Trinity Church’s ‘Green’ Development

President Obama’s former church, Trinity United Church of Christ, is planning a major addition that will not just create new facilities for their South Side neighborhood but also incorporate sustainable building techniques. The Imani Village is a 27-acre planned development. The complex will include housing, an urban farming and agriculture center, retail stores, a community health clinic, and a sports facility. The pastor of Trinity, the Rev. Otis Moss III, hopes that the complex will bring new life to the neighborhood and expand the church’s definition of social justice by helping the health of the environment and the neighboring communities.

Trinity's Projected Plan (source)

The church has had plans to use the space for decades and the eventual goal for the space

has evolved. Moss believes that the current plan fits the need of the neighborhood and the congregation, “What is God calling us to do? A green, sustainable community.” The church has formed a separate non-profit to fundraise and manage the project, which is estimated to cost around $100 million, including the acquisition of 13 more acres of land.

The idea for Imani village came out of the Green for All movement, an initiative to help alleviate poverty by harnessing the power of the sustainable economy. The overall plan for the project includes using alternative energy sources, urban farming, and training ex-convicts for green jobs. These ideas will not only help the project but also stimulate the wider economy via jobs training and emphasizing buying local. In many ways the project is not just about helping the environment but also how a church and community can incorporate innovation and new technology to revitalize their economy and their residents.

Read more about Trinity’s project and the Green for All project.

In September of 2011, I was anxiously awaiting the opening of a particular exhibit that the Art Institute was putting on. The reason for my excitement stemmed from earlier in the year when I had the opportunity to extensively research one of my favorite architects, Bertrand Goldberg.

Co-curated by Alison Fisher, Elizabeth Smith, and Zoe Ryan, the exhibit was titled “Bertrand Goldberg: Architecture of Invention”. The opening of the exhibit was on the 15^th of September upon which I immediately took the opportunity to get a further look into the man behind so many architectural innovations. From his days at the Bauhaus, to his socially conscious designs for urban architecture of a postwar America, the viewer was able to understand the creative evolution of this eminent architect.

“My message, I think, is much more important either than myself personally, or than the quick identification as the round-building architect. I am talking about the performance of people in a social system, about the performance of people in the city.” source
Photo: ArchiTech Gallery, Chicago Office.

The exhibit began with an inside look into Goldberg’s design of Marina City (1959-1967), one of the most notable characteristics of the Chicago skyline for over 50 years now. The curators included over 100 architectural drawings, photographs, and models that together formed a comprehensive narrative of Goldberg’s career. For me, the most interesting parts of the exhibit were the little-known projects that he did throughout his career, such as his design for a Jack-in-the-Box restaurant in California, as well as the furniture designs.

My view may be biased based on the content of this exhibit, but I would say that the curators did a job-well done of representing Bertrand Goldberg over the course of his career. The exhibition came to a close this past Sunday, January 15^th, upon which I took my last walk through the chronicle of Goldberg’s ideas. In its closing, I thought it appropriate to give the exhibit a small review in order to commemorate the man and work behind Marina City and so many other inventive projects.

I hope that you all were able to make it out for the exhibit as well, feel free to leave your thoughts about it!

Meet the Interns: Part 1
Hello, everyone! My name is Cassie Walker and I am the (semi) new intern at Partners for Sacred Places located in Chicago. I am currently an undergraduate student at DePaul University where I am majoring in art history and I intend to graduate this year in May.

I found out about the internship at Partners through a professor of mine who thought the opportunity would be fitting to my interests. I looked over the requirements and did some research on Partners to get a better idea of what the organization was all about. A few weeks after I sent in my resume, I received a call from Leanne Gherig inviting me to come in for an interview. Following our meeting, I was very excited for the possibility of getting involved with the organization and waited for another call. Sure enough, Leanne contacted me later that week to tell me that I was invited back to meet the rest of the crew. Starting in November, I became a weekly fixture in the Partners for Sacred Places office and was introduced to the Arts in Sacred Places program that I was to be mostly involved with.

In my studies so far I have started to take a special interest in architecture and feel incredibly lucky to be located in the city of Chicago where there is so much to see and learn about. I have also particularly enjoyed learning about Eastern art and Islamic art over the years. Two of my favorite artists are Paul Klee and Wassily Kandinsky, and currently I am learning more in depth about 19th century European art in my classes at DePaul.

Photo taken by Orlando R. Cabanban. Resident in front of the Raymond Hilliard Homes, designed by Bertrand Goldberg.

Once I graduate I plan to move to Australia for the winter and hopefully be admitted into an internship at the Queensland Gallery of Modern Art. Upon returning to the United States, I will be attending graduate school for either museum studies or arts management with intentions to pursue a career in the art world, which has long been my goal.

I’m very excited to be working with everyone at Partners for Sacred Places and for our future together in the coming months. You all will be hearing more from me on here as well as the other intern, Lara, who will be introducing herself next time. Talk to you soon!

Book Review: Chicago Stained Glass

We’ve recently been on the hunt for Chicago churches with notable, historic, or interesting stained glass windows. As part of this search I checked out a copy of Chicago Stained Glass by Erne and Florence Frueh. The book features beautiful photographs of Chicago churches’ windows and lots of local history. It starts with a broad history of stained glass techniques dating back to ancient times and then gets specific about stained glass in Chicago including the major studios and monuments. Examples include Second Presbyterian and Hyde Park Union Church, both of which have Tiffany windows. The book gives lots of details and examples of major studios in Chicago and throughout the world. The context is interesting and amazingly some of the studios are still in existence and working today. The authors have a real appreciation for Chicago’s place in art and architectural history and our city’s passion for preserving its built heritage. “It is doubtful that any city in the United States used stained glass more lavishly than Chicago did during the period from the Great Fire of 1871 to the Great Depression of the 1930s. Within this span of sixty years, which saw the rise and fall of Chicago a major art glass center, Chicago glassmen produced thousands of shimmering decorations of outstanding artistry and craftsmanship for churches and synagogues, the palatial mansions of millionaires, the modest dwellings of the middle class, schools, libraries, hotels, theaters, restaurants, private clubs, railroad stations, and even railroad cars . . . Although Chicago is no longer an important working center for stained glass, it is a vast living museum of the art housing inestimable treasures which Chicagoans, aware of their heritage, are conserving as one of their richest cultural legacies” (36).

My only complaint is that I would love to see an updated version of the book with more information about Chicago sites and maybe some suggested tours.

Does anyone know of any houses of worship with great stained glass in Chicago? Let us know in the comments!

Sacred Places in the News

Historic West-Side Synagogue In Danger- For nearly half a century, Anshe Kanesses Israel was the center of Jewish life on Chicago's west side. After the second World War the synagogue became a Baptist church. In 1965, Martin Luther King Jr. preached against school segregation from its steps. Today, the building is badly in need of renovation. Read more about the future of Anshe Kanesses at the Chicago Sun-Times.

Our Lady of the Angels Restored - After a devastating fire in 1958, the West Humboldt Park parish is finally back on its feet. Thanks to years of hard work, partnerships with local community organizations, and many volunteer hours - the church is once again a haven for local families. Read more about the neighborhood's effort to bring back Our Lady of the Angels at the Chicago Tribune.

Gonzalo Ponce paints one of the many columns inside
Our Lady of the Angels Church [Photo Source]

We're Moving!

The Chicago Regional Office is moving to our new home at 401 S. Lasalle Suite 1100. Our phones and internet should be set up the week of November 28th but until then we will still be reachable via email and voice mail. Thanks for your patience as we get set up in our new home.

Exciting Discovery at Jamestown

William Kelso (chief archaeologist) points out the church remains, marked with orange flags (New York Times)

One of the oldest colonial settlements in the United States has discovered more of their sacred heritage. Recent archaeological activity has revealed the footprint and remains of the Protestant church for the settlement. The church would have been the setting for many colonial activities including the marriage of Pocahontas. Scholars hope that the discovery will help change the popular view that Jamestown was all about commercial development and stood in stark contrast to the more pious settlers in New England. Religion would have played an important role in the settlement and the size of the church, estimated at 64 by 24 feet, illustrates that. The church would have been the largest structure in the town and a clear statement that the colonist's intention was to stay permanently and settle the area. Excavation on the site is still ongoing and the administrators of the site are considering rebuilding portions of the church on the site.

source

What do you think of this discovery? Let us know in the comments.

Arts in Sacred Places in Action!

The space at First Baptist before Azuka moved in

Last weekend in Philadelphia the Azuka theater company premiered their show, Act a Lady, in the First Baptist Church. Azuka and First Baptist is one of Partner's first partnerships for the Arts in Sacred Places project. Azuka made some improvements to the space including building a new stage, upgrading the lighting and painting the room. First Baptist will be Azuka's home until summer 2012. Here in Chicago we are very excited to see Arts in Sacred Places moving forward and wish Azuka and First Baptist luck with their new partnership!

The space after Azuka made their improvements (Photos from the Philly Inquirer)

For more information click here

Politics of Preserving Historic Sacred Space

The stone mason for the National Cathedral describes the damage to the building's pinnacles (source)

There has been an interesting development in the saga to repair and restore the National Cathedral in Washington DC. The repairs have been estimated at $25 million. The mayor of Washington DC is asking the Federal Emergency Management Agency for $15 million and the church has launched its own fundraising campaign to help raise the difference.

The request has raised the ire of people who don’t believe that federal funds should be going to a religious institution. This is similar to the political climate that was surrounding historic preservation when Partners for Sacred Places was founded in 1989. As historic preservation grants and tax credit programs became more commonplace it caused a lot of discussion about if churches should be eligible for government funds. Then Attorney General of Connecticut, Joseph Lieberman successfully defended the rights of houses of worship and allowed the Connecticut Historical Commission to make preservation grants to historic houses of worship. Currently about half the states allow churches and other houses of worship to receive the money for historic preservation.

Partners for Sacred Places has dedicated themselves to proving that churches are more than architectural assets to their communities and the National Cathedral is no exception. The beautiful stone building draws half a million visitors a year, all of whom contribute to the lucrative tourist economy of Washington DC. The beautiful design, craftsmanship and history of the National Cathedral give it meaning to Americans beyond its status as an Episcopal church. Andrew Hullinger, the director of finance and administration for the cathedral said, “This is a church and we would never say that we weren’t, but we are a whole lot more than just a church.” Preserving the façade of the National Cathedral is not promoting religion but preserving a landmark of national importance and a community asset to Washington DC.

source

Exciting November Events

There are three interesting events going on in the Chicago area on Sunday, November 13th.

At North Shore Congregation Israel (Glencoe) Nov. 13th at 4 p.m.

Nature, Light, and Beauty: The Work of Minoru Yamasaki

Join us Sunday, November 13 at 4pm when Professor Dale Gyure speaks on the life and works of famous architect Minoru Yamaski. "Nature, Light and Beauty: Minoru Yamaski's Design for North Shore Congregation Israel. This event is open to the public. There is a suggested donation of $18. To reserve your seat call 847-835-0724 or drewb@nsci.org

At KAM Isaiah Israel (Hyde Park) Nov. 13th at 5 p.m.

Sounds of Faith

With the Harran Productions Foundation board and KAM Isaiah Israel Congregation, I extend a reminder and personal invitation to join us at 5 PM on Sunday, November 13^th for our next Sounds of Faith concert. This engaging program will feature performers sharing some of the most beautiful and compelling sounds of Jewish, Christian, and Muslim ritual and cultural practice, including Cantors Deborah Bard, Miriam Eskanasy and Rachel Rosenberg, Dexter Walker and Zion Movement Baptist choir, tar virtuoso Amir Koushkani, Kol Zimrah, Dean Elizabeth Davenport and soloist Matthew Dean of Rockefeller Chapel, Rabbi Michael Zedek of the Emmanuel Congregation and cellist and artistic director Lenore Mass and others in the landmark architectural and acoustic setting of the KAMII Congregation synagogue. Bells, shofar, and calls to prayer will set the atmosphere for listening and learning as they do in our shared destinations around the world.

click here for more information

At Glenview Ismaili Jamatkana (Glenview) Nov. 13th at 3 p.m.

A Discussion of Islamic Architecture

On behalf of the Ismaili Midwest Council, we would like to invite you to a discussion about Islamic Architecture on Sunday, November 13 at 3:00pm at the Glenview Ismaili Jamatkhana, located at 100 Shermer Rd, Glenview, IL 60025.

Ellen Bailey Dickson, AIA, President of Bailey Edward Architecture and architect of Glenview Jamatkhana, will be leading this discussion. There will also be a tour of the Jamatkhana and a Q&A session.

If you go to any of these events share your experience in the comments!