Bigger than Ourselves

1960s Chicago Community Founders

The MCA began as a start-up. Now, as a mature institution, its dynamic role in the city has grown.

Well, I think if you thought about this in human terms, you know, as a startup 50 years ago, you know, the pride was in existing, was in being able to pull it off. But then it evolved into how do we mature into an actual institution in the city and then eventually how do we really begin to take all of our audiences and engage with them in ways that enhance the dialogue between our community, the works of art, issues in our society.

And I think the MCA plays this very dynamic role in the middle of all of those forces, and that's where the MCA belongs. It belongs constantly pushing itself to be not only an outreach organization but in the middle of current dialogue and that occurs not only through our performances and through our lectures but also through the works of art that we show. Not just the works of art we show here but also the engagement with the city in doing other projects throughout the city.

Kenneth Josephson, Chicago, 1972, 1972. Gelatin silver print and postcard collage; 4 3/4 × 7 in. (12.1 × 17.8 cm). Collection Museum of Contemporary Art Chicago gift of the Foster Charitable Trust in memory of Reuben A. Foster, 1983.37. Photo: Nathan Keay, © MCA Chicago.

Kenneth Josephson, Chicago, 1972, 1972. Gelatin silver print and postcard collage; 4 3/4 × 7 in. (12.1 × 17.8 cm). Collection Museum of Contemporary Art Chicago gift of the Foster Charitable Trust in memory of Reuben A. Foster, 1983.37. Photo: Nathan Keay, © MCA Chicago.

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