The Art Institute of Chicago and Grant Park are not just beloved city landmarks—they’ve also played unforgettable roles on the big screen. In this hour-long talk led by a film scholar with a Ph.D., explore how both public spaces have been represented in film, sometimes as places of whimsy, sometimes as sites of unrest.

Specifically, you will:

• Stroll (virtually) along Michigan Avenue to visit the Art Institute of Chicago and its famous lions

• Explore how a beloved ‘80s teen comedy transformed a museum visit into a cinematic moment

• Step into Grant Park, a sprawling downtown green space rich in political and pop culture significance

• Learn how a recent historical drama restaged one of Chicago’s most turbulent protests

• View original HD footage you won’t find anywhere else—captured and curated just for this talk

See familiar city landmarks in a new light—through the lens of film—as we engage in conversation about place and media.