Drop in 10:30–3:00
Honor the legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. on this special day. Visit the exhibition Night Coming Tenderly, Black featuring photographs by Chicago artist Dawoud Bey. Take a journey through the museum and explore the idea of freedom through creative art making and collaborative activities with artists, musicians, poets, teens, and families from across Chicago.
Our King Day Festival is free to all, and Illinois residents receive free museum admission during this event as part of Free Winter Weekdays
Activities in the Ryan Learning Center
Night Comes On Gently—THE FAMILY ROOM
Explore silhouettes and shadows while drawing on black paper.
Give and Take—INTERACTIVE GALLERY
Make a drawing or sculpture and leave it for someone else, take a work of art made by another visitor, or contribute to a collective assemblage.
Mixed-Media Collage—CLASSROOM 5
Layer textured papers together to create collaged portraits of power.
The Little Studio—CLASSROOMS 3 AND 4
(AGES 5 AND UNDER)
Fairness and friendship, diversity and dreams—our youngest festivalgoers explore big concepts through sensory–rich experiences and art making.
Darkness and Light—STUDIO B
Create a mixed-media artwork combining drawing and collage in response to Dr. King’s words.
Dreaming the Future—STUDIO A
Learn about the journey of Dr. King and create your own “journey book” by mapping places you have been and would like to go.
ACTIVITIES IN THE MUSEUM GALLERIES
Performance: Reborn Poetry Ensemble—GRIFFIN COURT
12:15 AND 1:15 (30 MINUTES)
Artists ages 9–14 from the award–winning poetry slam team perform original work in tribute to Dr. King and inspired by the photography of Dawoud Bey.
Collaborative Project: Folded Map—GRIFFIN COURT
Englewood photographer and activist Tonika Johnson invites visitors to think about the qualities of the spaces where they live. Learn about her Folded Map project; then create your own family portrait and add it to an oversized map of Chicago.
Express Talk: Connecting Past and Present—MEET IN GRIFFIN COURT
ADULTS AND CHILDREN AGES 12 AND UP
12:00 AND 2:00 (30 MINUTES)
Visit two artworks that speak across culture or time to illuminate themes of creativity, place, and power.
Interactive Performance: Sonic Tops—CHICAGO GALLERY
11:00–2:30
Drop in to enjoy sound and movement performances with composer and musician Douglas Ewart on sonic tops, flute, didjeridu, voice, and other instruments. Choreographer and dancer Nicole “Nikki” Nolan and percussionist Coco Elysses join in. Between sessions, you can learn to spin the tops, too!
Picture Book Reading—GALLERY 144
AGES 7 AND UNDER
12:00 (20 MINUTES) That Is My Dream! by Langston Hughes and Daniel Miyares
1:30 (20 MINUTES) Aunt Harriet’s Underground Railroad in the Sky by Faith Ringgold
Darkness and Light—GALLERY 100
Create a mixed-media artwork combining drawing and collage in response to Dr. King’s words.
Art and Identity: Freedom in Being
Galleries 263, 289, 293, 295
Explore ideas of identity and freedom as you experience the collection and make art in conversation with young people from the Art Institute’s Teen Council, Teen Lab, and Marwen Internship.