Schedule

Take art beyond the walls. Select a temporary tattoo inspired by Museum works and share the art wherever you go.

What does freedom mean to you? Share your ideas on the wall and see how your voice connects with others.

Explore Lego block printmaking with artist and educator Rachelle Hill, or create custom buttons with IAM educators using art to share your voice and spread your message.

Slow down with someone you care about and explore a single work of art together. Take time to notice the details, talk about what you see, and discover something new about each other through the art.

More about the artwork:
Seurat Lady by Derek Webster references Georges Seurat’s iconic painting A Sunday Afternoon on the Island of La Grande Jatte. Created from found objects, the sculpture reimagines the upper-class female figures depicted by Seurat. Webster’s work, as a self-taught “outsider” artist, echoes the themes of assimilation and social disparity present in the original painting.

Have your portrait drawn by an artist from Project Onward and celebrate the freedom to be yourself while supporting an artist.

Teens, take the mic! Sing, speak, slam, shine. Share your story, perspective or vision for the future. Tell us what freedom means to you in a space where every voice matters. Step up and be heard! The open mic will begin with performances by teens from Lycée Français de Chicago, followed by an open invitation for other teens to step up and share.

Slow down with someone you care about and explore a single work of art together. Take time to notice the details, talk about what you see, and discover something new about each other through the art.

More about the artwork:
Thomas Kong’s installation recreates the immersive environment of his convenience store, Kim’s Corner Food, within the museum. Thousands of collages made from found objects and store packaging fill shelves, walls, and every surface, transforming a familiar commercial space into a dense, ever-changing work of art. Kong’s meticulous process turns ordinary materials into a vibrant, playful, and contemplative environment, where the everyday and artistic imagination coexist.

Explore the creativity of immigrant and migrant artists on a guided tour. Look closely, share your ideas, ask questions, and discover the stories behind the art together.

Take a guided tour and explore the life and work of Henry Darger. Look closely, share your thoughts, ask questions, and discover the stories and inspiration behind his art.

In this talk, we will explore the historic solar eclipse that transformed our understanding of the universe and opened the door to discoveries such as dark matter. Through this story of observation and global teamwork, we’ll see how transatlantic collaborations continue to push the boundaries of what we know about the cosmos.

Take a guided tour and explore the creative contributions of immigrant and migrant artists. Look closely, share your thoughts, ask questions, and discover the stories and perspectives that shape each work.

Liberty as Creative Practice positions Maurice Sullins’ work as an active exercise of freedom. Sullins, an Illinois outsider artist, asserted creative agency through the act of making, inventing a personal visual language beyond academic tradition and institutional validation. His practice reflects freedom as a form of emancipation and a release from imposed hierarchies that define who should create and whose visions should be celebrated. In dialogue with the ideal of Liberty Enlightening the World, Sullins’ work demonstrates how liberty can move outward through individual acts of imagination, illuminating alternative ways of seeing and understanding.

Slow down and look closely. Explore a single work from the Museum’s Collection with a museum educator, making discoveries and sharing your reflections together.

More about the artist:
William L. Hawkins was a self-taught artist from Columbus, Ohio, known for his bold, expressionistic paintings of landscapes, cityscapes, and animals. His work, made using oil enamel on Masonite and found materials, transforms everyday imagery into a vivid, imaginative world.

Focusing on the relationship between DOCUMENT Gallery, a contemporary art gallery in Chicago’s West Town neighborhood, and Paris-based artist Julien Creuzet, this presentation offers a case study of current U.S.–France artistic exchange. Particular attention is given to a press conference organized by Creuzet in 2024 in his native Martinique, at Édouard Glissant’s final home in Le Diamant, as a moment where artistic practice, geography, and cultural history converge.

Take a slow, close look at In the Name of Progress with Alfonso “Piloto” Nieves Ruiz and explore the ideas and concepts behind the work.

More about the artist:
Piloto transforms clay and discarded materials into compelling works of art that highlight the resilience, struggles, and triumphs of communities and individuals who often go unseen. His journey is a testament to the power of art as a tool for self-expression, communication, and transformation.

Take a guided tour and explore a survey of self-taught art from the IAM Collection. Look closely, share your thoughts, ask questions, and discover the stories and perspectives that shape each work.

Slow down and look closely. Explore an immersive animation inspired by Henry Darger’s drawings and his fascination with the weather with a museum educator, making discoveries and sharing your reflections

More about the artwork:
Henry Darger: The Revealed Room presents an immersive reconstruction inspired by the artist’s apartment and studio in Chicago, where he lived and worked for over forty years. Through drawings, collages, writings, and collected materials, the installation offers a glimpse into Darger’s vast imaginary world and creative process, revealing how everyday objects fueled one of the most singular bodies of work in outsider art.

Slow down with someone you care about and explore a single work of art together. Take time to notice the details, talk about what you see, and discover something new about each other through the art.

More about the artwork:
Seurat Lady by Derek Webster references Georges Seurat’s iconic painting A Sunday Afternoon on the Island of La Grande Jatte. Created from found objects, the sculpture reimagines the upper-class female figures depicted by Seurat. Webster’s work, as a self-taught “outsider” artist, echoes the themes of assimilation and social disparity present in the original painting.

Cocktail Reception

Take a guided tour and explore the creative contributions of immigrant and migrant artists. Look closely, share your thoughts, ask questions, and discover the stories and perspectives that shape each work.

Diversity is a cine-concert dedicated to amplifying the voices of pioneering women filmmakers from minorities backgrounds, whose groundbreaking work has often been overlooked by history. Through a fusion of silent cinema and harp solo live music, Isabelle Olivier supported by Villa Albertine aims to celebrate their creative vision and the political force of their storytelling.