This summer, art galleries in the Loop open their doors to the public every first Thursday of the month, free of charge. The galleries are held in empty storefronts that have been transformed to showcase the art.

Nine galleries participated, each within a six-block radius of one another and all off the CTA Red Line. The galleries showcase a variety of art including sculpture, photography and paintings and are usually cheap or free for students.

Gallery 13 is a favorite in the Loop. Current exhibit “Lost and Found” is a collection of old and forgotten photographs. One artist, Jeff Phillips, found 1,000 pictures for $40 in a junk store. The photographs were of a man and a woman named Harry and Edna. Their relation to each other is unknown. Phillips began a project called “Is This Your Mother?”

Phillips made a Facebook page and posted one picture a day, hoping that someone would recognize Harry and Edna. Although no one has identified the couple, Phillips is hopeful that more people will like the page and someone will eventually contact him; Phillips uses a social media outlet to project his work. The photos capture the essence of the classic American family and the American Dream.

Two blocks from Gallery 13 is the IN/SITU gallery on Dearborn Street, which is home to two sculptures. DePaul professor Susan Giles created one of the sculptures entitled “Crumpled Spire.” The spire is 10 pounds and made completely out of wood. The piece took Giles about a month to complete with the help of an assistant.

Her work was inspired by Santiago Calatrava’s Chicago spire that was never built. The skyscraper was supposed to be a new icon for the city but because of the economy collapse, the spire was never built. Giles’ said that her “Crumpled Spire” represents the “crumpled economy.” Giles knows that the spire does not actually exist in the material world but the building is still “a part of our minds.”