Outside Art center focusing on Lee Godie

Chicago is well known for its odd characters that you may stumble across as you wander the streets, but Lee Godie was a character that stood above the rest.

Godie, a self-proclaimed French impressionist, used to hang out on the steps of the Art Institute of Chicago and proclaim herself as superior to Cezanne. If you never met Godie before her death in 1994, she was a sight to behold with her overly made up face, skirts, brill-type gray hair and sometimes a bra worn outside her shirts. But she wasn't just a homeless person hassling passers-by to make a quick buck. She was an artist in the truest sense of the word, pulling you into her world with theatrical song or dance, or an intense conversation while gauging whether you were worthy of buying (or renting) her art. I was never brave, or lucky enough, to talk with her. When I first moved to Chicago, being from a small town in Missouri, I was still afraid of my own shadow - and certainly wary of talking with people on the street. But I always wondered who that colorful and bold character was that I passed one day on the steps of the Art Institute.

Luckily, the Center for Intuitive and Outsider Art, is displaying Godie's works, giving me a chance to know the artist I now regret never having the nerve to speak to.

Godie lived on the streets and the world was her gallery in which she created her drawings, paintings, writings and self-portraits. A lot of her work focused on nature and it's clear she felt an affinity for birds, but to me, her most interesting works are her photo booth self-portraits, where you can see her altering her appearance to depict a different character, possibly representing the different facets of her personality from the glamorous with color she added to her lips and eyes to the starkness of herself as an artist.

The Center for Intuitive and Outsider Art lives up to its mission, celebrating works by those who are self-taught and outside the norm of what would be considered art in the mainstream. The center is small, just a few rooms, and intimate rather than intimidating. Ropes and security guards don't keep you away from the works. You can stand as close as you'd like, enough to see the brush strokes and scratches in paper. Couches huddle in the center of main gallery, offering you a place to relax and absorb what meaning you will from the works. Godie's "Finding Beauty" exhibit currently fills the main room, with a second room devoted to discarded amateur paintings picked up at thrift stores (which range from nudes, pastorales and pets to portraits of Abe Lincoln). A third room is a replica of artist Henry Darger's one-room apartment that offers a glimpse into his artistic process.

Having been to the big museums and galleries in Chicago, the center is a breath of fresh air, offering interesting showings in an quiet, intimate setting where you can form a personal connection with the art.

Godie's exhibit will be on display through Jan. 3. It's well worth the trip.

The Center for Intuitive and Outsider Art

Facts: 756 N. Milwaukee Ave., Chicago, art.org; (312) 243-9088

Hours: Tuesday through Saturday from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m.; Thursday 11 a.m. to 7:30 p.m.

Exhibit: "Finding Beauty: The Art of Lee Godie" runs through Jan. 3.

Admission: free.

While you're there

Where to eat

• The Silver Palm; 768 N Milwaukee Ave.; (312) 666-9322: How cool is it to dine in a 1947 rail car? The menu is pure supper club (soups, prime rib, fish) and the atmosphere is jovial, to say the least.

• Juicy Wine Company; 694 N. Milwaukee Ave.; (312) 492-6620: After soaking up tons of intellectual art, this laid-back wine lounge with a gourmet deli counter is a perfect great spot to sit, sip and relax (or purchase a bottle of vino to go in the market). If it's later in the day (after 8 p.m.) and you're in the mood for music, there's an upstairs lounge with booths. The $5 brunch from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. on weekends is a must.

• D'Agostino's River West; 752 N. Ogden Ave.; (312) 850-3247: Mmmm - home of the perfect thin pizza crust in a place that screams Italian down to the red-checked tablecloths.

• Sushi X; 1136 W. Chicago Ave.; (312) 491-9232: Sushi may not be the trendiest food, but Sushi X is about as trendy a spot as you can find. It's tough to find, but once you do, be prepared to get a solid dose of techno music as you chose from more than 30 different rolls.

Things to do

• Matchbox; 770 N Milwaukee Ave.; (312) 666-9292: In what is arguably the most narrow bar in Chicago, Matchbox offers an impressive selection of bottled beers, top-shelf liquor and wine, the real draw is the mixed drinks, which surprisingly contain fresh ingredients. It's the perfect kitschy Chicago bar, be warned: If you don't like crowds, you might want to avoid Matchbox. It's so tiny, even just a few people seem to fill the bar. Added bonus: It's next door to the Silver Palm so you can dine and then hop over for a drink.

• Soulistic Studio and Spa; 805 N. Milwaukee Ave.; soulisticstudiospa.com: Ease away the stress of pretty much everything at Soulistic Studio and Spa, which offers various spa treatments and fitness classes in its 4,500-square-foot modern facility. Classes span the traditional yoga and Pilates to more trendy African and hip-hop dance. Spa offers include traditional facials, massages and waxing, but also Ayurvedic therapies, which focus on the mind, body and your lifestyle.

• Chicago Dramatists; 1105 W. Chicago Ave.; chicagodramatists.org: This theater is dedicated to the advancement of new plays and developing talent. It offers a variety of events that are supercheap. Ranging from $5 suggested donations to $15.