Renaissance Society

What is Renaissance Society?

Known as “The Ren,” it works as a kunsthalle-style exhibition space, which means its calendar is built around temporary shows. It usually mounts about four exhibitions a year, and much of what hangs on its walls was commissioned by the Society itself, so visitors see work made specifically for this room.

The program goes beyond the gallery. Concerts, performances, film screenings, readings and lectures fill the calendar between openings, and the Society prints publications to accompany many of its shows. The draw here is fresh art rather than a fixed collection of familiar names.

History of Renaissance Society

The Society dates to 1915, so it has been presenting art in Hyde Park for more than a century. It has remained an independent organization even though its home is on a university campus, and commissioning new work from international artists is still the core of what it does.

Visiting Renaissance Society: tips

The gallery is roughly 5 miles from the Route 66 corridor, so treat it as a side trip at the Chicago end of the route. Allow about an hour for a single exhibition, longer if an event is scheduled. Restrooms are on site, and the space is listed as wheelchair accessible.

Hyde Park makes an easy half-day of museums: the Institute for the Study of Ancient Cultures is about 0.2 miles away, the Smart Museum of Art about 0.3 miles, and the DuSable Museum of African American History about 0.4 miles. Shows change several times a year, so look at the current program before you go.