CHICAGO—This month, the School of the Art Institute of Chicago (SAIC), a global leader in art and design education, will present a diverse selection of lectures, symposia, and exhibitions. Throughout April, SAIC will host its annual “MFA Show,” an esteemed exhibition featuring work from more than 100 Master of Fine Arts candidates; the 16th annual Spring Art Sale, where attendees can purchase work from the next generation of artist; a joint exhibition with the South Side Community Art Center in celebration of the School’s 150th Anniversary and the art center’s 75th anniversary; and lectures by visiting artists Sophie Calle, Diane Simpson, Dana Levy, Deborah Stratman and Lyra Hill.
All events are free and open to the public.
ARTBASH 2016
April 8–22
Reception: Friday, April 8, 4:30–7 p.m.
Sharp Building, 37 S. Wabash Ave., floors 1–3
“ARTBASH” is the Department of Contemporary Practices’ major year-end art show, highlighting live performances and exhibitions of student work. The main “ARTBASH” exhibition comprises juried works, faculty selections and site-specific installations by students in Contemporary Practices and the First-Year Scholars Program. During the opening reception, Contemporary Practices will also presentInter-Action—a showcase of live performance and ephemeral works.
48.24.12 Video Premiere
Saturday, April 9, 12 p.m.
Gene Siskel Film Center, 164 N. State St.
This video premiere features screenings of entries in the 48.24.12 Video Contest, which challenges students to shoot and edit a winning video in just 48 hours. At the end of the April 9 screening, a live jury will announce the winning team.
Making Out: The MA in Visual and Critical Studies Thesis Symposium and Exhibition
Keynote Address: Jan Verwoert
Friday, April 15, 6 p.m.
Making Out Symposium
Saturday, April 16, 10 a.m.–4 p.m.
SAIC Ballroom, 112 S. Michigan Ave.
Making Out Exhibition
April 15–17
Reception: Saturday, April 16, 7–10 p.m.
Dfbrl8r Gallery, 1463 W. Chicago Ave.
Undergraduate Performance Festival
Saturday, April 16
SAIC Performance Space, Columbus Drive Building, 280 S. Columbus Dr., room 012
Undergraduate students completing their degrees in Performance at SAIC present their thesis work in these not-to-be-missed programs that blur the boundaries between theater, movement, and the visual arts.
Master of Science in Historic Preservation Final Thesis Presentations
Thursday, April 21, 4:30–9 p.m.
The LeRoy Neiman Center, 37 S. Wabash Ave., first floor lecture hall
MFA Show
April 30–May 18
Reception: Friday, April 29, 7–9 p.m.
Sullivan Galleries, 33 S. State St., 7th floor
The “MFA Show” is the culminating public presentation of more than 100 MFA candidates’ new and ambitious work. Graduating students work for more than four months with three guest curators and seven graduate curatorial assistants to envision the exhibition, an approach that allows for dialogue, process, and collaborative decision-making among the curatorial teams and artists.
The 2016 guest curators are: Irene Hofmann(MA 1994), Phillips Director and Chief Curator, SITE Santa Fe, New Mexico; Michal Raz-Russo(Dual MA 2009), Assistant Curator, Department of Photography, Art Institute of Chicago; and Kelly Shindler(Dual MA 2011), Associate Curator, Contemporary Art Museum St. Louis.
Graduate curatorial assistants are: Frances Dorembaum (MA 2016), Annalise Flynn (MA 2016), Zoe Goldman (Dual MA 2017), Lydia Gordon (Dual MA 2017), Jacelyn Kee (MA 2016), Ariella Miller (MA 2016), Zeenat Nagree (MA 2016), Lara Schoorl (MA 2016), Veronica Sines (MA 2016), Sarah Skaggs (MA 2016), Xinqi Tao (MA 2016), and Ian (Gabe) Wilson (Dual MA 2017).
Diane Simpson: Distinguished Alumni Lecture Series
Tuesday, April 5, 6 p.m.
The Art Institute of Chicago, Rubloff Auditorium, 230 S. Columbus Dr.
Diane Simpson (BFA 1971, MFA 1978) creates sculptures and preparatory drawing that reflect her interest in the coexistence of the industrial and domestic world. A major survey of Simpson’s work is on view at the Museum of Contemporary Art Chicago through July 3. The lecture is presented by SAIC's Visiting Artists Program.
Friday, April 8, 11 a.m.–7 p.m.
Saturday, April 9, 10 a.m.–5 p.m.
SAIC Ballroom, 112 S. Michigan Ave.
SAIC's annual Spring Art Sale showcases unique work by more than 120 undergraduate and graduate students. The sale features photographs, paintings, sculptures, ceramics, prints and drawings, jewelry, fashion accessories, and more. Participating students receive the majority of their total sales, so shop the sale and support these emerging artists.
Master of Science in Historic Preservation Final Thesis Presentations
Thursday, April 21, 4:30–9 p.m.
The LeRoy Neiman Center, 37 S. Wabash Ave., first floor lecture hall
Graduating students in the Historic Preservation program will present their final theses.
SAIC 150th/SSCAC 75th Joint Anniversary Exhibition
April 22–June 19
Reception: Friday, April 22, 6–9 p.m.
South Side Community Art Center, 3831 S. Michigan Ave.
Seventy-five years ago, several SAIC students helped found the South Side Community Art Center (SSCAC), the first black art center in the United States. This exhibition, curated by alum Rashayla Marie Brown and supported by the Office of Multicultural Affairs, celebrates the collective history of the SSCAC and SAIC. Over the years, SAIC and SSCAC continued to collaborate on partnerships, classes, and exhibitions, which makes the SSCAC not only a vital part of American history but SAIC's history as well. Student and alumni work will expand upon the rich legacy of partnership between two of America's most vital arts institutions.
April 23, 12–5 p.m.
SAIC Ballroom, 112 S. Michigan Ave.
Undergraduates from the Visual and Critical Studies and Fine Arts programs will present their final theses.
Wednesday, April 27, 6 p.m.
The Art Institute of Chicago, Rubloff Auditorium, 230 S. Columbus Dr.
Sophie Calle investigates provocative and often controversial methods for confronting her emotional and psychological life, weaving together photographic documentation, narrative texts, found imagery, and personal iconography. She was the recipient of the 2010 Hasselblad Award in Photography. The lecture is presented by SAIC's Visiting Artists Program.
April 30–May 19
Reception: Friday, April 29, 4–6 p.m.
The LeRoy Neiman Center Gallery, 37 S. Wabash Ave.
“Nandito na Ako”—a Tagalog phrase that translates to “I’m here now” in English—is a collaborative exhibition meant to facilitate a conversation surrounding the Filipino-American identity. Due to its roots in Austronesian, South Asian, Malay, Polynesian, Chinese and Japanese cultures, as well as in Spanish and American colonization, the Filipino experience is often fragmented, convoluted and underrepresented. The artists aim to dissect the complexities inherent to their ethnicity and play at defining something that constantly evolves through the use of iconography, relationships to personal memory and the exploration of Filipino history and traditions. The artists, Lorén Ibach (BFA 2017), Vi Viray Bautista (BFA 2017), Tristan Espinoza (BFA 2017), Craig Stamatelaky (BFA 2018), Kyrstin Rodriguez (BFA 2016), Tewosret Vaughn (BFA 2015), Cheryl Acuña (BFA 2017), Jerico Domingo (BFA 2017), and Anna Liza Evangelista (BFA 2016), pay homage to their motherland, the Philippines.
Various dates, 6 p.m.
Gene Siskel Film Center, 164 N. State St.
Artists and presentations:
- April 7: Dana Levy: Impermanent Display
- April 14: Deborah Stratman: The Illinois Parables
- April 21: Lyra Hill: Three Performances
