The Intuit Art Museum (IAM) in Chicago reopens on May 23 after a $10 million renovation that began in September 2023, partially funded by a $5 million grant from the City of Chicago. The expansion triples the museum's exhibition and education space, adds ADA-compliant features, and includes new galleries, a Center for Learning and Engagement Opportunities (CLEO) named after co-founder Cleo Wilson, and a reinstalled room dedicated to outsider artist Henry Darger. The museum, originally founded in 1991 as the Society for Outsider, Intuitive and Visionary Art by figures including artist Roger Brown and gallerists Carl Hammer and Ann Nathan, has long championed self-taught and visionary artists.
This transformation matters because it elevates a niche but vital institution dedicated to outsider art—a genre often marginalized by the mainstream art world—into a more accessible, expansive museum. By tripling its space and modernizing its facilities, IAM can now better showcase its permanent collection of around 1,300 works and host special exhibitions, educational programs, and community events. The renovation signals a growing recognition of outsider art's importance and ensures that artists like Henry Darger, Joseph Yoakum, and William Dawson receive the institutional attention and public engagement they deserve.