As its philanthropic and civic engagement activities display the Club’s commitment to community and country, so does the Union League Club’s support of local art institutions and its own art collection epitomize its commitment to culture.
The Club supported the establishment of the Art Institute of Chicago, the Field Museum and the Harold Washington Library. It also built one of the most comprehensive private collections of American art.
This outstanding, museum-quality collection is one of the first things one notices about the Union League Club: art is everywhere! Some work is familiar – Monet’s "Apple Trees in Blossom" – while others may be less familiar – Sabraw’s "Chroma S4 Chimaera," David Anthony Geary’s "Back of the Bus for Now," and Roger Brown’s "Cathedrals in Space," for example.
The art collection of the Union League Club Chicago represents the Club’s commitment to culture for over a century. Displayed on nearly every floor and room throughout the Club, it enhances the beautiful Beaux-Art Building erected in 1926 and lends it the feel of a museum. Comprised of more than 700 paintings, sculptures, drawings, prints, and photographs, almost a third of the collection was created by women. The collection embraces a diversity of style, geography and chronology. American art, particularly Midwestern art of the twentieth century, forms the nucleus, with important works by Roger Brown, Walter Ufer, and Gertrude Abercrombie. Among the many works of European art is the jewel of the club’s collection - an 1872 landscape by Claude Monet.
The Club’s art committee was formed in 1891, which is now responsible for hosting a variety of programs throughout the year including lectures, exhibitions and much more. In 1998, the Club established a Distinguished Artists Program, honoring local artists.
The Union League Club of Chicago continues to acquire and display art throughout the Clubhouse for the enjoyment and enrichment of the members and guests.
Tour the Collection
Group Tours led by Union League Club Docents are available by advance reservation.
Group Tours
Minimum charge: $250 for the first 25 guests. After 25, the cost is an additional $15 per person.
Cancellations must be made within 48 hours, or half of the fee will be assessed.
Contact
Phone: 312.435.5942
Email: [email protected]
