The Society for Contemporary Art was founded in 1940 with the help of Daniel Catton Rich, then director of the Art Institute of Chicago. Through the inspired leadership of its membership and the guidance of the museum's curators in the Department of Contemporary Art, the SCA has played a prominent role in bringing contemporary art to the museum for more than half a century.

The SCA promotes a better understanding and appreciation of contemporary art through a series of lectures and meetings each year. Offering telling insights into the production, collection, and display of the art of our own time, the SCA's programs offer members access to an exciting roster of leading national and international artists, dealers, critics, art historians, and curators, as well as occasional visits to distinguished private collections in Chicago.

Most importantly, the SCA aims to enhance the Art Institute's collection of contemporary art. Every year members review a selected group of contemporary works, and, through a voting process, choose one or more objects to purchase on behalf of the museum. Over the years, the SCA has acquired works by such distinguished artists as Alexander Calder, Jackson Pollock, Joan Mitchell, Josef Albers, James Turrell, Doris Salcedo, Tacita Dean, Doug Aitken, David Wojnarowicz, Wolfgang Tillmans and Larry Clark.

Wolfgang Tillmans. Lightning II, 2002, from Chicago Installation, 2003. Gift of Society for Contemporary Art.

Membership
Membership in the Society for Contemporary Art is available in six categories:

Angel $2,500
Patron $1000
Sponsor $500
Regular $300
Junior (under age 35) $150
Artist $150

Members must also be members of the Art Institute.

Send questions or comments to
Jenny Gheith: jgheith@artic.edu
Society for Contemporary Art (312) 443-3630