The Chicago Cultural Center is a historic and architectural gem located in the heart of downtown Chicago. Originally built in 1897 as the city’s first public library, the Cultural Center is a stunning example of neoclassical architecture, featuring a grand marble staircase, magnificent Tiffany stained-glass dome, and ornate mosaics throughout the building.
The Cultural Center is a vibrant hub of arts and culture, offering a wide range of free public programs, exhibitions, and events. Visitors can explore the building’s many galleries, performance spaces, and event rooms, which showcase a diverse array of visual art, music, dance, and theater. Whether you’re a local resident or a visitor to the city, the Cultural Center offers an enriching and inspiring experience that celebrates the power of art to unite and inspire.
Image: the exterior of the Chicago Cultural Center as see from Michigan Ave.
","type":"EventCategory","state":"published","slug":"exhibitions","created_at":"2018-10-22 18:54:41.176231","updated_at":"2018-10-22 18:54:41.176231","excerpt":"","is_timeless":true,"organization_id":730,"highlighted":false,"opening_starts_at":null,"opening_ends_at":null,"searchable":"'15':20B 'a.martinez':236B 'action':181B 'also':149B 'angela':237B 'anoth':162B 'art':50B,101B,171B 'artist':9A,33B,127B,234B 'artist/mothers':21B 'artwork':207B 'aubrey':239B 'audienc':222B 'background':25B 'barrier':191B 'bobbi':241B 'born':120B 'build':156B 'call':179B 'care':79B,164B 'caregiv':30B,119B,187B 'ceram':60B 'challeng':35B 'collect':34B,105B,130B 'communiti':125B,157B 'conni':243B 'contemporari':170B 'creat':74B,100B,163B,224B 'creativ':193B 'cultur':24B,173B 'cydney':245B 'design':95B,209B 'disciplin':26B 'divers':23B 'emot':112B 'exhibit':7A,18B,65B,175B,205B,233B 'explor':66B 'expos':41B 'forc':199B 'found':132B 'fragment':110B 'friend':214B 'garcia':257B 'generat':198B,232B 'group':6A 'haftner':255B 'halpern':249B 'ideal':37B 'ident':147B 'in-process':91B 'includ':202B,235B 'incomplet':89B 'ingmar':240B 'inher':117B 'instal':63B 'interact':229B 'interconnect':124B 'invit':184B,220B 'jenni':248B 'jiha':250B 'kati':252B 'keeley':254B 'keep':153B 'kid':213B 'kid-friend':212B 'kirk':253B 'labor':113B 'ladsariya':263B 'lewi':247B 'lopez':238B 'm':246B 'make':51B 'margin':77B 'mean':72B 'meaning':227B 'media':56B 'mehra':261B 'meier':242B 'memor':228B 'menirom':259B 'moment':104B 'mother':10A,128B 'motherhood':40B 'multifacet':17B 'narrat':38B 'noell':256B 'noy':244B 'one':161B 'open':219B 'organ':121B 'orr':258B 'other':86B 'oyeniyi':266B 'paint':58B 'parent':53B 'park':251B 'particip':223B 'photographi':59B 'piec':81B 'power':197B 'process':93B 'question':68B 'radic':115B 'raw':88B 'realiti':98B 'recogn':186B 'refin':85B 'reflect':108B 'remain':87B 'resili':46B 'resolv':83B 'reveal':96B 'sarana':260B 'serv':216B 'shape':48B,169B 'show':154B 'soft':3A,13B,140B 'solidar':137B 'space':135B,225B 'span':22B 'stage':28B 'stolen':103B 'stori':167B 'strength':43B 'struggl':44B 'tell':166B 'tender':116B 'text':61B 'thing':4A,14B,141B 'time':111B 'togeth':31B 'tulika':262B 'uniqu':208B 'within':200B 'work':107B 'yemisi':265B","thumbnail":"https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1763148313/cmt4k9hzonkb1jqierho.jpg","calendar":null,"carousel":false,"event_body":"Not a Soft Thing is a multifaceted exhibition by 15 artist/mothers spanning diverse cultural backgrounds, disciplines, and stages of caregiving.
Together, this artist collective challenges the idealized narratives of motherhood, exposing the strength, struggle, and resilience that shape both art making and parenting. Through the media of painting, photography, ceramics, text, and installation, this exhibition explores the question: “What does it mean to create in the margins of care?” Some pieces are resolved and refined; others remain raw, incomplete, or in-process by design, revealing the realities of creating art in stolen moments. Collectively, the works reflect the fragmented time, emotional labor, and radical tenderness inherent in caregiving. Born organically through an interconnected community of artist mothers, this collective was founded as a space of solidarity.
Not a Soft Thing is not only about their identity, but also about how they keep showing up—building community with and for one another creating, caring, and telling stories that shape contemporary art and culture. This exhibition is both a call to action and an invitation—to recognize caregiving not as a barrier to creativity, but as a powerful, generative force within it. Included in the exhibition are artworks uniquely designed to be kid-friendly and serve as an open invitation for audience participation, creating space for meaningful, memorable interactions for all generations.
Exhibiting artists include A.Martinez, Angela Lopez, Aubrey Ingmar, Bobbi Meier, Connie Noyes, Cydney M Lewis, Jenny Halpern, Jihae Park, Katie Kirk, Keeley Haftner, Noelle Garcia, Orr Menirom, Sarana Mehra, Tulika Ladsariya, and Yemisi Oyeniyi.
","name":"Exhibitions","organization_type_id":"5","district_id":"4","telephone":"","website":"http://www.chicagoculturalcenter.org","email":"dcase@cityofchicago.org","hours":"Open Daily 10am–5pm","location":"78 E. Washington Chicago, IL 60602","display_location":"78 E. Washington, Chicago, IL 60602","latitude":"41.884162","longitude":"-87.624962","contact":"Brett Swinney, Director of Exhibitions; Joshua Ojeda, Community Outreach","sub_district_id":"20","promoted_at":"2018-12-20T19:45:05.097Z","optional_sort_name":"","paid":true,"position":2,"category_name":"Exhibitions","orgname":"Chicago Cultural Center","orgslug":"chicago-cultural-center","image":"http://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1760040856/vhbrw6qyjxy7eyxtqbqy.jpg"}