The John M. Flaxman Library is home to more than 120,000 items focused on 20th- and 21st-century visual arts, design, architecture, criticism, theory, and philosophy. Collection strengths include exhibition catalogs, artist monographs, videos, and sound recordings.
Flaxman Library Special Collections include: the Joan Flasch Artists' Book Collection with more than 6,000 examples of artists' publications from the last 50 years; the Randolph Street Gallery Archives, documenting a vital and innovative force in Chicago's art community from 1979–98; and the 16mm Film Study Collection, featuring experimental, avant garde, and local filmmakers.
Tour the main collections and behind-the-scenes where cataloging and digitizing projects happen. In special collections, see examples of artists' publishing in all media from the 1960s to the present and get a brief introduction to the history of the collection and how it functions as an instructional tool for students and the general public.
Maximum Participants: 50
Fee: Included with registration
Accessibility: Light walking, standing
Transportation: Walking
Pairing Recommendation: Art Institute tour or Chicago Architecture Foundation walking tour, both are within walking distance
