Art at the Center

From the White House to the Obama Presidential Center, President and Mrs. Obama have used the arts as a tool to inspire, empower, and connect people from around the world. The Obama Presidential Center features over 28 commissioned art installations that encourage visitors to open their imaginations and reflect on their ability to bring change home. Most of these works are in areas that are free to the public during operating hours.
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“ The arts have always been central to the American experience. They provoke thought, challenge our assumptions, and shape how we define our narrative as a country.”

–President Obama

Art Highlights

uprising of the sun 1x1

Uprising of the Sun

by Julie Mehretu
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seeing through the universe 1x1

Seeing Through the Universe

by Maya Lin
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book bird 1x1

Book Bird

by Richard Hunt
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to see what they could see 1x1

To See What They Could See and American Vista

by Theaster Gates
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Daily Guided Tours

Embark on a Campus Experience Tour of the Obama Presidential Center weaving together the stories of the art, architecture, and vision that define the space.

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Art on Campus

Learn about the artists and discover how each installation connects to the broader story of the Center.

Outdoors

Museum

  • HOPE

    by Jack Pierson

    Entry Pavilion 

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  • Receive

    by Kiki Smith

    Hope and Change Lobby

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  • Uprising of the Sun

    by Julie Mehretu

    Exterior of the Museum

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  • City of the Big Shoulders

    by Mark Bradford

    Our Story Atrium and L1 Mezzanine

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  • The Obamas: Springing Forth

    by Njideka Akunyili Crosby

    Hope and Change Lobby

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  • This Land, Shared Sky

    by Nick Cave and Marie Watt

    Hope and Change Lobby

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  • Quintessence

    by Jay Heikes

    Courtyard 1

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  • Resistance Reverb: Movements 1

    by Lava Thomas

    Our Story Atrium and Harold Washington Overlook

  • Weary Blues

    by Lindsay Adams

    Cafe

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  • In Seven Days…

    by Nicola Green

    Lower Level

  • Durative

    by Lorna Simpson

    Level 3

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  • All Together

    by Jules Julien

    Exhibits Level 5 (Museum Entry Ticket Required)

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  • The Balance of Power

    by Jules Julien

    Exhibits Level 3 (Museum Entry Ticket Required)

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  • OPC Benches

    by Norman Teague

    Museum Gallery Seating (Museum Entry Ticket Required)

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  • Still Holding the Scent of Flowers

    by María Magdalena Campos-Pons

    Exhibits Level 4 (Museum Entry Ticket Required)

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  • Yet With a Steady Beat

    by Jeffrey Gibson

    Exhibits Level 5 (Museum Entry Ticket Required)

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  • Sky of Hope

    by Idris Khan

    Sky Room

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  • Freedom Riders

    by Jenny Holzer

    Sky Room

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  • The Cool Blue Wind

    by Carrie Mae Weems

    Sky Room

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The Chicago Public Library

  • Book Bird

    by Richard Hunt

    Reading Garden

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  • Reading Circles/Weaving Dreams/Seeding Futures

    by Aliza Nisenbaum

    Main Reading Room

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Forum

  • To See What They Could See and American Vista

    by Theaster Gates

    Atrium

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  • Hidden Reflection

    by Hugo McCloud

    Tafari’s Kitchen Private Dining Room

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  • Tafari

    by Kate Capshaw

    Tafari’s Kitchen

  • Memory Landscape (Nairobi, Chicago, Honolulu, Jakarta), 2025

    by Spencer Finch

    Lower Level Lobby

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  • Be the Change!

    by Tyanna J. Buie

    Democracy in Action Lab

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  • The Hem of Heaven

    by Nekisha Durrett

    Courtyard

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Home Court

  • Pass it Forward

    by Sam Kirk and Dorian Sylvain

    Main Court

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Fruit and Vegetable Garden

  • Broken Crowd “The President’s Audience”

    by Rashid Johnson

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