Ways to Spend a Summer Day

A man in a top hat and wool coat stands at the rail of a steel bridge and looks out at the river.

#1 Go Deeper into Caillebotte’s World

Choose one of three member-exclusive lectures, offered June 26, 27, and 28, and gain new insights into Gustave Caillebotte: Painting His World. Featuring more than 120 works, including paintings, drawings, photographs, and rare loans, this highly anticipated show reveals the artist as a painter of private moments, personal relationships, and a uniquely modern masculinity. Register today!

#2 Explore a Trove of 20th-Century Drawings

In 1971, Irving and Marcia Stenn began an art collection that grew to include works by leading figures of Abstract Expressionism, Pop Art, Minimalism, and Post-Minimalism. Opening June 28, Contemporary Drawings from the Stenn Family Collection celebrates the local family’s most recent gift to the Art Institute: 100 drawings and prints, among the most significant bodies of works on paper ever given to the museum.
#3 Journey Beyond Paradise

Artist Raqib Shaw took two decades to create his epic and monumental Paradise Lost using enamel automobile paint applied with needle-fine syringes and a porcupine quill. On Saturday, June 7, at 2:00, hear from Shaw and curator Madhuvanti Ghose as they discuss this intricate, magical, and breathtaking masterpiece, on view beginning that same day. Registration is required.
#4 Get to Know the Gods and Goddesses

Curious about the dieties depicted in Myth and Marble? Don't miss this discussion by exhibition curators Lisa A. Çakmak and Katharine A. Raff, on June 5 at 6:00, exploring themes of classical mythology both in works from the Torlonia Collection and across the Art Institute. Whether you’re a lifelong fan of Greek and Roman mythology or looking for a refresher, this program will present you with new perspectives. Registration is required.

Two teens—a shorter, light-skinned teen with cropped hair and a taller, medium-skinned teen with long hair—photographed through a large glass window with neon writing and doodles all over it. They flash peace signs with their hands and smile.

#5 Stay Out Late

Teens—mark your calendars for June 12 from 5:00 to 10:00! Our annual Exuberus Teen Night returns with plenty of food, dancing, an open mic, teen musical performances, art making, teen-led gallery tours, and so much more. As always, this can’t-miss event by and for Chicago teens is free for all. Register today!

Four female dancers with medium-toned skin wearing elaborate costumes in dressed in jewel tones, striking a pose in formation.

#6 Find Inspiration Through Dance

Chicago’s Natya Dance Theatre performs in the Alsdorf Galleries August 2 at 12:00, amplifying the spirit of Raqib Shaw’s 21-panel painting Paradise Lost through the power of music and movement. Drop by to experience this innovative and inspiring performance rooted in Bharata Natyam, one of India’s great classical dance forms.

#10 Make Art and Memories

Free art-making opportunities abound at the museum this summer! Bring the family to the Ryan Learning Center’s Art Exchange anytime between 11:00 and 3:00 on your next visit for activities inspired by Frida Kahlo and Gustave Caillebotte, and enjoy drop-in sketching in the galleries June 5 from 12:00 to 2:00. Need more? Check out our full list of creativity-focused offerings.

Images: Visitors take in Jay DeFeo (Mary Joan DeFeo)’s The Annunciation, 1957–59. Gift of Lannan Foundation. © 2018 The Jay DeFeo Foundation / Artists Rights Society (ARS), New York; Gustave Caillebotte. On the Pont de l’Europe, about 1877. Kimbell Art Museum, Fort Worth, Texas, AP 1982.01; Wayne Thiebaud. Cake Slices (detail), 1963. Gift of the Irving Stenn, Jr. Family; Raqib Shaw. Paradise Lost (Chapter 1) (detail), 2009–11. Courtesy of the artist. © Raqib Shaw; Statue of a Goddess, known as the Hestia Giustiniani, first half of 2nd century CE. Roman, Imperial Period. Torlonia Collection. © Torlonia Foundation. Photo by Lorenzo De Masi; Natya Dance. Copyright © 2019 Natya, all rights reserved; Jacques Schumacher, executive director of provenance research. STM-125597296, Pat Nabong/Chicago Sun-Times. © 2024 Chicago Sun-Times Media, Inc. All rights reserved; Frida Kahlo. My Dress Hangs There (detail), 1933. Hoover Gallery, San Francisco, California.