Redevelopment of Norris University Center’s East Lawn to begin this summer
April 5, 2024
EVANSTON, Ill. --- Northwestern University students, faculty and staff on the Evanston and Chicago campuses can look forward to free admission to the Museum of Contemporary Art (MCA) Chicago during the 2016 calendar year.
The latest perk for those who teach, work or study at Northwestern is the result of a new partnership between Northwestern and the MCA, managed by Student Organizations & Activities (SOA) in the University’s Office of Campus Life.
Northwestern undergraduate students already enjoy free admission to the Art Institute of Chicago, thanks to a similar partnership also managed by Student Organizations & Activities.
Students, regardless of status (undergraduate, graduate, professional, part-time and full-time), faculty and staff only need to present their valid Wildcard ID at the ticket counter during public museum hours.
In addition to free admission, Northwestern students will receive discounts to select performing arts events at the MCA throughout 2016, subject to availability. And faculty will be able to arrange museum docent-led tours with advance notice.
The MCA is located steps away from Northwestern’s Ward intercampus shuttle stop and across the street from the University’s Chicago campus.
The MCA is located at 220 E. Chicago Ave., near the historic Water Tower in downtown Chicago. For convenience, Northwestern’s intercampus shuttles will drop-off and pick-up Northwestern passengers with IDs directly in front of the museum entrance. The art museum also is convenient to public transportation. Directions and parking information available online.
Museum of Contemporary Art Chicago
The MCA Chicago is one of the nation’s largest multidisciplinary museums devoted to the art of our time. With an international reputation for presenting groundbreaking exhibitions, the MCA documents contemporary visual culture through painting, sculpture, photography, film and video.
The MCA’s collection includes approximately 6,000 works comprised of 2,500 objects and 3,500 artists’ books, attracting an average annual attendance of 250,000.
The MCA collection provides a historical context for examining continuing developments in contemporary art. It features notable strengths in minimalism, post-minimalism, conceptualism, surrealism, photography and artists books, as well as works by Chicago-based artists. Artists collected in depth include Alexander Calder, Jasper Johns, René Magritte, Ed Paschke (former Northwestern faculty member), Cindy Sherman, Andy Warhol and other well-known artists.
MCA Stage, a nationally-recognized presenter of contemporary theater, dance, music and multimedia performances, features leading performers from around the world in its 300-seat theater. More information on upcoming events is available online.
The MCA also features special exhibition spaces, a gift store, restaurant and a terraced sculpture garden with a view of Lake Michigan. More information available online.
MCA HOURS
The Museum of Contemporary Art is open from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. Tuesday, and from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Wednesday through Sunday. The MCA is closed on Monday and on New Year’s Day, Thanksgiving and Christmas holidays.
Suggested admission to the MCA is $12 for the general public and $7 for students and senior citizens. Admission is free for MCA members, members of the military and veterans, and children age 12 and under. Illinois residents can visit the MCA for free on Tuesday.
ART INSTITUTE OF CHICAGO
Northwestern also has a partnership with the Art Institute of Chicago, sponsored by Northwestern Campus Life.
Through this partnership, undergraduate students are granted free admission to the museum during normal museum hours and have access to all special exhibitions, lectures and programs year-round with their Wildcard IDs. These dynamic learning opportunities are designed to serve a broad spectrum of audiences and to enhance perception and spur creativity.
Free admission is granted to Northwestern community members and their guests during the annual "Northwestern Night" at the Art Institute of Chicago. The event is open to undergraduate and graduate students, faculty and staff and their guests, and all are encouraged to wear purple to show off their "Purple Pride." Northwestern participants and their guests are admitted without charge at the Modern Wing entrance on Monroe Street.
