Emma Stebbins: Carving Out History

October 9, 2026-April 18, 2027

Emma Stebbins: Carving Out History examines the full scope of Stebbins’s history‑making career as one of the most significant American sculptors of the nineteenth century. From 1857 to 1870, she created innovative marble and bronze sculptures while living in Rome with her wife, the renowned Shakespearean actress Charlotte Cushman. Her work models inventive and incisive interpretations of literary and biblical subjects, as well as unprecedented allegories of American industry.

With the Bethesda Fountain in 1863, Emma Stebbins became the first woman to earn a commission for a public sculpture from the City of New York. As a professional sculptor in a female marriage, she reimagined what a woman’s life could be in the mid‑nineteenth century. Her life and art speak to some of the most compelling issues of her time.

Exhibition organized by The Heckscher Museum of Art

Curated by Karli Wurzelbacher, Ph.D. Chief Curator

Generous support for Emma Stebbins: Carving Out History is provided by Art Bridges Foundation.

A Tale of Today Presents Brendan Fernandes: In the Round

April 10–11, May 6–9, September 16–19, October 14–17, November 11–14, 2026

Brendan Fernandes: In the Round is the next iteration of its A Tale of Today series that places contemporary art in dialogue with the art, architecture, and design of the Museum. The Museum’s first artist-in-residence, Fernandes will transform the Museum’s 1926 Murphy Auditorium into a dynamic site for sculptural installation, movement, sound, and dance. Conceived as an evolving, episodic residency, In the Round will unfold throughout 2026 with performance dates and public programs announced at intervals across the year. 

Inspired by the pioneering spirit of New York City’s Judson Dance Theater and their Concerts for Dance, Fernandes will create and present a program of newly commissioned performances called Scores for the Murphy Auditorium. Dancers will interact with minimalist site-specific installations developed in collaboration with AIM Architecture (Antwerp, Shanghai, Chicago) and textile-based works by the Fabric Workshop and Museum (Philadelphia), echoing the multidisciplinary ethos of Judson Dance Theater. 

Residency Dates: April 10–11, May 6–9, September 16–19, October 14–17, November 11–14

Lead support for Brendan Fernandes: In the Round is provided by Cari and Michael J. Sacks.

Major support is provided by the Driehaus Trust Company, LLC, Anne L. Kaplan, and Gary Metzner and Scott Johnson. 

Generous support is provided by the Kovler Family Foundation, Elizabeth Liebman, and Abby Pucker.

Additional support is provided by Friends of Brendan Fernandes.

The Driehaus Museum acknowledges support from the Illinois Arts Council.

Image: Brendan Fernandes: In the Round, Driehaus Museum, 2026. Photo by Robert Chase Heishman for Bob. Dancers: Hanna DiLorenzo, Nick Kearns, Xenia Mansour. Courtesy of the artist, Monique Meloche Gallery (Chicago), and Susan Inglett Gallery (New York)

Celebrating Chicago Artists: Selections from the M. Christine Schwartz Gift

September 2, 2026-March 21, 2027

This exhibition highlights key movements in Chicago’s artistic history, from academic naturalism to impressionism, while celebrating collector M. Christine Schwartz, whose generosity helps preserve our cultural heritage for future generations.

Credit:William Clusmann 1859–1927, Untitled (Chicago Street Scene), circa 1920s, Oil on canvas, 40 by 30 inches, Gift of M. Christine Schwartz

Dreaming of the White City

December 2, 2026-January 3, 2027

The World’s Columbian Exposition, or the Chicago World’s Fair, commemorated the 400th anniversary of Christopher Columbus’s arrival in the Americas. Open from May 1 to October 30, 1893, the fair covered more than 630 acres along Lake Michigan on Chicago’s South Side. Daniel Burnham oversaw the design of nearly 200 temporary Beaux-Arts buildings. Their gleaming plaster facades and brilliant electric lights inspired the fair’s nickname, “The White City.”

More than 27 million people from around the world visited. In the Nickerson Mansion, the Nickerson family hosted a reception for over 800 guests in connection with the Fair. Dreaming of the White City presents decorative art and memorabilia from “The White City," with some objects displayed to the public for the first time.

Staged only 20 years after the Great Chicago Fire, the Fair became a defining expression of the city’s ambition and is still a touchstone of civic pride today. This year the Driehaus Museum celebrates that spirit through a partnership with The Joffrey Ballet and its annual production of The Nutcracker, which is set against the backdrop of the Fair. Throughout the exhibition, learn about The Joffrey Ballet’s stagecraft and storytelling alongside the history that inspired them.