CHICAGO ART DECO SURVEY PROJECT

SAVE THE DATE: SAT. OCT 9TH - PURE DECO II

2010-08-12T12:35:00.000-07:00

PURE DECO II at the Colonel Robert Morse House in Lake Forest

to benefit the CADS Survey Project

Saturday, October 9th, 4:00 - 9:00 pm

Save the date for a spectacular evening in one of the most significant and lavish art deco residences in the United States. Located in a pastoral setting in west Lake Forest, the Colonel Robert H. Morse House was designed by Zimmerman Saxe & Zimmerman in 1931. This lovingly restored 25-room mansion features over 100 lighting programs, inlaid terrazo floors and touches of nautical deco throughout.

Guests will enjoy cocktails, live music and, for the first time ever, a virtual exhibition of furniture and decorative arts originally purchased for the house - now in the collections of two major midwestern museums.

Tickets: $70 for CADS members. $90 for non-members. $150 patron level tickets include acknowledgement in event program, in CADS magazine and a special gift bag.

Capacity for this event is just 90 persons. Reserve early.

For more information email chicagoartdeco@gmail.com or call 708-358-1394

SAVE THE DATE: LANDMARKS ILLINOIS ON CADS SURVEY - JUNE 17th

2010-03-10T09:19:00.000-08:00

LANDMARKS ILLINOIS Preservation Snapshots Lecture Series Presents:
From Ziggurat to Streamline

The non-profit Chicago Art Deco Society (CADS) has undertaken the first-ever survey of deco period buildings, monuments and sites in the Chicago area. The Chicago Art Deco Survey comprises an archive of over 4,000 contemporary and archival images and multiple databases including information on period artists, architects, designers and manufacturers.

Project Director Keith Bringe will share an overview of the survey - including the state of deco preservation.

Date: June 17, 2010
Time: 12:15 p.m. to 1:00 p.m.
Place: Chicago Cultural Center – 78 E. Washington
2nd floor - Cassidy Theater
Price: Free
No reservation required. For more information: chicagoartdeco@gmail.com

Pictured: Ashland Avenue Bridge, 1936 - 36, Designer Sciuppa del Campo, Taken October 2009.

2010-02-10T23:54:00.000-08:00

The Chicago Art Deco Society (CADS) has undertaken a comprehensive Survey of art deco period design toward the publication of the first-ever monograph on the style in Chicago.

It is astonishing that this great city which is considered a crucible of modernism should have been so neglected in this area.

The Chicago Art Deco Survey really began in 1981, with the founding of the non-profit Chicago Art Deco Society.

Things have stepped up with the survey in 2009 as we have catalogued over 625 sites in the region and archived over 3,000 images including 2,000 contemporary images. The archive seems to grow daily with the addition of collections of images like the remarkable Glenn Rogers and others.

The activities of the survey and the data gathered has continuously reinforced the idea that some of the greatest examples of the style are located here and some of the most influential harbingers of international design during the inter-war period signalled the beginning of art deco.

Unfortunately, the survey has also indicated that the art deco landscape has been altered in Chicago. Many important and beautiful structures and interiors have been destroyed - with a few preservation triumphs. In recent decades, neighborhood art deco has been under attack. Municipal neglect is a surprisingly strong or are threatened so that preservation planning and advocacy is of vital importance.

From the start, the community's enthusiasm for the project has been enormously inspirational. People have given of their time, talent and knowledge and in ways too numerous to mention. A primary goal of the project was to seek out new and previously undocumented information. To achieve this we sought strategic press and utilized several other tools including events and articles in CADS Magazine. Over 100 individuals contacted me with information and images and several made irreplaceable contributions.

This project would not have gotten to this stage without the support of many people but a few individuals were indispensible. Bennett Johnson, former President of the Chicago Art Deco Society was at the helm and steered the project at its birth. Joe Loundy, current CADS President has been an incredible, indispensible and circumspect leader and supporter. He has provided enthusiasm, intelligent guidance and moral fiber on a constant basis.

We all owe a general debt of gratitude to the Richard H. Driehaus Foundation for intelligent philanthropy and vision.

Historic styles sometimes doze in the collective unconscious for awhile then awaken. Van Gogh is not popular for decades then someone writes a song that triggers understanding of his relevance then come books and exhibitions celebrating his individuality and eccentricity. Frank Lloyd Wright is considered passé until a brilliant documentary film is widely distributed.

I believe that particular aspects of this modern style we call art deco make it appealing at this moment.

It was born in the boom time following World War I, but only saturated popular aesthetics during the great depression. This can be attributed to its core elements. Despite its historic references, art deco is a futurist style – it embodied a belief in the future and optimism. What could be more appropriate, now?

As we move toward the editorial phase of the project and the development of the book, "Chicago Art Deco". Please contact me with information, images or observations and don't forget to take the Chicago Art Deco Survey at SurveyMonkey.com (link at right).