CHICAGO, IL.- The Art Institute of Chicago announced Contemporary Drawings from the Stenn Family Collection, on view June 28 through September 15, 2025. The exhibition showcases selections of 20th century drawings gifted to the Art Institute from Chicagoan Irving Stenn Jr. spanning five decades and encompassing various movements from around the world.


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The exhibition includes approximately 80 works, largely focused on contemporary artists across Abstract Expressionism, Pop Art, Minimalism and Post-Minimalism. Visitors will find impressive groups of drawings by Joseph Albers, Sol LeWitt, and Barry Le Va. However, Stenn did not limit himself to a single period or place. There are also drawings by Russian avant-garde artists such as Kazmir Malevich and Lyubov Sergeevna Popova and Latin American artists including Leon Ferrari and Hélio Oiticica.


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“The show, highlighting this expansive gift, offers visitors a window into 20th-century art and gives them an opportunity to experience the work of pioneering artists in the primary act of drawing,” said Mark Pascale, Janet and Craig Duchossois Curator, Prints and Drawings. “We are so grateful not only for the Stenn family’s enthusiasm for art, but their commitment to sharing this collection with our visitors.”

Irving began collecting art with his wife in 1971 as a way of enhancing their newly renovated Lincoln Park home. Neither had formal art training but an eye and appreciation for works that brought them closer together. In time, they acquired paintings and other artworks by significant artists of the post-World War II period. After Marcia’s passing in 1999, Stenn learned even more about drawings and worked with Art Institute curators, among others, to eventually amass a collection of more than 200 works on paper.

Over the past 20 years, the Stenn family has given more than 200 works, including paintings and sculptures, to the Art Institute.

“Building this collection was a true labor of love. The depth and breadth of these works are a testament to not only my father’s passion for 20th-century drawings, but also his long-time partnership with and commitment to the Art Institute’s phenomenal Prints and Drawings department,” said Sarah Stenn, Irving Stenn’s daughter.

This exhibition celebrates the family’s most recent gift of 100 prints and drawings, which was generously given in 2023. It is one of the most significant and collection-enhancing bodies of works on paper given in museum history.

“Dad has always believed that art should be widely shared and accessible to all, and public museums like the Art Institute ensure this remains possible. Our family is especially thrilled that this gift will provide visitors with the opportunity to see and experience the Stenn Family Collection for the first time,” Stenn said.

Contemporary Drawings from the Stenn Family Collection is curated by Mark Pascale, Janet and Craig Duchossois Curator, Prints and Drawings, and Felipe Villada Ruiz, senior research associate, Prints and Drawings.



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