Summer 2025: SAIC Community Shines Across Chicago

From vintage markets to major museum shows to community-rooted installations, School of the Art Institute of Chicago (SAIC) alums are once again at the center of Chicago’s summer arts season. Whether you’re staying local or visiting the city, these exhibitions and events offer powerful ways to experience art’s connection to identity, place, and collective imagination.

Below is a selection of summer highlights featuring the work—and spirit—of SAIC community members.
 

Master Class: Inside the Last American Museum School with SAIC Painting Alumni at SECRIST | BEACH
Through June 21
In celebration of SAIC’s 160th anniversary, Master Class brings together works by more than 65 SAIC Painting and Drawing alums and students (2000–2025) at SECRIST | BEACH. Guest-curated by President Emerita Elissa Tenny and Painting and Drawing Chair Lisa Wainwright, the exhibition explores the historic and contemporary relationship between SAIC and the Art Institute of Chicago. Each artist’s work is paired with a selected piece from the museum’s collection, underscoring how museum study has shaped generations of artists.

Connecting Threads | Communal Weaving Room at Hyde Park Art Center

Image

Connecting Threads, Photo Courtesy of Hyde Park Art Center

Through November 16
Curated by Mariela Acuña (Dual MA 2022), head of exhibitions at Hyde Park Art Center, Gallery 2 invites visitors to contribute to a communal weave connecting the themes of Yasmin Spiro: Cornerstone and Emily Frances Winter: Apparent Paths. Reflecting Acuña’s SAIC-rooted approach to socially engaged curation, the installation transforms the space into a site of shared making and dialogue.

Pablo Helguera: Collection in Conversation at the MCA Chicago
August 2–July 5, 2026
Artist and educator Pablo Helguera returns to Chicago to curate Collection in Conversation, a community-driven exhibition in the Museum of Contemporary Art’s stairwell galleries. Drawing from the MCA’s permanent collection, Helguera invited input from local artists, educators, and activists—including SAIC-affiliated contributors Chair of Art Education Olivia Gude, S.Y. Lim (BFA 2017), Senior Exhibition Manager Carlos Salazar-Lermont (Dual MA 2023), Ankit Khadgi (MA 2024), and Pia Singh (MA 2017).

Elizabeth Catlett: A Black Revolutionary Artist and All That Implies at the Art Institute of Chicago

Image

Sharecropper, 1952, printed 1970. Elizabeth Catlett. The Art Institute of Chicago, purchased with funds provided by Mr. and Mrs. Robert S. Hartman. © 2024 Mora-Catlett Family / Licensed by VAGA at Artists Rights Society (ARS), NY

August 30–January 4, 2026
Elizabeth Catlett (SAIC 1941) was a trailblazing sculptor and printmaker whose art gave a powerful voice to themes of Black identity, labor, and liberation. This landmark retrospective explores Catlett’s six-decade career, highlighting her commitment to political activism, her influence on diasporic aesthetics, and her formative years at SAIC. The exhibition offers a rare opportunity to experience the full scope of Catlett’s vision and legacy.

Vintage House Market Series

Image

Maddie Rogers poses for a portrait in the newly opened Vintage House Chicago store, 1433 N. Milwaukee Ave., in Wicker Park on March 19, 2025. Credit: Colin Boyle/Block Club Chicago

July 19–20, July 25–27, and August 2–3
Founded by Maddie Rogers (BFA 2020), Vintage House continues to energize Chicago’s creative scene with its rotating market series spotlighting local artists, designers, and small businesses. After opening their brick and mortar store this spring, Vintage House’s events include a special edition during Wicker Park Fest (July 25–27) and themed markets at Revolution Brewing. From handmade jewelry and zines to curated vintage finds, each event is an invitation to shop intentionally and build community.