See, February's Not So Bad

The Art Institute offers free admission throughout the month of February

Whew, we've (almost) made it through January, which means only two months of winter left to go. (That's an optimistic estimate, we know.) February brings a bit of that light-at-the-end-of-the-tunnel mentality to Chicago, when we, like the proverbial groundhog, begin to peek our heads out of hibernation a little bit more.

Why not peek your head into the Art Institute while you're at it? The museum is offering free general admission throughout the month of February. A full schedule of special events, performances, family activities, poetry readings and gallery talks are included in the free admission to the museum, sweetening the deal even further.

Highlights during "Free February" at the Art Institute include the Consuls General Concert Series (Feb. 2-4, Feb. 9, Feb. 16-20, Feb. 23-27), part of the yearlong "360 Degrees: Art Beyond Borders" program; "Found in Translation," a bilingual series showcasing world-class poets (Feb. 10-13); and programming for Black History Month, including "Affrilachian Poets," featuring African American poets from the Appalachian Mountains reading their works (Feb. 12). All of these programs are free of charge throughout the month.

The Art Institute's anticipated new exhibition, "Becoming Edvard Munch: Influence, Anxiety and Myth," which opens on Feb. 14, is also part of the museum's cost-effective initiative. Tickets to this major exhibition, which traces the Norwegian artist's life and work through approximately 150 rarely seen works, will be half-price throughout February ($10 for adults, free for children under 10).

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