WHEREAS, the City of Chicago has long been home to involved and inspiring cultural repositories dedicated to exploring artistry and redefining perspectives; and

WHEREAS, one such institution, the Museum of Contemporary Art, has enlightened and engaged residents and visitors while augmenting the greater artistic canon since its inception; and

WHEREAS, the Museum of Contemporary Art (MCA) boasts an endearing history that dates back to 1964 with the auspicious meeting of dozens of art critics, collectors, and dealers in the home of fellow critic Doris Lane Butler; and

WHEREAS, from this gathering, not only was the idea for a museum devoted to contemporary art cemented but its wheels also set in motion, leading to MCA's grand opening in the fall of 1967; and

WHEREAS, since its opening day, MCA has remained an outspoken leader and exhibitor of provocative, poignant, innovative, and intersectional art and art forms reinvigorating genres and inviting patrons to investigate late surrealism, pop art, minimalism, and conceptual art as well as postmodernism work and mixed media expression employing painting, sculpture, photography, video, installation, and much more; and

WHEREAS, MCA remains firmly grounded in its mission to "bring artists and audiences together, presenting contemporary art and culture in ways that illuminate what it means to be a citizen of both Chicago and the world;" and

WHEREAS, in commemoration of its milestone 50th Anniversary, the Museum of Contemporary A1t will be joined by artists and musicians, writers and performers, community leaders and organizations, dignitaries, students, and residents alike for a weekend-long celebration Friday through Sunday, October 20th, 21st, and 22nd, 2017:

NOW, THEREFORE, I, RAHM EMANUEL, MAYOR OF THE CITY OF CHICAGO, do hereby proclaim October 21, 2017 to be MCA DAY IN CHICAGO in recognition of the Museum of Contemporary Art's golden anniversary, its immeasurable contributions to the civic and cultural life of Chicago, and its tireless efforts in promoting the power of artistic expression to engage, inspire, and enlighten.

Dated this 20th day of October, 2017.