3rd Fridays Free Admission Museum Night
2025-04-18 17:00 - 20:00, 2025-05-16 17:00 - 20:00, 2025-06-20 17:00 - 20:00, 2025-07-18 17:00 - 20:00, 2025-08-15 17:00 - 20:00, 2025-09-19 17:00 - 20:00 (America/Chicago) | Heritage Museum of Asian Art, 3500 S Morgan St, Chicago, IL, 60609, United States
Free Admission Museum Nights take place every third Friday of each month from 5 pm to 8 pm! The tour will start at 6 PM on time. All tours depart from the reception desk, and please be sure to arrive on time. The event offers wine and appetizers.
This Friday at 7-7:40 PM, our Resident Artist 2024 – Irene Hsiao will perform at the Heritage Museum of Asian Art as part of the project If The Sky Could Dream.
About the Tour –
Learn about Asian Art in the Heritage Museum of Asian Art with a guided hour-long tour around the gallery. Museum-trained interns and volunteers will give a talk on selected artworks. Each word is packed with fascinating insights, information, and stories. During this participatory experience, you’ll connect with works from across the collection and get a close look at highlighting artworks. Visitors of all ages are welcome.
Please note tours may be canceled or postponed due to unforeseen circumstances.
About the project –
IF THE SKY COULD DREAM focuses on the Chinese dragon as a powerful being that fosters harmony. This creature is emblematic of China as well as a mythological being for many Asian and Western cultures and thus evokes a sense of mysticism, and intrigue in many communities. Representing the Chinese Dragon as a water deity, the installation series will feature images and projections of the weather and local bodies of water in Chicago.
If The Sky Could Dream is supported, in part, by a Foundation for Contemporary Arts Emergency Grant
About Irene Hsiao
Irene Hsiao creates performances in conversation with visual art in museums, galleries, and public spaces, a practice that includes site-specific interaction with visual artworks and experimental engagement with artists, institutions, and the public. Find out more through our website.
Accessibility
The Heritage Museum of Asian Art’s Entrance is on West 35th Street. Take the elevator to the third floor and turn right to the Museum Reception Desk. Accessible and standard toilets are located on the same floor. Free parking space is available next to the museum via West 35th Street.
If you have any programming questions, don’t hesitate to get in touch with info@heritageasianart.org or 312-842-8884.

Constructing Housing During Crisis: Ukraine
2025-04-23 18:00 - 19:00 | Chicago Architecture Center, 111 E Wacker Dr, Chicago, IL, 60601, United States
Join us for a discussion of the role of temporary housing as a place of care and healing during the ongoing crisis. This program is hosted in collaboration with the exhibition Constructing Hope: Ukraine which is currently on view in the CAC’s Skyscraper Gallery through September 1, 2025
FREE with Registration
Currently displayed in the CAC’s Skyscraper Gallery as part of the Constructing Hope: Ukraine exhibition, Co-Haty is a project by the Ukrainian NGO MetaLab that provides temporary emergency accommodations for internally displaced people in Western Ukraine, offering them solace in the aftermath of the Russian invasion. Approximately 12 million Ukrainians were compelled to abandon their homes, with 6.5 million seeking refuge in the western part of the country. However, decades of housing policy challenges revealed a shortage of affordable housing options. In response to this pressing need, the Co-Haty team closely collaborates with local governments and an extensive network of agencies.
Join us for a presentation and conversation with Anna Dobrova, co-founder of Metalab, who will present her firm’s project that refurbishes and repurposes large, vacant former Soviet municipal buildings into emergency shelters.

Crossroads of Worlds
2025-05-30 19:00 - 21:00 | 2249 West Superior Street, Chicago, IL 60612, 2249 West Superior Street, Chicago, IL, 60612, United States
Yurii Bandera’s exhibition, “Crossroads of Worlds” (Перехрестя світів), will be on display May 30 to June 22 at the Ukrainian National Museum.His work invites viewers into a space where multiple realities converge: cultures, memories, and inner and outer landscapes. Each work is born from the artist’s encounter with these dual realms, forming a visual dialogue between the seen and unseen. The “crossroads” becomes not just a motif but a philosophical meeting place—one where every viewer is invited to interpret the experience uniquely.The artistic journey of Yurii Bandera began in childhood.He graduated from Lviv Polytechnic University with a degree in Architecture. For over two decades, he taught at the Stryi Higher Art Vocational School, continuing to shape generations of young artists.In 2017, Yurii Bandera’s contribution to Ukrainian art was officially recognized with his acceptance into the National Union of Artists of Ukraine. Now, in his new world — the United States — he continues to explore and expand his creative vision.

Stitching Stories: The First Thread
2025-06-18 11:00 - 2025-06-22 17:00 | 3500 S Morgan Street, 3500 S Morgan St 3F, Chicago, IL, 60609, United States
Stitching Stories: The First Thread is a pop-up exhibition that brings together Asian and Black artists whose works explore cultural exchange, storytelling, and visions of shared futures through textile arts. This exhibition marks an inaugural step toward building a coalition of artists and community members committed to cross-cultural connection and solidarity.
The project grew out of an extended planning process and a series of six community workshops, where Asian and Black artists engaged directly with participants through textile-making, storytelling, and relationship building. These collective efforts reflect a broader vision of collaboration, mutual support, and cultural exchange.
Stitching Stories is also an open invitation—for artists, organizers, and all who believe in bridging communities—to take part in deepening understanding across racial and cultural lines.
This pop-up exhibition is free with museum admission. Admission can be purchased online or at the front desk. With purchase of admissions ticket, you are able to view the pop-up exhibition as well as the three open exihibits at the Heritage Museum of Asian Art!
Organizers and Partners
Heritage Museum of Asian Art, Needles and Threads Quilters Guild, HerArt Foundation, and the Abrahamic Center for Cultural Education
Supported by Healing Illinois
Events
Opening Reception: June 14, 2–4 PM
Juneteenth Special Activation: June 19, 2–4 PM
Closing Artist Conversation: June 22, 2–4 PM

Accessibility: The museum is wheelchair accessible. Audio Description will be available for those who need it during events.

Artecito in the Community: Opossums and Sculpture
2025-06-28 10:00 - 13:00 | 2214 Sacramento Ave, 2214 Sacramento Ave, Chicago, IL, 60623, United States
What makes opossums marsupials?

Join us as we explore more about Opossums with the Artecito Team!

In person at OPEN Center for the Arts!2214 S. Sacramento Ave.Chicago, IL 6062310AM-1PM, materials will be provided.____________________________________

¿Qué hace que las zarigüeyas sean consideradas marsupiales?

¡Acompáñanos mientras exploramos más sobre las zarigüeyas con el equipo de Artecito!

¡Presencialmente en OPEN Center for the Arts!2214 S. Sacramento Ave.Chicago, IL 6062310AM-1PM, se proporcionarán materiales.

What is Artecito?

Artecito is a free workshop by OPEN Center for the Arts and Lincoln Park Zoo that uses the arts to engage families with nature in ways that resonate with local holidays, culture, and wildlife. With a related art activity, workshops highlight wildlife and nature to encourage children and families to think about nature and their relationship to it in creative ways.

¿Qué es Artecito?

Artecito es un taller gratuito desarrollado por OPEN Center for the Arts y Lincoln Park Zoo que utiliza las artes para involucrar a las familias con la naturaleza de maneras que resuenan con las festividades locales, la cultura y la vida silvestre. Con una actividad artística relacionada, los talleres destacan la vida silvestre y la naturaleza para alentar a los niños y las familias a pensar sobre la naturaleza y su relación con ella de manera creativa”

Courage of a Nation
2025-07-02 11:00 - 2025-09-07 16:00 | 2249 West Superior Street, Chicago, IL 60612, 2249 West Superior Street, Chicago, IL, 60612, United States
For the first time in the United States, the photo exhibition Courage of a Nation by Howard G. Buffett will be open to the public in Chicago.
The extraordinary photo exhibition Courage of a Nation, by Howard G. Buffett, Ukraine’s largest private donor, will be on display at the Ukrainian National Museum in Chicago from July 2 to September 7, 2025. Following its museum debut, the exhibition will relocate to a downtown Chicago location, where it will remain on view for several months, offering the public insights into three years of documentation of the Russian full-scale invasion of Ukraine and Mr. Buffett’s visual journey.
The photo exhibition is a selection of images that show the courage, resiliency, and commitment of the Ukrainian people as they stand strong for democracy and freedom, taken by Howard G. Buffett, photographer and chairman and CEO of the Howard G. Buffett Foundation. The images were taken between April 2022 and January 2025, including more than 63 days along the front lines.
Mr. Buffett crossed the border into Ukraine, camera in hand, about six weeks after Russia began its February 2022 full-scale invasion. Since then, Mr. Buffett has made more than 20 trips to Ukraine, including trips to Bucha, Kharkiv, Sumy, Kherson, Vuhledar, Slovyansk, and Bakhmut.
“I want to thank the hundreds of Ukrainians from all walks of life I have met over the past three years who have so generously allowed me to take these images and tell their stories. I am regularly awed by their courage and resiliency–on the front lines, on the home front, and everywhere in between. I have had incredible support from many people, and I have been embraced by individuals who have lost everything they have, including, in some cases, their families. I hope this exhibit allows you to join me to bear witness to their struggle, recognize their courage, and offer our collective support as Ukrainians continue to fight for their freedoms.” Said Howard G. Buffett.
The exhibition is curated by the world-renowned photographer and two-time Pulitzer Prize winner and changemaker, Muhammed Muheisen.
“I am honoured to be the curator of this powerful and moving photo exhibition by my friend Howard, captured with both his heart and camera. It takes courage to capture courage in a single moment in time. This photo exhibition is all about courage, the courageous people seen in the photographs, and the courage of the photographer who captured the photographs.” Said Muhammed Muheisen.

Divine Love (Online)
2025-07-10 18:00 - 19:00 | IL
Join us for a panel discussion at the intersection of romance and religion!
Three writers of romance—Sajni Patel, Scarlett St. Clair, and Helene Wecker—talk about incorporating religion into their work in the genre, retelling myth and tradition, and dealing honestly with their characters’ spiritual beliefs.
This is the livestream of an in person program at the American Writers Museum. When you register for this event, you will receive access to the livestream link. If you would like to attend the program in person at the AWM, get your tickets here.
This program is presented in conjunction with the AWM’s forthcoming special exhibit American Prophets: Writers, Religion, and Culture, opening November 2025. American Prophets is supported by a grant from Lilly Endowment Inc. through its Religion and Cultural Institutions Initiative.

Author Talk: "The Invisible Spy" by Thomas Maier (ONLINE)
2025-07-29 18:00 - 19:00 | Virtual, Chicago, IL, United States
Author, television producer, and former Chicago Sun-Times journalist Thomas Maier visits the American Writers Museum to discuss his new book The Invisible Spy. It is the untold WWII story of Ernest Cuneo, a former NFL player turned White House insider who worked with Churchill’s undercover agents in New York City to conduct the biggest foreign spy operation ever within the US and how Cuneo later helped inspire Ian Fleming’s James Bond. The Invisible Spy has been praised by The Wall Street Journal and selected in April as an Amazon Editors’s Best Book in History.
As an award-winning author and journalist, Maier will also talk about how his previous books were translated into primetime television shows—Showtime’s Emmy-winning Masters of Sex and Paramount’s Mafia Spies, both praised by The New York Times.
This is the livestream of an in person program at the American Writers Museum. When you register for this event, you will receive access to the livestream link. If you would like to attend the program in person at the AWM, get your tickets here.
More about The Invisible Spy:
As a tough but smart Italian American kid, Ernest Cuneo played Ivy League football at Columbia University and was in the old Brooklyn Dodgers NFL franchise before becoming a city hall lawyer and “Brain Trust” aide to President Roosevelt. He was on the payroll of national radio columnist Walter Winchell and mingled with the famous and powerful. But his status as a spy remained a secret, hiding in plain sight.
During this time, Cuneo began a close friendship with British spy Ian Fleming and helped inspire Fleming’s James Bond novels. He also began a love affair with one of Churchill’s agents at Rockefeller Center—Margaret Watson, a beautiful Canadian woman with a photographic memory ideal for spycraft. In one nighttime attack, Watson was nearly smothered to death by a Nazi assassin inside her women’s dormitory near Rockefeller Center. Cuneo’s transformation from a gridiron athlete into a high-stakes intelligence go-between and political influencer is one of the great untold stories of American espionage. He has remained “invisible” in the public eye—until now, with this unveiled look into his life.
From the bestselling author and producer of two hit TV series, Mafia Spies and Masters of Sex, Thomas Maier delves into the little-known tales behind the Rockefeller Center spy operation and the origins of American intelligence. The Invisible Spy weaves Cuneo’s remarkable personal story with vivid insights about many top twentieth-century figures, including Churchill, FDR and later JFK. Full of action and fascinating characters, this untold history reveals how Cuneo, as America’s first WWII spy, helped the British launch a covert campaign against Nazi conspirators hidden in America, an espionage war unbeknownst to many.

Na'wa'hIs' Our Relations
2025-08-01, 2025-08-08, 2025-08-15, 2025-08-22, 2025-08-29, 2025-09-05, 2025-09-12, 2025-09-19 and 1 more date | Trickster Cultural Center, 190 S Roselle Rd, Schaumburg, IL, 60193, United States
An Art Exhibit by the Levi Family. Step into a visual journey of family, heritage, and the sacred bond between Native people and animals, told through the eyes of three Native artists. Visit this collection of ledger art, paintings, textile and photography.

Constructing Ecological Landscapes: Ukraine [Webinar]
2025-08-06 12:00 - 13:00 | Zoom
Join us for a virtual discussion for the closing of the exhibition Constructing Hope: Ukraine. This program is hosted in collaboration with the exhibition Constructing Hope: Ukraine which is currently on view at the CAC through September 1, 2025.
Free with Advanced Registration
This panel, the closing event of the public programming for the Constructing Hope: Ukraine exhibition, will feature speakers Asia Bazdyrieva and Darya Tsymbalyuk, whose research and creative practices engage with the environmental, cultural and political dimensions of war and recovery in Ukraine.
In dialogue with the exhibition, the conversation will explore how both natural and built landscapes are shaped by imperial histories, extractive infrastructures, and ongoing ecological violence. It will also reflect on the role of cultural knowledge, grassroots recovery and interdisciplinary research in shaping resistance and imagining more just and resilient futures.
The event will include presentations by the speakers, followed by a conversation with exhibition curators Betty Roytburd, Ashley Bigham, and Sasha Topolnytska, and conclude with an audience Q&A.

Get Lit: Drawn to Life
2025-08-12 17:30 - 19:30 | American Writers Museum, 180 N. Michigan Ave., Chicago, IL, 60601, United States
Join us for a night of creativity, color, and animated magic at Get Lit: Drawn to Life. We’re diving into the vibrant world of animated movies and TV shows, spotlighting the storytellers who bring these beloved characters and worlds to life. This is your chance to geek out over your favorites, learn something new, and connect with fellow animation lovers.
GET TICKETS

Flex your cartoon cred in a animated trivia competition, with fun prizes for the top team.
Unleash your inner animator with hands-on art activities, from flipbook stations to sketching opportunities.
Enjoy beer, wine, and the night’s specialty cocktail, the Storyboard—an animated twist on a ranch water cocktail! Non-alcoholic options are also available.

Get ready to laugh, color, and cartoon your heart out—because at the American Writers Museum, we’re all about stories that move.
This is 21+ event. Attendees must show a valid photo ID at the door to enter.

New Architecture in a New World
2025-09-18 18:00 - 19:00 | Chicago Architecture Center, 111 E Wacker Dr, Chicago, IL, 60601, United States
Join us for a conversation with international architects as they reflect on the amazing breadth of contemporary architecture in the Americas and the pronounced impact of the Mies Crown Hall Americas Prize (MCHAP) on diverse stakeholders and communities of practice.
Inspired by the exhibition, The Prize is the Beginning, on view at the Chicago Architecture Center through late October, this discussion will reveal what sets MCHAP apart from other established awards programs.
The program will survey prize-winning and finalist projects as they relate to several broad themes:

Doing More With Less
Working with What We Have
Generosity
Agents of Change
Learning from Each Other

Our panelists bring strong ties to the awards, as past honorees or jurors. Hear unique insights from Stanley Allen, FAIA, Founder of Stan Allen Architect, Professor Emeritus and former Dean of the School of Architecture, Princeton University; Sol Camacho, Founder and Director of Sao Paolo- and Mexico City- based RADDAR; Juan Carlos Bamba Vicente, Founder of Madrid-based BAMBA Studio, Partner with Natura Futura, and Professor at FAD-UCSG, Ecuador; and Michael Maltzan, FAIA, Founder of Los Angeles-based Michael Maltzan Architecture. MCHAP Director Dirk Denison, FAIA, Professor, IIT College of Architecture and Founder of Dirk Denison Architects, will moderate the conversation.
Ticket holders are invited to enjoy a pre-program reception in CAC’s Usher Lambe Gallery with light bites and refreshments from 5 to 5:45 p.m. The program begins promptly at 6 p.m. in the Lecture Hall. This program is presented in partnership with the Chicago Architecture Biennial.

Author Talk: Nicholas Meyer (ONLINE)
2025-09-18 18:00 - 19:00 | Virtual, Chicago, IL, United States
Join us for an evening with acclaimed screenwriter and director Nicholas Meyer, who is also the author of several novels in the Sherlock Holmes universe. In his latest book, Sherlock Holmes and the Real Thing, Holmes and Dr. Watson delve into the world of art forgery. Books will be available for purchase and Meyer will sign them following the program.
This is the livestream of an in person program at the American Writers Museum. When you register for this event, you will receive access to the livestream link. If you would like to attend the program in person at the AWM, get your tickets here.

Author Talk: Nicholas Meyer (IN PERSON)
2025-09-18 18:00 - 19:00 | American Writers Museum, 180 N. Michigan Ave., Chicago, IL, 60601, United States
Join us for an evening with acclaimed screenwriter and director Nicholas Meyer, who is also the author of several novels in the Sherlock Holmes universe. In his latest book, Sherlock Holmes and the Real Thing, Holmes and Dr. Watson delve into the world of art forgery. Books will be available for purchase and Meyer will sign them following the program.
This is an in person program at the American Writers Museum. This program will also be livestreamed, and you can register for the link to the online broadcast here.

All About Oktoberfest! | Oktoberfest History Presentation
2025-09-25 19:00 - 20:30 | DANK Haus German American Cultural Center, 4740 N. Western Ave., Chicago, IL, 60625, United States
Did you know the world’s largest folk festival started as a royal wedding celebration? Every year, Munich’s Oktoberfest draws million of visitors from across the globe, and its traditions have crossed the Atlantic, becoming a beloved part of American culture.
Join us for an insightful and entertaining presentation as we explore the rich history, unique traditions, and the global impact of Oktoberfest–from its roots in Munich to the vibrant celebrations here in Chicago. Whether you’re a longtime festgoer or just curious to learn more, this interactive talk will leave you with a new appreciation for one of the world’s most iconic festivals!

Get Lit: Blood Suckers
2025-10-07 17:30 - 19:30 | American Writers Museum, 180 N. Michigan Ave., Chicago, IL, 60601, United States
Get Lit: Blood Suckers

Sink your teeth into a night of spooky fun at Get Lit: Blood Suckers. This vampire-themed event will celebrate the fanged and fearless from your favorite works of American writing.

Test your knowledge of vampires in film, tv, books, and more in our Bloody Bloody Trivia Challenge.
Put on your best vampire-inspired fit for the Vampire Costume Contest.
Visit our friends from the Horror & SciFi Prop Preservation Association (HSPPA), a traveling museum of screen-used and production-made props, costumes, and film relics.
Flex your artistic side with vampire inspired crafts.
Get your Halloween reads from our friend from Bucket O’ Blood Books and Records, a Chicago store highlighting sci-fi, fantasy, & horror, plus indie rock, punk & metal records.
Enjoy beer, wine, and the night’s specialty cocktail, The Blood Bag, a blood red drink served in a unique container. Non-alcoholic options available as well.

Whether you’re a Dracula devotee, a Buffy buff, or a Twilgiht fanatic, this is sure to be a BLOODY good time.

This is 21+ event. Attendees must show a valid photo ID at the door to enter.

Daughters of Anacaona: A Groundbreaking Art Exhibition Celebrating Feminine Strength, Resilience, and Integrity
2025-10-09 - 2025-12-12 | Alliance Française de Chicago, 54 West Chicago Avenue, Chicago, IL, 60654, United States
The Alliance Française de Chicago, in partnership with Partners In Health, proudly announces the opening of Daughters of Anacaona. This groundbreaking art exhibition in celebration of feminine strength and integrity will be on display in the Alliance’s Eleanor Wood Prince Salon.
This compelling exhibition invites audiences to reflect on the legacy of Anacaona, the legendary Taíno cacica (chief), poet, and composer whose resistance and sacrifice symbolize the strength and dignity of Caribbean women across history. Curated by three dynamic exhibiting women artists from the Haitian diaspora—Chantal Bethel, Véronique De Mesmaeker, and Persida Louison—this exhibition is a convergence of ancestral memory, historical truth, and contemporary creative expression. Their work spans mixed media, acrylic, fiber, ceramics, and poetry. A special grand opening will be held at 6:00 p.m. Thursday, October 9 at AF-Chicago in River North. The program will feature a moderated conversation with the artists led by Chantal Bethel and a presentation by Partners In Health, as well as light refreshments, drinks, and cultural exchange.
$10 Suggested Donation
