Against the backdrop of a global pandemic and a renewed reckoning over racial justice and inequality, The Long Dream invites visitors to see the city of Chicago, the world, and themselves, through the eyes of more than 70 local artists whose work offers us ways to imagine a more equitable and interconnected world.

Named after the 1958 novel by socially committed author Richard Wright, The Long Dream brings together work by both emerging and established Chicago artists, and includes painting, performance, sculpture, video, and sound art. The exhibition extends beyond the gallery walls into the digital space, culminating in a live arts event in January where artists from across the exhibition will share their work.

The Long Dream is organized collectively by the Artistic Division, which includes the museum’s curatorial, learning, and content teams. It is presented in the Griffin Galleries of Contemporary Art on the museum’s fourth floor.

artists in this exhibition

Alberto Aguilar (Mexican and American, b. 1974)
Madeleine Aguilar (Mexican and American, b. 1998)
Candida Alvarez (American, b. 1955)
Jeanette Andrews (American, b. 1990)
Selva Aparicio (Catalonian, b. 1987)
Lise Haller Baggesen (Danish, b. 1969)
Sarah Bastress (American, b. 1989)
Jonas N.T. Becker (American, b. 1982)
Dawoud Bey (American, b. 1953)
Nick Cave (American, b. 1959)
Mariano Chavez (American, b. 1974)
Diane Christiansen (American, b. 1958) and Jeanne Dunning (American, b. 1960) with Steve Dawson (American, b. 1965))
Jessica Christy (American, b. 1986)
Mike Cloud (American, b. 1974)
Bethany Collins (American, b. 1984)
Experimental Sound Studio (collective, established 1986)
Brendan Fernandes (Canadian, b. Kenya, 1979)
Julia Fish (American, b. 1950)
Joanna Furnans (American, b. 1980)
Max Guy (American, b. 1989)
Andres L. Hernandez (American, b. 1974)
Paul Heyer (American, b. 1982)
shawné michaelain holloway (American, b. 1991)
Jesse Howard (American, b. 1952)
Aaron Hughes (American, b. 1982)
Jeremiah Hulsebos-Spofford (American, b. 1983)
Manal Kara (Moroccan and American, b. 1986)
Jin Soo Kim (American, b. Korea, 1950)
Wesley Kimler (American, b. 1953)
Kirsten Leenaars (Dutch, b. 1976)
Riva Lehrer (American, b. 1958)
Tony Lewis (American, b. 1986)
Tonika Lewis Johnson (American, b. 1979)
Damon Locks (American, b. 1968)
Iñigo Manglano-Ovalle (American, b. Spain, 1961)
Derek McPhatter (American, b. 1979)
Miller & Shellabarger (American collective, established 1993)
Devin T. Mays (American, b. 1985)
Cae Monāe (American, b. 1993)
Corinne Mucha (American, b. 1983)
Floating Museum (American collective, established 2016) with Cecil McDonald Jr. (American, b. 1965)
Ryan Nault (American, b. 1991)
Jeroen Nelemans (Dutch, b. 1974)
Gladys Nilsson (American, b. 1940)
Jim Nutt (American, b. 1938)
William J. O’Brien (American, b. 1975)
OTV – Open Television (collective, established 2015)
Chris Pappan (Kanza/Osage, Lakota, b. 1971)
Kamau Amu Patton (American, b. 1972)
Nereida Patricia (American, b. 1996)
Ebony G. Patterson (Jamaican, b. 1980)
Claire Pentecost (American, b. 1956)
Jefferson Pinder (American, b. 1970)
Cheryl Pope (American, b. 1980)
William Pope.L (American, b. 1955)
Quarantine Times (American collective, established 2020)
Eduardo F. Rosario (Puerto Rican, b. 1988)
Jason Salavon (American, b. 1970)
Moises Salazar (American, b. 1996)
Farah Salem (Kuwaiti, b. 1991)
Darling “Shear” Squire
Andy Slater (American, b. 1975)
Edra Soto (Puerto Rican, b. 1971)
Leonard Suryajaya (Indonesian, b. 1988)
Selina Trepp (Swiss and American, b. 1973)
Jina Valentine (American, b. 1979)
Kevin Weil (American, b. 1990)
Rhonda Wheatley (American, b. 1972)
Amanda Williams (American, b. 1972)
Bernard Williams (American, b. 1964)
Sadie Woods (American, b. 1978)
Derrick Woods-Morrow (American, b. 1990)
SANTIAGO X (Koasati and Chamoru, b. 1982)
Guanyu Xu (Chinese, b. 1993)
Debra Yepa-Pappan (Jemez Pueblo and Korean, b. 1971)
Nate Young (American, b. 1981)
Kiki Jia Qi Zhen (Chinese, b. 1996)

Official Website

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Tags: Aaron Hughes, Alberto Aguilar, Amanda Williams, Andres L. Hernandez, Andy Slater, Bernard Williams, Bethany Collins, Brendan Fernandes, Cae Monae, Candida Alvarez, Cecil McDonald Jr., Cheryl Pope, Chicago, Chris Pappan, Claire Pentecost, Corinne Mucha, Damon Locks, Darling “Shear” Squire, Dawoud Bey, Debra Yepa-Pappan, Derek McPhatter, Derrick Woods-Morrow, Devin T. Mays, Diane Christiansen, Ebony G. Patterson, Edra Soto, Eduardo F. Rosario, Experimental Sound Studio, Farah Salem, Floating Museum, Gladys Nilsson, Guanyu Xu, Iñigo Manglano-Ovalle, Jason Salavon, Jeanette Andrews, Jeanne Dunning, Jefferson Pinder, jeremiah hulsebos-spofford, Jeroen Nelemans, Jesse Howard, Jessica Christy, Jim Nutt, Jin Soo Kim, Jina Valentine, Joanna Furnans, Jonas N.T. Becker, Julia Fish, Kamau Amu Patton, Kevin Weil, Kiki Jia Qi Zhen, Kirsten Leenaars, Leonard Suryajaya, Lise HALLER BAGGESEN, Manal Kara, Mariano Chavez, Max Guy, Mike Cloud, Miller & Shellabarger, Moises Salazar, Museum of Contemporary Art Chicago, Nate Young, Near North Side, Nereida Patricia, Nick Cave, OTV - Open Television, Paul Heyer, Quarantine Times, Rhonda Wheatley, Riva Lehrer, ryan nault, Sadie Woods, Santiago X, Sarah Bastress, Selina Trepp, Selva Aparicio, Shawné Michaelain Holloway, Steve Dawson, The Long Dream, Tonika Lewis Johnson, Tony Lewis, wesley kimler, William J. O’Brien, William Pope.L