See it here first! Join us for boundary-breaking exhibitions and events featuring work by School of the Art Institute of Chicago (SAIC) students completing their degrees. Free and open to the public.
MAATC Exhibition (Art Therapy)
January 23–30
SAIC Galleries, 33 E. Washington St.
Public Reception: January 24, 12:00–5:00 p.m.
The annual MAATC Exhibition presents the artwork and practices of students graduating with a Master of Arts in Art Therapy and Counseling. The educational aim of this exhibition is to provide an opportunity for students to present their own individual lived practices and collaboratively examine the clinical, ethical, and aesthetic implications of presenting the profession of art therapy through an exhibition. Deeply reflective and inquisitive, the artists present a multitude of approaches, exemplifying the program’s philosophy of integrating the emergent artist-art-therapist identity.
Hours
Mondays–Saturdays when exhibitions are open.
11:00 a.m.–6:00 p.m.
Visual & Critical Studies Graduate Exhibition
January 23–30
SAIC Galleries, 33 E. Washington St.
Public Reception: January 24, 12:00–5:00 p.m.
Graduating Master of Arts in Visual and Critical Studies students present their scholarship and work.
Hours
Mondays–Saturdays when exhibitions are open.
11:00 a.m.–6:00 p.m.
Post-Baccalaureate Annual Exhibition
February 17–26
SAIC Galleries, 33 E. Washington St.
Public Reception: February 18, 5:00–7:00 p.m.
This presentation features the work of 12 students completing the Post-Baccalaureate Certificate in Studio.
Hours
Mondays–Saturdays when exhibitions are open.
11:00 a.m.–6:00 p.m.
Graduate Exhibition One
February 17–26
SAIC Galleries, 33 E. Washington St.
Public Reception: February 18, 5:00–7:00 p.m.
Graduate Exhibition One is the culminating presentation of 39 MFA candidates in SAIC’s class of 2026, and an opportunity for them to present new and ambitious work to the public in the SAIC Galleries. Graduate Exhibition One is the first of two graduate exhibitions in the spring.
Hours
Mondays–Saturdays when exhibitions are open.
11:00 a.m.–6:00 p.m.
ArtBash
March 27–April 11
Sharp Building, 37 S. Wabash Ave., Floors 1, 2, 3
Opening Night Reception: March 27, 4:00–6:30 p.m.
First year students from the Department of Contemporary Practices (CP) exhibit new interdisciplinary art and design works. Students have the opportunity to participate through site specific proposals, an open call for work, and by faculty selection.
Spring Undergraduate Exhibition
April 3–11
SAIC Galleries, 33 E. Washington St.
Public Reception: April 11, 12:00–5:00 p.m.
Presenting work by SAIC’s graduating seniors, this culminating exhibition features the ambitious and innovative interdisciplinary work of the next generation of artists, designers, and scholars. It is a living example of the crossing of disciplines and the challenging of assumptions that SAIC encourages in each student.
Hours
Mondays–Saturdays when exhibitions are open.
11:00 a.m.–6:00 p.m.
Capstone Fashion Show
May 1
Location TBA
Fashion Show: 7:00–8:00 p.m.
The 2026 Senior Capstone Fashion Show is a celebration of our senior Fashion Design students and their work.
Graduate Exhibition Two
May 8–20
SAIC Galleries, 33 E. Washington St.
Public Reception: May 13, 5:00–7:00 p.m.
The culminating presentation of new and ambitious work by MFA, MDes, MArch, MArch-IA, and MSHP candidates in SAIC’s class of 2026. Graduate Exhibition Two is the second of two graduate exhibitions this spring.
Hours
Mondays–Saturdays when exhibitions are open.
11:00 a.m.–6:00 p.m.
FVNMAS Festival
May 14–17
Siskel Film Center, 164 N. State St.
The Film, Video, New Media, Animation, and Sound Festival will highlight the work of graduating students presenting moving image and sound work.
MFA in Writing Graduate Reading
May 15
MacLean Ballroom, 112 S. Michigan Ave.
Reception: 4:30 p.m.
Program: 5:30–7:00 p.m.
Graduating students from the Master of Fine Arts in Writing program read selections from their work. Join us for a surprising evening including, but not limited to, fiction, nonfiction, and text off the page. Discover what writing becomes when students adapt the practices of their studio-artist peers.
BFA in Writing Thesis Reading
May 16
The LeRoy Neiman Center, 37 S. Wabash Ave.
5:00–8:00 p.m.
Students graduating from SAIC’s Bachelor of Fine Arts in Writing program read, perform, and otherwise represent their work in traditional as well as hybrid and experimental forms, including fiction, nonfiction, poetry, scripts, electronic media, and performance.
BA Art History and BFA Art History Thesis Symposium
May 16
MacLean Ballroom, 112 S. Michigan Ave.
Saturday, May 16, 11:00 a.m.–2:00 p.m.
Senior BA/BFA Art History students will present their research.
MAAE Thesis Symposium
May 17
Sharp Building, 37 S. Wabash Ave.
10:00 a.m.–4:00 p.m.
The 2026 MAAE Thesis Symposium brings together graduating students to share research that integrates theory, pedagogy, and artistic inquiry. The symposium highlights our graduating students’ projects that address contemporary educational questions through creative and interdisciplinary approaches. It serves as a collaborative space for dialogue, reflection, and exchange, affirming the role of art educators as artists, scholars, and change-makers within and beyond educational institutions.