I can’t think of a better combination than art and food. It makes perfect sense that one would want their food served to them as if it were a work of art and a work of art should also look delicious. It looks as if my fantasy has finally come true because, for one night only, the worlds of food and art combined at the Chicago Artists Coalition’s Starving Artist.

As a way to raise funds for the coalition to support local artists, Starving Artist showcased the artists talents while giving party goers quite the show and a delicious meal. The much raved about cultured soirée was held at the incredibly spacious Venue One. Video installations by artists such as Kayla Anderson and Theodore Darst played on loop setting the artsy backdrop for the evening.

Upon entering the venue, one is greeted with various displays of art by Chicago’s finest artists and craftsman. Whether they were paintings, sculptures or installations, Starving Artists had a little bit of everything on display. The coalition accepts a multitude of artists in the program so it was nice for guests to see the diversity of the works of the artists.

As soon as party goers burst through the doors, they were immediately transported to the Enchanted Forest created by Chef Sean Pharr and Tori Terzakis. Upon first glance, it appears as if there is a live tree in the middle of the room, however upon closer inspection one began to realize that the tree was entirely edible.  Chip like snacks dangled from the limbs, and chocolate was camouflaged as moss. This installation always had the most people around it and they were confused as to how they should go about eating from the tree. For this being the first installation, I knew that this kind of spectacle is exactly what Starving Artist is all about.

Whether one is an art lover or a foodie, the two worlds lived together in perfect harmony. Chicago’s best culinary talent and skillful artists worked together to create a memorable sensory experience for attendees. As the chef and artist stations stood front and center, guests could treat themselves to intriguing dishes such as the savory rainbow Cacio & Pepe Agnolotti by Tony Quartaro of Formento. For a sweeter treat, The dark hues of cappuccino-pops were given pops of color with Stacia Yeapanis’s colorful display. However, the winner of the night kept it simple by doing what they do best and that was Shake Shack with their classic burgers. Before guests bumrushed the table for the highly coveted burgers, they were entertained by a dry ice installation by Andrew Rosinski. Judging by how frequently the table was empty, it’s safe to say that Shake Shack was the crowd favorite.

Food and art installations were available at every turn, and while enjoying all of the sites guests even got to see some live performances from some eccentric artists.

If guests wanted to go home with a little memento from the evening, there were many works of art being raffled off throughout the party. Famed Chicago artist Hebru Brantley, had one of his signature works available for sale.

The Chicago Artist Coalition’s Starving Artist is always the must-attend party of the Summer and judging by the turnout, this year was no exception. Based on the delicious treats and intriguing works of art, it was impossible to leave as a starving artist.