The home of Mahlon D. Ogden, located on the site of what is now the Newberry, shouldn’t have survived the Great Chicago Fire. Standing in the direct path of the Fire and made of wood, it seemed destined for oblivion.

Chicago Avant-Garde puts the spotlight on Chicago as a site of historic, boundary-pushing experimentation in art, literature, and dance. At the center of the exhibition are five women whose lives and careers embodied a uniquely Chicago style of avant-garde creativity: artist Gertrude Abercrombie, poet Gwendolyn Brooks, dancers Katherine Dunham and Ruth Page, and curator Katharine Kuh.

Starting next summer, The Pattis Family Foundation Chicago Book Award at the Newberry Library will celebrate a publication that transforms public understanding of Chicago, its history, and its people.

¡Viva la Libertad! is a series of public programs bringing together scholars, writers, artists, and community members to explore the independence struggles of the Americas and reflect on their legacies today.