MORGAN PARK — The Chicago Architecture Biennial will include an exhibit at the Beverly Arts Center starting at 4 p.m. Sunday.
“Elevation: The Rise of Beverly/Morgan Park” explores the how the highest hill in Chicago came to be and how it continues to inspire the architecture and culture of the community.
The citywide biennial runs from mid-September through December with the Chicago Cultural Center as the central location. Several anchor sites — including the arts center at 2407 W. 111th St. — offer a variety of complementary programming around the theme “Make New History.”
The inaugural Chicago Architecture Biennial was held in 2015. This year’s event shares the focus with Chicago’s neighborhoods. It is the largest architecture and design exhibition in North America.
The arts center’s selection as an anchor site provides an opportunity to showcase the neighborhood that boasts three Chicago landmark districts as well as the Ridge Historic District — one of the largest urban districts on the National Register of Historic Places.
“Beverly/Morgan Park is arguably the most architecturally significant residential neighborhood in the city,” said architect James Gorski, founding principal of Bureau of Architecture and Design and the driving force behind Beverly's display.
Using large architectural installations, maps and photographs, “Elevation” seeks to illustrate how massive glaciers carved out the Blue Island Ridge that millions of years later provided a hilltop setting for homes designed by renowned architects like Frank Lloyd Wright, H.H. Waterman, Walter Burley Griffin, G.W. Maher, Edward Dart and many others.
Gorski worked closely with neighborhood photographer Rebecca Healy, who has photographed more than 60 local buildings, capturing the architectural designs in the context of how today’s community has evolved from its historical roots.
Other biennial exhibits at the arts center will include watercolors by local artist Judie Anderson and architectural photographs by Mati Maldre. And planned programs include a teen studio workshop Nov. 18 and more.
For more information on biennial events and programs, call the Beverly Arts Center at 773-445-3838 or visit the art center's website.
