Highlights from the CAC
April-June 2025
Highlights from the CAC
April-June 2025
Dear Board, Docents, Volunteers and Staff,
As we move through the heart of tour season, I’m delighted to share that our walking and boat tours continue to draw record attendance — and we’re honored that USA Today readers have once again named the CAC river cruise the Best Boat Tour in North America. This recognition speaks to the passion and dedication of our docents, volunteers and supporters who make Chicago’s architecture accessible to all.
This quarter, we launched our Trades Pre-Apprenticeship Experience, opening pathways for 18–24-year-old Chicagoans to build fulfilling careers in the trades. It’s an investment in our city’s future workforce and a testament to what’s possible when education, opportunity and community come together.
At the same time, the CAC is continuing to step up as a civic convener. Our newly formed Stadium Working Group will provide guidance for Chicago’s sports teams as they reimagine their homes — another way your support helps us ensure that the next generation of development serves every neighborhood and resident.
We’re also thrilled to announce the Princeton | CAC Fellowship Program, an exciting new partnership nurturing bold design ideas from early-career architects. Inside the Center, our latest exhibition, The Prize is the Beginning, invites visitors to see how visionary design can shape the world around us, through the lens of the Mies Crown Hall America’s Prize.
Looking ahead, our fall season promises even more inspiration. We’re wrapping up our 2025 Teen Fellows cohort, preparing to open The Disappointed Tourist exhibition with artist Ellen Harvey in September, planning for our annual Designing Futures Gala on September 30, and welcoming thousands back to explore the city during Open House Chicago on October 18–19.
Below, you’ll find a letter to the Chicago Sun-Times editor written by the CAC and co-signed by leaders from nineteen Chicago-based arts & culture institutions that serves as a call to Chicagoans to help keep our city vibrant at a time when we can all use extra support.
Together, we’re proving that Chicago itself is our campus — a living laboratory for bold ideas, new connections and a more inclusive built environment.
Thank you for making this work possible.
Eleanor Gorski, AIA
CEO & President
Youth Education
2,587 participants across 79 programs.
Adult Programs
717 participants across 24 programs.
Development
$129.5K Indiv. giving, $34.7K Corp. giving, $130.2K Foundation. $1.9M Gov grants & pledges. $2.2M total.
Volunteers
444 active volunteers gave 5,591 hours.
Center Attendance
13,103 entries and $62.5K in revenue.
Members & Retention
6,625 members, with $185.8K in revenue.
River Cruise
1,105 departures with 124K guests and $2.1M in revenue.
Walking Tours
965 departures with 1,011 guests and $142.9K in revenue.
Retail Sales
$218.5K in-store sales, $11K online sales and 53.94% profit margin.
In January, the CAC launched the Chicago Community Planning Academy, an eight-week pilot program developed with the Center for Neighborhood Technology. Designed for community members interested in urban planning, the program covered topics like zoning, housing and neighborhood development through expert-led sessions, case studies, and site visits. Weekly shared meals and discussions fostered connection and collaboration. Participants left with practical knowledge, new networks and tools to help shape more equitable, and sustainable neighborhoods across Chicago.
CAC proudly participated in IPW the premier travel trade show that plays a vital role in driving international visitors to the United States.
CAC hosted a special member only river cruise, enjoying Chicago's stunning skyline and a night of community and celebration.
The CAC debuted a new MCHAP exhibition this summer, highlighting the awards’ lasting impact on people, places and architecture. Photo: Timothy Hursley, EskewDumezRipple
Architect Talk featured Vishaan Chakrabarti, FAIA, discussing how architecture can fulfill its promise to improve communities and cities.
The CAC received a $1.75M matching grant from Chicago’s Department of Planning and Development to enhance accessibility, education, exhibitions, and visitor experience at 111 East Wacker.
The 2025 CAC Teen Fellows celebrated a year of creativity and dedication at their Final Showcase. Over three semesters, they designed a Brighton Park community center focused on supporting the migrant community with thoughtful, innovative solutions.
Teens explored wearable architecture at CAC’s Teen Saturday Studio. The monthly series is presented with City Colleges of Chicago and supported by The Richard H. Driehaus Foundation.
Architectural Head Games brought together artists, architects, and preservationists for a masquerade celebrating bold design and creative expression.
Block Club Chicago, January 29
Fox 32 Chicago, March 6
from Art Nouveau clubs to antique shops
Chicago Sun-Times, October 19
By Eleanor Gorski
Published in the Chicago Sun-Times 10/25/2024
What do you value in our city’s built environment? Residents have options to provide their input on what’s best for the city’s development, the head of the Chicago Architecture Center writes.
Chicago skyline. Photo by Mary Ellen Bleeden
By Leaders in Chicago’s Cultural Community
Chicago is known globally for its architecture, renowned arts and culture, and vibrant neighborhoods. A major reason lies in our extraordinary not-for-profit cultural community: world-class art, literature, science, and children’s museums, complemented by a diverse array of theater and performing arts organizations. Our city-wide festivals, libraries, and vibrant neighborhood institutions are also testament to Chicago’s high quality of life; they create opportunities for learning and exploration, shape communities, and attract millions of tourists annually.
But our area's cultural institutions are here for Chicagoans first! Any local describing why they love living here will include these beloved places and events. We provide gathering spaces and educational resources, invite families to learn and play, fuel Illinois’ creative economy, and invite visitors to experience our remarkable city.
However, federal funding for the arts and humanities is rapidly declining. Agencies like the Institute of Museum and Library Services, the National Endowment for the Arts, and the National Endowment for the Humanities, which provide critical research and resources for libraries and museums, are discontinuing funding. These resources have been vital to our nation’s cultural infrastructure for 60 years; without them, many essential civic resources face serious financial challenges.
To the Chicagoan wondering “what can I do?” — individual actions make the biggest collective impact:
When you visit a museum, spend a day at an aquarium or park, embark on an architecture tour, discover a band, get inspired by poetry, or experience live theater, you’re declaring the value of the arts and humanities in our lives. You’re participating in a city inspired by its past, driven by the moment, and shaping the future. Keep Chicago the vibrant cultural powerhouse we all love and every citizen deserves.
Eleanor Gorski, President & CEO, Chicago Architecture Center
Phillip Bahar, President & Executive Director, Chicago Humanities
Michelle Boone, President & CEO, The Poetry Foundation
Gregory Cameron, President & CEO, The Joffrey Ballet
Andrea Change, Executive Director, Guild Literary Complex
Dr. Bridget Coughlin, President & CEO, John G. Shedd Aquarium
Juan Dies, Executive Director, Sones de Mexico Ensemble
Lori Dimun, President & CEO, Harris Theater for Music and Dance
Kate Dumbleton, Executive and Artistic Director, Hyde Park Jazz Festival
Natasha Egan, Executive Director, Museum of Contemporary Photography at Columbia College Chicago
Jennifer Farrington, President & CEO, Chicago Children’s Museum
Brooke Flanagan, Executive Director, Steppenwolf Theatre Company
Jean Franczyk, President & CEO, Chicago Botanic Garden
Edward Hall, Artistic Director and Kimberly Motes, Executive Director, Chicago Shakespeare Theater
Jeffrey P. Haydon, President & CEO, Ravinia Festival
Lisa Lee, Executive Director, National Public Housing Museum
Janine Mileaf, Executive Director, The Arts Club of Chicago
Billy Ocasio, President & CEO, National Museum of Puerto Rican Arts & Culture
Jose Ochoa, President & CEO, National Museum of Mexican Art
Lou Raizin, President & CEO, Broadway in Chicago
Claire Rice, Executive Director, Arts Alliance Illinois
Please contact Jorrie Jarrett with any questions or input on the content of this report.
