Museum of Contemporary Art Chicago

02/18/2021

Just announced: a two-day symposium, Fractures: Creating Around Devastation explores ideas of ecofeminism, architecture, and water.
RSVPs now open: http://bit.ly/3ard8to

02/17/2021

Living in the Fracture: Scores for our Last Audience | Kristen Shahverdian | thINKingDANCE

"The scores have a gravitas that feels right while living through a pandemic, a contentious presidential election, Black Lives Matter, and the Jan. 6 uprising at the Capital, but I can also imagine creating these scores with joy and playfulness."
Read the review of a canary torsi | Yanira Castro's "Last Audience: a performance manual," then experience it yourself: https://bit.ly/2Hj59CP

My packet of performance manuals arrives via FedEx. Opening the large envelope, I expect a large book to come out—akin to an art book from a museum. Instead, I hold 5 small booklets, 4 white and 1 black, bound with clear plastic wrapping; they are…

02/16/2021

Fashion - Cold Weather

Weather this latest blizzard in style. The MCA Store has cold weather gear at great prices! Shop snuggly scarves and hats online or in-person; the MCA Store is open Thursday to Sunday, 11 am-6 pm, and Monday to Wednesday by appointment.
Shop warm and fuzzy: https://bit.ly/3muMBOz

MCA Chicago Store has apparel to keep you stylish and warm in the winter. Ordering is easy and secure. Visit our site today.

02/15/2021

Chicago artist Brandon Breaux’s ‘28 Days’ is for Black History Month, portraits of those making history now

“I want to do this for my people,” Brandon Breaux said. “This is almost like me sending personal thank-you cards to people." Following his collaboration with the MCA Store, find out about Brandon Breaux's next project.

His portraits in "28 Days of Greatness" are posted daily on Instagram and will be displayed outside the Stony Island Arts Bank.

02/14/2021

💙 Happy Valentine's Day! 💙

Image credit: Jeff Koons, "Hanging Heart," 2006. Installation view, "Jeff Koons," MCA Chicago, May 31–Sep 21, 2008. Photo © MCA Chicago.

02/13/2021

Takashi Murakami’s Smiling Flower Becomes a Hublot Watch

“It’s kind of baked into his DNA to continue to keep crossing over into these different areas,” said former Chief Curator Michael Darling about Takashi Murkami's latest collaboration.

Bright colors are a hallmark of the Japanese artist’s creations, but in this case he chose black. With diamonds.

02/12/2021

An MCA exclusive! Carolina Caycedo’s remixed artworks have been translated onto luxurious 80” scarves of silk-cashmere. These fluid Water Portraits scarves can be wrapped around the body or displayed as art. Shop in store Thu-Sun, 11 am-6 pm, or by appointment Mon-Wed: https://bit.ly/3j7CDmo

02/12/2021

Talk: Carolina Caycedo

In celebration of the exhibition Carolina Caycedo: From the Bottom of the River, join a lively conversation between the artist, exhibition curator Carla Acevedo-Yates, and Wayuu filmmaker David Hernández Palmar. This discussion explores Caycedo’s Geocoreographies, artistic process, and the exhibition's themes of environmental justice, feminine genealogies, and the shifting of perspectives in relation to the territory.

02/11/2021

Today at 6 pm CST, join a lively conversation between artist Carolina Caycedo, exhibition curator Carla Acevedo-Yates, and Wayuu filmmaker David Hernández Palmar about environmental justice, feminine genealogies, and more in Talk: Carolina Caycedo. RSVP here: https://bit.ly/2GOdzSB

02/10/2021

2021 Valentine's Day Gift Guide: 19 Local Gifts to Show Your Love

The MCA Store has a Valentine's Day Sale going on through February 14. See what Better recommends for a Valentine's Day gift then stop by the Store, Thursday to Sunday, 11 am to 6 pm.

Valentine's Day is around the corner! Show your local love with these gifts from Chicago-area stores this holiday.

02/08/2021

Queer artists of color dominate 2021's must-see LGBTQ art shows

NBC News picks the upcoming exhibition "Christina Quarles" as one of their must-see LGBTQ shows for 2021! It will open on March 13, after the museum reopens on March 2.
https://www.nbcnews.com/feature/nbc-out/queer-artists-color-dominate-2021-s-must-see-lgbtq-art-n1256968

From emerging talents like Naima Green to more established artists like Zanele Muholi, Black and brown voices are headlining a bold lineup of global exhibits.

02/07/2021

The Long Dream Video Gallery Showcase on Vimeo

Before we reopen on March 2, you can view the video artworks that are part of "The Long Dream" online. Watch: https://vimeo.com/showcase/7682080

Join the web’s most supportive community of creators and get high-quality tools for hosting, sharing, and streaming videos in gorgeous HD with no ads.

02/06/2021

Obama Presidential Center groundbreaking set for early fall

2021 will be the year the Obama Presidential Library breaks ground, bringing a new architectural gem to the city.

With a federal review complete, Mayor Lori Lightfoot said, "Chicago is now officially the home of the presidential center for our country’s first Black president."

02/05/2021

Give a little love! Until 2/7, Take 15% everything off with the code Love15. Members get 20% off and free shipping over $40. The MCA Store is open Thu-Sun 11 am-6pm, and Mon-Weds by appointment! Or shop for your Valentine online: https://bit.ly/3iCzWcb

02/04/2021

Anonymous donor gives $560,000 to diverse Chicago art spaces via Hyde Park Art Center

Great news for Chicago artists courtesy of an anonymous donor! https://www.chicagotribune.com/entertainment/museums/ct-ent-hyde-park-artists-run-chicago-anonymous-grant-0201-20210201-y6wqe224dva57i3a4jpt2ahi3m-story.html

The $8,000 windfalls are expected to provide a shot in the arm to the mostly small, independent artmaking spaces.

02/03/2021

Notable Chicago artists among a record number of USA Fellows, with each receiving $50,000

The United States Artists Fellows have been announced with artists receiving an unrestricted $50,000 award to support their work in any way they choose. There are many MCA connections: perhaps you've heard Tomeka Reid at Tuesdays on the Terrace, saw the dance of Ishmael Houston-Jones in "Relations," or reconsidered ideas of incarceration with Natalie Y Moore and Maria Gaspar in their respective programs.

Congratulations to all the United States Artists Fellows! https://www.chicagotribune.com/entertainment/ct-ent-chicago-artist-fellows-50000-20210202-xvkioys56zdh7kfj5u55qspnd4-story.html

Some 60 artists from around the country, 7 from Chicago, have been selected as this year’s class of United States Artists Fellows, with grants with no strings attached.

02/02/2021

Suzi Analogue Wants Black Women in Experimental Music to Never Compromise

“People will say, ‘Oh, we don’t know how to market that.’ That’s a blanketed term for discrimination and racism in the music business.” - Suzi Analogue

Analogue was a part of Prime Time: F00TW3RK at the MCA in 2018.

She couldn’t find a label that understood her work, so she started her own. Now she’s doubling down on her mission to provide a home for others who want to create with total freedom.

02/01/2021

New MCA Curator Carla Acevedo-Yates Makes A Powerful Debut

“These shows bring color into the galleries. But more importantly, they bring attention to different ways of thinking and doing. I hope that people who see these shows at the MCA will have an experience of both beauty and social awareness.” - Carla Acevedo-Yates

MCA curator Carla Acevedo-Yates makes her debut with two exhibitions of Latinx artists.

01/31/2021

Kamala Harris Wears Pyer Moss Coat During COVID-19 Memorial in D.C.

This week, Vice President Kamala Harris wore a coat designed by Pyer Moss founder and designer Kerby Jean-Raymond, who gave our 2020 Dialogue Keynote.

Last year, Pyer Moss designer Kerby Jean-Raymond collected PPE for hospital workers and provided $50,000 in grants for small businesses impacted by COVID-19.

01/30/2021

Give a little Love Sale! Until 2/7 everyone saves 15% with the code Love15. Members save 20% with free shipping over $40. Order before 2/4 for ground delivery by 2/14. Shop in store Thu–Sun, 11am–6pm or online: http://bit.ly/3iCzWcb

01/29/2021

We have the soundtrack for your lunch today!
If you missed The Dreamscape earlier this month, today at noon you can hear part of it when tracks from @woodsadie and @xtheshapeshifter replay for our Soundtrack series.
Listen online by joining the event: mcachicago.org/calendar

01/29/2021

We have the soundtrack for your lunch today!
If you missed The Dreamscape earlier this month, today at noon you can hear part of it when tracks from Sadie Woods and -SANTIAGO X- replay for our Soundtrack series.
Listen online: https://bit.ly/3sfye50

01/28/2021

Happy Birthday to artist Mickalene Thomas! Did you see Mickalene's in Duro Olowu: Seeing? Celebrate Mickalene's birthday and take 15% off of everything with code Love15. Your purchase helps support the MCA's exhibition and education programs: http://bit.ly/3iM4wjD

01/27/2021

Pakistani Artist Salman Toor’s Success Was a Surprise Even to Him

Check out this WSJ Magazine profile on Salman Toor! His piece "The Bar on East 13th Street" is part of the MCA Collection.

The young artist, celebrated for a smash-hit Whitney Museum show and a fresh approach to figurative painting, on his significant year ahead.

01/26/2021

Check out the Loop's latest public art installation

There's a new Olafur Eliasson work in town! In 2009, the MCA exhibited the first comprehensive survey in the United States of his works, "Take your time: Olafur Eliasson." Learn more: http://bit.ly/1Qfhl3V

It's a bright Olafur Eliasson piece at Willis Tower.

01/25/2021

Dr. Jill Biden chooses painting by Civil War-era Black artist from Cincinnati to take part in Capitol-Rotunda gift-giving ceremony

Check out this art historical connection to the Inauguration ceremony!

The painting was done by Robert S. Duncanson, "the best known African-American painter during the years of the Civil War."

01/23/2021

Kick off your creativity in 2021 with colorful journals and art tools to engage and inspire! The MCA Store is open Thursday to Sunday, 11am—6pm and Monday to Wednesdays by appointment. Check out everything new in store and online, and start your 2021 with imagination: http://bit.ly/35SmprO

01/22/2021

Art Institute, MCA and Illinois Holocaust Museum will reopen, too

As the City of Chicago enters a new phase of reopening, we are excited to share we will reopen on March 2! As always, safety remains our top priority.
Stay tuned for more news about our reopening.

Up-to-date details on the reopening plans of major Chicago area cultural institutions.

01/21/2021

Do Museums Need a Shopping Network for Art Donations?

Michael Darling has brought us “David Bowie Is,” “Virgil Abloh” and much more. Now, he seeks a new challenge in the field of philanthropy and art collecting with Museum Exchange.

Michael Darling reflects on his time at the MCA:
“During my ten years in Chicago, I have seen the local art scene really ascend to one of the most exciting centers for the creation of art anywhere in the world, and I have championed an increased presence of Chicago artists in our collection, in our galleries, on our stage, and in our programs. When visitors come to Chicago to see evidence of this vitality, it needs to always be visible at the MCA."

A new venture suggests it will help art institutions find works of art that collectors have decided they want to give away as gifts.

01/21/2021

Rihanna On Her ESSENCE Collab With Artist Lorna Simpson: 'It's Magic'

Check out the new cover of Essence, featuring a collaboration between Rihanna and MCA Emeritus Trustee Lorna Simpson!

ESSENCE commissions the esteemed Lorna Simpson to interpret modern-day beauty in collaboration with Fenty Beauty and Fenty Skin founder, Rihanna.

01/20/2021

Film Screening | Carolina Caycedo – EXPO Chicago

Tomorrow, EXPO CHICAGO is hosting a screening by the artist Carolina Caycedo as part of Alternate Assembly. Curator Carla Acevedo-Yates, who curated Caycedo's exhibition at the MCA "From the Bottom of the River" will introduce the program. Learn more about the exhibition: http://bit.ly/3oU2Mr3

Human bodies appear incomplete, divided and fractured by water and fabrics as a way to address the cementing, impoundment, and fragmenting of local streams and rivers. The body parts search for each other in an attempt to reconstitute as a collective body. Towards the end of the film a complete huma...

01/19/2021

Artists invited to apply for $750,000 to create new Chicago public artworks, especially on South and West Sides

Check out this new opportunity for Chicago artists from the Department of Cultural Affairs and Special Events!

The Artist Response Program is part of an overall $2.5 million in artist commissions and grant opportunities. Applications are now open.

01/18/2021

For Martin Luther King Jr. Day we're sharing "Souvenir I," by American artist Kerry James Marshall. The art work features a figure fitted with angelic wings mourning the loss of the martyrs of 1960s American idealism including Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Learn about the others represented in the work on the MCA's special microsite annotating this work and others: http://bit.ly/1T7DDRn

01/17/2021

Get cozy and cute! We've added new items to our sale, with savings up to 70%, plus an additional 10% off most items and free shipping over $40 for members! The MCA Store is open Monday–Wednesday by appointment, and Thursday–Sunday 11 am–6 pm. Or, shop online: http://bit.ly/28RhNGi

01/16/2021

Brendan Fernandes' very big year

The Dreamscape is today! Check out this profile on one of the artists from the Dreamscape, Brendan Fernandes, who was also featured in "The Long Dream" this year!

RSVP for the Dreamscape: https://bit.ly/3g5rtwV

Few artists on the global scene are as multi-talented and inventive as the Goan-Canadian Brendan Fernandes. The 40-year-old rising star, who works at the intersection of dance and the visual arts, had a spectacular 2019, including a headline slot at the prestigious Whitney Biennale. In November 2020...