1.
Opera
–
Opera is an art form in which singers and musicians perform a dramatic work combining text and musical score, usually in a theatrical setting. In traditional opera, singers do two types of singing, recitative, a style and arias, a more melodic style. Opera incorporates many of the elements of theatre, such as acting, scenery. The performance is given in an opera house, accompanied by an orchestra or smaller musical ensemble. Opera is a key part of the Western classical music tradition, in the 18th century, Italian opera continued to dominate most of Europe, attracting foreign composers such as George Frideric Handel. Opera seria was the most prestigious form of Italian opera, until Christoph Willibald Gluck reacted against its artificiality with his operas in the 1760s. The first third of the 19th century saw the point of the bel canto style, with Gioachino Rossini, Gaetano Donizetti. It also saw the advent of Grand Opera typified by the works of Auber and Meyerbeer, the mid-to-late 19th century was a golden age of opera, led and dominated by Richard Wagner in Germany and Giuseppe Verdi in Italy. The popularity of opera continued through the era in Italy and contemporary French opera through to Giacomo Puccini. During the 19th century, parallel operatic traditions emerged in central and eastern Europe, the 20th century saw many experiments with modern styles, such as atonality and serialism, Neoclassicism, and Minimalism. With the rise of recording technology, singers such as Enrico Caruso, since the invention of radio and television, operas were also performed on these mediums. Beginning in 2006, a number of opera houses began to present live high-definition video transmissions of their performances in cinemas all over the world. In 2009, an opera company offered a download of a complete performance. The words of an opera are known as the libretto, some composers, notably Wagner, have written their own libretti, others have worked in close collaboration with their librettists, e. g. Mozart with Lorenzo Da Ponte. Vocal duets, trios and other ensembles often occur, and choruses are used to comment on the action, in some forms of opera, such as singspiel, opéra comique, operetta, and semi-opera, the recitative is mostly replaced by spoken dialogue. Melodic or semi-melodic passages occurring in the midst of, or instead of, the terminology of the various kinds of operatic voices is described in detail below. Over the 18th century, arias were accompanied by the orchestra. Subsequent composers have tended to follow Wagners example, though some, the changing role of the orchestra in opera is described in more detail below
2.
Madison, Wisconsin
–
Madison is the capital of the U. S. state of Wisconsin and the county seat of Dane County. As of July 1,2015, Madisons estimated population of 248,951 made it the second largest city in Wisconsin, after Milwaukee, and the 84th largest in the United States. The city forms the core of the United States Census Bureaus Madison Metropolitan Statistical Area, which includes Dane County and neighboring Iowa, Green, the Madison Metropolitan Statistical Areas 2010 population was 568,593. When the Wisconsin Territory was created in 1836 the territorial legislature convened in Belmont, One of the legislatures tasks was to select a permanent location for the territorys capital. Doty lobbied aggressively for Madison as the new capital, offering buffalo robes to the freezing legislators and he had James Slaughter plat two cities in the area, Madison and The City of Four Lakes, near present-day Middleton. Doty named the city Madison for James Madison, the fourth President of the U. S. who had died on June 28,1836 and he named the streets for the other 39 signers of the U. S. Constitution. Being named for the founding father James Madison, who had just died. The cornerstone for the Wisconsin capitol was laid in 1837, on October 9,1839, Kintzing Prichett registered the plat of Madison at the registrars office of the then-territorial Dane County. Madison was incorporated as a village in 1846, with a population of 626, when Wisconsin became a state in 1848, Madison remained the capital, and the following year it became the site of the University of Wisconsin. The Milwaukee & Mississippi Railroad connected to Madison in 1854, Madison incorporated as a city in 1856, with a population of 6,863, leaving the unincorporated remainder as a separate Town of Madison. The original capitol was replaced in 1863 and the capitol burned in 1904. The current capitol was built between 1906 and 1917, during the Civil War, Madison served as a center of the Union Army in Wisconsin. Camp Randall, on the west side of Madison, was built and used as a camp, a military hospital. After the war ended, the Camp Randall site was absorbed into the University of Wisconsin, in 2004 the last vestige of active military training on the site was removed when the stadium renovation replaced a firing range used for ROTC training. The City of Madison continued annexations from the Town of Madison almost from the date of the citys incorporation, Madison is located in the center of Dane County in south-central Wisconsin,77 miles west of Milwaukee and 122 miles northwest of Chicago. The city completely surrounds the smaller Town of Madison, the City of Monona, Madison shares borders with its largest suburb, Sun Prairie, and three other suburbs, Middleton, McFarland and Fitchburg. The citys boundaries also approach the city of Verona, and the villages of Cottage Grove, DeForest, and Waunakee. According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has an area of 94.03 square miles
3.
Frank Lloyd Wright
–
Frank Lloyd Wright was an American architect, interior designer, writer, and educator, who designed more than 1,000 structures,532 of which were completed. Wright believed in designing structures that were in harmony with humanity and its environment and this philosophy was best exemplified by Fallingwater, which has been called the best all-time work of American architecture. Wright was a leader of the Prairie School movement of architecture and developed the concept of the Usonian home and his creative period spanned more than 70 years. In addition to his houses, Wright designed original and innovative offices, churches, schools, skyscrapers, hotels, museums and he often designed interior elements for these buildings as well, including furniture and stained glass. Wright wrote 20 books and many articles and was a lecturer in the United States. His colorful personal life made headlines, most notably for the 1914 fire. Wright was recognized in 1991 by the American Institute of Architects as the greatest American architect of all time, Frank Lloyd Wright was born Frank Lincoln Wright in the farming town of Richland Center, Wisconsin, United States, in 1867. His father, William Carey Wright, was an orator, music teacher, occasional lawyer, William Wright met and married Anna Lloyd Jones, a county school teacher, the previous year when he was employed as the superintendent of schools for Richland County. Originally from Massachusetts, William Wright had been a Baptist minister, Anna was a member of the large, prosperous and well-known Lloyd Jones family of Unitarians, who had emigrated from Wales to Spring Green, Wisconsin. One of Annas brothers was Jenkin Lloyd Jones, who would become an important figure in the spread of the Unitarian faith in the Western United States, both of Wrights parents were strong-willed individuals with idiosyncratic interests that they passed on to him. According to his biography, his mother declared when she was expecting that her first child would grow up to build beautiful buildings and she decorated his nursery with engravings of English cathedrals torn from a periodical to encourage the infants ambition. In 1870 the family moved to Weymouth, Massachusetts, where William ministered to a small congregation, in 1876, Anna visited the Centennial Exhibition in Philadelphia where she saw an exhibit of educational blocks created by Friedrich Wilhelm August Fröbel. The blocks, known as Froebel Gifts, were the foundation of his innovative kindergarten curriculum, Anna, a trained teacher, was excited by the program and bought a set with which young Wright spent much time playing. The blocks in the set were geometrically shaped and could be assembled in various combinations to form three-dimensional compositions, the Wright family struggled financially in Weymouth and returned to Spring Green, Wisconsin, where the supportive Lloyd Jones clan could help William find employment. They settled in Madison, where William taught music lessons and served as the secretary to the newly formed Unitarian society, although William was a distant parent, he shared his love of music, especially the works of Johann Sebastian Bach, with his children. Soon after Wright turned 14, his parents separated, Anna had been unhappy for some time with Williams inability to provide for his family and asked him to leave. The divorce was finalized in 1885 after William sued Anna for lack of physical affection, William left Wisconsin after the divorce and Wright claimed he never saw his father again. At this time he changed his name from Lincoln to Lloyd in honor of his mothers family
4.
Peterborough, New Hampshire
–
Peterborough is a town in Hillsborough County, New Hampshire, United States. The population was 6,284 at the 2010 census, the community is 38 miles southwest of Manchester and 72 miles northwest of Boston. Granted by Massachusetts in 1737, it was first permanently settled in 1749, the town suffered several attacks during the French and Indian War. Nevertheless, by 1759, there were fifty families settled, incorporated on January 17,1760 by Governor Benning Wentworth, it was named after Lieutenant Peter Prescott of Concord, Massachusetts, a prominent land speculator. The Contoocook River and Nubanusit Brook offered numerous sites for watermills, in 1810, the first cotton factory was established. By 1859, when the population was 2,222, there were four additional cotton factories, Abiel Abbot, after being charged with heresy by the Connecticut religious establishment, came to Peterborough as minister to the Peterborough Unitarian Church in 1827. Reverend Abbot founded the towns first prep school, the Monadnock Summer Lyceum, other early cultural institutions include Mariarden, a summer theatre where Paul Robeson played in Eugene ONeills The Emperor Jones at a time when roles for black Americans were scarce. Bette Davis performed there as a teen, performance blossomed again in 1976, when Widdie and Jonathon Hall founded the Peterborough Folkway. Within a few years, it became a must play on the East Coast for folk musicians, regular performers included Tom Paxton, Mary Chapin Carpenter, Shawn Colvin, Martin Saxton and Suzanne Vega. In the 1980s, thanks to publisher Wayne Green, Peterborough was clearly the per capita magazine production capital of the world, over 100 magazines, mostly about computers and technology, were published there, these included Byte and MacComputing. Peterboroughs leadership in environmental protection began in the 1990s, when its Earth Day USA office supported the US Air Forces annual Earth Day events around the world, Peterborough is home to the first tax-supported free public library in the United States. The Peterborough Town Library was founded at a meeting on April 9,1833. This idea was revolutionary in a time when subscription libraries were popular, the collection of materials would essentially be owned by the people and free to access. Funds for the formation of the library were available through the State Literacy Fund. The Reverend Abiel Abbot already had experience in creating libraries, due to the success of Abbots libraries, specifically the Town Library, the New Hampshire State Legislature passed a law authorizing towns to raise money to establish and maintain their own libraries. This law was enacted in 1849, making New Hampshire the first state to pass a law of this nature, the library started in the towns general store, which also served as the post office. The postmaster also served as the librarian, until Susan Gates was appointed in 1854. By 1873, it was decided that the materials would be moved to the Town Hall
5.
Opera Theater of Pittsburgh
–
Opera Theater of Pittsburgh is an American opera company based in Pittsburghs university and museum district. Opera Theater of Pittsburgh performs at The Twentieth Century Club in the Oakland neighborhood of Pittsburgh, Opera Theater of Pittsburgh was established in 1978 by the noted opera star Mildred Miller Posvar and Helen Knox. Its current artistic director, Jonathan Eaton, joined the company in 1999, in 2012, Opera Theater of Pittsburgh reinvented itself as a summer festival presenting staged operas, musicals, recitals, and cabaret. Other major initiatives have included the Pittsburgh Ring, two cycles of Wagners great operas in collaboration with Long Beach Opera using Jonathan Doves reorchestration. Recent American operas include Just Above My Head, a premiere jazz opera by Pittsburgher Nathan Davis. Operatic versions of classics American plays have included Lee Hoibys Summer and Smoke, William Bolcoms A View From the Bridge and Regina, Jonathan Eaton, Opera Theaters current General and Artistic director, joined the company in 1999. An internationally renowned stage director, Eaton continues Opera Theaters mission, Opera Theater annually hosts the Mildred Miller International Voice Competition in honor of its founder, Mildred Miller Posvar. The event, held in Pittsburgh, is a search for Americas best singers, young professionals aged 18–35 are eligible to compete for cash prizes and solo roles in the companys SummerFest. Past competition winners include Juan José de Leon, Andrey Nemzer, Opera Theater previously celebrated annually The Millie Awards. The purpose was to reflect diverse aspects of Mildred Millers distinguished career - singing, acting, community service. Opera Theaters educational outreach is of primary importance, working directly with schools as well as in partnership with such educational groups as Gateway to the Arts, OTP has taken opera to more than 500,000 school children
6.
Fallingwater
–
Fallingwater or the Kaufmann Residence is a house designed by architect Frank Lloyd Wright in 1935 in rural southwestern Pennsylvania,43 miles southeast of Pittsburgh. The home was built partly over a waterfall on Bear Run in the Mill Run section of Stewart Township, Fayette County, Pennsylvania, in the Laurel Highlands of the Allegheny Mountains. The house was designed as a home for the family of Liliane Kaufmann and her husband, Edgar J. Kaufmann. Time cited it after its completion as Wrights most beautiful job and it was designated a National Historic Landmark in 1966. At age 67, Frank Lloyd Wright was given the opportunity to design, Edgar Kaufmann, Sr. was a Pittsburgh businessman and president of Kaufmanns Department Store. His son, Edgar Kaufmann, jr. studied architecture briefly under Wright, Edgar Sr. had been prevailed upon by his son and Wright to subsidize the cost of a 12-foot-square model of Wrights Broadacre City. The model was displayed at an Industrial Arts Exposition in the Forum at the Rockefeller Center starting on April 15,1935. After the New York exposition, Kaufmann Sr. arranged to have the model displayed in Pittsburgh at an exposition titled New Homes for Old, the exposition opened on June 18 on the 11th floor of Kaufmanns store. The Kaufmanns lived in “La Tourelle”, a French Norman estate designed by Pittsburgh architect Benno Janssen in the Fox Chapel suburb in 1923 for Edgar J. Kaufmann, the Kaufmanns owned property outside Pittsburgh with a waterfall and cabins they used as a rural retreat. When these cabins deteriorated, Mr. Kaufmann contacted Wright, on December 18,1934, Wright visited Bear Run and asked for a survey of the area around the waterfall. One was prepared by Fayette Engineering Company of Uniontown, Pennsylvania, including all the boulders, trees, and topography. As reported by Wrights apprentices at Taliesin, Kaufmann Sr and he could not wait to see Wrights plans. Wright had told Kaufmann in earlier communication that he had working on the plans. After breakfast that morning, amid a group of very nervous apprentices, Wright intended to build the home above the falls, rather than below them to afford a view of the cascades as he had expected. It is said that Kaufmann was initially upset that Wright had designed the house to sit atop the falls. He had wanted the house located on the bank of Bear Run. He had told Wright that was his favorite aspect of the Bear Run property, one problem of building was that the location of the north bank of Bear Run was not large enough to provide a foundation for a typically built Wright house. The Kaufmanns planned to entertain large groups of people, so the house would need to be larger than the plot allowed, also, Mr. and Mrs. Kaufmann requested separate bedrooms, as well as a bedroom for their adult son and an additional guest room
7.
Choir
–
A choir is a musical ensemble of singers. Choral music, in turn, is the music specifically for such an ensemble to perform. Choirs may perform music from the classical repertoire, which spans from the Medieval era to the present. Most choirs are led by a conductor, who leads the performances with arm, a body of singers who perform together as a group is called a choir or chorus. The former term is often applied to groups affiliated with a church and the second to groups that perform in theatres or concert halls. Choirs may sing without instrumental accompaniment, with the accompaniment of a piano or pipe organ, with a small ensemble, choirs are often led by a conductor or choirmaster. Other than four, the most common number of parts are three, five, six, and eight, choirs can sing with or without instrumental accompaniment. Singing without accompaniment is called a cappella singing, many choirs perform in one or many locations such as a church, opera house, or school hall. In some cases choirs join up to become one mass choir that performs for a special concert, in this case they provide a series of songs or musical works to celebrate and provide entertainment to others. Conducting is the art of directing a musical performance, such as a concert, by way of visible gestures with the hands, arms, face. The primary duties of the conductor or choirmaster are to unify performers, set the tempo, execute clear preparations and beats, and to listen critically and shape the sound of the ensemble. The conductor or choral director typically stands on a raised platform, many choral conductors use their hands to conduct. In the 2010s, most conductors do not play an instrument when conducting, although in earlier periods of music history. In Baroque music from the 1600s to the 1750s, conductors performing in the 2010s may lead an ensemble while playing a harpsichord or the violin, conducting while playing a piano may also be done with musical theatre pit orchestras. Communication is typically non-verbal during a performance, however, in rehearsals, frequent interruptions allow the conductor to give verbal directions as to how the music should be sung. Conductors act as guides to the choirs they conduct and they choose the works to be performed and study their scores, to which they may make certain adjustments, work out their interpretation, and relay their vision to the singers. Choral conductors may also have to conduct instrumental ensembles such as if the choir is singing a piece for choir. They may also attend to matters, such as scheduling rehearsals, planning a concert season, hearing auditions
8.
Taliesin (studio)
–
Taliesin /ˌtæliˈɛsᵻn/, sometimes known as Taliesin East, Taliesin Spring Green, or Taliesin North after 1937, was the estate of American architect Frank Lloyd Wright. Located 2.5 miles south of the village of Spring Green in Iowa County, Wisconsin, United States, Wright designed the Taliesin structure two years after leaving his first wife and home in Oak Park, Illinois with a mistress, Mamah Borthwick. The structure was completed in 1911, Wright rebuilt the Taliesin residential wing in 1914 after a disgruntled employee set fire to the living quarters and murdered Borthwick and six others. This second version was used sparingly by Wright as he worked on projects abroad. He returned to the house in 1922 following completion of the Imperial Hotel in Tokyo, a fire caused by electrical problems destroyed the living quarters in April 1925. The third version of the quarters was constructed by Wright by late 1925. In 1927, financial problems caused a foreclosure on the building by the Bank of Wisconsin, Wright was able to reacquire the building with the financial help of friends and was able to reoccupy it as of November,1928. Taliesin III was Wrights home for the rest of his life, although he began to winter at Taliesin West in Scottsdale, many of Wrights acclaimed buildings were designed here, including Fallingwater, Jacobs I, the Johnson Wax Headquarters, and the Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum. Wright was also a collector of Asian art and used Taliesin as a storehouse. Wright left Taliesin and the 600-acre Taliesin Estate to the Frank Lloyd Wright Foundation upon his death in 1959. Taliesin mostly operates as a museum, however it is occupied by former students of Wrights in addition to students at the Frank Lloyd Wright School of Architecture on a seasonal basis. The property was designated a National Historic Landmark in 1976 and is being considered as part of a UNESCO World Heritage Site, jones Valley, the Wisconsin River valley in which Taliesin sits, was formed during Pre-Illinoian glaciation. This region of North America, known as the Driftless Area, was surrounded by ice during Wisconsin glaciation. The result is a hilly landscape with deeply carved river valleys. By the 1870s, Richards sons had taken over operation of the farm, Wrights aunts Jennie and Nell began a co-educational school, Hillside Home School, in the family valley in 1887 and let Wright design the building, this was Wrights first independent commission. In 1896, Wrights aunts again commissioned Wright, this time to build a windmill, the resulting Romeo and Juliet Windmill was unorthodox but stable. In the winter of 1900, Wright compiled a portfolio of photographs he took of the area for a promotional brochure for the Hillside School. Unsatisfied with his design for the Hillside School, Wright replaced the school in 1902 with a Prairie School design
9.
Berlin
–
Berlin is the capital and the largest city of Germany as well as one of its constituent 16 states. With a population of approximately 3.5 million, Berlin is the second most populous city proper, due to its location in the European Plain, Berlin is influenced by a temperate seasonal climate. Around one-third of the area is composed of forests, parks, gardens, rivers. Berlin in the 1920s was the third largest municipality in the world, following German reunification in 1990, Berlin once again became the capital of all-Germany. Berlin is a city of culture, politics, media. Its economy is based on high-tech firms and the sector, encompassing a diverse range of creative industries, research facilities, media corporations. Berlin serves as a hub for air and rail traffic and has a highly complex public transportation network. The metropolis is a popular tourist destination, significant industries also include IT, pharmaceuticals, biomedical engineering, clean tech, biotechnology, construction and electronics. Modern Berlin is home to world renowned universities, orchestras, museums and its urban setting has made it a sought-after location for international film productions. The city is known for its festivals, diverse architecture, nightlife, contemporary arts. Since 2000 Berlin has seen the emergence of a cosmopolitan entrepreneurial scene, the name Berlin has its roots in the language of West Slavic inhabitants of the area of todays Berlin, and may be related to the Old Polabian stem berl-/birl-. All German place names ending on -ow, -itz and -in, since the Ber- at the beginning sounds like the German word Bär, a bear appears in the coat of arms of the city. It is therefore a canting arm, the first written records of towns in the area of present-day Berlin date from the late 12th century. Spandau is first mentioned in 1197 and Köpenick in 1209, although these areas did not join Berlin until 1920, the central part of Berlin can be traced back to two towns. Cölln on the Fischerinsel is first mentioned in a 1237 document,1237 is considered the founding date of the city. The two towns over time formed close economic and social ties, and profited from the right on the two important trade routes Via Imperii and from Bruges to Novgorod. In 1307, they formed an alliance with a common external policy, in 1415 Frederick I became the elector of the Margraviate of Brandenburg, which he ruled until 1440. In 1443 Frederick II Irontooth started the construction of a new palace in the twin city Berlin-Cölln
10.
Spring Green, Wisconsin
–
Spring Green is a village in Sauk County, Wisconsin, United States. The population was 1,628 at the 2010 census, the village is located within the Town of Spring Green. Spring Green is located at 43°10′38″N 90°04′02″W, according to the United States Census Bureau, the village has a total area of 1.80 square miles, all of it land. The Wisconsin River runs along the edge of the village. As of the census of 2010, there were 1,628 people,690 households, the population density was 904.4 inhabitants per square mile. There were 753 housing units at a density of 418.3 per square mile. The racial makeup of the village was 97. 5% White,0. 6% African American,0. 2% Native American,0. 1% Asian,0. 1% from other races, Hispanic or Latino of any race were 0. 8% of the population. 33. 3% of all households were made up of individuals and 18. 6% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older, the average household size was 2.27 and the average family size was 2.88. The median age in the village was 42.5 years. 24. 3% of residents were under the age of 18, 5% were between the ages of 18 and 24,24. 5% were from 25 to 44,26. 7% were from 45 to 64, and 19. 5% were 65 years of age or older. The gender makeup of the village was 47. 9% male and 52. 1% female, as of the census of 2000, there were 1,444 people,585 households, and 372 families residing in the village. The population density was 1,097.6 people per square mile, there were 624 housing units at an average density of 474.3 per square mile. 0. 14% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race,31. 5% of all households were made up of individuals and 15. 9% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.38 and the family size was 2.99. In the village, the population was out with 25. 5% under the age of 18,5. 9% from 18 to 24,28. 6% from 25 to 44,21. 8% from 45 to 64. The median age was 39 years, for every 100 females there were 90.3 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 83.0 males, the median income for a household in the village was $45,000, and the median income for a family was $51,806. Males had an income of $36,597 versus $26,296 for females
11.
Merle Reskin Theatre
–
The Merle Reskin Theatre is a performing arts venue located in the Loop community area of Chicago, Illinois. Originally named the Blackstone Theatre and now named after Merle Reskin, the Merle Reskin Theatre is now part of DePaul University, although it is still used for events not affiliated with the university. It serves as the home of the Chicago Playworks for Families, the building was designed by Marshall and Fox and developed by Tracy C. Drake and John Drake of Drake Hotel fame on the site of Timothy Blackstones mansion. The theatre has a history of live performances that have traditionally been touring productions of hit. The architects who designed the new theatre in 1910 were Benjamin Marshall and Charles Fox of the firm Marshall and Fox, as with the hotel, the theatre took its name from Timothy Blackstone, whose mansion had previously occupied the site. The original address was on Hubbard Court, which was later renamed Seventh Street, and renamed again to East Balbo Drive. The building is six stories tall and built in a French Renaissance style, constructed only seven years after the Iroquois Theater Fire, the theater was required to be fireproof and the management claimed the auditorium could be cleared in three minutes. Seating capacity was 1,400 people until 1988, when renovations to reinstate the orchestra pit, the developers of both the Blackstone Hotel and Blackstone Theatre were Tracy C. Drake and John Drake, better known as developers and proprietors of the Drake Hotel and their father, John Drake had been a business partner of Blackstones. The building of the Blackstone Theatre directly resulted in the shuttering of an older, nearby theatre, in an era when most entertainment was performed live on stage, the opening of a new theatre was considered so newsworthy that major newspapers reported on it. The proposed opening of the Blackstone was even noted by the New York Times, have a large seating capacity, and is to be equipped with every modern theatrical device. The stage is to be patterned on that of the New Amsterdam Theatre in this city, the Chicago Tribune also announced the up-coming event, and in a front page story, the newspaper elaborated on what the Times had reported. The July 1909 Tribune article also pointed out that new theatre would be an ornate movie palace, able to seat about 1,200 people. The Blackstone Theatre officially opened on December 31,1910, with the premiere of a Chicago playwright George Ades newest play U. S. It was a comedy that starred William H. Crane, the Blackstones first productions featured some of that eras best known performers and playwrights—for example, after U. S. Minister Bedloe came a David Belasco production, The Return of Peter Grimm, many of the productions had already been well received in New York before coming to the Blackstone, such as another play that featured comic actor William H. Crane, The Senator Keeps House. Despite this, the companies that performed at the Blackstone tended to do a good job
12.
Cliff Dwellers Club
–
The Cliff Dwellers Club is a private civic arts organization in Chicago, Illinois. The Club was founded in 1907 by Chicago author Hamlin Garland as The Attic Club, On January 18,1909, in 1908, Cliff Dwellers entered into a lease for the eighth floor and the ninth-story penthouse above Orchestra Hall at 220 South Michigan Avenue. Garlands model was the New York Players Club. ”The name of the Club is said to be based on the novel The Cliff Dwellers by Henry B. Alternatively, it is referring to the ancient cliff-dwelling Indians of the Southwest, the clubs interior, and the meeting space called the kiva, was designed by Chicago architect Howard Van Doren Shaw, and featured the mural Navaho by John Warner Norton. Charter members of the club included Garlands brother-in-law Lorado Taft, a sculptor, educator and author William Morton Payne, architect Frank Lloyd Wright. Pond, the landscape architect Jens Jensen, and many other civic, the Cliff Dwellers space in Orchestra Hall was ready for occupancy on January 6,1909, when inaugural ceremonies were held. Under the original by-laws, the Club’s membership was limited to men, women have been admitted as members since 1984. In 1996, the Cliff Dwellers moved their meeting place from the penthouse above Orchestra Hall to the 22nd floor of the Borg-Warner building. The private club continues to operate as an organization for men and women either professionally engaged in, or who support, the fine arts. The Club maintains a document collection at the Newberry Library. The Club has continued its tradition of sponsoring programs and performances, many well-known Chicago figures have been active members of The Cliff Dwellers over the years. Members have included, Under the Club’s by-laws, “any person of reputation for work or for distinguished service in the field of literature or arts may be elected an honorary member. ”Authors Stuart Dybek and Scott Turow, Chicago sculptors Terrence Karpowicz and Richard Hunt, Chicago historian Tim Samuelson. The Club currently has exhibitions of sculpture and visual arts, which are mounted every other month, in addition, the Club hosts numerous events every month, showcasing musicians, dancers, and actors in unique and exciting performances. Over the years, the Club has also opened its doors to many outstanding writers and artists in Chicago for special lectures, the Cliff Dwellers Arts Foundation operates as a charitable adjunct to the private club. The Foundation’s stated mission is to support the arts, throughout the year, the Foundation provides grants to arts-oriented organizations and individuals, presents performances at the Club, and sponsors an annual music competition. Visual arts grant recipients also often showcase their art at the Club, funds are contributed by members of The Cliff Dwellers and are distributed biannually. The Cliff Dwellers has numerous clubs across the country and around the world. These include the Arts Club of Chicago and the Quadrangle Club, the Cosmos Club, the Salmagundi Club in New York City, the Cliff Dwellers official website, http, //cliff-chicago. org/ Cliff Dwellers Club Records at The Newberry Library
