At the Renaissance Society’s 2024 RenBen gala, guests would have been remiss to ignore the technicolor stained glass and dramatic arches framing an impactful – and deliciously entertaining – evening at the Former Church of Epiphany in Chicago.
In the midst of a season packed with galas and benefits, it can be extremely difficult to stand out, gather the necessarily chic crowd, and create an impactful fête grounded in action (and actionable fun). What the Renaissance Society does so beautifully is check all these boxes with flair and whimsy – with the added bonus of timing around EXPO Chicago, another marquee event for the Chicago art scene.
Artist-conceived evenings are central to the strategy behind each year’s planning. This year, guests were treated to creative direction by multi-medium artist Kevin Beasley, who coordinated performances by experimental musician and composer L’Rain and Uniting Voices Chicago, a youth music education program. Honoree Gael Neeson, a longtime artist advocate and supporter of the Society’s initiatives shared remarks as well, introduced by former Renaissance Society director Susanne Ghez.
Farm-to-table originator and longtime Chicago mainstay Lula Cafe ran the dining program for the evening. Guests in attendance also included Christie’s and Phillips, as well as galleries including New York’s Luhring Augustine and Los Angeles’s Vielmetter.
“We are proud to allow artists to experiment and make a mess. We are proud to offer them resources, support and companionship to do so. Sometimes we know where we’re going and sometimes we really don’t. But every single time we are humbled by what they give us in return” Renaissance Society Director and Chief Curator Myriam Ben Salah said in her welcoming remarks.
The organization, founded in 1915 by a group of University of Chicago faculty, has hosted impactful debuts and solo exhibitions for artists including Jenny Holzer, Felix Gonzales-Torres, and Joan Jonas.
Ben Salah will open the Renaissance Society’s next exhibition with Jordan Strafer’s DECADENCE, on view starting May 4 through July 7, 2024, principally populated with the salacious retelling of a romantic affair between a defense attorney and juror during a nationally-profiled rape trial in the 1990s.
Written by Sam Falb
