DOWNLOAD FULL PRESS RELEASE PDF
Epiphany Center for the Arts Wins 2021 Landmarks Illinois
Richard H. Driehaus Foundation Preservation Award for Adaptive Reuse
CHICAGO (September 17, 2021) – Epiphany Center for the Arts today celebrates being honored with a
2021 Landmarks Illinois Richard H. Driehaus Foundation Preservation Award for Adaptive Reuse. Formerly known as The Church of the Epiphany, the landmark building was constructed in 1885 and is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. The 42,000-square-foot venue now serves as a cultural hub for Art, Entertainment and Events on the artsy edge of Chicago’s West Loop neighborhood.
Epiphany is one of nine outstanding preservation efforts in Illinois to be recognized for “creative, inclusive and sustainable reuse,” and will be honored at an in-person and virtual ceremony on October 22 at 6:30 p.m. at the historic Davis Theatre in Chicago. Additional 2021 award winners include:
- Mercer County Carnegie Library, Aledo: Award for Adaptive Reuse
- Pullman Artspace Lofts, Chicago: Award for Rehabilitation
- Chicago Union Station, Chicago: Award for Restoration
- West Pullman School Senior Community, Chicago: Award for Adaptive Reuse
- Nauvoo Historic Residences, Nauvoo: Award for Restoration
- Tiger Senior Apartments, Paris: Award for Adaptive Reuse
- Duncan Manor, Towanda: Award for Stewardship
- Cristo Rey St. Martin College Prep, Waukegan: Award for Adaptive Reuse
“Our 2021 award-winning projects are models for what preservation can and should be: the creative, inclusive and sustainable reuse of our built environment promoting local job creation and community driven economic development,” said Bonnie McDonald, President & CEO of Landmarks Illinois. “The courageous and visionary people behind these innovative projects deserve recognition for transforming places to serve as equitable housing, accessible art and education centers, and lively gathering spaces that bring awareness to Illinois’ diverse history.”
“In a neighborhood that has seen its own large share of teardowns, we are proud that the former Church of the Epiphany will remain a community anchor as it has been since 1885,” said David Chase and his wife Kimberly Rachal, co-founders, Epiphany Center for the Arts. “Our mission is to instill an artistic cultural experience in all patrons who cross our threshold with the hope that each will be inspired to realize their own Epiphany. We fulfill this mission every day by ‘Bringing Chicago Together for the Good of Art, Entertainment and Events.’ Epiphany is ‘equity in motion,’ offering people both in our neighborhood and throughout Chicago a place for meetings, for making and viewing art, for celebrations, for entertainment, or even just for getting a cup of coffee and a bagel.”
The Richard H. Driehaus Foundation has generously underwritten Landmarks Illinois’ annual preservation awards program for the past 27 years. Tickets are $50 for Landmarks Illinois members and $65 for non-members. Register for the in-person or virtual presentation by visiting the Landmarks Illinois website or by contacting Tiffanie Williams, Director of Corporate Giving and Events at: events@landmarks.org.
# # #
About Epiphany Center for the Arts
Conceived with the vision to return Epiphany to a place for people to congregate, the shuttered, historic Church of the Epiphany has been preserved and adapted into the Epiphany Center for the Arts, an iconic cultural hub “For the Good of Art, Entertainment and Events.” Thoughtfully designed, the exemplary 42,000-square-foot campus located on the artsy edge of Chicago’s West Loop neighborhood boasts three distinct venues (Epiphany Hall, The Sanctuary and The Chase House) and a stunning array of amenities. The campus also features eight galleries that serve as a platform for a diverse selection of artists from Chicago and beyond. Epiphany’s exhibitions showcase the work of women, the LGBTQIA community, artists of color, and the disability culture. Epiphany’s top priority is to curate programming that is inclusive, while providing a place established artists can collaborate with emerging ones. Epiphany’s programming serves to unite community and artists alike while “Bringing Chicago Together.”
About Landmarks Illinois
We are People Saving Places for People. Landmarks Illinois, now celebrating its 50th Anniversary, is a membership-based nonprofit organization serving the people of Illinois. We inspire and empower stakeholders to save places that matter to them by providing free guidance, practical and financial resources and access to strategic partnerships.
