Chicago Art Deco Society is proud to host a talk by Gregory Saliola as he explores Art Deco architect Ralph Walker’s little-known “Tower of Water and Light" on Wednesday, July 8th, beginning at 5:30PM via Zoom.

Saliola's talk will show how Walker’s tower—envisioned as the centerpiece of Chicago’s “A Century of Progress International Exposition” (1933-34) but was not executed—elucidates the genesis of Walker’s visionary design while situating it within the context of his built work and that of the Art Deco skyscraper in general. Walker’s proposed  design will also serve as a springboard to explore a variety of analogous works including the RCA Building at Rockefeller Center, the sculpture of Chicago native John Storrs, Frank Lloyd Wright’s “Mile High Chicago,” and the neo-Art Deco towers of the Post-modern era.

Gregory Saliola is an independent scholar and avid architectural photographer. He has a BFA from the School of the Art Institute of Chicago and an MA in Art History from Rutgers University in New Jersey. He authored the entry on the “Chicago Daily News Building” and the “Chrysler Motors Pavilion” for CADS publication Art Deco Chicago. His primary research focus is the art and architecture of the interwar years; and he has served as a marketing professional to major architectural firms in New York City.

Please join us for our first program of the summer! This event is open to both CADS and ICADS Members and Non-Members alike. Please let us know if you have any questions on registering by emailing info@chicagodeco.org.