Graduates Celebrate at 2026 Commencement

On Monday, May 18, the School of the Art Institute of Chicago (SAIC) community gathered at Wintrust Arena to celebrate the graduating classes of 2026. During the ceremony, hundreds of graduates crossed the stage to receive their degrees.

At the podium, President Jiseon Lee Isbara addressed the graduates. “Remember the times when your artwork said what you intended it to. When the clay behaved just as you hoped. Or when you re-made a piece better after constructive critique,” she said. “Remembering successes can help build resilience in art and in life. And when you aren’t sure what your next step should be, remember the many graduates who came before you.”

Artist and alum Jeffrey Gibson (BFA 1995) delivered the Commencement address to SAIC’s 2026 graduating class. He also received an honorary degree for his widely celebrated artwork, which harnesses vibrant color, material complexity, and densely layered references to illuminate the intertwined histories that shape our visual landscape. “Art has the ability to impact people of all ages and backgrounds,” said Gibson. “It is not perfect by any means, but knowing how to imagine new possibilities, think critically, and how to make things with intention from conception to physical reality—these are things that are crucially needed as we face the global challenges of today and into the future.”

At the ceremony, two more honorary degree recipients briefly spoke: Robert Earl Paige (SAIC 1962)—a member of the Chicago Black Arts Movement whose work transcended boundaries among art, design, and craft—and Amy Lawson Smeed (BFA 1997)—who has brought some of the 21st century’s most indelible characters to life as a leading animator at Walt Disney Animation Studios.

Commencement by the Numbers: 
Number of graduating students: 969 
Number of undergraduate students: 725
Number of graduate students: 244
Number of balloons dropped: 4,000
Number of supporters in attendance: 4,500