The Arts Club is founded following the controversial exhibition of modern art known as The Armory Show. Rue Winterbotham Carpenter becomes President in 1918 and directs the club toward international awareness and better quarters at 610 S. Michigan Ave. The exhibition program is led by Alice Roullier, the daughter of a French art dealer based in Chicago. From 1922 through 1927, the Club oversees a gallery in the Art Institute of Chicago, thereby expanding its reach and consolidating its relevance to the Chicago art community.