Young artists can also participate!
This lesson from Minnesota Public Radio provides a fun, guided activity that helps children create artwork inspired by the music of Pictures at an Exhibition. Click the link below.
Hear It. Imagine It. Create It.
The Illinois Symphony Orchestra invites artists of all ages and experience levels to transform music into visual art through a special community-wide project inspired by Mussorgsky's Pictures at an Exhibition.
Originally composed as a musical tribute to the artwork of Viktor Hartmann, Pictures at an Exhibition brought paintings to life through sound. Now, we're turning that creative journey around. We challenge student and professional artists alike to listen to Mussorgsky's vivid musical landscapes and create an original work inspired by what they see, feel, and imagine through the music.
Whether you paint, draw, sculpt, photograph, or work in another medium, this is your opportunity to become part of a unique artistic collaboration linking music and visual art. Submitted works will be featured in an online gallery and, space permitting, displayed at our Pictures in Motion concert on Friday, November 20, 2026, at the UIS Performing Arts Center in Springfield or Saturday, November 21, 2026, the ISU Center for the Performing Arts. Select student artwork may also be showcased in public spaces leading up to the concert.
Let the music spark your imagination and create your own Picture at an Exhibition.
Artwork Deadline: November 2, 2026
