A print from Goya’s Disasters of War series.

Artists Connect, a series of talks hosted by the Art Institute of Chicago, allow local artists to host an hour-long talk where they discuss the connections they feel with works by master artists that are housed in the Institute.

The next installment in this series will take place on March 2nd, at 2PM with Jon Langford‘s discussion of Disasters of War. This series of prints by Spanish artist  Francisco Goya depict in great detail the gruesome atrocities of war. Langford will link his own experiences as an artist to the piece in hopes of fostering a connection between classic pieces and the modern age.

The lecture will be held in the Price Auditorium and is free with museum admission.

Over the course of many years, artist Rafael E. Vera has been slowly undergoing the process of renovating his home. The architectural development within his home has come to be the inspiration for Vera’s newest collection: Nothing Concrete.

This exhibition strives to highlight  “the underlying reality of domestic building structural elements.” The seemingly mundane characteristics of building materials are transformed and given new meaning through Vera’s exceptional work.

Friday, March 9th will mark the opening of Vera’s exhibition held at the Bert’s Green Fine Art gallery. There will be an Artist’s Reception the following day on Saturday March 9 from 5-8PM. The last showing of this collection will be on Saturday, April 27 and will include a closing reception from 5-8PM with an Artist’s talk at 6PM.

For more information on this event click, here.

The folks at Chicago Gallery News are offering free gallery tours around the city on Saturdays throughout the year. Each tour will be led by a gallery representative, and will feature 4 galleries that change each week. This week highlights galleries in the River North neighborhood!

On Saturday, February 23rd, you’ll be able to check out the Jean Albano Gallery, Ken Saunders, Jennifer Norback Fine Art, Inc., and Addington Gallery. Tours meet at the Starbucks at 705 N. Franklin.

In order to catch the tour, you don’t need a reservation! Just be at Starbucks by 11AM on the day of the tour you’d like to see. For more information about the tours, click here.