First In-Person Commencement Since 2019 Honors Graduates’ Resiliency

On May 22, 2022, the School of the Art Institute of Chicago (SAIC) community gathered at Wintrust Arena to celebrate the resiliency of the graduating classes of 2020, 2021, and 2022. At the first in-person Commencement ceremony since 2019, 992 graduates crossed the stage to receive their degrees. 

In her opening remarks, President Elissa Tenny encouraged the graduates to embark in the work of the citizen artist. “Your ability to thrive is not predicated on the world being tidy, predictable, or free of difficulty,” she said. “You will meet the challenges of our shared society with the same creativity and resilience you practiced in school.”

President Tenny delivers the Commencement opening remarks.

President Tenny delivers the Commencement opening remarks.

The day also celebrated three accomplished honorary doctorate recipients: multimedia artist Lee Bul, composer George E. Lewis, and cultural and civic leader Angelique Power (MFA 1998), who gave the Commencement address.

Honorary degree recipient Angelique Power delivers the Commencement address.

Honorary degree recipient Angelique Power delivers the Commencement address.

Power has dedicated her career to racial equity, and she invited the graduating classes to channel their creativity into actively building the world they would like to inhabit. "We are, in fact, the dreamers and the doers. We are the builders,” said Power in her speech. “We stick to it and we build into the unknown, into what could be.”

Commencement by the Numbers

  • Number of degrees: 992
  • Number of undergraduate students: 676 
  • Number of graduate students: 316
  • Number of first-gen undergraduate students: 122
  • Graduate program with the most graduating students: Tie! Painting and Drawing and Art Therapy and Counseling
  • Number of honorary doctorate recipients: 3
  • Number of balloons dropped: 1,000
  • Number of supporters in attendance: More than 4,000

The event also included a heartfelt message from 2022 graduates, which you can view here: 

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