Elmhurst University recently received a $4,615 grant through DuPage Foundation’s Arts DuPage grant program to support the University’s acclaimed art collection.
“We are delighted to receive this Arts DuPage grant,” said Ann Quinn Kelly, Elmhurst University’s art collection and exhibitions manager. “The funding will strengthen the accessibility of the University’s art collection while creating new opportunities for DuPage County residents to engage with the arts.”
The Elmhurst University Art Collection, featuring Chicago Imagist and Abstractionist art considered among the best in the nation, enriches both the campus and the broader community by providing access to artworks that reflect the creative vibrancy of the Chicago region. Through this access and stewardship, the Art Collection advances its mission to deepen cultural understanding and foster creative and critical thinking among students, scholars and the public.
The DuPage Foundation grant will support expanded installations, enhanced interpretive materials and guided tours designed to increase public access to the Elmhurst University Art Collection and strengthen community engagement throughout DuPage County.
Focusing on artists working in Chicago between about 1950 and the present, Elmhurst’s collection of Chicago Imagist and Abstractionist art displays a broad range of artistic ideas and influences. The collection dates to 1971, when Elmhurst received federal funding to purchase art for the newly built A.C. Buehler Library. The University focused its collection on works by a group of emerging and affordable Chicago artists—a group that would later be known as the Chicago Imagists. Today, the University’s professional collection comprises more than 150 works of art, including many important works by major Imagists and Abstractionists.
Through its seed-and-sustain grant model, Arts DuPage supports both emerging and established arts organizations whose work improves and enriches the quality of life for DuPage residents. This fall, Arts DuPage awarded more than $240,000 in grants supporting arts and culture across DuPage County.
“So much passion and commitment go into a successful grant cycle like this,” said Lisa Fanelli, chair of the Arts DuPage Advisory Committee. “We are thrilled to be able to significantly support the arts in DuPage and help provide a variety of opportunities and options for the community to enjoy.”
Visitors are welcome to explore the Elmhurst University Art Collection, located in the A.C. Buehler Library, during normal library hours. For more information, please contact Ann Quinn Kelly at [email protected].