A traveling exhibit featuring Pulitzer Prize-winning works opened this week at Chicago’s Harold Washington Library Center, showcasing a century of journalism, literature, photography, and music recognized for their cultural and historical impact. The exhibit, titled “Pulitzer on the Road: Prize-Winning Works That Inform, Empower and Inspire,” runs through Dec. 31 and marks the first stop on a two-year nationwide tour focused on regional centers across the United States.
The exhibition includes an array of Pulitzer-winning material capturing significant moments from World War II to more recent events such as the wars in Ukraine, Vietnam, the Middle East, and the protests following the 2020 killing of George Floyd. Marjorie Miller, administrator of the Pulitzer Prizes, highlighted that the selected works aim to represent a broad spectrum of human experience, including “hope and fear,” “success and failure,” and both “celebration and protest.” The intention is to reflect the highs and lows of American life and history comprehensively.
Among the displayed works are contributions from Chicago journalists and writers, including film critic Roger Ebert and poet Gwendolyn Brooks. An interactive component allows visitors to explore Pulitzer-winning journalism from every state, featuring a 1988 Chicago Tribune investigative report on city council corruption by Dean Baquet, William Gaines, and Ann Marie Lipinski. Chicago Public Library Commissioner Chris Brown said the exhibit supports the library’s mission to foster opportunity and learning across the city by helping residents better understand one another and the wider world.
Kentucky-based photographer Jon Cherry, a contributor to Getty Images, has his work documenting the January 6, 2021, U.S. Capitol insurrection featured in the exhibit. Cherry, who had recently lost his job amid the pandemic before traveling to Washington, D.C., as a relatively inexperienced photographer, was among the recipients of the 2022 Pulitzer Prize in Breaking News Photography for images from that day. He reflected on the lasting significance of the photographs, viewing their inclusion in the exhibit as an honor and hoping his work prompts viewers to engage with issues of civil society and gain a deeper perspective.
The exhibit was inaugurated with a panel discussion on storytelling moderated by Jelani Cobb, dean of Columbia University’s Journalism School. The discussion included Cherry as well as recent Pulitzer-winning authors Percival Everett, Daniel Kraus, and Amanda Vaill, who won the 2026 Pulitzer Prize in Biography. Vaill emphasized the importance of making such stories accessible to diverse audiences, particularly in cities that might not typically host major cultural exhibitions.
Following its run in Chicago, “Pulitzer on the Road” will continue to Dallas and ultimately conclude in May 2028 in Ponce, Puerto Rico. The free exhibition is located on the fifth floor of the Harold Washington Library Center at 400 S. State Street and is open during regular library hours.