Posted on November 1, 2012

Museum of Contemporary Art, Chicago Receives $10 Million From Zell Family

The Museum of Contemporary Art, Chicago has received a $10 million gift from board member Helen Zell and her husband, Sam, on behalf of the Zell Family Foundation, the Chicago Tribune reports.

In addition to being used to pay off some of the debt the museum incurred during a recent construction project, the gift, the second $10 million gift the museum has received from a trustee this year, will support the museum's summer series of outdoor events, educational lectures and programs, an artist residency program, and new exhibitions.

Former board chair Helen Zell currently leads the museum's women's board and chairs its collection committee. Longtime supporters of the museum, the Zells also support two paid internships at the museum through their family foundation.

"This is a game changer for the Museum of Contemporary Art," Madeleine Grynsztejn, Pritzker director of the museum, told the Tribune. "It gives us every opportunity to become a preeminent museum for Chicago, nationally and internationally."