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Pix724 is a division of Pix International,LLC(pixintl.com ) Photo Features & Linda Matlow(lindamatlow.com) contact: editorial at pixintl.com **PRIVACY POLICY 5/23/18** http://pixintl.com/privacypolicy 20180523.htm *We may receive commission or product from items discussed or promoted on this website. * This site may contain affiliate links for products we Love! We cover our events at our fave destinations. Copyright DMCA policy: pixintl.com/copyright_statement.html
Saturday, November 07, 2020
Now open: Gene Siskel Film Center’s Black Harvest Film Festival!
Friday, November 06, 2020
Mayor Lightfoot and DCASE Announce 107th Annual City of Chicago Christmas Tree in Millennium Park
MAYOR LIGHTFOOT AND DCASE ANNOUNCE 107TH ANNUAL CITY OF CHICAGO CHRISTMAS TREE IN MILLENNIUM PARK
Holiday events include a new virtual program, ice skating at Maggie Daley Park, and other activities across the Millennium Park Campus
CHICAGO — Mayor Lori E. Lightfoot and the Chicago Department of Cultural Affairs and Special Events (DCASE) today announced details for the 107th Annual City of Chicago Christmas Tree in Millennium Park – Chicago’s “official” Christmas tree, presented by Powering Chicago: IBEW Local 134/NECA. This year’s Tree is a 45-foot Blue Spruce donated by the family of Catherine Townsend of Chicago’s Morgan Park neighborhood (19th ward). Millennium Park holiday programs are produced by DCASE and presented by Powering Chicago, with support from the Millennium Park Foundation and Chicago Transit Authority.
“We are extremely excited to be continuing our city’s beloved winter traditions this season in a safe and healthy way,” said Mayor Lightfoot. “Despite the historic challenges presented throughout the COVID-19 pandemic, we have been unceasing in finding workable solutions at every turn that support our families, protect our communities, and unite us during this unprecedented moment.”
“Powering Chicago is honored to illuminate the 107th Christmas Tree for the City of Chicago,” said Elbert Walters III, Director at Powering Chicago, the labor-management partnership between IBEW Local 134 and the Electrical Contractors’ Association of the City of Chicago. “This year’s Tree will provide a bright spot for Chicagoans and visitors in what has been a trying time for all. I want to thank Electrical Contractors’ Association members, All Tech Energy and members of IBEW Local 134 who are responsible for lighting and decorating this year’s Tree.”
Due to COVID-19 health and safety concerns, DCASE will not present an in-person Tree lighting ceremony for the public, but Chicagoans and visitors are invited to attend a new virtual holiday program premiering on November 19 at 6:30 p.m. at YouTube.com/ChicagoDCASE – and visit Millennium Park to see the City of Chicago Christmas Tree shining brightly near the intersection of Michigan Ave. and Washington St. from November 20 through January 7. The Park is open daily, 8:00 a.m. to 9:00 p.m., for groups of 10 persons or fewer who practice physical distancing and wear face coverings. For information about where to enter/exit the Park and other details, visit MillenniumPark.org.
“Gardening has always been my mother’s favorite hobby,” said Sherri Mitchell, a daughter of 85-year-old, retired Chicago Public Schools teacher Catherine Townsend, who donated this year’s Tree. “Neighbors always complimented her on her flowers and her yard’s beautiful landscaping, not the least of which were our towering Spruce trees.”
The new, 30-minute “Millennium Park at Home: Chicago Holidays” program debuting on November 19 at 6:30 p.m. – presented in lieu of an in-person Tree lighting ceremony for the public – is produced by Kurtis Productions with support from the Millennium Park Foundation and DCASE. It will include a holiday greeting from Mayor Lightfoot and First Lady Amy Eshleman, special acknowledgements of Hanukkah and Kwanzaa, and music performances recorded at the Epiphany Center for the Arts featuring the Chicago Children’s Choir, Sones de MĆ©xico Ensemble and Percy Bady and friends – with a special tribute to the 50th anniversary of Donny Hathaway’s “This Christmas.” The event will be archived and viewable throughout the Holiday season at YouTube.com/ChicagoDCASE.
Skating will not be presented at Millennium Park’s McCormick Tribune Ice Rink this season, but the Chicago Park District will offer skating in neighboring Maggie Daley Park at the Ice Skating Ribbon – opening on November 20. This season, reservations and masks will be required to skate. Reservations can be made up to two weeks in advance. For details, visit MaggieDaleyPark.com.
While visiting Millennium Park, guests are encouraged to take selfies with the iconic Cloud Gate and Crown Fountain sculptures, take a quiet stroll through Lurie Garden, and see the Millennium Monument and Jay Pritzker Pavilion lit up in holiday colors. Opening in December, a new art installation in Wrigley Square created by designer and gallerist Jason Pickleman, presented by the Millennium Park Foundation, will honor the Chicago lives lost to COVID-19.
Other in-person and virtual events across the Millennium Park Campus include:
- Virtual tours of the Chicago Cultural Center – plus outdoor public art tours of the Millennium Park Campus on the first and third Saturday of the month, DCASEVolunTours.org
- In lieu of the annual Dance-Along Nutcracker® event at the Chicago Cultural Center, which remains closed to the public, the original Dance-Along Nutcracker will be streamed for free by the San Francisco Lesbian/Gay Freedom Band (December 12 & 13, DanceAlongNutcracker.org) – and Ballet Chicago will present two virtual versions of The Nutcracker (December 18–30, ticket at BalletChicago.org).
- Holiday shopping at Buddy, a new store created by the Public Media Institute selling Chicago-made art, objects and more – online for now at hi-buddy.org and on the first floor of the Chicago Cultural Center when it reopens (Additionally, show off your Chicago pride with artist-designed Official Summer Festival Merchandise created in collaboration with the Design Museum of Chicago, dcase.tsmgi.net.)
- Comedy Tailgate to Skate, December 1, and other special events at the Ice Skating Ribbon in Maggie Daley Park, MaggieDaleyPark.com
- CMS at Home: Brandenburg Concertos presented by the Chamber Music Society of Lincoln Center and Harris Theater for Music and Dance, streaming December 17–21, HarrisTheaterChicago.org
- Monet and Chicago, through January 18, and other exhibitions and events at the Art Institute of Chicago, artic.edu
The latest projections from Art on theMART will resume on November 12 with an all-new program. Just in time to celebrate the holidays, The Joffrey Ballet will debut a moving-image work of art featuring production images from its acclaimed production of the Christmas classic The Nutcracker; the Art Institute of Chicago will present images from two of its current exhibitions, Monet and Chicago, and Bisa Butler: Portraits; and Arts of Life will show a compilation of the artists’ bold images, animated together as a video projection. Shown nightly at 7:00 and 7:30 p.m. through December 30. For details, visit ArtontheMART.com.
Chicago Department of Cultural Affairs and Special Events
The Department of Cultural Affairs and Special Events is dedicated to enriching Chicago’s artistic vitality and cultural vibrancy. This includes fostering the development of Chicago’s non-profit arts sector, independent working artists and for-profit arts businesses; providing a framework to guide the City’s future cultural and economic growth, via the 2012 Chicago Cultural Plan; marketing the City’s cultural assets to a worldwide audience; and presenting high-quality, free and affordable cultural programs for residents and visitors.
Powering Chicago: IBEW Local 134/NECA
Bringing together the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers (IBEW) Local 134 electricians and the Electrical Contractors’ Association (ECA) of the City of Chicago, Powering Chicago is an electrical industry labor-management partnership (LMCC) that invests in consistently better construction, better careers and better communities within the metro Chicago region. Employing the latest technology, our members are elevating industry performance through their commitment to safety, level of experience and reliability, while also investing in the future of skilled labor through an innovative, five-year apprenticeship program.
Millennium Park Foundation
The Millennium Park Foundation, a private, philanthropic nonprofit partner, was created in 1998 to support the City of Chicago’s efforts in the design, construction, and curation of Millennium Park. It is the steward of Millennium Park’s internationally-recognized icons and public features. These include the prestigious Jay Pritzker Pavilion and dramatic BP Pedestrian Bridge, world-renowned Cloud Gate and Lurie Garden, iconic Crown Fountain, and exquisite Boeing Galleries for public art exhibitions. Through its ongoing development initiatives, the Millennium Park Foundation is dedicated to keeping Millennium Park a free, accessible and equitable venue for all Chicagoans today, and for generations to come.
Thursday, November 05, 2020
Chicago Architecture Center >> CAC@Home
NOVEMBER 5, 2020 • ISSUE 23
THANKS TO EVERYONE WHO PARTICIPATED IN OPEN HOUSE CHICAGO 2020
Extended
to 17 days, Open House Chicago 2020 was an “inspired and effective
reimagining” of the festival, said one CAC member, with “impressive,
diverse cross-cultural conversations” that “brought positive, thoughtful
voices to [neighborhoods] often overlooked,” said two online programs
attendees.
We completely reconfigured OHC for its 10th
anniversary, to support public health and safety. Please share your
thoughts with us. Tell us about your experience and enter for a chance
to win a CAC Friends and Family membership!
The CAC extends its gratitude to everyone who took part, in person and remotely, from our 37 community partners, to the 50+ organizations represented by our audio narrators and online programs panelists, to the 100+ sites and buildings along our 25 self-guided trails, to the more than 12,000 people who installed and explored the OHC 2020 mobile app. None of this would have been possible without generous support from our sponsors and partners: Presenting Sponsor Wintrust, the National Endowment for the Humanities through its CARES Act grant program, the National Endowment for the Arts, the TAWANI Foundation, ComEd, Regenia Stein and Roland James, Orren Pickell Building Group, Ozinga, Choose Chicago, the Chicago Transit Authority, Open House Worldwide, Chicago magazine, the Chicago Reader, WBEZ 91.5 Chicago and Vocalo Radio. Thank you all—and stay tuned for dates to save for Open House Chicago 2021.
PRESENTING SPONSOR


WANT MORE OHC?
The CAC is proud to take part in a 48-hour, FREE international festival being convened November 14 and 15 by Open House Worldwide. Featuring contributions from architects, designers, urbanists and citizens in more than 40 global cities, Open House Worldwide will address important issues facing built environments around the world, from the climate crisis to housing and from transportation to post-pandemic design. Browse the festival schedule and please join CAC docents for Revitalized: What’s New and Cool on the River, Saturday, November 14 at 8pm Central Time.
ONLINE PROGRAMS IN NOVEMBER
As promised, online programs and virtual tours continue through this fall and winter. Upcoming programs include:
Frank Lloyd Wright in Glencoe
Wednesday, November 11 at noon
Discover
the stories behind two Frank Lloyd Wright gems in north suburban
Glencoe: Booth Cottage, 107 years old and recently relocated, and Ravine
Bluffs, a collection of homes that showcase Wright’s interest in
community planning. Register now to learn more from architect Peter Van
Vechten and Glencoe Historical Society president Karen Ettelson.
Sacred Spaces in Downtown Chicago
Wednesday, November 25 at noon
Chicago’s skyscraper-studded downtown core is home to a surprising
number of houses of worship, serving believers of multiple faiths and
representing a wide variety of architectural styles. This daytime
program reveals the architectural splendor, intricate details and
religious symbolism of five sacred spaces around the city’s center.
Register now to learn more from CAC docent David Utech.
NEW OPTIONS FOR NEIGHBORHOOD WALKING TOURS
Among
our most popular walking tours, Historic Treasures of Chicago’s Golden
Age is back, departing Saturdays and Sundays at 11:30am, now 90 minutes
and reconfigured as an outdoor-only experience.
With each CAC
walking tour temporarily limited to six attendees, they’ve never sold
out faster. (For maximum flexibility, consider booking a private tour—discounted for CAC members—or a custom tour.) Additional departures are now available for Evanston Along the Lake, Fulton-Randolph Market: From Gritty to Gourmet, Lake Forest Cemetery, Louis Sullivan, Mies and Modernism, Old Town Triangle, Riverwalk West, University of Chicago, Vice to Nice: Transformation of the South Loop and Lights, Camera, Architecture!
MEET US AT THE DOCK
Chicago Architecture Foundation Center River Cruises aboard Chicago’s First Lady are still departing from the Chicago Riverwalk—just steps away from the Chicago Architecture Center. Book a safely distanced, photo-friendly cruise along the Chicago River, lined on both sides with brand-new buildings and projects under construction. Choose your departure and don’t delay—seating is strictly limited and fills fast.
CAC FOR THE FAMILY
READ AND BUILD
Read along with CAC Director of Interpretation Adam Rubin as we flip through “What Do You Do With An Idea?” by Kobi Yamada, illustrated by May Besom—then try the self-guided activity linked below!
NEWHOUSE ARCHITECTURE + DESIGN COMPETITION
The 39th annual Newhouse Architecture + Design Competition is an opportunity to showcase the talents of Chicago-area students who create projects that solve real-world problems. This year’s competition highlights the City of Chicago’s INVEST South/West initiative by concentrating students’ efforts on projects that improve the quality of life in the neighborhoods of Auburn Gresham, Austin and Englewood. Dates to save include the competition launch on November 10, the start of registration on December 1 and the submission deadline of April 9, 2021.
ONE MORE THING

The CAC extends its congratulations to Industry Council member JGMA (Juan Gabriel Moreno Architects), recognized by Fast Company’s 2020 Innovation by Design Awards. The firm won honorable mentions for Design Company of the Year and its Richard J. Daley College MTEC project, in addition to being named a Spaces and Places finalist for its Esperanza Health Centers Brighton Park, seen above. View Fast Company’s complete Innovation by Design Awards coverage online and, if you haven’t already, visit our YouTube channel to hear from Moreno, Kimberly Dowdell and Ernest C. Wong in conversation as part of the CAC’s contribution to International Museum Day 2020.
THE LATEST
The
Chicago Architecture Center, including all exhibits and the CAC Design
Store, is open Saturday and Sunday from 10am–4pm. CAC building and
neighborhood walking tours, departing from locations other than the
Center at 111 E. Wacker Dr., are available for purchase on the 15th of
the month prior to the month of the scheduled departure.
The CAC
remains committed to providing the safest possible experience for its
entire community of members, staff, visitors, volunteers and tour
attendees. All Center visitors and CAC tour attendees are prompted to
acknowledge and accept the CAC’s safety policies supporting recommendations from public health officials from the State of Illinois and the City of Chicago.