New exhibit and programming series unveiled at the American Writers Museum: "American Prophets: Authors, Faith, and Society"
Announcing the American Writers Museum's New Special Exhibit: "American Prophets"
The American Writers Museum (AWM) is excited to announce a new special exhibit and programming series titled "American Prophets: Writers, Religion, and Culture." This immersive exhibit, opening in November 2025, will delve into the relationship between American writers and religion, showcasing rare artifacts, interactive displays, and creative works spanning literature, film, music, comedy, and more.
A touring version of the special exhibit Dark Testament: A Century of Black Writers on Justice is part of the American Prophets initiative. This exhibit, inspired by a poem from Pauli Murray, explores the enduring impact of Black writers from the end of the Civil War through the Civil Rights era, bringing these powerful stories to life through art, multimedia, augmented reality, and interactive elements.
The content of the American Prophets exhibit will span countless religions and faiths, including, but not limited to, Agnosticism, Atheism, Baha'i, Buddhism, Christianity, Hinduism, Humanism, Indigenous spiritualities, Islam, Judaism, Scientology, and Taoism. Workshops, discussions, and programs featuring writers like R. O. Kwon and scholars discussing figures such as James Baldwin will examine topics like queer spirituality and the interplay of horror writing and religion.
The American Writers Museum aims to showcase how American writers—past, present, and future—shape cultural and religious narratives in the U.S. through this thematic exploration. A free event, "Making New Gods," held in partnership with the Chicago Public Library on April 22, featured acclaimed and bestselling fiction authors discussing how they explore religious beliefs in their speculative fiction.
The exhibit will journey through American history and explore the profound ways writing reflects and influences our understanding of religion. Unique objects of religious significance to writers, such as Flannery O'Connor's rosary, Ursula K. Le Guin's annotated copy of the Tao Te Ching, and Louie Pérez's statue of the Santo Niño de Atocha, will be on display.
Tickets to the American Writers Museum are $16 for adults, $10 for seniors, students, and teachers, and free for children ages 12 and under. Discounted rates for groups of 10 or more are available. Museum hours for the American Writers Museum are Monday, Thursday-Sunday, 10 AM-5 PM, closed Tuesday and Wednesday.
The American Writers Museum is the first museum of its kind in the United States, located at 180 N. Michigan Ave. Chicago, IL 60601. The project is funded by a grant from Lilly Endowment Inc. through its Religion and Cultural Institutions Initiative. Lilly Endowment Inc. is a private foundation that supports community development, education, and religion, with a special commitment to Indianapolis and Indiana.
AWM President Carey Cranston emphasized the importance of exploring religion to remain true to the museum's mission. The American Prophets programming series includes public events with authors spanning genres, field trip curriculum for students, podcasts, and additional online content.
Visit the American Writers Museum to experience the powerful impact of American writers on religion and culture.
- To compliment the special exhibit "American Prophets," the American Writers Museum is planning to offer a diverse range of educational and entertainment resources, such as online courses in education-and-self-development, home-and-garden, lifestyle, books, and entertainment.
- As part of the American Writers Museum's mission, they plan to host workshops focusing on education-and-self-development, led by authors and scholars, to discuss topics like queer spirituality and the interplay of horror writing and religion.
- In addition to its physical special exhibit, the American Writers Museum will create an online education platform for online-learning opportunities, allowing individuals to explore various subjects within lifestyle, home-and-garden, books, and education-and-self-development from the comfort of their homes.
