A little-known gem of Chicago's museum scene, LUMA's Martin D'Arcy Collection is one of the finest collections of medieval, renaissance and baroque art in the Midwest.  Dramatically installed in new galleries, the collection contains primarily three-dimensional objects.  Among the most noteworthy pieces are stunning medieval ivories, enamels and painted sculpture.  The Renaissance collection is particularly strong in pieces specially commissioned to celebrate family events like marriage and child birth.  Several paintings by masters such as Tintoretto and Basano, are painted on unusual surfaces including copper and marble.  Among the treasures from baroque Europe are a stunning painting by a follower of Caravaggio, Matthias Stomer, a treasure chest by the leading German goldsmith, Wenzel Jamnitzer, a mechanical clock, and a terra cotta sculpture by Spain's first female Court Sculptor to the King, Luisa Roldàn.
                                                            

With the opening of the Loyola University Museum of Art in 2005 LUMA conceived a new mission to explore the relationship between art and spirituality in all faiths and all cultures. The LUMA Collection was developed for new acquisitions of art that address the LUMA mission as a complement to the D'Arcy Collection and includes art and artifacts from antiquities  to the present.  Recent acquisitions have included Neolithic sculpture, contemporary prints, drawings and photographs and textiles.