The Intuit Art Museum, formerly known as Intuit: The Center for Intuitive and Outsider Art, will reopen its doors on April 25 after an extensive 18-month renovation. The museum, located at 756 N. Milwaukee Ave.
in West Town, has undergone a $10 million makeover that has tripled its footprint to 18,000 square feet. The renovation includes a new glass storefront, multiple exhibition galleries, an education and art studio, a community gathering space, and accessibility upgrades. The museum will also feature a reimagined Duchossois Family Henry Darger Exhibition, showcasing the famous Chicago artist’s works, writings, and personal objects.
Debra Kerr, the museum’s president and CEO, said, “One of the things that used to happen is people would come in and they’d see the exhibits and go, ‘Where’s the rest of it? We want more.’ And that’s what we’re doing.
Intuit museum renovation and reopening details
We’re giving our guests the ‘more’ that they asked for.”
The museum’s new name reflects its identity as a museum instead of a center and underscores its commitment to artists. “There has been a lot of pushback against the term ‘outsider art,'” Kerr said. “It’s intended to designate someone who works outside the mainstream.
But when you read that term, a lot of artists feel like that is othering them.”
The renovation was made possible by a $5 million City of Chicago Community Development Grant and contributions to the museum’s “Just Imagine!” capital campaign. The museum’s inaugural special exhibition will showcase works from immigrant artists, aligning with its mission to highlight those who might not have had formal training but were driven to create art. Founded in 1991, the Intuit Art Museum is one of the few in the world focusing exclusively on self-taught artists, making Chicago a fitting location for this unique institution.
By coordinating its reopening with Expo Chicago, Kerr hopes to draw more visitors to the newly renovated space. The museum’s new hours will be 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. Wednesday through Sunday, and until 8 p.m. every third Thursday. Admission is $15, or free for members, visitors 25 and under, and those unable to pay.
