The Art Institute of Chicago has announced a $75 million donation for a new building for the museum’s collection of modern and contemporary art.
The funds, which amount to the single largest naming gift in the institution’s history, were given by art collectors Aaron I. Fleischman and Lin Lougheed.
The new space will be named the Aaron I. Fleischman and Lin Lougheed Building. It will offer views of Chicago’s Grant Park, Lake Michigan, and the city.
“We are beyond grateful to collaborate with Aaron and Lin to imagine the future of our campus,” said James Rondeau, president and director of the Art Institute of Chicago.
“Their exceptional generosity and vision will allow our aspirations to become a reality and I am grateful for their dedication to Chicago, and to serving our visitors for generations to come.”
The museum‘s new building is part of an ongoing plan for a reimagined campus, which started in 2019 with architecture firm Barozzi Veiga.
Since then, work with Barozzi Veiga has included enhancements to existing spaces, as well as plans to expand the entire campus.
“It’s exciting to be part of Barozzi Veiga’s long-term plan for the Art Institute,” Lougheed said. “The future building plans will add to Chicago’s reputation as the center of innovative architecture.”
Expanding the Art Institute of Chicago
Fleischman, a trustee of the Art Institute of Chicago, said: “Lin and I are excited about naming a new building that will create additional space for visitors to see more of the collection than they have ever been able to see before, and for the museum to tell a more complete story of modern and contemporary art.
“Touring the collections on view and in storage I came to believe that more of the museum’s extraordinary collection needed to be available to visitors and presented in world-class architecture.”
Images courtesy of the Art Institute of Chicago
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