Simple Gestures

For Thursday's 14th-annual "Making History" awards, the Chicago History Museum's director of corporate events, Barbara Siska, wanted to create a social atmosphere for the benefit's business-minded guest list. "Our annual fund-raiser gears more to the corporate side," Siska said. "We hold it after work, and it's business attire." The 400-person crowd began filtering into the museum around 5:30 p.m. for the cocktail reception, held in the museum's Robinson Gallery and Chicago Room.

A floral-themed lighting installation created by Frost Lighting illuminated the staircase leading from the museum's main entrance. Highboys and low tables covered in navy silk with pearl-gray tie-backs from BBJ Linen filled the Robinson Gallery and Chicago Room, each topped with a simple spring floral arrangement from Kehoe Designs. "We didn't want anything too elaborate," Siska said. "It all goes back to our bottom line."Food for Thought served passed hors d'oeuvres such as chilled beef tenderloin on herb bruschetta and bacon-wrapped dates with mint sauce and set up two bars on either side of the room. Video screens displayed the event underwriters' company logos throughout the reception. The museum's exhibits were also open during the cocktail hour, creating a bit of a challenge when it came time to corral guests into a tent set up on the museum's back lawn for the dinner and award ceremony. "We give our staff about 30 minutes to lead everyone out," Siska said. "We start by closing the bars, ringing chimes, and having staff members walk throughout the entire museum."

HDO Tenting constructed the tent for the event, which came in handy thanks to temperatures in the 50s. Round dinner tables covered in peach linens and larger versions of the green-and-purple floral centerpieces lent color to the blank space. A reiteration of Frost's lighting installation appeared on the tent walls, while video screens again displayed corporate logos.

A first course of vegetable terrine with spinach, grilled tomato, and artichokes came out before the award ceremony began around 6:40 p.m. The museum board chose five award recipients (jazz musician Franz Jackson, business leader W. James Farrell, educator Hanna Holborn Gray, business and community leader Sue Gin, and Chicago-based Abbott Labs) based on their contributions to the city.  Former "Making History" honorees (such as jazz legend Ramsey Lewis) and chair of the Chicago Historical Society board John W. Rowe served as presenters. After the ceremony, the dinner's remaining two courses circulated, while City Lights Orchestra played big band numbers.