The Adler Planetarium—America’s First Planetarium—is more than a museum; it is a laboratory, a classroom, and a community exploring the Universe together. Each year, over 550,000 visitors experience the museum’s interactive exhibitions, live planetarium shows, hands-on, minds-on STEM education programs, and world-class collections. Founded in 1930 by Chicago business leader Max Adler, the Adler Planetarium is a recognized leader in public engagement; the museum's scientists, historians and educators inspire the next generation of explorers and invite you to come explore space with us.
Chinatown Square is a two-story outdoor mall located in Chinatown, Chicago, a mile (1.6 km) from the center of Chicago just North of the main Wentworth Avenue District (the main Chinatown Street). Chinatown Square, on 45acre of reclaimed land from a former railroad yard, houses mostly restaurants, retail space, boutiques, banks, clinics, beauty shops, and a handful of offices. This outdoor mall is the largest Chinese mall in the US east of San Francisco and west of New York City. In the middle of the mall, there are statues of the twelve animals of the Chinese zodiac from Xiamen, China. Other landmarks in the mall include twin pagodas.The mall opened in 1993 as a result of the efforts of Chinese activists who wanted more land from the city of Chicago. In the 1960s, Chinatown's land has been reduced due to the construction of the Dan Ryan Expressway (I-90/I-94) and the Stevenson Expressway (I-55). This created a problem of overcrowding and reduced the possibility of further expansion. On the present location of Chinatown Square, there was a large railroad yard in the 1980s. The conversion of this rail yard led to the creation of Chinatown Square, allowing for much needed commercial and residential expansion. New parks were created at the same time along the Chicago River. Chinatown Square was developed by the Chinese American Development Corporation.
The FirstMerit Bank Pavilion at Northerly Island is an outdoor amphitheater located on the man-made peninsula, Northerly Island, in Chicago, Illinois. Opening June 2005, the venue is a temporary structure, with the season running from June until September. Known as the "Venue with a View", the amphitheater has views of Lake Michigan, Burnham Harbor, Soldier Field and the Chicago Skyline.HistoryThe venue lies on the former site of Meigs Field. On March 30, 2003, Mayor Richard M. Daley ordered a midnight demolition of the airfield. The construction crew excavated six large X's on the runway. Daley stated the continued operation of the airfield was a threat to Chicago's cityscape, using the events of 9/11 as a reference. The airfield was set to continue operation until 2011, when it would be turned over to the City of Chicago. No one within state or city government were consulted on the demolition besides Daley. The Federal Aviation Administration fined the city $33,000, with an additional one million paid in grants.In August 2003, construction crews were sent in to continue demolition of the airfield. Originally, the space was planned to become an aviation museum. Daley refuted the plan and proposed the space become a lakefront park and nature reserve. Within the allocated 91 acres, Northerly Island was born. Over four acres were set aside for the forthcoming music venue.
Ping Tom Memorial Park is a 17.24acre public urban park in Chicago's Chinatown neighborhood, in South Side, Chicago. It is part of the Chicago Park District (CPD).Located on the south bank of the Chicago River, the park is divided into three sections by a Santa Fe rail track and 18th Street. Currently, only development in the area south of 18th Street has been completed. It was designed by Ernest C. Wong of Site Design Group and features a pagoda-style pavilion, bamboo gardens, and a playground. The park is named in honor of prominent Chinatown businessman and civic leader Ping Tom; a bronze bust of Tom is installed near the park's pavilion.HistoryIn 1962, the construction preparations for the Dan Ryan Expressway demolished the only two parks in the Chinatown area (Hardin Square and Stanford Park). Sun Yat-sen Playlot Park, a small, 1/3acre park, was created in the mid-1970s, however, the community wanted a larger open park space.A private real estate firm formed by Ping Tom, then purchased a former 32acre rail yard in 1989. After construction of Chinatown Square began on this property, the CPD purchased approximately 6acre of unused land along the Chicago River in 1991, along with an additional 6acre that extended along the river, north of 18th Street.
The Museum of Contemporary Photography was founded in 1984 by Columbia College Chicago. It is well known for an active program and curating which discovers many emerging and mid-career artists. The museum houses a permanent collection as well as the Midwest Photographers Project, which contains portfolios of photographers and artists' work who reside in the midwestern United States.Permanent collectionThe MoCP’s permanent collection focuses on American and International photography of the 20th century and today. The collection features work by Ansel Adams, Harry Callahan, Henri Cartier-Bresson, Julia Margaret Cameron, Walker Evans, Dorothea Lange, Irving Penn, Aaron Siskind, and Victor Skrebneski among the 10,000-plus photographs and photographically related objects, including gelatin-silver prints, color work, digital pieces, photograms, and various alternative processes.Selected exhibitionsOf the Museum's exhibitions since 2001, notable ones have included:Paul Shambroom: Evidence of Democracy, October 3 - December 5, 2003Michael Wolf: The Transparent City and Work/Place, November 14, 2008 - January 31, 2009Guy Tillim: Avenue Patrice Lumumba, January 10 - March 6, 2011
Harold L. Ickes Homes was a Chicago Housing Authority (CHA) public housing project in the Near South Side neighborhood on the south side of Chicago, Illinois, United States. It was bordered between State Street and Federal Avenue and Cermak Road and 25th Street. It was a part of the State Street Corridor, which included other CHA properties: Robert Taylor Homes, Dearborn Homes, Stateway Gardens and Hilliard Homes.HistoryNamed for a United States administrator and politician, Harold LeClair Ickes. The housing project was constructed by the Public Works Administration between 1954 and 1955. It consisted of eleven 9-story high-rise buildings with a total of 738 apartments. In 2007, Ickes residents recorded acts of police harassment which included strip searches of African-American men as children watched; The footage aired on NBC's Channel 5. On October 9, 2007 Rev. Jesse Jackson along with ministers from Chicago's west side and community members moved into the housing project to bring attention to the harassment situation.
The Chinese-American Museum of Chicago seeks to commemorate and interpret the experiences of Chinese immigrants to the American midwest. The museum opened in 2005 in Chicago's Chinatown neighborhood. Although it suffered a damaging fire in 2008, it reopened its renovated quarters, the Raymond B. & Jean T. Lee Center, in 2010. Its exhibits have included: "The Attic," (the saved treasures of local resident); Chicago Chinatown themed artwork by students of the School of the Art Institute of Chicago; Chinese games and play; explorations and displays of traditional festivals; and historical period studies of Chinese-American Immigrants, their experiences and communities. In addition to exhibits, lectures on Chinese-American topics of interest are hosted by the museum, such as American inventions of "Chinese" cooking.The museum is a private, non-profit organization, open to the public. It is a member organization of the Chicago Cultural Alliance.
The Battle of Fort Dearborn was an engagement between United States troops and Potawatomi Native Americans that occurred on August 15, 1812, near Fort Dearborn in what is now Chicago, Illinois, but was then part of the Illinois Territory. The battle, which occurred during the War of 1812, followed the evacuation of the fort as ordered by William Hull, commander of the United States Army of the Northwest. The battle lasted about 15 minutes and resulted in a complete victory for the Native Americans. Fort Dearborn was burned down and those soldiers and settlers who survived were taken captive. Some were later ransomed. After the battle, however, settlers continued to seek to enter the area, the fort was rebuilt in 1816, and settlers and the government were now convinced that all Indians had to be removed from the territory, far away from the settlement.
Over the past decade the D.I.Y. (Do It Yourself) movement has been steadily cultivating an expansive group of dedicated followers. Brought together by a commitment to shared principles, this handmade community has validated the act of individual creation not only as a socially conscious alternative to mainstream mass production, but also as a respectable means of expressing oneself both for pleasure and for profit. Successful businesses such as Etsy.com and Renegade Handmade have evolved out of this movement and continue to attract new buyers and sellers who appreciate the unique quality experience of crafting. The D.I.Y. movement is not limited to crafting exclusively, however. Burgeoning artists have benefited from building on the ideals of this community as well. Lowbrow art has seen a quiet explosion over the past 10 years, especially amongst those in their twenties and thirties. This demographic seems to gravitate towards the popular, often nostalgic themes of lowbrow art and appreciates the idea that someone "like them" created it. Again successful endeavors like Flatstock poster show and DeviantArt.com exemplify the popularity of digital art and screenprinting, two very prevalent lowbrow artforms, and reflect the significance that getting to know the artist plays within this movement. 50/50 The Blurring of Art and Craft attempts to explore the blurring of lines between artists and crafters. By highlighting the skill and expression of creativity found in both the art and craft worlds, we hope to encourage further support of local artists and D.I.Y. businesses and to facilitate a rethinking of the relationship between art and consumerism within our American corporate run culture.
The William W. Kimball House, located at 1801 Prairie Avenue in the Near South Side neighborhood of Chicago, was the home of piano manufacturer William Wallace Kimball. The house, which was built in 1890–92, was designed by architect Solon Spencer Beman in the Chateauesque style. The house's design features a number of turrets with a variety of roof shapes, a limestone exterior, and an elliptical bow window topped by an ornamented gable facing Prairie Avenue. The design is considered a significant example of the Chateauesque style by architectural historians; John Drury called the house Chicago's best Chateauesque design in 1941, and Marcus Whiffen cited the house as a representative example of Chateauesque architecture in America. Kimball reportedly spent $1,000,000 on the home. At the time, Prairie Avenue was known for its expensive homes designed in popular revival styles, and the district was home to many of Chicago's wealthiest residents. The Kimball House and the John J. Glessner House are the main two surviving examples of the district's homes of the late 1800s. The house was added to the National Register of Historic Places on December 9, 1971.
The Coca-Cola Building is a building located at 1322–1336 S. Wabash Ave. in the Near South Side community area of Chicago, Illinois, which once served as the Chicago headquarters of the Coca-Cola Company. The building was designed by Frank Abbott in the Commercial style and built from 1903 to 1904. When it opened, the building was eight stories high; two additional stories were added in 1913. The building features limestone with iron ornaments on its first two stories; a cornice with a terra cotta fretwork pattern at the top separates the second and third floors. The top of the building features a terra cotta frieze and a cornice with decorative patterns. The Coca-Cola Company operated out of the building from 1904 until 1928; the building was the company's second office outside of Atlanta. The building was the only Coca-Cola syrup manufacturing plant in the Midwest until 1915; it is now the only surviving Coca-Cola plant from before World War II outside of Atlanta. The Coca-Cola Building was added to the National Register of Historic Places on February 22, 1991.
The Pontiac Building is a historic high-rise building located at 542 S. Dearborn St. in the Printer's Row neighborhood of Chicago, Illinois. Built in 1891, the building is the oldest surviving work in downtown Chicago designed by the architecture firm Holabird & Roche. The fourteen-story building represents the Chicago school of architecture and is designed as a steel frame covered in brick. The building's Dearborn Street facade features three tiers of bay windows, while the facade on Federal Street features one tier of bay windows flanked by two tiers of flat windows; while the outer two tiers on both facades each span two bays, the middle tier spans only one. The bottoms of these tiers of windows, located at the second floor of the building, feature terra cotta soffits; the building's cornice is also terra cotta. The first two floors of the building feature limestone piers with decorative capitals. Due to the building's architectural significance, it was added to the National Register of Historic Places on March 16, 1976.
Harold L. Ickes Homes was a Chicago Housing Authority (CHA) public housing project in the Near South Side neighborhood on the south side of Chicago, Illinois, United States. It was bordered between State Street and Federal Avenue and Cermak Road and 25th Street. It was a part of the State Street Corridor, which included other CHA properties: Robert Taylor Homes, Dearborn Homes, Stateway Gardens and Hilliard Homes.HistoryNamed for a United States administrator and politician, Harold LeClair Ickes. The housing project was constructed by the Public Works Administration between 1954 and 1955. It consisted of eleven 9-story high-rise buildings with a total of 738 apartments. In 2007, Ickes residents recorded acts of police harassment which included strip searches of African-American men as children watched; The footage aired on NBC's Channel 5. On October 9, 2007 Rev. Jesse Jackson along with ministers from Chicago's west side and community members moved into the housing project to bring attention to the harassment situation.
Chinatown Square is a two-story outdoor mall located in Chinatown, Chicago, a mile (1.6 km) from the center of Chicago just North of the main Wentworth Avenue District (the main Chinatown Street). Chinatown Square, on 45acre of reclaimed land from a former railroad yard, houses mostly restaurants, retail space, boutiques, banks, clinics, beauty shops, and a handful of offices. This outdoor mall is the largest Chinese mall in the US east of San Francisco and west of New York City. In the middle of the mall, there are statues of the twelve animals of the Chinese zodiac from Xiamen, China. Other landmarks in the mall include twin pagodas.The mall opened in 1993 as a result of the efforts of Chinese activists who wanted more land from the city of Chicago. In the 1960s, Chinatown's land has been reduced due to the construction of the Dan Ryan Expressway (I-90/I-94) and the Stevenson Expressway (I-55). This created a problem of overcrowding and reduced the possibility of further expansion. On the present location of Chinatown Square, there was a large railroad yard in the 1980s. The conversion of this rail yard led to the creation of Chinatown Square, allowing for much needed commercial and residential expansion. New parks were created at the same time along the Chicago River. Chinatown Square was developed by the Chinese American Development Corporation.
The Chinese-American Museum of Chicago seeks to commemorate and interpret the experiences of Chinese immigrants to the American midwest. The museum opened in 2005 in Chicago's Chinatown neighborhood. Although it suffered a damaging fire in 2008, it reopened its renovated quarters, the Raymond B. & Jean T. Lee Center, in 2010. Its exhibits have included: "The Attic," (the saved treasures of local resident); Chicago Chinatown themed artwork by students of the School of the Art Institute of Chicago; Chinese games and play; explorations and displays of traditional festivals; and historical period studies of Chinese-American Immigrants, their experiences and communities. In addition to exhibits, lectures on Chinese-American topics of interest are hosted by the museum, such as American inventions of "Chinese" cooking.The museum is a private, non-profit organization, open to the public. It is a member organization of the Chicago Cultural Alliance.
The Battle of Fort Dearborn was an engagement between United States troops and Potawatomi Native Americans that occurred on August 15, 1812, near Fort Dearborn in what is now Chicago, Illinois, but was then part of the Illinois Territory. The battle, which occurred during the War of 1812, followed the evacuation of the fort as ordered by William Hull, commander of the United States Army of the Northwest. The battle lasted about 15 minutes and resulted in a complete victory for the Native Americans. Fort Dearborn was burned down and those soldiers and settlers who survived were taken captive. Some were later ransomed. After the battle, however, settlers continued to seek to enter the area, the fort was rebuilt in 1816, and settlers and the government were now convinced that all Indians had to be removed from the territory, far away from the settlement.
Over the past decade the D.I.Y. (Do It Yourself) movement has been steadily cultivating an expansive group of dedicated followers. Brought together by a commitment to shared principles, this handmade community has validated the act of individual creation not only as a socially conscious alternative to mainstream mass production, but also as a respectable means of expressing oneself both for pleasure and for profit. Successful businesses such as Etsy.com and Renegade Handmade have evolved out of this movement and continue to attract new buyers and sellers who appreciate the unique quality experience of crafting. The D.I.Y. movement is not limited to crafting exclusively, however. Burgeoning artists have benefited from building on the ideals of this community as well. Lowbrow art has seen a quiet explosion over the past 10 years, especially amongst those in their twenties and thirties. This demographic seems to gravitate towards the popular, often nostalgic themes of lowbrow art and appreciates the idea that someone "like them" created it. Again successful endeavors like Flatstock poster show and DeviantArt.com exemplify the popularity of digital art and screenprinting, two very prevalent lowbrow artforms, and reflect the significance that getting to know the artist plays within this movement. 50/50 The Blurring of Art and Craft attempts to explore the blurring of lines between artists and crafters. By highlighting the skill and expression of creativity found in both the art and craft worlds, we hope to encourage further support of local artists and D.I.Y. businesses and to facilitate a rethinking of the relationship between art and consumerism within our American corporate run culture.
The FirstMerit Bank Pavilion at Northerly Island is an outdoor amphitheater located on the man-made peninsula, Northerly Island, in Chicago, Illinois. Opening June 2005, the venue is a temporary structure, with the season running from June until September. Known as the "Venue with a View", the amphitheater has views of Lake Michigan, Burnham Harbor, Soldier Field and the Chicago Skyline.HistoryThe venue lies on the former site of Meigs Field. On March 30, 2003, Mayor Richard M. Daley ordered a midnight demolition of the airfield. The construction crew excavated six large X's on the runway. Daley stated the continued operation of the airfield was a threat to Chicago's cityscape, using the events of 9/11 as a reference. The airfield was set to continue operation until 2011, when it would be turned over to the City of Chicago. No one within state or city government were consulted on the demolition besides Daley. The Federal Aviation Administration fined the city $33,000, with an additional one million paid in grants.In August 2003, construction crews were sent in to continue demolition of the airfield. Originally, the space was planned to become an aviation museum. Daley refuted the plan and proposed the space become a lakefront park and nature reserve. Within the allocated 91 acres, Northerly Island was born. Over four acres were set aside for the forthcoming music venue.
The Adler Planetarium—America’s First Planetarium—is more than a museum; it is a laboratory, a classroom, and a community exploring the Universe together. Each year, over 550,000 visitors experience the museum’s interactive exhibitions, live planetarium shows, hands-on, minds-on STEM education programs, and world-class collections. Founded in 1930 by Chicago business leader Max Adler, the Adler Planetarium is a recognized leader in public engagement; the museum's scientists, historians and educators inspire the next generation of explorers and invite you to come explore space with us.
The Museum of Contemporary Photography was founded in 1984 by Columbia College Chicago. It is well known for an active program and curating which discovers many emerging and mid-career artists. The museum houses a permanent collection as well as the Midwest Photographers Project, which contains portfolios of photographers and artists' work who reside in the midwestern United States.Permanent collectionThe MoCP’s permanent collection focuses on American and International photography of the 20th century and today. The collection features work by Ansel Adams, Harry Callahan, Henri Cartier-Bresson, Julia Margaret Cameron, Walker Evans, Dorothea Lange, Irving Penn, Aaron Siskind, and Victor Skrebneski among the 10,000-plus photographs and photographically related objects, including gelatin-silver prints, color work, digital pieces, photograms, and various alternative processes.Selected exhibitionsOf the Museum's exhibitions since 2001, notable ones have included:Paul Shambroom: Evidence of Democracy, October 3 - December 5, 2003Michael Wolf: The Transparent City and Work/Place, November 14, 2008 - January 31, 2009Guy Tillim: Avenue Patrice Lumumba, January 10 - March 6, 2011