February 19, 2021—CHICAGO—Intuit: The Center for Intuitive and Outsider Art (Intuit) reopens to the public on Friday, February 26, with a new exhibition featuring a breadth of work by George Widener.
Intuit is pleased to announce the opening of a new exhibition: In Focus: George Widener Selections from the Collection of Victor F. Keen. Born in Covington, Ky., in 1962, George Widener displayed mathematical prowess and exceptional memory from an early age. After encountering his first wall calendar in 1968 at his grandmother’s house, Widener began a lifelong fascination with dates, calendars and numbers, which he now transforms into complex visual imagery.
“George Widener is an exceptional living artist who blurs the boundary between outsider and contemporary art with his works that focus on numbers, dates, cities and codes. Although he has been exhibited and collected widely in outsider circles, he no longer considers himself an outsider, citing his awareness of the mainstream art world. Intuit is pleased to showcase Widener’s remarkable works and to continue to explore the important questions of labels and classifications in the genre of outsider and self-taught art through our exhibitions and programs,” said Debra Kerr, president and CEO.
The exhibition features selections of his drawings and notebooks from Intuit’s collection and his large-scale multimedia works from the collection of Victor F. Keen, a prominent collector of Widener’s work. In Focus exhibits a breadth of George Widener’s oeuvre with works dating from 1999 to 2018 and is on view until May 9, 2021.
In Focus opens the day Intuit reopens to the public. The well-being of Intuit guests, staff members and collaborators remains a top priority. Before going to the museum, Intuit asks visitors to be familiar with its operations, guest expectations and safety procedures, available on our Plan Your Visit page.
Intuit will open with the following adjusted hours: 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Friday and Saturday. Intuit will operate at a limited capacity, and the advanced purchase of timed-entry tickets and face coverings are required to enter. Beginning Monday, February 22, tickets will be available to reserve on the Intuit website via Tock or by phone at (312) 624-9487. The museum encourages admission by appointment for guests who are in an increased risk group, which includes older adults and people with underlying medical conditions; call (312) 624-9487.
While guided and self-guided tours and in-person programs remain unavailable until further notice, Intuit supporters can stay involved by attending virtual events. For information on upcoming programs, please visit our Events page.
ABOUT INTUIT
Established in 1991, Intuit: The Center for Intuitive and Outsider Art is one of the premier museums in the world dedicated to presenting outsider and self-taught art, defined as work created by artists who did not, or sometimes could not, follow a traditional path of art-making, using materials at hand to realize their artistic visions. Intuit offers exhibitions; resources for scholars and students; a permanent collection of more than 1,200 artworks; the Henry Darger Room Collection; the Robert A. Roth Study Center, a non-circulating collection with a primary focus in the fields of outsider and contemporary self-taught art; and educational programs for people of all interest levels and backgrounds.
Intuit is open 11 a.m.-5 p.m. Friday and Saturday and reserves admission by appointment for guests who are in an increased risk group.