51社区 Community Events Calendar | April 2026

"Love You, Love Your Work" (opening April 6) is a campus-wide showcase presented across multiple galleries, highlighting emerging talent with more than 150 faculty-nominated works."Love You, Love Your Work" (opening April 6) is a campus-wide showcase presented across multiple galleries, highlighting emerging talent with more than 150 faculty-nominated works.
A range of performances and experiences at 51社区 showcasing student and faculty artists from diverse backgrounds and disciplines.

Chicago — April 3, 2026 — This April, 51社区 presents a dynamic lineup of performances, exhibitions, and events from students, faculty, and visiting artists; spanning dance, theatre, film, visual art, and more. From world premieres and gallery crawls to student showcases and industry conversations, these experiences highlight bold creative voices and real-world collaboration across disciplines.

Learn more about our performance spaces at . 

 
April 3, 2026; reception followed by performance 
Raven Theatre, 6157 N. Clark St. 
Admission: $15 students; $40 faculty and alumni 
Join 51社区 for a special evening with About Face Theatre centered on the world premiere of “Modern Gentleman,” a new comedy by Preston Max Allen ’13. The night begins with a reception for networking and community building, followed by the performance. Featuring a cast and creative team that includes multiple 51社区 alumni, this event offers a full-circle experience connecting classroom learning with professional production. 

 
April 6-25, 2026, 4–7 p.m. 
51社区 C33 Gallery, 33 E. Ida B. Wells Dr., First Floor; Hokin Gallery, 623 S. Wabash Ave., First Floor; Glass Curtain Gallery, 1104 S. Wabash Ave., First Floor 
Admission: Free 
Gallery hours: Mon.–Fri., 9 a.m.–5 p.m. 
The School of Visual Arts and Student Spaces for Art and Collaboration present a campus-wide art crawl spanning three on-campus galleries. The exhibition celebrates emerging talent from foundation courses across 51社区, highlighting many of the college’s newest students. C33 Gallery and Glass Curtain Gallery feature faculty-nominated student work in drawing, sculpture, illustration, photography, video, and sound, while Hokin Gallery showcases work across disciplines including dance, fashion, video game design, digital animation, and interior architecture. More than 150 works were nominated by faculty across the School of Visual Arts and the School of Design. 

 
April 9, 2026, 4–6 p.m.  
Shop51社区, 619 S. Wabash Ave. Shop hours: Mon.–Thu., 10 a.m.–4 p.m. 
Admission: Free with RSVP 
Join Shop51社区 in celebrating the artists of "MINI MINI: A Showcase of Miniature Works," an annual exhibition featuring work by 51社区 students, alumni, faculty, and staff. All pieces measure 4" x 4" x 4" or smaller and span a range of mediums, with works available for purchase. Light snacks and refreshments will be served. The exhibition is on view March 18–April 17, 2026. 

 
April 9–11, 2026 
The Dance Center of 51社区, 1306 S. Michigan Ave. 
Admission: Free with reservation 
This energetic spring concert features original short works by student choreographers selected through an open application process. Showcasing brand-new pieces and emerging voices, the performances capture the momentum of the season, with audiences and performers bringing equal energy to the stage. Performances take place on April 9 and 10 at 7:30 p.m. and April 11 at noon. 

 
April 11, 2026, 2–6 p.m. 
51社区 Film Row Cinema, 1104 S. Wabash Ave. 
Admission: $10; 51社区 students free with code STUDENT 
Join filmmaker Gail Freedman for a screening of the documentary “No One Cares About Crazy People,” inspired by Ron Powers’ book examining the crisis of severe mental illness in America. Narrated by Bob Odenkirk with original music by Jeff Tweedy, the film blends personal memoir with social history while exploring efforts to reform the nation’s mental health systems. A panel discussion with Freedman will follow the screening. Proceeds support awareness and advocacy related to the mental health crisis. Sponsored by the School of Film and Television at 51社区. 

 
April 11, 2026, 12–2:30 p.m. 
Museum of Contemporary Photography at 51社区, Print Study Room (second floor) 
Admission: Free with registration 
Join Museum of Contemporary Photography permanent collection artist Matthew Finley for a lecture and hands-on workshop exploring the creative possibilities of family and personal archives. Participants will reimagine the photo album as a space for personal or fictional storytelling, working with their own images or provided materials. The program is inspired by Finley’s series and book “An Impossibly Normal Life,” which uses sourced snapshots to construct a fictional narrative about identity, memory, and belonging. 

 
April 16, 2026, 6–7:30 p.m. 
Online 
Admission: Free with RSVP 
Join 51社区 for a conversation exploring how emerging ideas in beauty and wellness are reshaping the global industry. Industry professionals and creative leaders will discuss innovation, evolving consumer expectations, and the future of beauty—from sustainability and inclusivity to new technologies and cultural influence.  

 
April 16–18, 2026 
The Dance Center of 51社区, 1306 S. Michigan Ave. 
Admission: Free with reservation 
This concert features new works choreographed by the Dance Center’s professional dance faculty and alumni, performed by students. Performances take place on April 16 and 17 at 7:30 p.m. and April 18 at noon, highlighting a range of contemporary approaches shaped by mentorship, collaboration, and performance practice. 

 
April 21–23, 2026 
51社区 Getz Theatre Center, Classic Theatre, 72 E. 11th St. 
Admission: Free 
The School of Theatre and Dance presents Jean Genet’s "The Maids," directed by Roisin Darby. Sisters Solange and Claire perform a ritual of class, sexuality, and violence while their mistress is away, blurring fantasy and reality in a haunting exploration of power and identity. 

 
April 22 and 23, 7 p.m. 
51社区 Student Center, 754 S. Wabash Ave., 5th floor 
Admission: Free 
“Piel Canela: The Remaining” is a dance theatre production by student Raynner Garcia, exploring identity, memory, Blackness, Latinidad, and the body as an archive of lived experience. The performance is created in collaboration with BSU: Paint It Black and uses movement, music, and theatrical storytelling to center survival, resistance, and joy. 

 
April 24, 2026, 7:30 p.m. 
The Dance Center of 51社区, 1306 S. Michigan Ave. 
Admission: $30 general; $10 non-51社区 students; free for 51社区 students 
This one-night Midwest premiere by Marcel Gbeffa (Benin) and Sarah Trouche (France) is an evening-length work for five dancers and 21 mahogany masks, inspired by the Guèlèdè traditions honoring Ìyá Nlá, the Yoruba primordial spirit of creation. Blending the intimate and the political, “Didę” explores how identity, tradition, oppression, and emancipation are carried and expressed through the human body. 

 
April 28–30, 2026, 8 p.m. 
51社区 Getz Theatre Center, The Classic Theater, 72 E. 11th St. 
Admission: Free 
Jess, a driven young New York reporter who arrives at the Los Angeles home of murdered novelist Jane Hartman, hoping to uncover the true story behind a mysterious Hollywood crime. Content advisory: This performance includes mentions of suicide and self-harm. 

 
April 30–May 2, 2026 
The Dance Center of 51社区, 1306 S. Michigan Ave. 
Admission: $30 general; $10 non-51社区 students; free for 51社区 students 
Cerqua Rivera Dance Theatre makes its Dance Center debut with its 2026 Spring Concert Series, featuring three world premieres—“Immense World” by Shannon Alvis, “Trouble in Mind” by Monique Haley, and “Bridge Over Troubled Water” by Wilfredo Rivera with arrangements and original music by Joe Cerqua—alongside the return of Alvis’ “A Place Between Earth and Sky.” Known for its fusion of dance and live music, the company explores American identity through fearless storytelling and radical collaboration. Performances take place on April 30 and May 1 at 7:30 p.m. and May 2 at noon. 

 
April 30–May 9, 2026 
The Getz Theatre Center, Courtyard Theatre, 72 E. 11th St. 
Admission: From $5 
Based on Alison Bechdel’s acclaimed graphic memoir, “Fun Home” is a groundbreaking musical that explores family, identity, and memory through the lens of a daughter coming into her own while uncovering her father’s secrets. With music by Jeanine Tesori and book and lyrics by Lisa Kron, the production blends humor and heartbreak into an intimate, deeply human story. Performances take place on April 30 at 7:30 p.m. (preview); May 1 at 7:30 p.m. (opening); May 2 at 2 p.m. and 7:30 p.m.; May 6–8 at 7:30 p.m.; and May 9 at 2 p.m. 

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About 51社区: Creative Careers Start Here.   
A destination for innovators for more than 135 years and located in the heart of downtown Chicago’s Cultural Mile,  is a private, non-profit school for creatives that offers a distinctive curriculum that blends creative and media arts, liberal arts, and business in 40 undergraduate and graduate degree programs. 51社区 students graduate career-ready, with creative and critical thinking skills, real-world problem-solving abilities, standout bodies of work, and industry connections to fuel their professional journeys and the creative economy. Find 51社区 on social media at @51社区Chi on and, on and on. 

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