The 22nd annual “Tour of Arts & Industry” celebrates the creative hub and community of Ravenswood.
- Saturday, September 14, 11am to 6pm
- Sunday, September 15, 11am to 6pm
The Ravenswood ArtWalk (RAW) Tour of Arts and Industry is a weekend-long celebration of our local creative community. Stretching from Lawrence south to Irving Park along Ravenswood Ave, RAW features: open studios and galleries, pop-up performances and activations, and an outdoor arts market featuring 60+ local makers, two stages of live music, a pop-up beer garden, kids activities, food trucks, and more.
Since 2001, RAW has showcased our neighborhood’s vibrant arts community. This signature neighborhood festival provides a unique opportunity to visit working artist studios and manufacturing businesses while exploring the architectural history of the Ravenswood Industrial Corridor.
The Ravenswood ArtWalk is proudly presented by the Greater Ravenswood Chamber of Commerce, Ravenswood Community Council, SSA #31, Thresholds, Lillstreet Art Center, Garrett Realty, and Luckyprints.
RAW Directory and Map
There’s a lot to see and do at the Ravenswood ArtWalk. Enjoy a weekend of exploration and wonder as we showcase this bustling hub of creative industry.
Be sure to check out all our indoor stops as well as the Outdoor Arts Market and both Indoor Arts Markets at Bad Coffee and Platform Coworking!
What to See
Preview the artists, manufacturers, and makers in our new RAW artist + venue listing directory.
Where to Go
Check out our RAW arts tour map and plan your Ravenswood ArtWalk trip.
Getting Here
The “Tour of Arts & Industry” runs along Ravenswood Ave, parallel to the CTA Brown line and accessible by the UP-N Metra Line at Ravenswood. Ample bike parking is available throughout the corridor and free car parking is plentiful on Ravenswood Ave.
The Ravenswood ArtWalk is proudly presented by the Greater Ravenswood Chamber of Commerce, Ravenswood Community Council, SSA #31, Thresholds, Lillstreet Art Center, Garrett Realty, and Luckyprints.
RAW Outdoor Arts Market & Beer Garden
Enter the RAW Outdoor Arts Market at Ravenswood and Berteau to shop 60+ artists while enjoying two stages of incredible musicians, live painting, kids activities from BitSpace Chicago, food truck fare, and cold craft beer from Begyle Brewing! Proceeds from all non-alcoholic beverage sales support the Friendship Center Food Pantry (501c3).
The north music stage located in the Beer Garden will have music programmed by Rendezvous Arts and their talented network of musicians. Find more information about their lineup here.
Performances By
Saturday 9/14
- 5:00 PM – Prairie Roots
- 3:45 PM – Angela James
- 2:30 PM – A Flor de Piel
- 1:15 PM – Albion West
- 12:00 PM – Emily Jane Powers
- 11:00 AM – The Parsnip Factory
Sunday 9/15
- 5:00 PM – Of Wondrous Legends (O.W.L.)
- 3:45 PM – Michelle Billingsley
- 2:30 PM – The ABC Trio
- 1:15 PM – Lydia Cash
- 12:00 PM – Sara Geist
- 11:00 AM – KASIA
WATCH: Check out this short video about the long, strange journey of Chicago psych-rock pioneers Of Wondrous Legends! They return for their 5th performance at RAW at 5 PM on Sunday 9/15/24.
Proceeds from RAW fund small business support and community programming from the Greater Ravenswood Chamber of Commerce (501c6), and public art and placemaking projects from the Ravenswood Community Council (501c3).
RAW Arts Tour Highlights
Wayward Arts Wayward Arts presents "Cadavre Exquis," a group show based on the 1920s surrealists' parlor activity of collaborative art and word play. Throughout the weekend of the ArtWalk, the gallery will host (clothed) models and invite participants to create their own exquisite corpse drawings, collages and paintings. Read more
SpiderMeka Portraits Meka herself will be giving live demos during ArtWalk with audience participation to show how she works to bring comfort to whomever is being photographed and create on-the-spot stunning portraits. Read more
Forteza Fitness & Ravensrook Archery Over RAW weekend, Forteza will have an abundance of activities including: A lecture each day from Erin Fitzgerald regarding historical medieval and renaissance heraldry where you can create your own personal heraldry, martial arts and swordplay demonstrations from all organizations that call Forteza home. Read more
Lillstreet Art Center Join Lillstreet for hands-on demos in handbuilding, printmaking, and textiles, perfect for all ages and led by their amazing instructors. Bring the whole family to explore open artist studios and dive into free outdoor workshops during their annual Fall Open House! Read more
Traffic Jam! Swing During RAW weekend Traffic Jam! Swing will have drop-in beginners dance lessons, performances, and open studio time. Read more
Century Mallet Instrument Service Century Mallet Instrument Service was founded in 1980 by master tuner Gilberto Serna. Located in the same building that J.C. Deagan, Inc. occupied for nearly 100 years, Century has many connections to its historic predecessor. Gilberto worked for J.C. Deagan for over 15 years and was trained by its master tuners. He founded Century Mallet… Read more
Big Teeth Productions Big Teeth will be presenting its 8th "Big Teeth Small Shorts" film festival. Screenings take place every 20 minutes (:00, :20 and :40). The show features short films (60-seconds long) inspired by famous works of art created for this competition. Each show is about 15 minutes long and is a totally fun, totally unique experience. Read more
Ballroom Dance Chicago Ballroom Dance Chicago specializes in all things partner dance. They will be hosting mini-private dance lessons and group classes throughout RAW weekend. Read more
Dance Colony Studios Dance Colony Studios will be open to families and children to come see their space during the Ravenswood ArtWalk! Their faculty and team will be onsite to show you through their 3 state of the art studio spaces and talk about our teaching and dance philosophy and principals. Read more
History of the Ravenswood ArtWalk
“It is our mission to generate community investment in, and public awareness of, the unique hub of creative industry that exists in Ravenswood.” – Excerpt from original mission statement, c. 2006
For 21 years (and counting), the Ravenswood ArtWalk has highlighted the vibrant arts community here in Ravenswood. Tucked within Ravenswood’s Industrial Corridor are a plethora of studios and maker spaces. The former manufacturing buildings are a home to an often unseen community of talented artists and creators. This century old district continues to be a hub of innovation, providing vital workspaces for the next generation of local artists, artisans, manufacturers, and brewers.
In 2001, Judith Roth, a local artist and active arts advocate, worked with the Jane Addams Resource Corporation to add an arts component to their existing, “Tour of Industry”. The arts tour originally included a handful of artists in three building located in Ravenswood. By 2005, a core group of volunteers had expanded “The Tour of Arts and Industry” to include over 53 Ravenswood venues and hundreds of local artists. Click here to learn more about Judith Roth and see her work.
In 2006, the volunteer group officially become a non-profit organization. The Peter Jones Gallery (closed in 2009), was host to many early RAW events including the first “Ravenswood Arts Advocate Awards,” which honored local businesses with an original, commemorative work of art. Other early activities included a poster contest to select the artwork for the annual event poster and marketing, and an editorial photography project that documented local manufacturing businesses, creative industry, and artist studios to explore the value of work and the connections between art and industry.
In 2013, the Ravenswood Community Council (RCC) absorbed Ravenswood ArtWalk as a natural extension of its community-driven work. In 2015, the RCC established the Greater Ravenswood Chamber of Commerce (GRCC). Over the next several years, ArtWalk grew to include a street festival, food truck roundup, and kids activities. Since taking on the administrative and creative responsibilities, GRCC has continued to grow Ravenswood ArtWalk and champion our local artists, musicians, and makers.
