Chicago's Fine Arts Building Celebrates 125th Anniversary With Performances, Live Artmaking And More

Chicago's historic Fine Arts Building (410 S. Michigan Avenue) celebrates its 125th anniversary with a major public event on Friday, October 13 from 5-9 p.m. that activates all ten floors of this Chicago Landmark, an artist haven since its founding in October 1898.

An expanded version of the building's monthly Second Fridays open studios events, the October 13 celebration will include a free concert in the Studebaker Theater from Dr. Yulia Lipmanovich, a distinguished concert pianist and piano teacher based in the Fine Arts Building. The Studebaker originally opened with a piano recital by Fannie Bloomfield Zeisler, and Dr. Lipmanovich will be recreating some of Zeisler's original setlist to commemorate the theater's 125th anniversary.

Throughout the evening October 13, guests will be able to meet the artists and craftspeople of the Fine Arts Building and learn about their work and the storied 125-year history of the building, while enjoying additional performances, artistic demonstrations, refreshments and hands-on creative activities. Programs range from music, puppetry and dance to open mic poetry, fine art and jewelry, illustrating the full range of artforms that fill the halls of the Fine Arts Building today.

Participating tenants and programming during this 125th anniversary event include:

●        2nd Floor Art Gallery, curated by Stanley Smith of Oak Street Design, will open a new show featuring the works of fellow Fine Arts Building tenant and artist Don Yang

●        Ann Pickett Studio and Gallery, a creator of abstract art

●        Portrait artist Lou Ann Burkhardt

●        Chicago Human Rhythm Project, which presents rhythm-culture in performances and education programs

●        Chicago International Puppet Theater Festival, which is the largest event dedicated to puppetry in North America, will present puppeteers and puppet demonstrations

●        Exile in Bookville, an independent bookstore that also plays and sells vinyl

●        Jazz Institute of Chicago, which nurtures and promotes jazz in all its forms

●        Painter, illustrator and editorial cartoonist Richard Laurent

●        Liederstube, which presents classical music in an intimate and informal setting

●        Dr. Yulia Lipmanovich will present a piano concert in the Studebaker Theater

●        Monsieur Pamplemousse, custom jewelry by Alex Agudo, will feature musical guest performances and jewelry making lessons

●        Patrice Olsen Fine Art, presenting drawing, painting and photography for social justice

●        Ossia Musical Forum, a musical academy and chamber music concert booking specialist

●        Press Here Studio, a gallery with art exhibitions, open mic poetry and storytelling events that highlight artists changing the dialogue of mental health

●        New historic exhibits Art Alone Endures and Staging Ground on the 5th Floor offer “windows into history,” sharing stories of the artists and companies that have called the Fine Arts Building home over the past 125 years

Additional details and programming for the October 13 celebration will be announced in the coming months.

Second Fridays open studios are free to attend at the Fine Arts Building on the second Friday of every month from 5-9 p.m., and include gallery openings, special performances and artistic demonstrations. For more information, visit fineartsbuilding.com/second-fridays.

The Fine Arts Building is a home for art in all forms: from pioneers like Poetry magazine's founding publisher Harriet Monroe, architect Frank Lloyd Wright, sculptor Lorado Taft and the Chicago Little Theatre, to the ongoing legacies of painters, musicians, booksellers, puppeteers, dancers, photographers and craftspeople who inhabit the building today, the Fine Arts Building is buzzing with more than a century of Chicago creativity and innovation. A Chicago Landmark since 1978, the building features original manually-operated elevators, Art Nouveau murals from the late 19th century and the recently renovated Studebaker Theater, one of the city's oldest and most significant live theatrical venues.

New historic exhibits Art Alone Endures and Staging Ground and a self-guided walking tour of significant historical sites at the Fine Arts Building are free and open to the public during regular building hours: Monday-Friday from 7 a.m.-10 p.m., Saturday from 7 a.m.-9 p.m. and Sunday from 9 a.m.-9 p.m. For more information on Fine Arts Building exhibits and programming, visit fineartsbuilding.com.

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