African-American Artists
The Art Institute's collection of African American art provides a rich introduction to over 100 years of noted achievements in painting, sculpture, and printmaking. In this theme, find a sample of works dating from the Civil War era to the Harlem Renaissance and from the civil-rights struggles following World War II to the contemporary period.
Art Institute Icons
As an encyclopedic museum of art, the Art Institute has works from around the globe representing over 5,000 years of human artistic creation. In the Art Institute Icons theme, find iconic works of art that demonstrate the diversity and distinction of the museum’s holdings.
Recent Acquisitions
Upon its founding in 1879, the Art Institute embarked on a mission to bring significant works of art to the visitors and citizens of Chicago. Now, over a century later, the museum remains committed to collecting. The Recent Acquisitions theme comprises works from across the collection that have been acquired in the last few years.
Silk Road
Evoking fantasies of lush oases and distant crossroad settlements teeming with merchants, explorers, and sightseers, the Silk Road has become a metaphor for the harmonious exchange of culture among people from diverse societies, distant places, and different religions. Based on a 2006/07 exhibition of the same name, the objects in the Silk Road theme reveal international cross-fertilization and connections across time and space.
