“Horse Mane,” photo by Ron Seymour

“That Guy’s Gotta Stop,” mixed media on canvas by Peter Mars

One of the great joys in my life is settling down with a large Diet Coke for an indie film or two at the Landmark Theatres in the Century Shopping Centre, but I usually just avoid the mall shops on the winding road up to my Shangri-lobby. It’s pretty much Retail Without a Cause, unless you’re in the market for board games based on reality television, or some cloyingly sweet body lotions (who are these customers demanding to smell like gingerbread pancakes, anyway?). But there is an unusual, salon-style gallery on the third floor called Maison Rouge that I’ll drop by now and then, and always see cool stuff. I like the WPA-ishness of some of the photos and paintings, and noted Chicago artists like Ed Paschke, Tony FitzPatrick, and Marc Hauser can often be spotted. This Peter Mars painting popped out to me, as did the black-and-white horse photos of Ron Seymour. The eclectic gallery also carries a great selection of sculpture, vintage silver items like watches and frames, and African-American art.

—BRADLEY LINCOLN

Images courtesy Maison Rouge