On and Off the Cliff

The Newsletter of The Cliff Dwellers ON AND OFF THE CLIFF

Volume 42, Number 1 January-February 2020 113th Annual Meeting of The Cliff Dwellers January 6, 2020 Minutes Submitted by William J. Drennan CD’02, Secretary

It was 4:35 P.M., January 6, 2020, and the new year began with the first two Manhattans and a glass of white wine being poured. As those three settled in by the fire, a gin martini soon joined. And before long it was standing room only as the Kiva filled with glasses-held Cliff Dwellers gathering in good spirits for the Club’s 113th Annual Meeting. Along about 6:15 the traditional steak dinner prepared by Chef Victor and his staff was served and enjoyed by the assembly of nearly 60. Bottles of wine on the tables added to the festive atmosphere. At 7:17 P.M. President Eve Moran CD’10 called the meeting to order and introduced Master of Ceremonies Bill Bowe CD’97. Following some brief introductory remarks, President Moran summarized the state of the Club and thanked the Board and Officers who led the Club the past two years. Moran then introduced the Chairs of each standing committee and highlighted major accomplishments of each. Speaking about the 21st Century Fund Charlie Hasbrouck CD’09 noted that to date the fund has donations and pledges of approximately $150k. As with the Millennium Fund of previous years, the Club’s future will depend upon generous participation by members. The Club had a good year adding 49 new faces to the roster including 8 Artists in Residence. Members shared in a moment of silent remembrance for five current and former Cliff Dwellers who died in 2019: William Cuncannan CD’75 Emeritus, Edward Deam CD’68 Emeritus, George “Kim” Sargent CD’15, Oscar Anderson CD’15, Jared Shlaes CD’67 Emeritus.

Special mention was made of the $15k gift to the Arts Foundation from the estate of Mel Skvarla CD’81.

President Moran made presentations of The Cliff Dweller of the Year award to:

--Edward Gordon CD’00 worked with Doug Schroeder CD’65 for over a decade establishing and nurturing the Millennium Fund. Gordon has now led the push to establish and grow the 21st Century Fund securing the Club’s future.

--Richard Reeder CD’13 established the monthly Book Club in 2014 and has thus far led the sessions as they have considered 66 titles to date. In addition the Club has hosted 26 authors for discussion and lunch at the Club.

Volume 42, Number 1 January-February 2020 --Connie Hinkle CD’01 and Ruth Migdal CD’13 co-chair the Arts Committee. Together they contacted artists and sculptors and staged the on-going art exhibits which add color and life to the Kiva.

--Timothy Walser CD’16 received an honorable mention for reaching out and obtaining letters of congratulations to the Club from Governor Pritzker and Mayor Lightfoot for the Club’s 110th Anniversary.

President Moran then invited Club Presidents of the past decade to share the most significant challenges and accomplishments that occurred during their terms in office.

--Brian Bernardoni CD’06, 2010-11 recalled inspecting 15 sites as a potential new home for the Club and helping negotiate a new lease which kept the Club at 200 S. Michigan.

--Leslie Recht CD’03, 2012-13 signed the new lease and oversaw the renovation of the Club which ensued. The History Committee, Book Club, and themed dinners also began during these years.

--Charles Hasbrouck CD’09, 2014-15 as House Committee Chair and then President worked with President Recht to spend the Millennium Fund on renovation of the Club. Professional training for the staff was instituted, a budget for the Club was drawn up, and in one year ended with a balanced budget.

--David Chernoff CD’09, 2016-17 hired Michelle Fitzgerald as Assistant Manager and reinvented the bar scene in the Kiva.

--Eve Moran CD’10, 2018-19 looked to the Club’s history and re- established the summer barbecue, the holiday tea, and the Artists in Residence program. A concerted effort has led to more young members in the Club. And, growing the 21st Century Fund may be the most significant achievement of the past two years.

Continue to p.3

Volume 42, Number 1 January-February 2020 A Closing Comment from Mr. Bowe, our Master of Ceremonies for the evening—

Before we take on the challenge of Zivio, I wanted to close with a few words about our outgoing President, Eve Moran. As you all have seen, she has really thrown herself into her job the last two years. Harkening back to my tenure as club President beginning in 2006, I can’t think of another President who worked as hard as Eve. During her tenure, Eve has also never failed to take the time to offer kind words of thanks to staff or members working hard on behalf of the Club. Eve also never hesitated to herself cover the cost of one item or another when she caught something out of her eye that could use a quick fix. But something else quite remarkable also happened during Eve’s tenure. With terrific help from Ed Gordon, Leslie Recht, Charlie Hasbrouck, and inspiration from Club hero Doug Schroeder, it was on Eve’s watch that for the first time in memory, the Club looks like it may be on the road to a financially secure future. You’ve all heard Charlie’s report on the 21st Century Reserve Fund. This is an absolutely amazing result in only a few months. We’re still far from being where we need to be, but I think we’re finally moving in the right direction. Congratulations to all of you who have already contributed. And, congratulations Eve. This will be your legacy. Thank you Eve! A rousing chorus of Zivio led by Mike Deines CD’03 accompanied by Ed Torrez CD’15 on piano brought a festive evening to an end.

Past and Present Presidents: Bill Bowe ’97, Kristin Fallon ’87, Charlie Hasbrouck ’09, Leslie Recht ’03, David Chernoff ’09, Eve Moran ’10, Brian Bernardoni ’06, Walker Johnson ‘84, and Larry Lund ’02.

Pat Savage ’93 , Stan Cielic ’05 , Andrew Fox ’16, Carla Funk ’16, Savage again, Loren Chernoff, David Chernoff ’09, David Mann ’84, Bill Bowe ’97, and Andrew Elder ’17 will begin their new 3-year and Trish Vander Beke ’96 Alan Alongi ’12—a corps of club leadership. terms on the Board of Directors. toasted the evening.

ZIVIO! 3

Volume 42, Number 1 January-February 2020

The 2019 Holidays Arrived on the Cliff!

Once Again Santa Guar, Like a Jolly Old Elk, Welcomed Us All to: An Afternoon Tea, A Wonderful Life Night, A Club Holiday Luncheon, A Children’s Party, and An Absolutely Delicious Dickens Holiday Feast!

Bring Your Friends and, If Possible, Your Favorite Teapot! By Eve Moran CD’10

The Cliff Dwellers presented an afternoon Holiday Tea on Friday, December 6, 2019. Afternoon tea, a well-known English tradition, is also an important part of The Cliff Dwellers’ history. Members and friends came and enjoyed midday refreshment, complete with small cakes, assorted sweets, savory finger sandwiches and fine tea. The gathering engaged in warm and lively conversation and, as a special treat, Emily Victorson (publisher of Allium Press of Chicago) and award-winning author Tony Romano discussed the joys and challenges of writing the stories that the public loves to read. Allium Press of Chicago has published his collection of short stories If You Eat, You Never Die and his two novels When the World Was Young and Where Your Body Publisher Emily Victorson Ends and the World Begins. He lives in the Chicago area with his wife and three and author Tony Romano. daughters.

After decorating the Kiva for the holidays The House Committee enjoyed a Saturday brunch.

As always Santa and our Gaur kept an eye on Club holiday festivities.

At the annual holiday luncheon, House Chair Deines introduced our staff and applauded their year of with distributions from the Holiday Fund. and Club Manager Santilli loyalty and hard work

Volume 42, Number 1 January-February 2020

Yolanda Deen CD’87 and Doug Schroeder CD’65 Bertin Rodriguez and Lou Washinton were Michelle Fitzgerald, Club Manager Don Santelli, reminesced a bit about earlier Holiday Luncheons celebrated for their long tenure of service. and Chef Victor Perez created holiday moments for at the Club. members and staff to share.

Again this year, members and their families… and a special Magician… as well as our staff and their families… filled the Kiva with JOY at the Children’s Party!

The Dickens Feast was delicious thanks to David Walker and Carolyn entertained We all sharedl a “Good Night!” Mann’s research and Chef Victor’s kitchen crew. the Johnson family and friends.

Young members and friends were all smiles. Connie Hinkle and Vicky Tesmer chatted at the This happy young couple were nicely disguised as holiday luncheon. Christmas trees. What a trio!

Warning: Take a long, deep breath before slowly savoring the next page---

Volume 42, Number 1 January-February 2020 The Cliff Dwellers gathered this day with great cheer to celebrate the spirit of our common humanity. The Cliff Dwellers Dickens Holiday Dinner Feast December 19, 2019

Menu of Delights Tom & Jerry - At the Bar (Michelle’s family recipe). The invention of the Tom and Jerry cocktail is generally credited to British journalist Pierce Egan in the 1820's. Dinner: Cock-a-Leekie soup Adapted from Catherine Dickens' own recipe, this is largely a chicken soup loaded with leeks & topped with prunes. Turkey with dressing In the early 1800’s, turkeys were popular in England. Catherine Dickens roasted the young birds. Roast Lamb Catherine Dickens enjoyed serving roasted lamb dressed with a celery sauce. Cod Codfish was widely available in England and Catherine Dickens broiled her fish against a fireplace wall. Beets Beets were plentiful in wintertime Britain and certain to be featured in festive meals. Kalecannon This traditional Celtic cabbage and potato dish was revised by Catherine Dickens to include carrots, turnips and young greens. Green salad with vinaigrette For her dressing, Catherine Dickens used a heavy dose of Spanish olive oil. Christmas pudding This essential sweet of a Christmas feast required a difficult and lengthy process. As Dickens wrote, many hands were called upon to "stir the pudding.” Mincemet pie The prominent spices in this holiday classic are cinnamon, cloves and nutmeg Cheese rarebit A quirky name for a dish that Charles Dickens is said to have enjoyed.

Source: A Christmas Dinner by Charles Dickens; Menus and Recipes by Alice Ross ( Red Rock Press, 2008). Thank You! to Chef Victor and our entire Kitchen Staff for the production of this extraordinary dinner. Appreciation to Charles Dickens ( 1812-70 ) for inspiring the joy of a holiday dinner, and to his wife, Catherine Dickens, for publishing her recipes. And to David Mann CD’84—Thank-you for the idea and the research you did to help make the Feast happen.

Volume 42, Number 1 January-February 2020

So, what else has been happening on and off the Cliff? We’ve Had a Very Busy Transition from late 2019 to early 2020……

Meet our 55th President: Carla Funk

THE YEAR AHEAD

With the dawning of a new decade, The Cliff Dwellers is experiencing new challenges as well as opportunities to “promote mutual acquaintance of art lovers, art workers and others.” As the fifty-fifth president of The Club, I will build on the excellent work of my predecessors and continue to increase our multi-talented membership, reach out to partner with other arts-minded groups, and bring the next generation of artists and art lovers into The Club.

Since my election, I have been approached by members wanting to volunteer to help with programs, fundraising, and member recruitment, and bring new ideas to the table to help our 113 year old club grow and flourish. One major effort this year and beyond is fundraising for the 21st Century Reserve Fund. I ask all members who haven’t donated as yet to give--we want 100% member participation!

Membership recruitment is also a major initiative. We will promote our member-get-a-member campaign this year with a significant prize for The Cliff Dwellers’ member who recruits the most new members in 2020. Watch the newsletter for more to come on this initiative and meanwhile, START RECRUITING!!

Finally, we’ll continue our outreach program to partner with other arts groups including The Cliff Dwellers Arts Foundation on programs and other activities. Also, we will celebrate, with appropriate festivities, the 20th anniversary of our Artists-in-Residence program and its work in connecting younger members of the arts community with The Club’s members.

That’s all for now--see you at The Club! Zivio, Carla

Volume 42, Number 1 January-February 2020 Giving Back and Looking Forward This article, a profile about Carla Funk, recently appeared in the Newberry Library Magazine

The Newberry Library has something for everyone. Whether you’re interested in researching and writing a book on eighteenth century schoolboy culture, attending a seminar about American Art Deco design, or exploring an exhibition that challenges your assumptions about the Midwest, the Newberry is the place for you. Few patrons exemplify this assertion better than Carla Funk, who has used the Newberry to explore her varied intellectual interests, both in the collections and in our classrooms.

Carla recalls first coming to the Newberry to start work on her family history. “I have my family archive at home,” she says. “Which is really no more than a box full of papers.” That box, along with an early version of DNA testing that was offered through National Geographic, inspired Carla to dig deeper into her family history. Viewing the DNA testing as “the tip of the iceberg,” Carla is using the Newberry resources and collections to uncover the full story behind her genealogical tree.

In addition to using the Newberry to delve into her family history, Carla also attends seminars with a group of friends. She’s taken courses in diverse topics including Shakespeare, English Romantic music, Russian history, Syria, and, of course, genealogy. She’s also a member of The Cliff Dwellers and can sometimes be found at the Newbery working with Alison Hinderliter, Lloyd Lewis Curator of Modern Manuscripts, to bring the club’s papers to the Newberry to be archived. She’s attended the annual Award Dinner, first coming in 2018 when the Newberry honored her friend Carla Hayden, Librarian of Congress.

Perhaps Carla feels so at home at the Newberry because her professional life also has revolved around libraries. She made her living as a librarian from the time she received her Master of Library Science degree from Indiana University in 1973 to the time she retired in 2015. She capped off her career with an impressive run as Executive Director of the Medical Library Association (MLA) from 1992 to 2015. The MLA now confers the Carla J. Funk Governmental Relations Award to recognize a medical librarian who, like Carla, works “diligently and passionately to provide visibility for the association and profession, and to further the association’s governmental relations agenda.”

When it came time to make her charitable contributions under the latest tax laws, Carla made the decision to streamline her giving. She was already supporting the Newberry Annual Fund as a member of the Newberry Associates, but she increased her gift to join the President’s Fellows, the Newberry’s leadership giving society. At the same time, she included the Newberry in her estate plans, joining the Blatchford Society. “I decided to focus my giving on libraries,” Carla says. “They have sustained me both personally and professionally for over 50 years, and I wanted to give back.”

Carla’s multifaceted involvement with the Newberry as genealogist, seminar attendee, amateur archivist, and donor is a wonderful example of how the Newberry can satisfy the curiosities of all. This is a sentiment Carla shares when describing libraries in general and the Newberry in particular. “Having been a librarian myself, I understand how libraries serve their communities and can mean many things to many people. I’m excited by all the things that are happening at the Newbery and look forward to all that’s to come.”

Volume 42, Number 1 January-February 2020

The Cliff Dwellers Arts Foundation Reaches Out to Chicago By Trish VanderBeke CD’96 Arts Foundation Chair

Over 60 years ago, a group of Cliff Dwellers got together to form The Cliff Dwellers Arts Foundation, a 501c3 charitable giving organization supported solely by the Club’s members. The intent was to bring the spirit of The Cliff Dwellers Club to the greater Chicago community; to give back, as it were, to the city and, specifically, the city’s artists. Art has the power to bring us together, the power to inspire, the power to heal, to speak truth to power as well as foster discussion among those with differing viewpoints. In what might be characterized as particularly interesting times, we hope that all our members will help The Cliff Dwellers Arts Foundation continue to support the arts organizations whose work enlivens and enriches our lives. Your generosity directly determines the extent to which the CDAF Walker Johnson, Eve Moran, and Trish VanderBeke is able to maintain a strong level of giving to the deserving applicants have provided ongoing leadership for the Art Foundation. who come to us via The Cliff Dwellers website or through your suggestions which, as always, we welcome.

The CDAF is pleased that over $12,000 in grants were made in 2019 to nine separate theater, orchestral, dance, and artistic groups emerging in the greater Chicago arts community.

Additionally. CDAF named Access Contemporary Music as the first recipient of the Melvin Skvarla Award for Excellence. Funded by a bequest from the late Melvin Skvarla CD’81, the grant supported a performance at Thirsty Ears: Chicago’s only classical music street festival. Mel’s family was in attendance and were very pleased that his lively spirit is being kept alive at the Club and with a new generation of artists.

The Cliff Dwellers Music Competition, offered on a bi-annual basis to students from local accredited colleges, will be expanded in 2020 to include young artists in more diverse genres, including Rap. Details will be announced in the near future.

CDAF will be celebrating the Year of Music in Chicago by hosting a concert series curated by pianist Jacob Greenberg, a longtime member of the International Contemporary Ensemble (ICE) whose work as a soloist and chamber musician has received worldwide acclaim.

Finally, a lecture/discussion series is in the works to bring authors and performers together under the theme “The Artist as Citizen” thus, coming full circle back to our roots as Cliff Dwellers shaping the city we call home.

The Cliff Dwellers Arts Foundation is pleased to have been and will continue to be a relevant and vibrant part of Chicago’s arts community. We are very grateful to the many club members who generously give so that The Cliff Dwellers might literally fulfill its mission of being a place for “People who Support the Arts.” Every donation is precious as it celebrates the creative spirit that brings us together as Cliff Dwellers.

Volume 42, Number 1 January-February 2020

Leonard Crunelle: Charter Member and Sculptor of Squirrel Boy By Isabel Fischbein CD’19

The holidays are a great time to share family history, and now is no better opportunity than to re-discover our Squirrel Boy's roots. Nestled between the south-facing windows and the Sullivan Room doors, lives The Cliff Dwellers' Squirrel Boy. Our shirtless bronze wonder and his critter friend received several inquiries from guests during this year's Open House Chicago. So, I went sleuthing. Using simple tools like Google Books, Archive.org, and other resources listed at the end of this article, I was able to gather an abridged history of our Squirrel Boy, created in 1908 by Leonard Crunelle (1872- 1944).

A miner's son and immigrant from Lens, Pas-de-Calais, France, Leonard Crunelle was living with his family in Decatur, Illinois when he was discovered by Lorado Taft. Statues of Abraham Lincoln (1908) beautifully illustrates this tale made possible only in America,

"Mr. Taft was called to lecture in the town, and while there was told of a miner's lad who carved objects from coal. On meeting the youth, who spoke only in his native French, Mr. Taft recognized the mind of an unusual gift. Later, he sent for him to come to Chicago to perform various tasks for the sculptors working on the decorations of the Horticultural Building of the World's Fair of 1893" (page 22).

Crunelle apprenticed under Taft and studied at the School of the Art Institute, where Taft also taught sculpture. Both master and protégé became charter members of The Cliff Dwellers in 1907. Around that time, Crunelle made three identical bronze terminal figures of Squirrel Boy, with corresponding non-identical squirrels playfully set on each boy’s arm. Squirrel Boy exhibited at the Art Institute of Chicago in 1908, where it was purchased for the Municipal Art League of Chicago at the tune of $1,000. The remaining two copies immediately found homes: one at The Cliff Dwellers and the other at The Union League Club of Chicago. The Union League's Squirrel Boy lives on the second floor of their club near the entrance to the Heritage Room.

Crunelle modeled his highly lauded sculptures of children after his own five children. He raised his family in Edison Park and was involved in the founding of the local arts community. Additionally, he was an active member in multiple clubs, including: The Society of Western Artists, Chicago Society of Artists (Vice President) and The Cliff Dwellers. Crunelle designed a bronze figurine backing and handle inspired by the God's of Lord, Dusany's play for The Cliff Dwellers' Great Seal of Silver in 1921.

Taft Studios was the most diverse and equitable studios in Chicago at the

Volume 42, Number 1 January-February 2020 time and had many women, minorities, and immigrants as apprentices and associates--many of whom founded their own studios, including Nellie Verne Walker (1874--1973), Kathleen Beverly Robinson (1882--1958), and Enrique Alférez (1901--1999).

Crunelle became a successful sculptor in his own right, including a WWI memorial at 35th Street and Martin Luther King Drive. The sculpture, dedicated in 1928, was the first memorial honoring African-American soldiers from the WWI era. It is part of the annual Memorial Day parade in the Bronzeville area. Crunelle died in 1944, leaving a rich canon of sculpture throughout the United States.

Care to Know More?

For anyone curious about the history and artifacts at The Cliff Dwellers--below is a list of links that might help you start your research:  Google Books : books.google.com  WorldCat (to locate a full copy of a book from partial search results found using Google Books) : worldcat.org  Archive Books : archive.org/details/books  Chicago Collections Consortium : chicagocollections.org/  Chicago Public Library online resources (anyone can sign up online) : chipublib.org/online-resources/  Midland Authors had CAN tv record this wonderful program. So if you would like to see it, go to https://youtube/PLNn8gwMHE.

2020 CLIFF DWELLERS BOOK CLUB READING LIST

The CD Book Club meets at The Cliff Dwellers, 200 S. Michigan, 22nd Floor, at 11:00 am (usually, but not always, on the 4th Saturday of the month).

Moderator: Richard [email protected]

January 25-Citizens by Meyer Levin February 22-A Few Red Drops: The Chicago Race Riot of 1919 by Claire Hartfield March 28-The Great Believers by Rebecca Makkai April 25-Eros, Magic, and the Murder of Professor Culianu by Ted Anton (the author will be present) May 30-Lucy Gayheart by Willa Cather June 27-Right after the Weather by Carol Anshaw (the author will be present) July 25-Rose of Dutcher’s Coolly by Hamlin Garland August 22-Talking to Myself by Studs Terkel September 26-The World Is Always Coming to an End by Carlo Rotella (the author will be present) October 24-The Jungle by Upton Sinclair November 21-Deadlock by Sara Paretsky

Volume 42, Number 1 January-February 2020

Wilfredo Rodriguez Ramos Shared the Roots of Cuban Architecture By Ed Torrez CD’17

As a kickoff to celebrating National Hispanic Heritage Month, The Cliff Dwellers welcomed Cuban Architect Wilfredo Rodriguez Ramos, from City of Camaguey, Cuba. His presentation titled Cuba and the International Modern Architecture Influences and Coincidences discussed and compared how the Cuban culture, architecture, and design arose from rich influences of multiple foreign cultures including elements from the United States. Mr. Ramos presented how Cuba had a well-defined and profound mixture of Spanish and African roots and later received both artistic influences and vanguard ideas from around the world. The presentation demonstrated how, among other things, the architecture produced in Cuba throughout its various historical periods followed a similar course of the country’s cultural development.

Mr. Ramos showed specific examples of parallel architectural design details between Cuban and US sites.

WE WANT YOUR INPUT! WE NEED YOU! MEMBERS WISHING TO CONTRIBUTE TO ON AND OFF THE CLIFF CAN SUBMIT STORIES, REFLECTIONS, ARTICLES, POEMS, PHOTOS AND ACCOMPLISHMENTS IN THE ARTS TO NEWSLETTER EDITOR MIKE DEINES by e--mail [email protected] Share Current, Past, and Future Stories about The Cliff Dwellers.

Volume 42, Number 1 January-February 2020

Rarely Heard Large-Scale Chamber Music Receives Appreciative Audience Reception on the Cliff Review by Richard L. Eastline CD’73 Emeritus There are those who proclaim that the only thing new in so-called classical music is the preponderance of loud, dissonant compositions. Well, often to find something “new” requires going back in time. That supposition was proved once again by an intimate chamber music concert given at the Club by an ensemble of Chicago-area professional musicians on November 15.

To those concertgoers familiar with chamber music programs, they are typically performed by soloists or duos (voice, piano, violin with keyboard accompaniment), trios (usually piano, violin, cello), or string quartets (two violins, viola, cello). Variations include quartets with a combination of strings with piano or a woodwind or brass or quintets/sextets (string quartet plus additional string instruments or piano, woodwind or brass). While these are the combinations most commonly encountered, there are multiple variants in instruments and group size—some of them being quite exotic in makeup. And that’s where performance complications set in.

From time to time throughout mainly the 19th and 20th centuries, ensembles have been expanded by well-known composers for some of their works as well as by many others remembered only for their ventures into unconventional composing forms or instrumentation. Best-known music in augmented format includes Mendelssohn’s Octet for Strings, Beethoven’s Septet (violin, viola, cello, bass, clarinet, bassoon, and French horn), and Schubert’s Octet (string quartet and bass, plus clarinet, bassoon, and French horn). Size does matter and obviously the availability of performers---along with resultant cost–-can significantly impact the scheduling of music unfamiliar both to musicians as well as the listening public. Consequently, a large percentage of these “orphan” compositions, regardless of quality, find few places in the mainstream concerts. That being the case, it’s an appropriate lead-in to the unusual event at the Club when both an octet and a nonet were offered on the same program.

The ensemble, duly named the Chicago Nonet, consists of musicians drawn primarily from Chicago’s Lyric Opera Orchestra and the Evanston-based Rembrandt Chamber Musicians, who have begun scheduling some of their yearly subscription concerts here at The Cliff Dwellers. Altogether, for the two lengthy works that were played, there were four string players (violin, viola, cello, double-bass), two French horns, clarinet, flute, oboe, and bassoon. Presenter for the event was DANK Haus German American Cultural Center of Chicago. Leader for the chamber group was clarinetist Jeffrey Gettleman.

Of the two composers represented on the program, Josef Rheinberger (1835-1901) is the better known, although mainly by organists. He wrote a considerable amount of vocal music, sacred and otherwise, as well as a fair amount of chamber works. His Nonet, Opus 139, is in four movements and slightly more than a half-hour in length. Peter von Winter (1754-1825), like Rheinberger, is considered a traditional German composer who is all but forgotten today in spite of a substantial output of operas. The Octet was a work from near the end of his life and is one of many compositions that feature woodwinds. In three movements and similar in length to the Nonet, it is fully in the early Romantic tradition.

With performances of these two works so relatively rare, its would be a challenge indeed to attempt any comparison with other ensembles. Suffice to say that the rendition by a group of highly experienced local musicians came across as fluid and assured, providing a listening experience that was entirely satisfying in its melodic charm. Score another success for The Cliff Dwellers in offering options that are providing new listening and viewing opportunities in this city’s fine arts offerings.

Volume 42, Number 1 January-February 2020

Another Glance into the Past: Remembering the Club's First 100 Years (The Beginning of an Ongoing Series)

Climate change may be spurring an unusually early urge to begin Spring Cleaning among some of our members. While in the process of pulling boxes of memorabilia out of your closets, keep an eye open for bits and pieces of Cliff Dweller moments from your past, the catalysts to moments of your history with the Club. Share those artifacts and the stories they inspire with the rest of us. Longtime member Richard Eastline CD’73 felt the urge recently and has shared a couple of his “Rediscoveries from the Past.”

A Change of Address By Richard Eastline CD'73 Emeritus

Moving from the Club’s long-time home next door (The Cliff Dwellers occupied the ninth floor of Orchestra Hall for nearly 90 years) was most certainly a major event, well-deserving of a true Zivio celebration. For the occasion, an appropriate invitation was produced and sent to the members who had been awaiting this special moment for most of 1996. The date for the official re-opening was set for Friday, September 27. Formal dress was requested, and each attendee would be billed for $50. Mel Skvarla, CD‘81, served as the program chairman assisted by more than a half-dozen members. As for the invitation’s message, it was enhanced by illustrations provided by a new Cliff Dweller, Tom Bachtell, using the recognizable style he employed in his work for The New Yorker magazine.

The Club’s Entry into Classical Music Recording By Richard Eastline CD'73 Emeritus While The Cliff Dwellers has been associated with classical music right from our beginning, the “Golden Years” may have been in the mid-century period. At that time a fair number of Club members had ties to the Chicago Symphony Orchestra—not surprising given that our clubhouse made its home just a few floors above the stage of Orchestra Hall (now Symphony Center). Evidence as to how much participation in Club events remains uncertain. Perhaps, there may be actual samples of printed concert programs or fliers among the boxes of unsorted memorabilia in our archives at The Newberry Library or in members’ attic trunks somewhere. That there were occasions when CSO players performed in the old Kiva is borne out by a recording (LP vinyl) that was produced privately and made available to members, copies of which were still on 14

Volume 42, Number 1 January-February 2020 hand after the move to our current location. A single disc, the recording offered just one work—a trio for piano, violin, and cello by Mendelssohn—and being a monophonic recording probably would date it sometime during the late 1950s or 1960s. The CSO/Cliff Dweller musicians were Edgar Muenzer, violin, and Frank Miller, cello. Although the Club had a fine pianist, Leo Heim, who was fully involved in producing music programs, the piano part was played by Andrea Swan, a highly-respected free-lancer who has participated in a great many chamber music performances in Chicago. The recoding could have been made in the old Kiva or possibly in a next-door Orchestra Hall studio. Along with more CSO players who were associated with the Club, it is tantalizing to conjure up a resident Cliff Dwellers String Quartet or other ensemble during that era. It could have happened and someday there may be a re-occurrence, thereby enhancing our club’s reputation as a home for top-quality musical events as well as providing its members with superb programs.

Illinois’ Black Hawk Statue Repairs Are Almost Finished After Years of Delays Associated Press, December 14, 2019 Oregon, Illinois

The restoration project for a northern Illinois landmark known as the Black Hawk statue is near completion after years of funding, process, and weather-related delays. The 108-year-old monument at Lowden State Park has spent most of the past five years beneath plastic covering to protect it from harsh weather. "So if you're younger than 108 years old and you've driven by him or visited Lowden Park, you're acquainted with Black Hawk. He has a mystique about him that captures people's hearts," said Jan Stilson, of the Black Hawk Art, Restoration, and Development Committee. Standing at 48 feet tall, the statue overlooks the Rock River in Oregon. It is one of the tallest concrete monolith statues The Black Hawk statue, also known as The Eternal Indian, in the world. Lorado Taft, the sculptor who designed it, was designed by the great Chicago sculptor Lorado Taft. dedicated the statue as a tribute to Native Americans in 1911 and The roughly 50-foot statue was dedicated in 1911 at named it The Eternal Indian. Lowden State Park near Oregon, Illinois. (Michael Tercha/Chicago Tribune) When the State finally made good on a matching state grant of $350,000 to fund the statue's restoration last year, it opened the door for more private donations. “It’s unbelievable. We still get checks every day at the ICF from people to continue funding for restoration after the project is complete,” said Crystal Curfman, executive director of the Illinois Conservation Foundation. The statue’s arms had to be fully replaced, WLS-TV reported. The head needed to be repaired and most of the decayed exterior concrete has been chipped away and replaced with a new, less permeable concrete mix. Stainless steel pins serve as markers for the statue's skin, and the new mix is shaped by hand with trowels. The project is expected to be completed at the end of December 2019. ……………… This AP article is a happy follow-up to an article written by Margery al Chalabi, CD ’85 that appeared in OOC 40-5: “The Eternal Indian – Black Hawk (and Why It’s Important to The Cliff Dwellers)”. That 2018 September-October newsletter can be found on the CD website—if you haven’t saved it in your CD Folder.

Volume 42, Number 1 January-February 2020 The December-January CD Art Display featured work by Maureen Warren CD’19 and Harold Olin CD’93 Work by CSI Sculptors

Maureen Warren CD’19 received an MFA from the University of Illinois and a BFA from the School of the Art Institute of Chicago, and she studied at the Academies of Fine Art in Cracow and Warsaw, Poland as a Fulbright Scholar.

Harold Olin CD’93, a Fellow of the American Institute of Architects, studied under distinguished architect Mies Van Der Rohe at the Illinois Institute of Technology in Chicago, graduating in 1954. During his career Harold lived in the Indiana Dunes and worked in Chicago, researching and writing Construction Principles, Materials and Methods. After building a house for his own family in the dunes in 1960, other clients approached him about designing homes for them. The Indiana houses shown in this exhibit were designed during a 30-year period (1962 to 1992). The house for John & Gerda Meyer, completed 1961, is listed on the National Register of Historic Places, as an example of the International Style. It is currently owned by the Dunes National Park. You can help restore it by donating at http://www.dunesnationalpark.org/

The 18th Annual Chicago Sculpture Exhibit 2019

The display featured many maquettes accompanied by photos of the sculptures on location.

Volume 42, Number 1 January-February 2020

Cliff Notes—

 A special thank-you is extended to Megan Doherty AIR’19, Eve Moran, and George Gabauer for taking and sharing so many of the photos used in this issue of On and Off the Cliff.

 Dinner Services at The Cliff Dwellers in January, February and March-- always the Club’s three slowest months of the year. During these months on nights when no dinner reservations have been made by noon or other events are being held at the Club, the kitchen will close after lunch and there will be no dinner services. However, the bar will remain open until 7:00 p.m. daily. Nonetheless, all members are welcome to and encouraged to have dinner frequently at the Club during January, February, and March; advance reservations are required by Noon.

 February 14 Special Valentine's Day Dinner & Opera Concert. Singers from the Chicago Summer Opera program will present a program of arias and duets appropriate to the day. Jennie Schuler, soprano, and Reuben Lillie, tenor, will be accompanied on the piano by Codrut Birsan.

 Wednesday, February 19, 5:00 p.m. Art Opening featuring sculpture by Sonja Henderson and Charcoal and Watercolor works by our own Cliff Dweller MJ Loftus. Reservations for dinner are requested.

 Saturday, February 22, 11:00 a.m. Cliff Dwellers Book Club The Book of the month is A Few Red Drops: The Chicago Race Riot of 1919, by Claire Hartfield. As always, discussion continues over lunch.

 Tuesday, February 25: Architectural Lecture: The Inscription of 'The 20th-Century Architecture of Frank Lloyd Wright' on the UNESCO World Heritage List. Phyllis Ellin, contract historian and architectural historian for the U.S. National Park Service's Office of International Affairs, for the World Heritage program, and Barbara Gordon, Executive Director of the Frank Lloyd Wright Building Conservancy, will describe the lengthy effort that finally resulted in the inclusion of eight works by Frank Lloyd Wright on the UNESCO World Heritage List last year. Bar opens: 4:30 p.m. Program: 6:15. Dinner follows the program.

 Wednesday, February 26: Bill Bowe presents: A Half Century of U.S. Ballistic Missile & Satellite Defense: A Look Back to When Nike Missiles Protected Our Lakefront and a Look Forward at Evolving Technologies, Threats and the New U.S. Space Command In an unusual evening of modern history, Bill Bowe, a former President of The Cliff Dwellers, will treat us to a subject he's followed since his teenage curiosity focused on the Army's lakefront Nike missile anti-aircraft installations at Belmont Harbor and the Promontory in Hyde Park. He'll move from the time the U.S.S.R.'s long range nuclear bombers were seen as a threat, to the the creation of the new U.S. Space Command. Bar opens: 4:30 p.m. Dinner: 6:00. Program: 7:00.

 Saturday, February 29, 10:30 a.m. Saturday at the Movies: Ray, directed by Taylor Hackford. Eve Moran will introduce Taylor Hackford's biopic of musician Ray Charles, played by Jamie Foxx. We will watch and discuss the film, discussion continuing over lunch.

 Friday, March 6: 12:00 p.m. ANNUAL INTERNATIONAL WOMEN'S DAY LUNCHEON This event celebrates women by inviting students and teachers to dine at the Cliff and meet interesting women from different disciplines, sharing their experiences and stories over lunch. It is an uplifting experience for all. Speaker: Audra Wilson, Executive Director of the League of Women Voters of Illinois. This event ALWAYS sells out! So be sure to reserve ASAP!

Volume 38, Number 1 January 2016

The Cliff Dwellers Belongs to All of Us.