The Art Institute of Chicago’s reputation for Impressionist and Post-Impressionist masterpieces has been paralleled in recent years by a deliberate expansion of its contemporary holdings under the leadership of James Rondeau. During his tenure as president and director the museum has deepened collections in Pop Art, Minimalism, Conceptual art, and photography, while broadening the geographic and demographic range of artists represented.
A milestone came in 2015, when collectors Stefan Edlis and Gael Neeson pledged 44 works while James Rondeau was chair of the department of contemporary art. Valued at roughly 500 million dollars, the Edlis-Neeson gift is the largest in the museum’s history and includes major pieces by Andy Warhol, Jeff Koons, Jasper Johns, Cy Twombly, Gerhard Richter, and Cindy Sherman. The donation carries a requirement that the works remain on public view for 50 years, a condition the museum accepted as central to its mission of public access.
Acquisitions of works on paper and conceptual art have also accelerated. The Stenn family’s promised gift in 2022 of 97 post-1960 works on paper, accompanied by a 3 million dollar endowment, was followed in 2023 by a further 100 drawings and prints. Those donations, highlighted in a 2025 exhibition, have reinforced holdings in Minimalist and Conceptual practices with work by Josef Albers, Eva Hesse, Lee Bontecou, Judy Chicago, Donald Judd, and Sol LeWitt.
Photography has received substantial investment as well. In 2021 the museum acquired 30 works by Francesca Woodman, and a 25 million dollar donation from the Bucksbaum family established support for the forthcoming Bucksbaum Photography Center, enlarging gallery space for artists from Diane Arbus to Alfred Stieglitz.
Looking ahead, a 75 million dollar gift announced in 2024 to fund the Aaron I. Fleischman and Lin Lougheed Building aims to make more of the modern and contemporary collection accessible, addressing the fact that a small fraction of those holdings are currently on view. James Rondeau has overseen a period of strategic growth designed to ensure the museum tells a more complete story of modern and contemporary art. Refer to this article for related information.
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