Faire Ferrill Lees, former Three Arts Club resident, tells of good old days

Faire Ferrill Lees writes:

In June of 1963 I moved to the Three Arts Club. There I met my two suite-mates (Glenda Graves -now Hillard, and Marilyn Flo Ashmore), who became my life-long friends.

I grew up just 4 blocks away, until my parents died in a fire in March of that year. My older siblings arranged through members of the TAC Board for me to be accepted as a resident.

The Three Arts Club staff and residents became surogate members of my family helping me through my transition. During the next two years, I developed a love for classical music thanks to Anne Shumate, Leona Lauritas, and Molly Davie, modern art thanks to Edie Enthoff-Davis, and theater thanks to Shelly Shulman.

I did not however ever develop a love for Miss Ethel's favored vegetable, Okra.

We were blessed with Miss Maier (sic) as the Director, who referred to our group as "the Jet Set," but was a good sounding board.

Dinners were served by some great male students at many of the Design schools, and each week 2-3 residents joined Miss Maier's table for dinner.

Tea on Sunday was held in the Tea Room between the Reception Room and the Dining Room often in conjunction with a recital by one or more residents.

While the TAC assured we practiced the gentle graces, we also partook of the local color on the "Street of Dreams" at Butch Maguire's, the Zoo, Catfish Row and Easy Street.

I do hope that a way can be found to restore the Three Arts Club for new generations of those pursuing a career in the Arts.

Meeting Tomorrow with Office of Senator Dick Durbin

From Sue Basko -

Tomorrow, I have a meeting with an aide from the office of U.S. Senator Dick Durbin to discuss federal funding possibilities to recoup and restore the Three Arts Club as a home and club for women in the arts.

I think Senator Durbin has shown a strong interest in women, in the fine arts, and in advancing cultural institutions.

I will keep everyone posted on the outcome.

-- Sue

Krisha Fairchild, on living at The Three Arts, 1971

Krisha Fairchild sent in these eloquent, poetic words on what the Three Arts Club meant to her:

for me, moving from a state university campus
to the Three Arts Club, around 1971,
it was the safe haven i needed
in a city unlike any i knew...

it was a place where there were
just enough rules to protect me from myself...

a place where i could hang with other arty girls
with good upbringings, all of us ready to cut loose,
but still needing some gentle guidance...

it was a sorority without the snobs.
a dorm without the drunks.
a place to NOT get pregnant...
but rather to get exposed to the world of the arts
as others lived and strived it.

i cannot imagine how the city might have
bruised and damaged my sensibilities,
without the Three Arts Club as a buffer zone.

i have always remembered it so fondly.
and i will continue to embrace it as it was,
and hope it will be recreated someday.

aloha and light...

Laura Stoller, Architectural Masters Candidate, to meet with Three Arts Club Friends

The Friends of the Three Arts Club recently received an email from Laura Stoller, a student pursuing a Masters in Architecture. A group of us plans to meet with her near the end of February, 2010. We are very excited to hear about her studies and her ideas for this magnificent place. If you would like to join us at our meeting with Ms. Stoller, please email here.

This is what Laura said:

My name is Laura Stoller and I am a Master of Architecture student at
the University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign. I happened to walk by
the Three Arts Club last summer and fell in love with it. My
concentration is in Preservation which includes everything from
building rehabilitation and adaptive reuse projects to recording and
documenting historic buildings. I will graduate in May with my
Masters and plan on becoming a licensed architect, focusing on
Preservation in Chicago.

The reason I am emailing is because my one-year thesis project is on
the Three Arts Club. I started the project in August and I will
present my thesis at the end of April. I spent last semester
researching everything I could about the building and digging up old
articles, images, etc. I was able to contact the developer and he
gave me a tour of the building, as well as the original set of
architectural drawings. I have reproduced the drawings electronically
using AutoCAD and now I am working on my proposed design for the
building.

I have a number of ideas for the new use of the building, including a
modern interpretation of the original Three Arts Club. I would love
to discuss my thesis with you and if you are interested, get your
imput. My goal is that my thesis project could help create a future
for this amazing building.

Margaret Squires, former Three Arts resident, speaks out

I recently visited Chicago and brought my 15 year old daughter to see my old stomping ground. I lived at the three arts club in the early 80's while attending The School of the Art Institute. I was shocked and saddened to see the vibrant place I remember now vacant. This is so wrong.

I had the most wonderful experience with my fellow women at this very unusual place. I feel blessed for my experiences in Chicago, due in great part to the three arts.

I went on on to live in Los Angeles and recieved my MFA in painting from UCLA. Now I'm a high school art teacher and parent of three children. Our young women need places like the three arts. We were all so inspired by each other. If I had money to add to the cause I certainly would. Good luck in obtaining an endowment. I would be happy to write another letter if needed.