According to a 2025 report by the University of Illinois Chicago Great Cities Institute, Latinos make up about 30% of the city and the majority of CPS students, yet only around 6% of philanthropic arts funding is directed toward Latino arts.

If you can’t “get out of town,” as the Cole Porter song says, at least get out of your house or apartment. Start the second half of 2025 on sure footing — see something, do something.

Glamorous Quinceañera dresses and an Indigenous ceremonial mask are among the items that will be on display in “Aquí en Chicago,” an upcoming Chicago History Museum exhibit celebrating the long history of Latinos in the city.

Each week, WTTW News arts correspondent Marc Vitali highlights the city’s can’t-miss cultural events. May your holidays be joyful and artful!

Since the 19th century, Chicago has hosted 14 Republican National Conventions, the most recent in 1960. This week Vice President Kamala Harris will accept her nomination at the 12th Democratic National Convention to be held in Chicago.

If you’re seeking activities that don’t break the bank this winter, look no further than local museums, zoos and gardens. A number have announced free admission days in 2024.

A new show at the Chicago History Museum features artwork and animation that bring the Great Chicago Fire to life on its 150th anniversary.

At an early age he identified himself as “The Greatest” and backed up his words inside and out of the boxing ring. Filmmaker Ken Burns joins “Black Voices” to discuss the sweeping new four-part documentary “Muhammad Ali.”

He was bigger than boxing and larger than life — a true icon of the 20th century. Filmmaker Ken Burns and Donald Lassere of the Chicago History Museum join us to discuss the sweeping new four-part documentary on the life and legacy of Muhammad Ali.

When she died 12 years ago, photographer Vivian Maier went from anonymous to fairly famous. Now the onetime North Shore nanny is receiving more posthumous praise, this time for a show of her mostly unseen color photographs of local people and places. 

After helming the Muhammad Ali Center in Louisville for many years, the South Side native has returned to the city to lead the Chicago History Museum. Donald Lassere joins us to talk about expanding the museum’s mission to all of Chicago. 

Chicago was incorporated as a city March 4, 1837, the same day Martin Van Buren was inaugurated president. What else happened in 1837? Turns out, a lot.

Journalism, we often hear, is a “first draft of history.” That makes old newspaper photos an excellent window into the past. We get a peek.

An exhibit at the Chicago History Museum highlights the experiences of Muslims in Chicago through audio interviews, photographs, videos, artwork, maps and everyday objects. We go for a look.

Bárcena, who last year became the first woman to hold her position, discusses immigration and the political relationship between the U.S. and Mexico. 

The 1930s were a defining decade for the U.S. At the Chicago History Museum, a new exhibit explores part of that era’s history you might not think of: fashion.