As a general assignment Features reporter, Lauren Viera writes about a broad range of subjects, from monster truck rallies to Matisse exhibitions. Her current focus is on Chicago's vast and varied visual arts scene, as well as local and national trends in spirits and mixology.

A California native, Lauren was hired onto the Tribune's Travel desk in 2007, for which she spearheaded an online guide to Midwestern getaways (chicagotribune.com/midwest) while writing long-form travel features that took her from Milwaukee to Dominica. Previously, she was a Senior Editor at Time Out Chicago and a contributing writer to the Los Angeles Times, the Village Voice, the Cleveland Free Times and numerous other arts, entertainment, fashion, travel and lifestyle publications. She teaches within the Professional Writing program at Columbia College, hosts a monthly cocktail club from her home bar, and plays bass-guitar on the sly. She is Vice Chair of the Board of Directors for local non-profit Girls Rock! Chicago and a proud graduate of Oberlin College, where she studied music and visual arts/architecture, but spent most of her time in the basement office of The Oberlin Review.

Traveling, gardening, antiquing, nesting, brunching, music-making, Chicagoing.