Museum of Contemporary Art Chicago

Contemporary art museum in Streeterville with artist talks, performances, live-art activations and a free Tuesday SOAR farmers market on its plaza.

Coming up at MCA Chicago

14 dated

Recurring shows are placed on their next date. Every listing was read off the venue's own page by a person; prices are the printed ones.

Oct24Designing for Dignity 04: A Convening of PossibilitiesSaturday, 11:00 AMDeem Journal's fourth annual symposium treats dignity as a founding principle of design, with a day of presentations, conversations and a participatory activation. Saturday 24 October, 11am to 6pm (doors 10:30am), in the Edlis Neeson Theater at the Museum of Contemporary Art, 220 E Chicago Ave (Chicago on the Red Line); parts of the day are also streamed. Tickets are booked through the MCA, which doesn't publish a price on the listing.See listing
Oct27SOAR Farmers MarketTUESDAYS · 7:00 AM · next Tue, Oct 27, 7:00 AMThe weekly SOAR Farmers Market sets up on the MCA Plaza with fruit and vegetables, cut and potted flowers, baked goods, cheeses and spices, rain or shine. Tuesdays 7am to 2pm at 220 E Chicago Ave (Chicago on the Red Line); the museum's calendar lists the last dates as 27 October and 3 November. Free to browse.Free
Oct31Streeterville Dog Halloween PartySaturday, 9:00 AMThe 39th annual costume party and parade for dogs (cats welcome too) in the MCA's Anne & John Kern Terrace Garden, with Alderman Brian Hopkins and Maureen Schulman judging the best-dressed. Saturday 31 October, 9am to 11am, with the parade at 9:30; enter through the museum's back gate by Lake Shore Park, 220 E Chicago Ave (Chicago on the Red Line). Free and open to the public; leashes required, and bringing a dog toy is suggested so every dog leaves with a prize.Free
Nov3Cally Spooner: Warm UpNov 3 – Nov 3Free with museum admission
Nov7Cally Spooner: Warm UpSaturday, 1:00 PMFree with museum admission
Nov7Rashid Johnson in Conversation with Jack SchneiderSaturday, 2:00 PMChicago-born artist Rashid Johnson talks with Jack Schneider, the assistant curator leading the MCA's presentation of his exhibition A Poem for Deep Thinkers. Saturday 7 November, 2pm to 3:30pm, in the Edlis Neeson Theater, 220 E Chicago Ave (Chicago on the Red Line). Tickets are booked through the MCA, which doesn't publish a price on the listing.See listing
Nov8Asses.MassesSunday, 12:00 PMA video game built for the stage and played live, with audience volunteers taking the controller as a herd of out-of-work donkeys demands its livelihood back. It starts at noon on Sunday 8 November in the Edlis Neeson Theater, 220 E Chicago Ave (Chicago on the Red Line), and ends when the herd decides; most playthroughs run seven to eight hours with four audience-timed intermissions. Food is included with the ticket; the MCA doesn't publish the ticket price on the listing.See listing
Nov8Cally Spooner: Warm UpSunday, 1:00 PMFree with museum admission
Nov10Cally Spooner: Warm UpNov 10 – Nov 10Free with museum admission
Nov13Lit & Luz Live Magazine ShowFriday, 7:00 PMThe signature show of the Lit & Luz Festival of Language, Literature and Art, debuting new collaborations between writers, artists and musicians from Chicago and Mexico in Spanish and English: storytelling, music, poetry, video art and improvised performance around this year's theme, Edge/Borde. Friday 13 November, 7pm to 9:30pm, in the Edlis Neeson Theater, 220 E Chicago Ave (Chicago on the Red Line). Tickets are through the MCA, which doesn't publish a price on the listing.See listing
Nov14Family Day: Knock on WoodSaturday, 11:00 AMA drop-in making day for children under 12 and their grown-ups, building with materials and ideas drawn from the work of Kenzi Shiokava and Mike Cloud, with ASL interpretation. Saturday 14 November, 11am to 3pm, at 220 E Chicago Ave (Chicago on the Red Line). Admission is free for Family Day attendees; the MCA asks families to RSVP. The next Family Day, Hibernate, Meditate, is on 12 December.Free
Nov14Cally Spooner: Warm UpSaturday, 1:00 PMFree with museum admission
Nov15Cally Spooner: Warm UpSunday, 1:00 PMFree with museum admission
Dec12Family Day: Hibernate, MeditateSaturday, 11:00 AMDecember's Family Day leans into the cold, with activities on deep thinking inspired by artist Rashid Johnson, designed for children under 12 and their grown-ups. Saturday 12 December, 11am to 3pm, at the Museum of Contemporary Art, 220 E Chicago Ave (Chicago on the Red Line). Admission is free to Family Day attendees.Free

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Questions people ask

Where is MCA Chicago?＋

220 E Chicago Ave, Chicago, IL 60611, in Streeterville. Chicago (Red Line).

What's on at MCA Chicago?＋

14 upcoming listings on our calendar; the next is Designing for Dignity 04: A Convening of Possibilities on Saturday, October 24 at 11:00 AM.

How much do events at MCA Chicago cost?＋

4 listings are free.

Does MCA Chicago have anything on weekends or evenings?＋

Of the 14 dated listings, 10 fall on a weekend and 3 start at 5pm or later.

How do I book at MCA Chicago?＋

On MCA Chicago's own website or booking page, linked from each listing. We read the dates and prices off it by hand and do not sell tickets.

Every listing on this page was checked by a person against the venue's own site. How we verify

Help keep this right

Know something we don’t about MCA Chicago?

Locals and regulars know things no website prints. Tell us — a person reads every note, checks it, and fixes the page.