I’m visiting Chicago mid/end october 05 and I’m looking for some cool things to do, what has to do with graphic design/multimedia/video. I would love to go to lectures/exhibitions and share my ideas with other designers.
If you have good suggestions, please post it! 
thx
karin - http://karinterlaak.tk/
I don’t live there any more, but you can check out Columbia College and see what is going on. Since ACD (American Center for Design) died the ugly death, Chicago really has not had much in the way of an engaging design community 
Columbia College has something called (I think) the Center for the Book Arts, which puts on interesting exhibits. Also, the Museum of Contemporary Art is excellent.
Chicago already was a very commercialization city, already not too had the pure person for designs to design.
Consider go the museum . It’s after all the artware selects a live information bank.
lucky you!
check this out Upcoming Events | Institute of Design
huge design event in Chicago end October. Unfortunately it isn’t for free 