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Art Institute of Chicago Director Frankly Addresses Airplane Incident: A ‘Very Low Moment’
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ARTnews.com
For the first time since his return to his job last May following a voluntary leave, James Rondeau, the director of the Art Institute of Chicago, spoke frankly about a bizarre incident on an airplane that gained attention far beyond the art world.
During that incident, last April, Rondeau was on a plane from Chicago to Munich when he began taking his clothes off, according to the CBS News report.
That report said that Rondeau had “drank alcohol and took prescription medication,” and that police were called to the plane.
Related Articles Art Institute of Chicago's 2025 Acquisitions Include a Painting by Kay WalkingStick and a 17th-Century South Asian Textile James Rondeau Returns as Director of Art Institute of Chicago Following Plane IncidentRondeau went on voluntary leave for a month and a half.
Now, in a new profile co-published by the Chicago Star Tribune and WBEZ, Rondeau spoke even more frankly about the incident.