A trip to Chicago this summer proved to have an amazing array of varied art exhibitions. With something for everyone…If you find yourself in the midwest anywhere near these institutions be sure to check these out for yourself.

Chicago Art Institute

Frida Kahlo’s Month in Paris: A Friendship with Mary Reynolds
https://www.artic.edu/exhibitions/10397/frida-kahlo-s-month-in-paris-a-frie…
Mar 29–Jul 13, 2025

Did you see it? Maybe you missed it — but this great exhibit on Kahlo was a very intimate show that outlined a friendship and leaves one wondering the influence this connection had on the future work of both artists. The exhibition centered on a specific era: Kahlo’s brief stay in Paris in early 1939, where she became ill and stayed with Mary Reynolds, an avant-garde American bookbinder and partner of Marcel Duchamp. Much of the show was comprised of approximately 100 objects, including seven major self‑portraits by Kahlo, Reynolds’s unique bookbindings, letters by Kahlo, photographs, works on paper, and prints.

The beautifully staged objects and letters offered a glimpse into Kahlo’s mindset and community during a transformative period.

For more on the exhibit check out:

Book: Frida Kahlo’s Month in Paris — A Friendship with Mary Reynolds

Click here for an excerpt.

Gustave Caillebotte: Painting His World

https://www.artic.edu/exhibitions/10068/gustave-caillebotte-painting-his-wo…

Jun 29–Oct 5, 2025

This major review of over 120 works—paintings, drawings, and photographs—shows Caillebotte’s creative evolution from the mid‑1870s through his death in 1894.  Previously the exhibition was at Musée d’Orsay in October 2024 and then toured the Getty before opening in Chicago. At first the work seemed familiar but I couldn’t place anything specific I had seen before but as the show progressed I kept stumbling upon Caillebotte’s very familiar masterpieces. Including: Paris Street; Rainy Day (1877), Floor Scrapers (1875) and the recently acquired Boating Party.

Caillebotte’s private world—his family, social circle, athletic pursuits, and the city he loved all come into beautiful focus here. If you enjoy Impressionism and someone who sees the beauty in everyday things this is a must-see show.

Museum of Contemporary Art

https://mcachicago.org/

Paul Pfeiffer: Prologue to the Story of the Birth of Freedom
May 03, 2025 – August 31, 2025
https://visit.mcachicago.org/exhibitions/paul-pfeiffer-prologue-to-the-stor…

Paul Pfeiffer: Prologue to the Story of the Birth of Freedom is a compelling, conceptually rich exhibition that invites the viewer into a critical re-examination of mass media. Each space the show exists in creates new ways to confront a viewer. As you try to understand what is being shown to you, one often finds the humor in the sad concepts explored. Whether through disembodied basketball players, floating trophies, or erased celebrities,  It’s an immersive journey into media criticism—and an aesthetic experience that redefines what a video‐centric retrospective can be.

Wafaa Bilal: Indulge Me is a provocative and haunting career survey that leverages immersive design and media to expolore war, surveillance, and cultural exploitation. Whether examining geopolitics through paintballs, implantable cameras, or orbiting busts, the exhibition forces viewers to confront their role in global systems of power. It’s a bold reflection on how art can engage, implicate, and subvert. Don’t miss the game Bilal developed, that let’s one decide who to shoot as you wander a compound.

The details:

Where: The Art Institute of Chicago
What: Georgia O’Keeffe: “My New Yorks”
When: Jun 2-Sep 22

Heading to Chicago? You’re sure to find something revelatory every time you visit the Art Institute—and this time is no different. Even if you think you’re familiar with Georgia O’Keeffe’s work, her “My New Yorks” exhibit offers a new understanding of her range.

A little context:

In 1924, O’Keeffe was living in the Shelton Hotel, then the world’s tallest residential skyscraper. She embarked on a mission to memorialize this time in her life with a series of cityscapes, ranging from street-level compositions of New York’s skyscrapers to the views she captured looking down from her 30th-floor apartment.

The exhibit:

Think of your favorite O’Keeffe work and it’s probably here—right next to something of hers you’ve never seen before. This one-of-a-kind exhibit marks the first time these works have been curated together, highlighting Georgia’s clear-cut artistic vision and the special way she reflected the world around her, no matter what environment she was in.

One of the most compelling things about Georgia’s work is the approachability of it. The simplicity of her vision transcends generations and genres, and it has never been displayed better than in this show.