Edward Hopper (1882–1967), creator of art that novelist John Updike described as "calm, silent, stoic, luminous, and classic," is one of the most enduring and popular American painters of the 20th century. A pivotal artist who was intensely private, Hopper made solitude and introspection important themes in his paintings, which have been celebrated as a part of the very grain and texture of the American experience.

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Presenting the full range of his work—including beloved portraits—John Singer Sarget and Chicago's Gilded Age chronicles a never-told story about this celebrated American artist, tracing his Chicago connections and illuminating the city's vibrant art scene at the turn of the 20th century.

Welcome! This Web site describes a year of exciting programming at the Art Institute of Chicago about the Silk Road, an ancient network of trade routes that extended across Asia, linking powerful civilizations such as Rome and China. The Silk Road is also a metaphor for cultural exchange among people of diverse societies, distant places, and different religions. During the Silk Road Chicago celebration in 2006–07, the Art Institute hosted a series of special exhibitions, performances, and student and teacher programs celebrating the art and music of the Silk Road.

With over 50 built projects across the world, David Adjaye is rapidly emerging as a major international figure in architecture and design. Rather than advancing a signature architectural style, Adjaye’s structures address local concerns and conditions through both a historical understanding of context and a global understanding of modernism. The first comprehensive museum survey devoted to Adjaye, this exhibition offers an in-depth overview of the architect’s distinct approach and visual language with a dynamic installation design conceived by Adjaye Associates.

Matisse: Radical Invention, 1913–1917 examines what is without question the most innovative, momentous, and yet little-studied time in the artist’s long career. Nearly 120 of his most ambitious and experimental paintings, sculptures, drawings, and prints from the period are on view. Matisse himself acknowledged the significance of these years when he identified two paintings, Bathers by a River and The Moroccans, as among his most pivotal. These monumental canvases from the collections of the Art Institute of Chicago and the Museum of Modern Art, New York, inspired the collaborative work of this exhibition and serve as major touchstones within it. This is the first exhibition to offer an in-depth investigation of Matisse’s art from this time, revealing information uncovered through extensive new art-historical, archival, and technical research.

The American city of the 1960s and ’70s witnessed seismic physical changes and social transformations, from shifting demographics and political protests to the aftermath of decades of urban renewal. In this climate of upheaval and uncertainty, a range of makers—including photographers, filmmakers, urban planners, architects, and performance artists—countered the image of the city in crisis by focusing on the potential and the complexity of urban places. Moving away from the representation of cities through aerial views, maps, and sweeping panoramas, new photographic and planning practices in New York, Chicago, and Los Angeles explored real streets, neighborhoods, and important urban events, from the Watts Rebellion to the protests surrounding the Democratic National Convention in Chicago. These ideas and images defined not only cities’ social and political stakes in the eyes of the American public, but they also led a new generation of architects, urban planners, and sociologists to challenge long-held attitudes about the future of inner-city neighborhoods. Works throughout the exhibition describe this new ideal of urban experience following three main lines of inquiry—preservation, demonstration, and renewal. The first reflects the widespread interest in preserving urban neighborhoods and communities, including the rise of the historic preservation movement in the United States. The second captures the idea of demonstration in the broadest sense, encompassing political protests during the 1960s, as well as temporary appropriations of streets and urban neighborhoods through performance art, film, and murals. The third, renewal, presents new and alternative visions for the future of American cities created by artists, filmmakers, architects, and planners. Together these works blur the lines between artists, activists, and journalists, and demonstrate the deep connections between art practices and the political, social, and geographic realities of American cities in a tumultuous era.

JourneyMaker is a digital tool that allows your family to create your very own tour of the museum. Choose one of eight storylines—like Superheroes, Time Travelers, or Strange and Wild Creatures—and then select works from the museum’s collection within that story. After you’ve made your selections, print out your personalized Journey Guide, which includes information, activities, and wayfinding directions. Then head into the museum for an art-filled adventure!