[Chicago, IL – December 5, 2024]–Looking for something artsy to do this holiday season? Art Design Chicago has a variety of exhibitions and events that are perfect for art lovers, curious explorers, and anyone simply looking for a little inspiration. Whether you’re a long-time art enthusiast or just starting to connect with your creative side, there’s something for everyone this holiday season in neighborhoods across the city.
From community-driven art installations to exhibitions exploring diverse cultures and histories, Art Design Chicago is the perfect way to experience the city’s artistic richness. These exhibitions, many of which span cultures, generations, and artistic movements, are open to the public and accessible for all. Whether you’re looking for a thought-provoking experience or a fun, immersive art event, there’s no shortage of things to see and do this holiday season. And with Art Design Chicago continuing through 2025, you’ll be able to enjoy these creative experiences for weeks to come!
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.
Exhibitions/Events
Seeds Healing Stage 2024: McKinley Park x Englewood*
Chicago Art Department
December 13, 2024, 6:00 – 10:00 pm
A celebration of BIPOC voices, Seeds Healing Stage brings together artists, performers, and storytellers from Chicago’s McKinley Park and Englewood neighborhoods, and beyond. This annual event celebrates the resilience and creativity embedded in the histories and communities of Chicago neighborhoods. Expect powerful stories and performances that reflect both the strength of the community and the transformative power of the arts.
2024 UIMA Winter Makers Market
Ukrainian Institute of Modern Art
December 14 & 15, 2024, 12:00 – 5:00 pm
This market features local creators selling work in a variety of media. A celebration of all artforms, it’s the perfect time to shop locally for holiday gifts and to view UIMA’s exhibition Agency: Craft in Chicago from the 1970s-80s and Beyond.
Chicago Works | Andrea Carlson: Shimmer on Horizons
Museum of Contemporary Art Chicago
Ends February 2, 2025
This solo exhibition by Andrea Carlson (Ojibwe/European descent) considers how landscapes are shaped by history, relationships, and power. Across painting, video, and sculpture, Carlson references the tactics of colonialism as well as her family and peers, Ojibwe culture, and Indigenous sovereignty.
Myth of the Organic City*
6018North
Ends February 23, 2025
Through the work of more than 25 Chicago-based artists, this exhibition presents an historical and contemporary overview of Chicago’s design and land use, from its Indigenous roots through 20th century infrastructure projects to present-day developments. Maps, landscape designs, installations, wall drawings, sculptures, and multimedia works are shown throughout this contemporary art center in an historic home.
Edgar Miller: Anti-Modern, 1917-1967*
DePaul Art Museum
Ends February 23, 2025
Edgar Miller (1899–1993) arrived in Chicago in 1917, and over the next fifty years worked as an architect, artist, craftsperson, curator, designer, and illustrator. The most comprehensive solo presentation of Miller’s work to date, this exhibition highlights the achievements of the artist’s rich, multifaceted career and situates his output within the broader cultural histories of Chicago and the creative communities in which he worked and lived.
Letters Beyond Form: Chicago Types*
Design Museum of Chicago
Ends April 4, 2025
This exhibition dives into the world of typography, exploring the role of letters in shaping identity and community across Chicago’s diverse neighborhoods. Featuring historical and contemporary typographic work from designers, graffiti artists, and more, Letters Beyond Form is a visually compelling and interactive experience that highlights how design serves different communities through an affirmation of identity- and care-based relationships.
Designing for Change: Chicago Protest Art of the 1960s–70s
Chicago History Museum
Ends May 4, 2025
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.
* Exhibitions are free admission.
For more information on each exhibition and to plan your visit, please go to 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.
Photos and footage from Art Design Chicago events and exhibitions available upon request.
Media Contact:
Malik Joseph, Media Relations Specialist, Rudd Resources
216-647-5704 | Mjoseph@ruddresources.net
