The Elmhurst Art Museum will debut two exhibitions, With a Capital P: Selections by Six Painters, an exhibition curated by six prominent local painters that reveals a myriad of sensibilities of over 100 peer artists based in the Midwest and beyond, and Luftwerk: Parallel Perspectives, a color and light intervention in the Museum’s recently restored Mies van der Rohe McCormick House. Parallel Perspectives is a continuation of Bauhaus100, the global anniversary celebrations of the legendary German art school and continues the artists’ year-long exploration of architecture by Mies.
Both exhibitions are on view May 11 – August 25, 2019 and complementing these visually rich exhibitions will be a range of contemporary art and design programming for all ages, including site-specific works staged by Chicago-based artists within the Museum’s Mies van der Rohe McCormick House.
Programming highlights (in chronological order)
All public programs listed are free with Museum admission or membership unless otherwise noted. Select programs require reservations.
Art in Wilder Park
Saturday, May 4 through Sunday, May 5, 10AM-5PM
During this annual free event, the museum will host the D205 Student Art Exhibit and hands-on activities. The event features a juried show of fine arts, crafts and original creations of over 100 artists, activities for children, musical entertainment, and over 15 food vendors. Free admission to Elmhurst Art Museum in celebration of the D205 show and Art in Wilder Park
Panel Discussion
Saturday, May 11, 1:30 PM
All six artists curating With a Capital P: Selections by Six Painters – Leslie Baum, Magalie Guerin, Jose Lerma, Nancy Mladenoff, and Suellen Rocca – will discuss the exhibition and explore contemporary practices in painting and curation as a means of art production.
Director’s Tour
Saturday, May 18, 1:30 PM
Join Executive Director John McKinnon for an exclusive tour of With a Capital P: Selections by Six Painters and Parallel Perspectives.
23rd Annual Museum Day in Elmhurst
FREE admission to three Elmhurst Museums:
Elmhurst Art Museum, Elmhurst History Museum and Lizzadro Museum of Lapidary Art
Sunday, May 19, 1-5 PM
The Explore Elmhurst trolley will visit all three Elmhurst museums for free admission, family-friendly activities, exhibit tours, refreshments, and more.
McCormick House Tours
Saturdays, June 15, July 13 and 27, and Sunday, June 2, all at 1:30 PM
These docent-led tours explore the history and unique design of the McCormick House (1952) by Mies van der Rohe. Last summer, new restorations revealed the facade and carport entrance for the first time in over 25 years.
Family Day Workshop
Saturday, June 8, 1-4 PM
Families participate in hands-on art activities inspired by the museum’s spring and summer exhibitions. Recommended for families with children ages five and up.
Architecture Walking Tour
Saturday, June 29, 1:30 PM
This walking tour explores modern architecture in Elmhurst including the Henderson House by Frank Lloyd Wright and McCormick House by Mies van der Rohe.
Tickets can either be purchased at the museum or online and are $15 for members and $20 for nonmembers.
Artists Talk: Luftwerk
Saturday, July 20, 1:30 PM
An in-depth conversation about Parallel Perspectives and the perceptions of color by the collaborative duo Luftwerk and color specialist Michael Rossi.
Elmhurst Art Museum & Elmhurst Public Library Book Discussion
Tuesday, August 13, 6:30 – 8:00 PM
Those who have read “The Five Red Herrings,” by Dorothy L. Sayers are invited to attend this riveting conversation. This 1931 murder mystery novel is set in Galloway, where Sandy Campbell, a talented painter, is found dead in a stream. It’s then up to Lord Peter Wimsey and his manservant Bunter to discover who forged Campbell’s painting and solve the murderous crime. Reservations are required by phone: (630) 834-0202.
Exhibition Tour
Saturday, August 24, 1:30 PM An in-depth look at the current exhibitions With a Capital P: Selections by Six Painters and Parallel Perspectives.
About the McCormick House
In 1952, the renowned modern architect Mies van der Rohe designed a home for Robert Hall McCormick III, a member of Chicago’s most prominent families, and his wife, the poet Isabella Gardner. The home is a rare and important example of Mies van der Rohe’s mature style, incorporating elements of his celebrated designs for the Farnsworth House (1951) and 860-880 Lake Shore Drive (1951). The McCormick House—one of only three single-family homes designed by Mies in the United States—originally served two purposes: it was a home for the McCormick family and a prototype for a proposed group of smaller, affordable mass-produced modular homes in the western Chicago suburbs that McCormick and co-developer Herbert S. Greenwald were hoping to build. However, the cutting-edge, high-end buildings were not met with enough buyers to begin construction.
About Elmhurst Art Museum
Elmhurst Art Museum is located at 150 South Cottage Hill Avenue in Elmhurst (IL), 25 minutes from downtown Chicago by car or public transportation (Metra). The Museum is both an international destination for Mies van der Rohe scholars and fans and a regional center where people from Chicago and the western suburbs learn to see and think differently through the study of the art, architecture and design of our time.
The Museum is one block from the Elmhurst Metra station and open Tuesday-Sunday from 11am -5pm. Admission is $12 ($10 for seniors) and free for students and children under 18. For more information, please call 630.834.0202 or visit elmhurstartmuseum.org.
