Theaster Gates
From its inception, the Obama Presidential Center envisioned the arts as a core part of its mission. This commitment builds upon the legacy that President and Mrs. Obama instilled at the White House, making it the “People’s House” by opening its doors to diverse voices, disciplines, and perspectives. Open to the public on June 19th, the Obama Presidential Center features two major new commissions by GRAY artists Theaster Gates and Rashid Johnson.
Theaster Gates' new installation, which celebrates photographic material from the Johnson Publishing Company image archive and the Howard Simmons photographic collection, continues Gates’ ongoing practice of exalting and reifying Black cultural legacies through the preservation of archives and everyday materials, bringing renewed value to the stories, creativity, and collective memory that have shaped American life, is installed in the Hadiya Pendleton Atrium.
The commission by Rashid Johnson, Broken Men, is a large-scale mosaic in the Teaching Kitchen drawn from Johnson’s ongoing series of the same name, which renders the multifaceted and complicated nature of lived experience through abstract figures whose ambiguous, wide-eyed expressions invite viewers to contemplate the universal resonance within the human condition.
Opening on June 19, 2026 in Chicago’s historic Jackson Park, the Obama Presidential Center is more than a museum—it’s a place to gather, learn, and take action. Built on the belief that ordinary people can create extraordinary change, the Center brings together culture, community, and civic engagement in one shared space.
