“The Modern Wing embodies Chicago in so many ways,” said Thomas J. Pritzker, chairman of the Board of Trustees of the museum. “It is forward-looking and fresh, certainly, but it also represents a monumental and successful philanthropic effort that no other cultural institution in the city can match. The Modern Wing would not have been possible without the unwavering support of members, visitors, donors, and benefactors. It is our hope that the building we open on May 16 shows that all these efforts, support, and patience are rewarded. While the museum itself showcases art of the past and the present, we can now officially say it is built for the future.”
The new wing consists of two pavilions flanking the central area of the Kenneth and Anne Griffin Court and provides three floors of gallery space, a shop, café, fine dining restaurant and an interior garden. The east pavilion houses the education center as well as photography and film, video, and new media galleries on the first floor, galleries for the museum’s permanent collection of contemporary art on the second floor, and galleries for the permanent collection of modern European art on the third floor, under an innovative sun shade system that allows natural light into the galleries. In the west pavilion, the first floor is devoted to the new museum shop, the Modern Shop, visitor services facilities, and special exhibition galleries that will feature modern and contemporary art.
by: nikiomahe.com