SITE 30th Anniversary
SITE Galleries (formerly known as Student Union Galleries) will be celebrating its 30th anniversary throughout the 2024–25 school year. SITE’s constant driving force has been the professional development of student-led exhibitions of student artwork. Since its inception, SITE’s various gallery spaces have hosted more than 300 exhibitions featuring the work of more than 600 SAIC student artists, curators, and administrators. The galleries have been a crucial professional training ground for endless professionals who have served in various paid positions including directors, gallery assistants, archivists, and more. These positions are guided through various staff advisors and faculty members to assist in navigating the complexities of “learning by doing,” which is a hallmark of the program.
To mark this heritage and momentous occasion celebrating student-led exhibitions and student art, SITE will host a series of key events including panels, a fair, a collaborative exhibition with Northwestern University’s Dittmar Memorial Gallery, and a 30th anniversary publication.
The 30th anniversary is supported by BLICK Art Materials.
Programming
Chicago Artist-Run Spaces Fair
September 25, 3:00–5:00 p.m.
SAIC Ballroom, 112 S. Michigan Ave.
Kicking off the 30th Anniversary is the Chicago Artist-Run Spaces Fair in collaboration with Career and Professional Experience (CAPX). For this event, we invited artist-run spaces throughout Chicago to join us in celebrating their histories, programs, and exhibitions, while exposing our students to the range of opportunities in the Chicago art world. Attendees will include the Hyde Park Art Center, Riverside Art Center, Terrain Biennial, and more. Register via Handshake.
Submit to Cross-Institutional Exhibition
In spring 2025, SITE Galleries is collaborating with Northwestern University’s Dittmar Memorial Gallery on a cross-institutional exhibition. This exhibition will celebrate student artwork and student-led exhibitions at both the School of the Art Institute of Chicago and Northwestern University. For more information and to submit your artworks to our joint open call visit SlideRoom!
Upcoming Publication
SITE Galleries: 30 Years of Student-Led Art, Exhibitions, & Archives
The collaborative exhibition will coincide with the physical and digital release of the book SITE Galleries: 30 Years of Student-Led Art, Exhibitions, & Archives. This book details information about the history of SITE galleries, connecting it to greater conversations in the art world. Contributors include Director of the 30th Anniversary Matthew Cortez (BA 2025), scholar Michelle Davó Ortiz (Dual MA 2024), Senior Lecturer Michael X. Ryan, and Executive Director of Exhibitions and Senior Lecturer Trevor Martin (MFA 1998). Special essay authors include Professor Michelle Grabner, curator Allison Glenn (Dual MA 2012), critic Stephanie Cristello (BFA 2013), curator and archivist Mariana Mejía (MA 2022), and artist Joseph Josué Mora (BFA 2018).