Exhibition on Bruce Goff opens at Art Institute of Chicago

The Art Institute of Chicago has opened Bruce Goff: Material Worlds, marking the first major exhibition of architect Bruce Goff’s work in three decades. Drawn primarily from the museum’s Bruce Goff collection and archive, the exhibition features more than 200 objects, including architectural drawings, models, personal artifacts, and a selection of the architect’s abstract paintings.

Goff is known for a body of highly individual residential projects built largely across the Midwest and Great Plains. His houses, often designed for clients ranging from artists to farmers, combine references to local landscapes with consumer materials common to the mid-20th century. The exhibition frames Goff's approach as an expansion of organic architecture beyond the legacy of Frank Lloyd Wright, with whom Goff had a longstanding personal and professional relationship.

The exhibition was designed by New York–based firm New Affiliates and includes a customized player piano performing one of Goff’s own musical compositions. Companion installations will appear throughout the museum, including a rotation of Japanese prints from Goff’s estate, commissioned photographs by Janna Ireland of the Al Struckus House in Woodland Hills, and newly acquired drawings by New Affiliates.

The exhibition is curated by Alison Fisher and Craig Lee, with an accompanying catalogue exploring Goff’s work across multiple disciplines. Having opened on December 20, the exhibition will be open through March 29, 2026.