We first encountered Mr. Imagination’s work at the House of Blues on one of our tours of their extensive folk art collection.

“He saw life in any kind of found object,” said gallery owner Carl Hammer, who was the first to show Mr. Warmack’s work. “Walking down an alley, a piece of scrap metal would literally call out to him.” — quote from the 5/31/12 Chicago Tribune obituary written by Mary Houlihan

The folk art collection at Chicago’s House of Blues has introduced us to so many wonderful artists and unexpected treasures. It is one of our most popular events. Though no date has been scheduled, we are planning another tour of the collection soon. If you are interested, please let us know and we will be happy to try to set up a convenient time.

The Chicago Gallery is located on the third floor of the Harold Washington Library Center. The gallery’s current exhibit—Actors, Plays & Stages: Early Theater in Chicago—features memorabilia and movies from the first 100 years of Chicago theater.

Here are just a couple of the discoveries I made at the exhibit:

• Chicago’s first theater building, Rice’s Theater, opened in 1847 at Randolph and Dearborn.
• Maude Adams—the highest paid actress of her time—starred in Chicago’s first performance of Peter Pan at McVicker’s Theater in 1907.

Next time you’re at the Harold Washington Library Center, be sure to make it up to the third floor Chicago Gallery. The theater exhibit runs through May 15, 2012.

Harold Washington Library Center
Chicago Gallery, Third Floor
400 S. State Street

We already have three great events planned for January. Start your year off right by adding a little adventure to your winter. We also want to help you make the holidays bright for your friends. Sign up for any of our January events and bring a guest for free. Register today — space is limited and this offer expires December 31. To bring a guest for free, simply enter your guest’s name and email address in the promotional box on the registration form. You must both be registered to attend.

Bughouse Ceramic Workshop — January 12, 2012

House of Blues Folkart Tour and Lunch — January 14, 2012

Inside the Loop Walking Tour — January 16, 2012

Register for one or all three. This is just the start of what promises to be an exciting year of unexpected treasures with Where Are We Going. Stay tuned, and happy holidays.

Photo credit: House of Blues by simone.brunozzi via Creative Commons License.

In the article, contributor Myrna Petlicki asks Karen about the whys and hows of planning such a wide variety of outings and events. Karen notes that “in addition to introducing people to new places and things, [our] trips help promote small businesses and bring more people to museums that need increased attendance.”

Petlicki also interviews a number of people who have participated in Where Are We Going events. Perhaps our favorite quote comes from first timer Eileen Gassman: “The whole experience was so upbeat. It was good for my whole psyche.”

Join us for our next adventures. It will be good for your whole psyche.

Wrigley and Tribune Towers on Michigan Avenue

I took a walk down a street I had walked down many times before. It was the same, but completely different. This time I felt like an explorer in the wilderness. Walking along busy north Michigan Avenue with a Where Are We Going group, I saw everything I had seen before — buildings, cars, neighborhoods, and people — but this time, I was seeing them all in a totally new way.

History embedded in the exterior walls of the Tribune Tower

The weather was chilly, but the sun shone as our group began the tour by marveling at the bits and pieces of history planted in the exterior of the Tribune Tower. Our guide from Chicago Detours told us about Chicago history I’d never heard and pointed out building details that I never noticed before. I was amazed to see, understand, and think about the hidden treasures and the rich history of Chicago — a history that most people walk over, around or past each day without a second thought. This new Chicago is part of me now, and I doubt I’ll ever look at the city the same way again.

Photo credits: Wrigley and Tribune Towers by Charles Carper; Tribune Tower Wall reliefs by Bernt Rostad

I turned the corner and George as right there, in front of Russian Tea Time’s red awning, waving his long arms and grinning. Out of the brisk, bright daylight, we soon felt like royalty, greeted by Chef-Owner, Klara Muchnik, who guided us to a quiet, roomy table. Sometimes a two-top barely allows enough room for a cup of tea, and George’s wide shoulders can extend beyond the edge of the tabletop, so we both appreciated the room to spread out and relax.

Russian Tea Time is an intimate dining experience. It’s quiet, relaxing, and oh, so pampering. The Russian music, warm lighting, and elegant table service soon made us forget the frigid weather outside. Children are welcome, but probably only the more adventurous will appreciate the food or the atmosphere. And be forewarned; there are no chicken nuggets or grilled cheese here.

I took the lead and chose a couple of platters for the two of us. I heartily recommend this approach, if you are an adventurous first-timer. When the cold vegetable platter arrived, George looked at it doubtfully.

“Will this be enough for both of us?” I sip my Russian tea and gave him what I think was a mini-scowl.

We dug into the Eggplant Orientale, Beet Caviar, Cabbage Apple Salad, Vinaigrette Salad, Tashkent Carrot, Babaganouj, Hummus, and Tabouli. I tried to stay cognizant of George’s hunger and took just a nibble or two of the colorful tasties, except for the Tabouli — I love Tabouli. Oh, and maybe the Hummus, which was wonderful; and I had to have just one more small spoonful of Beet Caviar.

George looked quite satisfied when the Russian Tea Time Platter for Two arrived: meat dumplings, stuffed mushrooms, beef stroganoff, stuffed cabbage, Moldavian meatballs, chicken pozharski, rice pilaf and kasha. It was all so good, we had no room for desert.

Located at 77 East Adams Street, Russian Tea Time is within walking distance of the theatre district, just around the corner from the Art Institute and not far from the Field Museum of Natural History. That day, despite the chill, we crossed the street to Millennium Park to walk off some of those delicious calories. This is one exotic little adventure that I highly recommend.

An energetic buzz fills the air around 4845 W. Oakton in downtown Skokie, the site of the new Bughouse Studio, which opened its doors to the public on July 30. With a focus on ceramics and fused glass, Bughouse Studio is a fresh, contemporary environment that inspires creativity, ensures high-quality work production, displays artwork and guarantees fun.

Owners Andrea and Dan Horyn have created a nature-inspired space that allows artists of all ages and abilities to discover the true value of artistic expression. And the new studio is getting good buzz. One blogger recently wrote: “Go to Bughouse Studio immediately. Andrea is waiting for you … she wants you to make art.”

There’s something joyful that happens the minute you walk into Bughouse Studio. The bright green walls seem to inspire playful creativity, the kind kids jump into without hesitation. The kind some of us lose as adults when we classify ourselves as either “artistic” or “not artistic”. “Art is a universal language,” says Andrea, who embraces the diversity of her new studio’s Skokie community.

The energy that resonates throughout the studio creates an atmosphere of inspired play. Offering classes with titles that include “Clay and Cocktails” (for adults only) and “Young at Art” (for ages 55+), you can immediately tell that there is nothing formal or stuffy about Bughouse Studio. Andrea and Dan brought both vision and experience to this endeavor. With a combined 20 years of teaching experience, they have the expertise to teach beginners, as well as to help experienced artists advance in their work. They hold self-expression in the highest regard and named the studio for “Bughouse Square” in Chicago’s Washington Square Park, the country’s most famous outdoor center for freedom of expression over the last 100 years.

Express yourself with Where Are We Going when we visit Bughouse Studio for a special Ceramics Workshop designed just for us on September 27. Take a chance and try something new

The City of Chicago has many famous landmarks — the Hancock Building, Wrigley Field and the Museum of Science and Industry, to name just a few.

But for us, the greatness of our city can be found in its hidden treasures, the little nooks and crannies we walk by without even noticing, but which house the art, history and stories of this vibrant community; for example, The Marquette Building, a National Historic Landmark.

It’s easy to walk by the Marquette Building, a commercial structure at 140 South Dearborn that was completed in 1895. But glance up above the doors and you’ll discover remarkable works of art — four beautifully restored bas-relief bronze panels created by sculptor Herman MacNeil.

A few short years after the building’s completion in 1895, the July 1897 Architectural Reviewer described MacNeil’s work: “Over the doors of the main entrance are panels of bronze, designed and executed by Mr. Herman A. MacNeil, illustrating incidents in the life of Pere Marquette in his explorations of the Mississippi River and the state of Illinois.”

Each of the four panels is inscribed with a quote taken directly from Marquette’s diary:

• “In vain I showed the calumet … to explain that we had not come as enemies.”
• “To follow those waters … which will henceforth lead us into strange lands.”
• “Passing two leagues up the river we resolved to winter there … being detained by my illness.”
• “The de Profundis was intoned … the body was then carried to the church.”

Next time you walk down the street, any street, look up, look down, look around. You might discover an unexpected treasure. And look back here at the Where Are We Going Blog for posts tagged hidden treasures, where we’ll share our discoveries with you.

Photo from The Marquette Building-MacArthur Foundation website.

This was how I discovered Dance Dance Party Party Chicago—an all female, freestyle dance class. Freestyle as in there are no dance moves. Just a one-hour playlist of dance music (which changes every week and is provided by participants), and your own uninhibited imagination.

The three rules of Dance Dance Party Party—“no boys, no booze, and no judgment of yourself or anyone else”—make it a world away from the bar/club scene. And unlike a traditional dance class, the lack of choreography (and the ability to forgo spandex) eradicates any feelings of competition. The focus here is on fun. The amazing workout you get from an hour of dancing just happens to be a fantastic bonus.

I’ll admit, dancing by yourself in a room full of strangers feels a little weird at first. But by the third song I realized that no one was looking at me, and in fact the wilder and more daring women got with their dance moves, the more they were cheered on. After my nerves melted away, my stress followed, and by the time Prince’s “Black Sweat” came on I felt euphoric.

At the end of the hour the studio was steamy as a sauna and my legs felt like I’d just run a marathon—but not even the fierce February wind could wipe the smile from my face. I hadn’t known anyone there when I arrived, but I left feeling like I had a dozen new friends. I went back the next week, and the week after that. I loved it so much I eventually became one of the volunteers who keep it running.

At just five dollars a session, DDPP Chicago is cheaper than a gym or a yoga class. The dance parties are held twice a week: Wednesday from 7-8 p.m. and Sunday from 4-5 p.m., with the number of participants ranging from 6 to 30. All ages and fitness levels are welcome, and no dance experience is necessary. Dance Dance Party Party Chicago even bends the first of their rules from time to time, hosting a co-ed event twice a year for charity so that the men can get down, too. Visit their blog for more information.
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Thank you to guest writer Kelley Clink, who has been living and writing in Chicago for the past 11 years. Visit her website at www.kelleyclink.com.

Did you know that Lincoln Logs were invented by Frank Lloyd Wright’s son? John Lloyd Wright was inspired by the construction of the Imperial Hotel in Tokyo, which was designed by Frank Lloyd Wright with interlocking beams to protect against earthquakes. The linking logs of Lincoln Logs have been sold continuously since 1916.

Despite popular belief, Lincoln Logs were not named for the president’s log cabin birthplace. In fact, John Lloyd Wright named the toy in honor of his father, who was born Frank Lincoln Wright. When Frank’s father left the family, Frank changed his name to honor his mother, Anna Lloyd Jones Wright.