Chicago Artist
Resource Guide

Supports 3D modeling, design, and physical fabrication. Reserve a machine online. Free and open to all UIC students.

Workshops and one-on-one consultations on text analysis, podcasting, and digital media design. Check for → upcoming workshops.

Host your own website and get 2GB of free server space through UIC — a solid option for students building a web presence.

South side-based space for tinkerers, builders, and tech enthusiasts. Focused on making technology accessible to the south side community. Woodworking, rapid prototyping, and electronics. $45 per month.

Wood shop, metal shop, grinding/finishing room, and private 10'×10' studio spaces for rent. Daily, weekly, monthly, and annual memberships.

Hardtech innovation center for physical product development. UIC has a partnership/membership. Good for hardware, manufacturing, and product design.

Nonprofit tool lending library with 8,000+ members and 2,500+ borrowable items. Sliding-scale memberships. One of the largest tool libraries in the world. Monthly free Repair Fairs.

Free makerspace access at select CPL branches: 3D printers, laser cutters, recording equipment, and more. No membership required — just a library card.

Reviving industrial arts education. Classes and open studio access for metalworking, woodworking, and industrial design.

Arc Academy is a founder-led nonprofit providing affordable, accessible, hands-on trades education via its welding school. Upon completing the first two MIG classes, students can join as members for $105 / mo , which includes unlimited, free access to the Open Shop.

One of Chicago's original makerspaces (2007). Member-run 501(c)(3). Membership $40–70/month. Open house every Tuesday at 8pm.

Community makerspace focused on electronics, hardware, and hands-on making.

Find a maker or print shop in your neighborhood to print your project (for a fee).

Community arts center offering studio membership, classes, and collaborative programming for artists across disciplines including glass and ceramics.

24/7 member access, Pay-to-Clay passes, day passes, and classes. 10 wheels, slab roller, extruder, 2 kilns.

Community ceramics studio committed to material and conceptual experimentation. 6-week classes, single-day workshops, monthly memberships, and day passes. 12 wheels, regular kiln firings.

Woman-owned. Weekly wheel-throwing classes and independent study memberships. Unlimited access 7am–11pm, 7 days/week. Month-to-month, no commitment.

5,000 sq ft neighborhood pottery studio. Beginner and intermediate classes, workshops, and monthly independent study memberships. 35 wheels, 3 electric kilns, slab roller, extruder, spray booth.

Historic building with river views. Cone 10 gas reduction firings. Members have 24-hour studio access.

Our Handmade Papermaking classes, workshops, and studio sessions offer: material, education, space, time and tools. Our offerings encourage you to practice, collaborate and actualize your ideas.

Chicago's oldest independent printmaking workshop. Full range of techniques: etching, stone lithography, relief, screen printing, book arts. Membership ~$225/month with 24-hour access.

Residency program, open studio access, workshops, and community events. Risograph printing resources for zine and publication work. Hosts annual Small Print Show.

Collaborative printmaking studio offering letterpress, screen printing, and bookbinding. Access to shared equipment, artist talks, annual Publishers Fair at the Chicago Cultural Center.

Collaborative letterpress and bookbinding studio focused on fine press printing and the book arts. Community-oriented; a space for working alongside other practitioners.

Public access to a TC2 digital jacquard loom — one of the only open-studio models in the U.S.

Weaving studio, production house, and experimental arts space. Maintains an artist residency program for fiber artists exploring weaving as an experimental practice.

Gerber pattern plotter, 11 professional-grade sewing machines, fully equipped for prototyping and small-scale production. Day passes and monthly passes available to members and non-members.

Artist-run space offering digital tools: 3D printers, laser cutters, and software for artists working in digital media. Membership from $50/month.

501(c)(3) nonprofit for independent filmmakers. Based at Cinespace. Membership includes The Hub workspace, an 80-seat theater, screenings, and industry events. 12+ programs per year.

Media arts training through workshops, summer camps, and workforce development. Classes in cinematography, screenwriting, sound, and filmmaking. Reel Black Filmmakers and Diverse Voices in Docs programs.

Chicago's legendary documentary org (founded 1966). Three paths: Filmmaker Development, Production Partnerships, and Hire Us. Story development, editing, legal, fundraising, distribution, and archival preservation.

Independent nonprofit — the public's space on cable television, est. 1983. Five local channels reaching 1M+ viewers. Training courses lead to Producer Membership with camera, editing, and studio access.

Nonprofit cultural institution founded in 1986. Studios, workshops, performances, and a Creative Audio Archive of rare recordings.

Art gallery dedicated to video game art and culture — one of the few spaces in the country treating video games as a legitimate fine art medium.

Nonprofit for indie game developers. Workshops, game jams, open mics, and community events to support independent game development.

Former meatpacking facility transformed into a vertical farm and food business incubator. Hosts food producers, breweries, and sustainable agriculture projects.

Nonprofit creative reuse center collecting donated art supplies, fabric offcuts, paper, and materials at very low cost. Free weekly Craft Night, annual sustainable fashion show (DiscarDisco).

Collects and redeems discarded plastic in the community and transforms it into functional artwork.

A makerspace for biology — an open, shared, professionally equipped laboratory where anyone, regardless of background, can learn, experiment, and build with biotechnology.

Community Science & Instruments. An interdisciplinary space bridging chemistry, engineering, biology, manufacturing, and entrepreneurship for data-driven and scientific work.

Makerspace and innovation lab focusing on Space Science just outside the city. Good for those in the south and southwest suburbs.

Upcoming drawing, painting, and photography meetups across the city. A great way to find community and creative collaborators.

Upcoming maker and craft-focused meetups in Chicago. Find hands-on communities across fabrication, electronics, and craft disciplines.

Nonprofit supporting contemporary Chicago artists and curators. Offers a full suite of resources:

Free public arts institution. Rotating exhibitions, performances, lectures, and a comprehensive hub for Chicago creatives.

Subsidized Studio Residencies, Collective Learning Cohorts, and Exhibitions rooted in justice.

Former Commonwealth Edison warehouse with dozens of artist studios, exhibition spaces, a library, and more. UIC has a presence here. Open studios and public programs.

Large multi-tenant building with artist studios, galleries, event space, and a fashion design center. Home to Project Onward and Chicago MakerSpace. 3rd Fridays open studios monthly.

Community arts programming rooted in the Pilsen neighborhood, supporting local artists and residents through exhibitions, workshops, and events.

Open studio and exhibition space supporting artists across disciplines.

Classes, exhibitions, residencies, and free public events. All classes are contribute-what-you-can.

Also home to Lumpen Radio and the Public Media Institute.

Five decades of murals, mosaics, sculptures, and public art projects across Chicago neighborhoods.

Artist cooperative offering shared studio space for working artists.

Maker spaces, art studios, workspaces, and office space for creatives. Artist in Residency program.

Founded 1912. Unrestricted awards, project funding, residencies, and professional development. Partners with Bodies of Work for Deaf and disabled artist residencies.

Performance venue and gallery spanning jazz, experimental, electronic, hip-hop, classical, literary readings, film screenings, and visual art exhibitions.

Nonprofit art studio and gallery supporting 60+ Chicago visual artists living with mental and developmental disabilities. Workspace, materials, and professional guidance at no cost.

Advances the creative arts community by providing a collective space for artists with intellectual and developmental disabilities to expand their practice and strengthen their leadership.