About the EAC

Founded in 1929, the Evanston Art Center has become one of the largest community art centers in Illinois. Created through the efforts of 20 civic organizations, from 1929 to 1943 the Art Center was housed in the basement of the old Evanston Library. In 1942, the Art Center was incorporated as a nonprofit. In 1966 the City of Evanston offered to lease to the Art Center for a nominal fee the Harley Clarke House, a three-story Tudor mansion on the shore of Lake Michigan, just north of Grosse Point Lighthouse on Sheridan Road. Over the years, the interior of the building has been redesigned to maximize space for studio art classes and the exhibition program. It is a classic example of successful adaptive reuse in a historic building that is being preserved through this partnership between the City of Evanston and the Evanston Art Center. The Center also rents classroom space at the Noyes Cultural Arts Center in Evanston.

Evanston Art Center Mission Statement

Since its inception in 1929, the Evanston Art Center (EAC) has been a major force in bringing together people, art and ideas. One of the oldest and largest visual art centers in Illinois, the Evanston Art Center is dedicated to making the visual arts an integral and accessible part of the lives of the diverse audiences in Evanston, Chicago, and the surrounding communities. The Art Center fulfills this mission through an extensive offering of visual arts classes, public lectures, changing exhibitions, youth outreach activities, and publications, all of which are designed to engage and enrich the individual and the community.

From the Director

For 80 years the Evanston Art Center (EAC) has focused on the making and the making sense of art. Our thriving Art School, which enrolls over 3,000 individuals from all age groups every year, is dedicated to lots of art making. With instruction in a wide variety of mediums, from metalwork and printmaking to animation and ceramics, the EAC Art School is a model of multidisciplinary opportunity.

Only when you consider our Art School in tandem with our exceptional, year round exhibitions of contemporary art can you grasp the full impact of the EAC. Some of Chicago's and the region's most celebrated artists have installed their works on our gallery walls, floors, ceilings, and front lawn. Our artists' panel discussions and art talks adeptly place the art of our time into context, promoting greater understanding and enjoyment of contemporary art.

This wonderful intersection of doing and discussing makes the EAC a uniquely valuable community resource. I encourage all of you to consider enrolling in one of our spring session classes, which begin on March 22. I also hope you will join us on Sunday, February 28 for the opening of our next retrospective exhibition Mary Dritschel: Four Decades. Dritschel's extensive body of work frequently employs language and metaphors as important launching points, often overlaying them with humor. The artist will talk about her work and career at the opening. On Sunday, February 14 artist and instructor Katherine Hilden will present a lecture on the work of Christo and Jeanne-Claude entitled: Christo's Gates - Why is This Art? This talk is free and open to the public.

Our Evanston + Vicinity Biennial juried exhibition is now accepting artists' entries through April 1, 2010. This year's jurors are Chicago artist John Himmelfarb and MCA curator, Julie Rodriguez-Widholm. This juried show is seen by Chicago area curators, gallerists, and collectors and therefore offers exhibiting artists excellent exposure. Also, please mark your calendars for the EAC Spring Benefit and Auction which will be held Saturday evening May 1, 2010.

Thank you all for your past and ongoing support. Our audiences continue to grow and diversify. Our visitors seem to sense the importance and impact the arts have during these difficult economic times. Get engaged - join us at the EAC. I look forward to seeing you soon.

Norah Delaney

Executive Director


The Art Center is supported by generous contributions from the following:

National Endowment for the Arts
Illinois Arts Council
Evanston Arts Council
Francis Beidler Foundation
Elizabeth F. Cheney Foundation
DeStefano Development
Endeavor Realty
Fifth Third Bank
First Bank & Trust of Evanston
The Giles Organization 		Good's of Evanston
Inverscot Fund
North End Mothers Club
North Shore Community Bank & Trust Company
Optima, Inc.
Playboy Enterprises
Roszak ADC
Rotary Club of Evanston Charitable Fund
Clayton Struve Family Foundation
Womens Club of Evanston
. . . and many individual donors


2008-2009 Board of Trustees
Officers
Harold Bauer, President
Karen Hunt, 1st Vice President
Beth Hart, 2nd Vice-President
Robert Sills, Treasurer
William Lampkin, Secretary

Trustees
George Accattato
Jane Buck
Susan Curry
Nancy Delman
Gregory DeStefano
Linda Kaufman
Theresa Lickerman
Bruce Rogers
Renee S. Schleicher
Lorna Grothe Shawver
Eric Steele
Sherry Winger
Ex-Officio, Jane Chapman, Past President

Administrative Staff

Norah Delaney, Executive Director ndelaney@evanstonartcenter.org

Jerome Acks, Receptionist receptionist@evanstonartcenter.org
Jyl Bonaguro, Graphics & Administrative Coordinator jbonaguro@evanstonartcenter.org
Larry Boswell, School Registrar & Facility Coordinator lboswell@evanstonartcenter.org
Paula Danoff, Director of Development & Communications pdanoff@evanstonartcenter.org
Judith Fenton, Director of Education jfenton@evanstonartcenter.org
Aviva Ginzburg, Ad Sales aginzburg@evanstonartcenter.org
Michaela Haas, Receptionist receptionist@evanstonartcenter.org
 Marcia Levy, Financial Administrator mslevy@evanstonartcenter.org
Joyce Sims, Receptionist receptionist@evanstonartcenter.org
Maudette Watley, Receptionist receptionist@evanstonartcenter.org