What Does Rashid Johnson’s “A Poem for Deep Thinkers” Bring to MCA Chicago?

Short answer

Rashid Johnson: A Poem for Deep Thinkers opens at the Museum of Contemporary Art Chicago on Saturday, November 7, 2026, and runs through April 25, 2027, in the Griffin Galleries of Contemporary Art. The exhibition presents 70 artworks from across more than twenty years of work by the Chicago-born artist – his third solo exhibition at the MCA.

MCA Chicago is at 220 East Chicago Avenue, open Tuesday 10am-9pm and Wednesday-Sunday 10am-5pm, closed Monday. All times are local to Chicago.

Key facts

• Exhibition: Rashid Johnson: A Poem for Deep Thinkers, a survey of 70 artworks.
• Dates: November 7, 2026, to April 25, 2027.
• Venue: Griffin Galleries of Contemporary Art, MCA Chicago, 220 East Chicago Avenue, Chicago, IL 60611.
• Hours: Tuesday, 10am-9pm; Wednesday-Sunday, 10am-5pm. Closed Monday.
• Admission: adults $19 (Chicago residents) or $22 (non-residents); students, teachers and visitors 65+ $10 or $14. Free for Illinois residents on Tuesdays 5-9pm; free every day for anyone 18 and under.
• Pay what you can: in person at the museum only; the MCA says no one is turned away.
• Curators: organized by Naomi Beckwith (Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum) and Andrea Karnes (Modern Art Museum of Fort Worth); the MCA presentation is curated by Jack Schneider with Korina Hernandez.

What does the exhibition bring together?

The 70 works span key moments in Johnson’s career: the black-and-white photographs of The New Negro Escapist Social and Athletic Club, inspired by the ideas of W.E.B. Du Bois; the wall reliefs known as Cosmic Slops, made of black soap and wax; and the Anxious Men and Broken Men series, which the MCA describes as evolving in recent years to reflect the chaos and isolation of contemporary life in the United States.

The MCA’s own collection already holds major Johnson works, including Glass Jaw (2011) – mirrored tile, black soap, wax, books, shea butter and a vinyl album – Self-Portrait with My Hair Parted Like Frederick Douglass (2003) and The Unwearable Dashiki (2001).

Why is it a Chicago homecoming?

Johnson was born in Chicago in 1977 and lives in New York City. His first solo exhibition was at the MCA in 2002, as part of the museum’s 12×12 series; in 2012, the museum presented his mid-career survey A Message to Our Folks.

The new exhibition is organized by Naomi Beckwith, Deputy Director and Chief Curator at the Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum, and Andrea Karnes, Chief Curator at the Modern Art Museum of Fort Worth; the MCA presentation is curated by Jack Schneider with Korina Hernandez. Johnson’s work is held by the Whitney, the Guggenheim, LACMA and the MCA Chicago itself, among others.

How can context shape the visit?

Johnson builds a personal iconography from art history, philosophy and Black popular culture. Materials carry meaning: shea butter, black soap, books and vinyl records each point to specific cultural references, and knowing even a few of them changes what a wall relief says. Looking for those references is close to what Antre calls cultural mediation: enough context for each visitor to form their own reading. Antre’s own term, adaptive cultural mediation, describes how that context can adjust to what each person already knows.

For other Chicago guides, see Kenzi Shiokava at MCA Chicago and Tony Cokes at the Art Institute of Chicago.

How should you plan the visit?

The museum encourages visitors to buy tickets online in advance. MCA Chicago is closed on Monday, and Tuesday evenings run until 9pm. Illinois residents receive free admission on Tuesdays from 5 to 9pm, and anyone 18 and under is free every day.

If price matters, pay-what-you-can admission is available in person at the museum, and the museum says no one is turned away. The MCA is at 220 East Chicago Avenue, with the entrance on Mies van der Rohe Way: take the CTA Red Line to Chicago Avenue and walk four blocks east, or the #3, #10 or #66 bus. Groups of 10 or more should call the Box Office at 312-397-4010. Check the museum’s pages before you go, because hours can change.

FAQ

How much are tickets for the Rashid Johnson exhibition?

General admission covers the exhibition: $19 for Chicago-resident adults and $22 for non-residents, with reduced rates for students, teachers and visitors 65 and over.

Can you see it for free?

Yes. Admission is free for anyone 18 and under, and for Illinois residents on Tuesdays from 5 to 9pm. The MCA also keeps a pay-what-you-can policy in person.

When does the exhibition open?

On Saturday, November 7, 2026. It runs through April 25, 2027.

Who is Rashid Johnson?

An artist born in Chicago in 1977, whose work draws on art history, philosophy and Black popular culture. A Poem for Deep Thinkers is his third solo exhibition at the MCA, after 12×12 in 2002 and A Message to Our Folks in 2012.

About Antre

Antre is building an app that gives artworks their context, starting with New York, Los Angeles and Chicago. Join the waiting list at antre.art.

Sources

• Museum of Contemporary Art Chicago: Rashid Johnson: A Poem for Deep Thinkers exhibition page: dates, galleries, works and series, artist biography and curators.
• Museum of Contemporary Art Chicago: Plan Your Visit page: hours, admission prices, free-admission options, address and transit.