When she was hired as its president and CEO, Debra Kerr dreamed of transforming Intuit: The Center for Intuitive and Outsider Art into a more welcoming museum.
A decade later, her vision is now a reality. Following a $10 million renovation, the West Town venue announced Wednesday that it will officially reopen on Aprl 25 as the Intuit Art Museum. Having tripled its footprint, the approximately 18,000-square-foot space will now boast a glass storefront, multiple exhibition galleries, an education and art studio, a community gathering space, accessibility upgrades and more.
Closed since September 2023, the museum will mark its return with multiple events, including a grand reopening party on April 26 and a panel on April 27 at Expo Chicago at Navy Pier.
Kerr said she hopes the changes will grow the institution’s audience, exposing visitors to the self-taught — and often overlooked — artists it champions.
“One of the things that used to happen is people would come in and they’d see the exhibits and go, ‘Where’s the rest of it? We want more,’” she said. “And that’s what we’re doing. We’re giving our guests the ‘more’ that they asked for.”
Intuit Art Museum achieved its new look with a $5 million City of Chicago Community Development Grant, as well as other contributions to its “Just Imagine!” capital campaign. Its new name reflects its identity as a museum instead of a center, as well as its commitment to artists.
“There has been a lot of pushback against the term ‘outsider art,’” Kerr said. “It’s intended to designate someone who works outside the mainstream. But when you read that term, a lot of artists feel like that is othering them.”
Walking into the museum, visitors will take note of a new entrance ramp, passenger elevator, interior staircases and exposed, 150-year-old brick. Among the galleries, one will be dedicated to the museum’s rarely seen permanent collection, two will feature special exhibitions, and the fourth will be a flexible space. The venue also has reimagined its Duchossois Family Henry Darger Exhibition, named for the famous Chicago artist. Visitors can explore his art and writings in the Darger Gallery, and then view his personal objects in the Darger Room on the floor below.
Kerr said she was especially excited about the new community space for learning and engagement.
“Think of a members lounge for every guest,” she said. “There will be a beverage station, books, movies to watch, a storytelling booth and an art-making station. There will be staff in there to help you learn more about the art or just hang out and talk with people about the art.”
The museum’s inaugural special exhibition will showcase works from immigrant artists. Like others featured in the museum, they may not have had the same opportunities as others in the field.
“All these artists couldn’t go to art school and didn’t know that was a possibility for them because of economic or social or geographic reasons,” she said. “They were so compelled to make art to share their lived experiences. I think that’s powerful.”
Chicago is a fitting location for the Inuit Art Museum, founded in 1991, because the city has long embraced self-taught artists, Kerr said. And by coordinating its reopening with Expo Chicago, she hopes to draw more people to the venue.
“We’re one of the few museums in the world that focuses exclusively on this art,” she said. “The Expo’s bringing in all these guests from around the country and around the world, and they’re going to have an opportunity to see a brand new art museum — a brand new jewel in Chicago’s crown. And we’re excited about that.”
The museum’s new regular hours will be 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. Wednesday through Sunday and 8 p.m. every third Thursday. Admission is $15 or free for members, visitors 25 and under, and those unable to pay.