CWAC Exhibitions

Framed works of art, some hanging on a white wall, others resting on a maroon couch awaiting installation
Works by Betty Young Kim

CWAC Exhibitions (CWAC Exh) presents student- and course-curated exhibitions in the Cochrane-Woods Art Center. This opportunity provides a supported environment for emerging curators, artists, and museum workers to hone their skills while activating CWAC spaces with artwork and installations.

Propose an Exhibition for AY2026-27

The CWAC Exhibitions Call for Proposals is now open! 

To apply, please complete the CWAC Exh Proposal form with the working title of your proposed exhibition, a summary or draft of your introductory text, a draft checklist, and the relative size/footprint of your proposed show.  Please share this call widely with friends and colleagues. 

We welcome a discussion at any stage of development, from those interested in exploring what might be possible as well as those who have a finalized object list. To schedule a consultation to discuss your proposal, please email cwac-exh-team@uchicago.edu.

 

CWAC Exhibitions Curatorial Toolkit

To help empower curators in developing a curatorial proposal, the CWAC Exhibitions Curatorial Toolkit offers more information about our evaluation criteria & installation spaces and practical advice about responsibilities and deliverables throughout the entire exhibition making process. 

Support

CWAC Exhibitions is organized by the Department of Art History’s Visual Resources Center. We are grateful for many campus colleagues and collaborators, including the Center for the Art of East Asia, the Department of Visual Arts, and the Smart Museum of Art. CWAC Exhibitions’s inaugural year (2023–2024) was supported by a generous gift from Brenda Shapiro with additional support from the College Curricular Innovation Fund. 

Upcoming Exhibitions

  • May 7, 2026 - June 5, 2026

    Side by Side: Color and Textiles

    Drawing together the work of Chicago-based Ukranian American artists Anna Kuczma (1910-2002) and her daughter Lialia Kuchma (b. 1943), Side by Side: Color and Textiles situates modern artists’ experiments with color in textile histories, practices, and technologies.

Past Exhibitions