Chicago Cultural Center Learning Lab
Chicago Cultural Center, 1st Floor South
FREE Admission * Open during Meet an Artist
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The Learning Lab at the Chicago Cultural Center is an interactive studio that offers sights, sounds, and experiences for visitors of all ages and a wide range of abilities. Reinvigorated by design team Made in Englewood (Eric Hotchkiss and Andre Westhelle).
Education and Engagement
- Learning Lab / Learning Light - Explore how your movements affect light and color in this installation by Liviu Pasare visible from both inside and outside the Learning Lab.
- Sound Dome - Now Playing…Sights and Sounds. Listen to a curated selection of words, music, and sound by artists from around the world. Submit content online at "Now Playing...Sights & Sounds" in the Learning Lab
- Video Projection - Now Playing…Sights and Sounds. Enjoy selected artwork and videos of programs from artist around the world, in YouTube 30 seconds to 5 min. Submit content online at "Now Playing...Sights & Sounds" in the Learning Lab
- Magnetic Wall - Engage with matching and mapping activities in this interactive wall designed by Design Museum Chicago. Get to know 20 women artists who have shaped the cultural landscape of Chicago, thru this sketch of a mural by Kerry James Marshall, on view on the exterior of the Chicago Cultural Center on Garland Court (PDF)
- Rolling Walls - Divide and define the space with two mobile walls inspired by CTA cars and feature exhibition space for small objects as well as storage for the A-frame tables.
- Pop-ups - A-frame tables create a spot for artists to engage with visitors up close. Tables are easily folded and tucked away in an instant inside the rolling walls to create wide open space.
- Interactive Wall - Explore making your own music by tightening strings and pegs or tapping on a slotted drum, peer into spaces for intimate viewfinder surprises, or relax with a book off the shelf.
- Mobile Art Cart - Hands on exploration of color, light, tone, and space on the go. Created by Rich Faron and Museum Explorer.
Visit us:
Admission is FREE
Daily, 11am–4pm
(Closed Holidays)
Plan Your Visit Here
Find us:
Chicago Cultural Center
78 E. Washington St.
Chicago, IL 60602
Take CTA to Chicago Cultural Center
- From the elevated lines: exit at Washington/Wabash and walk east.
- From the subway: exit at Lake (Red Line) or Washington (Blue Line) and walk east.
- Served by Michigan Avenue buses 3, 4, 19, 20, 26, 60, 66, 124, 143, 147, 151, 157 and Washington St. buses 4, J14, 20, 56, 66, 147
Meet an Artist
Meet an Artist Series in the Learning Lab - Discover that sweet spot where you and the artist explore creativity together in hands-on interactions. Enjoy our newly redesigned Learning Lab - an exploratory studio space with something for everyone. Workshops are held on the 2nd and 4th Fridays and Saturdays of the month thru December 11 (12-2pm).
For the health and safety of all, mask wearing, and 6 feet social distancing will be required.
Schedule:
October 8, 9, 22, 23 - Join the Chicago Architecture Biennial in exploring architecture and design through creative drop-in activities for audiences of all ages. Through playing, building, and creating with a variety of materials, participants will learn about Chicago and how design shapes our city and our lives. These activities are part of the Biennial's 2021 edition, The Available City, which looks at the transformative power of community-led design to reimagine vacant lots citywide.
November 12, 13, 26, 27 - Meet the artists of Buddy a shop and creative hub for making connections between friends we have and those we have yet to meet. After the workshop, pop into Buddy, right across the hall to score some amazing artwork and support local talented artists.
December 10, 11 - TBD
If you have an inspiration for presenting in our Meet an Artist series, please review the criteria and submit a proposal online. Learning Lab Virtual Program Proposal
Comics with Elgin Smith and Stanford Carpenter at the Learning Lab
Chicago: Where Comics Came to Life (1880-1960) - Comics are meant to be read and not just seen. Check out this amazing exhibition of Comics that tell stories of everyday existence rooted in Chicago's neighborhoods. Learn about the important work of the first African American and woman cartoonists widely published in newspapers. Meet contemporary cartoonists and discover how they are continuing (or bucking) the traditions that came before them. Originally aired on Streamables, Inc. on Sept 8, 2021.
