Art & Design School & College Tours to Chicago
Chicago is one of America’s most culturally vibrant cities boasting an impressive range of museums & galleries with some of the world’s top collections. From the Art Institute of Chicago’s huge collection of Impressionist and Post-Impressionist paintings to the Museum of Contemporary Art examples of Andy Warhol and Jasper Johns students will not be short of inspirational visits when in Chiacago.
Art & Design Excursions
- Millennium Park - is a world-class venue for award-winning public art and architecture, and performances of all genres. The 24.5 acre park hosts free family-friendly festivals and other diverse programs throughout the year, making it one of Chicago’s most popular destinations.
- Art Institute of Chicago - This world-class institution holds the largest collection of Impressionist and Post-Impressionist paintings outside of Paris. You’ll also see Marc Chagall’s extraordinary stained glass windows and such classics as Grant Wood’s American Gothic, Georges Seurat’s A Sunday on La Grande Jatte and Edward Hopper’s Nighthawks.
- Museum of Contemporary Art - A huge complex of galleries designed by Berlin-based architect Josef Paul Kleihues, the MCA houses a major collection of contemporary paintings, sculptures, photographs and videos by such modern masters as Jasper Johns, Ed Paschke and Andy Warhol.
- Cloud Gate - The first public outdoor work in the United States from British artist Anish Kapoor is forged of highly polished stainless steel plates that offer a unique reflection of Chicago’s nearby skyline.
- Frank Lloyd Wright Home and Studio - Visit Wright’s private residence and studio. His home was also his laboratory for architectural designs. There are available museum tours as well as walks that are self-guided audio tours. There are 25 of his buildings to view and learn about. Take part in the historical architecture.
- Architectural Tour - Chicago has been a major architectural centre for more than a century. The unique Chicago skyline is the home of the skyscraper, and the city’s major buildings display a wide variety of architectural styles and influences. A good way to see all that Chicago architecture has to offer is to find one of the many architectural boat tours that frequent the Chicago River.
Curriculum Focus
- Opportunities to compare and contrast a range of artistic works in a number of galleries and museums in the city
- Provides ample opportunity to acquire general knowledge of historical, social and cultural contexts for paintings, sculpture and architecture
- Develop an understanding of the relationships between society and art within historical and other frameworks
- Learn some of the city’s history and culture that have provided the context for much of the artistic works
Student Outcomes
- Be able to see artistic works at close hand, often in their native environment
- Be able to compare and contrast different artistic styles and techniques
- Understand the historical and cultural context in which the artistic works were created
- Develop confidence in their ability to make critical judgements
- Learn about artistic techniques they can try out with their own work
