🎨🍷 Art After Dark: Open Studios + Marz Brewery — 3rd Fridays Bridgeport! 🖼️🌙

🎨🍷 Art After Dark: Open Studios + Marz Brewery — 3rd Fridays Bridgeport! 🖼️🌙

Let's go back! I missed the October one — and everyone who went had a BLAST! So let's do it again! 🎨🍻

Join us for Third Friday Open Studios — a FREE monthly art walk celebrating Chicago's vibrant Bridgeport creative community! Explore working studios, meet artists, check out new exhibitions, and wander through some seriously cool creative spaces!

This month is extra special because Bridgeport Art Center has TWO new exhibitions opening on November 20! 🎨✨

📅 EVENT DETAILS

🗓 Friday, November 20, 2026
⏰ 5:00 PM – 10:30 PM
📍 Marz Community Brewing Company — 3630 S. Iron St., Bridgeport
🎟️ FREE! Registration is preferred at some venues, but walk-ins are welcome.

🗺️ OUR ITINERARY

🍻 5:30–7:00 PM — Marz Community Brewing
Drinks, food & hanging out before we start our art adventure!
🎨 7:00–8:00 PM — ALMA Gallery + IRON Gallery
Explore the galleries and current exhibitions.
🖼️ 8:00 –10:00 PM — Bridgeport Art Center
Open Studios runs 7:00–10:00 PM.
Can't make it at 5:30 PM? Come when you can!
📱 Call/text 312-835-4259 to find the group.

🍺 MARZ COMMUNITY BREWING — OUR HOME BASE!

📍 3630 S. Iron St., Chicago
🌐 https://marz.beer/
⏰ Fridays: 11 AM – midnight
🍽️ Food is available at this location!
Founded on the premise that art, culture, food, and drink should be shared and enjoyed in community, Marz is a beloved Bridgeport institution known for experimental craft beers, kombucha, seltzers, and tavern-inspired food.

The taproom occupies a transformed industrial warehouse and has exactly the kind of funky, creative neighborhood atmosphere that makes it a perfect starting point for our evening. 🍻🎨

We'll kick off the evening here before heading to the galleries — and it's also a great place to wind down afterward!

🎨 ALMA GALLERY

📍 3636 S. Iron St.
⏰ 6:00–9:00 PM
🌐 https://www.almaart.com/

🌟 FEATURED EXHIBITION: THE INNER STAGE — WERIEM

The Inner Stage / La Scène Intérieure by French-Tunisian artist WERIEM explores the private emotional landscapes that exist beneath the visible surface of the face.

The paintings focus particularly on the eyes and the gaze, inviting viewers to think about memory, vulnerability, identity, expectation and the emotions we reveal — or choose to hide.

The exhibition runs through February 28, 2027, so we'll have a chance to see it during our November Third Friday visit.
🌐 ALMA Gallery:
https://www.almaart.com/
🎟️ Third Friday information:
https://www.almaart.com/events/event-one-dsa5b

🔨 IRON GALLERY

📍 3700 S. Iron St., Chicago
🌐 https://irongallerychicago.com/
Iron Gallery is part of Bridgeport's growing creative district, showcasing emerging artistic voices and contemporary work in a space focused on collaboration, discovery and cultural exchange.
🎟️ No registration required — just show up!

🖼️ BRIDGEPORT ART CENTER

📍 1200 W. 35th St. — 35th & Racine
⏰ 7:00–10:00 PM
🌐 https://www.bridgeportart.com/
Bridgeport Art Center is one of Chicago's most interesting creative spaces, with artist studios, galleries, fashion designers, ceramic artists, woodworkers, photographers and more under one enormous historic roof.
And November's Open Studios is bringing NEW exhibitions!

🌟 NEW! CHICAGO ALLIANCE OF VISUAL ARTISTS: 2026 YEAR-END EXHIBITION

📅 November 20, 2026 – January 1, 2027
📍 3rd Floor Gallery
🎉 Opening Reception: Friday, November 20, 6:00–9:00 PM
This juried exhibition features work by Chicago Alliance of Visual Artists members, exploring contemporary issues through a wide range of artistic approaches and media.
Perfect timing for our visit — we'll be there on opening night! 🎨✨
🌐 https://www.bridgeportart.com/chicago-alliance-of-visual-artists2026-year-end-exhibition/

🌟 NEW! REFLECTIONS, DISTORTIONS, SUBVERSIONS

📅 November 20 – December 30, 2026
This International Visual Sociology Association Exhibition 2026 also opens November 20, giving us another brand-new exhibition to explore during Open Studios.
🌐 https://www.bridgeportart.com/exhibitions/

🌿 RETURN TO NATURE

The Return to Nature exhibition continues on the 5th Floor Gallery / Shared Floor Ceramics, giving us another opportunity to explore work inspired by nature and the environment.

🏛️ WHAT TO EXPLORE AT BRIDGEPORT ART CENTER

🚢 River Level — Chicago Maritime Museum & woodworking artists
🛍️ 1st Floor — Gallery Shops & BASE Café
🎨 3rd Floor — Artist studios + NEW CAVA Year-End Exhibition
🖼️ 4th Floor — Gallery artist studios & Corridor Gallery
✂️ 5th Floor — Chicago Ceramic Center, Fashion Design Center & Return to Nature
✨ And don't forget to wander! Open Studios gives us a chance to peek into working artist studios and meet the people creating the work.
🎟️ Open Studios is FREE!
🌐 https://www.bridgeportart.com/exhibitions/open-studios/
🅿️ FREE PARKING in the north lot.
Enter from the North side off Racine / 34th Place.

🍷 OPTIONAL FOOD OPTIONS NEARBY

🍺 Marz Community Brewing — our home base!
🥩 Bold Mongol
🌮 Antique Taco
🍕 Phil's Pizza — cash only

🚇 GETTING THERE

🚇 CTA Red Line: 35th–Bronzeville–IIT / 35th Street area
🚗 Free parking: Bridgeport Art Center's north lot
🌐 CTA Trip Planner:
https://www.transitchicago.com/planatrip/

⚠️ NO-SHOW POLICY

😬 3 no-shows without updating your RSVP = 3-month event freeze
⏰ Update your RSVP by the start time.
📱 Running late? Message the host directly.
✅ Check in with the host when you arrive.

🎨🍻 COME EXPLORE BRIDGEPORT'S CREATIVE SIDE!
Art, beer, working studios, new exhibitions, great company and some of Chicago's coolest hidden gems — all in one Friday night!

And this time we're getting brand-new exhibitions on opening night! 🎨✨🖼️🍻