Over the past decade and change, the Museum of Contemporary Art Chicago has set itself apart with bold, ambitious programming that spotlights the regional art scene and landmark surveys of leading contemporary artists from the U.S. and abroad. At the helm of the 58-year-old institution’s recent evolution is director Madeleine Grynsztejn, who has led MCA Chicago for 17 years with a focus on curatorial quality, community engagement and ethical governance. Under her leadership, the museum has expanded and diversified its collection through significant gifts and acquisitions, while launching forward-thinking initiatives that redefined its role in the city’s cultural landscape.
Ahead of the museum’s much-anticipated quinquennial MCA Art Auction with Sotheby’s, Observer spoke with Grynsztejn about how she has transformed MCA Chicago into a community-first institution that plays a pivotal role in shaping and fostering Chicago’s increasingly dynamic art scene.
For the director, every aspect of the MCA’s mission begins with a steadfast belief in art’s ability to shape a more imaginative and courageous future. “I’ve always believed that museums can be more than places where art is shown. We strive to be active contributors to public life,” she tells Observer. “Every visitor to the MCA, whether in person or online, enters into a kind of contract with us: bring us your curiosity and we will show you how art can expand your thinking and deepen your understanding of self and society.”
Madeleine Grynsztejn seated on a red bench with circular backrests, smiling and wearing a dark suit with striped pants and embellished boots.” width=”970″ height=”1164″ data-caption=’MCA Chicago director Madeleine Grynsztejn. <span class=”lazyload media-credit”>MCA Chicago</span>’>
Grynsztejn has grounded her approach to helming the institution in three guiding principles: championing revelatory art, fostering social belonging and ensuring that internal practices mirror the ethics of the museum. “Whether we’re commissioning new work, building our team or orchestrating a public program, we’re committed to choices that feel purposeful and in step with the communities we serve,” she says, describing a vision anchored in equal parts artist activation and audience engagement. “That means we don’t just present art but also catalyze its creation in deep collaboration with the artist. We ensure the museum is responsive to our public.” For Grynsztejn, the MCA is a collaboration between artist and audience. “The artwork cannot exist without the artist who makes the work and the spectator who ‘completes the picture’ with their engagement.”
Most recently, the MCA has actively sought to reassess and reframe its collection. For Grynsztejn, the collection isn’t a static treasure box of masterpieces but rather a toolbox. “The collection is the DNA of the museum, its very soul. Embedded in the MCA’s collection is the unfolding history of the most advanced contemporary art practices since 1967,” she asserts, adding that the trove must remain a living resource that communities can draw on to imagine new ways forward.
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Exhibitions like “Descending the Staircase,” which showcases novel artistic approaches to representing the human body, invite audiences to explore fresh interpretations and narratives that earlier presentations of works from the collection overlooked. “City in a Garden: Queer Art Activism in Chicago,” opening July 5, extends that approach—reminding visitors that a collection never remains fixed; it evolves with the times, shaped by the questions we ask and the voices we choose to amplify.
The collection and its evolution as a community fixture are intertwined with the history of the MCA Art Auction: generous donors acquired several major works during past editions and contributed them to the museum’s holdings. Grynsztejn says the Art Auction is no ordinary fundraiser, and the museum holds it just once every five years by design. “This allows the museum to plan thoughtfully, collaborate closely with artists and galleries, and ensure the event reflects the museum’s values as well as its goals,” she explains.
Rashid Johnson featuring a complex grid of mirrored, painted, and textured tiles with abstract and symbolic forms in black, red, gold, and multicolor tones, suggesting fragmented narratives and layered identities.” width=”970″ height=”1207″ data-caption=’Rashid Johnson, <em>Untitled Standing Broken Men</em>, 2024; Estimate: $800,000-1,200,000. <span class=”lazyload media-credit”>Courtesy of the artist and Hauser & Wirth © Rashid Johnson</span>’>
The 2025 edition of the auction honors Ed Ruscha, an artist whose relationship with the museum spans more than three decades. “We’re thrilled to include a new commission from him in this auction,” Grynsztejn says. “It’s one more chapter in a long and evolving story.” His Yup Nope, a new work from 2025, has an estimate of $850,000.
The auction will feature 100 works by some of the most prominent contemporary artists of our time, including some with longstanding ties to the museum like Rashid Johnson, Sanford Biggers, Paul Pfeiffer, Doris Salcedo, Amanda Williams and Judy Chicago. The museum will also present new commissions in private sale alongside Ruscha’s, including Sarah Sze’s Missed, 2024 (estimate: $450,000) and Luc Tuymans’s Reflection, 2024 (estimate: $400,000), a timely new painting inspired by both a personal experience with immigration officials and an interrogation reenacted for a documentary film. Sze and Tuymans exhibited at the MCA in 1999 and 2010, respectively.
Many of the artists whose work is featured in the auction have contributed to multiple editions of the sale, which Grynsztejn says is a testament to the long-term relationships and trust the MCA has cultivated. “That continuity defines our approach. We often call it our ‘boomerang’ model; artists come back because the relationships are real.”
Bidding for the online auction opened May 19 and continues through June 6, when the MCA will host an associated in-person event. Acquisitions do more than support the museum’s immediate mission, according to Grynsztejn—the eventual gift of art to the collection strengthens the institution in a lasting way. “Proceeds from the auction will support our most ambitious priorities: bold exhibitions, a canon-expanding acquisitions strategy, and public programs that animate connection and belonging. It’s not just about the works on the walls but about everything that surrounds them: the connection to beauty, meaning and community.”
The museum’s programming reflects the city it serves
Grynsztejn believes the city’s institutions must be attuned to the diverse communities and cultures that define contemporary Chicago. That means creating exhibitions, programs and content that are responsive, accessible and inclusive—both in terms of content and the language used. She pointed to the fact that nearly one in three Chicagoans identifies as Latino or Hispanic, and nearly one in five speaks Spanish at home. In response, the MCA launched a museum-wide initiative to expand bilingual offerings—from signage and printed materials to public and digital programs—ensuring that language never becomes a barrier to participation.
But inclusivity also hinges on the stories institutions choose to tell and whose voices they bring to the forefront. “We’ve long supported exhibitions that center women, BIPOC and LGBTQ+ artists and explore how migration and identity inform creative expression,” Grynsztejn says. “That work felt especially urgent in the lead-up to the 2024 election. It’s also reflected in how we collect, intentionally building a permanent collection that better represents the communities we serve.” Today, works by Black women artists comprise ten times the national average in the MCA’s holdings—the result of sustained, values-driven effort.
The Museum of Contemporary Art Chicago has likewise forged partnerships across the city with organizations like the Sueños Music Festival, the Mexican Consulate and the Lit & Luz Festival to meet audiences where they are. “Our goal is to make the MCA feel grounded in the life of the city. It needs to be a space that people see themselves in, and one they help influence and contribute to in return.”
With shifts in federal leadership, many U.S. cultural institutions now face funding cuts—particularly those that openly prioritize diversity and inclusion. When asked what the MCA has experienced in this climate and how the museum is navigating the challenges, Grynsztejn is quick to clarify that the museum remains focused on staying true to its values and mission, regardless of political or economic headwinds. “Moments like this are a reminder of what museums can be: cultural and civic spaces where people come together across differing perspectives,” she says. “Acting as a bridge across differences, sparking conversation, and fostering empathy feels more urgent than ever.”
Grynsztejn sees this year’s Art Auction as particularly meaningful because funds raised are proof of a shared commitment to the museum’s mission and sustaining its momentum. “The people who stand with the MCA believe in what the museum does for artists and audiences,” she says. “The strongest partnerships grow from that alignment, and we’re fortunate to have many that have lasted for years because of it.”
How the MCA supports Chicago’s art ecosystem
With Grynsztejn’s community-centered and collaborative approach, MCA Chicago has become a cornerstone of the city’s rapidly growing and increasingly dynamic art ecosystem. “Chicago’s art scene is one of the most compelling and creative in the country,” she says, noting that the city draws talent early, thanks to institutions like the School of the Art Institute of Chicago and the University of Chicago. But what makes the city so unique is that artists don’t just launch their careers here—they stay. “They build lasting practices in their communities and contribute to the city in ways that are truly meaningful,” she reflects, explaining that this staying power stems from Chicago’s rare combination of affordability, space and a robust support network of funders, collectors, peers and cultural workers.
“The MCA is deeply proud to be an integral part of that ecosystem. We support artists through exhibitions, commissions, acquisitions, partnerships and long-term relationships,” Grynsztejn adds, pointing to programs like The New Art School Modality developed with Romi Crawford, which reimagines how institutions can nurture artistic thinking from the ground up. “Artists like Amanda Williams, Rashid Johnson, Nick Cave, Wafaa Bilal, Michael Rakowitz, Caroline Kent, Kerry James Marshall and Theaster Gates—who are core to the fabric of Chicago—have all intersected with the MCA in ways we’re honored to have supported. Many of them are also part of this year’s auction, which speaks to the depth and continuity of those relationships. We are incredibly grateful for their ongoing generosity and collaboration.”
Grynsztejn is quick to point out that Chicago has never lacked talent—what’s changed is the spotlight. “More people are paying attention,” she says, “and part of our job is to make sure that attention stays focused where it matters, on the artists building something here.”
