Upcoming Exhibits
Chicago Takes Flight: History of Aviation
February 26 – August 8, 2027
After the Wright brothers took flight in 1903, the nation looked to the skies as these cutting-edge flying machines evolved from a daring novelty into a global obsession. Chicago, the country’s second-largest city at the time, was already a central hub for rail lines throughout the Midwest, and building roads to accommodate new automobiles prepared it to become a leader in the emerging aviation industry.
Amateur flight schools and airfields on Chicago's open prairies fueled the public’s fascination with aviators and aviatrixes and helped spur the growth of small commercial airports. While Chicago had firmly established itself as the Midwest hub of airmail in the country, manufacturing aircraft and engines during the peak of the Second World War on the home front solidified the city’s contribution to the aviation industry. It not only demonstrated the successful creation of military aircraft and a powerful workforce but also helped shape the outcome of the war. Early airports like Municipal Airport and Elmhurst Airport demonstrated strong demand for airports for both commercial and private flights. This transformed Chicago’s aviation landscape as it developed two of the Midwest's largest and most important airports: Midway International Airport on the Southwest Side and O’Hare International Airport on the Northwest Side. Today, these aviation giants are essential for many Chicagoland residents. As they continue to update and expand, they are essential for making Chicago one of the most visited cities in the county, with over 100 million passengers crossing through their terminals every year.
Our spring and summer exhibition, Airborne Chicago: The History of Aviation, will explore Chicago’s development as a hub for flight schools, airmail, and the manufacturing of aircraft and aviation materials that helped fuel the nation’s growing fascination with flight. The exhibition will highlight well-known figures who advanced aviation in the Windy City over the past 100 years and helped create the Midwest's two busiest airports. It will also examine the iconic airlines, fashion, and advertising that made flying in Chicago an exciting symbol of modernity and helped define an era of aviation for more than two decades. The exhibition will feature early flight fashion and uniforms, essential pieces of early aircrafts, iconic airline ephemera, historic photographs, interactive touch screens, and more.
Little Black Dress at 100
August 27, 2027 – January 7, 2028
The little black dress affectionately known as the LBD has captivated the world for over a century. From Audrey Hepburn’s iconic silhouette in Breakfast at Tiffany’s to Tina Turner’s fearless stage presence, and from 1990s red carpet glamour to today’s cutting-edge reinterpretations, the LBD remains a symbol of elegance, boldness, and reinvention. Included in the exhibition is a reproduction of Chanel’s model 817 from 1926, a dress only known to exist as a fashion rendering; as well as dresses by Charles James, James Galanos, Halston, Norman Norell, Bill Blass, Howard Greer, Jo Copeland, Sophie Gimbel, Calvin Klein, Jacqueline de Ribes, Thierry Mugler, and Nelly Don. Stripped of distraction, black challenges designers to showcase masterful tailoring, luxurious fabrics, and striking silhouettes. Its power lies in versatility. Whether styled for work, nightlife, celebration, or everyday sophistication, the LBD effortlessly adapts to any moment. Black is also deeply expressive. It can signify reverence or rebellion, modesty or seduction, respect or provocation. Cultural, social, and personal lenses shape how we interpret it, making the LBD a powerful medium for identity and expression. From Chanel’s groundbreaking centennial design to Christian Dior’s assertion that black is eternally chic, the little black dress has long been a shorthand for style, sophistication, and empowerment. It is at once modest and alluring, timeless and ever evolving.
On loan from ExhibitsUSA and the Mid-America Arts Alliance, Little Black Dress will bring together extraordinary garments from multiple collections, spanning haute couture to ready-to-wear. This exhibition invites visitors to explore the enduring legacy of a single dress that continues to inspire, empower, and enchant across generations. The exhibition has been co-organized by the Wichita Art Museum, The Wichita-Sedgwick County Historical Museum, and Kansas State University’s Historic Costume and Textile Museum.
See our CURRENT EXHIBITS page to learn more about exhibitions now on display.
