MUSEUM OF CONTEMPORARY ART
220 EAST CHICAGO AVENUE, CHICAGO, IL 60611 www.mcachicago.org

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Organizations Filed Purposes: THE MCA IS AN INNOVATIVE AND COMPELLING CENTER OF CONTEMPORARY ART WHERE THE PUBLIC CAN DIRECTLY EXPERIENCE THE WORK AND IDEAS OF LIVING ARTISTS, AND UNDERSTAND THE HISTORICAL, SOCIAL AND CULTURAL CONTEXT OF THE ART OF OUR TIME. THE MUSEUM BOLDLY INTERWEAVES EXHIBITIONS, PERFORMANCES, COLLECTIONS, AND EDUCATIONAL PROGRAMS TO EXCITE, CHALLENGE, AND ILLUMINATE OUR VISITORS AND TO PROVIDE INSIGHT INTO THE CREATIVE PROCESS. THE MCA ASPIRES TO ENGAGE A BROAD AND DIVERSE AUDIENCE, CREATE A SENSE OF COMMUNITY AND BE A PLACE FOR CONTEMPLATION, STIMULATION, AND DISCUSSION ABOUT CONTEMPORARY ART AND CULTURE.

ENHANCE APPRECIATION OF CONTEMPORARY ART THROUGH EDUCATION, PROGRAMMING AND EXHIBITIONS.

EXHIBITIONS:1. VIRGIL ABLOH: "FIGURES OF SPEECH" (JUNE 10-SEPTEMBER 29, 2019)IN SUMMER 2019, THE MCA PRESENTED THE FIRST MUSEUM EXHIBITION DEVOTED TO THE WORK OF GENRE-BENDING ARTIST AND DESIGNER VIRGIL ABLOH (AMERICAN, B. 1980). ABLOH PIONEERS A PRACTICE THAT CUTS ACROSS MEDIA AND CONNECTS VISUAL ARTISTS, MUSICIANS, GRAPHIC DESIGNERS, FASHION DESIGNERS, AND ARCHITECTS. THE EXHIBITION FEATURED HIS SIGNATURE FASHION PRESENTED IN MANNEQUIN DISPLAYS, AS WELL AS HIS WORK IN FURNITURE DESIGN, ARCHITECTURAL INTERVENTIONS, AND COLLABORATIVE PROJECTS WITH OTHER DESIGNERS AND ARTISTS. THIS WAS THE THIRD-HIGHEST ATTENDED EXHIBITION IN MCA HISTORY.2. DIRECT MESSAGE: ART, LANGUAGE, AND POWER (OCTOBER 26, 2019-JANUARY 26, 2020)DIRECT MESSAGE LOOKED AT THE WAYS ARTISTS SINCE THE 1960S HAVE USED WORDS TO CHALLENGE OUR IDEAS ABOUT ALL OF THE MESSAGES WE READ, WRITE, HEAR AND SPEAK DAILY. IN THIS INNOVATIVE COLLECTION-BASED EXHIBITION, ARTISTS REMIXED CONVENTIONAL MODES OF COMMUNICATION, CHALLENGING THE AUDIENCE'S PERCEPTIONS OF LANGUAGE AND, BY EXTENSION, POWER. THE EXHIBITION CONSISTED OF FOUR SECTIONS OF WORKS THAT REDEFINED HOW WE UNDERSTAND COMMUNICATION: REMOVE, REVIEW, REFRAME, AND RECODE. SEVERAL PUBLIC PROGRAMS ACCOMPANIED DIRECT MESSAGE, INCLUDING A TALK CALLED "ARTISTS AND ECONOMIES," WHICH FEATURED A PANEL DISCUSSING HOW THE PHILANTHROPIC AND COMMERCIAL SIDES OF THE ART WORLD OPERATE IN WAYS BOTH VISIBLE AND INVISIBLE. 3. DURO OLOWU: SEEING CHICAGO (FEBRUARY 29-SEPTEMBER 13, 2020)THIS EXHIBITION FEATURED GUEST CURATION BY DURO OLOWU, A NIGERIAN-BORN BRITISH DESIGNER, WHO TURNED HIS COSMOPOLITAN EYE TO THE CITY OF CHICAGO AND THE ROLE THAT IT HAS PLAYED IN REDEFINING THE ART HISTORICAL CANON. DRAWING FROM THE CITY'S PUBLIC AND PRIVATE ART COLLECTIONS, OLOWU CURATED A SHOW THAT REIMAGINED RELATIONSHIPS BETWEEN ARTIST AND OBJECTS ACROSS TIME, MEDIA, AND GEOGRAPHY. MOVING AWAY FROM TRADITIONAL EXHIBITION FORMATS, OLOWU COMBINED PHOTOGRAPHS, PAINTINGS, SCULPTURES, AND FILMS IN DENSE AND TEXTURAL SCENES THAT INCORPORATED HIS OWN WORK. FOLLOWING THE CLOSURE OF THE MCA IN MARCH, THE MUSEUM CREATED A VIRTUAL GALLERY EXPERIENCE FOR THIS EXHIBITION, WHICH INCLUDED AUDIO RECORDED BY OLOWU. THIS VIRTUAL TOUR WAS PRAISED BY THE CHICAGO TRIBUNE FOR BEING A "RICH, LAYERED EXPERIENCE." 4. MIKA ROTTENBERG: EASYPIECES (OCTOBER 2, 2019-MARCH 8, 2020)AS PART OF THE ASCENDANT ARTIST SERIES, WHICH IS FOCUSED ON GIVING ESTABLISHED ARTISTS THEIR FIRST SOLO MUSEUM EXHIBITION, THE MCA FEATURED MIKA ROTTENBERG: EASYPIECES (OCTOBER 2, 2019-MARCH 8, 2020). USING ABSURDIST SATIRE TO ADDRESS CRITICAL ISSUES OF OUR TIME, MIKA ROTTENBERG (ARGENTINIAN, B. 1976) OFFERS SUBVERSIVE ALLEGORIES FOR CONTEMPORARY LIFE. THIS EXHIBITION TRACED CENTRAL THEMES IN THE ARTIST'S OEUVRE, SUCH AS LABOR, TECHNOLOGY, AND THE INTERCONNECTEDNESS OF THE MECHANICAL AND THE BODILY. THE EXHIBITION FEATURED SEVERAL OF ROTTENBERG'S MOST RECENT PROJECTS, INCLUDING HER VIDEO INSTALLATION SPAGHETTI BLOCKCHAIN (2019), WHICH EXPLORES ANCIENT AND CONTEMPORARY IDEAS ABOUT MATERIALISM. THIS EXHIBITION WAS ORGANIZED BY THE NEW MUSEUM IN NEW YORK. 5. CHICAGO WORKS: ASSAF EVRON (JULY 23, 2019-MARCH 1, 2020)AS PART OF OUR CHICAGO WORKS SERIES, THE MCA FEATURED THE WORK OF ASSAF EVRON (ISRAELI, B. 1977), WHICH WAS THE ARTISTS' FIRST US MUSEUM EXHIBITION AND RAN CONCURRENTLY WITH THE CHICAGO ARCHITECTURE BIENNIAL. THE EXHIBITION FEATURED NEW WORKS BY EVRON THAT DWELL AT THE INTERSECTION OF ARCHITECTURE, ORNAMENTATION, PLACE, AND IMAGE. SEVERAL OF THE WORKS WERE BASED ON EVRON'S PHOTOGRAPHS OF STRUCTURES AND SPACES IN BOTH ISRAEL AND CHICAGO THAT FEATURE THE MEANDER, A UBIQUITOUS DECORATIVE MOTIF DERIVED FROM THE NATURAL CURES OF RIVERS AND STREAMS. THESE WORKS INVITED THE VIEWER TO COMPARE THE HISTORIC AND CONTINUED SIGNIFICANCE OF DECORATIVE SURFACES THAT MEANDER AND MEET AS IMAGES ACROSS THE WORLD, ACCRUING NEW SIGNIFICANCE IN EACH ENCOUNTER. 6. CAN YOU HEAR ME NOW? (APRIL 27-SEPTEMBER 29, 2019)DRAWN LARGELY FROM THE MCA COLLECTION, THE WORKS IN CAN YOU HEAR ME NOW? DEALT WITH BREAKDOWNS IN COMMUNICATION AND OUR INABILITY TO HEAR EACH OTHER IN POLARIZED POLITICAL CLIMATES. THE EXHIBITION ASKED THE VIEWER TO CONSIDER THE PROLIFERATION OF SOUND: WHICH MESSAGES MERIT AMPLIFICATION, AND WHICH ARE UNDULY STIFLED? THE ARTISTS IN CAN YOU HEAR ME NOW? EXPLORE THE INDIVIDUAL'S STRUGGLE TO COMMUNICATE ON LEVELS RANGING FROM THE PERSONAL TO THE GOVERNMENTAL, ADDRESSING WHICH VOICES ARE SUPPORTED OR SILENCED. THE EXHIBITION SURVEYED A WORLD IN WHICH WE ARE UNABLE TO ENGAGE IN MEANINGFUL CONVERSATIONS WITHOUT SUCCUMBING TO POLITICAL APATHY.7. FRAGMENTS OF A CRUCIFIXION (MAY 25-NOVEMBER 3, 2019)ARTISTS HAVE USED THE CRUCIFIXION OF CHRIST AS A POWERFUL SYMBOL TO ADDRESS SUFFERING AND REDEMPTION IN THE HISTORY OF RACIAL VIOLENCE IN THE UNITED STATES. FRAGMENTS OF A CRUCIFIXION EXPLORED THE CONTINUING RELEVANCE OF THE CRUCIFIXION, EVEN AS OUR SOCIETY BECOMES INCREASINGLY DIVERSE IN ITS RELIGIOUS BELIEFS. RATHER THAN DEPICT THE IMAGE OF THE CRUCIFIXION ITSELF, ARTWORKS IN THIS EXHIBITION OFFERED ONLY FRAGMENTS - INCOMPLETE IMAGES AND NARRATIVES. THESE WORKS INVOKE AGONY AND ECSTASY THROUGH BODILY TRACES AND SCENES OF ABSENCE AND LOSS. FEATURING WORKS IN THE MCA COLLECTION, THIS SHOW WAS DEDICATED TO THE SPIRITUAL IN ART, AND TO ART'S CAPACITY TO EVOKE LIFE AND LOVE IN THE FACE OF BRUTALITY.8. THE SHAPE OF THE FUTURE (OCTOBER 19, 2019-AUGUST 16, 2020)THE SHAPE OF THE FUTURE FEATURED WORKS FROM THE MCA PERMANENT COLLECTION THAT RECKON WITH THE DUBIOUS DREAM OF A UNIVERSAL DESIGN LANGUAGE. COINCIDING WITH THE 2019 CHICAGO ARCHITECTURE BIENNIAL, THE EXHIBITION EXPLORED GLOBAL MODERNISM AS A FRAMEWORK FOR UTOPIA AND SPECULATIVE WORLD MAKING, MARKED BY TRACES OF LABOR, POLITICAL FANTASY, AND CULTURAL TURMOIL. HIGHLIGHTING THE HISTORIES AND IDEOLOGIES EMBEDDED IN THE BUILT ENVIRONMENT, THESE ARTISTS REVEAL THE COMPLEXITY - AND AT TIMES ABSURDITY - OF THE MODERNIST PROJECT AS A COLLECTION OF DISASTERS AND REVERIES.9. ROUTES AND TERRITORIES (NOVEMBER 2, 2019-MARCH 13, 2020)AN MCA COLLECTION-BASED SHOW, THIS EXHIBITION BROUGHT TOGETHER THREE WORKS THAT ADDRESS HUMAN MIGRATION BY FOCUSING ON LATIN AMERICA, WHERE COLONIALISM AND THE FORCED MOVEMENT OF ENTIRE CULTURES HAVE DEEPLY AFFECTED COMMUNITIES. PANORAMA CATATUMBO (2012-16) BY NOEM PREZ, GUAMN 1 (2016-17) BY ANDRS PEREIRA PAZ, AND LAS COSAS VIVIDAS ANTES DE NACER (THE LIVED THINGS BEFORE BEING BORN) (2017) BY NO MARTINEZ ALL EXPLORED THE WAYS THAT LAND RETAINS HISTORY AND MEMORY, AND CULTURES FORGE NEW ROUTES ACROSS BOUNDARIES. 10. BECOMING THE BREEZE: ALEX CHITTY WITH ALEXANDER CALDER (NOVEMBER 16, 2019-MARCH 14, 2020)FOR THIS EXHIBITION, WE INVITED CHICAGO-BASED ARTIST ALEX CHITTY TO INTERJECT IN THE DISPLAY OF ALEXANDER CALDER'S WORK. CHITTY PROPOSED A REFRAMING FOR HOW WE LOOK, THINK, AND INTERACT IN BOTH MUSEUMS AND THE WORLD AT LARGE. IN THE EXHIBITION, CHITTY CHALLENGED THE CONVENTIONS OF MUSEUM DISPLAY BY DIRECTLY ENGAGING WITH CALDER'S MODERN ARTWORKS. WORKING IN CLOSE COLLABORATION WITH THE MUSEUM STAFF TO PRODUCE THIS EXHIBITION, CHITTY'S INTERJECTIONS EVOKED THE SAME PLAYFUL SPIRIT THE MODERNIST SCULPTOR BROUGHT TO HIS OWN PRACTICE. MUCH LIKE THE BREEZES THAT ACTIVATE CALDER'S MOBILES, THE VISIBLE AND INVISIBLE FORCES THAT DRIVE EXHIBITIONS - HOW ARTWORKS ARE STORED, WHO CHOOSES THEM, AND MORE - WERE REVEALED IN WAYS THAT ALLOW US TO SEE CALDER'S WORK ANEW.11. WATER AFTER ALL (DECEMBER 14, 2019-MARCH 13, 2020)THIS EXHIBITION REVEALED A GLIMPSE OF THE MANY CONNECTIONS BETWEEN HUMANS AND WATER. PRIMARILY FEATURING WORKS FROM THE MCA COLLECTION, WATER AFTER ALL IS CENTERED AROUND THE MCA'S RECENT ACQUISITION OF GHANA-BORN BRITISH FILMMAKER JOHN AKOMFRAH'S VIDEO VERTIGO SEA. PRESENTED IN A SPELLBINDING, THREE-SCREEN INSTALLATION, AKOMFRAH USES ARCHIVAL IMAGES, NATURE CINEMATOGRAPHY, AND STAGED RECREATIONS; CROSSING TIME AND SPACE TO REVEAL THE POETIC AWE AND HORROR OF HUMANITY'S RELATIONSHIP WITH WATER. THE ARTWORKS SURROUNDING VERTIGO SEA EXPAND THE EXHIBITION'S THEMATIC FOCUS, DIVING DEEPER INTO OUR RELIANCE ON, EXPLOITATION OF, AND CONTACT WITH OUR PRECIOUS ENVIRONMENT, INCLUDING WORKS BY CATHERINE OPIE, GUILLERMO GALINDO, JOHN GERRARD, ALFREDO JAAR, WILLIAM KENTRIDGE, AND OTHERS.

THE MCA'S PERFORMANCE AND PUBLIC PRACTICE DEPARTMENT IS RESPONSIBLE FOR THE MUSEUM'S PERFORMANCE, PUBLIC PRACTICE, AND PARTNERSHIP PROGRAMS. THE PERFORMANCE PROGRAM INCLUDES WORKS BY LOCAL ARTISTS AND THOSE TOURING NATIONALLY AND INTERNATIONALLY IN DANCE, THEATER, AND MUSIC IN THE MUSEUM'S 300-SEAT THEATER AND THROUGHOUT THE CAMPUS. THE PUBLIC PRACTICE PROGRAM INCLUDES ONGOING LIVE SERIES: IN PROGRESS, THE DIALOGUE SERIES, SOUNDTRACK, MCA TALKS, AND TUESDAYS ON THE TERRACE. THE PARTNERSHIPS PROGRAM HOLDS ONGOING RELATIONSHIPS WITH ORGANIZATIONS THROUGHOUT THE CITY THAT ARE CREATIVELY-LED AND CIVICALLY-CENTERED AND WHO CO-ORGANIZE WITH THE MUSEUM COLLABORATIVE CREATIVE EXPERIENCES. IN FISCAL YEAR 2020, THE DEPARTMENT PRESENTED 113 PROGRAMS. IN MARCH 2020, COVID-19 REQUIRED THE MUSEUM TO CANCEL, POSTPONE, OR TRANSITION ITS EVENTS TO DIGITAL PLATFORMS. THIS GREATLY REDUCED THE NUMBER OF EVENTS WE WERE ABLE TO PROVIDE AND HOW MANY AUDIENCE MEMBERS WE WERE ABLE TO WELCOME ON SITE. SIMULTANEOUSLY, THE PANDEMIC OFFERED NEW OPPORTUNITIES FOR THE DEPARTMENT TO EXPAND ITS AUDIENCES IN THE DIGITAL REALM, ALLOWING PEOPLE TO ACCESS ITS OFFERINGS, UNHINDERED BY PHYSICAL PROXIMITY. THE DIALOGUE SERIES IS A MUSEUM-WIDE COMMITMENT TO SUSTAINED INQUIRY ABOUT MUSEUM PRACTICE, ACCESS, AND INCLUSION. EACH ANNUAL SERIES INCLUDES EMINENT SPEAKERS PRESENTING INNOVATIVE WORK HAPPENING ACROSS DISCIPLINES, PANEL DISCUSSIONS, AND OPPORTUNITIES FOR OPEN DIALOGUE BETWEEN LOCAL ARTS PROFESSIONALS AND AUDIENCES. EACH YEAR THE SERIES IS CENTERED ON A THEME. FOR FISCAL YEAR 2020, THE SERIES INVESTIGATED IDEAS OF INHERITANCE - THE RICHES, DEBTS, AND CULTURAL REALITIES WE INHERIT AS SOCIAL BEINGS. PARTICIPATING SPEAKERS IN THIS YEAR'S SERIES INCLUDED FASHION DESIGNER KERBY JEAN-RAYMOND, JOURNALIST BRITT JULIOUS, SICANGU LAKOTA RAPPER FRANK WALN, COMEDIAN AND FILMMAKER KIRAN DEOL, VISUAL ARTISTS KENYATTA A.C. HINKLE, JORDAN NASSAR, WILLAM POPE L., AND JENNY KENDLER, AND SCHOLAR RACHEL HAVRELOCK. SUBJECT MATTER ACROSS THE FOUR EVENTS COMPRISING THIS SERIES INCLUDED GENERATIONAL INEQUALITY AND THE ENVIRONMENT; MIGRATION; HISTORICAL TRAUMA; AND CREATIVE LEGACIES. IN RESPONSE TO COVID-19, PART OF THIS YEAR'S SERIES WAS HELD DIGITALLY USING ZOOM. THE 2020 DIALOGUES SERIES WAS ATTENDED BY OVER 849 AUDIENCE MEMBERS. IN PROGRESS IS A SERIES DESIGNED TO GIVE ARTISTS, THINKERS, AND CURATORS A PLATFORM FOR DEVELOPING NEW WORKS, AND TO GIVE PATRONS A GLIMPSE INTO THE CREATIVE PROCESS. NOTABLE IN PROGRESS PRESENTATIONS FROM FISCAL YEAR 2020 INCLUDED CHOREOGRAPHER ROBYN MINEKO WILLIAMS, PLAYWRIGHT DEREK MCPHATTER, PERFORMANCE ARTIST EMILIO ROJAS, COMPOSER AND CLARINETIST ANGEL BAT DAWID, AND LAND ARTIST SANTIAGO X. IN RESPONSE TO COVID 19 RESTRICTIONS, SEVERAL PLANNED IN PROGRESS PERFORMANCES WERE EXPANDED INTO THE DIGITAL SPACE USING INSTAGRAM. IN FISCAL YEAR 2020, THE MUSEUM PRESENTED 9 IN PROGRESS EVENTS TO ROUGHLY 783 AUDIENCE MEMBERS. MCA TALKS HIGHLIGHT CUTTING-EDGE THINKING AND CONTEMPORARY ART PRACTICES ACROSS DISCIPLINES. FISCAL YEAR 2020 INCLUDED SEVERAL NOTABLE PROGRAMS: PHOTOGRAPHY LYNN GOLDSMITH SPOKE WITH MUSICIAN PATTI SMITH IN CELEBRATION OF THEIR LATEST BOOK COMBINING GOLDSMITH'S PHOTOGRAPHY AND SMITH'S POETRY; ARTIST JAMAL CYRUS SPOKE WITH ACTIVIST BRANDI COLLINS-DEXTER AND NUSRAT CHOUDHURY, DEPUTY DIRECTOR OF THE ACLU RACIAL JUSTICE PROGRAM ON THE IMPLICATIONS OF SURVEILLANCE IN BLACK ACTIVISM; DIRECTOR OF THE MUSEUM OF FINE ARTS HOUSTON, GARY TINTEROW SPOKE WITH ANGELIQUE POWER ABOUT INCLUSIVE MUSEUMS; AND ARTIST EDGAR ARCENEAUX SPOKE WITH MUSEUM DIRECTOR AMY SADAO AND DEANA HAGGAG OF UNITED STATES ARTISTS ON THE ECONOMIC REALITIES FACING PROFESSIONAL ARTISTS. MANY TALKS IN THE SPRING OF 2020 MOVED ONLINE DUE TO COVID 19. IN FISCAL YEAR 2020, THE MUSEUM PRESENTED 13 TALKS, ATTENDED BY 5,346 AUDIENCE MEMBERS. IN SOUNDTRACK, CONTEMPORARY SOUND-BASED ARTISTS TRANSFORM THE MCA ON FRIDAY NIGHTS WITH CUSTOM SOUNDTRACKS REFLECTING THEIR PERSPECTIVE OF WORKS ON VIEW IN THE MUSEUM. DJ SETS AND BANDS OCCUPY SPACES IN THE MUSEUM, SETTING THE MOOD FOR GALLERY EXPERIENCES. IN 2020, SEVERAL SOUNDTRACK PROGRAMS SHIFTED ONLINE IN LIGHT OF COVID 19. AUDIO FROM THOSE DIGITAL EVENTS IS NOW AVAILABLE ONLINE WITH COMPLETE SETLIST INFORMATION. NOTABLE PERFORMANCES FROM THIS YEAR INCLUDE LATIN AND AFRICAN INSPIRED DJ DUO PARLANT PARLANT, INTERDISCIPLINARY ARTIST JARED BROWN, SYNTH-POP TRIO PIXEL GRIP, MULTI-INSTRUMENTALIST DUO MAEVE & QUINN, AND DJ AND RADIO HOST AYANA CONTRERAS. IN FISCAL YEAR 2020, THE MUSEUM PRESENTED 6 SOUNDTRACK EVENTS, THREE OF WHICH WERE VIRTUAL. TUESDAYS ON THE TERRACE IS THE MCA'S SUMMER JAZZ SERIES CELEBRATING CHICAGO'S ROBUST MUSIC SCENE. THIS YEAR, DUE TO COVID 19 RESTRICTIONS, CONCERTS WERE PRE-RECORDED AT THE MCA AND STREAMED WEEKLY ON FACEBOOK LIVE. THE PROGRAM WAS HOSTED BY AL CARTER-BEY OF WDCB 90.9 FM, WITH RICHTON GUY THOMAS, FROM WHPK 88.5 FM. NOTABLE PERFORMANCES INCLUDED SAXOPHONIST SHAREL CASSITY, VOCALIST MORGAN PIRTLE, ISAIAH COLLIER AND THE CHOSEN FEW, AND SAM TRUMP & ACOUSTIC AUDILE. NEW PARTNERSHIPS WERE FORGED TO CO-PRESENT SPECIAL PERFORMANCES OF THE NATHAN RODRIGUEZ QUINTET WITH THE SEGUNDO RUIZ BELVIZ CULTURAL CENTER AND CHICAGO GREAT BLACK MUSIC ENSEMBLE WITH THE RENOWNED ASSOCIATION FOR ADVANCEMENT OF CREATIVE MUSICIANS. IN FISCAL YEAR 2020, 13 ARTISTS WERE PRESENTED AS A PART OF THE TUESDAYS ON THE TERRACE SERIES TO 19,649 AUDIENCE MEMBERS, A NUMBER THAT FAR EXCEEDS OUR USUAL ON-SITE CAPACITY LIMIT. MCA PERFORMANCE PRESENTS CUTTING-EDGE DANCE, THEATER, AND MUSIC FROM CHICAGO, NATIONALLY, AND ABROAD IN ORDER TO PUSH THE BOUNDARIES OF CONTEMPORARY PERFORMANCE. IN ITS 2019-2020 SEASON, THE MCA STAGE FEATURED 18 ARTISTS/GROUPS IN 24 PERFORMANCES. MCA STAGE PERFORMANCES SAW 2,822 ATTENDEES IN THE FISCAL YEAR 2020. BELOW ARE SEVERAL EXAMPLES OF MCA STAGE PROJECTS FROM FISCAL YEAR 2020. 1. DAHLAK BRATHWAITE, TRY/STEP/TRIPAUGUST 14, 2019A CHORUS OF STEP DANCERS DIRECTED BY BAY AREA THEATER ARTIST ROBERTA UNO PERFORMED WRITER AND POET DAHLAK BRATHWAITE'S PERSONAL JOURNEY THROUGH THE CRIMINAL JUSTICE SYSTEM IN THIS WORK-IN-PROGRESS PERFORMANCE OF TRY/STEP/TRIP. IN THIS RESONANT MUSIC AND THEATER EXPERIENCE, THE RITUAL OF BLACK FRATERNITY STEP DANCE PARALLELS THE EFFORT TO BE RECOGNIZED FOR WHO YOU ARE WHEN SOCIETY SEES A CRIMINAL, WITH THE CYCLES OF FREEDOM AND SUBJUGATION IN BLACK AMERICAN MUSIC AS A STARTING PLACE. BRATHWAITE AND UNO PARTICIPATED IN A POST-SHOW TALK AFTER THE PERFORMANCE WITH ROGER BONAIR-AGARD, POET AND PROGRAM DIRECTOR OF MCA COMMUNITY PARTNER ORGANIZATION, FREE WRITE ARTS & LITERACY, ALONG WITH CHICAGO PLAYWRIGHT AND POET KRISTIANA RAE COLN. ADDITIONALLY, BRATHWAITE HELD A WORKSHOP WITH ILLINOIS YOUTH CENTERS TITLED THIS IS HOW WE ADAPT AS A PART OF HIS WEEKLONG CREATIVE DEVELOPMENT RESIDENCY SUPPORTED BY THE MCA'S NEW WORKS INITIATIVE. USING TEXT FROM TRY/STEP/TRIP AS A MODEL, PARTICIPANTS WERE ENCOURAGED TO REIMAGINE THEIR PERSONAL TRAUMA USING FICTIONAL CHARACTERS AND SELF-DIRECTED HUMOR TOWARD THE GOAL OF DEALING WITH THE SHAME AND CONFUSION RESULTING FROM TRAUMA. 2. SPLIT-BILL: THURMAN BARKER AND BEN LAMAR GAYAUGUST 30, 2019TWO GENERATIONS OF CHICAGO-BORN COMPOSERS SHARED AN EVENING TO HONOR THE HISTORY AND FUTURE OF MUSIC EXPERIMENTATION IN THE CITY. DURING THE WEEKEND OF THE CHICAGO JAZZ FESTIVAL, SEASONED PERCUSSIONIST THURMAN BARKER PAID HOMAGE TO HIS EARLY DAYS IN THE CITY'S JAZZ SCENE WITH SOUTH SIDE SUITE AND CORNETIST BEN LAMAR GAY EXPLORED THE SHAPES AND SOUNDS OF CHICAGO SOCIAL DANCES IN HECKY NAW! ANGLES!, GIVING AUDIENCES A TASTE OF HIS NEW DANCE AND VIDEO COLLABORATION BEING DEVELOPED ON THE MCA STAGE WITH FUNDING SUPPORT FROM THE MCA'S NEW WORKS INITIATIVE.3. THE STOREFRONT PROJECTSEPTEMBER 14-22, 2019FOR THE STOREFRONT PROJECT, THE MCA COLLABORATED WITH CHICAGO'S PROP THEATER IN CELEBRATION OF THE CITY'S LONG TRADITION OF STOREFRONT, UNDERGROUND, AND DEVISED THEATER. SIX CHICAGO-BASED DIRECTORS WERE ASKED TO DEVISE A NEW WORK, TAILOR-MADE TO FIT SPACES IN BOTH THE MCA CHICAGO AND THE PROP THEATER. DIRECTORS DADO GYURE, LUCKY STIFF, DENISE YVETTE SERNA, COYA PAZ, SYDNEY CHATMAN, AND MIKAEL BURKE WITH APRIL CLEVELAND DEMONSTRATED CHICAGO THEATER'S UNCANNY ABILITY TO POP UP ANYWHERE AND BRING THEIR PERFORMANCES TO BOTH SPACES ON ALTERNATING WEEKENDS. BEHIND-THE-SCENES FOOTAGE OF THEIR REHEARSAL PROCESS AT EACH VENUE WAS ON VIEW DURING EACH PERFORMANCE TO GIVE YOU A PEEK INTO THE INS AND OUTS OF DEVISED THEATER.

LEARNING AND PUBLIC PROGRAMS:THE MCA IS CHICAGO'S ONLY MUSEUM DEDICATED TO THE ART OF OUR TIMES. AS AN INTEGRAL COMPONENT OF THE MUSEUM'S MISSION, THE MCA OFFERED A FULL RANGE OF EDUCATIONAL PROGRAMS FOR ITS VARIOUS AUDIENCES INCLUDING STUDENTS, FAMILIES, ADULTS, TEACHERS, AND TEENS. LEARNING PROGRAMS CONTINUE TO SERVE A DIVERSE POOL OF CHICAGO PUBLIC SCHOOLS STUDENTS AND TEACHERS, AND ARE PROVIDED TO ALL ILLINOIS SCHOOL AUDIENCES ON A COMPLIMENTARY BASIS TO FACILITATE ACCESS AND ENCOURAGE BROAD PARTICIPATION. THE MCA CONTINUED ITS SUCCESSFUL SCHOOL TOUR PROGRAMS FOR STUDENTS IN GRADES 1-12. THESE TOURS, ALL LED BY PRACTICING ARTISTS, CONTINUE TO BE THE CORNERSTONE OF OUR EDUCATIONAL PROGRAMS AND PROVIDE THE BROADEST EXPOSURE TO CONTEMPORARY ART FOR STUDENTS IN GRADES 1-12. THE MCA'S PROGRAM FOR 15-19 YEAR OLDS, TEEN CREATIVE AGENCY (TCA) WHICH IS GUIDED BY TWO LOCAL ARTISTS WHO FACILITATED THE WEEKLY SESSIONS, TCA MEMBERS LED IN-GALLERY ACTIVITIES, TOOK TRIPS TO CULTURAL ORGANIZATIONS, CHICAGO NEIGHBORHOODS AND ARTIST STUDIOS, AND WORKED ALONGSIDE MCA STAFF AND ARTISTS ON PROJECTS. FROM ITS ORIGINS AS A WEEK-LONG SUMMER EXPERIENCE, THE MCA TEACHER INSTITUTE HAS EVOLVED INTO A YEAR-LONG IMMERSIVE AND INTENSIVE PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT PROGRAM FOR TEACHERS. DURING THIS YEAR'S INSTITUTE, TEACHERS USED CONTEMPORARY ART AND MCA RESOURCES TO EXPLORE THEIR TEACHING PRACTICE, EXPERIMENT WITH CURRICULUM, AND COLLABORATE WITH OTHER TEACHERS. FAMILY DAY PROGRAMMING CONTINUES FOR FAMILIES WITH CHILDREN UNDER THE AGE OF 12 RECEIVED COMPLIMENTARY ADMISSION ON THE SECOND SATURDAY OF EACH MONTH, NOVEMBER - MAY. AS PART OF OUR WIDE-RANGING EDUCATION PROGRAMS, THE MCA PRESENTED A DIVERSE RANGE OF PUBLIC PROGRAMS INCLUDING CONVERSATIONS, LECTURES, AND PANELS THAT EXPLORE THE VISUAL AND INTELLECTUAL COMPLEXITIES OF CONTEMPORARY ART AND DESIGN AND THEIR CONNECTION TO CULTURE AND HISTORY.

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