__Help us continue to provide art & architecture exhibitions, educational programming, and community art projects vital to our inclusive, diverse, and thriving community. Give now!__

[Donate on or before April 15 to Ignite Creativity Giving Day](https://shop.elmhurstartmuseum.org/collections/online-shop/products/ignite-creativity-giving-day) and double your support of our programming with a gift matching challenge up to $6,000 generously made by Mary Cunningham and Tom Watson, and Joe and Heidi Jeffrey.

Please consider making a contribution to the Elmhurst Art Museum no matter how big or small. Every donation, regardless of the amount, plays a vital role in helping us continue to foster creativity, support artists, and bring thought-provoking art to the Chicagoland area. 

Your participation will:

__- Support Art Programs__: Your donation helps fund workshops, exhibitions, and community outreach initiatives that provide access to art for everyone.

__-Ensure Art Accessibility__: With your help, we kick off our first scholarship program to provide classes and camps to those in need. Also we bring the free two-day art festival *Art in Wilder Park* on May 3 & 4th. All are welcome!

__-Empower Artists__: Your gift directly supports artists, enabling them to continue to make ambitious work and share their talent with the world.

Together, we can create a world where art is accessible to all, and its power is harnessed for good. To make a donation of any amount, simply click the link

Thank you for being a champion of the arts. 
On this World Art Day April 15th, your support means the world to us!


Ignite Creativity: Join Elmhurst Art Museum's Giving Day 

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.   

Join us to learn more about the unique history and design of Mies van der Rohe's 1952 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.

Image of McCormick House interior by Liz Chilsen, photographer.

McCormick House Tour

$25 for Non Members / $15 for Members.    
Tickets are required and can be purchased [here](https://shop.elmhurstartmuseum.org/collections/online-shop/products/poetry-workshop-what-sustains-us).

5:30 - 6:00 pm: Museum opens to participants for exhibition viewing   
6:00 - 8:00 pm: Poetry workshop   

In celebration of National Poetry Month and inspired by the spring exhibition, we invite community members to join us for an evening of enjoying and creating poetry that explores the intersection of who we are and the food that sustains us. Participants will listen to poems exploring relationships between food, culture, and identity. Next, Elmhurst University professor Dr. Ann Frank Wake will guide participants as they write their poems about a food that is meaningful to them. No writing experience is required.

Image: Barbara Ciurej + Lindsay Lochman, *Monoculture Plains* from *Processed Views: Surveying the Industrial Landscape*, Pigment print, 45 x 54 inches. 2016

Poetry Workshop: What Sustains Us

Want to play with your food? Inspired by works on view at the museum, we’ll use images of food to create whimsical landscapes. From 1:00 - 1:30 pm, exhibiting artists Barbara Ciurej and Lindsay Lochman will give a short introduction to their process and share works by artists who have used art and food to express myriad views of the world, followed by drop-in hands-on collage-making from 1:30 - 4:00 pm. This collage-
making activity will help visitors explore the relationships between food, our environments, and ourselves.

The activity is included with museum admission. Members are free.   

Image credit: Barbara Ciurej + Lindsay Lochman. *Fruit Loops Landscape from Processed Views: Surveying the Industrial Landscape*, Pigment print, 45 x 54 inches 2016

Create with Us: Landscape Collages

In this hands-on, sensory workshop with soil scientist /ecologist Nance Klehm of Social Ecologies, participants will be invited to touch, smell, examine and learn to ‘read’ many different soils, sands, and clays gathered from many places in the Midwest. This collective reading will dig into themes from the exhibition and offer newfound appreciation and insight into the soil beneath our feet. Activity is appropriate to ages 10 and up. Children must be accompanied by an adult.

This program is included with museum admission. Members are free.   

Image Credit: Claire Pentecost. *Our Bodies Our Soils Shelves*

Soil Reading with Ecologist Nance Klehm

$40 for Non Members / $30 for Members.  

Tickets are required and can be purchased [here](https://shop.elmhurstartmuseum.org/collections/online-shop/products/the-seldoms-dance-performance-an-evening-of-dance-inspired-by-the-earth).

Join us for an unforgettable evening with The Seldoms, Chicago’s acclaimed dance troupe, as they perform excerpts from three celebrated works; *Floe* (2020), *GRASS* (2021), and *Superbloom* (2023). Inspired by nature, exploring themes of climate, growth and transformation, these innovative works are followed by a lively discussion with the dancers. Enjoy light bites, beverages, and the chance to view the exhibition — an ideal pre-Valentine’s Day night out.

Image Credit: The Seldoms in *Superbloom*, photo by William Frederking.

The Seldoms: An Evening Of Dance Inspired By The Earth

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

__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 list of ARTISTS, VENDOR, & COMMUNITY PARTNERS.](https://res.cloudinary.com/elmhurst-art-museum/image/upload/v1744165313/_2025_AIWP_Exhibitors_List_Profesh_ccjcqs.pdf "updated 4825")

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)


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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 list of ARTISTS, VENDOR, & COMMUNITY PARTNERS.](https://res.cloudinary.com/elmhurst-art-museum/image/upload/v1744165313/_2025_AIWP_Exhibitors_List_Profesh_ccjcqs.pdf "updated 4825")

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

Events

Ignite Creativity: Join Elmhurst Art Museum's Giving Day

Upcoming Events

Create With Us: Mosaic Masterpieces

Art in Wilder Park 2025

Art in Wilder Park 2025

Past Events

McCormick House Tour

Poetry Workshop: What Sustains Us

McCormick House Tour

Create with Us: Landscape Collages

Soil Reading with Ecologist Nance Klehm

The Seldoms: An Evening Of Dance Inspired By The Earth

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