The world-famous Art Institute of Chicago has announced it’s received a hefty donation courtesy of a pair of art-loving husbands.
The couple, Aaron I. Fleischman, 85, and Dr. Lin Lougheed, 78, just donated $75 million to the Chicago landmark. It’s the biggest such gift the organization has ever received.
The donation will finance the development of the Aaron I. Fleischman and Lin Lougheed Building: new galleries to showcase the institute’s collection of late 19th century, modern, and contemporary art. The new building will offer views of Millennium Park, downtown Chicago, and Lake Michigan
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Fleischman and Lougheed are now based in Florida (you can check out a photo of them here at an Art Basel Miami event in 2008). However, both have midwestern roots. Fleischman comes from the north suburban Highland Park. Lougheed is originally from Ottumwa, Iowa.
Fleischman an investor who has been collecting art since the mid-1980s. He has been a trustee of the Art Institute of Chicago for the past 15 years. He spent the bulk of his career running his own, influential and very successful law firm in Washington DC. ArtNews includes him in its list of the Top 200 collectors list.
Dr. Linford (Lin) Lougheed’s life has been “centered on international education,” according to a statement from the Institute. He also worked as a US Foreign Service Officer assigned to Embassies around the world.
“Excited”
“The Art Institute of Chicago has one of the world’s great art collections,” said Fleischman in a statement. “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.”
“We are beyond grateful to collaborate with Aaron and Lin to imagine the future of our campus,” said James Rondeau, President and Eloise W. Martin Director of the Art Institute of Chicago in a statement. “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.”
Famous works
The original Art Institute of Chicago building dates back to 1893. However, it has undergone eight extensions since that time with the addition of new wings.
Some of the famous artworks it holds include Nighthawks by Edward Hopper, American Gothic by Grant Wood, and A Sunday on La Grande Jatte by Georges Seurat.
It is now the second largest art institution in the country after New York’s Metropolitan Art Museum.
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olfwob
OK, i would have used the money to make sure that “kicked out” gay kids have a safe place to stay, but giving it to a well founded art museum seems ok too.
BDAguy
You are right, it’s a shame they divide up the cash to include some desperately needed help for gay teens on the streets.