June Artist News

published: June 5, 2026

DO SOMETHING PRETTY at the Rivendell Theatre

Showing now through June 14, DO SOMETHING PRETTY, featuring Jocelyn Zamudio, is a play set in 1992 in a small Massachusetts town. “Three teens try to navigate their way through the murky path to adulthood. Phoebe wants to grow up. Jason wants Evie. And Evie just wants to get as far away from everyone as she possibly can.”

 

The Targeted by Red Orchid Theatre at the Chopin Theatre

Showing now through June 21, “Welcome to the Solidarity and Truth Summit. A gathering of the most persecuted, tortured, and misunderstood people in the entire world. They call themselves Targeted Individuals, and they are victims of a vast and covert program of systematic torture, surveillance, and harassment by global intergovernmental powers. Over the course of this weekend in the woods, they will discuss strategies to take down the deep state, bring awareness to their plight, and despite their suffering, stay human.” Featuring Kirsten Fitzgerald as Rhonda and Stephanie Shum as Mia.

 

Candace Hunter: Dreams of Dystopia at The Forshey Gallery

On view now through June 29, Dreams of Dystopia, featuring work by Candace Hunter, is an exhibition centering themes of displacement, migration, and dreams.

 

Dog Day Afternoon on Broadway

Showing now through July 12, Dog Day Afternoon, featuring Esteban Andres Cruz, is the play adaption of the “electrifying, Oscar-winning film that captivated the country.” Taking place in the summer of 1972 in New York City, the story is a “raw, gritty reminder of what happens when passion and desperation collide.”

 

Theater of the Mind at 333 N. Lasalle Street

Showing now through July 12, Theater of the Mind, is a new theatrical experience that engages the senses. “Inspired by both historical and current neuroscience research, the show takes you on an immersive journey inside how we see and create our worlds…Follow your Guide as they revisit key moments in their life in a surreal, 15,000-square-foot installation with a group of just 16 audience members.” Artists Em Modaff, Shariba Rivers, Kelli Simpkins and a cast of six all play “David” who will rotate as the guide for each performance.

 

Cydney M. Lewis: Weeds Grow in All Directions at the Hyde Park Art Center

Showing now through July 12, Cydney M. Lewis: Weeds Grow in All Directions is on view at the Hyde Park Art Center. The exhibition centers Cydney Lewis’s collage works and large-scale assemblages created with everyday materials found in her daily life. “The works in the exhibition reward close looking- to find the extraordinary in the overlooked, to reconnect with energies around us, and to feel the pulse of our shared ecology through playful wonder and poignant reflection.”

 

Alberto Aguilar: I just really want to tell you this one thing at the Chicago Cultural Center

On view now through August 23, Alberto Aguilar: I just really want to tell you this one thing, explores themes of communication, response, transmission, and translation across two distinct periods of Alberto’s career, 1997-2002 and 2020-2026. Prioritizing exchange with others, the exhibition includes work by Cecilia Beaven, Zespo, and many others. On May 7, Alberto invites viewer to one magic night, an invitation to nine Chicago musicians to develop and perform a song based on his jingles in I just really want to tell you this one thing.

 

Dancing the Revolution: From Dancehall to Reggaetón at the Museum of Contemporary Art

On view now through September 20, Dancing the Revolution: From Dancehall to Reggaetón is “a major exhibition that explores and expands the visual, political, and spiritual histories of dancehall and reggaetón through contemporary art— two dynamic genres that have transcended their grassroots origins to shape global culture.” The exhibition features work by Leasho Johnson, Edra Soto, and many others.

 

Aprendí a Sembrar at Chicago Art Department

Opening on June 12 and on view through July 25, Aprendí a Sembrar, an exhibition curated by Nancy Sánchez Tamayo and Nicolas Zepada, is a group exhibition that weaves multiple artists’ histories and relationships to space, land, community care, and legacy. Featuring work by Nancy Sánchez, and many others, the exhibition is a part of Contra Corriente, a festival highlighting the work of artists, activists, and organizations dedicated to racial and environmental justice on the Southwest Side of Chicago and beyond.

 

Ice Cream Circus at multiple locations

From June 2-7, Ice Cream Circus, a partnership between Lookingglass Theatre and Actors Gymnasium and presented by the Chicago Park District’s Night Out in the Parks, is a free, original, circus-infused story that “showcases the transformative magic of a simple act of kindness.” Ice Cream Circus is conveyed without spoken language through dance, clown, and circus, and every performance features a neighborhood ice cream vendor. Jacinda Ratcliffe is a featured performer in this “wordless story of wonder, kindness, and play.”

 

Creative Design Lab 2: If Then Artist Lab Series at the First Church of the Brethren

On June 6, the If Then Artist Lab, created by Honey Pot Performance (with organizing support by Meida Teresa McNeal and Keyierra Collins) and is a vibrant space where Black, Brown, and Indigenous voices lead the way in reimagining performance. Featuring Po’chop, and many other artists, this event is a transformational afternoon of art, insight, and collective dreaming.

 

Rewilding at the General Philip Henry Sheridan Monument

On June 6, Rewilding is a prairie planting installation that activates We Still Here, a public artwork as a living monument created by Sadie Woods and Sonja Henderson. Featuring perennial native species, the installation “reflects the rhythms of prairie life— emerging shoots, seasonal blooms, seed dispersal, and dormancy—tracing cycles of renewal and persistence inherent to prairie ecosystems.” Participants are invited to get their hands dirty and join in therapeutic gardening.

 

Sketchbooks with Regin Igloria at Artists Book House

On June 6 and 13, Regin Igloria presents Sketchbooks, a course focused on learning a variety of styles to create journals and sketchbooks that lay flat for multiple uses. This course is ideal for those who want to write, draw, use mixed media, or use the book format for collecting and gathering information.

 

Art of Pride 2026 at the Hyde Park Art Center

On June 7, Art of Pride 2026 is an afternoon of queer joy and radical imagination. The celebration features art activities, testing and wellness services, a queer & trans artist vendor market, and live performances by Zachary Nicol, Ava Wanbli, A.J. McClenon, and many more.

 

It’s On Us: A Day of Art and Action at DuSable Museum

On June 13, It’s On Us: A Day of Art and Action is a day of free activities including workshops, resources for resistance, soapbox speeches, and an evening of performances. Featuring artists Maria Gaspar, Kristiana Rae Colón, William Estrada, Chicago Second Line and Arif Smith, Praise Mother (founded by Aaliyah Christina), Kuumba Lynx (with team members Jacinda Bullie and Leyda Lady Sol Garcia), and many more, activations will take place at DuSable Museum and throughout the city.

 

Accessible Juneteenth at Access Living

On June 16, Accessible Juneteenth is a fun, accessible experience for disabled, neurodivergent, and Deaf people in the African Diaspora. The event includes activities by Victoria Boateng, food, exhibitors, and much more.

 

Millennium Park Summer Music Series at Millennium Park

On multiple dates, the Millennium Park Summer Music Series is a celebration of established and emerging artists at the Jay Pritzker Pavilion. Upcoming performances include:

• Thursday, June 18—Let the Spirit Out! A Jubilant Celebration of Juneteenth with D-Composed (featuring Caitlin Edwards and Khelsey Zarraga) and Kahil El’Zabar’s Ethnic Heritage Ensemble with special guests Nona Hendryx and David Murray
• Thursday, June 25—Sparklmami

 

Illusion of Safety & Billie Howard at Comfort Station

On June 21, Billie Howard plays with Illusion of Safety, a minimalist improv trio featuring Daniel Burke, Thymme Jones, and Sue Wolf. Billie Howard is a multi-instrumentalist and sound artist. She composes experimental music that focuses on breathing cycles, chronic pain, and meditation on both quiet and extremely loud sounds. She will perform a solo violin set.

 

Get Up, Stand Up, Come On! Flamenco and Breaking at Fosco Park and Dvorak Park

On June 23, Clinard Dance (founded by Wendy Clinard) presents Get Up, Stand Up, Come On! Flamenco and Breaking at Fosco Park and Dvorak Park. This event is an interactive outdoor performance from Clinard Dance and Steadfast Dance Center, blending flamenco, breaking, and spoken word.

 

Illinois Humanities presents Black Monument Ensemble at the Garfield Park Conservatory & Gardens

On June 24, Damon Locks’ world-renowned Black Monument Ensemble returns to the Garfield Park Conservatory & Gardens to “deliver a timely and powerful performance that interweaves Black histories and speculative futures, prompting us all to contemplate where we are today.”

 

New Works 2026 at the Berger Park Cultural Center

On June 25-28, organized by Rachel Damon, New Works 2026 featured performances by Aurora Tabar, Christine Shallenberg, and Qū Jié 曲洁. The annual New Works program provides rehearsal space, mentorship, career building, and stipends to support underrepresented dance artists as they try new things.