Every third Thursday, IAM stays open until 8 pm with after-hours programming designed to help you end your day inspired.

Inspired by Monumental: Sculpture by Dr. Charles Smith, this series of programs brings together artists and scholars to explore public art in Chicago and beyond, reflecting on how it shapes historical narratives and collective memory. 

Connect over drinks and snacks at a post-program reception. 

This event is free. Registration is encouraged. 

Mechtild Widrich is Professor and Department Chair of Art History, Theory, and Criticism at the School of the Art Institute of Chicago. Her research focuses on art in public space, architecture, and memory culture, exploring the intersection of performance art, monumentality, and community engagement. She is the author of the books Performative Monuments (2014) and Monumental Cares (2023).