We’re excited for the 20th anniversary Annual Tour of Arts + Industry this September 2022!
It’s back! 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 50+ local makers, live music and dance, food trucks, and a Malt Row beer garden.
Since 2001, RAW has showcased Ravenswood’s vibrant arts community. This signature neighborhood arts festival provides a unique opportunity to visit working artist studios and manufacturing businesses while exploring the architectural history of the Ravenswood Industrial Corridor.
RAW Directory and Map
There’s a lot to see and do in our 2-day neighborhood arts tour. Come explore Ravenswood as we showcase the unique hub of creative practices that exists here.
What to See
Preview the artists, manufacturers, and makers in our new RAW artist directory!*
Where to Go
Check out our RAW arts tour map and plan your Ravenswood ArtWalk trip.
*Note: We’re still updating our list of visiting artists at the Outdoor Arts Market. A complete list of all participating 2022 artists will be live soon! – 8/9/22
🚲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.
RAW Outdoor Arts Market & Beer Garden
Enter the RAW Outdoor Arts Market at Ravenswood and Berteau to shop 50+ local artists while enjoying live music, dance performances from The Hive, food truck fare, and cold craft beer from Begyle Brewing!
Performances By
- Olive Avenue
- Rami Gabriel Blues & Jazz Trio
- Albion West
- Angela James
- Junegrass
- Hard Femme
- Jaewon
- Brox
- The Millers
and more to be announced soon!
RAW Arts Tour Highlights
Forteza Fitness & Martial Arts Chicago's only home to study the martial arts of the medieval knight! We will be presenting demonstrations, handling of antique and replica swords, and short, 30-min classes to show what we do, and why you'll love it! Read more
Big Teeth Productions Big Teeth is excited to bring back their Sixty Second Film Festival for its 6th year. Visitors will get to screen multiple one-minute films all inspired by famous works of art. The fifteen-minute show will screen every hour at the top of the hour, the :20 and :40. Read more
Thresholds Virtual Art Walk and sale featuring over 30 Thresholds Creative Arts Program clients! September 6 - 12. Read more
Dandelion Therapeutic Art Center We blend art, creativity & therapy for an active approach to healing at Dandelion Therapeutic Art Center, a dedicated art therapy practice based in Ravenswood. Our planned activities for the Ravenswood ArtWalk are inspired by the walk's 20th anniversary. There will be a gallery exhibit featuring life in 2002 with an interactive 20 year timeline,… Read more
Access Contemporary Music At Access Contemporary Music, our mission is to bring musical creativity to life every day through performances of the music of diverse living composers, collaborative events designed to reach new audiences, innovative commissioning projects that foster the creation of new music and through storefront music schools that teach musical creativity. We will be hosting a… Read more
SpiderMeka Portraits Photography demos, every 30 minutes beginning at 11am. Read more
Redline VR Enjoy a free trial of 3D painting in virtual reality and tour a virtual sculpture exhibit! Read more
Ballroom College This new-to-Ravenswood Ballroom and Latin School will host free, drop-in Ballroom and Latin dance lessons throughout RAW weekend! Read more
Lillstreet Art Center Various workshops throughout the arts tour weekend, self-guided tours of the building, and a Gallery & Shop sale! View their listing for workshop schedule Read more
The 20th annual Ravenswood ArtWalk: Tour of Arts & Industry is proudly presented by the Greater Ravenswood Chamber of Commerce, Ravenswood Community Council, SSA #31, Thresholds, Lillstreet Art Center, Garrett Realty, Begyle Brewing, Dandelion Therapeutic Art Center, Access Contemporary Music, and Luckyprints.
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 20 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.
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.
