Artist Bernard Williams talks about his paintings and sculptures currently on view and then leads the group through an art-making workshop to create small sculptures of their own. 
Williams’s large scale sculptures and paintings are featured in the Museum’s summer exhibitions including *CROSSINGS* installed in Wilder Park and across the Museum’s galleries and McCormick House and *Legacies: Selected works from the Elmhurst Art Museum Permanent Collection.
*
All ages welcome. Activity is included with museum admission. Members are free. 

__ABOUT BERNARD WILLIAMS__

Williams is a Chicago native celebrated for his public murals, sculptures, and paintings that highlight little-known or forgotten narratives in American history. He has been awarded an Illinois Arts Council Grant and the Artadia Award. His work has been featured at the Mississippi Museum of Art in Jackson (MS), The African-American Museum in Dallas (TX), Chicago Cultural Center, Kohler Art Center, and The Eiteljorg Museum of Native American and Western Art (IN), among other institutions. 

Public sculptures and murals by Williams are spread throughout the Chicagoland area, including a permanent sculpture for the Chicago Transit Authority, the Nathan Manilow Sculpture Park, University Park, IL, Laumeier Sculpture Park in St. Louis, and several works for the Chicago Park District, one notable installation located at 31st Street beach in Bronzeville. Williams holds a BFA Degree from the University of Illinois at Champaign-Urbana and an MFA from Northwestern University. He also studied at the Skowhegan School of Painting and Sculpture (ME). Williams taught art at The School of the Art Institute of Chicago from 1991-2003 and has been an active member of the Chicago Public Art Group for nearly thirty years. 

CROSSINGS is generously supported by:
![lsblogohorizontal-hires dc04d0ef-0c53-42f2-bfc7-fde8ae623ed0 (3)](//images.ctfassets.net/df2y673eghyz/2QaoGQv0Q39Rosh4kDP5xZ/7a0910db157f3415343d45a680cd4e05/lsblogohorizontal-hires_dc04d0ef-0c53-42f2-bfc7-fde8ae623ed0__4_.png)
![smallest Explore Elmhurst](//images.ctfassets.net/df2y673eghyz/M6PIY67V1govX5tENlibI/6562bff45c374194b61003b351078e1b/exploreelmhurst_smallest.png)
![JCS small](//images.ctfassets.net/df2y673eghyz/61uJvPJEgxNvV2aOcd90X8/20e72a3fcb99261ee1da860be6adea81/small_JCS_Dupage_Foundation_logo_pairing_.jpg)

Image Credit: Bernard Williams, Cardboard study for *Cowboy Dream*, 2024.

Create With Us

5:30pm - Champagne Toast

Members are invited to celebrate the unveiling of a special commemorative plague acknowledging the gift of the public sculpture *Sistine Touch* by Bob Emser by Raymond and Sally Allen, and Robert and Marcia Goltermann. Learn more about the history of this sculpture and how it ended up on the lawn of Elmhurst Art Museum.

This event flows seamlessly into the opening reception of *Legacies: Selections from the Elmhurst Art Museum Collection* and *CROSSINGS by Bernard Williams*.

[Registration](https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSc7MoZaH4q3g5gwLI65jFId8JPGRPOQuJZrNb6In-sixccmTA/viewform?usp=sharing) required for both events.


Members' Pre-Reception: Special Commemoration

6pm - Early access for museum members and exhibition VIPS. [RSVP HERE](https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSc7MoZaH4q3g5gwLI65jFId8JPGRPOQuJZrNb6In-sixccmTA/viewform?usp=sharing "RSVP")

7pm - Open to the general public. [Purchase tickets](https://shop.elmhurstartmuseum.org/collections/online-shop/products/legacies-opening-reception-ticket "Purchase Reception Tickets")

*Legacies: Selections from the Elmhurst Art Museum Permanent Collection* features dozens of artists from Christo & Jean Claude and Mies van der Rohe to Kay Rosen and Michiko Itatani. The exhibition highlights the relationships between artists, collectors, and museums that lead to larger, ongoing narratives connecting people across time and place. Led by the Museum’s curatorial team, *Legacies* is open from May 31 through August 17, 2025.

*CROSSINGS* by Bernard Williams traverses the Museum’s campus and features several dynamic vehicle sculptures circling the Museum and inside Hostetler Gallery, in addition to large paintings in the McCormick House. Through the artworks on view, the artist addresses Black achievement and the concept of mobility as both the physical movement forward and the human aspiration to rise to better circumstances.

Reception ticket includes meeting the featured artists, admission to the entire museum, music, drinks, and light bites. [Purchase Tickets](https://shop.elmhurstartmuseum.org/collections/online-shop/products/legacies-opening-reception-ticket "Reception Tickets")

__Advance tickets are required.  Space is limited.__

The exhibition reception is generously supported by:
![Support for the Summer Exhibition Reception](//images.ctfassets.net/df2y673eghyz/5oY7j2IQf4HdrE7fWOFu5r/b6d0cf863ea38eb13ad235b4a0c363db/Summer_reception_support.jpg)

Opening Reception For New Exhibitions

__Kick off the spring festival season at one of the Western Suburbs most anticipated art-focused, outdoor events—the 28th annual Art in Wilder Park!__

[View the MAP and booth numbers.](https://res.cloudinary.com/elmhurst-art-museum/image/upload/v1746275802/Art%20in%20Wilder%20Park/AIWP-Handout-2025-Complete_rwrapi.pdf "2025 Art in Wilder Park Map")

[View the list of ARTISTS, VENDOR, & COMMUNITY PARTNERS.](https://res.cloudinary.com/elmhurst-art-museum/image/upload/v1745188638/Art%20in%20Wilder%20Park/_2025_AIWP_Exhibitors_List_Profesh_2_dfisdm.pdf)

This __free__ two-day celebration takes place on Saturday & Sunday in Elmhurst’s Wilder Park, 175 South Cottage Hill Ave., drawing tens of thousands of visitors to the Culture Campus each year.

Explore over 130 booths showcasing unique, handcrafted treasures including jewelry, paintings, sculptures, ceramics, photography, and fiber arts created by talented Midwest artists. Enjoy a variety of artisan food vendors alongside community partner and sponsor displays, all set against the picturesque backdrop of Wilder Park.

Families will love the interactive Kids Court, a dedicated space filled with engaging, hands-on activities. Participate in our free scavenger hunt and win fun prizes.

Voted “Best in the West” for several years, Art in Wilder Park is more than just an art fair—it’s a cherished community tradition that unites creativity and culture. Don’t miss this vibrant celebration of art and community!

Would you like to volunteer?  Sign up [here](https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLScYUm8lLJPqN8IG4itXFsPDgFtB3nU8d1wYVig_PU-mT7RCew/viewform).

## Thank you to our 2025 Sponsors:

![AIWP Sponsors 2025](//images.ctfassets.net/df2y673eghyz/5G5kWxTex3OHHQHmsycCl/8b9ea9636bfced02cb732bd8d431f6d2/AIWP_sponsors_2025.jpg)

Art in Wilder Park Elmhurst Art Museum outdoor arts festival in Chicago's western suburbs art event craft fair near me 2025 events free family friendly things to do art events near me where is the Arts festival Crafts kids family activities

Art in Wilder Park 2025

__Kick off the spring festival season at one of the Western Suburbs most anticipated art-focused, outdoor events—the 28th annual Art in Wilder Park!__

[View the MAP and booth numbers.](https://res.cloudinary.com/elmhurst-art-museum/image/upload/v1746275802/Art%20in%20Wilder%20Park/AIWP-Handout-2025-Complete_rwrapi.pdf "2025 Art in Wilder Park Map")

[View the list of ARTISTS, VENDOR, & COMMUNITY PARTNERS.](https://res.cloudinary.com/elmhurst-art-museum/image/upload/v1745188638/Art%20in%20Wilder%20Park/_2025_AIWP_Exhibitors_List_Profesh_2_dfisdm.pdf)

[PURCHASE 50/50 RAFFLE TICKETS HERE](https://25ArtWilderPark.givesmart.com "AIWP raffle"). Raffle will be pulled Sunday, May 4 at 4 pm. 

This __free__ two-day celebration on Saturday & Sunday takes place in Elmhurst’s Wilder Park, 175 South Cottage Hill Ave., drawing tens of thousands of visitors to the Culture Campus each year.

Explore over 130 booths showcasing unique, handcrafted treasures including jewelry, paintings, sculptures, ceramics, photography, and fiber arts created by talented Midwest artists. Enjoy a variety of artisan food vendors alongside community partner and sponsor displays, all set against the picturesque backdrop of Wilder Park.

Families will love the interactive Kids Court, a dedicated space filled with engaging, hands-on activities. Participate in our free scavenger hunt and win fun prizes.

Voted “Best in the West” for several years, Art in Wilder Park is more than just an art fair—it’s a cherished community tradition that unites creativity and culture. Don’t miss this vibrant celebration of art and community!

Would you like to volunteer? Sign up [here](https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLScYUm8lLJPqN8IG4itXFsPDgFtB3nU8d1wYVig_PU-mT7RCew/viewform).

## Thank you to our 2025 Sponsors:

![AIWP Sponsors 2025](//images.ctfassets.net/df2y673eghyz/5G5kWxTex3OHHQHmsycCl/8b9ea9636bfced02cb732bd8d431f6d2/AIWP_sponsors_2025.jpg)


When is art festival in elmhurst summer things to do 2025 art and craft festival what is Art in Wilder park Bernard Williams Mies van der Rohe museum

Create a mosaic inspired by the practice of exhibiting artist Lydia Cheshewalla, who will discuss the importance of meditative attention in her work and the nature of creating ephemeral artworks. Then, she will lead a hands-on workshop for participants who will use seeds and other natural materials to explore our relationships to place, time, beings, and collaboration. 

Activity is included with museum admission. Members are free.   

Image Credit: Lydia Cheshewalla, *What Kind of Love Aren’t You Looking For?* (detail) Ephemeral collaboration with time, place, and more-than-human kin. Dimensions variable. 2024.

Create With Us: Mosaic Masterpieces

Doors open at 6:30pm / Performance starts at 7 pm

Experience an evening of art and sound at the Museum. Musicians jazz guitarist Dan Sullivan/Nad Navilus, blues artist Yoko Noge and shoegaze band Morvern Hum will perform in locations throughout the EAM galleries and the McCormick House. Inspired by the concept of a progressive dinner, guests move freely throughout the museum, listening to music at their own
pace while enjoying drinks and light bites. Complimentary small batch beer and beverages courtesy of Marz Community Brewing Company. Advanced tickets required. Space is limited.

[$50 for Non-Members](https://shop.elmhurstartmuseum.org/collections/online-shop/products/soundbites-an-evening-of-music "soundbites non member tix") / $40 for Members. 
[Become a member!](https://elmhurstartmuseum.org/support/membership "membership")

Members, please call 630.834.0202 x10 to purchase tickets.
Members are entitled to the number of member tickets that correspond with their membership level.

Image credit: Doug Fogelson, *Solo No. 3*, 2024, color photogram

![Soundbites Poster](//images.ctfassets.net/df2y673eghyz/1l5tggZ4yZZgkv1bBD8hvG/ed2ab986c36477a2c19abcc0ffa0a552/soundbites_poster_for_web.jpg)


Soundbites

The McCormick House is a single-family home designed in 1952 by Mies van der Rohe, one of the great architects of the 20th Century. It is one of only three free-standing residences designed and built by Mies in the United States--and one of only two open to the public.   

Learn more about the unique history and design of the McCormick House. Tours are led by museum docents and are approximately 1-hour in length. Capacity is limited and spots sell out quickly, so advance tickets are recommended. Your ticket for the tour includes admission to the rest of the museum. Please check-in at the Front Desk of the museum upon your arrival.  You may view the museum exhibitions either before or after the tour.

Tours are free for members. Members please contact 630.834.0202 x10 to reserve your ticket. 
Capacity is limited and spots sell out quickly. Advance tickets are recommended.
[Non-Member tickets can be purchased here](https://shop.elmhurstartmuseum.org/products/mccormick-house-tour-2025?_pos=1&_sid=1da12ec88&_ss=r)

McCormick House Tour

Nothing says America like listening to a Barbershop Quartet and eating Ice Cream! For our annual Visitor Appreciation Day, the Museum hosts strolling performances in the galleries and museum campus featuring the vocal stylings of Brew City Harmony. The quartet specializes in Barbershop, which is a truly original American musical art form, emerging here in the late 1800s largely from the same African harmonic and rhythmic heritage that produced Gospel, Ragtime and Dixieland jazz. This don’t-miss event is for all-ages.  

Enjoy the live musical performances, which are included with museum admission, and experience the two exhibitions on view - *Legacies: Selections from the Elmhurst Art Museum Permanent Collection* and *CROSSINGS* by Bernard Williams.

__More about Brew City Harmony:__

Brew City Harmony is Niel Johnson, Rick VanGomple, Bruce Vitale, and John Peters. The quartet draws together these four members of the Barbershop Harmony Society from several choruses in the Milwaukee area, with combined Barbershopping experience totaling 125 years!

Sung in four-part harmony, without instrumental accompaniment (a cappella), Barbershop differs from traditional choral music by placing the melody (Barbershop “lead”) in the middle rather than highest voice part, with a high tenor harmonizing above, a bass singer providing foundational harmonies below, and a baritone sweetening the mix with intricate harmonies in-between. Historically sung with improvised harmony (typically among men loitering in local barber shops), today’s Barbershop music is artfully arranged to create unusual chords designed to “ring” with resonant overtones. 

Formed in 1938 to preserve and promote this style of singing, the Barbershop Harmony Society (BHS) today comprises more than 14,000 members. Approximately 670 choruses and more than 1800 quartets perform in the U.S. and Canada (both male and female) as part of BHS, with thousands more among affiliated organizations in at least 11 other countries contributing to an estimated total of 70,000 Barbershoppers worldwide.  


Red, White, and Tunes

Just 90 miles from Elmhurst, this special day trip to Harbor Country, Michigan will introduce you to a private sculpture garden and artists' studios in a beautiful setting. Meet longtime collectors, artist Janis Kanter and Chicago gallery owner, Tom McCormick and hear from them about their passion for outdoor sculpture. The trip includes transportation, catered lunch, studio visits with artists, and a visit to the incredible 13 acre property. 

This events is exclusively for EAM members. Contact Jenn Guistolise, Manager of Individual Giving at (630) 834-0202 x 13,to learn more about membership, or [enroll here.](https://elmhurstartmuseum.org/support/membership)

[Purchase tickets to Art in the Prairie.](https://shop.elmhurstartmuseum.org/collections/online-shop/products/art-on-the-prairie-day-trip "Art in the Prairie tickets")

 Day trip: Art on the Prairie

Elmhurst Art Museum in partnership with the [Chicago Film Archives (CFA)](https://www.chicagofilmarchives.org/) presents an evening screening of selected short films from the Chicago Film Archives Media Mixers series. This project pairs visual and sound artists who collaborate to make new video work using archival footage from the CFA collection. 

The evening includes snacks and an opportunity to view the summer exhibitions. 

This is a ticketed event.[ Purchase Tickets](https://shop.elmhurstartmuseum.org/collections/online-shop/products/film-screening-a-collection-of-short-films-from-the-chicago-film-archives-media-mixer "Film Ticket Purchase")

Image: *The Mermaid* (2020) — 8 min
Concept & Edit by: Jean Sousa / Music by: Kioto Aoki
Commissioned by Chicago Film Archives for the 2020 Media Mixer

Film Screening: 

Interested in collecting art, or curious how to get started? Join us for a salon-style program and learn about buying artwork specific to your needs. *Not Just Another Pretty Face* is a triennial program created by [Hyde Park Art Center](https://www.hydeparkart.org/) in the mid-1990s that introduces artists to potential art buyers. This project facilitates a fun and accessible commissioning process that builds lasting relationships between artists and patrons, creates a new base of support for artists, and invests in the vitality of Chicago’s cultural community.

To date, the Art Center has raised more than $1,000,000 — half of which goes directly into the hands of artists, with the other half supporting Art Center programs. Through Not Just Another Pretty Face, 375+ original works of art have been commissioned by 275 new and established collectors interested in investing in Chicago’s artists.

This event is presented at the Museum in conjunction with the exhibition [*Legacies: Selected work from the Elmhurst Art Museum Permanent Collection.* ](https://elmhurstartmuseum.org/exhibitions/Legacies:%20Selections%20from%20the%20Elmhurst%20Art%20Museum's%20Permanent%20Collection "Legacies")

Contact Jenn Guistolise, Manager of Individual Giving at (630) 834-0202 x 13, for more information.

Image: Mayumi Lake, *Lucent Petals*, 2023, pigment print, gold leaf, resin, wood, 28 x 26 x 2 inches. Commissioned by Claire Rice. Image courtesy of Hyde Park Art Center.


Not Just Another Pretty Face Salon For Members

Join us for __*Aces & Art__: A Night of Luck and Giving at Elmhurst Art Museum*; an evening filled with style, and a touch of casino-night fun — all in support of the museum’s exhibitions and education programs.

The evening includes:

• Gaming tables of Roulette, blackjack, craps, and more put the fun in FUNdraising!
• Complimentary cocktails & delicious bites
• DJ and dancing 
• Raffles, artful prizes & surprises 

Whether you're feeling lucky or just love a night out surrounded by creativity, this is the can't-miss event of the season.

Events

Upcoming Events

Soundbites

McCormick House Tour

Red, White, and Tunes

Day trip: Art on the Prairie

Film Screening:

Not Just Another Pretty Face Salon For Members

Aces & Art

Past Events

Create With Us

Members' Pre-Reception: Special Commemoration

Opening Reception For New Exhibitions

Art in Wilder Park 2025

Art in Wilder Park 2025

Create With Us: Mosaic Masterpieces

Mon - Tues	closed
Wed - Thurs	12 – 5
Fri - Sun	11 – 5