SYLVAIN BELLENGER NAMED CURATOR AT THE ART INSTITUTE OF CHICAGO

The Art Institute of Chicago has named Sylvain Bellenger the Searle chair and curator of its department of medieval through modern European painting and sculpture, which is the largest of the institute’s eleven curatorial groups. He replaces Douglas Druick, who assumed the role of president and Eloise W. Martin director in August of 2011. Bellenger, a French citizen, has spent the past seven years as chief curator of the National Patrimony, Institut National d’Histoire de l’Art. Prior to this role, he served for six years as the Paul Vignos and Edith Ingalls curator of European sculpture and paintings at the Cleveland Museum of Art, where he was also the head of the department of European and American Art.

Said Bellenger of his new role: “I first saw Chicago in the 1970s, when I visited the United States for the first time. It struck me then as the most modern city in the country, full of dynamism, and a sense of adventure. That feeling has only increased with every visit since, as I have watched the city, particularly downtown Chicago, become one of the most dignified urban spaces in the United States. In the same way that I have seen Chicago develop, I have closely followed the evolution of the Art Institute, with its vibrant exhibition program and always-growing permanent collection. It is the opportunity of a lifetime for me to participate in and contribute to the growth of one of the finest museums in the world.”