Museum of Contemporary Photography

The Museum of Contemporary Photography (MoCP) is a museum dedicated to photography and related media, located in the Near South Side neighborhood of Chicago, Illinois, on Michigan Avenue. Founded in 1976 by Columbia College Chicago, it serves as a significant institution for the exhibition, study, and collection of photographic works. The museum is accredited by the American Alliance of Museums and plays an active role in presenting exhibitions, hosting university level seminars and courses, and promoting emerging talent alongside established figures.

The institution was established in 1976 by Columbia College Chicago as the direct successor to the Chicago Center for Contemporary Photography. Initially, the permanent collection was defined by a contemporary focus, specifically acquiring works by American photographers created since the 1950s. The museum began actively collecting in the early 1980s. In the early 2000s, the institution expanded its historical and geographic scope, pushing its collecting parameters back to include Farm Security Administration works from the 1930s and broadening its purview to incorporate works by international artists.

The permanent collection focuses on significant American and international photography from the twentieth century to the present, with a particular emphasis on images of America and its residents. The holdings encompass a wide range of photographic processes and techniques, including gelatin silver prints, color compositions, digital pieces, photograms, daguerreotypes, photojournalism, installations, and alternative processes. Beyond the permanent collection, the museum houses the Midwest Photographers Project (MPP), a dedicated portfolio archive containing works by photographers and artists who reside in the Midwestern United States.

The museum has grown its permanent collection to include more than 15,000 objects by over 1,500 artists. Among the notable photographers represented in the collection are Ansel Adams, Tina Barney, Harry Callahan, Henri Cartier-Bresson, Julia Margaret Cameron, Louise Dahl-Wolfe, Walker Evans, Dorothea Lange, Marc Lüders, Richard Mosse, Pieter Ombregt, Irving Penn, Sandy Skoglund, Aaron Siskind, and Victor Skrebneski. Notable exhibitions have included Paul Shambroom: Evidence of Democracy in 2003, Michael Wolf: The Transparent City and Work/Place in 2008 and 2009, and Guy Tillim: Avenue Patrice Lumumba in 2010 and 2011.

The Museum of Contemporary Photography is owned and operated by Columbia College Chicago. It is located in Chicago, Illinois, and maintains an active role as a teaching institution, offering seminars and photography courses alongside its exhibition programming. The museum is accredited by the American Alliance of Museums.