The Technical Institute in Chicago takes a vacation amid investigation

The leader of the Chicago Institute in Chicago, one of the most widely visited museums in the United States, is spending an investigation into his behavior on a trip last month.

CBS news I mentioned Late Friday night that James Rondo, head and director of the Technical Institute in Chicago since 2016, has voluntarily moved away from his position while this investigation continued.

A spokesman for a technical institute in Chicago said in a statement to ARTNEWS“The Art Institute takes this seriously and opens an independent investigation into the accident to collect all available information.” The spokesperson confirmed that Rondo had voluntarily took time during the investigation.

According to CBS news The report, the investigation arose from an alleged incident that took place on a trip from Chicago to Munich in April. Quoting unknown sources, the report said that the police “were called to the plane after reports that a passenger had stripped his clothes.” I told those sources CBS news This was the very passenger Rondo, and “the accident occurred after he drank alcohol and took a prescription medicine.”

Rondo has been at the Art Institute in Chicago since 1998, when he joined the coordinator of contemporary art. He became president of contemporary art in 2004, and while he was leading this section, its merging with the Foundation’s Modern Art Department. The recently integrated contemporary art administration received a $ 400 million artistic donation from collection enthusiasts, Stephen Edes and Jill Nisson in 2015, remaining the largest gift in the museum ever. Through this gift, the basic works of Jasper Jones, CY Twombly, Andy Warhol, and more entered the group.

As the museum leader, Rondeau continued to attract important gifts, including one with $ 75 million from Aaron I. Fleischman and Lin Lougheed last year that will be used to build new exhibitions of the nineteenth century art, in addition to modern and contemporary art.

Also in 2024, the museum faced a controversy of the way it dealt with a pro -Palestinian camp on his foundations led by students at the College of the Technical Institute in Chicago, an entity linked to the museum. Sixty -eight students were arrested after the school contacted the police. (The school was the subject of a revolution from behind the scenes surrounding the Israeli war in Gaza) Write a message To Rondeau, urged the museum to cut ties with any board members with financial links to Israel.