Join us – Exhibit Opening Night:
Thurs., October 23, 2025 | 6:00 p.m. – 9:00 p.m. | Free Event
Join us for the opening night of the Ridge Historical Society’s (RHS) new exhibit on Jack Simmerling (1935-2013), a beloved Chicago artist, historian, and preservationist whose life’s work was dedicated to capturing the soul of the city's architecture. As a teenager, Simmerling documented and painted the vanishing grandeur and ruin of the Victorian-era residences on Prairie Avenue, salvaging what he could from them as they were demolished.
The exhibit “Jack Simmerling: Through His Eyes” at Ridge Historical Society traces his development from those early Prairie Avenue days through to some of the last drawings of his own neighborhood, Beverly Hills – Morgan Park, where he opened The Heritage Gallery in 1959. The exhibit was produced in partnership with Glessner House and includes many Prairie Avenue artworks and artifacts from its Jack Simmerling Collection.
About the Opening Night Event: The opening night event is free and will be in an open house format. Exhibit curators Tim Blackburn (RHS) and William Tyre (Glessner House) will be on hand to discuss the exhibit and answer questions.
Exhibit Hours & Location: Following the opening, the exhibit will be open to the public for free on Tuesdays and Sundays from 1:00 p.m. to 4:00 p.m. through February 2026.
Ridge Historical Society
10621 S. Seeley Ave., Chicago, IL 60643
773.881.1675