Inside & Out Tours

SOLD OUT What, exactly, is a hybrid cultural economy? Best to find out in person! On this tour, you’ll experience three signature art and community centers in Washington Park developed by University of Chicago professor and visionary artist Theaster Gates. Explore the Stony Island Arts Bank, the Dorchester Art & Housing Collaborative, and the Listening…

SOLD OUT All aboard for an issues-based tour of Pullman, the 19th century neighborhood created by railcar magnate Geroge M. Pullman. Designated by President Obama as a National Monument, Pullman is a unique place to explore issues such as historic preservation, urban planning, adaptive re-use, and economic development. Among our stops: an historic apartment building…

Lower West Side’s Pilsen community is where Chicago’s rich tradition of architecture meets the vibrant contributions of the city’s Mexican immigrant community. As such, Pilsen is an enriching study of emerging arts practices in urban communities as well as the impact of gentrification in community development. Stops include the National Museum of Mexican Fine Art,…

This walking tour of Chicago’s Loop neighborhood features examples of Chicago’s built environment along the Chicago River highlighting the power of tech and engineering and adaptive reuse to create spaces that are both functional and economically viable. Stops include sites along the Chicago River and 1871—an incubator space in the 140,000-square foot Merchandise Mart managed…

SOLD OUT This tour of two communities near Chicago’s West Side will highlight efforts focused on arts, culture, and families to show how arts practices, adaptive reuse of space, and community organizing can help a community thrive. Stops include a youth-dedicated satellite location of the National Museum of Mexican Art, an arts collaborative, a steel…

SOLD OUT From the curious terraces of the UChicago’s Harris School of Public Policy to the catalytic spaces of the Logan Center for the Arts to the cavernous ideas incubator at the Polsky Center for Entrepreneurship and Innovation, Hyde Park blends art, innovation, and public life in mind-opening ways. And we know who comes to…

Asiaha Butler of the Resident Association of Greater Englewood will lead a tour from 63rd and the Dan Ryan to the Englewood Square on 63rd & Halsted—home of AT&T, Whole Foods, Starbucks and more—then visit the RAGE Headquarters located at 66th & Union. You'll learn of about RAGE's efforts, recent investments, and the importance of…

SOLD OUT Home base for this Chicago Lawn tour will be Inner City Muslim Action Network (IMAN) in Chicago’s South Side, where staff and artists will illuminate challenges and solutions for designing programs for those reentering post-incarceration, reenvisioning historic spaces for community use, making public spaces, and more. Stops include the Beloved Community Ceramics Studio…

SOLD OUT Named the “Great Migration”, the Bronzeville community on Chicago’s South Side was the center for African-American culture and business in the 1920s-1950s. After years of decline, the community has been rebuilding, making Bronzeville a testament to the power of legacy cultural institutions and social service organizations in urban communities and tactical approaches to…

SOLD OUT Birthplace of five Chicago mayors, Bridgeport, once known for racial intolerance, is now a thriving hub of artists, entrepreneurs, and changemakers. Following a tour through cultural and commercial centers featuring local artists’ work, lunch at a local restaurant, then enjoy kayakers on the Chicago River at the Eleanor Boathouse at Park 57. Explore…