The Elmhurst Art Museum’s newest exhibit, Houses of Tomorrow: Solar Homes from Keck to Today, has opened with exhibits centered around the landmark George Fred Keck-designed passive solar home which debuted at the 1933 World’s Fair in Chicago.
“It was the first glass house in America,” John McKinnon, executive director of the Elmhurst Art Museum, said. He noted that the current exhibit represents what he called the Museum’s “core ideals” of art, architecture and education and begins a yearlong celebration of twenty-fifth anniversary of the Museum’s founding.
The House of Tomorrow was an important part of the Fair’s theme and title, A Century of Progress, showcasing technology and its contributions to modern life. Keck’s use of glass in the construction of the house was a first, according McKinnon.
In addition to its revolutionary glass floor-to-ceiling curtain walls, the house showcased other “tomorrow” features, including the first General Electric dishwasher, central air conditioning and a push-button garage door opener.
A placard in the first gallery of the exhibit includes a 1977 quote crediting the Keck and his brother William with synthesizing old ideas with new materials in an evolutionary way and creating a substantial number of handsome and livable buildings.
The exhibit is housed in three galleries. The first gallery focuses on the House of Tomorrow and the design work of Keck.
The second gallery focuses on design innovations by Keck, and his brother William, who joined him in his architecture firm. The two were responsible for innovative work in incorporating passive solar in midcentury houses throughout the Midwest, McKinnon said.
– Original Credit: Elmhurst Art Museum
The McCormick House, designed by Mies van der Rohe, once a well-known family residence in Elmhurst and now a wing of the Museum, is a classic example of midcentury design. The glass and steel structure is situated now to take advantage of passive solar energy through its south-facing windows.
The third gallery might be thought as showcasing some of the legacy of the Keck brothers. It includes contemporary residences, both single family and multifamily, using solar energy. Most were part of a national design competition, McKinnon said.
The House of Tomorrow that started it all is still around, now on land that is part of the Indiana Dunes National Park in the care of Indiana Landmarks. The house has deteriorated — more on that later — and is now clad in insulation, awaiting restoration.
More Top Picks Hoverboards
But artist and educator Jan Tichy was able to visit the house and removed some small artifacts for the final stop in the Museum’s exhibit. Titled “Reflectance,” Tichy’s installation consists of two unusual “mobile” powered by solar panel just inside the house’s south-facing windows.
The mobiles are actually dishwasher baskets Tichy borrowed from the Indiana house and which rotate on motors powered by the sun. One carries two small mirrors, while the other holds two pieces of what Tichy called black Carrara glass wall material from the house. When spinning, both reflect light throughout the McCormick House. McKinnon said in bright sunshine, the Reflectance devices flash light throughout the interior of the main museum.
About the house — Indiana Landmarks is accepting bids on restoring the house. The successful bidder might face renovation costs approaching $3 million, but in return would receive a 50-year lease to live in the house on the Lake Michigan shore. More information is at: House of Tomorrow — Indiana Landmarks
– Original Credit: Pioneer Press
The Elmhurst Art Museum, 150 Cottage Hill Ave. at the north end of Wilder Park, is open Wednesdays and Thursdays from noon to 5 p.m. and on Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Admission for adults over 18 is $15; for seniors, $12. No timed entry is required, but advanced ticket purchase is encouraged.
Admission is free on the first Friday of every month. The Houses of Tomorrow exhibit will run through May 29.
More information is on the Museum website, homepage | Elmhurst Art Museum