Art in Public Spaces
Through unexpected and arresting sculptures, communal art experiences, and temporary commissions, public art creates countless moments for spontaneous community building and conversation.
It extends the intellectual life of UChicago beyond classrooms, libraries, and labs, and into the everyday spaces that shape our experiences. Explore nearly fifty works across the Hyde Park campus in the core UChicago public art collection, spanning decades and materials— from Henry Moore’s monumental bronze Nuclear Energy to the idiosyncratic indexing project Instance the Determination created by Helen Mirra.
Art is everywhere.
Explore publicart.uchicago.edu to plan a self-guided walking tour, while learning more about the works of art, artists, and how they relate to the University’s history.
Ruth Duckworth, Clouds Over Lake Michigan, 1974. Located in the Joseph Regenstein Library.
Explore the University of Chicago's Public Art
Art in Public Spaces is an initiative of the Smart Museum of Art.
Wolf Vostell, Concrete Traffic, 1970, Concrete, 1957 Cadillac Series 62 Sedan de Ville. Commissioned by the Museum of Contemporary Art Chicago. Located at Campus North Parking Garage.
Jene Highstein, Truncated Pyramid, 1989, Carved marble with pink, grey, and black veining. Smart Museum of Art, the University of Chicago. Purchase, Gift of The Smart Family Foundation in memory of Dana Feitler. 1992.27 © 2013 Jene Highstein. Located in the Vera and A.D. Elden Sculpture Garden.
Sculpture Garden
Situated between the Smart and Art History buildings, the sculpture garden offers a modern take on the classic quadrangles found around the University of Chicago’s campus.
The courtyard features a distinctive, sloping hill and a patchwork of green grass and river stones. It is home to contemporary sculptures by notable American and European artists Scott Burton, Jene Highstein, Richard Hunt, Arnaldo Pomodoro, and Richard Serra. In warmer months, the courtyard has outdoor seating open to all.
