May Artist News
published: May 6, 2026
Alberto Aguilar “Monumental Acts 1-4,” inkjet print on adhesive vinyl, 2020. Featured in Alberto Aguilar: I just really want to tell you this one thing” at the Chicago Cultural Center.
Showing now through May 10, Out Here, a new musical developed through a dynamic collaboration between Court Theatre and the University of Chicago, “explores the unexpected freedom in relinquishing control, and how, sometimes, you have to break something apart to create something better.” Out Here features movement direction by Breon Arzell and artist Bethany Thomas as ROBIN.
Cheryl Pope: ALL THERE IS at Monique Meloche
On view now through May 16, Cheryl Pope: ALL THERE IS is an exhibition of new works by Cheryl Pope. “ALL THERE IS debuts a new body of landscape works that explore the spiritual and emotional resonance of the land as a site of recollection, silence, and shared human experience.”
I Used to Live in Chicago at Blanc Gallery
On view now through May 24, I Used to Live in Chicago, an exhibition featuring Norman Teague, Max Sansing, Steve Bravo, Sura Dupart, Tyrue “Slang” Jones, and Patric McCoy, explores memory, displacement, and cultural resilience across Chicago’s historically black neighborhoods. “Together, [these artists’] work forms a layered, intergenerational dialogue rooted in lived experience, cultural memory, and the evolving realities of the city.” On May 9, BSA Gold collaborates with Blanc Gallery to present Sonorous Somatics 010: Ernest Dawkins’ New Horizon Quartet, providing a sonic meditation on the exhibition.
Windfall at Steppenwolf Theatre
Showing now through May 31, Windfall is a “story about money…When a Chicago father loses his child in a clash with the police, he is visited by three strangers who advise him to take the city’s cash settlement, relocate and forget his grief— or else remain, haunted by memories of the world his child fought so hard to protect.” Alana Arenas stars as the First Lady, Miss Second, The Last One, and Melissa DuPrey is understudying those roles with sound design by Willow James.
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.
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 and a cast of 7 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.
Ayodele African Drum and Dance Conference at Sherman Park
On May 7-10, Ayodele Drum and Dance present the Ayodele African Drum and Dance Conference at Sherman Park. The conference is “an exhilarating weekend of dance featuring teachers from Guinea, Senegal, Brazil, Ivory Coast, and more.” 3Arts artists, T. Ayo Alston, Imania Fatima Detry, and Victoria Boateng, are on the staff and in the company of Ayodele Drum and Dance.
Unfinished Island Songs at Wirtz Center Chicago
On May 8-10, presented by Dawn Theatre Project, Unfinished Island Songs is a dance-theatre piece that explores the complex experiences of Taiwanese immigrants. Through interactive elements within the performance, audiences are invited to encounter Taiwanese culture, reflect on their own personal journeys, and take part in conversations about how we might co-create communities where difference can coexist. Lead and performed by Chih-Jou Cheng, the performance also has a fundraiser to support the development of the piece.
Shamisen: Japanese String at 3302 S Morgan St
On May 15, Tatsu Aoki performs Shamisen: Japanese String during the Asian Pacific American Festival of the Arts. The evening event includes an exhibition of the Zhou Brothers artwork collection and two live solo music performances.
Shared Earth Flowing Water: Seed at the Set in Stone Gathering Space (Burham Wildlife Corridor)
On May 16, Shared Earth Flowing Water: Seed is a celebration of the spring awakening and new growth. Featuring music, dance, and native prairie planting, this free, all-ages performance and stewardship event is hosted by Irene Hsiao and features Darling “Shear” Squire among many other performers.
Las Comadres: Our Golden Girls as part of the R.A.W Reading Series at Urban Theater Company
On May 17, Miranda Gonzalez presents Las Comadres: Our Golden Girls as part of the R.A.W Reading Series. R.A.W (Real Aggressive Writing) Reading Series is “where audiences get a front-row seat to the making of new plays; before they’re polished, packaged, or predictable.” This event is presented by Goodman Theatre’s 100 Free Acts of Theater, a citywide year-long event activating all 50 wards of Chicago.