The medallion's obverse bears a modern sculpture. Above, THE ART / INSTITUTE OF CHICAGO / MR. AND MRS. FRANK G. LOGAN MEDAL
The reverse bears more abstract sculpture.
The Logan Medal of the Arts was an arts prize initiated in 1907 and associated with the Art Institute of Chicago, the Frank G Logan family and the Society for Sanity in Art. From 1917 through 1940, 270 awards were given for contributions to American art.
The Medal was named for arts patron Frank Granger Logan, founder of the brokerage house of Logan & Bryan, who served over 50 years on the board of the Chicago Art Institute. He and his wife, Josephine Hancock Logan, administered the award consistent with their patronage of the Society for Sanity in Art, which they founded in 1936, and the theme of her 1937 book Sanity in Art. The Logans strongly opposed all forms of modern art, including cubism, surrealism, and abstract expressionism. It was not unknown for the Society of Sanity in Art to award a prize (e.g. in 1938 to Rudolph Ingerle) in competition with the official award by the exhibition prize committee of a prize the Logans had already sponsored.
This medal's design seems to run quite contrary to the Logans' artistic preferences. I don't quite understand how an obviously abstract design ended up on a medal bearing their name. Maybe someone can shed light on this mystery.
The circular medallion measures 81.8mm in diameter and was struck in bronze by the Medallic Art Company of New York. No mintage is reported.
References: MACo 1956-020