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MIC to relocate headquarters, ITA and Musical Theater
December 12th, 2012
Music Institute to Relocate Headquarters, Institute for Therapy through the Arts, Musical Theater and World Music to Downtown Evanston
The Music Institute of Chicago is moving several of its signature programs to downtown Evanston. In addition to the Music Institute’s administrative headquarters, the Institute for Therapy through the Arts, Musical Theater and World Music programs will relocate to the Evanston Galleria building at 1702 Sherman Avenue. The new space, expected to be ready for occupancy in July 2013, will replace facilities on Green Bay Road in Wilmette and Dempster Street in Evanston. With design services provided by the Evanston-based architectural firm Behles & Behles, the Sherman Avenue facility will include a black box theater with flexible seating for 150 as well as creative arts therapy studios and administrative offices.
Music Institute President and CEO Mark George stated, “The Music Institute is very pleased to expand its presence in Evanston, especially during the 150th anniversary celebration of the city’s founding. Our new space, near the corner of Sherman Avenue and Church Street, will render our programming more accessible to many more people.” Evanston is already home to Nichols Concert Hall, an award-winning Music Institute performance and education center at 1490 Chicago Avenue that reaches more than 15,000 people each year.
Evanston Mayor Elizabeth Tisdahl commented, “The Music Institute of Chicago and its renowned music education programs are a tremendous asset to our citizens. We are pleased to welcome them to downtown Evanston.”
George added, “Evanston is an arts-friendly city. I am truly appreciative of the assistance we received from the City of Evanston’s Economic Development Division. The Music Institute of Chicago plans to be in Evanston for a very long time.”
Carolyn Dellutri, executive director of the marketing and services organization Downtown Evanston, echoed these positive sentiments: “The Music Institute is a terrific addition to the downtown Evanston community. I look forward to a long and prosperous partnership.”
Institute for Therapy through the Arts
Founded in 1975, the Institute for Therapy through the Arts (ITA) is one of the few comprehensive community-based arts therapy programs in the United States to offer all four creative arts treatment modalities: Music Therapy, Drama Therapy, Art Therapy, and Dance/Movement Therapy. ITA is nationally recognized and has distinguished itself in the use of integrated arts approaches to help children, adults, and families to improve functioning related to psychological, developmental, physical and cognitive factors.
Musical Theater
Led by veteran educators and working industry professionals, the Music Institute’s Musical Theater program serves students ages five through 18. The program focuses on developing young talent and creating original work that celebrates the strengths of each ensemble cast. Students are active participants in writing new shows, re-imagining classic favorites, and producing musicals that reflect their interests, talents, and unique personalities. The program includes fall and spring productions as well as summer camp opportunities.
World Music
The Music Institute offers percussion and dance classes through Evanston Escola de Samba (EEDS), which reaches across ethnic, generational, and social lines to bring the joy and spirit of Brazilian music to more than 1,000 individuals of all ages each year. The group performs frequently at events like the Evanston 4th of July Parade, Skokie Festival of Cultures, and neighborhood and city festivals throughout Chicagoland.
Music Institute of Chicago
The Music Institute of Chicago, founded in a Winnetka farmhouse in 1931, has grown to become one of the three largest and most respected community music schools in the nation and is a member of the National Guild of Community Schools of the Arts and accredited by the National Association of Schools of Music. The school offers music instruction and classes to students of all ages and every level of experience and each year, the Music Institute’s world-class music teachers and arts therapists reach more than 10,000 students and clients at campuses in Evanston, Winnetka, Highland Park, Lincolnshire, Lake Forest and Downers Grove, and through its longstanding partnership with the Chicago Public Schools.
For more information about new programs in downtown Evanston, contact the Music Institute of Chicago at 847.905.1500.