Select Open House Chicago Site Highlights

Captions by Nina Rothschild and Kenny Adusah

Alex Duarte's Home and Studio

Duarte’s home and studio at 1900 W. Cullerton St. are covered with his “Gulliver in Wonderland” mural. This home is a frequent stop on art tours in Pilsen. Duarte’s murals and studio work deal with themes of identity, immigration and freedom. Duarte was born in Mexico. Before coming to the United States, he studied with David Alfaro Siquieros, a well-known Mexican muralist. Duarte created more than 50 murals in Chicago and his work has been featured in several museums in Chicago and Mexico City.

Photo by Eric Allix Rogers / Chicago Arcitecture Center.

First Church Of Deliverance

First Church of Deliverance, 4315 S. Wabash in Bronzeville- is a 1939 structure designed by Walter T. Bailey— the first African American architect registered in Illinois. Its twin towers were later added in 1946 by Kocher Buss & DeKlerk. The streamlined building typifies Art Moderne architecture thanks to its smooth surfaces and use of glass-block windows.

Photo by Eric Allix Rogers / Chicago Arcitecture Center.

Garden of the phoenix

The Garden of the Phoenix is located in Jackson Park. Also referred to as the Osaka Garden, the garden symbolizes mutual respect and friendship that Japan and the United States initiated more than 120 years ago. One of the most well-known features of the garden is the springtime blossoming of its cherry trees. Each spring, the trees enter a peak bloom period for 6 to 10 days.

Photo by Zachary Whittenburg / Chicago Architecture Foundation.

The Forum

The Forum is located at 318-328 E. 43rd St. (adjacent to the CTA station) in Bronzeville. Built in 1897, the structure contains one of the most important civic meeting/performance halls in the city and possibly the oldest hardwood ballroom dance floor in Chicago. Some of the biggest names in jazz and blues played The Forum, including Nat King Cole, Muddy Waters and Milt Hinton. The building made a cameo appearance in the Paul Newman and Robert Redford movie "The Sting." First floor spaces are being redeveloped into hospitality and performance/gallery venues.

Photo by Zachary Whittenburg / Chicago Architecture Foundation.

Douglass Park Cultural and community Center

Douglass Park Cultural and Community Center, 1401 S. Sacramento, encompasses a miniature golf course, five playgrounds, an outdoor swimming pool, soccer fields, basketball courts, and an oval running track. The park also retains its original lagoon, a wide variety of trees, and work by architects William LeBaron Jenney and Jens Jensen. The park was previously named for U.S. Senator from Illinois Stephen A. Douglas, a slaveowner who lost the presidential election of 1860 to Abraham Lincoln; public comments are being accepted through October 27 to rename it for Frederick Douglass, the abolitionist and social reformer, and his wife, Anna.

Photo by Zachary Whittenburg / Chicago Architecture Foundation.

The farm on Ogden

The Farm on Ogden was created as a result of a partnership between Chicago Botanic Garden and Lawndale Christian Health Center. The initiative brings fresh market food, health and jobs to the Lawndale neighborhood in Chicago. In addition to this partnership, the center offers intensive courses on aquaponics and sustainable urban agriculture.

Photo by Zachary Whittenburg / Chicago Architecture Foundation.

Stony Island Arts Bank

Located at 6760 S. Stony Island Ave., the former 1920s bank building houses four collections. The Johnson Publishing Archive contains books and periodicals acquired from the company that published seminal African American magazines Jet and Ebony. Nearby cases hold the University of Chicago’s collection of glass lantern slides—the 19th century equivalent of a Power- Point presentation from the Paleolithic to modern era. The Edward J. Williams Collection includes cultural objects that feature stereotypical images of Black people and the Frankie Knuckles record collection commemorates the Chicago house music legend.

Photo by Tom Harris / Chicago Architecture Center.

Firehouse Community Arts Center

Firehouse Community Arts Center- (FCAC). 2111 S. Hamlin Ave., is a faith integrated arts organization dedicated to breaking the cycle of violence and inspiring North Lawndale youth to transform their lives, become leaders of their communities and to impact the world. Classes and workshops use the arts as to empower minds, build communities, and provide career pathway opportunities for 17- to 25-year old disconnected youth experiencing significant barriers to employment.

KAM Israel

Established in 1847, Kehilath Anshe Ma’ariv (KAM), 1100 E. Hyde Park Blvd., is the oldest synagogue in Illinois. Initially an Orthodox Jewish Congregation, as members began to reform their practice, the congregation had a conflict between reform and traditional observances. The result was the creation of a new congregation, B’nei Sholom. In the meantime, KAM officially became a Reform Jewish synagogue. Since the late 19th century, the synagogue went through several mergers with other synagogues and relocated to the South Side of Chicago. In 1971, KAM and Temple Isaiah Israel merged and this led to the current name, Kehilath Anshe Ma’ariv. The current location was designed by Alfred S Alschuler and named an official Chicago landmark in 1977.

Photo by Eric Allix Rogers / Chicago Arcitecture Center.

Unity Temple

The congregation began in 1871 as Unity Church, when a group of Unitarians and Universalists gathered to bring a more liberal approach to religion to Oak Park. In 1905, the original building was destroyed by lightning. Frank Lloyd Wright, who came from a family of Unitarians, created a concrete building at 875 Lake St. that embodied the Unitarian Transcendentalists' spiritual vision and broke traditional Western ecclesiastic architectural traditions.

Photo by Andrew Pielage courtesy of the Unity Temple Restoration Foundation / Chicago Architecture Center.