Thu 3/18 @ 3PM
Chicago’s Hull House, founded in 1889, was one of the best known of the so-called “settlement houses.” They were a sort of precursor to today’s community centers, offering educational and arts programs and social services and a place where the poor (usually in that era newly arrived immigrants) and affluent people could mingle. Most people recognize the name of one of the co-founders — Jane Addams, who was also a suffragist, peace advocate and co-founder of the ACLU, and eventually won a Nobel Peace Prize.
Less known is Hull House co-founder Ellen Gates Starr, who had a special interest in the arts and in the then-active movement to move away from industrialized production to handcrafted goods. In the spring of 1917, Starr spent a week at Oberlin College, a socially progressive environment very much aligned with her beliefs. That visit is the topic of a webinar by Brandeis University’s Annie Storr, hosted by Oberlin’s Allen Memorial Art Museum titled “The Cause of Art is the Cause of the People: Ellen Gates Starr at Oberlin College.” Her talk will be followed by an audience Q&A moderated by Allen Museum Director Andria Derstine.
The webinar is free and open to all. Register to attend here.