Museum shops and galleries have a great deal of goods you won’t find elsewhere. The Buddy store in the Chicago Cultural Center is top of the heap for art-loving localvores.

Ten years ago this month, a spectacular Nativity set called a crèche debuted at the Art Institute of Chicago. A gift from an Italian collector, the crèche was made in Naples and dates from the mid-1700s. It’s a traditional Nativity scene in a non-traditional setting.

The new exhibition “American People” is the first solo retrospective of artist Faith Ringgold in Chicago. This vivid and revealing show is not only rare — it’s must-see.

A new exhibition focuses on photographs that remind us of the vastness of human culture. It’s a striking blend of art, journalism and storytelling. More than 80 large-format prints represent the career of Steve McCurry, a photography Hall of Famer and a controversial figure to some.

The Art Design Chicago initiative will work with more than 50 art-focused organizations to showcase the work of hundreds of artists now through 2025.

A new exhibit at the Elmhurst History Museum is celebrating department stores that originated in the Chicagoland area.

“We’re very excited about it,” Chief Justice Mary Jane Theis said in an interview. “It tells the story about the Illinois court system from 1818 to today.”

Strange people occupy fantastic places in a new exhibition of art by Remedios Varo at the Art Institute of Chicago. The 20th century surrealist painter’s work is well known in Mexico but rarely seen in the U.S.

Throughout his career as an artist, Mexican-born Jesús Torres turned his hand to multiple mediums — but before he moved to Chicago in 1924, his hands were employed as a road construction worker.

Chicago-based artist Edra Soto created a series of work about Puerto Rico and her migration to her adopted hometown. Architectural motifs mirror patterns seen on houses in Puerto Rico. A hand-fabricated domino table reflects a popular pastime on the island. And there are photographs embedded in the work.

A touring exhibit is aimed at helping children understand the tragedy and legacy of Emmett Till’s life. Through photographs and artifacts, the exhibit shows how young Till’s lynching and his mother’s subsequent actions fueled the civil rights movement.

Artist Alex Ross is a hero to fans of comic book art and graphic novels. For 30 years from his home near Chicago, Ross has been the go-to artist for revitalizing beloved characters — from Spider-Man and Superman to Iron Man and the Fantastic Four.

The test kitchen, originally constructed in the early 1970s and housed at the former Johnson Publishing Company Building in the South Loop, was used by Ebony magazine editors to test recipes the magazine would feature in its publication.

The star attraction is Vincent Van Gogh, and he has a stellar supporting cast — including the painters George Seurat, Paul Signac, Emile Bernard and Charles Angrand. The exhibit features landscapes from the suburbs of Paris in the 19th century.

From Stevie Wonder and high-fashion models to everyday people, photographer Kwame Brathwaite documented Black culture across the globe. “He’s essentially synonymous with the Black is Beautiful movement,” said Grace Deveney of the Art Institute of Chicago.

A group of Chicago artists is creating a unifying voice in a new collective geared toward strength in numbers. The New Vanguard Coalition is committed to uplifting Chicago creatives.