Categories: Press Releases

The temporary exhibition on Latino/a/e Chicago, inspired by a 2019 student protest, to close after a year on view

CHICAGO (October 21, 2026) – The Chicago History Museum will round out its temporary exhibition “Aquí en Chicago” with a Closing Program on Sunday, Nov. 8, 2026, from 12 to 4:30 p.m. Visitors are invited to say goodbye to the beloved exhibition with an afternoon of activities, tours, talks, performances, music and more, all included with general admission. The exhibition, which opened Oct. 25, 2025, celebrates 170 years of persistent Latino/a/e cultural presence in Chicago.

Students from Instituto Justice and Leadership Academy in Pilsen challenged the Museum in 2019 to better represent their communities’ stories. “Aquí en Chicago” is the project they inspired. The exhibition traces the lives of Latino/a/e communities that have flourished in Chicago and the surrounding suburbs through art, photographs, interviews, clothing, personal items, everyday objects and historical treasures.

Over the past year, visitors have seen over 700 objects, including protest signs from 2019, a paletero’s cart from Paletería Reina de Sabores and two quinceañera ensembles from Mi Quince World, as well as six murals by co-designer Cecilia Beaven. The exhibition is presented in both English and Spanish, and visitors are invited to be part of the history through the Digital Communities’ Scrapbook where they can upload their own images, adding their memories to a larger story of the people, places and events that form Chicago’s Latino/a/e history. The scrapbook will be available online after the exhibition closes.

“It has been a tremendous honor to tell these stories at this time in our shared history,” said Dr. Elena Gonzales, Chicago History Museum Curator of Civic Engagement & Social Justice and Lead Curator of “Aquí en Chicago.” “Sharing true stories is powerful. Representation in our civic space is part of social justice work. Our power is collective. Many thanks to every person who has supported Aquí, whether as an advisor, intern, lender, colleague, or visitor! ¡Muchísimas gracias!”

The exhibition was just one part of the larger “Aquí en Chicago” project, which also includes paid research internships, an oral history collection that includes recordings of Indigenous languages, interviews, community collections workshops, print and digital publications and much more. Programs and initiatives during the exhibition’s run included, but were not limited to:

• “The Missing Exhibition: Building Aquí,” the Museum’s first podcast, a four-part series produced with Rivet360 that follows the student protest and the exhibition it inspired. It was named a finalist for “Best Podcast” at the Chicago Headline Club’s Peter Lisagor Awards.
• Creation of the Community Advisory Committee and Community Awareness Council, groups made up of community leaders, educators, artists, and scholars, who help the Museum remain aware of communities within the Latino/a/e population of Chicago(land).
• Commemorative Day for Latine Heritage Month in October 2026, including a day of learning, interactive activities and community connections.
• Curator-led gallery tours and a Magellan Chamber Orchestra performance of pieces inspired by the exhibition.
• Museum staff participated in and hosted tours for numerous conferences, including the Latinos in Heritage Conservation Congreso, the Association of Midwest Museums, American Studies Association and many more.

The Museum is planning a series of interventions in the decades-long running exhibition to demonstrate that change is coming with the eventual full renovation of the gallery. “Chicago: Crossroads of America” was the flagship exhibition that led the students to protest in 2019 when they found no Latino/a/e stories. The first intervention will be a new section featuring objects from “Aquí en Chicago.” More details will be shared as they are confirmed.

For more information on the exhibition, please visit the Chicago History Museum’s website at chicagohistory.org/aquienchicago. For any press-related questions or to schedule a press visit before the exhibition closes on November 8, please contact Emily Miller, Public Communications Manager, at [email protected].

MEDIA KIT AVAILABLE HERE: https://app.box.com/s/tke6g6tqtk5eg9qz30rv3iwzrhhvjg9x