This weekend we have a series of parties and new exhibitions happening throughout the city: CAC celebrates new residents in West Town, 65Grand opens a new exhibition in and Humboldt Park, Chicago Grand Gallery and ARC Gallery each host closing receptions, talks and performances, Jackson Junge kicks off PRIDE month, and in suburban Elmhurst the Elmhurst Art Museum opens two shows by Jeanette Andrews and Jeremiah Hulsebos-Spofford. MoCP also opens a new photography show.

View the full calendar here.

– CGN

Warehouse Welcome Party

Friday, May 29, 2026 4:30 PM – 8:00 PM

$15 per person. CAC residents and alumni are free, but must register.

Chicago Artists Coalition (CAC)

• West Town

Join the Chicago Artists Coalition community and welcome the newest cohort of residents! Each year CAC welcomes the incoming resident cohort of artists and curators with a party filled with alumni and guests. This year will be in CAC's warehouse and feature a special video performance at 6p by resident Maryam Faridani. 

Japeth Mennes: I will always love ewe

May 29, 2026 - Jul 11, 2026

Opening: Friday, May 29, 2026 6:00 PM – 9:00 PM

65GRAND

• Humboldt Park

PRIDE! Group Exhibition

May 29, 2026 - Jul 5, 2026

Opening: Friday, May 29, 2026 6:00 PM – 10:00 PM

Jackson Junge Gallery

• Wicker Park / Bucktown

Jackson Junge Gallery’s newest group exhibition featuring artists from the LGBTQ+ community. Giving queer and non-binary creators a platform to share their experiences through art, the gallery hopes to foster an inclusive space for marginalized voices. Explore your own identity and challenge traditional notions of gender and sexuality with PRIDE!

Prix Pictet Storm

May 29, 2026 - Aug 15, 2026

Museum of Contemporary Photography (MoCP)

• South Loop

The Prix Pictet is widely recognized as one of the world’s leading photography awards. Founded in 2008 by the Pictet Group, it seeks to harness the power of photography to draw global attention to critical sustainability issues. To date, the award has completed eleven cycles, each organized around a theme that highlights a distinct facet of sustainability. Storm is the theme of the eleventh cycle.

Exhibition Closing & Artist Talk with Miya Hannan

Friday, May 29, 2026 4:00 PM – 6:00 PM

ARC Gallery

• West Town

Join Athena Fund-awarded artist Miya Hannan for an artist talk at the closing of her exhibition, Resonance, which presents a series of soot drawings and sculptures that explore the presence of human life embedded within the landscape. Using soot—a fluid, fragile residue of combustion—Hannan's work evokes traces of bodies and histories that have disappeared yet continue to linger. Sanded chairs, with portions of their structure removed and reduced to skeletal forms, represent the erosion and absence of physical presence. The instability of these materials reflects the transformation of human existence, as physical forms shift into memories and stories carried by others. Together, the works create an environment that invites slow looking and quiet reflection. 

Closing Night Celebration for Without Permission

Friday, May 29, 2026 6:00 PM – 10:00 PM

Opening: Friday, May 29, 2026 6:00 PM – 10:00 PM

Chicago Grand Gallery

•Ukrainian Village

The evening will include a special live performance by legendary actor Charles Pike, who will present David Hauptschein’s deranged and hilarious There’s a Worm in My Toilet — a true story. Special guest Max Fitzpatrick will open the night with a reading of his own short story.

Opening Reception of Summer Exhibitions

Friday, May 29, 2026

6:00 pm - Early access for Museum Members and exhibition VIPs

7:00 pm - Ticketed Entry for non-members

7:30 pm - Performance by Jeanette Andrews. - One night only!

Elmhurst Art Museum

• Elmhurst, IL

Join EAM to celebrate the opening of our Summer Exhibitions! On Wonder, Mind, & Magic: Jeanette Andrews; Jeremiah Hulsebos-Spofford: Near Eternity. Meet the artists, mingle with friends, and enjoy light refreshments. The reception will include a brief “Small Acts of Magic” performance by Jeanette Andrews exploring along with the audience the nature of perception and her research-based practice.