Hello everyone:
By the time you read this, we will only be one week away from Open House Chicago — and it is never too late to volunteer. We have more than 100 additional sites this year, so come one, come all. Hard to believe for us old-timers, but next year we celebrate the 10th anniversary of this event.
Hope all of you have had a chance to drop in at the Biennial, where our specially-trained volunteers have been doing a wonderful job helping visitors make their way through the exhibits. Our presence there not only raises our profile, it raises money as well. CAC receives funds for our volunteers’ participation.
If you have not read the message Lynn Osmond posted last week, please do. Earlier this month, she was solicited by the Mayor’s office to take a seat on the Landmarks Commission. This is a great honor, but one not without complications. And if you’ve read the Tribune you will know that Blair Kamin raised many of these complications in his column on Thursday, 10/3. Lynn’s post on 10/4 enumerates the thought process she followed prior to accepting the position, as well as her well-reasoned promise to recuse herself when CAC’s contacts might have an interest in outcomes. This public discussion provides excellent background for helping all of us to better understand CAC’s mission.
Docent Council candidate platform statements and accompanying videos are up on the Bridge. Voting will last from now until end-of-day on Docent Day, Saturday 11/2. Speaking of that, I hope you all plan to attend. I would especially like to urge the Class of 2019 to turn out: this is the largest conglomeration of docents under one roof, every year (more people are at DAN, but that number includes +1s, Trustees and staff.) The subcommittee from Education has worked hard to make the day enjoyable and educational.
I hope this catches everyone up in terms of recent developments and upcoming events. Calendars will fill up fast. Enjoy October! As a native Chicagoan, this is my personal favorite month: the proverbial “sweater weather” with brilliant colors, lots of annual events, (don’t forget the Marathon – anyone participating?) and our city at its most picturesque.
Constance