Driehaus Museum Exhibition Features Art from SAIC Community Members

A Tale of Today: Materialities at the Driehaus Museum was curated by School of the Art Institute of Chicago (SAIC) Professor, Adj. Giovanni Aloi and features a wide array of SAIC community members, including Professor Jefferson Pinder, Lecturer Rebecca Beachy, Associate Professor Jonas N.T. Becker, and Lecturer Laleh Motlag, along with alumni Richard Hunt (BFA 1957), Petra Bachmaier (BFA 1999), Lecturer Mathew Wilson (MFA 1993), and Edra Soto (MFA 2000).

In putting together the exhibition, Aloi quickly discovered many SAIC ties. "It quickly became apparent that only a handful of applicants had no connection to SAIC in some capacity," he said. "This unexpected realization underscored the profound impact our institution has in shaping the careers of many exciting contemporary artists."

The exhibition seeks to illuminate the rich history and architectural beauty of the museum through the perspectives of artists rooted in the Midwest. "We invite viewers to uncover new interpretative frameworks, encouraging them to perceive their surroundings in ways that may not initially seem obvious, but ultimately reveal deeper connections between history, materiality, and meaning," said Aloi. 

Located in a meticulously restored Gilded Age mansion, the Driehaus Museum offers a compelling backdrop for these contemporary works.

The exhibition runs February 7 through April 27.