Spend some creative time in the galleries writing in response to artworks in the permanent collection. Co-led by writers and museum staff members Amina Khan and Nancy Chen, participants will be invited to try out a series of playful writing prompts interweaving personal and collective histories inspired by the work of Pope.L, Felix Gonzalez-Torres, and other contemporary artists.
All materials will be provided, though participants are welcome to bring their own notebooks if they prefer.
what to expect
Guided by museum staff, participants will visit several galleries that are part of the museum’s permanent collections over the course of two hours. Staff will provide pencils and papers to write with, as well as folding stools for participants to use throughout the program. After completing writing exercises and prompts, participants will be encouraged to share some of their writing, but will not be required to.
Elevators are available if any participants would prefer to avoid stairs. If you have any additional questions or want to request special accommodations, please email museum_interpretation@artic.edu.
about the facilitators
Amina Khan joined the Art Institute in 2022 as communications editor. Outside of the museum, she writes fiction, poetry, and art criticism under a pen name and has been published in The Chicago Reader, The Kenyon Review, JOYLAND, and elsewhere. In her free time, she teaches Surrealist fiction and horror writing to high school students.
Nancy Chen writes arts reviews and essays. She has been organizing public programs in the galleries at the Art Institute since September 2019. Nancy leads tours and conversations weekly at the museum; on shaping these experiences: “I often think of composing a gallery tour as both a creative exercise and a kind of essay writing.”
