Museum of Contemporary Art Chicago

05/19/2019

Are you ready for dining al fresco? We have an artist-inspired selection of items to help you set the scene this season! Check out our garden party accessories at: http://bit.ly/2EbeZCj

05/18/2019

Arthur Jafa and Lithuanian Pavilion Awarded Golden Lions at 58th Venice Biennale

Congratulations to Arthur Jafa, who recently won the Golden Lion at the 58th Venice Biennale (La Biennale di Venezia) for his film "The White Album"!

Jafa's moving video work "Love Is The Message, The Message Is Death" is the centerpiece of current exhibition "Prisoner of Love," on view at the MCA until October 27.
Learn more: http://bit.ly/2EE4WY5

In further news: Giudecca Art District opens in Venice; gallery sued over fake Bonnard; Decolonize This Place activist arrested

05/17/2019

Parts of Speech, Tomeka Reid, On Onomatopoeia

Cellist and composer Tomeka Reid is concerned with the reception of jazz and improvised music—how, without advocacy and education, will this music continue to be heard? These topics are addressed and live-streamed from Reid's talk at Stony Island Arts Bank as part of “The Commons Artist Project: Public Fiction with Triple Canopy.”

05/17/2019

Celebrate the 10th Annual Art Museum Day!

Celebrate the 10th Annual Art Museum Day on Saturday, May 18, with free admission to the MCA + 10% off at the MCA Store!
Art Museum Day underscores the way in which art museums inspire and foster community.

The MCA is a proud member of the Association of Art Museum Directors, and our Director Madeleine Grynsztejn is currently serving as President of the AAMD.

Join AAMD member museums across North America to participate in and celebrate the 10th Annual Art Museum Day on May 18, 2019.

05/16/2019

MCA Chicago Announces Summer 2019 Performances

Check out this BroadwayWorld preview of the upcoming MCA Stage summer season, including "cutting-edge and genre-blending" performances from Rennie Harris and Dahlak Brathwaite!

Learn more and purchase tickets: http://bit.ly/1ULf3ZF

The Museum of Contemporary Art Chicago announces highlights of the Summer 2019 lineup of performances, featuring cutting-edge and genre-blending works of music, theater, dance, comedy, and spoken word. These events take place as part of a year-round season of bold programming by emerging and establi...

05/15/2019

Now available: 3 ways to experience "Virgil Abloh: 'Figures of Speech.'"

- Prime Time: “Question Everything”: Influenced by Virgil Abloh’s “question everything” ethos, this after hours museum takeover features performing artists, local designers, and live music, DJ sets, and more. 18+, info: http://bit.ly/30lf5Ra
-Fast Pass: Skip the general admission line. It includes admission to the entire museum and access to the pop-up store experience.
- A limited amount of additional exhibition tickets.

Call our Box Office at 312-397-4010; all tickets released via the exhibition page: http://bit.ly/AblohxMCA

05/14/2019

TOMORROW at 12 pm (CST): Three new ways to experience Virgil Abloh: "Figures of Speech."

- Prime Time: "Question Everything." Influenced by Virgil Abloh’s “question everything” ethos, this after hours museum takeover features performing artists, local designers, and live music, DJ sets, and more. Enjoy an exclusive viewing of the exhibition, delightful snacks, and compelling cocktails. 18+.
- Buy a Fast Pass and skip the general admission line. It includes admission to the entire museum and access to the pop-up store experience.
- A limited amount of additional tickets released for days throughout the exhibition, including Opening Day!

On-sale May 15 at 12pm. Call our Box Office at 312-397-4010; all tickets released via the exhibition page: http://bit.ly/AblohxMCA

05/13/2019

The Key to Virgil Abloh’s Cool? Architecture.

Get the background on Virgil Abloh before his exhibition opens next month.

Before he was a consultant to Kanye West, a collaborator with Nike and Ikea, and now art director of menswear at Louis Vuitton, he was getting his master's degree in architecture at the Illinois Institute of Technology. And he's carried that education into the peak of high fashion.

05/12/2019

Wishing all moms and mother figures a beautiful and happy Mothers Day! Visit the MCA Store for the last day of Members Double Discount: http://bit.ly/2crsQ9U

05/11/2019

Read about how Manuel Infante's theatrical work aligns philosophy and music through "intellectualized physicality" in a new profile, published by American Theatre magazine. Infante will perform "Estado Vegetal" (Vegetable State) at the MCA from May 9 to 12.

Read the full profile piece here: http://bit.ly/2L50gyq

Tickets available for purchase here: http://bit.ly/2Dk0qM7

Learn more: http://bit.ly/2Uup0oo

05/11/2019

Virgil Abloh, Menswear’s Biggest Star

The New Yorker has called Virgil Abloh "Menswear's Biggest Star."

ONE MONTH AWAY: don't miss your chance to see "Virgil Abloh: 'Figures of Speech,'" opening June 10.
Reserve your tickets now: http://bit.ly/2zlO2IW
Learn more about the exhibition: http://bit.ly/AblohxMCA

How the creative director brought something new to high fashion.

05/10/2019

The last Family Day of the season is TOMORROW!
Join us for Family Day: Sugar Rush starting at 11 am, it's FREE.

05/09/2019

Museum of Contemporary Art Chicago

Next Thursday, Full Spectrum Features brings their Chicagoland Shorts Vol. 5 to the Edlis Neeson Theater. Watch a trailer for the screening of all Chicago-made short movies.

May 16, 7pm. Be sure to RSVP for your free tickets to the screening (limit 2 per person). Only a few remain so click here: http://bit.ly/2UxsZeQ

Check out a trailer for "Chicagoland Shorts, Vol. 5." On Thursday, May 16, Full Spectrum Features premieres their annual collection of Chicago-made short movies in the Edlis Neeson Theater. The screening is followed by a reception with the artists in the Commons. Full Spectrum Features is a Chicago-based organization committed to increasing diversity in the independent film industry by producing, exhibiting, and supporting the work of women, LGBTQ, and minority filmmakers.

Learn more: http://bit.ly/2D1HuSk
Get tickets (free with RSVP, limit 2 tickets): http://bit.ly/2UxsZeQ

05/08/2019

We are extending Members Double Discount Days until Mother's Day, May 12th! Make the most of 20% off everything in the MCA Store: http://bit.ly/2JirIGn

05/07/2019

Serena Williams Makes the Case for Sneakers at the Met Gala

"An unexpected accessory, but somehow totally worked." Check out Serena Williams surprising but fitting footwear choice from Off-White c/o Virgil Abloh at the Met Gala yesterday.

"Virgil Abloh: 'Figures of Speech,'" opens June 10. Tickets and info: http://bit.ly/AblohxMCA

She embraced her sportive roots.

05/06/2019

Family Day: Sugar Rush

The FINAL Family Day of the season will get you feeling that Sugar Rush! Kids and their grownups are invited to join us this weekend, May 11, for Family Day: Sugar Rush to explore highs and lows, sours and sweets, and more. You won't want to miss it! FREE for families, info: http://bit.ly/2VpoO9t

05/05/2019

What to Do in Chicago Each Day of May 2019

"Head downtown to the MCA for a relaxing afternoon browsing art and enjoying a special prix-fixe Mother’s Day brunch at their award-winning restaurant, Marisol Chicago."

The MCA is WhereTraveler's pick for What do Do in Chicago for Mother's Day!
See the three-course, prix fixe menu at Marisol - only $40, including museum admission: http://bit.ly/2H0Na0a
Make a reservation: http://bit.ly/2QLF0LW

May 1: Germany Week—Put on some lederhosen and head to the Daley Center for a weeklong celebration of American/German friendship. Organized in large part by the German Consulate of Chicago, the event features authentic German food, art, dance, and music that’s fun for the whole family. T

05/05/2019

We have you covered for the moms and mother figures in your life. Members have 20% off everything in the MCA Store from now until May 9th! Find the perfect gift at: http://bit.ly/2JirIGn

05/04/2019

It's James Beard Eats Week! Best Chef finalist Jason Hammel created a wagyu tri-tip steak for Marisol Chicago.

Available at dinner through the weekend, make your reservation here: http://bit.ly/2QLF0LW

05/03/2019

A "stream-of-conscious, part biographical show" about art-making in today's social climate, Daily Herald recommends Adrienne Truscott: This. See the full list of recommendations here: http://bit.ly/2W7Zr9b

On MCA Stage through Sunday, tickets here: http://bit.ly/2IFuF3t

05/03/2019

10 Things to Do This Weekend: April 25-28

It's the last weekend to see "Laurie Simmons: Big Camera/Little Camera," WTTW - Chicago PBS has it on their list—add it to yours!

05/02/2019

Thelma Golden, Lee Bontecou Win 2019 American Academy of Arts and Letters Awards -

Congratulations to two inspirations for the MCA: Director Thelma Golden of The Studio Museum in Harlem and artist Lee Bontecou!

Artists Sheila O’Donnell and Sebastião Salgado have been added as new members. Read More

05/01/2019

Preview the feminist-focused comedy of Adrienne Truscott: This then join us for the performances starting tomorrow.
Tickets: http://bit.ly/2IFuF3t

04/29/2019

A Dance Without Dance, and a Harbor for Stormy Souls

"Ms. Truscott was as funny as she was brash." Read The New York Times review, then make plans to join us for Adrienne Truscott: This starting on Thursday. Tickets: http://bit.ly/2AIFgG8

A hypnotic, female spirit permeates two works: Adrienne Truscott’s “THIS” (“I know, you’re all like — this is a dance?”) and Lily Gold’s “Good Mud.”

04/28/2019

From Judy Chicago to Chicago dogs, we are eternally inspired by our city. Shop Chicago treasures at: http://bit.ly/2L3W3Lp

04/27/2019

Feminist Artist Judy Chicago Named 2019 Visionary at the Museum of Contemporary Art

Make lunch plans with artist Judy Chicago on Tuesday.
Tickets: http://bit.ly/2GzMEZU

An artist best known for her feminist artwork is Judy Chicago, who has been named this year's Visionary at the Museum of Contemporary Art.

04/26/2019

Parts of Speech, Steffani Jemison featuring Garrett Gray, On Similitude

As part of the Commons Artist Project entitled Parts of Speech, a series of experimental lectures take place at sites of assembly throughout Chicago and address the use of public speech to mold opinion, forge intimacy, marshal authority, and orchestrate movements.

What can gestures and expressions convey that language cannot? Artist Steffani Jemison will reflect on this question in a performance that engages with the rich history of mime and the role of mimicry in addressing audiences. To those unfamiliar, mime might seem to impose severe limits on what can be conveyed; in fact, like many forms of dance, ritual, or theater, the practice seeks to liberate communication from speech, establishing bonds that transcend language. Jemison will focus on mime ministry, which combines physical theater and gospel recordings and, in the past two decades, has become a fixture of African American church congregations. Drawing on the work of Étienne Decroux, who popularized mime in the mid-twentieth century and pitted physical movement against language, Jemison will ask how we can use our bodies to amplify and extend the reach of speech, and is accompanied by performer Garrett Gray.

Parts of Speech is by Public Fiction (Lauren Mackler) with Triple Canopy. The Commons Artist Project is organized by January Parkos Arnall, Curator of Public Programs, with Christy LeMaster, Assistant Curator of Public Programs.

Lectures are presented by Steffani Jemison, Hari Kunzru, Tomeka Reid, Astra Taylor, Christopher Kulendran Thomas, and Julio Torres. The exhibition includes artwork by Rami George, Liz Magic Laser, David Levine, Nicole Miller, Rodney McMillian, and Videofreex.

04/26/2019

Breakout Artists 2019: Chicago’s Next Generation of Image Makers

The 2019 Breakout Artists have been announced by Newcity and half of them you may have seen (or will see soon) at the MCA!

We present a few of the myriad artists who represent the unbounded energy of art-making in Chicago.

04/25/2019

Swiss Grand Award for Theatre / Hans Reinhart Ring 2019 :: Swiss Theatre Awards

Just given the Swiss Grand Award for Theatre, there are 4 opportunities to see work by Yan Duyvendak and his collaborators tonight and this weekend in Stage: Yan Duyvendak and Roger Bernat, Please, Continue (Hamlet).
Tickets: http://bit.ly/2UewOdv

04/24/2019

Hamlet’s on Trial, Kim Foxx Is the Prosecutor, and You’re the Jury

There is no script, real life lawyers (including Kim Foxx) and judges participate, and you are the jury.
Read about the unique structure of Stage: Yan Duyvendak and Roger Bernat, Please, Continue (Hamlet), then join us for the performance.
Tickets: http://bit.ly/2UewOdv

Chicago Humanities Festival artistic director Alison Cuddy discusses the making of _Please, Continue (Hamlet).

04/23/2019

On Shakespeare Day, make plans to see a production of "Hamlet" unlike any other—where Hamlet is on trial and you decide the verdict.
Stage: Yan Duyvendak and Roger Bernat, Please, Continue (Hamlet) run April 25 to 28. Tickets: http://bit.ly/2UewOdv

04/22/2019

The Oral History of Virgil Abloh

Virgil Abloh is on the cover of GQ Style for Spring 2019. Check out this oral history of his entire career, featuring quotes from A$AP Rocky, Takashi Murakami, and the MCA's own Chief Curator Michael Darling.
Don't miss Virgil Abloh: "Figures of Speech" this summer, the designer's first ever museum exhibition.

Reserve your tickets now: http://bit.ly/2zlO2IW
Learn more about the exhibition: http://bit.ly/AblohxMCA

Thirty-nine of Abloh's friends, collaborators, and mentors—and the man himself—tell the definitive story of the designer's ascent.

04/21/2019

From recycling pins to eco-architecture, the MCA is thinking green. Shop for Earth Day here: http://bit.ly/2XpnHE8

04/20/2019

A welcoming space for meeting the Other that gets away from clichés.
Tonight is the final performance of Stage: Yan Duyvendak and Omar Ghayatt, "Still in Paradise".
Tickets: http://bit.ly/2S1xjTf

04/19/2019

Throw our the script!
You vote for the scenes in Stage: Yan Duyvendak and Omar Ghayatt, "Still in Paradise" as the two actors share doubts and differences in a post-9/11 world.
Tickets: http://bit.ly/2S1xjTf

04/17/2019

City launches mural registry to protect street art from being erased; some artists worry about bureaucracy

The City of Chicago is launching a public art mural registry to prevent accidental removals.

What do you think?

After several incidents last year in which street art was mistaken for vandalism and removed, Chicago launched its public mural registry.

04/16/2019

Stacey Abrams, Bill McKibben, Melinda Gates among speakers for Chicago Humanities Festival's Springfest 2019

"One of the most unusual spring programs will be a staging of 'Please, Continue (Hamlet), a sort of moot-court drama by Roger Bernat and Yan Duyvendak that will feature actors alongside Chicago lawyers." — Chicago Tribune

Our partnership with Chicago Humanities Festival starts this week with 2 performances from Yan Duyvendak.
"Still in Paradise": http://bit.ly/2S1xjTf
"Please, Continue (Hamlet)": http://bit.ly/2UewOdv

04/15/2019

On Tax Day today, play Femke Herregraven's game "Taxodus," a wry take on global tax sheltering.
Play online: https://mcachicago.org/Publications/Websites/I-Was-Raised-On-The-Internet/Artworks/Femke-Herregraven-Taxodus-2013

04/14/2019

Museum of Contemporary Art Chicago

Hop over to the MCA Store to find a gift for your little bunny. Look at all our kids items here: http://bit.ly/2DkVXsP

04/12/2019

There are only TWO Families Days left this year so join us tomorrow for Family Day: Unfreeze!
FREE for families with kids, learn more: http://bit.ly/2TGyEnu

04/11/2019

MCA Chicago & Heritage Auctions Urban Art Pop-Up Trunk Show

It's the final day of the Urban Art Pop-Up Trunk Show!
Shop in-store during open hours, or online now: http://bit.ly/2HR5dZr

MCA Chicago & Heritage Auctions Collaborate For Urban Art Pop-Up Trunk Show that celebrates the growing importance of urban and street art in culture.

04/10/2019

Culture Summit 2019: How millenials can help museums attract new audiences

Could Generation Y be the key to growing museum audiences?
MCA Director Madeleine Grynsztejn joins other museum leaders in discussing the evolving role of the museum.

A panel on the third day of the summit debated how museums can attract new audiences

04/10/2019

Nike’s Self-Lacing 'Back to the Future' Sneakers On Display At MCA

👟 Go "Back to the Future" at the MCA Store! A pair of Nike Air Mag sneakers based on the famous self-lacing shoes from the 80s classic is currently on display.

It's part of the Urban Art Pop-Up Trunk Show, happening now through April 11. The event features about 100 different objects, combining traditional art concepts alongside new media.
Hours + more information: http://bit.ly/2U72dhd

The MCA and Heritage Auctions announced Friday a new collaboration, the Urban Art Pop-Up Truck Show, celebrating the growing importance of urban and street art and objects in culture today.