A NEW STORY OF TIME AND PLACE
Art is all around us.
Open House Contemporary was founded as a radical alternative to the conventional lodging experience. From the urban energy of Chicago to the iconic Midwestern American Football House and the scenic creative getaways of Saugatuck, Michigan, Open House Contemporary hosts guests in welcoming artistic spaces that are designed to relax and escape, adventure and dream.
OPEN HOUSE CONTEMPORARY
CHICAGO, ILLINOIS
Open House
Contemporary
740 North Ogden, Chicago
Open House Contemporary (OHC) offers a unique vision for the role of art in the life of the viewer, whether at home, in the city, or out in the community. By bringing together a diverse collection of contemporary artworks in short-term rental/residential settings, OHC presents art front and center in the built spaces of our lives, reminding us that art is just as compelling in a living room as it is in a gallery.
Embracing artistic expression as a powerful opportunity for communication, connection, and change, founder Matthew Kellen formed Open House Contemporary as an art gallery within a working BNB.
OHC has evolved to provide a platform, with art at its core, for connection among Chicago communities and visitors in creative and compelling ways.
The Craftsman Gallery
The Woodsman Gallery
The Penthouse Gallery
OHC Studio
AMERICAN FOOTBALL HOUSE
URBANA, ILLINOIS
american football house
704 West High Street, Urbana, IL
704 W. High St. is a single-family home nestled on a tree-lined brick street in the historic West Urbana neighborhood of Urbana, Illinois. The white clapboard house, built in 1893, has housed local families and students for over a century from its location just off-campus from the University of Illinois.
In 1999, local artist and 704 W. High St. resident Chris Strong famously photographed the front facade of the house for the front cover of Urbana band American Football’s debut album, and again for the band’s second album in 2016.
In 2023, the property was purchased by the members of American Football, Strong, and locally based Polyvinyl Records in partnership with Open House Contemporary and photographer Atiba Jefferson. The group renovated portions of the house and reopened it as a multipurpose creative space in August 2024.
By preserving the 130+ year-old house and opening it up for artists, creative retreats, events, and nightly stays, we hope this indelible space will continue to inspire others for many years to come–right here in the community that gave shape to its unique legacy.
The American Football House
OHC BLUEPRINT
SAUGATUCK, MICHIGAN
Blueprint
2181 Blue Star Hwy, Fennville, MI
Ten years after the founding of Open House Contemporary in Chicago, OHC Blueprint opened its doors in Fennville, Michigan. Built on the idea that art, travel, design and music are some of the best things in life, OHC Blueprint takes the best parts of OHC’s flagship project in Chicago and expands that concept to the beautiful shores of Southwest Michigan. Ten minutes south of the popular resort town of Saugatuck, OHC Blueprint has a larger footprint in a rural location, just a stone’s throw from the best beaches Michigan has to offer. This new project has given our team of artists, designers, friends and family a place to gather and create, and will undoubtedly inspire visitors in the same way. A quick drive from the city, but light years away, relax and spend time with those you love in this unique, exciting new space!
OHC Blueprint
OHC BP1
The Wood Room at OHC Blueprint
