The Art Institute of Chicago

“If I create from the heart, nearly everything works; if from the head, almost nothing.” —Marc Chagall

Happy birthday to the artist behind our beloved America Windows, created especially for the Art Institute and commemorating America’s bicentennial. Take in the glow of this remarkable six-panel work in Gallery 144.

Image: Marc Chagall. America Windows, 1977. A gift of Marc Chagall, the City of Chicago, and the Auxiliary Board of The Art Institute of Chicago, commemorating the American Bicentennial in memory of Mayor Richard J. Daley. © 2016 Artists Rights Society (ARS), New York / ADAGP, Paris.

Two rising figures in American arts form a collaboration aiming to make the black experience visible in postwar America. The Wall Street Journal reviews Invisible Man: Gordon Parks and Ralph Ellison in Harlem.

NEW ON VIEW—We’re excited to announce a new acquisition to the museum’s collection: Sebastiano del Piombo’s Christ Carrying the Cross. This newly rediscovered masterpiece of Italian High Renaissance painting is now on view in Gallery 205. We hope our visitors will enjoy this addition to the collection for generations to come.

JULY 14—Join us for a FREE interactive sonic ceremony, recalling the journeys taken by objects featured in Vanishing Beauty: Asian Jewelry and Ritual Objects from the Barbara and David Kipper Collection.

Aurelio is a sound artist, musician, inventor, and noted pioneer in the development and manufacture of innovative musical instruments——from simple objects for beginners to those specially designed for use in sound healing.

Free performance; registration required—http://bit.ly/29exGTe

Whirligigs have been used as weathervanes, scarecrows, and objects of play throughout American history and have held a place in American folk art since the late 19th century. This whirligig, entitled America, was created by Frank Memkus, a Lithuanian immigrant who wanted to honor the pride and patriotism of his new country.

The only known work of art Memkus created, he brought it out only on special occasions—like the Fourth of July! Keep up his tradition and stop by to see it, now on view in Gallery 227. And from all of us here at the Art Institute, have a safe and happy holiday!

Contemporary Art Daily's takeover of our Instagram continues with posts throughout the day from our collection and their archives.

Follow along—http://instagram.com/artinstitutechi

Glimpse the splendor of Asian jewelry and ritual objects with a preview of the new exhibition Vanishing Beauty.

LEARN MORE—http://bit.ly/29bfkIF

SATURDAY—Join us at the Boathouse in Humboldt Park for FREE art-making activities for all ages, part of our Kaleidoscope Outreach with the Chicago Park District.

LEARN MORE—http://bit.ly/299Y8PV

Discover many unique products made in the USA at the Museum Shop Online.

SHOP—http://bit.ly/298631f

TOMORROW—We’re excited to announce that Contemporary Art Group, better known as Contemporary Art Daily, will be taking over our Instagram feed for 24 hours, exploring works on view in our galleries alongside selections from their own archives.

Follow us on Instagram—http://instagram.com/artinstitutechi

‪#‎TBT‬ 1996: A lion’s job is never done. The Art Institute’s faithful companions look over Michigan Avenue, 103 years after they first arrived at the museum.

NOW OPEN—The Shogun’s World: Japanese Maps from the 18th and 19th Centuries

Now on view in Gallery 107, The Shogun's World showcases the distinct beauty of Japanese mapmaking. These heavily image-based maps occasionally explore spiritual landscapes in addition to physical geography. The importance of spirituality in this tradition is shown in this detail from a mid-19th century map of Yokohama Harbor, where the legend color-codes not only landmarks like Buddhist temples, foreigners’ residences, and stone bridges, but also the locations of spiritually significant trees and rocks.

LEARN MORE—http://bit.ly/295l7KD

CLOSING SOON—The Inspired Chinese Brush

Chinese artists of the 16th through 18th century elegantly capture details from nature with a range of visual effects, on view through July 11.

Learn more—http://bit.ly/295E4hG

Join us for a series of classic films from the 1930s that reflect the social and cultural themes found in our current exhibition America after the Fall: Painting in the 1930s.

FILM SCREENINGS—http://bit.ly/29233CQ

“My talent is such that no undertaking, however vast in size... has ever surpassed my courage.” -Peter Paul Rubens

Happy birthday to the Baroque painter Peter Paul Rubens. His talent wasn’t limited to being one of the most celebrated Flemish painters, however; his undertakings also included being a humanist scholar and diplomat, knighted by both Philip IV of Spain and Charles I of England.

See six courageous works by Rubens on view in Gallery 208.

NOW ON VIEW—Design Episodes: The Modern Chair

Explore the evolution of the modern chair in the 20th century with iconic examples from makers like Charles and Ray Eames, Le Corbusier and Charlotte Perriand, and Harry Bertoia, among others.

THE MODERN CHAIR—http://bit.ly/290kO9p

NOW OPEN—Head Dressing: The Art of Crowns, Helmets, Hats, and Hairstyles in Africa

Explore the hair and head fashions of societies across Africa in this focused exhibition, fashions that reflect beliefs about beauty, identity, power, and personal transformation.

LEARN MORE—http://bit.ly/28Z1juE

NOW OPEN—Icelandic artist and musician Ragnar Kjartansson teams up with The National for A Lot of Sorrow, an extended concert film in which the Brooklyn–based band performs their ballad “Sorrow” on repeat for six hours, an intensely durational work that combines feelings of pathos and humor.

LEARN MORE—http://bit.ly/28SgEtY