“The Sunflowers Quilting Bee at Arles” by Faith Ringgold, 1991.

Outside of the art world, Faith Ringgold is perhaps best known for her award-winning children’s book “Tar Beach” (1991), an eloquent fantasy about a young girl in Harlem.

But the artist, who just turned 93 years old, has been making artwork — all kinds of it — for more than 60 years.

The new exhibition “American People” at the Museum of Contemporary Art Chicago is, incredibly, the first solo retrospective of the artist in Chicago. This vivid and revealing show is not only rare — it’s must-see.

“Artists are our eyes and ears to what’s happening in the world, and they translate that into an experience that’s relatable, or at least revelatory, to help people think about the world differently,” MCA curator Jamillah James told WTTW News. “And Faith Ringgold is a person who’s able to do that kind of work and do it in many different forms.”

Early paintings reckon with the Civil Rights and women’s movements. Years later, she learned how to quilt and made textile wonders with help from her mother, a seamstress and clothing designer. The artist grew up in a creative hotbed; her working-class father was an avid storyteller, and Duke Ellington, Langston Hughes and Jacob Lawrence were among their neighbors in Harlem.

Left: Artwork from “Tar Beach” by Faith Ringgold. (Marc Vitali / WTTW News). Right: Faith Ringgold (Provided)

“American People” features masks, protest posters, quilts and artwork from “Tar Beach.” Whether she paints, sculpts or quilts, Ringgold is always telling stories and confronting history.

“The agility of her work and her practice and the breadth of what she’s able to do is astounding,” James said. “Not many artists can work in these different modes and do so successfully.”

Many works are subversive. The stunning large canvas “U.S. Postage Stamp Commemorating the Advent of Black Power” (1967) has the words “Black Power” written across a patchwork of American faces. Tilt your head and look closely and you’ll also see the words “White Power” hidden in the painting.

Others are autobiographical and fearless. One quilt depicts the artist’s weight loss of over 100 pounds. It’s called “Change.”

“It’s a rare 360-degree view of this person who’s an icon, but whose work is so accessible and relatable to so many people,” said James, who met the artist earlier this year. “She’s very thoughtful, generous, friendly and lovely. She has this incredible intensity.”

Ringgold’s thoughtful intensity is on display in “American People” at the MCA Chicago through Feb. 25, 2024.

“U.S. Postage Stamp Commemorating the Advent of Black Power” by Faith Ringgold, 1967.