Elmhurst Art Museum celebrates 25 years
If you take a stroll through Wilder Park on a nice, spring day, you may want to stop by the Elmhurst Art Museum to see what is currently being shown.
“This year is our 25th Anniversary,” said Sarah Cox, the museum’s collections and exhibitions manager. “We are celebrating by focusing on three core areas in our mission: art, architecture, and education. This spring we are celebrating architecture.”
The exhibit “Houses of Tomorrow: Solar Homes from Keck to Today” celebrates architecture, taking inspiration from George Fred and William Keck’s original “House of Tomorrow,” the first glasshouse that was displayed at the 1933 World’s Fair in Chicago.
“Beginning with the ‘futuristic’ House of Tomorrow for the 1933 Century of Progress, the exhibition explores the Keck brothers’ journey to creating the perfect blueprint for a solar home through the use of new technologies available throughout the 1940s and 1950s.” said Cox.
This exhibit walks through time, following the evolution of solar homes. Blueprints placed next to the images of the finished houses show how far a vision can go. A lot of the houses still could pass for a modern house today.
A sign in one display reads, “Throughout their careers, Keck and Keck finished more than 800 projects throughout the Midwest featuring innovative new designs and energy-saving features.”
On top of this display, there is an installation from artist Jan Tichy in two areas in the museum.
“We have elements from the original House of Tomorrow incorporated into two art installations at the museum, by artist Jan Tichy,” said Cox. “‘Installation No. 38’ and ‘Reflectance’ look at the glass items from the House of Tomorrow, the history of the McCormick House, and expand on the ideas of dark and light in an interior space.”
The McCormick House was designed by Ludwig Miles van der Rohe, a world-famous architect whose designs have proven themselves able to stand up to modern standards.
Tichy’s installations in the McCormick House are floor-to-ceiling metal fixtures, with small mirrors placed inside to reflect light. They sway freely in the air; each visual moment unlike the last. The fixtures look like recycled dish racks, which gave a retro-chic vibe to this modern house.
“I think discovering the innovative technologies used in the House of Tomorrow is fascinating to learn about,” said Cox. “Common items such as a dishwasher, automatic garage door, and air conditioning were all new commodities during this time. We exhibit great interior shots of the House of Tomorrow, so visitors can see what the Keck brothers through the house of tomorrow would look like.”
On top of this display, there is the Elmhurst Artists’ Guild Gallery; a nonprofit organization partnered with the Elmhurst Art Museum. This gallery currently has pieces from local and regional artists trying to promote the advancement and development of the arts.
While the main exhibit, “Houses of Tomorrow: Solar Homes from Keck to Today,” is an immersive learning experience, nothing can beat local art. This gallery is something that should not be ignored.
If you are an Elmhurst University student wanting to get involved with the Elmhurst Art Museum, there are many opportunities to explore.
“We have volunteer opportunities in the form of office support, event support, and our docent corp,” said Cox. “We have internship opportunities available with our exhibitions and education department.”
“Staying on campus for the summer? We always have openings for Summer Art Camp councilors. We also offer studio art classes throughout the year for all ages from cartooning to ceramics,” she continued.
Admission to the museum is free for all EU students if you present your student I.D. The display “Houses of Tomorrow: Solar Homes from Keck to Today” and “Jan Tichy: Reflectance” is open until May 29.