Join us for the 20th annual “Tour of Arts & Industry” on Saturday Sept. 10 & Sunday Sept. 11!
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.
The 20th annual Ravenswood ArtWalk 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.
RAW Outdoor Arts Market & Beer Garden
Update – Sunday, 9/11: Due to today’s storms and the flooded viaducts along Ravenswood Ave, the Outdoor Artist Market and Beer Garden at RAW will is cancelled. HOWEVER, there are still LOTS of amazing things happening INSIDE along Ravenswood, including:
– A fall open house with free drop-in art classes and two floors of artist studios at Lillstreet Art Center
– A 60 Second Film Festival at Big Teeth Productions
– Swordplay demos and classes at Forteza Fitness and Martial Arts
– Interactive art exhibits and activities at Dandelion Therapeutic Art Center
– An artist pop-up market in the taproom at Cultivate by Forbidden Root
– A pop-up gallery and sale at Thresholds
– Open studios from artists like Bill Bartelt Watercolors, Starshaped Press, Manifold, SpiderMeka Portraits, Andrea Cook, and more
– Not to mention cold beer, tours, tastings, and other activities at Begyle Brewing, Dovetail Brewery, KOVAL Distillery, and Vin312 Winery
Enter the RAW Outdoor Arts Market at Ravenswood and Berteau to shop 50+ artists while enjoying live music, dance classes and performances, kids activities, food truck fare, and cold craft beer from Begyle Brewing!
Musical Performances on the GRCC Stage
Saturday 9/10
5:00 PM – Of Wondrous Legends (O.W.L.)
3:45 PM – Rami Gabriel Blues & Jazz Trio
2:30 PM – Albion West
1:15 PM – Angela James
12:00 PM – Hard Femme
11:00 AM – The Millers
Sunday 9/11 – CANCELLED
5:00 PM – Olive Avenue
3:45 PM – Junegrass
2:30 PM – Honey Cellar
1:15 PM – Jaewon
12:00 PM – Brox
11:00 AM – Nathan Graham
WATCH: Check out this short film on YouTube about the long, strange journey of Chicago psych-rock pioneers Of Wondrous Legends! They return for their 3rd performance at RAW at 5 PM on Saturday 9/10/22.
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
Big Teeth Productions Big Teeth is excited to bring back their Sixty Second Film Festival for its 6th year. The fifteen-minute show will screen several times every hour. Read more
Lillstreet Art Center Visit Lillstreet's annual Fall Open House, complete with open studios, free drop-in workshops (outdoors and on the 1st floor), and work from over 100 artists on display. Read more
Dandelion Therapeutic Art Center Dandelion is hosting an exhibit featuring life in 2002 with an interactive timeline. Guests can reflect and add their personal milestones. Dandelion will also host an art project for attendees based on reflection. Read more
The Hive Dance Studios The Hive dance studio is hosting a small meet and greet outside of their new studio. Visit to learn about The Hive and what they offer. Read more
Forteza Fitness & Martial Arts Chicago's only home to study the martial arts of the medieval knight will present demos, including handling of antique and replica swords, and short classes to show what they do. Read more
SpiderMeka Portraits Live portrait photography demos with volunteer subjects, beginning at 11am each day. Read more
ACM School of Music Over RAW weekend, ACM will host a music installation and play episodes from their Songs About Buildings and Moods video series. 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
Wayward Arts Gallery + Tattoo Wayward Arts presents ABUNDANCE - a group exhibition curated by Keith Mendak, featuring contemporary artists whose work celebrates the "eternal source of overbrimming variety." 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 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. 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.
