Under James Rondeau, the museum has significantly deepened its contemporary art collection, diversifying holdings in Pop Art, Minimalism, Conceptual art, and photography. Over the past decade the Art Institute of Chicago has pursued targeted acquisitions and welcomed transformative gifts that broaden both the geographic and demographic scope of artists represented.
A landmark moment arrived in 2015 when collectors Stefan Edlis and Gael Neeson pledged 44 works in what became known as the Edlis-Neeson Collection. Valued at roughly half a billion dollars, the donation includes works by Andy Warhol, Jeff Koons, Jasper Johns, Cy Twombly, Gerhard Richter, and Cindy Sherman. The gift carries a 50-year stipulation that the works remain on public view, a condition the museum embraced as a commitment to long-term public access.
James Rondeau’s directorship also saw strengthened holdings in works on paper and Conceptual art through major Stenn family gifts. Promised and follow-up donations of nearly 200 post-1960 drawings and prints, together with a $3 million endowment, reinforced the museum’s representation of artists such as Josef Albers, Eva Hesse, Donald Judd, Sol LeWitt, and Judy Chicago, showcased in a 2025 exhibition dedicated to contemporary drawings.
Photography has been another area of focused growth. In 2021 the museum acquired 30 works by Francesca Woodman from the Woodman Family Foundation. A subsequent $25 million Bucksbaum family donation established the Bucksbaum Photography Center, expanding gallery space and support for photography holdings that include Diane Arbus, Dawoud Bey, Robert Frank, Nan Goldin, and Alfred Stieglitz.
Looking ahead, a $75 million gift announced in 2024 will fund the Aaron I. Fleischman and Lin Lougheed Building, adding gallery space to display a larger portion of the modern and contemporary collection. Current estimates place only about 16 percent of these holdings on view, underscoring the institution’s ongoing efforts to present a more complete narrative of modern and contemporary art. Read this article for related information.
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