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Stories

Learn about the people, places, and ideas that drive Chicago’s dynamic art ecosystem. Dive in and discover interviews, essays, news, videos, and more.

Inside Look

Visual Voices and Art as Resistance: Designing for Change at the Chicago History Museum

In the midst of the political and social upheavals of the 1960s and 1970s, Chicago became a stage for activism and protest, where art wasn’t just a tool for expression but a force for change.

The Sweetly Sly Art of Alberto Aguilar / El gentilmente travieso arte de Alberto Aguilar

Alberto Aguilar, the first Chicago Humanities Artist-in-Residence talks about his art-making process and previews Chicago Humanities' upcoming free day of art events in Pilsen.
Two boys run through a very rainy Pilsen street corner. A large church and cars in the background.

Tripartite Lenses: a History of Them, Him, and Us / Lentes Tripartitos: Una historia de ellos, de él, y de nosotros

A deep dive into “Pilsen Days,” an exhibition with over 100 photos by Akito Tsuda of the Pilsen neighborhood’s Mexican community.

Curation and Community Archiving as History Making: The Processes and Challenges of Mapping South Asian American Art in Chicago

Centering the idea of community archiving, the curators "What's Seen and Unseen" were deeply committed to community engagement from the outset.

What Does It Mean to Design for Dignity? 

The presenters of Deem’s second symposium were asked what it means to design for dignity. Here’s what they shared with us.

Questions with a Curator featuring Sheridan Tucker Anderson

Art Design Chicago and Curator Sheridan Tucker Anderson discuss the history, impact, and legacy of Elizabeth Catlett.  
Artist Victoria Martinez stands in front of an installation of her large-scale textile artworks.

Video: Artist Victoria Martinez Shares her Art and Influences

A native of Chicago’s Pilsen community, artist Victoria Martinez talks about how the neighborhood she grew up in has influenced her practice.
A street scene featuring an artwork pasted up on a brick wall. A figure passes by. A sign on the wall says "Build Coffee."

Look Longer: Reflections on Opening Passages

Sixty Inches from Center goes on a journey across the city exploring a multi-venue and multi-neighborhood project that de-centers the Loop as the main hub for cultural creativity.
Portrait of Alice Shaddle seated among a collection of her artworks.

Reflecting on Alice Shaddle’s Fuller Circles: Art, Legacy, and Community

A reintroduction of the diverse work of Alice Shaddle (1928 – 2017) to new audiences through a poignant exploration of the artist's intricate weave of family, community, and curation.
An abstract female form from shoulders to thighs, without hands. The vagina is formed from an inverted torso and a pair of legs.

Exuberant Experimentation: Christina Ramberg’s Late Works

Thea Liberty Nichols writes about Chicago artist Christina Ramberg (1946-1945), who is the subject of the Art Institute's retrospective exhibition opening April 20.  
Graphic shows bold black text that reads “Sixty” and white “X” with black outlining, and a logo that is a pink oval with orange font that reads “Art Design Chicago.”

Sixty Inches From Center Explores Art Design Chicago Exhibitions in Instagram Series

Sixty Inches From Center’s cultural correspondent Julia Arredondo explores ADC exhibitions in an Instagram Reel series.
Six individuals stand in from of an artwork made up of small figurines in a rainbow of colors mounted on the gallery wall.

Center for Native Futures: Dreaming and Funding a Different Future for Indigenous Art

Showing up and supporting Native-led spaces is fundamental to broadening understandings of American Art.
Seven-foot by three-foot piece of canvas, split into two colors tan and black, and a frayed fringe.

Native Futures: An Artist-Led Gallery Reclaiming Indigeneity

Sixty Inches from Center's Tonal Simmons talks with attendees at the Center for Native Futures' inaugural exhibition opening.
Metal egret’s beak and torso against the sky.

it wants to lie down, you want it to stand up: a letter to Ruth*

A letter written to artist Ruth Duckworth (1919-2009) is the most recent composition to come out of the editorial partnership between Art Design Chicago and Sixty Inches from Center.

Questions with a Curator: Cesáreo Moreno

A conversation with Cesáreo Moreno, Visual Arts Director and Chief Curator at the National Museum of Mexican Art, about his experience curating Carlos Cortéz 100 AÑOS.
Signs designating the Winthrop Family Historical Garden. In the left corner, community members can be seen participating in an organized dance activity.

Dreaming of a Future, A Conversation with Artist Regina Agu

Threewalls, a partner of Art Design Chicago, is celebrating its 20th anniversary this year.
A performer in a blue garment next to an art piece at the Water Music on the Beach event.

6018North, Trash to Treasure

6018North, a sustainability-driven partner of Art Design Chicago, has been working with artist Tria Smith

Artists Remember Carlos Cortéz

Carlos Cortéz 100 AÑOS, now on view at the National Museum of Mexican Art

New School: Romi Crawford Shares the Black Arts Movement School Modality with the Next Generation

Over the course of two weeks in August 2021, an intergenerational group of students, artists, and scholars from across the United States

Learning Together: Exploring the Origins of Arts Education at Hull-House

Participants learned about the role of Hull-House in the history of arts education, took part in hands-on artmaking sessions, and visited local Chicago arts institutions.

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Recent Posts

Visual Voices and Art as Resistance: Designing for Change at the Chicago History Museum

The Sweetly Sly Art of Alberto Aguilar / El gentilmente travieso arte de Alberto Aguilar

Tripartite Lenses: a History of Them, Him, and Us / Lentes Tripartitos: Una historia de ellos, de él, y de nosotros

Curation and Community Archiving as History Making: The Processes and Challenges of Mapping South Asian American Art in Chicago

What Does It Mean to Design for Dignity? 

Questions with a Curator featuring Sheridan Tucker Anderson

Video: Artist Victoria Martinez Shares her Art and Influences

Look Longer: Reflections on Opening Passages

Reflecting on Alice Shaddle’s Fuller Circles: Art, Legacy, and Community

Exuberant Experimentation: Christina Ramberg’s Late Works

Sixty Inches From Center Explores Art Design Chicago Exhibitions in Instagram Series

Center for Native Futures: Dreaming and Funding a Different Future for Indigenous Art

Native Futures: An Artist-Led Gallery Reclaiming Indigeneity

it wants to lie down, you want it to stand up: a letter to Ruth*

Questions with a Curator: Cesáreo Moreno

Dreaming of a Future, A Conversation with Artist Regina Agu

6018North, Trash to Treasure

Artists Remember Carlos Cortéz

New School: Romi Crawford Shares the Black Arts Movement School Modality with the Next Generation

Learning Together: Exploring the Origins of Arts Education at Hull-House

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An initiative of the Terra Foundation for American Art in partnership with artists and organizations across the city, Art Design Chicago is a series of events and exhibitions that highlight the city’s artistic heritage and creative communities.

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