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Family Exhibitions

From special picture book exhibitions in the Ryan Education Center to family-friendly collections throughout the galleries, the Art Institute offers children and their parents various paths for artistic discovery.

Located in the Ryan Education Center, the Thoreson Picture Book Gallery features a rotating selection of original artwork from popular children's books as well as a reading table with copies of the featured books for families to enjoy. Currently on view is:

Picturing Poetry

November 17–May 12
Award-winning picture book artists Carin Berger, R. Gregory Christie, Brian Pinkney, James Rumford, Peter Sís, and Ed Young transform poetry into unique and unexpected illustrations.

Sponsor
Picture book exhibitions in the Ryan Education Center are made possible by the Mr. and Mrs. William E. Thoreson Fund.

Carin Berger. Illustration from Behold the Bold Umbrellaphant and Other Poems, 2006. Written by Jack Prelutsky. HarperCollins Publishers.

Located in the Ryan Education Center, the Elizabeth Morse Touch Gallery is specifically designed for visually impaired visitors to the museum but available to all. On display are four specially treated sculptures from different time periods and places that visitors can actually touch! The sculptures in the gallery all represent the human face, and by feeling these marble and bronze objects, visitors can discover elements of the artworks—from facial expressions and styles of dress to form, scale, and texture—in ways that merely looking cannot provide.

Accompanying the artworks are text panels and labels presented in both large type and Braille. Labels were written with the assistance of a consultant, who is blind, from the Catholic Guild for the Blind. He explored the works of art while staff recorded his observations. Labels provide historical information and focus on a detailed description of the work of art to guide the visitor in touching.

Learn more about this exhibition and related programming.

Sponsor

The Touch Gallery has been funded by the Elizabeth Morse Charitable Trust.

Our Trott Family and McCormick Foundation Galleries, located in the Ryan Education Center, are dedicated to displaying children's artwork.

Journeys: Presented in collaboration with They Seek a City: Chicago and the Art of Migration, 1910–1950

Continuing

Where did you travel from today? What did you notice on your trip to the museum? Where does your family live? Have you ever gone on an imaginative journey? These were some of the questions posted to student groups to get them to think about where they live, the paths they take, and where their families come from.  This exhibition showcases artwork exploring the theme of journeys created by three of these groups. 

Thorne Miniature Rooms

Gallery 11
The Thorne Miniature Rooms (68 model rooms created on a one-inch-to-one-foot scale) are one of the most beloved collections at the Art Institute. These fascinating models of interiors and furnishings from the late 13th century to the 1930s were conceived by Mrs. James Ward Thorne of Chicago and constructed between 1932 and 1940 by master craftsmen according to her specifications. Peek inside these Lilliputian interiors and discover a host of tiny treasures—from solid gold toy trains to miniature versions of modern masterpieces.

Arms and Armor: Highlights of the Permanent Collection

Galleries 235–237
Featuring full suits, half suits, pole arms, cannons, and a knight on horseback, this installation brings viewers closer to the world where these objects might have been seen gleaming on the parade ground or heard clanging on the battlefield. Both young and old alike can marvel at the artistry and craftsmanship in these remarkable pieces of not-so-ancient history.

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