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Black Tie International:
LeRoy Neiman Donates $5 Million to
the School of
the Art Institute of Chicago
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WORLD RENOWNED
ARTIST LEROY NEIMAN DONATES $5 MILLION TO THE SCHOOL OF
THE
ART INSTITUTE OF CHICAGO (SAIC) TO CREATE NEW STUDENT CENTER IN HISTORIC
SHARP BUILDING
56-Foot-Long Mural Entitled "Summertime Along the
Indiana Dunes," Created by LeRoy Neiman
with Assistance from His Wife Janet Byrne Neiman, to
Serve as Centerpiece of New Space
New Open-To-The-Public Student Center to House Gallery
Space, Café, Lounge, and More
LeRoy Neiman.
Photo © Cameron Neilson
Chicago, IL—School of the Art Institute of Chicago (SAIC)
President Walter E.
Massey today announced that former SAIC
Faculty Member and Alumnus
LeRoy Neiman
and his wife, Janet
Byrne Neiman—herself an SAIC alumna—will make
a $5 million gift to the institution to help create
a new student center within SAIC's building at 37
South Wabash Avenue. LeRoy Neiman's brilliantly
colored, motion-filled images of sporting events and
leisure activities have made him perhaps the most
popular living artist in the United States. A
56-foot-long, eight-foot-tall mural entitled
"Summertime Along the Indiana Dunes," (1965),
co-signed by LeRoy and Janet Byrne Neiman, will be
prominently displayed in the student center.
The new space, to be named the LeRoy Neiman Center,
will transform the northeast corner of Monroe and
Wabash into an energetic, light-filled gathering
space for SAIC students, faculty, alumni, and the
general public. The two-story space will house a
lounge, café, art gallery, and more.
"LeRoy Neiman's gift allows us to create a student
center for the first time in the history of the
School of the Art Institute of Chicago," said Dr.
Massey. "This new space will extend our campus into
the urban fabric of Chicago and serve as a gathering
space for students, faculty, and alumni. I fully
anticipate that the LeRoy Neiman Center will become
the vibrant hub of the SAIC campus. We are
tremendously grateful to the Neimans for their
extraordinary generosity."
"Contributing to SAIC is important to me because the
care and support of students is essential," said
LeRoy Neiman. "Now, I have the opportunity to give
back to the institution that helped me become who I
am today."
"Summertime Along the Indiana Dunes" was created by
LeRoy Neiman with assistance from his wife, Janet
Byrne Neiman, in 1965 for the Mercantile National
Bank in Hammond Indiana. It was commissioned by Jack
Murray, chairman of the Indiana bank, who met the
young artist in a New York tavern. The
448-square-foot piece vibrantly depicts a sunny
scene of family fun on the Indiana beaches. It is
the largest mural ever created by the artist.
The LeRoy Neiman Center is scheduled to open in the
spring of 2012. The architecture firm of Valerio
Dewalt Train Associates has been retained to
transform this space within Holabird & Roche's 1903
building.
ABOUT LEROY AND
JANET NEIMAN
Best known for his vibrant, stunningly energetic
images of sporting events and leisure activities,
LeRoy Neiman is probably the most popular living
artist in the United States. Neiman, who attended
the School of the Art Institute from 1946–1950,
taught at SAIC for 10 years beginning in 1950, and
received an Honorary Doctorate in 2006.
His signature artistic style is familiar to a
remarkably broad spectrum of Americans. He was the
official artist at five Olympiads, and millions of
people have watched him at work: on ABC TV coverage
of the Olympics, as CBS Superbowl computer artist,
and at other major competitions, televised on
location with his sketchbook and drawing materials,
producing split-second records and highly developed
images of what he is witnessing. He also has
provided illustrations for
Playboy
magazine since the 1950s including the popular "Femlin"
character that appears on the party jokes page.
Neiman met his wife Janet, when both were students
at the School of the Art Institute of Chicago, and
he went on to teach at the School for 10 years early
in his career. Many of his images of what he calls
"the good life" have appeared in the form of
etchings, lithographs, silkscreen prints, and
sculptures as well as paintings, in the permanent
collections of public and private museums and other
institutions worldwide. These institutional
acquisitions, along with sales of approximately
150,000 of his silkscreen prints to individuals,
attest to the enormous appeal of his work.
LeRoy and Janet Neiman's gifts to SAIC and the
affiliated Michigan-based school Ox-Bow collectively
total $9 million. A member of the New York City
Advisory Commission for Cultural Affairs since 1995,
Neiman has received four honorary degrees and, among
other honors, an Award of Merit from the American
Athletic Union (1976), a Gold Plate Award from the
American Academy of Achievement (1977), and a
Lifetime Achievement Award from the Muscular
Dystrophy Association (1986). Through the years he
has donated scores of his artworks to charitable
organizations.
About the School of the Art Institute of
Chicago (SAIC)
A leader in educating artists, designers, and
scholars since 1866, the School of the Art Institute
of Chicago (SAIC) offers nationally accredited
undergraduate, graduate, and post-baccalaureate
programs to nearly 3,200 students from around the
globe. Located in the heart of Chicago, SAIC has an
educational philosophy built upon an
interdisciplinary approach to art and design, giving
students unparalleled opportunities to develop their
creative and critical abilities, while working with
renowned faculty who include many of the leading
practitioners in their fields. SAIC's resources
include the Art Institute of Chicago and its new
Modern Wing; numerous special collections and
programming venues provide students with exceptional
exhibitions, screenings, lectures, and performances.
For more information, please visit
www.saic.edu.
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