Diane Simpson Debuts Outdoor Sculptures in Chicago

The Art Institute of Chicago has opened a new exhibition titled Diane Simpson: “Good for Future,” which will run through April 19, 2026. The installation showcases three new sculptures by Chicago-based artist Diane Simpson, displayed on the Bluhm Family Terrace with the city’s skyline serving as a dramatic backdrop.

Simpson, whose career spans five decades, is known for her art that merges influences from clothing design, architecture, and utilitarian objects. Each of her sculptures begins with intricate preparatory drawings that evolve into geometric three-dimensional structures. All of her pieces are meticulously crafted by hand, inviting viewers to reconsider their sense of form, scale, and perspective.

Makayla Bava, assistant curator of Modern and Contemporary Art at the museum, reflected on Simpson’s process:

“Simpson’s sculptures constantly oscillate between their three-dimensional form and their two-dimensional source, both reflecting and abstracting the wide-ranging visual material that informs her work. Seeing these sculptures finally come to life among Chicago’s architectural landscape makes for a graphically rich and complex presentation.”

The featured designs date back to the mid-1980s, when Simpson first sketched the works and labeled her drawings “Good for Future” as a personal note of inspiration. Decades later, those early ideas have materialized in her first-ever outdoor sculpture exhibition, uniting past concepts with contemporary craftsmanship.

The exhibition is organized by Makayla Bava and supported by major funding from the Bluhm Family Endowment Fund, which sponsors modern and contemporary sculpture presentations at the Art Institute of Chicago.

With Good for Future, Simpson’s enduring vision finds a new dimension—literally and figuratively—against the architectural skyline that has long influenced her work.