CHICAGO — The Chicago Architecture Center ( CAC ), under the leadership of President and CEO Lynn J. Osmond, is pleased to offer more than 50 online programs and trails for self-guided, outdoor exploration, highlighting more than 100 unique sites, during the CAC's 10th annual Open House Chicago ( OHC ) festival, Friday, Oct.16 through Sunday, Oct. 25, 2020. CAC members get priority access to an OHC 2020 preview program on Wednesday, Oct. 7 at noon, as well as exclusive access to the "My Neighborhood, My Story" series of virtual tours with local celebrities and public figures.
Recent additions to OHC 2020 offerings include a Neighborhood Trail through Logan Square curated and narrated by Chicago Mayor Lori E. Lightfoot and First Lady Amy Eshleman, a Neighborhood Trail outlining the Phase II development of Englewood Square through the City of Chicago's INVEST South/West initiative, a Virtual Family Trail featuring seven sites that engage children through architecture and design, a special Girls Build! day on-site at the Center at 111 E. Wacker Drive, and a virtual tour and panel discussion spotlighting the historic Central Park Theater in North Lawndale. This release also includes updates to OHC trails and online programs previously announced.
OHC 2020 sites, trails and online programs are concentrated in 22 focus areas: Auburn Gresham, Austin, Back of the Yards and New City, Beverly, Bronzeville, the Loop, Chinatown, Englewood, Evanston and Rogers Park, Humboldt Park, Hyde Park and Kenwood, Lincoln Park, Logan Square, Chicago's Near North Side and Near West Side, North Lawndale, Oak Park, Pilsen, Pullman and Roseland, South Shore, Wicker Park and Woodlawn.
Visitors to each OHC 2020 area will be supported in their self-guided exploration by free resources available online at openhousechicago.org, as well as through the free OHC 2020 application for mobile devices, powered by Vamonde, available beginning Oct. 14 and compatible with both Android ( Google ) and iOS ( Apple ) operating systems.
Using these free resources, OHC 2020 attendees will be able to explore and select routes on a variety of themes, learn more about buildings and sites of interest in each neighborhood, browse and register for related OHC online programs and more. OHC online programs are aligned with the festival's neighborhoods and themes, featuring guest presenters and representatives from more than 50 local organizations.
OHC 2020 Supports a Safe Experience
All OHC 2020 experiences and programs are outdoors or online in support of public safety. While select online programs during the festival may include images and video footage of building interiors, please do not attempt to enter any of the more than 100 unique OHC sites and buildings located along OHC trails. OHC participants are asked to observe all current recommendations from public health officials from the State of Illinois and the City of Chicago.
OHC 2020 Mobile App and Trails for Self-Guided, Outdoor Exploration
Access complete OHC site and trail content including audio, images and video via the OHC 2020 mobile app, available for download via the App Store ( for iOS devices ) and Google Play Store ( for Android devices ) beginning Wednesday, Oct. 14. Unless otherwise noted, OHC trails are easy to intermediate bicycle rides or walks designed to last an hour or less.
Architectural Innovation Trail: Chinatown
Take 30 minutes or more to follow this one-mile route, tracing historic and recently completed sites of architectural significance, including Hilliard Tower Apartments, Chinatown Square, Ping Tom Memorial Park, the CTA Green Line station at Cermak-McCormick Place and the Chicago Public Library's Chinatown Branch. Trail includes audio narration by Carol Ross Barney, Ross Barney Architects; Brian Lee, Skidmore, Owings & Merrill; and Ernest C. Wong, site design group, ltd. Architectural Innovation Trail: Chinatown is sponsored by Ozinga.
Architectural Innovation Trail: Fulton Market District
Take 30 minutes or more to follow this one-mile route highlighting just a few of the many new developments in and around Chicago's Fulton Market District. Trail stops include 1K Fulton,
Fulton West, the Chicago Public Library's West Loop Branch and McDonald's Global Headquarters, plus the under-construction projects Fulton East and 800 Fulton Market. Trail includes audio narration by Andy Gloor, Sterling Bay.
Architectural Innovation Trail: Hyde Park
Take 45 minutes or more to follow this 1.5-mile route, spotlighting historic and recently completed sites of architectural significance, including the Frederick C. Robie House, Keck-Gottschalk-Keck Apartments, Promontory Apartments, University Park Condominiums and Townhomes and Solstice on the Park. Trail includes audio narration by Mark P. Sexton, Krueck Sexton Partners; and Juliane Wolf, Studio Gang.
Bicycle / Driving Trail: A Ribbon of Green on the West Side
The chain of wooded roadways and major parks on Chicago's West Side comprises more than 1,700 acres of green space, connecting six public squares and eight parks, linked by 18 historic boulevards. Built in stages between 1869 and 1942, the showpieces in this famed "ribbon of green" are the city's Douglass, Garfield and Humboldt Parks. Enjoy this 7.5-mile trail of highlights by bicycle, car or on foot, or go the distance and travel all 26 miles from end to end. Trail includes audio narration by Julia Bachrach, historian and Chicago parks expert. A Ribbon of Green on the West Side is sponsored by ComEd.
Bicycle / Driving Trail: Chicago's Tied Houses
This citywide trail from Pullman to Uptown, or vice versa, is best approached as a daylong adventure enjoyed by car or bicycle, with a route linking 10 examples of Chicago's once-commonplace tied houses: bars and saloons "tied" to selling the products of a single brewery. Many designed by architects Frommann & Jebsen in Chicago for Milwaukee's Schlitz company, tied houses and the system they supported played a significant role in triggering the movement that led to Prohibition. With stops in multiple OHC neighborhoods, this trail can also be completed over several days, as attendees visit nearby OHC sites and trails. Trail includes audio narration by Lee Greenberg, Gensler; and Nick Lubovich, Schlitz Row historian.
Bicycle / Driving Trail: North Shore Historic Homes
Take your time following this five-mile route through Kenilworth, Winnetka and Glencoe on Chicago's North Shore, highlighting eleven homes on the National Register of Historic Places designed by David Adler, Howard Van Doren Shaw, Frank Lloyd Wright and George Maher, whose 1893 home at 424 Warwick Road in Kenilworth includes early Prairie School elements. Trail includes audio narration by Dennis Rodkin, Crain's Chicago Business. The North Shore Historic Homes trail is sponsored by Orren Pickell Building Group.
Bicycle / Walking Trail: Olmsted's South Park
Chicago's Jackson and Washington Parks, along with the Midway Plaisance, form a coherent, 1,055-acre landscape originally known as South Park. Designed in 1871 by Frederick Law Olmsted, "the father of landscape architecture," this trio of urban assets took time to mature. Enjoy this 2.5-mile trail of highlights or go the distance and travel all five miles from end to end. Trail includes audio narration by Julia Bachrach, historian and Chicago parks expert; and Robert W. Karr, Jr., Project 120 Chicago.
Neighborhood Trail: Austin: Frederick R. Schock Homes
Take 20 minutes or more to enjoy this half-mile route past four houses designed by Frederick R. Schock, a Chicago-born architect who pushed stylistic boundaries and helped establish Austin as a fashionable residential enclave. Featured sites, including Schock's own residence, combine elements of Queen Anne and the Shingle Style—a design approach uncommon in the Midwest but highly influential to Chicago architects associated with the Prairie School.
Neighborhood Trail: Beverly: The Prairie School
Take an hour or more to explore this two-mile route showcasing the rich variety of homes on and around a prominent natural ridge extending from Chicago's 87th Street south to the City of Blue Island. While there are unique homes and vibrant communities along all six miles of the ridge, this trail focuses on a short stretch featuring grand homes by influential architects—and a collection of Prairie Style exemplars to rival Oak Park. Trail includes audio narration by Eleanor Gorski, City of Chicago Department of Planning and Development.
Neighborhood Trail: Bronzeville: Performance Spaces in the Black Metropolis
Through the first half of the 20th century, discriminatory practices by banks and insurance companies forced Black Chicagoans and new arrivals to the city from the American South to settle in a narrow corridor of the South Side known as "The Black Belt." With space so limited, several buildings operated both as community gathering points and venues for musicians and other performing artists. Take 45 minutes or more to follow this 1.5-mile trail connecting a few sites still standing from the heyday of Chicago's "Black Metropolis." Trail includes audio narration by Bernard Loyd, Urban Juncture; and Robert M. Marovich, Journal of Gospel Music. Performance Spaces in the Black Metropolis is sponsored by ComEd.
Neighborhood Trail: Downtown: Lakeshore East
Take 30 minutes or more for this half-mile exploration of the latest structures to rise in Lakeshore East, a master-planned community on the former site of the Illinois Central Railroad yards and, later, a nine-hole golf course. Tucked between Lake Michigan, Millennium Park and the Chicago River, Lakeshore East is now home to some of the tallest new buildings in the United States. Trail includes audio narration by James Loewenberg, Magellan Development Group; and Juliane Wolf, Studio Gang.
New Neighborhood Trail: Englewood Square Phase II
Take 30 minutes or more to learn how Englewood Square, centered on the intersection of South Halsted and West 63rd Streets, will be further revitalized through the City of Chicago's INVEST South/West initiative. The City's August 2020 release of a Request for Proposals ( RFP ) focuses on development of long-vacant sites at this intersection to bring critical new investment to the area. The goal is to create a new, mixed-use "town square" for Englewood building community wealth at the historic commercial heart of the neighborhood. Learn about
these plans and other important projects nearby to bolster urban farming and recreational space. Trail includes audio narration by Luke Mich, AICP, PLA, City of Chicago Department of Planning and Development.
Neighborhood Trail: Lincoln Park: A Women's History
Take 45 minutes or more to follow this one-mile trail and learn how a small cemetery was transformed into today's 1,200-acre recreational landscape. The important contributions by women to the creation of Lincoln Park are often overshadowed by men whose names and figures adorn the park's historic sites and natural features. Explore locations that broaden the narrative of how the park took shape over 150 years, with an emphasis on women who envisioned—and continue to improve—a space all Chicagoans can enjoy. Trail includes audio narration by Julia Bachrach, historian and Chicago parks expert.
New Neighborhood Trail: Logan Square: First Family Favorites
Take 45 minutes or more to follow this special audio trail of Logan Square, curated by and with remarks from City of Chicago Mayor Lori E. Lightfoot and First Lady Amy Eshleman. The Mayor and First Lady have called Logan Square home for more than 15 years. Learn what first drew them to the neighborhood, their impressions of a fast-changing community and what they cherish most about the area today. Explore some of their favorite landmarks, green spaces and restaurants along the way. Trail includes audio narration by Mayor Lightfoot and First Lady Eshleman.
Neighborhood Trail: Logan Square: Homes of the Boulevards
Take 45 minutes or more to follow this 1.5-mile trail of highlights along the tree-lined boulevards radiating outward from Chicago's Logan and Palmer Squares. Having taken their design cues from older, heavier facades along Drexel and Grand Boulevards as well as Lake Shore Drive, the Prairie, Queen Anne and Greystone homes on Kedzie and Logan Boulevards aimed to attract newly affluent buyers seeking a then-suburban setting.
Neighborhood Trail: Near North Side: Gold Coast Tales
Following the Great Chicago Fire of 1871, grand residences were built throughout the northeast pocket of today's Gold Coast neighborhood, along Lake Shore Drive between Division Street and North Avenue. Take 45 minutes or more to follow this one-mile trail profiling the ambitions, personalities and stories of figures and families who chose to make homes in the area. Trail includes audio narration by Virginia Gerst, CAC docent.
Neighborhood Trail: Near South Side: Prairie Avenue Homes
Some of the oldest, most picturesque homes still standing in Chicago can be found tucked away along South Prairie Avenue southeast of Soldier Field, including the Henry B. Clarke House ( 1836 ), Keith House ( 1870 ) and OHC 2020 community partner Glessner House ( 1885-'87 ). Take 30 minutes or more to enjoy this half-mile stroll through Chicago's historic Prairie Avenue District—and learn which of the area's buildings were picked up and moved from their original locations.
Neighborhood Trail: Oak Park: The Young Frank Lloyd Wright
Take 30 minutes or more to follow this half-mile trail highlighting seven early houses designed by Frank Lloyd Wright during the first two decades of his long career. Curated from among Wright's 25 extant Oak Park commissions, these examples show how his work evolved, from his early tenure as a draftsman under Louis Sullivan to his emergence as an established and influential architect in private practice. Trail includes audio narration by Adam Rubin, Chicago Architecture Center. The Young Frank Lloyd Wright trail is sponsored by Orren Pickell Building Group.
Neighborhood Trail: Pilsen: Mosaics
Take 30 minutes or more to appreciate the remarkable mosaics along this 1.25-mile trail, created using tiles and other mixed media over the past 30 years. Tracing at least to Mario Castillo's "Peace or Metafisico" mural of 1968, Chicago's Pilsen neighborhood has long been a hub of the Mexican muralist movement in the United States. Many of the neighborhood's works of tile and painting merge expressions of cultural and religious identity with calls for social justice, by artists such as Sandra Antongiorgi, Aurelio Diaz, H/ector Duarte, Sam Kirk, Jeff Maldonado, Francisco Mendoza, Gabriel Villa and others. Trail includes audio narration by Luis Tubens, Pilsen murals expert.
Neighborhood Trail: Pullman and Roseland
Today Chicago Neighborhood Initiatives president David Doig discusses historic rehabilitation and housing development work in and around Pullman, originally intended as an idyllic community for Pullman Palace Car Company laborers but, within 15 years, the site of the violent Pullman Strike of 1894. Absorbed by the City of Chicago in 1889, Pullman today encompasses the Pullman National Monument, including landmark buildings by architect Solon Spencer Bemen and landscapes by Nathan Barrett, as well as larger areas to the west of Lake Calumet and north to 95th Street, urbanized throughout the mid-20th century. Trail includes video content by Video Parachute, with kind assistance from Chicago Neighborhood Initiatives and Leadership Greater Chicago.
Neighborhood Trail: Rogers Park: The Mile of Murals
Take 45 minutes or more to enjoy The Mile of Murals: more than 14,000 square feet of bold imagery and vibrant color on street-facing walls abutting elevated CTA Red Line tracks through Rogers Park. Launched in 2007, the project aims to promote and celebrate the arts-centered identity of the neighborhood, which includes the Glenwood Avenue Arts District. Trail includes audio narration by Ana Bermdez, Rogers Park Business Alliance.
Neighborhood Trail: Wicker Park: Beer Baron Row
Take 30 minutes or more to peruse this half-mile trail through a well-preserved collection of mansions between Damen and North Avenues and Leavitt and Schiller Streets. Dubbed "Beer Baron Row," this tightly packed assortment of grand homes in Queen Anne, Second Empire, Richardsonian Romanesque and other styles are surrounded by humble workers' cottages of
the same period, built to house German, Scandinavian and Polish immigrants who shared the neighborhood.
New OHC 2020 App Exclusive: Attic Treasures II
Download and install the OHC 2020 mobile app to virtually visit the Chinese American Museum of Chicago's Raymond B. and Jean T. Lee Center, which receives so many donations to its collection it created the online exhibit "Attic Treasures II" to display items yet to be seen in the museum's Chinatown galleries. Organized into six virtual "rooms" themed on the original purposes of these objects, "Attic Treasures II" invites you behind the scenes to learn how the museum shares and cares for the curious, delightful treasures it acquires.
OHC 2020 App Exclusive: Aural Neighborhoods Trails
Download and install the OHC 2020 mobile app to experience a pair of corresponding, self-guided sound trails created exclusively for the festival by NON:op Open Opera Works. Grab your headphones, choose the Auburn Gresham or Evanston option, travel to the trailhead and follow maps and prompts in the app to find specific points at which you can listen to custom-created, site-specific soundscapes.
New OHC 2020 App Exclusive: Inside the Givins Castle
Download and install the OHC 2020 mobile app to access two videos about the history and preservation of the Givins Castle, a crenelated curiosity atop the steep ridge that runs through Chicago's Beverly and Morgan Park neighborhoods. Its first of five owners, real estate magnate Robert C. Givins, reportedly built the residence of solid Joliet limestone in 1887, as a gift for his wife as well as a tool to encourage development along the Rock Island Line.
OHC 2020 App Exclusive: The Planner's Path with CAC Teen Fellows
Download and install the OHC 2020 mobile app to check out original neighborhood improvements designed by CAC Teen Fellows in summer 2020 to bring community connection and engagement to 19 underutilized Chicago sites.
OHC 2020 App Exclusive: Plein Air ( Outdoor ) Painting of OHC Neighborhoods Project Download and install the OHC 2020 mobile app to browse and share unique portraits of OHC 2020 sites, curated exclusively for the festival by 11 artists from Plein Air Painters Chicago.
New OHC 2020 App Exclusive: Virtual Family Trail
You can learn a great deal about your surroundings just by looking carefully and asking critical questions. By learning to look, you can understand in new ways the built environment, your neighborhood and even yourself. Follow the Open House Chicago Virtual Family Trail to explore seven sites that shape the way children experience architecture, through their shapes, sizes, colors and materials: Boxville, Farm on Ogden, the Firehouse Community Arts Center of Chicago, He Duarte Studio, The Givins Castle, the I Grow Chicago Peace Campus and the Cesar E. Chavez Multicultural Academic Center.
New OHC 2020 App Exclusive: The DuSable Bridge Centennial
This year marks the centennial of today's bridge across the Chicago River at North Michigan Avenue, named in honor of Chicago's founder, Jean Baptiste Pointe DuSable. The bridge made possible the transformation of a single-lane dirt road, then known as Pine Street, into The Magnificent Mile. More than 10,000 cars crossed the span on its opening day: May 14, 1920. Among the oldest business associations in Chicago, OHC 2020 community partner The Magnificent Mile Association was formed in 1912 to facilitate the bridge's construction and carry out Daniel Burnham's 1909 Plan of Chicago. Download and install the OHC 2020 mobile app to view a short video about the DuSable Bridge, produced by Born Ready Films.
Girls Build! at the Chicago Architecture Center Sunday, Oct. 18 from 10am to 4 p.m. Free with $12 Center admission, students $8.
Children ages 5 and younger FREE Extending the success of more than a dozen Girls Build! classes and camps offered by the CAC since 2016, fall 2020 Girls Build! participants join the 10th anniversary celebration of Open House Chicago during regular hours at the Chicago Architecture Center, located at 111 East Wacker Drive, on Sunday, Oct. 18. While adhering to the CAC's safety policies at the Center, students ages 11 to 17 will greet and interact with Center visitors, exercising what they've learned about research and interpretation of the built environment while strengthening their public speaking and self-advocacy skills. Girls Build! promotes gender equity in STEM professions and career pathways toward architecture, building trades, engineering and design.
OHC 2020 Online Programs Advance registration for most free and paid online events will be required. Event listings and registration are available at openhousechicago.org/programs and via the OHC 2020 mobile app. Unless otherwise noted, all OHC 2020 online programs are scheduled on Central Time, hosted via Zoom and subject to change. Current CAC members get free access to most OHC online programs, and exclusive access to the "My Neighborhood, My Story" series of video tours led by noted architects, artists, media personalities and public figures.
OHC 2020 Preview Free for members only on Wednesday, Oct. 7 at noon.
Repeats on Thursday, Oct. 8 at 5:30 p.m. for $8, FREE with registration fee to CAC members
Attend this special sneak preview of the OHC 2020 mobile app and virtual programs, with opportunities to ask questions and get recommendations for maximizing their OHC 2020 experience. This online preview program will be accessible to the general public following its premiere for CAC members only.
OHC 2020 Trivia Night Friday, Oct. 16 at 7 p.m.
$15, CAC members $10
To kick off 10 days of endless discoveries during Open House Chicago 2020, join fellow OHC devotees and special guests to compete in teams on trivia questions about Chicago places and spaces. Teams of eight will be randomly created and captained by local personalities like WTTW host Geoffrey Baer and photographer, writer and lecturer Lee Bey. Meet new friends, share memories of past OHC events and win prizes. Capacity is limited.
Artmaking and Placemaking in Chicago Communities Saturday, Oct. 17 at 2 p.m. Free.
OHC 2020 community partner Hyde Park Art Center co-convenes this roundtable discussion about artist-driven community activations, creative projects and placemaking across Chicago, ahead of its forthcoming 2021 exhibition, "Planting and Maintaining a Perennial Garden." Presenters include BORDERLESS Studio founder and principal Paola Aguirre Serrano, alt_ co-founders Jordan Campbell and Jon Veal, social justice artist and Folded Map Project creator Tonika Lewis Johnson, Future Firm principal Ann Lui, lead exhibition artist and Floating Museum co-director Faheem Majeed, AMFM founder Ciera McKissick, JNJ Creative president and co-founder Janell Nelson and Chicago Transit Authority lead designer Joe Nelson.
Chicago Landmarking at 50: Past, Present and Future
Saturday, Oct. 17 at 4 p.m. Free.
Chicago's historic preservation movement is now more than half a century old. Learn how local landmarking came into being and how its use and impact have gone far beyond preservation, with Chicago's diverse Third Ward serving as a case study. Presenters include urban planner Jeremi Bryant, Third Ward Alderwoman Pat Dowell and OHC 2020 community partner Glessner House curator and executive director William Tyre.
Members onlin "My Neighborhood, My Story" Virtual Tour with Gordon Gill Saturday, Oct. 17 at 7 p.m. Free exclusively for CAC members
Renowned architect Gordon Gill, FAIA of Adrian Smith + Gordon Gill Architecture brings CAC members and CAC President and CEO Lynn Osmond on a video walking tour, to view a selection of the firm's projects in Chicago and discuss its skyline-altering work in cities around the globe.
A New Vision for the Kenwood Line Sunday, Oct. 18 at 2 p.m. $8, FREE with registration fee to CAC members
Inspired by the City of Chicago's INVEST South/West Initiative, Migel Antonino Santos, recent graduate of the College of Architecture at the Illinois Institute of Technology, created a proposal to revitalize the Kenwood Line, a six-station branch of the city's "L" network that served South Side residents and visitors from 1907-'57. Now based in Chicago, Santos originally hails from Pasig City, Metro Manila in the Philippines—among the most densely populated areas on Earth. Hear how Santos suggests Chicago leverage this decommissioned rail line in support of greater socioeconomic equity and neighborhood vitality.
Members only "My Neighborhood, My Story" Virtual Tour with Free Street Theater Sunday, Oct. 18 at 4 p.m. Freeexclusively for CAC members
Free Street Theater artistic director Coya Paz and director of education Katrina Dion give CAC members and CAC docent Kathleen Hanley a video tour through the curious, mural-filled rooms of Pulaski Park Fieldhouse ( William Carbys Zimmerman, 1914 ), where Free Street is headquartered through the Chicago Park District's Arts Partners in Residence program.
Women in Architecture Virtual Tour Monday, Oct. 19 at 10 a.m. $8, FREE with registration fee to CAC members
While women in architecture and design professions were historically limited by glass ceilings, they've secured bigger and more visible roles in the 21st century, opening and running their own offices and designing buildings that have changed cities and skylines the world over. CAC docent Mary Jo Hoag leads this special encore presentation during OHC 2020 of her popular virtual tour, premiered on CAC Live in June 2020.
Members only "My Neighborhood, My Story" Virtual Tour with Heather Ireland Robinson Monday, Oct. 19 at 5:30 p.m. Free exclusively for CAC members
Jazz Institute of Chicago executive director Heather Ireland Robinson brings CAC members and CAC Senior Manager of Education and Experience Angela Esposito on a video tour through Chicago's Roseland neighborhood, where Robinson grew up.
Revitalized: What's New and Cool on the River Tuesday, Oct. 20 at noon $8, Free with registration fee to CAC members
Join CAC docents Lance Friedmann, Wayne Johnson, Kelly Jones and Alison Schlickman as they share highlights among the many new buildings, neighborhood developments and works of public art along the Chicago Riverwalk.
Investment through Preservation in Roseland Tuesday, Oct. 20 at 5:30 p.m. Free.
OHC 2020 community partner Preservation Chicago co-convenes this roundtable discussion about the Roseland neighborhood on Chicago's South Side. After decades of disinvestment, what does Roseland need to rebuild its community health and vibrance, and how might historic preservation be leveraged as a means toward such progress? Presenters include Greater Roseland Chamber of Commerce founding executive director Andrea D. Reed, Preservation Chicago director of community engagement Mary Lu Seidel, City of Chicago Department of Planning and Development coordinating planner Erika Sellke, Roseland Heights Community Association president and Red Line Extension Coalition member Clevan Tucker, Jr. and historian, musician, photographer and lifelong Chicago resident Paul Petraitis.
Get to Know Your House: Rogers Park Edition Wednesday, Oct. 21 at 10 a.m.
Free.
Based on the CAC's popular class series Get to Know Your House, initially offered and sold out in March 2020, this one-time special edition provides attendees tips on researching their historic homes. With Chicago's Rogers Park neighborhood serving as a case study, this program features a discussion between Rogers Park homeowner and CAC Vice President of Education and Audience Engagement Nicole Kowrach and Property History Quest staffer Dona Vitale from OHC 2020 community partner Rogers Park / West Ridge Historical Society.
Changing the Narrative: African Americans in Evanston Wednesday, Oct. 21 at noon
Free
Established in 1863, the City of Evanston benefited economically and socially from the contributions of its African American residents—a fact often diminished in, if not excluded entirely from, historical records and narratives. OHC 2020 community partner the Evanston History Center co-convenes this conversation between its director of facilities, visitor services and collections Kris Hartzell and Shorefront Legacy Center founder and executive director Dino Robinson.
Stories of ( Im )Migration, Sites of Unity
Thursday, Oct.22 at noon Free.
OHC 2020 community partner Chicago Cultural Alliance co-convenes this discussion among representatives from CCA member organizations the Bronzeville Historical Society, the National Hellenic Museum, the Swedish American Museum and the Ukrainian National Museum of Chicago. Hear reflections on ( im )migration stories from the communities their organizations serve, and learn about local sites where those communities have come together, past and present, as they've made homes for themselves in Chicago.
Book Talk: "Evanston's Design Heritage: Architects, Designers and Planners" Thursday, Oct.22 at 5:30 p.m. Free.
Join OHC 2020 community partner Design Evanston for a look at its new book, "Evanston's Design Heritage," featuring 127 notable architects and landscape architects, designers and planners who lived or worked in the North Shore city since its founding in 1863. Presenters include architect and University of Illinois at Chicago professor emeritus Stuart Cohen, FAIA; Evanston History Center director of facilities, visitor services and collections Kris Hartzell; architect and landscape designer Tom Hofmaier, LEED AP; Heidrun Hoppe Associates president Heidrun Hoppe; Design Evanston president and Ross Barney Architects marketing principal Laura Saviano; Design Evanston and Teska Associates founder Bob Teska; and Chicago Design Archive president and Jack Weiss Associates principal Jack Weiss.
Members only "My Neighborhood, My Story" Virtual Tour with Lin Brehmer Thursday, Oct. 22 at 7 p.m. FREE exclusively for CAC members
93 XRT host Lin Brehmer brings CAC members and CAC docent Lisa Pickell on a video tour of downtown Chicago, stopping at sites of significance in the history of rock music including famed venues where bands beloved by XRT listeners gave still-legendary concerts.
MEMBERS ONLY "My Neighborhood, My Story" Virtual Tour with Carol Ross Barney Friday, Oct. 23 at 4 p.m. Free exclusively for CAC members
Renowned architect Carol Ross Barney, FAIA brings CAC members and CAC docent Michelle Woods on a stroll along Chicago's Riverwalk, an award-winning, multi-phase project by Ross Barney Architects that Woods oversees in her role as a City of Chicago project manager for concessions, maintenance and operations.
New Chicago's Central Park Theater and the Dawn of a New Era Friday, Oct. 23 at noon. Free.
Join OHC 2020 community partner the North Lawndale Historical and Cultural Society for this panel discussion moderated by Dio Aldridge, special assistant to the dean and provost on diversity, equity and inclusion at the School of the Art Institute of Chicago, and virtual tour with CAC docent Mike McMains, pastor Robert Marshall and North Lawndale Historical and Cultural Society chairwoman Blanche Suggs Killingsworth. Converted to a church in 1971, the Central Park Theater was reportedly the first to offer mechanical air conditioning and also marked the start of a fruitful partnership between architects Rapp and Rapp and the Balaban and Katz cinema empire, which would give rise to numerous landmarks including the Chicago, Oriental ( now Nederlander ), Riviera and Uptown theaters. Go virtually behind the scenes and learn more about the currently closed 1917 building which, despite its listing on the National Register of Historic Places, faces an uncertain future.
If Walls Had Ears: Historic Chicago Music Venues Friday, Oct. 23 at 7 p.m. $15, CAC members $10
This special collection of virtual tours and brief performances by musical artists brings attendees "into" backstage areas and spaces they wouldn't ordinarily see, at storied Chicago venues including the Avalon Regal ( South Shore ), The Forum ( Bronzeville ), Thalia Hall ( Pilsen ) and the Vic Theatre ( Lakeview ). Presenters include Bruce Finkelman, co-founder of 16" on Center; Jerald Gary, president of Community Capital Investment; musician Lloyd Brodnax King, Bernard Loyd, founder and president of Urban Juncture and owner of The Forum; Jerry Mickelson, co-founder of JAM Productions.
South Shore Neighborhood Virtual Tour
Saturday, Oct. 24 at 2 p.m. Free.
This live-streamed, virtual tour of the South Shore neighborhood showcases its rich history and beautiful architecture. Presenters include OHC 2020 community partner Rainbow Beach Park Advisory Council president Allan Lindrup; CAC docent Mike McMains; and MOBE and Real Men Charities, Inc. CEO Yvette J. Moyo, publisher of South Side Drive Magazine: Guide to the Good Life Chicago.
Members only "My Neighborhood, My Story" Virtual Tour with Robert Loerzel Saturday, Oct. 24 at 4 p.m. Free, exclusively for CAC members
"Walking Chicago" author, freelance journalist and photographer Robert Loerzel brings CAC members and CAC docent Jaime Villalobos on a video tour of favorite buildings, places and spaces in Chicago's Edgewater and Rogers Park neighborhoods.
Historic Community Gardens of North Lawndale Sunday, Oct. 25 at 2p.m. Free.
Chicago's North Lawndale neighborhood features a collection of more than 50 community gardens, enlivening many formerly empty lots and often serving as accessible spaces for public gatherings and events. OHC 2020 community partners North Lawndale Community Coordinating Council and North Lawndale Historical and Cultural Society co-convene this discussion with North Lawndale residents about the impact and importance of nine area gardens in particular. Chicago and Parish'based architect Odile Compagnon, teaching professor in the Department of Architecture, Interior Architecture and Designed Objects at the School of the Art Institute of Chicago, moderates this discussion.
Members ony "My Neighborhood, My Story" Virtual Tour with Che "Rhymefest" Kweku Sunday, Oct. 25 at 4 p.m. Free, exclusively for CAC members
Hip-hop artist, community organizer, teacher and writer Che "Rhymefest" Kweku brings CAC members and CAC docent Erica Myles on a video tour to places that changed the course of his life and career, in Chicago's Hyde Park and Kenwood neighborhoods.
OHC 2020 Community Partners
The Chicago Architecture Center extends its gratitude to all OHC 2020 community partners including 826CHI, Access Contemporary Music, Beverly Area Planning Association, Breakthrough FamilyPlex, Bronzeville Historical Society, Chicago Cultural Alliance, Chicago's North Shore Convention and Visitors Bureau, Chicago Public Library, Coalition for a Better Chinese American Community, Design Evanston, Evanston History Center, The Forum, Glessner House, Hyde Park Art Center, Illinois Holocaust Museum, Intuit: The Center for Intuitive and Outsider Art, Lincoln Park Chamber of Commerce, Logan Square Neighborhood Association, The Magnificent Mile Association, Midwest Society for Acoustic Ecology, NON:op Open Opera Works, North Lawndale Community Coordinating Council, North Lawndale Historical and Cultural Society, Oak Park Art League, Oak Park River Forest Museum, Pivot Arts, Plein Air Painters Chicago, Preservation Chicago, Puerto Rican Arts Alliance, Rainbow Beach Park Advisory Council, Rogers Park Business Alliance, Rogers Park / West Ridge Historical Society, The Renaissance Collaborative and Visit Oak Park.
OHC 2020 Neighborhood Enhancements
While exploring the more than 100 OHC sites and buildings located along OHC trails, attendees are encouraged to use the free OHC 2020 app to browse and visit more than 100 neighborhood enhancements that include local businesses, green spaces, works of public art and more. Curated in partnership with Choose Chicago, these assets include Big Star Wicker Park, Bronzeville Walk of Fame, Bungalow by Middle Brow, Cafe Phe Da Vietnamese Cafe, the Chinese American Museum of Chicago's Raymond B. and Jean T. Lee Center, HaiSous Vietnamese Kitchen, the Hubbard Street Murals, Johnny Twist Blues Museum, Lao Sze Chuan, Little Black Pearl Art and Design Center, Maplewood Brewery & Distillery, Mi Tocaya Antojeria, MingHin Cuisine, Moody Tongue Brewing Company, Oak Park River Forest Museum, One Eleven Food Hall, The Original Rainbow Cone, Oz Park, Paseo Boricua, Peach's on, the Chinese American Museum of Chicago's Raymond B. and Jean T. Lee Center, HaiSous Vietnamese Kitchen, the Hubbard Street Murals, Johnny Twist Blues Museum, Lao Sze Chuan, Little Black Pearl Art and Design Center, Maplewood Brewery & Distillery, Mi Tocaya Antojera, MingHin Cuisine, Moody Tongue Brewing Company, Oak Park River Forest Museum, One Eleven Food Hall, The Original Rainbow Cone, Oz Park, Paseo Boricua, Peach's on 47th, The Promontory, The Sh*t Fountain, The Violet Hour and Virtue Restaurant and Bar.
About the Chicago Architecture Center The Chicago Architecture Center ( CAC ) is a nonprofit organization founded in 1966, dedicated to inspiring people to discover why design matters. A national leader in architecture and design education, the CAC offers field-leading tours, programs, exhibitions and more that are part of a dynamic journey of lifelong learning.
Opened to the public in 2018, its riverfront location is in the heart of the city, where Michigan Avenue meets the Chicago River, featuring nearly 10,000 square feet of exhibition space filled with super-sized models—and views—of iconic skyscrapers built over the course of more than a century. Exhibitions focus on Chicago's diverse neighborhoods, housing types, leading architects and future projects, and include the largest scale model of the city, with more than 4,250 miniature buildings, interactive touchscreens, and a cinematic backdrop animating key moments in its history. Highly knowledgeable, enthusiastic CAC docents guide visitors and residents through more than 75 walking tours with more than 7,000 annual departures, plus the Chicago Architecture Foundation Center River Cruise aboard Chicago's First Lady.
Through partnerships with schools and youth-serving organizations, the CAC reaches approximately 30,000 K—12 students annually, while teacher workshops provide educators with tools and resources they need to advance STEM curricula in their classrooms. Committed to increasing access for populations historically under-represented in ACED ( architecture, construction, engineering, and design ) professions, the CAC offers many of its education programs—and all of its programs for teens—at no cost to participants. CAC programs for adults and members include talks with acclaimed authors and practicing architects, in-depth presentations on issues and trends in urbanism, and classes unlocking a wide range of subjects with connections to the built environment.
Proceeds from programs, tours and the CAC Design Store, as well as from grants, sponsorships and donations, support its educational mission. Visit architecture.org to learn more and follow @chiarchitecture and #chiarchitecture on social media.
Thanks to the Sponsors and Partners of Open House Chicago 2020
Open House Chicago 2020 is made possible by generous support from Presenting Sponsor Wintrust and OHC 2020 Sponsors the National Endowment for the Humanities through its CARES Act grant program, the National Endowment for the Arts, ComEd, the TAWANI Foundation, and Regenia Stein and Roland James.
The OHC trails Bronzeville: Performance Spaces in the Black Metropolis and A Ribbon of Green on the West Side are sponsored by ComEd. Architectural Innovation Trail: Chinatown is sponsored by Ozinga. North Shore Historic Homes and Oak Park: The Young Frank Lloyd Wright are sponsored by Orren Pickell Building Group. OHC 2020 Partners are Choose Chicago, the Chicago Transit Authority and Open House Worldwide. OHC 2020 Media Sponsors are Chicago magazine, the Chicago Reader, WBEZ 91.5 Chicago and Vocalo Radio.
