See it here first. Each year, the School of the Art Institute of Chicago (SAIC) celebrates our talented students completing their degrees. Join us in person and online for boundary-breaking, creative exhibitions and events featuring student work.
MAATC Exhibition
January 28—February 4
SAIC Galleries, 33 E. Washington St.
This exhibition showcases artwork by graduate art therapy students and individuals with whom they work at their internship sites, reflecting the various voices, practices, and intersections of art therapy. The exhibition represents a culmination of the Master of Arts in Art Therapy and Counseling program.
Participating artists include Taylor Chamberlain, Jessica Eun Chung, Megan Curran, Julienne Gerner, Natalia Gurmendi, Christina Marie Heyworth, Kristy Hsu, Miriam Hudson, Roah Karim, Nate Love, Elle MacMurray, Margaret M. Michaels, Abbey Poniente Monsalud, Alexandra Oeser, Anna Therese Olson, Anne Patterson, Jaime M. Powell, Kara Sauzek, Inayah Dometa Sherry, Jessica Wei, Katie Wisniewski, and Winnie Wong.
Post-Baccalaureate Annual
January 28—February 4
SAIC Galleries, 33 E. Washington St.
This presentation features the work of students completing the Post-Baccalaureate Certificate in Studio.
Participating artists include Michelle Alexander, Srishti Bahl, Liz Bail, Mickey Baroody, Lisa DeAbreu, Lauren Flaaen, Diana Motta, Atsumi Okano, Palak Patel, Lilly Reyes, Michael Roberts, Jiyoung Song, Anastasiia Vasileva, Jeehee Yoo, and Sabrina Zhao.
GRADUATE EXHIBITION ONE
March 3—9
SAIC Galleries, 33 E. Washington St.
The first of two graduate exhibitions this spring presents new and innovative work by 45 of SAIC’s master of fine arts and master of arts candidates.
SAIC Community-Only Preview Day: March 2, 11:00 a.m.–6:00 p.m.
Visiting SAIC Galleries
SAIC Galleries is open Monday–Saturday from 11 a.m.–6:00 p.m. and welcomes the SAIC community and members of the public to visit the galleries in person. Admission is free. Due to the volume of participants in this exhibition, we encourage you to book an appointment in advance.
*All visitors to SAIC Galleries must show a state-issued picture ID and proof of COVID-19 booster vaccination OR proof of a negative COVID-19 test from the past 72 hours upon entry and remain masked while in the building.
IMPACT PERFORMANCE FESTIVAL
March 5 & 6
SAIC Galleries, 33 E. Washington St.
March 5, 6:00–10:00 p.m.
March 6, 1:00–5:00 p.m.
This festival showcases the culminating projects of master of fine arts, bachelor of fine arts, and post-baccalaureate certificate students who will activate multiple spaces within the gallery to present live performances. This is the first time that the festival will take place inside SAIC Galleries, surrounded by the work of other artists participating in the first of two graduate exhibitions.
Participating artists include aussie b, Ále Campos, Camille Casemier, Leila Ghasempor, Paige Naylor,* Jade Ortega White, Briseis Schreibman, Polina Shklovskaya, and Jonas Sun.
Spring Undergraduate Exhibition
April 9—16
SAIC Galleries, 33 E. Washington St.
Work by both local and remote SAIC students completing their undergraduate degrees. It is a living example of the crossing of disciplines and challenging of assumptions that SAIC encourages in each student.
SAIC Community-Only Preview Day: April 8 from 2:00 to 6:00 p.m. with viewing limited to the participating artists and other currently enrolled SAIC students, faculty, and staff. SAIC classes are welcome to visit as a group during this time.
Visiting SAIC Galleries
SAIC Galleries is open Monday–Saturday from 11 a.m.–6:00 p.m. and welcomes the SAIC community and members of the public to visit the galleries in person. Admission is free. Due to the volume of participants in this exhibition, we encourage you to book an appointment in advance.
*All visitors to SAIC Galleries must show a state-issued picture ID and proof of COVID-19 booster vaccination OR proof of a negative COVID-19 test from the past 72 hours upon entry and remain masked while in the building.
Fashion Photography Exhibition
April 15–29
Chicago Art Department Gallery, 1926 S. Halsted Street, Gallery II
See work by the SAIC Fashion Photography class.
MA Visual & Critical Studies Symposium: Breakout R00m
April 23, 1:00–4:00 p.m.
Online
Master of Arts in Visual and Critical Studies graduating students present their thesis research.
Asynchronous Viewing Period: April 20–April 23. View online.
Synchronous Moderated Conversations + Q&A: April 23, 1:00–4:00 p.m.
MS Historic Preservation Thesis Presentations
April 27, 4:30–8:00 p.m.
Online
The Master of Science in Historic Preservation program is proud to host students, faculty, friends, family, and alums as seven graduating Historic Preservation students present their final thesis topics.
RSVP to hpres@saic.edu for the Zoom link.
FASHION 2022 HUMANature
April 30–May 22
Various Locations
Fashion 2022 is a celebration of diverse work across the fashion curriculum, with a series of pop-up exhibitions through May 22 showcasing our sophomore, junior, senior, elective, post-baccalaureate, and graduate achievements.
Spatial Habitat Capstone Exhibition
Through May 3
Chicago Athletic Association lobby, 12 S. Michigan Ave.
An exhibition of work from the undergraduate and post-bac students.
Through May 3
Chicago Athletic Association lobby, 12 S. Michigan Ave.
An exhibition of work from the undergraduate and post-bac students.
Sophomore Fashion Exhibition
Through May 11
The LeRoy Neiman Center windows, 37 S. Wabash Ave., ground floor
Fashion Photography Exhibition
Through May 13
Sullivan Center, 36 S. Wabash Ave., seventh floor lobby
Students showcase their work from the spring semester.
Senior Fashion Design Runway Presentation
May 7
Chicago Athletic Association, 12 S. Michigan Ave., Stagg Court
Invite only; click here to livestream
Junior Fashion Design Installation
May 9–11
Sullivan Center, 36 S. Wabash Ave., rooms 704–706
Graduate Fashion Thesis Exhibition
May 14–22
SAIC Galleries, 33 E. Washinton St.
MA Art History Symposium
May 5, 9:30 a.m.–4:30 p.m.
Sharp Building, 37 S. Wabash Ave., room 327 (hybrid)
This symposium will present the master of arts thesis projects in Art History, featuring a range of topics in modern and contemporary art history. Art History, Theory, and Criticism faculty will respond and discuss the presented papers
MA Art Education & MA Teaching Symposium
May 9–12
Online
This symposium features student projects from the Masters of Art in Art Education (MAAE) and Masters of Art in Teaching (MAT) programs. Join us for an exciting week of discussion around pedagogy, art, politics and practice as students share experiences with teaching and learning in public schools, museums, with diverse communities and beyond.
May 9, Noon–1 p.m.: Power Pedagogies: Creative Curriculum Design and Disruptive Praxis
May 10, Noon–1 p.m.: Engaging the Environment: Reimagining our Relationships to Materiality, the Environment, and our Communities
May 11, Noon–1 p.m.: Curious Communications
May 12, Noon–1 p.m.: For Your Consideration: Exploring Cultures of Empathy and Care
Film, Video, New Media, Animation, and Sound Festival
May 12—14
Gene Siskel Film Center, 164 N. State St.
The 2022 Film, Video, New Media, Animation, and Sound Festival features the work of graduate and undergraduate students from the class of 2022.
Graduate Exhibition Two
May 14—22
SAIC Galleries, 33 E. Washington St.
The second of two graduate exhibitions this spring presents new and ambitious work by more than 100 master of fine arts, master of design, and master of architecture candidates.
SAIC Community-Only Preview Day: May 13, 11:00 am.–6:00 p.m.
Visiting SAIC Galleries
SAIC Galleries is open Monday–Saturday from 11 a.m.–6:00 p.m. and welcomes the SAIC community and members of the public to visit the galleries in person. SAIC Galleries will also be open on Sunday, May 22, 11:00 a.m.–6:00 p.m. Admission is free.
Appointments are required due to the volume of participants in this exhibition. To reserve your spot, please visit saic.edu/saic-galleries.
Visitors to SAIC Galleries are required to show a state-issued picture ID and either proof of vaccination or negative test results from a COVID-19 test professionally administered within the last 72 hours. Visitors must remain masked while in the building.
BA Visual & Critical Studies Symposium
May 14, 1:00–4:00 p.m.
Online
Bachelor of Arts in Visual and Critical Studies graduating students present their thesis research.
Asynchronous Viewing Period: May 11–May 14
Synchronous Moderated Conversations + Q&A: May 14, 1:00–4:00 p.m.
MFA Writing Program Reading
May 20, 4:30–7:30 p.m.
MacLean Center, 112 S. Michigan Ave.
Graduating students from the Master of Fine Arts in Writing program read selections from their work. Join us for a surprising evening including, but not limited to, fiction, nonfiction, and text off the page. Discover what writing becomes when students adapt the practices of their studio-artist peers.
BFA Writing Program Reading
May 21, 5:00–8:00 p.m.
The LeRoy Neiman Center, 37 S. Wabash Ave.
Students graduating from SAIC’s Bachelor of Fine Arts in Writing program read, perform, and otherwise represent their work in traditional as well as hybrid and experimental forms, including fiction, nonfiction, poetry, scripts, electronic media, and performance.
BA & BFA Art History Senior Thesis Symposium
May 21, 1:00–5:00 p.m.
MacLean Ballroom, 112 S. Michigan Ave.
Our graduating bachelor of arts and bachelor of fine arts students in Art History are excited to present their thesis projects. Including a wide range of topics that critically explore what modern and contemporary art history can do in the present day, the symposium will feature student presentations and dialogues with faculty in Art History, Theory, and Criticism. Attendees from the SAIC community and beyond are welcome.
MA New Arts Journalism Symposium
May 21, 11:00 a.m. –2:00 p.m.
Sharp Building, 37. S. Wabash Ave., room 327
Students graduating from the New Arts Journalism Master of Arts program offer excerpts from their thesis projects. With a keynote presentation from Morgan Elise Johnson, filmmaker and publisher of The Triibe. Attendees from the SAIC community and elsewhere are welcome.