5th Floor Gallery
The 5th Floor Gallery is an exhibition venue for student led exhibitions and creative expression. The three unique spaces are dedicated to our Museum and Exhibition Studies program (MUSE), and the exhibition of projects from our Art & Art History students.
The MUSE space emphasizes the evolving social and political context of today’s cultural institutions. The Museum and Exhibition Studies Program at UIC is actively engaged with the idea that cultural institutions, including museums and galleries, are places where ideas about what it means to be human, how we might care for the earth and each other, how power works in and through our cultural structures to advantage and disadvantage, and more are presented, debated, and worked and reworked using the languages of the arts and sciences, and the tools of research, design, and archives. The program believes that museums and exhibitions reflect and have the potential to inform the contexts of our lives, and that they can and should contribute to the larger project of social justice. Only MUSE majors and MUSE minors students can apply for this space.
The OPEN space is dedicated to showcasing the work of our Art & Art History students. This can take the form of solo-shows, group exhibitions, and curatorial endeavors.
The 5th Floor is dedicated to creating spaces that are accessible, fluid, feminist, queer, restorative, anti-racist, and reflective of the diversity of human experience as well as our communities at UIC. All exhibitions must be ADA accessible, as well as take into account access for visitors with needs including: translation services, cognitive and sensory processing, ASL, as well as other needs that might arise.
Students are welcome to propose shows as individuals or as collaborations twice a year for exhibitions in fall and spring semester.
We believe in engaging multiple publics through our exhibitions. All shows must be accompanied by 1-3 free public programs. Exhibitions last for the duration of the semester.
Proposals are reviewed by a committee that represents faculty and students from the School of Art & Art History. All accepted proposals will be allotted a $500.00 budget to execute their exhibition. All spending of funds are to be done in coordination with the designated staff member. No reimbursements will be processed.