Scottsdale and Chicago are both cities teeming with culture, arts and experiences, and with the new year comes an abundance of new exhibitions to explore. If you’re looking for a few ways to expand your world close to home, here are some of the best upcoming exhibitions in and around Scottsdale and Chicago:

Of the Earth, Morton Arboretum, Chicago

Replacing Morton Arboretum’s 2023 sculptural exhibition, Human + Nature, Of the Earth welcomes back five large-scale sculptures to the beloved outdoor museum. Created by Polish-American artist Olga Ziemska, each sculpture, created exclusively for the arboretum, is made of reclaimed wood and tree branches. Each of the five sculptures are thoughtful placed across the arboretum’s 1,700 acres, encouraging visitors to explore new areas they might not have been to before. Access to the exhibition is included with tickets to the arboretum and it runs through spring 2025.

Native America: In Translation, The Museum of Contemporary Photography, Chicago

The Museum of Contemporary Photography’s latest exhibition, Native America: In Translation, welcomes stories of culture, heritage and what the legacy of colonialism looks like in our country. The nine Native American artists whose work appears in the exhibitions raise questions about identity, land rights and explore the abundant history of photography characterizing Native populations. The exhibition runs through May 12, 2024 and, like all exhibitions at The Museum of Contemporary Photography, is free to attend.

Oleaje [Groundswell], Scottsdale Museum of Contemporary Art, Scottsdale

Step into the mind of Carolina Aranibar-Fernández at the Scottsdale Museum of Contemporary Art with her latest exhibition, Oleaje [Groundswell]. The vibrant and eye-opening showcase reveals the hidden stories behind global mining and trade. Carolina, a San Francisco-based artist with Bolivian roots, brings her personal touch to large-scale installations that are both visually appealing and thought-provoking. Using everything from sequins to beads, her work weaves a powerful narrative about our planet and its resources. The exhibition runs from February 10, 2024 – August 4, 2024 and tickets can be found here.

American Icons, Taliesin West, Scottsdale

Running through June 3, 2024 at Taliesin West, American Icons celebrates the renowned work of Georgia O’Keefe and Frank Lloyd Wright, icons in American art and architecture. The photography exhibition features 20 exclusive images of the two luminaries, exploring their lives, careers and how each affected American Modernism through art, design and culture. Tony Vaccaro, the photographer whose images are used in the exhibition, captured each icon separately during his career, but looking at the photographs, visitors will be able to find symmetry both visually and through their histories. Tickets for the exhibition can be found here.

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