Opened on April 30, Leica Camera’s new Chicago flagship marks the brand’s first store and gallery in the city, bringing its retail, exhibition, and educational programming to the historic Gold Coast district. Located inside the Arts & Crafts-style Perkins, Fellows & Hamilton studio building, the 5,000-square-foot, two-level space expands Leica’s network of stores and galleries.
Gallery programming and hands-on workshops through the Leica Akademie are built into the space, which also functions as an immersive retail environment where visitors can explore Leica’s full range of products, including cameras, watches, home cinema, sport optics, and accessories. “For our Leica customers, a camera is not a one-time purchase. It is the beginning of a lifelong journey; and these experiential spaces are essential to cultivating and sustaining that relationship,” said Mike Giannattasio, President of Leica Camera North America.
The opening also arrives as Leica marks 20 years of retail and the 50th anniversary of Leica Galleries. Founded in Wetzlar in 1976, the gallery program has grown into an international network devoted to presenting photography as an art form, historical record, and social voice. That history links the Chicago opening to a long-running exhibition program that has helped shape Leica’s cultural presence far beyond retail.
As Karin Rehn-Kaufmann, Art Director and Chief Representative of Leica Galleries International, put it, “Our entire cultural program is geared towards sharing our enthusiasm for photography with a broad target group. Works by professional photographers are an indispensable part of Leica’s world. From the Leica Galleries, a wonderful international network has grown—a Leica family in the truest sense.”
In Chicago, that network begins with “Life Unposed by Craig Semetko,” on view now through July 5, alongside additional programming that will highlight local artists and creatives throughout the year. To further mark the opening of this new flagship is the Chicago Edition 17, a limited-edition silver Leica M11-P, finished in a quite handsome boysenberry leatherette. Named for the building’s 1917 origins, the camera pays tribute to the landmark that now houses the store and gallery. It is available exclusively at Leica Store Chicago for $10,900.
