CHICAGO—The School of the Art Institute of Chicago (SAIC), one of the nation’s leading art and design schools, announced a $1 million gift from Michael and Cari Sacks to establish the Sacks Family Scholarships. The new fund will provide need-based scholarships for SAIC graduate and undergraduate students who are Chicago Public High Schools graduates. The gift comes while SAIC is in the midst of a year-long celebration to honor its 150th Anniversary.
Michael and Cari Sacks are prominent business and civic leaders in Chicago with deep ties to The Art Institute of Chicago. Michael has been a Trustee of the Art Institute since 2010 and Cari is currently pursuing her Master of Arts in Art History at SAIC.
“One of SAIC’s key priorities is to support Chicago public high school students by providing opportunities to further their art and design education,” said Walter Massey, president of SAIC. “We are so thankful to Michael and Cari Sacks for helping us serve our community and for all they do to enrich the cultural life of this city.”
This gift will further enhance SAIC’s connection to the Chicago Public Schools and the local community. Other recent community-based initiatives include the development of the School’s College Arts Access Program, the Walter & Shirley Massey Chicago Fund and a partnership with the Foundation for Homan Square in North Lawndale.
“We are proud of SAIC’s commitment to providing world-class art and design education and resources to our local communities, and Cari and I are honored to give Chicago Public Schools graduates the chance to study at such a wonderful institution,” said Michael Sacks.
About the School of the Art Institute of Chicago
For 150 years, the School of the Art Institute of Chicago (SAIC) has been a leader in educating the world’s most influential artists, designers and scholars. Located in downtown Chicago with a fine arts graduate program ranked No. two by U.S. News and World Report, SAIC provides an interdisciplinary approach to art and design as well as world-class resources, including the Art Institute of Chicago museum, on-campus galleries and state-of-the-art facilities. SAIC’s undergraduate, graduate and post-baccalaureate students have the freedom to take risks and create the bold ideas that transform Chicago and the world—as seen through notable alumni and faculty such as Michelle Grabner, David Sedaris, Elizabeth Murray, Richard Hunt, Georgia O’Keeffe, Cynthia Rowley, Nick Cave, and LeRoy Neiman.
