A learning & networking event for the entire Chicago-area preservation community--all are welcome.

Come join us at the Chicago Loop Synagogue for an evening of learning and connecting with fellow preservation practitioners!

APT International (APT) invites you to an evening of networking with a private viewing and program on the inspiring Chicago Loop Synagogue (1958). Cultural anthropologist Alanna E. Cooper of Case Western University will share her research on the history of the Synagogue and its art glass in a talk, "A Historical Center for Religion and the Arts, and it Prospects for the Future." This modernist structure and its monumental stained-glass wall and “Hands of Peace” sculpture have been a popular past participant in “Open House Chicago” and is a feature of architectural tours.

Following the program we will have ample time for networking, to meet APT leadership, and connect with peers. During this challenging time, we hope to provide a healthy sense of community for our field.

Beverages and light refreshments will be served.

More about Professor Cooper and the Chicago Loop Synagogue:

The Chicago Loop Synagogue: A Historical Center for Religion and the Arts, and it Prospects for the Future
In 1955, two decades after the congregation's founding, members of the Chicago Loop Synagogue enlisted architects Loebl, Schlossman and Bennett to design their new edifice on 18 South Clark Street.  Still standing today, this compact jewel box structure, with its dazzling stained-glass facade, provides a spiritual experience combined with a mid-century modern aesthetic. Dedicated from its inception to the lively interchange between religion and arts, the congregation now stands at a crossroads, re-envisioning its own future along with that of its cherished building. Join cultural anthropologist Alanna E. Cooper for this lively discussion about the entangled relationship between architecture, community, religion and the arts. 

Not near Chicago? Similar events are planned for Washington, DC, and New York City. More details coming soon!

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Join us in thanking our generous sponsors named below. Their support enables us to keep the ticket price low. Thank you!

Alana E. Cooper, Case Western Reserve University

Dr. Alanna Cooper serves on faculty at Case Western Reserve University as the Abba Hillel Silver Chair in Jewish Studies, and Associate Professor in the Department of Religious Studies. She is currently writing Disposing of the Sacred:  America's 21st Century Jewish Congregations to be published with Pennsylvania State University Press. Her writing on Jewish architecture, synagogue stained glass, history, and memory has appeared widely in the academic and popular media.

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