Chicago Art Deco Society upcoming events

Zoom – The Women of Art Deco Design presented by Kathleen Murphy Skolnik (08 Apr 2026)

Wed, 08 Apr 2026 23:30:00 GMT

The 1920s and 30s were a period of exceptional creativity as artists and designers explored the new, modern, decorative approach to design that we now call Art Deco. The majority of the Art Deco designers remembered today are male, but a number of women, many overlooked, forgotten, or overshadowed by their better-known spouses, also adopted the Deco aesthetic—sculptor Gwen Lux, industrial designer Helen Dryden, furniture and interior designer Eyre de Lanux, and textile designer Marguerita Mergentime, among others. This lecture will examine the work of these talented, albeit less recognized, women who made their mark on designs of the Art Deco era, with an emphasis on those with Chicago connections. Register today!

Kathleen Murphy Skolnik teaches art and architectural history at Roosevelt University and classes on architecture and design of the late 19th and early 20th century at the Newberry Library and the Center for Life and Learning at Fourth Presbyterian Church. She is the co-author of The Art Deco Murals of Hildreth Meière and a contributor to the Chicago Art Deco Society publication Art Deco Chicago: Designing Modern America. From 2008 to 2016 she was the editor of the Chicago Art Deco Society Magazine and currently serves on the Board of the International Hildreth Meière Association and the Advisory Board of the Art Deco Society of New York.

ICADS Presents: The Centennial Celebration of Art Deco–A Free Zoom Program for ICADS Societies Members (11 Apr 2026)

Sat, 11 Apr 2026 16:00:00 GMT

ICADS is delighted to announce the first in a new series of periodic Zoom programs — free for members of all ICAD Societies. The inaugural program in the ICADS Presents series will take place on Saturday, April 11 at noon EST/11:00 am CST.

Pascal Laurent, President of Paris Art Deco, will present an illustrated talk on the 2025 Art Deco Centennial celebrations held in Paris, Reims, and Brussels. Pascal will share behind-the-scenes insights into the planning and execution of this landmark anniversary, along with highlights from an extraordinary array of events honoring the global legacy of Art Deco.

The discussion will be moderated by ICADS President Steve Knight. We are sharing the registration link with all our members and encourage you to sign up in advance to attend live. A Zoom link will be sent to registrants a day or two before the live program. For those unable to join us in real time, the program will be recorded and available for viewing after the live event.

ICADS looks forward to welcoming you to this special presentation.

You must register for this free program via ICADS website. When registering, be sure to indicate your association with the Chicago Art Deco Society.

Deco in Glass: The Designs of George Sakier for the Fostoria Glass Company (14 Apr 2026)

Tue, 14 Apr 2026 22:30:00 GMT

George Sakier was one of the original industrial designers in the U.S. with his own successful design firm based in New York. He designed in many mediums from bathroom fixtures, ceramics, packaging and, particularly, glass. The Fostoria Glass Company was one of the largest and long lasting of the hand-made, hand-finished glass manufacturers serving the middle America home market. The collaboration between Sakier and Fostoria began in 1926 and lasted until 1982. Several of Sakier’s Art Deco designs for Fostoria are held in art museums across the country and were featured in museum exhibits of American Design in the 1930s.

This presentation will focus on the art deco glass designs Sakier created for the Fostoria Glass Company from 1928 through the 1930s. Featured will be his designs in stemware, dinner ware, and accessories for the home such as vases, candlesticks, console sets, and smoking items. The presenter will cover both the designs themselves as well as insight into their design-to-manufacture collaboration process.

Mary Sue Lyon has been a collector, researcher, presenter, and author on many aspects of the glass production of the Fostoria Glass Company for several decades. She served as the editor of the newsletter of the Fostoria Glass Society of America from 2012 – 2020. She has had articles published in several glass-oriented journals and newsletters and had her first full length book published in 2025 on Fostoria’s factory decorations. She co-chaired an exhibit and seminar on the George Sakier designs for Fostoria at the 2017 Fostoria Glass Society convention.

Social hour with appetizers, 5:30 pm CT; Presentation: 6:15 pm.

Fee: $40.

You must register at chicagodeco.org by 5:30 pm Friday, April 10.