practice, Bodett has also opened PRESS HERE: Center for Mad Culture in Chicago, which explores the cultural and aesthetic possibilities of madness. He teaches for Loyola University Chicago and Columbia College Chicago, while also serving on the advisory board for the Institute for Therapy through the Arts, on the Artists Counsel for 3Arts.

Music: Kick Back by james.lfo

#fineartsbuilding #fineartsbuildingchicago #artiststudio #artistinterview #chicagoartist #chicagoart #chicagoartist #chicagoartists #chicagoartscene #chicagoarts #chicagoartist #chicagoartgallery #madculture

Happy Tenant Tuesday! This Saturday, May 4th!! Joi

Happy Tenant Tuesday! This Saturday, May 4th!! Join Fine Arts Building tenant, the Center for Mad Culture, for a one-of-a-kind celebration of Mad Pride, where we honor the diverse experiences and perspectives within the spectrum of madness. This event is a platform for individuals to express themselves, share their stories, and celebrate the creativity and resilience that often emerges from the depths of lived experiences.

Event Highlights:

Art Making beginning at 1:00pm:
Join us in making art, whether its zine making, a collaborative painting, or a silly art historical drawing game, there is a way for us all to uniquely express our madness and our pride.

Panel Discussion beginning at 3:00pm:
Engage in a stimulating dialogue between local author Matt Perry and local activist TJ Gordon Jr. The two will examine themes of advocacy and activism, as well as neurodivergence and madness. Listen in and discover ways to promote acceptance and understanding within our communities!

Open Mic following the discussion:
Step up to the mic and share your voice with the world. Whether it’s poetry, music, storytelling, or stand-up comedy, the stage is yours to express yourself freely and authentically. Let your creativity flow as you celebrate the beauty of individuality and the power of self-expressed madness.

Community Resources:
Browse through an array of resources provided by local organizations and support groups. These resources are dedicated to helping us each support the varied needs of our communities. Learn about available services, find support networks, and discover ways to get involved in advocacy efforts.

Admission: This event is free and open to all. Donations to support programming are welcomed and appreciated.

Masks will be REQUIRED for this event.

An AI generated captioning service will be available.

Any other disability access needs can be requested by email info@madculture.org. We will do our best to accommodate!

#fineartsbuilding #fineartsbuildingchicago #centerformadculture #madculture #madpride #chicagoevents #artevents #chicagoart #chicagoarts #chicagoartist #chicagoartists #chicagoartscene #chicagoartgallery #chicagoartistry

Happy History Monday! This 1986 photo from the Chi

Happy History Monday! This 1986 photo from the Chicago Tribune showcases the Fine Arts Building's iconic Venetian Court from above. We're so excited that spring in Chicago means we get to enjoy sunny afternoons in the Venetian Court again! ☀️

#fineartsbuilding #fineartsbuildingchicago #venetiancourt #venetiancourtyard #chicagoarchitecture #chiarchitecture #chitecture #chicagohistory

Happy FAB Friday! In just 2 weeks, we're thrilled

Happy FAB Friday! In just 2 weeks, we're thrilled to be hosting the School of the Art Institute's Masters in Art Therapy and Counseling at Graduate Exhibition! Hard-fought and hand-built by the perseverance of the 2024 cohort, the educational aim of this exhibition is to provide an opportunity for students to present their own individual lived practices and collaboratively examine the clinical, ethical, and aesthetic implications of presenting the profession of art therapy through an exhibition. Deeply reflective and inquisitive, the artists present a multitude of approaches, exemplifying the program’s philosophy of integrating the emergent artist-art-therapist identity. For more information, visit the link in our bio!

#fineartsbuilding #fineartsbuildingchicago #saic #graduateexhibition #exhibition #exhibitions #exhibitionart #artexhibition #artexhibitions #artinstitutechicago #artinstituteofchicago #schooloftheartinstitute #schooloftheartinstitutechicago

Happy World Book Day! Make sure to celebrate and g

Happy World Book Day! Make sure to celebrate and get your book fix during Independent Bookstore Day, this Saturday, April 27. Join us and Exile in Bookville @exileinbookville as they celebrate their third birthday!

#fineartsbuilding #fineartsbuildingchicago #exileinbookville #chicagobookstore #chicagobookstores #independentbookstore #independentbookstores #independentbookstoreday #indiebookstore #indiebookstores #indiebookstoreday #indiebookstorelove

History Monday! We love this historic photo of the

History Monday! We love this historic photo of the Fine Arts Building and Michigan Avenue. There's no better place in the world!

#fineartsbuilding #fineartsbuildingchicago #chicagoarchitecture #chiarchitecture #chitecture #chicagohistory #chicagobuilding #chicagobuildings #chicagolandmark #chicagolandmarks

We were delighted to host the Great Lakes Independ

We were delighted to host the Great Lakes Independent Booksellers Association @glibabooksellers for their Spring Forum yesterday in the Annex, at Exile in Bookville, and at the Studebaker Theater. A lovely day of books and community - thank you GLIBA!

@exileinbookville @studebakertheater

#bookseller #booksellers #booksellersofinstagram #gliba #glibabooksellers #independentbookstore #independentbookstores #independentbookseller #fineartsbuildingchicago #fineartsbuilding

This weekend in the @studebakertheater! From Wait

This weekend in the @studebakertheater! From Wait Wait... Don't Tell Me! to the Chicago Academy for the Arts' All-School Showcase to the Origins Championship of Indian classical dance, it's going to be an eventful weekend here at the Fine Arts Building. Get your tickets at fineartsbuilding.com and join us for these great events!

#fineartsbuilding #fineartsbuildingchicago #studebakertheater #studebakertheaterchicago #thisweekend #eventsthisweek #eventsthisweekend #chicagoevents

Welcome to the second episode of Artists of the Fi

Welcome to the second episode of Artists of the Fine Arts Building! Meet Don Yang, a visual artist at the Fine Arts Building. We had a lovely conversation about plein air painting, making connections through art, and discovering beauty in the everyday.

Born in Seoul, Korea, Don Yang came to the United States in his late teens. After 7 years of service in the U.S. Army, he pursued his childhood dream of living as an artist by training at the American Academy of Art College in Chicago, where he earned a BFA with honors and later an MFA with emphasis on fine art and traditional illustration. Don has been teaching drawing, oil painting, and anatomy in and around Chicago for the past 23 years, while operating an independent art studio working as a freelance illustrator.

Follow Don:
Website: donyang.com
Instagram: @donyangart

Music: A New Hope by Matt Large

#fineartsbuilding #fineartsbuildingchicago #artiststudio #artiststudios #artiststudiolife #artiststudiotour #artiststudiopost #artiststudiospace #artiststudiovisit #artistinterview #artistinterviews #chicagoart #chicagoarts #chicagoartist #chicagoartscene #chicagoartist #chicagoartistry #chicagoartists #interviews #interview #interviewing

History Monday! This 1986 photo of the Fine Arts B

History Monday! This 1986 photo of the Fine Arts Building lobby is a glimpse back to when the Studebaker Theater was being used as a movie house by M&R Entertainment. Note the poster for A Room With A View!

Photo courtesy of the Chicago Tribune.

#fineartsbuilding #fineartsbuildingchicago #studebakertheater #chicagohistory #chicagoarchitecture #chiarchitecture #chitecture #historicbuilding #historicbuildings #chicagolandmark

Second Fridays is TONIGHT! Join us for our free op

Second Fridays is TONIGHT! Join us for our free open studios event from 5:00-9:00 to explore the Fine Arts Building and meet the amazing artists who work here! Don’t miss these paintings by Greg Morrissey, @chiartist519 - now on display in the Second Floor Gallery across from @exileinbookville. See you tonight!

#fineartsbuilding #fineartsbuildingchicago #chicagoart #chicagoartist #chicagoartscene #chicagoartist #chicagoarchitecture #cityscape #artiststudio #artiststudios #openstudio #openstudios #secondfridays

Happy Theater Thursday! We love hearing how much p

Happy Theater Thursday! We love hearing how much people enjoy visiting the Fine Arts Building and Studebaker Theater - this patron from last weekend’s @bronzevillethemusical loved the show and their visit! Bronzeville closes this weekend so make sure to catch this incredible show!

#fineartsbuilding #fineartsbuildingchicago #audience #audiencereactions #studebakertheater #bronzeville #bronzevillechicago #musicaltheater #musicaltheatre #newmusical #musicals #chicagotheatre #chicagotheater

Join us this Friday for our favorite event of the

Join us this Friday for our favorite event of the month: Second Fridays! Explore the Fine Arts Building and meet the artists who make this Chicago's most vibrant creative hub. We'll see you here Friday from 5:00-9:00pm - free and open to the public! RSVP here: fineartsbuilding.com/second-fridays

#fineartsbuilding #fineartsbuildingchicago #secondfriday #secondfridays #openstudio #openstudios #openstudiodays #artiststudio #artiststudios #artiststudiotour #artiststudiospace #artiststudiovisit #chicagoarts #chicagoart #chicagoartist #chicagoartscene #chicagoartgallery #chicagoartgalleries #chicagoartist #chicagoartists

Happy History Monday! We love this 1989 photo of t

Happy History Monday! We love this 1989 photo of the Fine Arts Building's entry - the ornamental kickplates with lyre and floral details really shine through. Courtesy of the Chicago Tribune.

#fineartsbuilding #fineartsbuildingchicago #chicagohistory #chicagoarchitecture #chiarchitecture #chitecture #chicagobuilding #chicagolandmark #chicagolandmarks #historicphoto #historicphotograph #historicphotography #historicphotographs

Welcome to the first episode of Artists of the Fin

Welcome to the first episode of Artists of the Fine Arts Building, our new video series! Our first interview is with Cecilia Beaven, a visual artist at the Fine Arts Building. We had a lovely chat about mythmaking, narrative in art, and playfulness as creative process.

Cecilia Beaven is a visual artist and art instructor from Mexico City, based in Chicago. Cecilia holds an MFA in Studio from SAIC which she coursed as a Fulbright scholar and a BFA with honors from ENPEG La Esmeralda (Mexico City). Cecilia’s multidisciplinary artwork has been shown in solo shows in Mexico City, Houston, and Chicago, as well as in group exhibitions in Mexico, the US, Colombia, Sweden, Italy, and Japan. She has painted murals in several cities such as Hiketa, Paris, Houston, Chicago, Mexico City, Oaxaca, Pachuca, Tepoztlan, and Tijuana, where she was commissioned to paint a segment of the border wall between Mexico and the US.

Through her work, which includes painting, drawing, animation, film, and sculpture, Cecilia develops a speculative mythology with unique visual narratives. Cecilia questions who gets to tell stories and establish the official cultural narratives. The artist affirms her creative agency by modifying existing tales and mythology and seamlessly adding fiction and personal anecdotes. Through this analytical and ludic experimentation, Cecilia brings a unique perspective on Mexican identity that goes beyond folklore and mainstream ideas of Mexico.

Follow Cecilia:
Website: ceciliabeaven.com
Instagram: @samuraiceci

Music: A New Hope by Matt Large

#fineartsbuilding #fineartsbuildingchicago #artiststudio #artiststudios #artiststudiolife #artiststudiotour #artiststudiopost #artiststudiospace #artiststudiovisit #artistinterview #artistinterviews #chicagoart #chicagoarts #chicagoartist #chicagoartscene #chicagoartist #chicagoartistry #chicagoartists #interviews #interview #interviewing

Happy History Monday! We love this photo of the Fi

Happy History Monday! We love this photo of the Fine Arts Building’s entrance from 1986, when the Studebaker Theater and neighboring World Playhouse were rebranded as the “Fine Arts Theatres.” These were part of a cineplex of 4 screens that showed art and independent films. Note the “Box Office” signs on the doors. What a great shot!

#fineartsbuildingchicago #fineartsbuilding #studebakertheater #chicagoarchitecture #chiarchitecture #chitecture #chicagolandmark #chicagohistory #throwback #chicagobuilding #chicagobuildings #michiganave

Introducing “Artists of the Fine Arts Building,” a new video series that takes you inside the artists’ studios throughout the building and hear from incredible artists and creators about their work. Each installment will feature one artist who calls the Fine Arts Building their creative home! The first installment launches on April 2, with new videos dropping every other Tuesday here and on our YouTube page. We can’t wait to share the amazing inspiration of the Fine Arts Building with you!

#fineartsbuilding #fineartsbuildingchicago #chicagolandmark #chicagoarchitecture #chiarchitecture #chitecture #chicagoart #chicagoarts #chicagoartist #chicagoartists #artiststudio #artistrystudio #artiststudios #openstudio #artistinterview #artistinterviews

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