Rolling Stones exhibit heads to Navy Pier in April

Fans of the Rolling Stones will get plenty of satisfaction at the Chicago debut of "Exhibitionism," an 18,000-square-foot exhibit opening April 15 on Navy Pier, showcasing the band's 54-year career via 500 rare artifacts, memorabilia, musical instruments, fashion, film, artwork, books and music.

The news was announced by Mayor Rahm Emanuel during a press conference Thursday morning at the pier, according to the Sun-Times.

The massive retrospective, culled from the personal archives of Mick Jagger, Keith Richards, Charlie Watts and Ronnie Wood as well as private collections, will be presented in a series of themed galleries, from the band's 1962 London club debut to their biggest concerts of the past decade.

Originated and produced by Australian-based iEC Exhibitions!, the exhibit premiered at London's Saatchi Gallery in 2016 and then moved to New York later that year, where it will conclude its run on March 12.

The exhibit is curated by Ileen Gallagher of the New York-based Ileen Sheppard Gallagher Productions, who came to the Rolling Stones project via a previous artistic venture with the band.

"We had done a photography exhibit at Somerset House in London for the band's 50th anniversary and they were publishing a book at the same time and they decided they wanted a proper exhibition," Gallagher said of the project's genesis. "Fast-forward three years and Australian producers are in talks with the band about mounting a full-on traveling exhibition of their career."

It took 18 months to pull the entire "Exhibitionism" project together. No small feat, considering the size and scope of the exhibition, which is thematically organized.

Bringing the exhibit to Chicago, where the band has played many times over the years, was a logical progression, according to Mayor Rahm Emanuel, who cites their 2002 concert at the Aragon Ballroom as his favorite.

"I think (the exhibit) recognizes a couple of things. One is Chicago's rich music history and the role of blues, gospel and jazz in that history. (These American genres) all find their roots in Chicago. The Rolling Stones came to Chicago (in 1964) to study the blues, which was the foundation for their rock and roll. … This exhibit will tell their story, and what a fitting place for that story to be told."

• This report was produced in partnership with the Chicago Sun-Times. For full coverage, check chicago.suntimes.com.