Photo: Reid Miller, courtesy of War Baby/Love Child: Mixed Race Asian American Art and DPAM.

Cristina Lei Rodriguez’s Decadence (Red Coral) (2008) on display as part of the War Baby/Love Child: Mixed Race Asian American Art exhibition at the DePaul Art Museum.

Art & Design

DEPAUL ART MUSEUM
Through 6/30 War Baby/Love Child: Mixed Race Asian American Art. This group exhibition proposes that being Asian American is a cultural experience encompassing many stories of gender, conflict, and sexuality. 935 W Fullerton. museums.depaul.edu.

EVANSTON ART CENTER Free! Critic’s Pick
6/2–7/21 Linda Kramer has been working on the fringe of the Chicago art world in ceramic, painting, watercolor, and more for over 60 years. This second Chicago-area retrospective shows the diversity of her work—colorful, naughty, metaphysical, carnal, and ephemeral. Mon–Thu 11–5, Fri 11–7, Sat–Sun 12–5. 2603 Sheridan, Evanston. evanstonartcenter.org.

GRAHAM FOUNDATION Free!
6/27–8/24 Where If Not Us? This exhibit’s subtitle, Participatory Design and Its Radical Approaches, name-drops an urban-planning movement in which community members determine the shape and function of their built environment. 4 W Burton. grahamfoundation.org.

HYDE PARK ART CENTER Free!
Through 7/28 Jeremiah Hulsebos-Spofford: Hall of Khan. The artist creates living equestrian statues to honor historical and contemporary figures. Mon–Thu 9–8, Fri–Sat 9–5, Sun 12–5. 5020 S Cornell. hydeparkart.org.

ILLINOIS STATE MUSEUM CHICAGO GALLERY Free!
Through 6/21 Focus 4: Four Solo Exhibitions. Among the excellent pieces here, Preston Jackson’s violently surreal sculptures depicting African American identity stand out. Includes work by Michael Onken and Steven Robnett. 100 W Randolph. museum.state.il.us.

MUSEUM OF CONTEMPORARY ART
Through 10/6 Theaster Gates: 13th Ballad. The museum’s massive atrium will hold remnants from Gates’s recent urban revitalization projects, including objects imported from Huguenot House in Germany and church pews from the South Side. See “Theaster Gates: The Rise of an Unconventional Art Star.” Through 6/18 Jason Lazarus wants to disturb the idea of the museum. In his solo exhibition, the artist encourages visitors to occupy the MCA, offering replicas of Occupy Wall Street protest signs to visitors. Open Tue 10–8, Wed–Sun 10–5. Free (kids under 13) to $12; free Tue for Ill residents. 220 E Chicago. mcachicago.org.

MUSEUM OF CONTEMPORARY PHOTOGRAPHY
Through 7/3 Spectator Sports weaves sports and art together. The show includes works by such notables as Paul Pfeiffer, Andreas Gursky, and Cory Archangel. 600 S Michigan. mocp.org.

RENAISSANCE SOCIETY Free!
Through 6/23 William Pope.L: Forlesen. Pope.L explores socially coded distinctions that define race relations in America. Rather than damning or finger-pointing, his perspective is often self-reflective, funny, and difficult. 5811 S Ellis. renaissancesociety.org.

SMART MUSEUM Free!
Through 6/9 The Sahmat Collective: Art and Activism in India Since 1989. This is the first Midwest survey of the well-known Indian art and activist group. Open Tue–Wed 10–5, Thu 10–8, Fri–Sun 10–5. 5550 S Greenwood. smartmuseum.uchicago.edu.

SOUTH SIDE COMMUNITY ART CENTER
Through 7/7 The Philosophy of AfriCOBRA. Though still active today, the African Commune of Bad Relevant Artists, or AfriCOBRA, made their biggest contributions in Chicago in the 1970s. This is the first of three retrospective shows in 2013. 3831 S Michigan. southsidecommunityartcenter.com.

SWEDISH AMERICAN MUSEUM
Through 6/23 Entangled Routes. The Klassen brothers and their mother revel in the geography, natural materials, culture, and myths of Sweden. 5211 N Clark. swedishamericanmuseum.org.

UKRAINIAN INSTITUTE OF MODERN ART
6/7–8/4 An unsung hero of Chicago abstract painting, Thomas Kapsalis has been making art here for nearly six decades. 2320 W Chicago. uima-chicago.org.
 

History & Culture

CHICAGO HISTORY MUSEUM
Through 9/2 Personal stories, rare artifacts, and multimedia storytelling illustrate the Jewish community’s contribution to Chicago.
Through 9/22 The museum presents Vivian Maier’s breathtaking photos.
Through 1/4/14 Ebony Fashion Fair. Dazzling designer garments were plucked from the archives of the Ebony Fashion Fair. $14. $12 students, seniors. Mon–Sat 9:30–4:30, Sun 12–5. 1601 N Clark. chicagohs.org.

FIELD MUSEUM
Through 6/16 Fashion and the Field Museum Collection: Maria Pinto. Pinto weaves stories about how garments from the museum’s collection relate to present-day fashion.
Through 9/8 Child Friendly Creatures of Light: Nature’s Bioluminescence. This new show illuminates the many creatures that use self-produced light in nature. Open daily 9–5. General admission free (kids under 3) to $15; all-access passes $21–$30. 1400 S Lake Shore. fieldmuseum.org.

UNITED STATES HOLOCAUST MEMORIAL MUSEUM Free!
6/9 The Washington D.C.-based museum presents this one-day event that features displays of artifacts from the museum’s collection. Sheraton Chicago Hotel and Towers, 301 E North Water St. ushmm.org.
 

Science, Nature, Kids

MITCHELL MUSEUM OF THE AMERICAN INDIAN
Through 9/8 The museum showcases a new exhibition of artifacts from its permanent collection. $3–$5. Open Tue–Sat 10–5, Thu 10–8, Sun 12–4. 3001 Central, Evanston. mitchellmuseum.org.

MUSEUM OF SCIENCE AND INDUSTRY
Through 9/2 Child Friendly Animal Inside Out. See more than 100 specimens preserved through the process of plastination. Timed-entry tickets required, $12–$20, which include general admission. Open daily 9:30–4. Free (kids under 3) to $15. 57th and Lake Shore. msichicago.org.

 

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