Looking for a fun introduction to the Art Institute? Want to see how works in the collection connect to each other, and to the world around us? Download a self-guide and bring it on your next visit. Each one features six works of art with brief, entertaining descriptions.
Please note: Works featured in past self-guides may be off view due to gallery renovations or regular rotations of the museum's collection. Works in the most recent self-guide are currently on view. We apologize for any inconvenience.
A Feast for the Eyes
June 2008
Your mouth is not the only organ with great taste. Savor the museum’s buffet of visual flavors as this gourmandizing guide explores how artists throughout the centuries and across the world have transformed the edible into the artistic.
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Architecture in Art
May 2008
With only a year until the dramatic new Modern Wing opens, we can’t help but be excited about the union of architecture and art. Join in the thrilling anticipation as this tour explores these often interwoven creative fields.
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April in Paris
April 2008
Join us as we celebrate our world-renowned Impressionist and PostImpressionist collection before it travels to the Kimbell Art Museum in Fort Worth, Texas, as the largest loan in the museum’s history. Before the galleries dedicated to these works undergo renovations, wish these treasures a “bon voyage” with a stroll through the collection’s Parisian streets and blossoming French countryside.
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What's Your Type?
March 2008
In today’s information age, e-mails, advertisements, and yes, even artwork use lettering in ever-widening and more expressive forms. See how artists from ancient Egypt to the present have incorporated typography into their work.
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The City and the Country
February 2008
Inspired by works featured in the exhibitions Edward Hopper and Watercolors by Winslow Homer: The Color of Light, this month’s self guide travels between the hubbub of city life and the quiet, contemplative scenery of the countryside.
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Visionary Women
January 2008
Inspired by the bold vision of the many female photographers featured in the exhibition Girls on the Verge, this month’s self-guide honors and celebrates the voice of women artists.
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Kwanzaa
December 2007
Organized by Dr. Maulana Karenga in 1966 and now observed by 18 million people worldwide, Kwanzaa is a seven-day celebration of the African American family, community, and culture. Join the global festivities as this self-guide explores works that illuminate the seven principles of this communal holiday.
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Beautiful Beasts
November 2007
The spotlight always shines on the lions that stand guard at the Art Institute's entrance, but the museum is filled with other curious creatures that also deserve recognition. Trek through the wilds of our collection and discover a few of our many magnificent beasts.
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Museum Macabre
October 2007
As autumn’s blustery winds bring a chill to the air and Halloween looms at the end of the month, an unusually eerie atmosphere brews all October long. Get into the macabre mood as this tour highlights some otherworldly objects, creepy characters, and spooky specters.
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American Perspectives
September 2007
Celebrate American Perspectives—the Art Institute's yearlong collaboration with the Chicago Symphony Orchestra and the Poetry Foundation—and explore the richly diverse views, voices, and visions of artists who have enriched the American experience.
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All That Glitters
August 2007
Despite the old adage, much of what glitters within the Art Institute’s collection is, in fact, gold. Let this month’s guide take you on a treasure hunt and discover fantastically lustrous and shimmering wonders.
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Photographic Vision
July 2007
Artists have always pondered the nature of vision, but the camera introduced a new dimension to this exploration—initiating new ways of seeing and presenting subject matter for photographers and painters alike. Inspired by the special exhibition Jeff Wall, on view June 29–September 23, this tour directs your eye to the photographic vision.
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The Art of Play
June 2007
If you grew up in the 1970s, it's likely that your first introduction to the Art Institute was the board game Masterpiece. Doesn't ring a bell? Meet the game's characters and the works they vied for on this tour of museum favorites. Make sure to stop by the Kraft Education Center to play the game!
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Nightlife in Art
May 2007
This month, the night is our stage. Let this guide escort you to works in the collection that embrace the night’s restless, insomniac moods as well as its peaceful times of slumber.
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Poetry and Art
April 2007
What artists do with color and form, poets do with words and rhythm. In celebration of National Poetry Month, take a tour of the collection to see how visual and poetic images resonate.
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March Madness
March 2007
Where would art be without madness? Feelings of alienation, mythical stories of insanity, or simply the refusal to follow the crowd have provided the creative spark for some of the world’s greatest artworks. This guide is filled with pieces of art that we’re sure you’ll go crazy over.
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Pathways of Heritage
February 2007
Africa's diverse cultures and rich artistic traditions are felt around the world. Follow the far-reaching pathways of the African diaspora with this month's self-guide.
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New Year's Resolutions
January 2007
There’s always room for improvement. As the New Year begins and we take stock of the months that have come to pass, we make resolutions that, kept or not, remind us of how we would like to live at our best.This self-guide peruses some typical resolutions as seen through several of the artworks housed in the museum.
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Winter Traditions
December 2006
The winter is no time for hibernation, especially when there are so many opportunities to indulge in parties, holiday festivities, and winter sports. Use this self-guide to travel through the world’s winter traditions.
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Peace and War
November 2006
War, like it or not, is a driving force in human history; its opposite, peace, is more elusive. This self-guide, picking up on this year’s Chicago Humanities Festival theme, takes a look at the ways in which war and peace have been represented through the ages.
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Chicago Artists
October 2006
Ever wondered which art icons have called Chicago home? As we celebrate Chicago Artists Month, find out more about the artists, patrons, and buildings that have inhabited Chicago’s landscape.
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On Location
August 2006
Inspired by the Chicago Outdoor Film Festival’s August 29 screening of “Ferris Bueller’s Day Off” in Grant Park, a film in which the Art Institute and our fair city figure prominently, we’ve used titles of movies set or filmed in Chicago to make some surprising connections with works of art in the collection.
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Let the Games Begin
July 2006
Has the summer heat got you too hot to trot?
Step inside where you can flex your mind and walk lively in
pursuit of works of art that celebrate the sporting life. Although just like fashion, specific sports fall in and out of favor, the basic urge to win, place, or show is timeless.
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Dance Fever
June 2006
There's no better time than summer to kick off your shoes, let your hair down, and dance! Whether you like to shake your tail-feathers on a crowded dance floor, elegantly glide beside a partner, or go solo, you can draw inspiration from these works, each of which involves dance in a slightly different way.
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A Bloomin' Tour of the Museum
May 2006
It’s bloomin’ springtime and time to start thinking beds, bulbs, and buds. Better than any seed catalogue, this self-guided tour leads you from one gorgeous blossom to another, while providing notes and tips by Tom Wolfe, the Art Institute’s preeminent gardener.
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You Look Marvelous!
April 2006
There are only two months until beach season, as every magazine seems to remind us this time of year. Whether you need to drop pounds or pack on muscle, you'll find inspiration among works of art that deal with the pursuit and glorification of bodily perfection.
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Your Lucky Day
March 2006
The Irish don’t have the market cornered on good luck. Maybe your rabbit’s foot or new penny has lost its luster. Rather than rely on good-luck charms, perhaps you need to be a bit more proactive at keeping bad luck at bay. Take a tour of six works of art to learn how different cultures attempt to conjure good fortune or repress ill will.
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Loves Me, Loves Me Not
February 2006
In this season of gooey chocolates and sentimental cards, this tour reminds you of what love is really made of: passion, devotion, treachery, tears. No wonder artists throughout time have depicted this rich and provocative subject.
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