1 Holiday Lights, City Lights Tour (Chicago Architecture Center, 111 East Wacker Drive) Experience the magic of a holiday lights tour like no other aboard the Chicago Architecture Center’s double-decker bus. You’ll learn all about the great architects, designers and leaders who shaped the city and also get into the holiday spirit. (One-and-a-half hours, $35)
2 Ando and Le Corbusier: Masters of Architecture (Wrightwood 659) Last Chance: In their inaugural show, Wrightwood 659, a new Lincoln Park venue for exhibitions on architecture and socially engaged art, designed by Pritzker Prize-winning architect Tadao Ando, will showcase more than a hundred drawings and photographs by Swiss-French pioneer of modern architecture and design, Le Corbusier, as well as models made by students of Ando himself. (Through December 15)
3 Renegade Craft Fair (Bridgeport Art Center, 1200 West 35th) Your annual meet-up with artists, designers, makers and entrepreneurs from around the country strikes twice before year-end: Once in the early fall and once right in time for Christmas shopping. The homegrown fair turned global craft showcase phenomenon gives you the perfect excuse to shop small and support your community without it becoming financially overwhelming. (December 1-2, 11am-5pm)
4 Keep Moving: Designing Chicago’s Bicycle Culture (Design Museum of Chicago) Did you know that just before the turn of the century, Chicago-based manufacturers produced the majority of American-made bicycles? Learn all about it at an exhibition that looks at bicycle design and manufacturing in Chicago and explores the city’s contribution to the early popularity of bicycles in America at-large. (Through March 3)
5 Vends + Vibes (University of Chicago Arts + Public Life, 301 East Garfield) The South Side lights up as local artists, makers and creative entrepreneurs gather for a weekend handmade marketplace event to jumpstart your holiday shopping—from clothing, jewelry and accessories, to candles, soaps and body oils, to gourmet treats. (December 8-9)
Greek-born Vasia Rigou is a seasoned journalist, editor and multimedia content producer largely on the subjects of visual art, culture, architecture and design. She currently serves as an Editor at Newcity, Chicago’s leading culture publication, as Writer and Copy Editor at the International Interior Design Association (IIDA) HQ, and regularly contributes to international architecture and design magazines OnOffice and ICON. She has experience creating content for brands and building conference speeches and influential TEDx talks. Simply put: she’s fascinated by finding out the great stories behind the people, places and objects that surround us, and by sharing those stories with the world. When she’s not writing about art or looking at art—wine in hand—she makes lists for pretty much everything, drinks immense amounts of coffee and takes cross-country road trips every chance she gets.
