Explore West Town on the first Friday of every month, when our neighborhood galleries and arts- based businesses stay open until 8PM.

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Interested in checking out First Fridays? Here's how:

• By nature of the program, participating locations will vary month to month. We create a map each month including the participating locations and their programming details. The map is distributed via the weekly "What's Happening in West Town" on the Monday prior. Subscribe to the newsletter here! 

• Want to know more about a specific gallery or exhibition? Reach out to the gallery directly!

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The WTFF program facilitates connection amongst West Town's galleries and arts-based businesses and their represented artists, collectors, and patrons, as well as independent area artists.

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The West Town Chamber of Commerce launched the First Fridays program in October 2022 at the request of and with support from a contingency of its Member galleries.

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The goal of WTFF is to ensure the continued success of West Town area galleries, both emergent and established, as cornerstones of the West Town neighborhood—a nexus of organic growth and sustainable development in the arts and beyond. 

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The program intends to amplify Member galleries' own programming efforts by creating a monthly guide to exhibitions and events and supplementary programming for patrons to utilize when visiting the neighborhood on the first Friday of each month. 

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Is your business interested in participating? Here are the guidelines: 

• Be located within (and be a Member of) the West Town Chamber of Commerce's service area: Division Street to Hubbard; Halsted Street to Kedzie Avenue. Not a Member yet? Apply today!

• Be showcasing art in some form. This includes traditional galleries, as well as retail, food & beverage, or service businesses that are exhibiting art.

• Be open from 6-8 p.m. the First Friday of each month. Extended hours of programming before or beyond that window are fine, but 6-8 p.m. is the minimum requirement. 

• Provide your programming details in advance of the first Friday of the month via this Google Form.

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Interested in presenting an exhibition or event in our office gallery?

In addition to organizing the monthly initiative, the Chamber has also transformed its office space into a rotating gallery where arts-based Members that lack a traditional gallery space are invited to utilize the space for their own exhibitions and related programming.

 

Interested Members can fill out this Member Expression of Interest form. Not a Member yet? It's easy to apply!