DCASE Visual Arts Exhibition Program:

The City of Chicago’s Department of Cultural Affairs and Special Events (DCASE) exhibition program encompasses historic as well as contemporary art worldwide, with special emphasis placed on emerging and underrepresented artists who live and work in Chicago. The exhibition program supports professional artists, curators, and arts organizations to reach a wide audience in the heart of downtown Chicago. The exhibition program is activated through public programming such as gallery tours, public conversations, and hands-on exploration in the Learning Lab. Previous exhibitions can be viewed online.

The DCASE exhibition program serves Chicago-based artists and curators to advance their careers through the production and presentation of new work and retrospective exhibitions in the Chicago Cultural Center, one of the most visited and significant Chicago attractions. Indeed, the platform of an exhibition at the Chicago Cultural Center can be a significant steppingstone in the career of an artist or curator.

Our status as a non-commercial and public entity encourages artists to take risks and connect to a broad audience. We are proud to serve a uniquely diverse public that may not otherwise encounter the kind of high-quality, experimental, community-oriented, and welcoming exhibitions they can find at the Chicago Cultural Center.

Ultimately, DCASE’s exhibition program aims to support a healthy city-wide arts ecosystem where artists, curators, and art appreciators can thrive in Chicago.

The goals of the Exhibitions program include:

- Support Chicago artists to advance their career through exhibition opportunities

- Position the Chicago Cultural Center as a hub for excellent, accessible, and engaging exhibitions for the public

- Create intersections between Chicago artists and national and international arts communities

- Support a diverse group of artists reflective of the city of Chicago and its cultural landscape

- Develop and maintain long-term relationships with Chicago-based artists

Exhibitions are curated and selected by the Visual Art staff, in consultation with an Advisory Committee. Beginning in 2024, artists, curators, and arts organizations are welcome to submit exhibition proposals for the Chicago Cultural Center galleries in 2025 and 2026.

Call For 2025-2026 Exhibition Proposals:

DCASE is pleased to introduce a new application process for artists, curators, and arts organizations to propose exhibitions for the Chicago Cultural Center galleries in 2025 and 2026. Exhibitions at the Chicago Cultural Center come in many forms and sizes, including one-person and group exhibitions of contemporary art; and exhibitions that focus on historical figures and ideas, cultural history, design, and architecture.

Our curatorial staff creates exhibitions of varying size and scope in close collaboration with individual artists, guest curators, and external organizations. Because our spaces and assets are so unique, many months -- sometimes years -- of advance planning are required for each exhibition.

Timeline

- Thursday, March 28, 9am: Application proposal template becomes available; applications submission portal opens on Cyber Grants

- Thursday, April 11, 4:30–5:30pm: Information session in person at the Chicago Cultural Center, Room 408 (optional)

- Friday, April 26, 12–1pm: Information session online (optional) View Recording

- Friday, May 17, 5pm: Application portal closes, submissions no longer accepted

- Mid- August (estimated): All applicants notified of final decisions

For more information, view the Application Guidelines (PDF)