SoNa Chicago Contemporary Art - South of North Avenue (SoNa)

A contemporary art gallery located in the Wicker Park/Bucktown/West Town neighborhood of Chicago.

Laleh Motlagh
Rooted. Uprooted.
Sept 12 - Nov 7, 2026

Exhibition Opening Reception:
Sat., September 12, 5-8 pm

Gertie CXW Opening Reception:
Thurs., September 17, 5-8 pm

Artist Talk:
Sat., September 19, 12:15 - 1:30 pm

SoNa Chicago is participating in Chicago Exhibition Weekend 2026‍ ‍

SoNa Chicago listing in the Newcity 40th Anniversary Issue‍ - see below ‍

Art in Chicago – a Newcity Guide, The Art Geography of Chicago, Feb/March 2026 issue

SoNa Chicago Contemporary Art
Just off the well-worn path of Wicker Park and a skip away from the blue-chip gallery corridor in West Town, SoNa, “South of North Avenue,” is a Chicago favorite. Focused on community, the gallery remains hyperlocal, with exhibitions that celebrate Windy City artists and recent graduates.  The gallery uses its picture windows almost like a showroom with easily consumable art on display to attract passersby without crowding the wallspace. Curators Laura Botwinick and Molly O’Donnell work to the beat of a progressive drum, allowing their artists to shine with catered events and consistent artist talks where crowds can spill out into their courtyard.  Their 2026 programming demonstrates a bright future for Chicago as a transformational city where emerging galleries can find traditional art market success. - Teddy Sandler, Newcity Writer

 

Below: Exhibition, Lightness and Being, group show, Nov 8, 2024 - Jan 11, 2025

Gallery wall with various colorful artworks and sculptures on white pedestals, titled 'lightness and being'
View of an art gallery window showing various paintings inside, with two women looking at art and talking.
Visitors observing artworks in an art gallery, including paintings and mixed media pieces displayed on white walls.
A minimalist art display on a white wall with five square canvases, each featuring a circular textured element above a colorful abstract pattern with leaf-like shapes in earth tones.

 

Below: Exhibition, Laleh Motlagh, Entanglement, May 31 - July 20, 2024

 

Cycles and Voids Series, photo credit: Frank Geiser

Art gallery interior with four minimalist line drawings on the wall and a vertical sculpture made of dried plants near large window.
A poster advertising Laleh Motlagh's art exhibition titled 'Entanglement' running from May 31 to July 20, featuring abstract black line drawings resembling tangled wires or roots, with shadows cast on the background and the SoNa Chicago logo in the bottom right corner.

 

Below: Exhibition, Paul Gerard Somers, Muscle Memory, March 29 - May 11, 2024

Below, right: Thank you to the wonderful arts community of Chicago and beyond for voting SoNa Chicago as “Best Art Gallery” in the Chicago Reader’s Best of Chicago 2024!

Museum gallery with artwork and visitors, large plush hand sculpture with hanging plush animal, people viewing framed artworks on the wall, and each other, in a well-lit space.
An art gallery with two large hanging art installations. The left installation features numerous cutouts of sports badges, patches, and symbols in various colors and shapes suspended from a horizontal rod. The right installation displays a dark rectangular panel with illuminated masks made of a yellowish material, with some masks featuring human facial features and others resembling animal or stylized faces, illuminated from behind.
Award badge with yellow and black design, recognizing the best art gallery in Chicago in 2024, awarded to SoNa Chicago for contemporary art.