About Us
The Kalo Foundation of Park Ridge was established in
2006. It is a nonprofit organization dedicated to preserving the rich
artistic legacy of the city through
education,
advocacy, and preservation, as well as promoting the arts & crafts as an
integral part of our modern lives. Based on the ideals of the American
Arts and Crafts Movement, the Foundation will sponsor educational seminars,
exhibits, tours, publications and special events to increase awareness and
appreciation of the arts and crafts.
The initial goal of the organization is to acquire and renovate the famous Kalo House on Grant Street in Park Ridge. Restoring the Kalo House to a modern-day arts and crafts community house will preserve one of the most significant Arts & Crafts architectural and cultural treasures in the Midwest for future generations. (see Kalo History for background on The Kalo House.)
The city was home
to many famous artists who helped define innovation and entrepreneurship in
the arts, including Clara Barck Welles of the Kalo Shop, Albert and Dulah
Evans Krehbiel of the Ridge Crafts, Alfonso Iannelli of Iannelli Studios,
and many others.
The Kalo Arts Crafts Community was an industrial artist colony
located at 322 Grant Place. As a “school within a workshop,” the facility
trained men and women artisans while producing hand wrought sterling silver,
metalware, jewelry and craft items that were sold in the Kalo Shop. Grant
Wood, best known for his painting "American Gothic," lived in Park Ridge and
was employed by The Kalo Shop. Albert Krehbiel and his wife his wife Dulah
Evans Krehbiel operated the Ridge Crafts, where Dulah was known for her hand
crafted greeting cards and decorative objects, while Albert focused on
painting. In February 2008, Albert Krehbiel was named the Illinois State
Historical Artist for the murals that he painted on the walls of the
Illinois Supreme Court Building. He produced the prototype for these in his
studio on Center Street in Park Ridge. Alfonso Iannelli, best known for his
sculptural sprites in Frank Lloyd Wright’s Midway Gardens project, was an
instrumental force in bringing about the modernist design movement in
Chicago.
Towards appreciation and education of the arts history of Park Ridge,
The Kalo Foundation has put on two silver exhibitions, the latest being
early November 2007, as well as hosting an exhibit of works of Alfonso
Ianelli and both Albert and Dulah Krehbiel (April, 2007 exhibit.) For
pictures from these exhibitions see Past Events.
We're also in the process of updating the historical portion of this
website in order to give you greater knowledge and appreciation of the
history of the arts in Park Ridge. This is a time consuming task, so we ask
your patience in this. Do check back from time to time to see our progress.
For further information please email us at: info@kalofoundation.org.
The Kalo Foundation of Park Ridge
P.O. Box 791
Park Ridge, IL 60068