May 14,  2009

Club members and guests attended another program in the Club's celebration of the Centennial of the Burnham Plan. Larry Okrent, CD '93, was the speaker-presenter of "The Evolution of Grant Park, from 1837 to the Present Day (with a nod to Daniel Burnham)" which included numerous rarely seen maps, plans and photographs, plus aerial views from his own archive. (Photograph by George Gabauer.)

April 24, 2009

Artwork from distant Africa now occupies the Gallery walls for an exhibition featuring works from the collection of member Ernest Slotar, CD ‘86. In addition, paintings by Cape Town artist Roy Bermeister and selected artwork in various media from Dumela Contemporary African Art, a Chicago gallery, comprised the showing, “Low Veld Paintings,” a cross-section of landscapes and contemporary graphics. At the opening reception, artist Bermeister and gallery co-owner Leila Green mingled with Cliff Dwellers and guests. The exhibit is on display until May 20. (Photography by George Gabauer.)

April 17, 2009

Cliff Dwellers and guests were treated to an afternoon interlude of contemporary dance in the Kiva. Eddy Ocampo, a former Artist-in-Residence and now the Resident Choreographer for Inaside Chicago Dance, presented members of the company in two of his latest works, "The Alarm Will Sound" and "Beckoned," as a preview of performances to be given at the Ruth Page Foundation. Ocampo is a two-time recipient of the Cliff Dwellers Arts Foundation Award for Outstanding Choreography in Dance Chicago. (Photos by George Gabauer)

January 12, 2009

An ample number of Cliff Dwellers braved the Arctic-like Chicago weather to attend the 102nd annual meeting of the club. Beginning with a welcome cocktail hour, their conversation was accompanied by piano music of the era offered by Arnie Lanza, CD ‘08. Highlight of the long evening was a visual presentation by Jan Stilson, author of Art and Beauty in the Heartland: The Story of the Eagle’s Nest Art Camp at Oregon, Illinois, 1898-1942.(Eagle’s Nest was the “summer home” of the principal founders of The Cliff Dwellers.) Our speaker was introduced by President Larry Lund, CD ‘02, who had arranged for her appearance at the club. There were, of course, the year-end reports of various committees along with the election of three new Directors to the Board. To top off the festive activities, that night’s entire staff was introduced and thereupon received the greatest applause of the evening. (Photos by George Gabauer.)

To view William Bowe's Album of the Annual Meeting please click on his name and use the return arrow on the Google page to return to the Cliff Dwellers site.

December 19, 2008

Celebrating the holiday season, many Cliff Dwellers regard the traditional pre-Christmas luncheon as a “must” event. In the decorated Kiva, Chef Victor again prepared a bountiful offering of appetizers, entrees, and desserts while the beverage table put the spotlight on bowls of egg nog. Only the early-season snow and very wintery temperatures kept this year’s event from establishing an all-time attendance record. (Photos by George Gabauer.)
 

December 7, 2008

History does repeat itself. Live chamber music at The Cliff Dwellers brought together three invited musicians to re-create a performance of Mendelssohn’s First Piano Trio that was played at the club’s original Kiva thirty-five years ago to the day. Sponsored by the Arts Foundation, the event attracted a large contingent of club members and guests as listeners. Foundation president P.K. VanderBeke, CD ‘96, called upon the violinist of that 1973 ensemble, Edgar Muenzer CD ‘68 and a former Chicago Symphony Orchestra member, to comment on the earlier performance. Muenzer and Andrea Swan, the pianist in both the 1978 and 2008 programs, then autographed copies of the privately-issued long-playing record of the performance which was recorded “live” thirty-five years ago and offered for sale at this event. (Photos by George Gabauer).

November 20, 2008

Club members and guests listened to an authoritative telling of the part Bermuda played in the Civil War. Writer and antiquarian bookseller Glen Wicke, CD '95, offered a dinner presentation that revealed this all-but-unknown facet of history that was covered in his book, "Dispatches from Bermuda," published this year by Kent University Press. His source material was the Civil War letters of Charles Maxwell Allen, U.S. Consul in Bermuda, 1861-1888, appointed by President Abraham Lincoln. Portions of some of those letters, read by Robert Guinan, CD ‘84, dealt with that British colony which became a center for Confederate activities. (Photo by George Gabauer shows Wicke and Guinan at the podium in the Sullivan Room.)

November 14, 2008

Highlight of this late-Autumn event was the viewing of a film honoring Gertrude Lempp Kerbis, CD '85, the 2008 recipient of the Lifetime Achievement Award from the Chicago chapter of the American Institute of Architects. The short documentary on the life and work of the first woman president of The Cliff Dwellers (1988-89) was commissioned by AIA Chicago and funded in part by The Cliff Dwellers Arts Foundation, headed by Patricia VanderBeke, CD '96. Remarks by the honoree and film maker Karen Carter followed the viewing. (Shown are club Secretary William Drennan, CD ‘02, talking to the honoree. (Photo by George Gabauer.)

September 24, 2008

Members and guests were treated to a post-luncheon presentation by Paula Scher on the subject of contemporary graphics as expressed in a display of posters along with an informal Q&A session. Ms Scher is a partner in Pentagram/NYC , a design consultancy, and was named Art Commissioner of the City of New York in 2006. Her program centered on the landmark series of poster done for The Public Theater (“Shakespeare in the Park”), after which she fielded queries  from design students and educators in the audience. Her presentation ties in with the ongoing 2008 Congress of the Alliance Graphique Internationale (AGI) taking place in Chicago this year. (Photo by Richard Eastline)

September 17, 2008

One of Chicago’s best-known painters specializing in watercolors and pastels, Nancie King Mertz, opened a showing of her works at an evening event that coincided with a prospective members’ reception. The exhibit, “Global Warming: One Person at a Time,” is devoted to a showing of people in all walks of life in locations near and far. It’s on display until October 3. (Photo by Richard Eastline) For a sampling of the exhibition’s images, visit the Gallery section of this website.

June 14, 2008

Wesley Drake, one of this year’s Artists-in-Residence class members, presented a hands-on demonstration of his painting technique to Cliff Dwellers as one of the A-I-R programs being offered during 2008. He discussed his passion for exploring different places and cultures while he was producing a work for the audience. Drake considers himself a traditional, representational artist; samples can be found at his website, http://www.wesleydrake.com.

May 31, 2008

With a long Winter reluctantly giving way to a hesitant Spring, a change in terrace decor was appropriate. Carrying out this transformation was the ad hoc planting squad led by Yolanda Deen, CD ‘87, who chairs the House Committee. Helping hands were provided by William Drennan, CD ‘02, Stuart Gootnick, CD ‘04, and Chef Victor Perez. (Photo by George Gabauer, CD ‘94)

February 1, 2008

Being employed until age 91 is something of a challenge. To accomplish that is a personal achievement deserving of honors. During the lunch hour on the first day of February, The Cliff Dwellers paid tribute to Belton Calmes, who was hired for the wait staff at the club more than 20 years ago. This followed an even longer career as a Santa Fe railroad Pullman chef. Known to members as “Cal,” he was joined by his daughter Deidra, who came to Chicago to be present at the retirement ceremony. (Photo by William Bowe)

Belton Calmes Retirement Lunch
Additional Photos and Slide Show by William Bowe

January 14, 2008

Cliff Dwellers gathered in the Kiva for the 101^st Annual Meeting of the club, which immediately followed the traditional steak dinner. Presiding was outgoing president William Bowe, who introduced the various committee heads giving their yearly reports. (Yolanda Deen, House Committee, Doug Schroeder, Millennium Sustaining Fund Committee, and Trish Vanderbeke, Arts Foundation, are shown in the photo.) Three new directors were elected to the Board---Susan Aaron, Ed Gordon, and Paul Hamer. Tributes were given to Chef Victor Perez for his continued culinary excellence as well as to Belton “Cal” Calmes, retiring after 22 years of service with the wait staff. Attending members were informed that the club closed the 2007 fiscal year with a surplus and the current membership stands at 399. (Photo by George Gabauer)