[Chicago, IL – June 24, 2024] – This summer, Chicago’s museums and cultural centers extend a special welcome to art lovers with Art Design Chicago, a citywide celebration of Chicago’s cultural communities and the stories they tell. A diverse array of one-of-a-kind art exhibitions showcasing Chicago’s unique artistic heritage and creative communities are open now through August and beyond. An initiative of the Terra Foundation for American Art, Art Design Chicago is a citywide collaboration by 75 local cultural organizations featuring 40 exhibitions and hundreds of public events in more than 30 Chicago neighborhoods and several suburban communities. Exhibition topics include Chicago’s tradition of art and activism, Mexican artists’ contributions to Chicago’s 1893 World’s Fair, comparisons between the social landscapes of Chicago and Paris, the contributions of South Asian Americans to Chicago’s art ecosystem, and more.
Each exhibition offers a unique perspective, inviting visitors to explore new ideas and immerse themselves in the Chicago art scene.
Here are 10 Art Design Chicago exhibitions to explore this summer:
- Victoria Martinez: Braiding Histories – This one-person exhibition features the art of Chicago-based creative Victoria Martinez, whose brightly colored, large scale works in a variety of materials draw inspiration from the body, the urban environment, architecture, and graffiti. This exhibition is open through July 28, 2024 at the Chicago Cultural Center. Free admission
- The United Colors of Robert Earl Paige – Longstanding artist, educator, and designer Robert Earl Paige believes beauty should be accessible all around us for everyone to experience. This exhibition presents a survey of textiles, drawings, tiles, prints, and other works that spans over half a century of Paige’s prolific creative practice. This exhibition is open through October 27, 2024 at the Hyde Park Art Center. Free admission
- Arte Diseño Xicágo II • From the World’s Fair to the Present Day – This exhibition examines the 1893 World’s Fair as a platform for expressions of cultural identity and ways in which many Chicago and Mexican artists had similar objectives. The exhibition features 19th century works of art from Mexico and the U.S. by some of the leading artists who participated in the fair, along with contemporary artwork by Chicago-based artists born in Mexico and whose art reflects their transnational experiences. This exhibition is open through August 11, 2024 at the National Museum of Mexican Art. Free admission
- Christina Ramberg: A Retrospective – This retrospective exhibition presents the work of Christina Ramberg (1946-1995), an artist associated with the Chicago Imagists and best known for her paintings featuring stylized fragments of the female figure. In addition to key objects drawn from across the artist’s body of work, this presentation features rarely seen quilts, late abstract paintings, and archival material. This exhibition is open through August 11, 2024 at the Art Institute of Chicago.
- Opening Passages: Photographers Respond to Chicago and Paris – This photographic exhibition features recent bodies of work by ten artists who engage the dynamic social landscapes of either Chicago or Paris, staging a cross-cultural reflection on contemporary life in two global cities. This exhibition is open through August 25, 2024 at the Chicago Cultural Center. Free admission
- What is Seen and Unseen: Mapping South Asian American Art in Chicago – This project includes two parallel exhibitions featuring South Asian American artists in Chicago. The narrative begins with colonial-era perspectives, including those reflected in documentation and photographs from the Indian Pavilion at the 1893 World’s Columbian Exposition, and continues through the past 25 years, documenting South Asian American artists’ participation in exhibitions and programs throughout the city. This exhibition is open through October 26, 2024 at the South Asia Institute.
- Designing for Change: Chicago Protest Art in the 1960s–70s – Chicago activists in the 1960s and ’70s used design to create powerful slogans, symbols, and imagery to amplify their visions for social change. This exhibition features posters, fliers, signs, buttons, newspapers, magazines, and books from the era, expressing often radical ideas about race, war, gender equality, and sexuality that challenged mainstream culture of the time. This exhibition is open through June 28, 2025 at the Chicago History Museum.
- Gagizhibaajiwan – Featuring works by four Native artists with ties to the Great Lakes region, this exhibition considers depth, duality, and paradox in Anishinaabe art as expressed through images of Misshepezhieu, the Underwater Panther, and Animikii, the Thunderbird. This exhibition is open through December 31, 2024 at the Center for Native Futures. Free admission
- Akito Tsuda: Pilsen Days – This exhibition showcases the collection of Japanese photographer Akito Tsuda, who documented Chicago’s Mexican American Pilsen neighborhood in the early 1990s. Tsuda found himself warmly accepted in the homes and lives of the residents, enabling him to capture the unique spirit and intimate daily life of the community at the time. This exhibition is open through December 31, 2024 at the Harold Washington Library Center. Free admission
- Of Her Becoming: Elizabeth Catlett’s Legacy in Chicago – This exhibition highlights the printmaking practice and impact of artist and activist Elizabeth Catlett (1915–2012) and considers her work alongside works by contemporary Black women printmakers from Chicago’s South Side who are building on Catlett’s political and aesthetic legacy. This exhibition is open through August 14, 2024 at Arts + Public Life at the University of Chicago. Free admission
These are just some of the Art Design Chicago exhibitions set to captivate audiences this summer, whether art enthusiasts, curious explorers, or people simply looking for inspiration.
For more information about each exhibition’s dates, location and featured artists, please visit artdesignchicago.org. Here are photos of three active exhibits that are available for immediate promotional usage. Other photos of the exhibits are available upon request.
About Art Design Chicago
Art Design Chicago is a special series of events and exhibitions that highlight the city’s unique artistic heritage and creative communities. An initiative of the Terra Foundation for American Art in partnership with artists and arts organizations across the city, Art Design Chicago seeks to expand narratives of American art with an emphasis on the city’s diverse and vibrant creative cultures and the stories they tell. Learn more at artdesignchicago.org.
About the Terra Foundation for American Art
The Terra Foundation for American Art, established in 1978 and having offices in Chicago and Paris, supports organizations and individuals locally and globally with the aim of fostering intercultural dialogues and encouraging transformative practices that expand narratives of American art through the foundation’s grant program, collection, and initiatives. Learn more at terraamericanart.org.
Media Contact:
Malik Joseph
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Rudd Resources
216-647-5704
Mjoseph@ruddresources.net
