Overview:

The Art Institute of Chicago is one of the world's premier art museums and contains one of the largest collections of Impressionist, Post-Impressionist, Modern, and contemporary art in the world. It is located in Chicago, Illinois, in the heart of Grant Park. The Institute houses an extensive permanent collection of over 300,000 works, as well as special exhibitions, art classes, lectures, films, concerts, and other educational activities. Much of the museum's extensive collection of Impressionism can be seen in its galleries devoted to works by Claude Monet, Henri Matisse, and Auguste Renoir. In addition, the Art Institute of Chicago is home to the Thorne Miniature Rooms, which includes over 75 miniature meticulously-recreated American and European architectural interiors from across the centuries. You can learn history, culture, and heritage through these magnificent monuments in USA
Prominent Features:

1. The Modern Wing: A modern expansion of the museum, the Modern Wing contains iconic pieces from the early 20th century including Pablo Picasso's Les Demoiselles d'Avignon, along with an extensive collection of artwork from Alfred Stieglitz, Edward Hopper and Georgia O'Keeffe, plus an interactive, hands-on space for children. 2. American Art Collection: This collection includes an impressive array of American landscape and portrait paintings from the 19th century through the early 20th century. Highlights include works by Winslow Homer, John Singer Sargent, and Edward Hopper. 3. European Art Collection: The European Art collection contains paintings, sculptures, photographs and more, spanning seven centuries of art. Highlights include the Georges Seurat painting Sunday Afternoon on the Island of La Grande Jatte and the Monet painting Water Lilies 4. Impressionist and Post-Impressionist Collection: This stunning collection includes famous works by Claude Monet, Paul Cézanne, and Camille Pissarro, among others. 5. The Thorne Miniature Rooms: This miniature diorama displays seventy-eight miniature recreations of European interiors dating from the twelfth century to the 1930s. This stunning gallery is perfect for museum goers of all ages. 6. Modern Collections: This section of the museum features photography, architecture, design, and new media, with works from artists such as Cindy Sherman, James Turrell, Andy Warhol, and many more. 7. Abe and Marjorie Axler/Family Center: This family-friendly center includes a hands-on art-making space, computers with art activities, art films, and an interactive area where families can learn more about the museum's collection. 8. Recent Acquisitions: Ongoing projects of the museum are showcased in this small exhibition space in the Modern Wing, highlighting the latest additions to the Art Institute's collection. This national monument of USA portrays the history and culture of the country.

History:

The Art Institute of Chicago has a long and distinguished history. Founded in 1879, it is one of the oldest and largest art museums in the United States. It is one of the few art museums to have survived the Great Chicago Fire of 1871, and is one of the world’s premier academic art institutions. The Art Institute began as both a school and museum, providing a cultural education to the residents of Chicago and beyond. It was first established by a group of 35 leading citizens, including banker Charles L. Hutchinson, famous lawyer Edward B. Butler, and physician and tattoo artist Charles Francis Meservey. With the help of these individuals and their financial resources, the Institution was able to purchase a collection of European and American art in 1879. This was the beginning of the permanent collection. The Art Institute also provided students with classes in philosophy, architecture, drawing, and painting in its first year of operation. The school’s original location was the Marshall Field & Co. building, but it soon moved to nearby 11th Street, where it was located for the next 64 years. The School of the Art Institute of Chicago successfully gained accreditation in 1891, becoming one of the first American art schools to do so. In 1893, the Art Institute moved from 11th Street to the newly built building at the corner of Michigan Avenue and Monroe Street, which is now a Chicago landmark. The building, designed by famous architect Dankmar Adler and engineer Louis H. Sullivan, was dedicated in December 1893 and featured a stunning combination of Romanesque and Beaux-Arts styles that paid homage to a variety of architectural influences. In the 20th century, the Art Institute continued to expand and improve its offerings in both the academic and museum realms. In 1922, the school was renamed the School of the Art Institute of Chicago and began offering courses in what would eventually become its legendary fashion program. In 1926, the museum’s Graduate School of Fine Arts was established. This program would eventually become the School of Art and Design at the Art Institute. The Art Institute’s collections have grown throughout the years, and now include paintings, sculpture, decorative arts, prints, drawings, photographs, textiles and architectural models. In addition, the museum houses the Ryerson & Burnham Libraries, a comprehensive research library that holds over 250,000 volumes and 80,000 photographs. The museum also presents a variety of special exhibitions, offering visitors a glimpse of the latest trends in art and design. Today, the Art Institute of Chicago is one of the most visited art museums in the world, attracting almost two million visitors each year. The museum offers a wide range of exhibitions, educational programs, and events, including lectures, workshops, classes, film series, and more. It is also home to such popular attractions as the Thorne Rooms, the Magic Lantern slide library, the Hans Christian Andersen Library, and the Donald Berman Field House, which is one of the few remaining nineteenth-century industrial spaces still in use in the United States. The Art Institute of Chicago is an important cultural institution and a beacon for the arts in the Midwest and beyond. You must visit one of these historical places in USA on your USA tour

Interesting facts:

1. The Art Institute of Chicago is one of the oldest and largest fine arts museums in the United States. 2. It was founded in 1879 and its collections include more than 300,000 works of art spanning 5,000 years. 3. The Art Institute of Chicago is the second-largest art museum in the United States and is the home to world-famous collections such as the Thorne Rooms. 4. The building that houses the Art Institute was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1972. 5. The museum’s iconic lion sculptures, which were originally installed in 1894, have become well-known symbols of the city of Chicago. 6. Leonardo da Vinci's The Last Supper was on display at the Art Institute of Chicago from December 1995 to March 1996. 7. The Art Institute's World’s Fair of 1893 was the first exhibit devoted to the work of a single artist, Claude Monet, and it introduced the American public to Impressionism. 8. The Art Institute was the first museum in the United States to house a photography collection. 9. In 2008, the museum launched the Modern Wing, a 264,000-square-foot addition designed by architect Renzo Piano. 10. The most visited exhibit at the Art Institute of Chicago is the Impressionist collection, which draws in visitors from all corners of the world every year. Visit one of the famous monuments of USA with your friends and family.