Gardner, who has a nearly-30 year relationship with the Art Institute, has served as a philanthropist and volunteer and spent 15 years as a trustee and five years in her current role as vice chair of the board. The Art Institute has trimmed staff amid significant revenue hits during the past pandemic year and has heard public calls from staff to do better on questions of diversity, equity and inclusion. For non-personal use or to order multiple copies, please contact Gardner will succeed Robert M. Levy as the leader. As we looked for a chair who could fit our needs in the coming years, Denise emerged as the clear leader, said Art Institute of Chicago trustee Tom Pritzker, who led the nominating committee for the board. Its an honor to accept this role, Gardner said in a statement. The wrong time for another loss, as the Bulls were now two games out of a play-in spot. She was the lead individual sponsor of the museums recent exhibition,Charles White: A Retrospective,and, over the years, she has funded numerous acquisitions for the Department of Prints and Drawings and the Department of Modern and Contemporary Art. "For date nights, a lot of the times, we'd (go) to the Art Institute. Gardner said she wants Chicago museum to be 'here for the public, not the few'. Denise Gardner. Every month, we publish stories about our incredible community. A Chicago native and Northwestern business school graduate, Gardner founded the beauty products company Namaste Laboratories with her husband Gary in the 1990s. With her professional background and a nearly 30-year relationship with the Art Institute as a volunteer and philanthropic leader, including 15 years as a trustee and five years in her current role as vice chair of the board, Gardner is uniquely positioned to advance the strategic vision of both the museum and the school. She said she thinks about it each Easter. Her history with the museum dates back to 1995, when she began her decades-long involvement with the Leadership Advisory Committee. Denise is at the vanguard of making art and design education more inclusive, said School of the Art Institute of Chicago president Elissa Tenny. Gardner has similarly advocated for under-represented artists from her position at the Art Institute. They sold the company the following decade, and have since turned their attention to collecting and philanthropy. Denise Gardner in Chicago, IL We found 16 records for Denise Gardner in Chicago, IL. Gardner, 66, will be the first Black person and first woman chairperson of the governing body for the museum and the School of the Art Institute. Shes thought to be the countrys first Black woman chairperson of a major museum board, though she said she wishes there was better evidence to confirm that. Join us this year for an exciting lineup of exhibitions, lectures, screenings, and special events. I am grateful to our current chair, Bob Levy, for his leadership, particularly as we navigated the uncertainty of the past year. Gardner follows Robert M. Levy as the leader of the governing body of both the School of the Art Institute of Chicago and the museum. She and her husband, Gary, are noted collectors., The decision, he said, was straightforward.. I look forward to supporting her vision as board chair.. Pink Panthers Gang Suspected as TEFAF DiamondThieves, Ukraine Issues Banksy Stamp, Secret Life of Dal Painting Revealed, and More: Morning Links for February 27, 2023, Former Payroll Manager from Art Institute of Chicago Indicted for Stealing $2 M. from Museum. Anyone can read what you share. Located in downtown Chicago with a fine arts graduate program ranked number two in the nation by, Federal/State Grants and Outside Scholarships, Career and Professional Experience (CAPX), Institute for Curatorial Research & Practice. Gardner, 66, will be the first Black person and first woman chairperson of the governing body for the museum and the School of the Art Institute. She has led the couples significant art collecting, particularly of Black women artists. I look forward to working with the institutions leadership and staff to fully realize our aspiration of ensuring that people of all ages from throughout the Chicagoland area and beyond, particularly children, see the Art Institute of Chicago as a place where they are welcome and truly belong.. All Rights Reserved. Art Institute of Chicago Announces Denise Gardner as Next Chairperson of Board of Trustees April 13, 2021 A Statement from President Elissa Tenny on Residential Art Spaces March 22, 2021 SAIC Named a Fulbright US Student Program Top Producing Institution for 2020-21 February 19, 2021 But in Gardner, institution leaders said they believe the museum has found a guiding hand suited to the moment. This is really an important moment. Levy will remain on the board and Gardner will take over as chair when Levy's term ends in November. She will succeed Robert Levy as the leader of the governing body when his term ends in November. For more than 150 years, the School of the Art Institute of Chicago has been a leader in educating the worlds most Contemporary art, with an emphasis on artists of the African diaspora. Iowa guard Molly Davis, right, fouls Purdue guard Jeanae Terry during the first half of an NCAA college basketball game at the Big Ten women's tournament Friday, March 3, 2023, in Minneapolis. Denise Gardner, 71. https://www.wsj.com/articles/collectors-eye-they-built-a-world-class-collection-of-black-artists-work-who-are-they-acquiring-now-11594828483. Denise Gardner, who has championed Black artists, as well as art accessibility and education for underrepresented audiences. Join Facebook to connect with Denise Gardner and others you may know. The longtime art collector and marketing executive Denise Gardner will become the chairwoman of the Art Institute of Chicago in November, perhaps the countrys first Black woman to hold that position on a major museum board. Denise Gardner has been elected as The Art Institute of Chicago's chairperson of the Board of Trustees. Robert M. Levy, the current board chair, will remain on the board after Gardner assumes the position in November. "The stories behind the art that really appealed to me," Gardner said. An art collector, Gardner said she has many favorite pieces of art in the museum, but one of her favorites is the Two Disciples at the Tomb by Henry Ossawa Tanner, acquired by the Art Institute in 1906. Thats not something I enjoyed in my education as a young person. In 2019, the American Alliance of Museums, whose membership includes art museums, launched a national initiative to push diversity and inclusion on museum boards. I welcome that. Coming out of last summers social justice upheaval following the police killing of George Floyd in Minnesota, Gardner and 11 other African American art museum board members formed the Black Trustee Alliance for Art Museums. Will the role of an art museum change? CHICAGOThe Art Institute of Chicago announced today the election of Denise Gardner as the organizations new chairperson of the Board of Trustees. AGE 70s Denise L Gardner Chicago, IL View Full Report Relatives Bruce Gardner Aisha Mia Gardner Richard J Gardner Nia Gardner Phone Address AGE 50s Previously cities included Elk Grove Village IL and Arlington Heights IL. Includes Address (6) Phone (6) Email (3) See Results. I learned so much from watching her, watching how she managed progress and change at the board level at the Art Institute, Gardner said. We know that Denise's political affiliation is currently a . And I felt, what a shame it was I didn't really know those artists.". African American Legacy (AAL) is a philanthropic initiative led by African American civic and community leaders who share the common goal of. She will take the steering role at the encyclopedic art museum and leading art college at a pivotal moment in their history. She has built a comprehensive collection predominantly composed of art by Black makers with a focus on women artists and encourages access and engagement by funding diverse exhibitions throughout the city and loaning works to shows throughout the U.S. She is a collector ambassador for SOUTH SOUTH, a global platform of galleries dedicated to promoting art from the Americas, South Asia, and Africa. We view collecting as a dynamic process, and we enjoy all its aspects: researching artists, viewing the work, meeting the artists and learning about their practice, hearing from galleries and curators about the work, considering which work fits best with our collection, and most of all, living with the work at home, the Gardners told ARTnews in an email interview. 10am PT/11am MT/12pm CT/1pm ET. Beyond collecting, the Gardners are passionate about ensuring that works by artists from the diaspora are shared and appreciated by the broader public, particularly young people. Watch footage of You're a Good Man, Charlie Brown at the Marriott Theatre! I was exhausted., Do Not Sell/Share My Personal Information. I knew I was the first at the Art Institute. Denises multifaceted commitment to the arts and education combined with decades of corporate and civic leadership make her the ideal choice to lead the Art Institute forward., Press ContactBree Witt312.499.4211 communications@saic.edu, {{[http://www.saic.edu/news/campus]CAMPUS}}. We're here so people from all 77 neighborhoods of Chicago can come here, feel comfortable here and feel like there's something here for them," Gardner said. The Art Institute announced Tuesday that Chicago philanthropist and marketing executive Denise Gardner was elected chairperson of its board of trustees. Lori Sapio/ Courtesy of the Art Institute of Chicago. She has built a personal collection of art that is internationally recognized and cultivated rich relationships with many artists and educators. Scottish Environmental Activists Smash Glass Case of Sword inProtest, Thomas H. Lee, Collector of Photography and Contemporary Art, Is Dead at 78, Alice Waltons Art Bridges Foundation Is Buyer of $4.5 M. Robert Colescott Painting Auctioned by Bonhams Last Week, Ronald Lauder Reaches Agreement on Klimt Painting with Descendants of Original Jewish Owner. This followed a 2017 AAM industrywide survey that found just 3% of museums had a Black board chair, almost half had all-white boards and 9 in 10 museum board members were white. Denises multifaceted commitment to the arts and education combined with decades of corporate and civic leadership make her the ideal choice to lead the Art Institute forward.. CHICAGO (WLS) -- It was announced in April of 2021 that Denise Gardner was elected the new chairperson of the Board of Trustees for the Art Institute of Chicago. In 2021, Denise Gardner made history when she was elected to be the chairman of the board of trustees of the Art Institute of Chicago, making her the first Black woman in the United States to. Youth and Adult Summer Registration Now Open! We found 15 records for Denise Gardner in Chicago, Elgin and 8 other cities in Illinois. Throughout my tenure as chair, she has been a thought partner and a valuable member of the executive committee. In this role, I can help the museum accelerate their progress, she said. Send us a tip using our anonymous form. Levy will remain on the board and Gardner will take over as chair when Levys term ends in November. In a historic move, the Art Institute of Chicago has named art collector and patron Denise Gardner as its next board chair. We understand her credentials to be really independent of her race or her gender, right? But we do understand the importance of this moment, Rondeau said. In 2021, Denise Gardner made history when she was elected to be the chairman of the board of trustees of the Art Institute of Chicago, making her the first Black woman in the United States to lead a major museums board. What will be possible going forward will depend in large measure on how the institution and people generally come out of the pandemic, acknowledged Levy, who will stay on the board. I like to exceed expectations.. Coming out of the pandemic, Gardner said, Its a time for innovation, renewal and thinking intentionally about making progress. She said its heartening that the museum has begun to liven again. I n November 2021, Denise Gardner became the Chair of the Board of Trustees at The Art Institute of Chicago (AIC). As a member of the Black Trustees Alliance, Gardner is developing key relationships across institutions and playing a critical role in shaping the future of arts leadership throughout the country. I think Denise is really a transformational force. I just think about what it must have been like [Tanner] was the descendant of slaves to paint this massive masterpiece that the museum purchased in 1906, Gardner said. As chairperson of the Art Institutes board, Gardner will take on the challenge of navigating COVID-19, saying she admires Levy for his steady hand throughout the whole pandemic, through the closures of both the museum and the school and the impact on employees and staff.