Art Exhibits and Events

ISM System Exhibits: Art

Anthropology Exhibit

These case exhibits focus on archaeological and ethnographic topics and artifacts such as Native American pottery, basketry, weavings, weapons, and tools. Find out more ...

At Home in the Heartland

Listen to the stories of real people who lived in Illinois. Immerse yourself in the dramatic changes in household life over the past 300 years. Find out more ...

Federal Junior Duck Stamp Art -- May 06, 2012 to May 31, 2012

   
The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service has announced a northern pintail was selected to appear on the 2012-2013 Federal Junior Duck Stamp. Find out more ...

Currently on exhibit at the ISM Dickson Mounds Museum from May 06, 2012 to May 31, 2012

Please note that exhibit dates are subject to change.
To confirm dates, please call the appropriate site.

Figurism: Narrative and Fantastic Figurative Art from the Illinois State Museum Collection -- January 30, 2012 to May 25, 2012

‘Figurism’ brings together historical and  contemporary body-based art that emphasizes the power and range of the uses of the figure in Midwestern art. Doug Stapleton, Assistant Curator of the Illinois State Museum Chicago Gallery, brings together the work of over fifty artists, including Marcena Barton; Samuel Himmelfarb, Carl Hoeckner; Linda Kramer; Kerig Pope; Barbara Rossi, and Eleanor Spiess-Ferris. Find out more ...

Currently on exhibit at the ISM Chicago Gallery from January 30, 2012 to May 25, 2012

Please note that exhibit dates are subject to change.
To confirm dates, please call the appropriate site.

Figurism: Narrative and Fantastic Figurative Art from the Illinois State Museum Collection -- Opening October 30, 2012

This exhibition brings together historical and contemporary artwork of more than fifty artists that emphasizes the power and the range of the narrative and expressive figure in Midwest art. Find out more ...

Please note that exhibit dates are subject to change.
To confirm dates, please call the appropriate site.

Focus 4: Four Solo Exhibitions -- May 06, 2012 to October 05, 2012

Focus 4 is composed of four solo exhibitions featuring the work of four Illinois artists: Steven Robnett, Don Seiden, Mario Trejo, and Rebecca Wolfram. Find out more ...

Currently on exhibit at the ISM Lockport Gallery from May 06, 2012 to October 05, 2012

Please note that exhibit dates are subject to change.
To confirm dates, please call the appropriate site.

From Humble Beginnings: Lincoln's Illinois, 1830-1861 -- January 01, 2012 to July 22, 2012

To commemorate the bicentennial of Abraham Lincoln's birth the Illinois State Museum Southern Illinois Art and Artisans Center presents a captivating perspective of the Illinois Lincoln called home through objects and stories of the people who lived here. Find out more ...

Currently on exhibit at the Southern Illinois Art & Artisans Center from January 01, 2012 to July 22, 2012

Please note that exhibit dates are subject to change.
To confirm dates, please call the appropriate site.

Luminous Ground: Artists With Histories -- May 20, 2012 to January 06, 2013

The exhibit Luminous Ground: Artists With Histories, cited in the top ten shows of the year by both New City and Time-Out Chicago, explores outstanding work by older Illinois artists. Find out more ...

Currently on exhibit at the Illinois State Museum, Springfield from May 20, 2012 to January 06, 2013

Please note that exhibit dates are subject to change.
To confirm dates, please call the appropriate site.

The Mary Ann MacLean Play Museum

“We don’t stop playing because we grow old; we grow old because we stop playing.” George Bernard Shaw Find out more ...

ISM System Events: Art

Underwater Art Children's Art Workshop

Illinois State Museum, Springfield
Thursday, July 26, 2012 - Friday, July 27, 2012, 9:00 AM - 12:00 PM

July 26 & 27
9:00 am to Noon
Ages 5-7
Fees:

• Members: $24 per child
• Non-members: $30 per child

This summer, dive into fun at the Underwater Art workshop. Find out more ...

Art Detective Family Fun

ISM Lockport Gallery
Saturday, June 16, 2012 - Sunday, June 17, 2012, 11:00 AM - 5:00 PM

Help Nancy DRAW and the ARTy Boys solve the mystery of the Great Canal Caper.  Families can uncover clues from exhibited artworks and decode the secret messages. Find out more ...

Focus On Steven Robnett

ISM Lockport Gallery
Sunday, July 15, 2012, 2:00 PM - 3:00 PM

Discover the precisely executed drawings and paintings of Elgin artist Steven Robnett when ISMLG Director Jim Zimmer provides an overview of how the artist uses human figures as narrative images that metaphorically expose the human condition.

This ISMLG Talk & Tour Event is part of the free Sunday Series for the exhibition Focus 4, presented during ISM Lockport Gallery’s 25^th Anniversary year. Find out more ...

Focus On Mario Trejo

ISM Lockport Gallery
Sunday, September 09, 2012, 2:00 PM - 3:00 PM

Hear Curator Robert Sill, ISM Assistant Director of Art, explain how Southern Illinois artist Mario Trejo combines rigorous processes and acute attention to detail to create stunning works of quiet beauty. 

This ISMLG Talk & Tour Event is part of the free Sunday Series for the exhibition Focus 4, presented during ISM Lockport Gallery’s 25^th Anniversary year. Find out more ...

Grimm's Grimmest: The Darker Side of Fairy Tales

ISM Lockport Gallery
Sunday, September 30, 2012, 2:00 PM - 3:00 PM

Be prepared for a chilling dramatic performance of Grimm's fairy tales–some set to music–as they were originally intended for adults. Find out more ...

Art on Ice Children's Art Workshop

Illinois State Museum, Springfield
Thursday, June 28, 2012 - Friday, June 29, 2012, 9:00 AM - 12:00 PM

June 28 & 29
9:00 am to Noon
Ages 8-10
Fees:

• Members: $24 per child
• Non-members: $30 per child

Cool off this summer and make Ice Age inspired creations. Find out more ...

Paul Mickey Science Series: The Historic Cemeteries of Menard County, Illinois

ISM Research & Collections Center
Wednesday, July 11, 2012, 7:00 PM - 8:30 PM

Presented by: Guy Sternberg, Arborist, Owner and Operator of Starhill Forest Arboretum, Petersburg, IL, Adjunct Research Associate-Illinois State Museum (Botany Department), Adjunct Faculty-Illinois College, Jacksonville, IL

In the land where Lincoln rose to greatness, his presence has enhanced the preservation of much of the pioneer history of the Midwest. Find out more ...

Focus on Rebecca Wolfram

ISM Lockport Gallery
Sunday, August 19, 2012, 2:00 PM - 3:00 PM

Join ISMLG Curator Jennifer Jaskowiak as she discusses the mysterious and evocative paintings of Chicago-based artist Rebecca Wolfram whose work explores ideas of culture, custom and tradition.

This ISMLG Talk & Tour Event is part of the free Sunday Series for the exhibition Focus 4, presented during ISM Lockport Gallery's 25th Anniversary year. Find out more ...

Focus On Don Seiden

ISM Lockport Gallery
Sunday, June 03, 2012, 2:00 PM - 3:00 PM

Learn about the mixed-media work and lengthy career of Chicago artist Don Seiden as ISM Chicago Gallery Curator Jane Stevens explores how art has been a constant companion in Seiden's thinking, feeling and sensory life. Find out more ...