The Renaissance Society is driven by an unwavering faith in artists and their ideas. We support them to produce new art and, with it, new knowledge, new discourse, and new ways of thinking. This is especially evident in our publications, which have been at the core of our activity since we were founded in 1915.
This is why we are thrilled to announce the establishment of the Joe and Rika...
The Renaissance Society’s community of supporters values our independence and commitment to fostering ambitious artistic expression in its many forms. Members at all levels provide essential funds for our program of exhibitions, talks, screenings, concerts and other events, all of which are free and open to the public.
Whether you frequently visit the Ren or follow us from afar, please...
Following the success of our poster sale at Expo Chicago in September, we’re pleased to announce that select archive exhibition posters are now available to buy through our online shop. They are all 18 x 24” and unfolded—perfect for framing (or just sticking straight up on the wall)! Many are available to view in full online as PDFs—see individual listings for the links.
Prices start at just...
Student committee members in Milwaukee, 2018
All students in the Chicago area can get a free membership to the Renaissance Society. Just sign up here to receive our monthly student newsletter, invitations to special student events, and a 20% discount on our publications. Student membership is open to undergraduate and graduate students of all disciplines.
Thursday, October 4, 5:30-6:45pm: Join us for our first...
Posters have been a beloved accompaniment to the Renaissance Society’s exhibitions program for more than 25 years. Beyond communicating essential information, they have served as a platform for long form essays, design experimentation, and individual artworks. As such, this visual archive tells the story of the Ren’s ongoing commitment to artists and their ideas.
In a special presentation...
Richard Rezac, Quimby, 2017. Courtesy of the artist. Photo: Tom Van Eynde.
“I want there to be a balance among the overall differences, a broad conversation,” explains Richard Rezac in a recent interview about his solo exhibition, Address.
Presented here at the Renaissance Society in spring 2018, the exhibition is now traveling to the Blaffer Art Museum at the University of Houston. It will be on view there September 8–December 8, 2018. There, the 20 works of the...
The Ren may be 103 years old, but we’re still spry, moving forward with determination and vigor. Peter Wächtler’s runner in many ways captures this spirit, and he is featured on our brand-new members’ tote bag. You may also recall him from Wächtler’s 2016 exhibition, Secrets of a Trumpet, which presented new works commissioned by the Renaissance Society.
We’re delighted to announce that we...
Jennifer Packer, Hold, 2017. Courtesy of the artist and Corvi-Mora, London.
Jennifer Packer’s first solo museum presentation, Tenderheaded, debuted at the Renaissance Society in fall 2017 and was described in an frieze review as creating “a safe space in which to consider questions of mortality, subjectivity and belonging.”
We are pleased that our East Coast friends and visitors to the Boston area will have another opportunity to see the exhibition as it tours to the...
Sadie Benning, Shared Eye, sequence 6, #18, 19, 2016. Courtesy of the artist and Susanne Vielmetter Los Angeles Projects. Photo: Chris Austin.
The Renaissance Society is a place where audiences can encounter new works of art for the very first time, and we are often asked what happens to the projects that we commission. As a non-collecting museum, the art we help to produce belongs to the artist. These works frequently enter into private or public collections and can be seen again in other exhibitions.
We are thrilled to share the...
Jochen Dehn’s Intermissions performance, Arches and Avalanches, August 2017. Photo: Meg T. Noe.
Students in the Chicago area can get a free membership to the Renaissance Society. Just sign up here to receive our monthly student newsletter, invitations to special student events, and a 20% discount on our publications. Student membership is open to undergraduate and graduate students of all disciplines.
Our first student members event will be on Wednesday, October 11...
