The Art Institute of Chicago

The Art Institute of Chicago, based in the Art Institute of Chicago Building in Chicago’s Grant Park was founded in 1879 and is one of the oldest and largest art museums in the United States. Its collection, stewarded by 11 curatorial departments, includes works such as Georges Seurat’s A Sunday on La Grande Jatte, Pablo Picasso’s The Old Guitarist, Edward Hopper’s Nighthawks, and Grant Wood’s American Gothic. Its permanent collection of nearly 300,000 works of art is augmented by more than 30 special exhibitions mounted yearly that illuminate aspects of the collection and present curatorial and scientific research.

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As a research institution, the Art Institute also has a conservation and conservation science department, five conservation laboratories, and Ryerson and Burnham Libraries, one of the nation’s largest art history and architecture libraries.

The museum’s building was constructed for the 1893 World’s Columbian Exposition and, due to the growth of the collection, several additions have occurred since. The Modern Wing, designed by Renzo Piano, is the most recent expansion, and when it opened in 2009 it increased the museum’s footprint to nearly one million square feet. This made it the second largest art museum in the United States, after the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York City.

The Art Institute of Chicago is one of the world’s major museums, housing an extraordinary collection of objects from across places, cultures, and time. We are also a place of active learning for all—dedicated to investigation, innovation, education, and dialogue—continually aspiring to greater public service and civic engagement.

MISSION
The Art Institute of Chicago shares its singular collections with our city and the world. We collect, care for, and interpret works of art across time, cultures, geographies, and identities, centering the vision of artists and makers. We recognize that all art is made in a particular context, demanding continual, dynamic reconsideration in the present. We are a place of gathering; we foster the exchange of ideas and inspire an expansive, inclusive understanding of human creativity.

VALUES
* Our museum reflects and deepens our collective humanity; the arts are integral to an inspired and just society.
* We respect and acknowledge each of our colleagues’ contributions and expertise across all roles within our organization.
* We share in the responsibility to create an antiracist culture built on equity, inclusion, and justice for all, acknowledging that these efforts are intersectional and ongoing.
* We encourage and advance a culture of hospitality, empathy, and gratitude for each visitor, supporter, and member of our staff.
* We embrace innovation and foster change with a progressive understanding of—and obligation to reconsider—our past.
* We sustain an open and dynamic civic platform, inviting and advancing the diverse perspectives of our city, staff, visitors, and supporters.

The Art Institute is associated with the School of the Art Institute of Chicago, a leading art school, making it one of the few remaining unified arts institutions in the United States.

LOCATION:
Michigan Avenue Entrance
111 South Michigan Avenue
Chicago, IL 60603

Modern Wing Entrance
159 East Monroe Street
Chicago, IL 60603

For specific inquiries, please reach out via the phone numbers and email addresses below.
Ticketing and Sales
Questions about your tickets? We’re happy to help answer questions about pricing, help with error messages, and more.
ticketing@artic.edu

Membership
As a reminder, members never need tickets or reservations to visit the museum or special exhibitions—your membership acts as your reservation.
membership@artic.edu

Careers at the Art Institute of Chicago
career-opportunities@artic.edu
(312) 629-9420