Chicago Athenaeum facts for kids
| Established | 1988 |
|---|---|
| Location | 601 S Prospect St, Galena, IL 61036 |
The Chicago Athenaeum is a special museum. It focuses on architecture and design. This private museum is located in Galena, Illinois. It explores design in many different areas. These include buildings, industrial products, graphics, and even city planning.
One of the museum's main goals is to teach people. It shows how good design can make our world better. The museum also gives out many important awards. These awards celebrate great achievements in architecture and design.
History of the Museum
The Chicago Athenaeum first opened in Chicago in 1988. Later, it moved to Schaumburg, Illinois in 1998. In 2004, the museum found its current home in Galena, Illinois. The building in Galena has an interesting past. It used to be a brewery, making beer. It was known by names like Fulton Brewery and Galena Brewery.
When the museum was in Schaumburg, it was located in an old barn. This barn was at 190 S. Roselle Rd. The village asked the museum to move in 2004. The museum also had an International Sculpture Park there. This park showed modern art sculptures. The sculpture park is still there today. You can find it behind the Prairie Center for the Arts.
What the Museum Does
The museum works to help people learn more about architecture and design. It shows how these fields can improve our surroundings. It also highlights how they can make our lives better.
The Chicago Athenaeum has held many exhibitions. These shows about architecture and design have been in different countries. The museum also runs several international programs. It has offices and operations in Chicago, Schaumburg, and Galena, Illinois. It also has locations in Dublin, Ireland and Athens, Greece.
Awards for Design
Since 1996, the museum has organized the annual Good Design Awards. These awards celebrate excellent design. The museum also helps organize other important awards. These include the American Architecture Awards and the American Prize for Architecture. It also presents the International Architecture Awards and the Green Good Design Awards.
Museum Leadership
The president of the Chicago Athenaeum is Christian Narkiewicz-Laine. Loannis Karalias is the vice president. He is also the chief curator and director of design. Lary Sommers is the director of administration. Kieran Conlon is the director in Europe and the Chief Operating Officer.
