photo: courtesy of Clifton Henri
Even if your loved ones are getting harder to please and the day-after-Thanksgiving bargain hunting crushed your holiday spirit, you don't have to settle for giving gift cards. Original, high-quality, local artwork—at prices that will keep you in your merry way—abounds at shops, galleries and online, and it makes for the perfect, thoughtful present for anyone on your list.
Show your civic pride at City of Chicago Store
You can find gifts commemorating the city's well-known attractions at the City of Chicago's Shop at the Cultural Center or online. The Millennium Park brass ornament, with images of the "Bean," Pritzker Pavilion and the Lurie Fountain's "spitting video," costs just $15 and portrays one of the city's most artful landmarks. The hand-painted Tiffany Dome paperweight ($45) captures the Center's stained-glass treasure in painstaking miniature, right down to the etched side quotation. And if you missed the beautifully bulbous sculptures at Garfield Park Conservatory's "Niki in the Garden" summer show, the 80-page exhibit catalog ($25) is the next best thing.
Soar above the city with Clifton Henri
Stay on top of the day-to-day while glimpsing worlds south of Madison Street with Twelve Stories High, a photography calendar from art director, photographer and South Side native Clifton Henri. His eighth calendar, which will only set you back $12, lingers on everyday Chicago scenes to celebrate hope, in the eyes of a 7-year-old boy; creativity, in the artists wandering abandoned city tracts; and the connections we too often take for granted. Ven Sherrod Image Gallery will exhibit Henri's work at an exhibit opening on December 14, with your favorite prints (five-by-five or 12-by-12) available for purchase on site or on Henri's website.
Find something unique at Sacred Art
Reverence is optional at this independent Roscoe Village bazaar showcasing works by Chicagoland artists. So's a fat wallet, as most pieces cost $75 or less. A variety of media—from Jennifer Rapp's kid-friendly plush toys to Jori Foreman's abstract portraits—helps you play Santa for friends and relatives of all ages. Give stunning local photography or silk screened neighborhood scenes to out-of-town friends you wish would visit more often. Or, take pride in your 'hood and transit line with a custom-ordered Transit Tee. Owner Sarah Chazin will thank you in advance for your thoughtful purchase at the December 7th Holiday Mixer and Trunk Show.
Get artsy for less at giftshop project space The gescheidle gallery's side space packs smaller works from emerging artists into a walk-in closet, and sets prices (always under $1,000) aimed squarely at the beginning collector. Your purchase supports the local arts economy and could be the wisest investment you make this year. The West Loop's smallest gallery highlights a new artist every month or so, with Art Institute M.F.A. Laura Mackin earning the holiday slot. Mackin's harrowing LightJet images appropriated from an eBay seller's page are a commentary on all the consumerism we can't seem to escape each December.
Feel the holiday spirit at Lillstreet Art Center
Artists participating in Lillstreet Art Center's holiday wreath sale leave the laurel behind, recasting the ubiquitous Christmas symbol from clay, yarn, packing plastic, recycled yo-yos and even an HVAC duct. Wreaths cost $30-$200, with at least half of the proceeds from each purchase going to support Deborah's Place, a nonprofit aiding "those who don't have doors to hang wreaths from." A few feet away, you can purchase original flatware, jewelry and trinkets made by the Center's artists at the Lillstreet Shop, then grab dessert at First Slice, an organization that offers a subscription meal program that not only feeds the subscribing family, but also Chicagoans in need.
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