Chicago Fall Art Season: 10 Shows Tackling Labor, Incarceration, and Racial Violence
Hyperallergic's autumn preview showcases ten exhibitions in Chicago that reflect the city's social and political landscape. "Prison Papers: Organizing Inside/Outside Solidarity" at Walls Turned Sideways (2717 W Madison Street) is open until October 15, focusing on community-building in light of the Illinois Department of Corrections' mail-scanning policy set for 2025. The Museum of Contemporary Art Chicago (220 E Chicago Ave) will host "Rashid Johnson: A Poem for Deep Thinkers" from November 7 to April 25. Intuit Art Museum (756 N Milwaukee Ave) features "Karla Wong: Journeys of Being" until January 10, while "If Emmett Till Lived: Freedom on American Ground" at the Museum of Contemporary Photography (600 S Michigan Ave) is available until December 19. Other participating venues include Flatline Gallery and Anthony Gallery, emphasizing solidarity and reflection within Chicago's art scene.
Key facts
- Walls Turned Sideways presents "Prison Papers: Organizing Inside/Outside Solidarity" through October 15 at 2717 W Madison Street, Chicago.
- The Museum of Contemporary Art Chicago hosts "Rashid Johnson: A Poem for Deep Thinkers" from November 7 to April 25 at 220 E Chicago Ave.
- Intuit Art Museum shows "Karla Wong: Journeys of Being" through January 10 at 756 N Milwaukee Ave, Chicago.
- The Museum of Contemporary Photography presents "If Emmett Till Lived: Freedom on American Ground" through December 19 at 600 S Michigan Ave, Chicago.
- The Illinois Department of Corrections' 2025 mail-scanning policy increasingly limits incarcerated people's access to physical media.
- The Art Institute of Chicago recently outsourced its entire custodial staff.
- Chicago recorded summer rainfall levels 28% higher than usual.
- Karla Wong's painting "Arriving to the Land of the Mezcal" (2026) features a six-legged zebra-human with pink and blue stripes representing the trans flag, set among agave plants referencing mezcal's Oaxacan origins.
Entities
Artists
- Rashid Johnson
- Karla Wong
- Emmett Till
- Meg Gerken
- Marc PoKempner
- Dawoud Bey
- Victor Skrebneski
- Amiri Baraka
- Nelson Algren
- Walter Rosenblum
- Nina Rosenblum
- Lisa Rosenblum
- Natalie Jenkins
- Kenneth Montague
Institutions
- Hyperallergic
- Walls Turned Sideways
- Museum of Contemporary Art Chicago
- Intuit Art Museum
- Museum of Contemporary Photography
- Anthony Gallery
- Flatline Gallery
- Art Institute of Chicago
- Illinois Department of Corrections
- Monique Meloche Gallery
- The Wedge Collection
- Baum Family Collection
- Chicago Reader
- CBS News Chicago
Locations
- Chicago
- United States
- Illinois
- Oaxaca
- Mexico
- Toronto
- Canada