The Ren
Art Center / Chicago

The Renaissance Society was founded in 1915 by a group of University of Chicago faculty, and our name refers to their intention to create a space in which to foster engagement with new ideas in arts and culture.

In the early 20th century the Renaissance Society played a key role in bringing European and other avant-garde practices to Chicago through presentations of Henri Matisse, Alexander Calder, Fernand Léger, Mies Van Der Rohe, Käthe Kollwitz, and Joseph Cornell, among others.

“The Ren” – as we are known by many – is an independent, non-collecting museum driven by an uncompromising commitment to artists and their ideas. All exhibitions and events are free and open to the public.

We offer artists the time, space, resources, and freedom that are vital for ambitious experimentation and risk-taking. Our work with artists frequently results in newly commissioned art, and their presentations in our 3,000 square feet gallery spur further scholarly and creative reflections in our publications and public programs.

Visitors to the Ren find a uniquely intimate platform for encountering artistic expressions that give form to, challenge, and complicate currents in contemporary thought. Events – including artist talks, lectures, screenings, concerts, readings, and more – offer further opportunities for discovery and discussion. We maintain robust archives, which are frequently accessed by art historians, students, and other institutions.

R.H. Quaytman (Bio), Unthought Environments, Ben Rivers, David Maljković, Astrid Klein, Jennifer Packer, John Neff, Robert Grosvenor, Wadada Leo Smith
The Ren
Art Center / Chicago

The Renaissance Society was founded in 1915 by a group of University of Chicago faculty, and our name refers to their intention to create a space in which to foster engagement with new ideas in arts and culture.

In the early 20th century the Renaissance Society played a key role in bringing European and other avant-garde practices to Chicago through presentations of Henri Matisse, Alexander Calder, Fernand Léger, Mies Van Der Rohe, Käthe Kollwitz, and Joseph Cornell, among others.

“The Ren” – as we are known by many – is an independent, non-collecting museum driven by an uncompromising commitment to artists and their ideas. All exhibitions and events are free and open to the public.

We offer artists the time, space, resources, and freedom that are vital for ambitious experimentation and risk-taking. Our work with artists frequently results in newly commissioned art, and their presentations in our 3,000 square feet gallery spur further scholarly and creative reflections in our publications and public programs.

Visitors to the Ren find a uniquely intimate platform for encountering artistic expressions that give form to, challenge, and complicate currents in contemporary thought. Events – including artist talks, lectures, screenings, concerts, readings, and more – offer further opportunities for discovery and discussion. We maintain robust archives, which are frequently accessed by art historians, students, and other institutions.

R.H. Quaytman (Bio), Unthought Environments, Ben Rivers, David Maljković, Astrid Klein, Jennifer Packer, John Neff, Robert Grosvenor, Wadada Leo Smith
  • Meaning
    Aug 26 – Dec 3, 2023
    Inside-Out Art Museum
    Beijing, China
    Beijing Inside-Out Art Museum is delighted to open a new exhibition Meaning. Meaning has been inspired by our recent experience. In the past three years, travel almost came to a complete stop. The network of art that emerged in the happy era of globalization has been put to test by physical and ideological barriers, yet it still maintains good faith and conveys news from other parts of art world to us. (more…)