Arts Club of Chicago - Mission and Purpose

Mission and Purpose

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." This mission arose from the contemporary Chicago active art scene, which had 30 commercial art galleries showing traditional art and an internationally recognized museum. Additionally, the local mass media gave equitable coverage to the visual arts. The art scene also had enough clubs and organizations for musicians, writers and artists. Unfortunately, the lively art scene did not adequately represent the avant-garde art. The local galleries emphasized American, English and the occasional French work, emphasizing prints and drawings. This necessitated trips to New York City, London or Paris for Chicagoans who wanted to buy art.

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.