The Chicago Cultural Center: A Chicago Landmark & Gem in the Heart of Downtown

Chicagoans can visit the Chicago Cultural Center on the corner of Washington Street and Michigan Avenue for countless visual, literary, and performing arts programs. Built in 1897, and originally the home of Chicago’s public library, the building is now a venue for cultural and artistic expression. This hidden treasure of Chicago’s architectural, artistic, and cultural history holds more than 700 events, free to the public, every year.

The exterior may cause visitors to overlook the building; however, the divine marble, stone, hardwood, stained glass and mosaics in the interior will surely change your mind. Its masterpiece is the world’s largest stained glass Tiffany dome. Over 40 feet in diameter, the dome was restored in 2008 and resides in Preston Bradley Hall, which houses free music events throughout the year. Other events include artist exhibitions, lectures, films, and concerts.

Pictured above is the stained glass Tiffany dome designed in an intricate Renaissance pattern. Restored in 2008, the dome is an artistic marvel and can be visited for free at the Cultural Center.

Below is the grand staircase with a view of the Tiffany dome. The staircase is lined with pink and white marble and features countless mosaics inscribed with names of the greatest writers and philosophers of our time.

The Chicago Cultural Center is home to many traveling art exhibits, free and open to the public Monday through Thursday 10-7, Friday 10-6, and Saturday and Sunday until 5pm.

Upcoming events at the Cultural Center include Gallery Talks from artist Jackie Kazarian and art historian Michael Bonesteel, as well as the photography exhibit "Polaridad Complimentaria: Recent Works from Cuba" starting October 15th, a traveling exhibition showcasing new artistic talent from Cuba.

The building dubbed “The People’s Palace” celebrates art, culture, and education. There are a number of family programs and events held at the Cultural Center, including private parties and weddings. The lavish marble and stained glass backdrop is stunningly romantic, combining a historic and contemporary Chicago feel.

Only steps from the Art Institute of Chicago and Millennium Park, the Chicago Cultural Center is a must-see for any tour of Chicago. Whether it’s your first time to Chicago, or you have lived here for years, the cultural center is truly a landmark of the city. Even a simple stroll through the building leaves one with a sense of grandeur and timelessness.

For a quick visit, enter on Randolph Street through classical Doric columned doors. You’ll be engulfed by the high coffered ceiling and green and pink marble walls. Make your way up the curving staircase and look to see if you recognize any of the names in the detailed mosaic walls.

The Washington Street entrance greets visitors with a grand staircase, and a three-story vaulted lobby. White walls of Carrara marble surround you containing Favrile glass, stone, and mother of pearl details throughout. The coup de grâce is, of course, the Tiffany stained-glass dome at the top of the stairs. A must-see for art lovers, Chicagoans, and visitors to the city.

Researched and written by Taylor Maatman

MIR Appraisal Services, Inc.

Principal Appraiser: Farhad Radfar, ISA AM

307 N. Michigan Avenue, Suite 308

Chicago, IL 60601

(312) 814-8510

MIR Appraisal Services, Inc., is mere blocks from the Chicago Cultural Center—please include MIR in your Chicago “art tour.” Consider viewing several works by Chicago artists in our collection, including those of the late Ruth Duckworth and Emmanuel Viviano. We would also be delighted to evaluate your most prized works of art; a verbal evaluation is a fun, convenient and cost-effective way to gain valuable knowledge regarding your precious belongings. Please contact our friendly staff to set up an appointment!

Works Cited:

http://www.cityofchicago.org/city/en/depts/dca/provdrs/chicago_culturalcenter.html

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chicago_Cultural_Center

http://www.explorechicago.org/city/en/supporting_narrative/attractions/dca_tourism/Chicago_Cultural_Center.html

Ruth Duckworth's Organic Creations & Philosophy

Everyday art appraisers examine a variety of objects from a variety of time periods and genres. From an appraiser's unbiased point of view, it is more important to understand a particular genre and not whether or not it fits your particular taste. Although I greatly enjoy modernist pieces, I understand that not everyone is of a similar mindset. Therefore, I would like to visually examine a notable piece of modernist sculpture, discuss the possible creative philosophies of the artist who made it, and explain why I appreciate it.

The above sculpture, currently at MIR Appraisal Services, Inc., was created by Ruth Duckworth. She was born in Hamburg Germany in 1919, but fled Nazi Germany for England at the age of 17. Duckworth began her formal art training at the Liverpool School of Art, then studied at the Hammersmith School of Art, and finally went to the Central School of Arts and Crafts in London. Eventually Duckworth would move to Chicago to teach at the University of Chicago, which she did until 1977. She is known to still live in the Chicago and continues to sculpt.

Beyond the facts of Duckworth’s life, what I find interesting about her work is that she produces pieces that are entirely unique to both the art world and to the broader genre of everyday objects. What I mean by this is that her work is removed from common visual forms and preconceived notions of what a ceramic, bronze, or clay object is suppose to look like. Instead Duckworth’s sculptures only attempt to be just what they are, nothing more. In her work, she does not attempt to depict people, animals or bowls; they simply are what they are, art objects. Furthermore, what makes Duckworth’s sculptures interesting is that they are unique extensions of the artist herself. Meaning that although Duckworth has gone through many creative phases processes, in which she has used varied materials, the underlying tie that binds her creativity, appears to be the organic creation of her pieces. In the artists own words “I don’t want to think. I want it to happen by itself, to flow up.” She is creating works that for the first time exist in the world through her intuitive feel for the materials she uses.

The Duckworth sculpture, currently at MIR Appraisal Services, Inc. is an example of the organic creative methods that the artist uses. This ceramic stone ware and mixed media work consists of two long and rounded pieces in the center that converge at one side, but remain open at the other end. Each extremity emerging from the central torso has been extended gracefully by the artist, so that there is a seamless flow throughout the work's entirety. This particular sculpture is a fine example and testament to Ruth Duckworth's creative philosophy with its unique appearance and organically sculpted limbs.

For more information or acquisition inquiries on this newly restored Ruth Duckworth sculpture, please contact MIR Appraisal Services, Inc. in Chicago at (312) 814-8510 or email us at mirappraisal@aol.com.

-MIR Appraisal Services, Inc.

Resources Consulted & Further Reading:

Hales, Linda.”Ruth Duckworth: Modernist Sculptor.”Washington Post (Sept. 4, 2006): C01, http://www.washingtonpost.com/gog/exhibits/ruth-duckworth-modernist-sculptor,1127401.html


Stair, Julian.“Duckworth’s volumes and planes: a traveling retrospective examines the 60-year career of sculptor Ruth Duckworth, whose reductive vessels and blocky figures reflect the coolness of international modernism.”Art in America (Dec., 2005), http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_m1248/is_11_93/ai_n15979877