27-03-2025
The Other Art Fair comes to Chicago this weekend
If traditional art fairs feel intimidating, too expensive, and stuffy, The Other Art Fair (TOAF) is the place for art lovers looking for a good time.
Driving the news: TOAF opens Thursday evening at Artifact Events in Ravenswood and runs through Sunday and is slated to feature more than 115 artists.
What to expect: Works by up-and-coming independent artists, plus drinks, empanadas and beats from live DJs.
What to try: Englewood Arts Collective will offer workshops at TOAF, including poster printmaking, collaging and beatmaking.
You can also try to snag a limited print from artist Bianca Pastel or a photography print from Tonika Johnson.
Or book a portrait session in New York artist Anna Marie Tendler's House of Self photobooth.
Stop by the booth hosted by Brave Space Alliance (BSA), an LGBTQ+ focused Center on Chicago's South Side, where 100% of the proceeds from some pieces will go to BSA.
The intrigue: Chicago artist Joe Kraft created an "I Love Art" Interactive Stamp Scavenger Hunt for the fair. Attendees can look for hidden stamps throughout the space that will lead to a completed image.
Context: TOAF was launched in 2011 by online art gallery Saatchi Art and hosts 12 events a year in the U.S., UK and Australia.
