The Art Institute of Chicago

Founded in 1866 by a small group of artists, and originally known as the Chicago Academy of Fine Arts, the Art Institute of Chicago was given its current name in 1882. Flanked at the entrance by two landmark lions, the Institute houses one of the premier collections of Impressionist paintings by distinguished artists including Seurat, Monet, Degas, Toulouse-Lautrec, Gauguin and Van Gogh. The museum's Ryerson and Burnham Libraries boast one of the nation's most significant art and architecture research collections. Affliliated with the museum, and drawing upon its resources, is the School of the Art Institute considered by many to be one of the finest art schools in the world. The school offers a comprehensive curriculum in the visual and related arts.