Elmhurst Art Museum Outdoor Modern Event
featuring furniture designer Richard Schultz

Friday, June 16, 2006  6:30 p.m. – 9:30 p.m.
at the Elmhurst Art Museum
150 Cottage Hill Avenue Elmhurst, IL  60126
   (630) 834-0202   www.elmhurstartmuseum.org

Enjoy a summer’s evening at the Elmhurst Art Museum in a discussion with Richard and Peter Schultz of  Richard Schultz Design.  Richard will detail the impact and legacy of his classic 1966 Collection, which was originally commissioned by Florence Knoll of Knoll and Associates and is a part of the Permanent Collection of New York’s Museum of Modern Art.  Knoll and Associates, along with Herman Miller, was a pioneer in designing, manufacturing and marketing modern furniture to post World War II America and produced furniture created by notable designers Harry Bertoia, Mies van der Rohe, and Eero Saarinen. The 1966 Collection of outdoor furniture is still a standard of mid-20th century modern design and has influenced the visual impact of outdoor living spaces over the last four decades.

The evening’s outdoor focus will continue with a presentation by landscape architect Scott Mehaffey, formerly Landscape Architect for The Morton Arboretum and now Design Manager for Craig Bergmann Landscape Design in Wilmette. Scott will discuss how the modern style of landscape  design, prevalent in California during the mid-20th century, was adapted to the needs and specifications of the mid-western house and garden.

For reservations and more information, call Stephanie Grow at (630) 834-0202, x10. 
Reservations are required.
Cost: $15 for EAM members/$20.00 for non-members.

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Columbus Indiana Trip Report

Our first out-of-town bus trip to Columbus Indiana on May 13 & 14 was everything we had hoped it could be and more! The trip was co-produced by Chicago Architecture Foundation and CBB. Thanks to CAF’s planning, we had a clean, comfortable bus, great meals everywhere, and a beautiful hotel. Joan Gand of CBB worked with the Columbus Area Visitor’s Center to make sure our tour was extra special, including interior tours seldom given. Columbus is a feast of important architecture by numerous modern masters including Eliel and Eero Saarinen, Harry Weese, Norman Fletcher, Thomas Beeby, Robert A.M. Stern, Kevin Roche and more.

We started our trip on the bus with a 90 minute video about Columbus, so we were entertained and educated as we rode. Box lunches kept us going until our arrival, where we embarked on a walking tour of the "Avenue of the Architects." We toured the interior of Saarinen’s First Christian Church with local architect Nolan Bingham who did a sensitive addition. Another highlight was the visit to the office building of Iriwn J. Miller, for a tour of the interior designed by Alexander Girard in the early 70’s. This mind-blowing interior included everything custom-designed down to the door knobs.

We also toured two marvelous contemporary homes. One was created in the mid-century style by local architect David Force, which was fabulous with a sunken living room, mid-century furniture, Interface "Flor" carpet, and many of us were ready to move right in! The second home belonged to one our guides, Jim Scarbrough, whose "Dwell"-style contemporary home packed style, practicality and lots of space for a family into a small footprint.

After an overnight stay at the beautiful Columbus Inn, with a cocktail party and dinner at a delicious local restaurant, we spent Sunday touring by bus, with a interior tour at the Harry Weese First Chrsistian Church (1965). Our grand finale was the iconic North Christian Church designed by Eero Saarinen in 1964. We toured the interior and exterior gardens by Dan Kiley.

If you were not able to attend, we urge you to plan a trip to visit Columbus on your own. The visitor’s center gives walking tours, and has put together a map of all the important local buildings so you can do your own driving tour. If you go during the week, be sure to stop at the original Irwin Union Bank, by Eero Saarinen, which features an all original George Nelson/Herman Miller interior. The bank is not open on weekends, but we peeked through the window!

Thanks to: Bastiaan Bouma, Michael Kraus, and Susan Ross from Chicago Architecture Foundation, Joyce Orwin and Dody Harvey from the Visitor’s Center, local guide James Scarbrough, architects Nolan Bingham and David Force, and all the wonderful people who helped make this tour possible.