Lillstreet Art Center (4401 N. Ravenswood Avenue, Chicago) proudly announces a jam-packed collection of Fall programs, including four exhibitions opening on September 10, signature artmaking classes for adults and kids, and hands-on youth programming including a collaboration with Chicago Architecture Center. The Fall Lillstreet exhibitions include: The Further We Roll, an exhibition collaboration with Make Art with Purpose (MAP) on the Lillstreet rooftop with artist flags honoring Civil Rights Leaders and the Nineteenth Amendment; The Matrix, an exhibition of work by the Lillstreet Printmaking & Book Arts Department Faculty and Monitors; Up There! by Scott Mossman, an immersive scavenger hunt premiering a suite of ten recently completed works challenging visitors to discover pieces hidden around Lillstreet; and Henry Voellmeacke’s exhibition examining color theory, formalism, and phenomena through the process colors, geometric forms, and relationships between overlaying colors and pattern. All four exhibitions will be celebrated at a complimentary Opening Reception, Thursday, September 10, from 5-8pm. Additionally, an exhibition by Anthony Park Kascak will be on display this Fall, intertwining personal narrative and interest in historical artifacts. More information on all these programs at lillstreet.com.
(L to R): Anthony Park Kascak Exhibition Image, Lillstreet Art Center at Ravenswood Art Walk, Make Art with Purpose (MAP) piece by Aram Han Sifuentes
Beyond exhibitions, other upcoming Lillstreet programs include Fall Classes starting September 8, with the second session beginning October 12, open for registration now. Classes are available in all departments, including Ceramics, Metalsmithing & Jewelry, Textiles, Printmaking & Book Arts, Drawing & Painting, and Digital.
Additionally, Lillstreet’s youth branch, Kidstreet, will offer more noteworthy programs this Fall, including a collaboration with Chicago Architecture Center with Teen Ambassadors – a free, application-based, multi-week program engaging 10th-12th grade teens in place-based research while developing skills as community ambassadors, designing a final creative project, and receiving a stipend for their work and studies. The program takes place on Saturdays, September 20 – October 17, 10am – 4pm, open for free registration now. Participants will dive into the rich history of Lillstreet and its surrounding neighborhood, studying culturally important sites on Chicago’s northside. On October 17, participants will apply their learning as on-site ambassadors during Open House Chicago, the city’s largest architecture and cultural festival. Priority applications are due August 21, 2026, after which applicants will be waitlisted.
“Fall is such an exciting time for Lillstreet. This time of year, we are always buzzing with artistic expression and creativity – whether it’s through the exhibitions by artists in residence or our outstanding staff, new cycles of classes for adults, or exciting programs for young artists and students,” said Bruce Robbins, Lillstreet Art Center Founder, CEO, and on-site presence for five decades.
Lillstreet Fall Exhibitions
The Further We Roll
Tied to the upcoming midterm elections, this exhibition is a collaboration with the national organization Make Art with Purpose (MAP) on the Lillstreet rooftop with four dramatic artist-created flags honoring Civil Rights Leaders and the Nineteenth Amendment giving women the right to vote, on display September 10 - November 6, 2026.
Artist flags include: Aram Han Sifuentes honoring Dr. Mabel Ping Hua-Lee; Annette Lawrence examining the ratification of the Nineteenth Amendment; Táhila Moss (aka Tahila Mintz) honoring Indigenous Women Knowledge Carriers; and Lissa Rivera honoring Jennie June.
The Matrix
An exhibition of work by the Lillstreet Printmaking & Book Arts Department Faculty and Monitors now on view through September 25, 2026
Working in contemporary as well as traditional and vintage print processes, the Lillstreet Print department offers classes in etching, letterpress, relief, monotype, collagraph and screen printing as well as bookmaking techniques including accordion, pamphlet, Coptic, and stab-binding. The work in this exhibition is an exploration of all of these techniques and more; works range from artists books to block printing to lithography.
Artists include; Molly Berkson, Sara Emerson, Matthew Ginsburg, Kasey Grealis, Katie Kiesewetter, Mint Liu, Hannah McMaster, K. Bellamy Mitchell, Alicja Pulit, Kim Raffield, Charlie Smith, Shannon Thompson, Paloma Valencia, Henry Voellmecke, Anna Wagner
Up There! by Scott Mossman
An immersive scavenger hunt for premiering a suite of ten recently completed works challenging visitors to discover pieces hidden around Lillstreet, September 1-30, 2026.
In his site-specific installation, Mossman has designed an immersive scavenger hunt for the month of September. Premiering a suite of ten recently completed works, he challenges visitors to discover these pieces hidden within the unheralded corners, classrooms, and common areas of the distinctive warehouse space. Mossman’s Post-Minimalist sculptures are rarely hung at eye-level. Rather than engaging one-to-one with the viewer like a traditional painting, they function as spatial punctuation that highlight the overlooked elements of an architectural environment.
Scott Mossman is a Chicago-based multidisciplinary artist and musician whose 45-year career explores the dynamic relationship between fine art and architectural space. His post-minimalist sculptures and rich, maximalist paintings question the traditional boundaries of two- and three-dimensional art.
Henry Voellmeacke
An exhibition examining color theory, formalism, and phenomena through the process colors, geometric forms, and relationships between overlaying colors and pattern, September 1-30, 2026.
Voellmeacke has been a First-Time Screen Printing teacher at Lillstreet since 2020.
Anthony Park Kascak
An exhibition intertwining personal narrative and interest in historical artifacts, September 7-26, 2026, with a closing reception and artist talk on September 26 at 5pm.
The core of Anthony Park Kascak’s practice explores hwa 화, which can translate to flower, fire, anger, or growth. He is interested in exploring how intimate anecdotes and ancient translation tie into world-building as well as navigating the disorientation of cultural hybridity.
Lillstreet Art Center came from humble beginnings; starting in the early 1970s as the Robbins Clay company, selling materials for ceramics artists. With the business partnership of Martin Cohen, Robbins sold Robbins Clay in 1975 and bought a former horse stable at 1021 W. Lill Street in Lincoln Park. Named after the street, Lill Street Studios became a respected destination for clay artists from throughout the U.S. and continued to expand its offerings to include a small variety of ceramics classes and workshops. This programming eventually outgrew the space, and in 2003, Lillstreet relocated to a place in which it could truly grow—a former gear factory at 4401 N. Ravenswood Avenue which it has now called home over two decades. Lillstreet has continued to add high-quality programs while maintaining its approachable, community atmosphere. The Center has developed a substantial children's program, for youth ages 2 to 17, including ten-week classes, workshops, and holiday and summer camps. The adult program has expanded beyond Ceramics to include Metalsmithing & Jewelry, Textiles, Printmaking & Book Arts, Drawing & Painting, and Digital – all led by high-quality working artists using state-of-the-art equipment and facilities.
For more information on Lillstreet Art Center and its exhibitions, year-round class and workshop sessions, and more, visit www.lillstreet.com