Up to the Challenge features art produced during the Great Depression and World War II, a critical time in world history when artists faced dramatic challenges. Despite daily hardships, the artists at that time elevated themselves, introducing refreshing and progressive themes such as diversity, social justice and the triumph of the human spirit. Most of the artists in this exhibition worked under the Federal Art Project of the Works Progress Administration (WPA) initiated by the U.S. government.

The exhibition presents paintings, drawings, and prints by Edward Millman, Raymond Katz, Bernece Berkman, Todros Geller, David Bekker, Mitchell Siporin, Alex and Morris Topchevsky, William Jacobs, Gregory Orloff, William Gropper, Leon Garland, Miriam McKinnie, Leonard Havens, William Schwartz, Fritzi Brod, Samuel Greenburg, Frank Lackner, Irwin Hoffman and more. Also included are historical artifacts from Chicago’s 1933-1934 world fair, “A Century of Progress International Exhibition.”

The Public Reception takes place on December 19, 2024, from 5 - 8 p.m.

Viewings take place from December 19, 2024, through February 7, 2025, during regular museum hours.