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This past year, a tremendous variety of new objects joined the Art Institute’s holdings, each with its own unique story. Here’s a look at some of the notable works acquired in 2022 that enable us to share a more expansive history of art.

New acquisitions strengthen, broaden, and deepen the stories we can share in our galleries. Here are a few of the past year’s most notable newcomers.

Have some of our most popular works resonated with you? Would you like to explore further? If so, our curators are happy to suggest some lesser known works they think you might like.

Responding to disproportionate racial and gender representation within Chicago’s modern and contemporary art scene in the 20th century, women seized the gap by forging their own spaces throughout the city. Learn about the history of placemaking in Chicago art spaces through selections from the Research Center’s Libraries and Archives. 

Frame conservators Chris Brooks and Kirk Vuillemot consider the origins of a frame that arrived at the museum almost 70 years ago (with a somewhat famous self-portrait).

This colorful glazed earthenware brought Italian Renaissance visual art to the home and dining table.

Gazing at the viewer, a young boy blows on a hot ember in order to light the candle he holds.