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Coordinates:41°53′35″N87°37′21″W/ 41.8931°N 87.6224°W/41.8931; -87.6224
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The Arts Club of Chicago
Arts Club of Chicago is located in Near North Side, Chicago
Arts Club of Chicago
Location within Chicago'sNear North Sidecommunity area
Established1916
(current location since April 4, 1997)
Location201 E. Ontario Street,
Chicago,Illinois60611
United States
Coordinates41°53′35″N87°37′21″W/ 41.8931°N 87.6224°W/41.8931; -87.6224
DirectorJanine Mileaf
Websitewww.artsclubchicago.org

Arts Club of Chicagois a private club and public exhibition space located in theNear North Sidecommunity areaofChicago,a block east of theMagnificent Mile,that exhibits internationalcontemporary art.It was founded in 1916, inspired by the success of theArt Institute of Chicago's handling of theArmory Show.[1]Its founding was viewed as a statement that art had become an important component of civilized urban life.[2]The Arts Club is said to have been pro-Modernistfrom its founding.[3]The Club strove to break new ground with its shows, rather than collect the works of established artists as the Art Institute does.

The club presentedPablo Picasso's first United States showing.[4]In addition, the 1951 exhibition byJean Dubuffetand his "Anticultural Positions" lecture at the Arts Club were tremendous influences on what would become the mid-1960sImagistmovement.[2]Another important presentation in the history of the Arts Club was theFernand Légershowing ofLe Ballet Mecanique.[3]

The club's move in 1997 to its current location at 201 E. Ontario Street was not without controversy because the club demolished its former interior space designed byLudwig Mies van der Roheand moved only the central staircase to the new gallery space.[5]However, the new space is 19,000 square feet (1,800 m2), which is 7,000 square feet (650 m2) larger than the old space.[6]

Mission and purpose[edit]

The inaugural mission of the club was "to encourage higher standards of art, maintain galleries for that purpose, and to promote the mutual acquaintance of art lovers and art workers."[7]The Arts Club of Chicago was founded by artists and patrons in the wake ofThe Armory Show,which was on view at theArt Institute of Chicagoin 1913. The club's founders—made aware of the exhibition's negative reception by the many Chicagoans who did not understand or accept what they saw—aimed to expose the city to new images, sounds and ideas.

Conceived as an exhibition and social space that would cultivate sophisticated conversations around a range of media, The Arts Club has maintained its core interest in presenting culture "in the making," serving as a key venue in Chicago for the presentation of work by the national and internationalavant-garde.

The club does not generally show traveling exhibitions curated by others. Instead, it curates its own exhibits, often with very original works. This places emphasis on cutting edge and avant-garde art.

History[edit]

Mies van der Rohestaircase andAlexander Caldermobile

The club was founded in 1916 and experienced its first coverage in theChicago Tribuneon March 16, 1916.[8]It had office space in theFine Arts Buildingthat became too limiting to serve the club's mission. In 1918, the club electedRue Winterbotham Carpenterto replace Mrs. Robert McGann as president. She moved the club to 610 SouthMichigan Avenue.[9]The first exhibition included portraits byWhistler,Renoir,Cassatt,Augustus Johnand others. By 1922, the club had outgrown its quarters and sponsored supplementary space at the Art Institute of Chicago until 1927 when the cost of doing so became prohibitive. In 1924, the club moved to the north tower of theWrigley Building.[10]Among its first exhibitions at the Wrigley building was the first major United States show (seventeen sculptures, nineteen drawings and a painting) of Brâncuși. The show was installed byMarcel Duchamp.[11]Rue Carpenter died on December 7, 1931,[11]and Mrs. Charles Goodspeed was elected president in 1932.[12]The club moved to more spacious accommodations at the Wrigley Building in 1936. "Bobsy" Goodspeed served as president until 1940. Then, Rue Winterbotham Carpenter's niece Rue Winterbotham Shaw was elected president.[13]In 1947, the club scaled down its operations for four years after losing its Wrigley Buildinglease.In 1951, it moved to 109 East Ontario in quarters built to specification that were designed byLudwig Mies van der Rohe.[14]Using Arts Club furniture, he designed a gallery, dining room, and lecture hall in a pre-existing building. The gallery was built aroundConstantin Brâncuși'sThe Golden Birdand the stairway was renowned for its simple elegance.[15]Shaw died in January 1979 and James Phinney Baxter was elected to serve until 1981 when Stanley Freehling was elected.[16]

1990s: new building[edit]

In the 1990s, the club was located west of Michigan Avenue and behind the 620 building which was home to many of Chicago's finestart dealersincluding Richard Gray and Richard L. Feigen & Co. The Arts club did not own the land upon which their famous Mies clubhouse was built; instead, the club held the land in a longtermleasehold.In 1990, the owner of 620 N. Michigan and the Arts Club land decided to sell. At first the Arts Club hoped to raise the money to purchase its land along with the 620 N. Michigan Avenue property in an effort spearheaded by Richard Gray, but it quickly became apparent that the club would lose a bidding war over this valuable land. A developer bought the property and demolished the entire block to make way for a movie complex andshopping center.

With the prospect of losing its home, the Arts Club opted to sell one of the most valuable items in its collection to finance the purchase of new land. The club decided to sell Brâncuși's Bird to the Art Institute of Chicago.[17]To finance the purchase, the Art Institute sold several second tier works from its famousImpressionistcollection atSotheby'sin guaranteed lots which was a new concept in theauctionworld in 1990. While without permanent home, the club continued to meet regularly in space loaned by the Casino, another famousNear North Sideclub.

The 19,000 square feet (1,800 m2) John Vinci designed building is a two-story structure that cost$9 million for the land, building,landscaping,andinterior design.The exteriorfacadeis buffbrickwith blackgranitewindowsills andthresholdsand white-paintedsteelwindows.[6]The building features furniture dating back to the club's founding as well as Mies van der Rohe designs.[6]Several elements of the new building's design are considered homages to Mies. The fact that the building was so Miesian thirty years after his death while the club focused on avant-garde art was a bit of a controversy.[18]The building'satriumthat allows filtered light into the centralgalleriesand dining areas is its primary feature.[5]Another focal point of the building is the restored Mies van der Rohe steel staircase that provides access to the second floor.[6]The design includes white-painted steel, travertinemarble,floor-to-ceiling curtains, dark-stained wood floors, and large areas of glass.[6]The color palette of saffron, black, gray, scarlet, and white is consistent with the former building.[6]Also notable are the veil of north side metal screens.[5]The building also has a 1,600 square feet (150 m2) outdoor landscaped garden.[6]The building accommodates a 200-person audience seating.[6]

Collection[edit]

The Arts Club'scollectionis a combination of acquisitions from its exhibitions and donations from both members and artists. It includes works byGeorges Braque,Alexander Calder,Natalia Goncharova,Paul Klee,Henri Matisse,Joan Miró,Henry Moore,Isamu Noguchi,Francis Picabia,andPablo Picasso.The club has made recent acquisitions of contemporary works byMalcolm Morley,Alex Katz,andPeter Doig.[7]The club maintains a document collection, mostly of correspondence with its artists, at theNewberry Library.[5]Further information on the club collection can be found inThe Arts Club of Chicago: The Collection 1916–1996by Sophia Shaw, granddaughter of the club's dynamic past president Rue Winterbotham Shaw.[19]

Highlights[edit]

Notable works in the club's private collection include:

  • Red Petals,plate steel, steel wire, sheet aluminum, soft-iron bolts, and aluminum paint, 1942,[20]by Alexander Calder
  • Main Staircase for The Arts Club of Chicago,steel, travertine marble, 1948–1951,[21]by Ludwig Mies van der Rohe
  • Untitled,charcoalon ivory laid paper, 1922,[22]by Henri Matisse
  • Personage and Birds in Front of the Sun (Personnage et oiseaux devant le soleil),ink and gouache on paper, 1942,[23]by Joan Miró
  • This Thing is Made to Perpetuate My Memory (Cette Chose est faite pour perpetuer mon souvenir),ink, gouache or watercolor, and silver and bronze paint on board, 1915,[24]by Francis Picabia
  • Head of a Woman (Tete de femme),red and black chalk with chalk wash on tan laid paper, laid down on lightweight Japanese paper, 1922,[25]by Pablo Picasso

Exhibitions, performances and lectures[edit]

Until theMuseum of Modern Artwas founded in 1929, Chicago and The Arts Club in particular was the most receptive exhibitor ofmodern artin the United States. At that time, no institution in the United States, especially none in Manhattan, would exhibit Europeanmodernism.By renting space at theArt Institute of Chicago'sBuildingthe Arts Club was able to arrange showings in Chicago's most prestigious museum.[4]

The club has exhibited an impressive number of well-known 20th centuryvisual artists.Many of the century's most controversial artists made their United States ormidwestsolo exhibition debuts at the club including: Alexander Calder,Marc Chagall,Salvador Dalí,Jean Dubuffet,Pablo Picasso,Jackson Pollock,Auguste Rodin,Georges Seurat,andHenri Toulouse-Lautrec.In addition, many artists have given lectures at the club, includingMartha Graham,Kathleen Battle,Leonard Bernstein,Kenneth BranaghandRobert Altman.Aside from visual artists, the club also has hosted lectures and performances from such prominent musicians asJohn Cage,Philip Glass,Ramsey LewisandIgor Stravinsky,and poetsW. H. Auden,Gertrude SteinandWilliam Butler Yeats.[7]Most notable among these exhibitions was Picasso's first United States solo exhibition,[4]Original Drawings by Pablo Picassofrom March 20 to April 22, 1923,[26]by the Arts Club at its installation at the Art Institute of Chicago. (Picasso's work had first been shown the US in a group show in New York curated byEdward Steichenin 1911.[27]) In the 1930s, whenIsamu Noguchiwas still known as a sculptor, they hosted him.[28]In 1970 whenVarujan Boghosianwas a timely sculptor known for depicting the legend ofOrpheus,The Arts Club hosted a showing.[29]

Locations[edit]

The current location is the club's seventh location. However, this is the first building owned by the club. The location history is listed below.[7]

The first home at theFine Arts Buildinghad no exhibition space. The club was not able to put on its first exhibition until December 18 when it moved to a location with exhibition space. The club's early gallery spaces were not sufficient to achieve the club's goals and it agreed to assume cost and selection responsibilities forworksin a series of shows at The Arts Club Exhibition Room at the Art Institute of Chicago from 1922 to 1927.[10]

Name Street Address Years Architect/Interior Designer
Fine Arts Building 401 S.Michigan Avenue 1916–18 Arthur Heun/Rue Winterbotham Carpenter
610 S. Michigan Avenue 1918–24 Arthur Heun/Rue Winterbotham Carpenter
Wrigley Building(north tower) 410 N. Michigan Avenue 1924–36 Arthur Heun/Rue Winterbotham Carpenter
Wrigley Building(south tower) 410 N. Michigan Avenue 1936–47 Arthur Heun/Elizabeth "Bobsy" Goodspeed Chapman
109 E. Ontario Street 1951–95 Ludwig Mies van der Rohe
222 W. Superior Street 1995–97
201 E. Ontario Street 1997– Vinci/Hamp Architects, Inc.

Leadership[edit]

The club has had eleven presidents:[7]

Name Years
Mrs. Robert McGann 1916–1918
Rue Winterbotham Carpenter 1918–1931
Elizabeth "Bobsy" Goodspeed 1932–1940
Mrs. William B. Hale 1940
Rue Winterbotham Shaw 1940–1979
Mrs. Roger Barnett 1979
James Phinney Baxter IV 1979–1981
Stanley M. Freehling 1981–2005
Marilynn B. Alsdorf 2006–2011
Sophia Shaw 2011–2013
Helyn Goldenberg 2013–2017
Dale Pinkert 2017–2020
Laura Washington 2020–present

Dues[edit]

A two-tiered dues system, established at The Arts Club's inception, is maintained to this day: professional members pay lower dues than patrons, ensuring that fine and performing artists remain a vital component of The Arts Club membership.[30]

References[edit]

Citations[edit]

  1. ^Kruty, Paul (2005)."Armory Show of 1913".The Electronic Encyclopedia of Chicago.Chicago Historical Society.Archivedfrom the original on April 30, 2007.RetrievedJune 27,2007.
  2. ^abWarren, Lynne (2005)."Art".The Electronic Encyclopedia of Chicago.Chicago Historical Society.Archivedfrom the original on July 18, 2007.RetrievedJune 27,2007.
  3. ^abRoeder George H. Jr. (2005)."Artists, Education and Culture of".The Electronic Encyclopedia of Chicago.Chicago Historical Society.Archivedfrom the original on June 18, 2007.RetrievedJune 27,2007.
  4. ^abcFitzgerald, pp. 120–1
  5. ^abcd"Honor: The Arts Club of Chicago".American Institute of Architects Chicago. Archived fromthe originalon November 24, 2001.RetrievedJune 28,2007.
  6. ^abcdefgh"The Arts Club of Chicago Building Fact Sheet"(PDF).artn. Archived fromthe original(PDF)on June 15, 2006.RetrievedJune 29,2007.
  7. ^abcde"Fact Sheet"(PDF).artn. Archived fromthe original(PDF)on June 15, 2006.RetrievedJune 29,2007.
  8. ^Wells, p. 6.
  9. ^Wells, p. 7.
  10. ^abWells, p. 8.
  11. ^abWells, p. 9.
  12. ^Wells, p. 10.
  13. ^Wells, p. 11.
  14. ^Wells, p. 39.
  15. ^Pridmore, Jay & George A. Larson (2005). "The Meaning of Mies and the Rise of Modernism".Chicago Architecture and Design.Harry N. Abrams, Inc.ISBN0-8109-5892-9.
  16. ^Wells, p. 72.
  17. ^Shaw, p. 29.
  18. ^Pridmore, Jay & George A. Larson (2005). "Chicago's Second Modern Period".Chicago Architecture and Design.Harry N. Abrams, Inc.ISBN0-8109-5892-9.
  19. ^"Shaw, Sophia, editor The Arts Club of Chicago: The Collection 1916–1996".The University of Chicago Press. Archived fromthe originalon September 18, 2006.RetrievedAugust 8,2007.
  20. ^Shaw, p. 40.
  21. ^Shaw, p. 76.
  22. ^Shaw, p. 74.
  23. ^Shaw, p. 78.
  24. ^Shaw, p. 86.
  25. ^Shaw, p. 90.
  26. ^Shaw, p. 123.
  27. ^Fitzgerald, pp. 278
  28. ^"Third Noguchi".Time.Time, Inc.October 10, 1932. Archived fromthe originalon October 27, 2010.RetrievedApril 30,2008.
  29. ^"The Mythmaker".Time.Time, Inc.February 9, 1970. Archived fromthe originalon October 30, 2010.RetrievedApril 30,2008.
  30. ^"The Arts Club of Chicago".Archivedfrom the original on October 4, 2021.RetrievedOctober 29,2021.

Sources[edit]

External links[edit]

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