School of the Art Institute of Chicago
37 S. Wabash Avenue, suite 1220
Chicago, IL 60603
Visiting minds. Lasting influence.
Celebrating 150 years as a leader in educating artists, designers, and scholars, the School of the Art Institute of Chicago (SAIC) presents a new season of the Visiting Artists Program—a public forum that features today’s most influential practitioners and thinkers.
An invaluable resource for SAIC students, the Visiting Artists Program is central to SAIC’s interdisciplinary curriculum. In addition to public lectures, visitors directly engage with SAIC students through studio critiques and roundtable discussions, fostering a greater understanding and appreciation of contemporary art and culture.
All events are free and non-ticketed. Lectures begin at 6pm and are held in the Art Institute of Chicago, Rubloff Auditorium, 230 South Columbus Drive. Visit saic.edu for details.
Spring 2016 lecture series
Tom Kalin
Distinguished Alumni Lecture Series
February 10
From short experimental videos to feature-length narrative films, such as Swoon and Savage Grace, Tom Kalin’s (MFA 1987) award-winning work has been screened throughout the world. Presented in collaboration with SAIC’s Office of Alumni Relations.
Xu Bing
February 22
Chinese artist Xu Bing is known for making mixed-media installations that subvert systems of language, meaning, and tradition. Presented in partnership with the Art Institute of Chicago’s Department of Museum Education and SAIC’s Printmedia department.
Joep van Lieshout
March 7
Dutch artist Joep van Lieshout has produced works that straddle art, design, and architecture such as sculpture, installations, buildings, furniture, utopias and dystopias. Presented in partnership with the William Bronson and Grayce Slovet Mitchell Lectureship in the Department of Architecture, Interior Architecture, and Designed Objects.
Diane Simpson
Distinguished Alumni Lecture Series
April 5
Diane Simpson (BFA 1971, MFA 1978) creates sculptures and preparatory drawings that evolve from a diverse range of sources including clothing, utilitarian objects, and architecture. Presented in collaboration with SAIC’s Office of Alumni Relations.
Sophie Calle
April 27
Since the late 1970s, French artist Sophie Calle has made work that investigates provocative and often controversial methods for confronting her emotional and psychological life.
VAP online
In addition to making their appearances open to the public, SAIC presents many Visiting Artists Program lectures as audio podcasts online here. Recent presenters include Christian Boltanski, Rona Pondick, and Kunlé Adeyemi. Join the conversation by following VAP on Facebook or by signing up for its eNewsletter.
About the School of the Art Institute of Chicago
For 150 years, the School of the Art Institute of Chicago (SAIC) has been a leader in educating the world’s most influential artists, designers, and scholars. Located in downtown Chicago with a fine arts graduate program ranked number two by U.S. News and World Report, SAIC provides an interdisciplinary approach to art and design as well as world-class resources, including the Art Institute of Chicago museum, on-campus galleries, and state-of-the-art facilities. SAIC’s undergraduate, graduate, and post-baccalaureate students have the freedom to take risks and create the bold ideas that transform Chicago and the world—as seen through notable alumni and faculty such as Michelle Grabner, David Sedaris, Elizabeth Murray, Richard Hunt, Georgia O’Keeffe, Cynthia Rowley, Nick Cave, and LeRoy Neiman.
