Now is the Time: Artists Go to Work

On July 4, 2026, America turned 250 years old. To reckon with the 250th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence is to reckon with freedom declared in words long before it was lived in practice, and grapple with a history that has constantly faced erasure.

Toni Morrison taught that the measure of a nation is not in its monuments, but in the stories it has the courage to face. In the face of all the forces daunting the spirit, she famously wrote: “This is precisely the time when artists go to work. There is no time for despair.”

A collective of institutions and organizations from across the University of Chicago—along with Illinois Humanities, in partnership with The Toni Morrison Foundation—have collaborated to curate a special suite of events which respond to Morrison’s charge and highlight the deeply inspirational and much-needed creative work being generated by artists in these challenging times.

In convening artists, thinkers, and communities, we invite you to collectively reflect on and illuminate the unfinished work this anniversary makes so strikingly apparent. All events are open to the public.

Partners

Thank you to our partner organizations for their generous support and collaboration.

The Toni Morrison Foundation

Tickets

Please obtain your tickets from the respective venues presenting each program, using the appropriate ticket links on each event page to reserve.

Ongoing Events

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Illinois Voices 250
A statewide time capsule of conversations with people in all 102 Illinois counties, this project celebrates and preserves the voices of everyday Illinoisans: who we are, what we care about, and what we think is important about this moment in our country’s history.

Presented by Illinois Humanities.

Nina Chanel Abney: Between Us
Experience Abney’s large-scale mural that uses humor and accessibility to take the most familiar images of American life—drawn from advertising, sports, cartoons, and the news—and turn them against themselves.

Part of the Smart Museum of Art’s Threshold Series.

Charles White Across Media: A Visual Archive
Bringing together album covers, book jackets, magazines, film stills, photographs, prints, and other ephemera featuring the work of Charles White (1918-1979), this exhibition examines the expansive cultural life of his imagery. This exhibition is on display from November 6, 2026 – January 31, 2027.

Presented by the Reva and David Logan Center for the Arts.

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October Events

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Family Day: Proud to Be Me
October 17, 10:00am – 1:00pm
Smart Museum of Art
Create a colorful self-portrait collage with guidance from exhibiting artist Nina Chanel Abney, and participate in a collaborative project where participants design a unique deck of cards together.

Presented by the Smart Museum of Art.

“The Pursuit”: A People’s Salon
October 28, 6:00pm – 9:00pm
Ramova Theatre
Featuring commissioned work from Lisa Beasley, INSÉKTA, Mark Turcotte, avery r. young, and Ariel Zetina.

More information coming soon – watch this space!

Presented by Illinois Humanities.

Unfixed: Identity, Expression & Creative Freedom, a Workshop with Jenn Freeman | Po’Chop
October 29, 4:00pm – 6:00pm
Harris Studio, Green Line Performing Arts Center
Through movement, reflection, improvisation, and collaborative exercises, participants will consider how identity shapes and informs how we express ourselves, how we are seen by others, and what we believe is possible. Participants should wear comfortable clothing they can move in and bring materials to write with.

Presented by UChicago Arts.

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November Events

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Threshold: Conversations on the Stoop, featuring Candace Hunter and Cathy Cohen
November 4, 6:00pm – 8:00pm
Arts Incubator Gallery
Threshold: Conversations on the Stoop is a series of public talks that take place on the front porch within the Intentionality, 1960: Whose Dreams? exhibition. Candace will be in conversation with a host of scholars, artists, archivists and neighbors around questions of race, residential space, displacement, memory, and belonging.

Presented by Arts+Public Life.

In the wake of the 2026 midterm elections, Court Theatre inaugurates its first annual Court Convening, inviting artists, activists, and scholars to debate the importance of interpreting the “classics” for our times.

Court Convening 1: America@250
November 5, 6:00pm – 8:00pm
Breasted Hall at the University of Chicago’s Institute for the Study of Ancient Cultures
Join this dynamic Town Hall conversation that directly explores the age-old question, “What is a Classic? And why now?” and offers an inside look at Court Theatre’s 2026/27 season.

Presented by Court Theatre.

Arts and America at 250: We Stand at the Intersection of Creativity and Politics
Keynote Conversation
November 6, 12:30pm – 1:45pm
Penthouse, Reva and David Logan Center for the Arts
Artists, curators, and journalists explore America@250 through the cultural, political, and aesthetic lens of now.

Presented by Court Theatre and the Institute of Politics at the University of Chicago.

Artists Go to Work
Keynote Conversation
November 6, 2:30pm – 4:30pm
Penthouse, Reva and David Logan Center for the Arts
Continuing our artist-centered examination of America@250, our second keynote features a conversation between Chicago-based artists who work at the intersection of art and civic life, nominated through a partnership between Illinois Humanities, Court Theatre, UChicago Arts, Smart Museum of Art, and the Reva and David Logan Center for the Arts.

Presented by Court Theatre, UChicago Arts, the Smart Museum of Art, the Reva and David Logan Center for the Arts, and Illinois Humanities.

Artists Go to Work (Breakout Sessions)
November 6, 4:30pm – 6:00pm
Penthouse, Reva and David Logan Center for the Arts
Interactive breakout sessions hosted by Chicago-based artists who work at the intersection of art and civic life, nominated through a partnership between Illinois Humanities, Court Theatre, UChicago Arts, Smart Museum of Art, and the Reva and David Logan Center for the Arts.

Presented by Court Theatre, UChicago Arts, the Smart Museum of Art, the Reva and David Logan Center for the Arts, and Illinois Humanities.

Craig Taborn Trio
November 6, 7:30pm
Performance Hall, Reva and David Logan Center for the Arts
A frequent collaborator with Tomeka Reid and Vijay Iyer, Taborn and his Trio create a sound that is immersive, audacious, and unequivocally jazzy.

Presented by University of Chicago Presents, in partnership with the Logan Center for the Arts, Chicago Jazz Magazine, DownBeat, Jazz Institute of Chicago, and WDCB 90.9 FM

University of Chicago Arts & Humanities Day
November 7
University of Chicago (Various Locations)
Now in its 46th year, UChicago Arts & Humanities Day 2026 celebrates the writers, artists, and public intellectuals grappling with the questions and concerns that shape our world.

Presented by University of Chicago | Division of Arts & Humanities and Chicago Humanities

Rear View Mirror Session with Duane Powell
November 10, 6:00pm – 9:00pm
Performance Hall, Reva and David Logan Center for the Arts
Since 2017, the Quintessential Listening and Lecture Series led by music historian and DJ Duane Powell has taken audiences on a journey through the lives of musical legends and heroes. The series continues with a special celebration of Marvin Gaye, the Prince of Motown. Musical guest to be announced soon!

Presented by Arts+Public Life and the Reva and David Logan Center for the Arts, in partnership with Soundrotration and Brain Trust Management. Artist and event support provided by The Toni Morrison Foundation.

Could AI Put Our Democracy at Risk?
November 11, 5:45pm – 7:30pm
Gleacher Center
As AI reshapes nearly every aspect of modern life, how will it impact our democracy?

Presented by the University of Chicago’s Graham School.

Reflecting through Objects A Logan Center Workshop Led by Emily Hooper Lansana and William Estrada
November 18, 5:30pm – 8:30pm
Penthouse, Reva and David Logan Center for the Arts
A blend of oral storytelling and visual response, this interactive workshop is an opportunity to examine the connection between objects and memory.

Presented by the Reva and David Logan Center for the Arts.

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December Events

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Tituba, by Winsome Pinnock
December 10-20
Rockefeller Memorial Chapel
A multidisciplinary theatrical spectacle in an iconic location featuring original music by Grammy Award-winner esperanza spalding. A bonfire of laughter. A shift in perspective that fundamentally alters how we view an American classic. She will make the Reverend pay.

Presented by Court Theatre.

Tituba: Artist Talk Featuring esperanza spalding and Josephine Lee in Conversation with Avery Willis Hoffman
December 14, 6:00pm – 7:30pm
Performance Hall, Reva and David Logan Center for the Arts
A special artist talk exploring the vibrant sonic world, melodies, and rhythms of Court Theatre’s Tituba.

Presented by Court Theatre.

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Header image: “Tropicalamerican” by Edra Soto.

The series is curated by Court Theatre, in collaboration with Illinois Humanities and our partners at the University of Chicago: UChicago Arts, the Smart Museum of Art, and the Logan Center. Primary support for the series is provided by The Toni Morrison Foundation, with additional support from the Institute of Free Inquiry at the University of Chicago.

Select programming, where noted, is presented in collaboration with the following: Institute of Politics, UChicago Presents, UChicago Humanities Day / Division of Arts & Humanities, Arts+Public Life, and The University of Chicago Graham School.

Related Events

Tituba, by Winsome Pinnock → December 10 - 20, 2026
A bonfire of laughter. A shift in perspective that fundamentally alters how we view an American classic. She will make the Reverend pay.