Chicago’s art scene has never been accused of subtlety. One minute you’re contemplating Matisse’s cut-paper reveries, the next you’re comparing Pokémon fossils. It’s a city that believes more is more—and 2026 is shaping up to be no exception, with a slate of major exhibitions that span centuries, continents and emotional registers.
Whether you’re a devoted art hound or someone who only remembers that museums exist when the weather turns particularly cruel, there’s something for nearly every aesthetic inclination in the year ahead. These are the 10 Chicago art exhibitions we’re already making plans to visit in 2026.
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Matisse’s Jazz: Rhythms in Color
The Art Institute of Chicago, Mar 7–Jun 1, 2026
Bedridden and unable to paint in the 1940s, famed French artist Henri Matisse turned to a new, more accessible medium: cut paper. Drawing from memories of circuses, world travel, folktales and Parisian music halls, he created a series of 20 maquettes that will be on view. In 1947, these vibrant compositions were reproduced using pochoir (stencil) techniques and paired with Matisse’s own writing to create the unbound book Jazz. This exhibition marks the first time Matisse’s Jazz will be shown in its entirety since the Art Institute acquired it in 1948.
If Emmett Till Lived: Freedom on American Ground
Museum of Contemporary Photography, Sept 3–Dec 19, 2026
This exhibition poses a devastatingly powerful question: What if Emmett Till had not been brutally lynched in Mississippi in 1955? Through photography, the exhibition imagines an alternate history in which Till lived—moving from images inspired by the last meal his mother packed before his trip south to meditations on the life he might have experienced, from the rise of the Chicago Bulls to the ongoing fight for civil rights.
Pokémon Fossil Museum
Field Museum, May 22, 2026–Apr 11, 2027
Whether you’re parenting a pint-sized Pokémon devotee or a nostalgic millennial still clinging to a holographic Charizard card for its “possible resale value” (guilty), the Pokémon Fossil Museum is designed to surprise and delight. Making its U.S. debut at the Field Museum in spring 2026, the international exhibition invites visitors to compare Fossil Pokémon like Tyrantrum and Archeops with real-world fossils—including SUE the T. rex. Expect Pokémon models, real fossil excavation tools and immersive soundscapes throughout.
Dancing the Revolution
Museum of Contemporary Art Chicago, Apr 14–Sept 20, 2026
This first-of-its-kind exhibition explores the visual, political and spiritual histories of dancehall and reggaetón through contemporary art. Once grassroots scenes, both genres have become globally influential movements tied closely to sexual and political liberation. The show features works by more than 35 artists, including Jean-Michel Basquiat, Edra Soto, supakid and Lee “Scratch” Perry.
Korean National Treasures: 2,000 Years of Art
The Art Institute of Chicago, Mar 7–July 5, 2026
Thanks to a landmark donation from the family of Lee Kun-Hee, the late chairman of Samsung Group, Chicagoans will be able to view extraordinary Korean artworks once held in private collections. Spanning painting, ceramics and Buddhist sculpture, the exhibition includes 140 works that trace two millennia of artistic legacy—22 of which are officially designated National Treasures or Treasures by the Korean government.
Crafting Character: The Costumes of Paul Tazewell
Griffin Museum of Science and Industry, opens Jan 19, 2026
How are some of the most iconic costumes of the past century made? Costume designer Paul Tazewell pulls back the curtain in this behind-the-scenes exhibition. Highlights include costumes from Wicked and Steven Spielberg’s West Side Story, plus Janelle Monáe’s Met Gala looks. Sketches, videos and narration reveal how imagination becomes wearable art.
I AM WILD: A Charley Harper Exhibit
Chicago Children’s Museum, Jan 17–May 10, 2026
This family-friendly exhibition explores six habitats—Desert, Ocean, Rainforest, Sky, Woods and City—through the eyes of modernist artist Charley Harper. Designed to foster appreciation for biodiversity and interdependence, the exhibit includes interactive games, a DIY soundscape station and multisensory interpretations of Harper’s beloved work.
A Tale of Today Presents Brendan Fernandes: In the Round
Richard H. Driehaus Museum, Apr 9–Nov 14, 2026
As the Driehaus Museum’s first artist-in-residence, Brendan Fernandes will transform the Murphy Auditorium into a dynamic site for sculpture, movement and sound. Inspired by the Judson Dance Theater, Fernandes’s Scores for the Murphy Auditorium will unfold as an episodic residency throughout 2026, with performances and public programs announced over time.
Yoonshin Park: Prompt and Prompted
Hyde Park Art Center, Jan 24–May 10, 2026
Multimedia artist Yoonshin Park challenges conventional ideas of what books are—and what they can be. Prompt and Prompted presents new and ongoing works that reimagine artist books as spatial, symbolic and participatory sites, engaging ideas of memory, marginality, translation and transformation.
MoCP at Fifty: Collecting Through the Decades
Museum of Contemporary Photography, Jan 22–May 16, 2026
The Museum of Contemporary Photography celebrates its 50th anniversary with a sweeping look at its collection. The retrospective features rarely exhibited and newly acquired works by influential photographers including Dorothea Lange, Harry Callahan and Robert Frank.