November 7, 2023 Chicago, IL — McCormick Place’s Public Art Collection will receive a unique five-piece seating area in November thanks to an intergenerational project by Mather Place, a senior living community in Wilmette, Illinois, whose residents collaborated with Scout Troop 2 and high school volunteers. The project, featuring four rocking chairs and a large drum table, will make its debut at the LeadingAge Annual Meeting held at McCormick Place from Nov. 5-8, 2023.
These artistic creations will find a permanent home within McCormick Place’s Public Art Collection after the meeting, inviting visitors to engage with them for years to come.
“The addition of these community-crafted mosaic chairs to the McCormick Place Public Art Collection exemplifies our commitment to creating inclusive and meaningful experiences for our visitors,” said Larita Clark, CEO of the Metropolitan Pier and Exposition Authority (MPEA), which owns McCormick Place. “These pieces of art will not only enrich our collection but also serve as a symbol of unity and collaboration.”
The mosaic chairs, whose design is intended to play with ideas of aging and inspire intergenerational relationships, symbolize more than just seats. The chairs invite McCormick Place visitors to sit down, engage in conversation, and share stories that transcend generations, fostering connections that will last a lifetime.
“At McCormick Place, we believe in using art to engage and educate visitors from all corners of the globe,” said Nicol Chervenak, director of planning and program management at MPEA. “With a collection featuring over 100 pieces by local and international artists, we’ve embedded art into the very soul of our venue, and these wonderful pieces of furniture will only add to the experience our visitors enjoy.”
The project is not only meant to foster intergenerational compassion and dialogue, but it also created and strengthened intergenerational relationships throughout the creation process. Seven youth and teen volunteers and 25 adult Mather Place residents worked closely to complete the project over the course of six months. The furniture design includes imagery of the Illinois Prairie and poses beautiful questions mosaiced onto the table to invite conversation. While creating the installation, the youth and older adult artists demonstrated the beauty of intergenerational relationships.
“[Through this project] I learned the importance of intergenerational interaction,” said Ruby Pan, a high school volunteer. “It really showed me how valuable that can be. I enjoyed hearing about the residents’ life experiences and their stories, and the connections that I made.”
“I think you get a different perspective on things when you talk to younger people and I always enjoy that,” said Judy Bierbaum, a Mather Place resident.
The LeadingAge Annual Meeting in Chicago, hosted by the national association of nonprofit providers of aging services, is a highly anticipated event that convenes experts, thousands of mission-driven, nonprofit organizations, providers and vendors committed to serving older adults. Over three days, conference-goers explore the latest in aging services innovations and solutions, share best practices, and network.
“I encourage all attendees of this year’s LeadingAge Annual Meeting to sit at these chairs and embrace the joy of sharing your experiences with individuals of all ages,” said Sharon Sullivan, Vice President of Brand Experience and Head of Conferences at LeadingAge. “Even after our conference ends, this exhibit will remain, exposing the thousands of future McCormick Place visitors to explore the benefits of intergenerational connections. We’re thrilled to add these MPEA’s collection.”
For more information about the LeadingAge Annual Meeting and the McCormick Place Public Art Collection, please visit www.LeadingAge.org and www.McCormickPlace.com/facility-overview/Art-Collection/. For more information on the project, please visit www.Mather.com/intergenerational.
