Check out a video tour of Stirling Hall on
LFTV's "Inside Lake Forest"
Program Details Creative Arts Programs are held at the Stirling Hall
location. Directions from Rt. 41 -- go west on Old Elm Rd. to Ridge Rd.,
south on Ridge Rd. to Old Mill
Rd., east of Old Mill Rd. east to Grove Cultural Center (60 E. Old Mill Road).
Follow the road back to the Stirling Hall Arts & Activities
Center. Click on the map for a larger view.
Workshops and classes are about to start at Stirling Hall. Children and adults are enjoying pottery,
mosaics, raku firing and other offerings. The winter catalog is
out so sign up for a workshop or class with new opportunities
for creative expression. Stirling offers a one-two punch of
world class facilities and experienced teachers. Call, or
better yet, stop by and see for yourself what you can do with
a little imagination.
History of Stirling Hall The history of Stirling Hall dates to 1927, when architect
Edwin H. Clark was commissioned to design a permanent campus
for the Ridge Farm
Preventorium, a facility whose mission was
to help stem the tide of the tuberculosis epidemic.
Construction of Stirling Hall began in 1928 with its
completion in 1929. As a member of the Ridge Farm Preventorium
Board, Clark had a personal interest in the project, which
from its inception was much larger than the scaled down
version of the campus. Stirling Cottage as it was called then
was the residential building of Ridge Farm and was named after
William Robert and Alice Ives Stirling the parents of Mrs.
Francis Dickinson the major contributor to the Preventorium.
The metal windows and exterior pilasters are believed to be
incorporated into the design as a tribute to William Robert
Stirling who served as an officer of the Joliet Steel Company
and the Illinois Steel Company. Other significant designs by
Edwin Clark include Ferry Hall and the Lake Forest Library
The City of Lake Forest purchased the Grove School property
in 1998 and in 1999 the Blue Ribbon Committee approved a
special use permit to develop the property as a Cultural Arts
Campus. In February 2000, Vacala Construction was authorized by the
City Council to act as the construction manager for Dickinson
Hall Senior Center renovation, site and demolition work. From early spring through this fall, staff have worked
closely with Vacala Construction and the architectural firm of
Grund & Rietserer.
In February of 2001, the Council approved to amend the
original project concept from a single large - scale project
and contract to a phased approach. The Council also agreed to
loan the Recreation Department $300,000 towards the renovation
project. This loan will be paid down within five years through
a combination of grants, donations, and Recreation Department
Impact Fees.
The Stirling Hall Advisory Committee and the Recreation
Staff, have together developed a diverse arts program for the
residents of Lake Forest. The new Stirling Hall Arts &
Activities Center is fully equipped and staffed to provide the
community of Lake Forest a facility that all its residents can
discover the artist within.
With this web site, we hope to keep you up to date on all
the activities, studio hours, kiln firing schedule and other
information.
Youth Creative Arts Programs We provide opportunities for children kindergarten through 8th grade
to learn new skills or improve on a current skill in the arts.
Children of all ability levels and interest will be encouraged to
try and develop an interest or hobby that can last a lifetime.
Programs will be offered year round to both boys and girls.
Classes will emphasize the individual's sense of creativity.
Workshops, as well as long-term, 9-12 week classes will be available
to meet the needs of children at different interest levels. Classes
will be offered year round to students who want to pursue an
interest on a long-term basis. Classes for advanced students will be
offered, as well as for the beginner. A strong emphasis on ceramic
arts will be established with the creation of the new ceramics
studio at the former Grove School. Hurry
get your registrations in now!
Adult Creative
Arts Programs We provide leisure time opportunities in the arts to persons
18 years and older. We offer continuing classes in a variety of arts related
programming with a particular emphasis on ceramic arts so that we
can take full
advantage opportunities at the ceramics studio located at
the former Grove School. Classes include wheel throwing, hand
building, glazing techniques, slip cast mold, sculpture, tile
design and more. Other non-ceramic art classes include but are not
limited to Latin and swing dance, theater trips, and cultural
excursions. Hurry
get your registrations in now! To Download a
Registration Form.
Gas Kiln
Geil, 54 c.f. downdraft kiln with Venturi burners. Maximum firing temperature: 2300 degrees F. Any type of
clay can be fired in this kiln, but what makes it special is
its ability to fire in reduction. Reduction is a term potters
use to refer to an oxygen-poor atmosphere that can be achieved
during a firing. The potter intentionally reduces the amount
of oxygen available to combine with the fuel to burn
"properly". If this is done at the right times
during the firing, the color of some glazes will change
dramatically. For instance, glazes with copper in them will
change from a pale green in a neutral atmosphere to a bright
red when fired in a reduction atmosphere. Many classic glazes
such as celedon and shino are only achievable in the Stirling
Hall kiln.
Studio Hours
Below are the studio hours. You must be
enrolled in our classes to use the studio during its open
hours.
Monday
12:00 p.m. to 4:00 p.m.
Tuesday
12:30 - 4:30p.m.
Wednesday
If you are in
the building when the class ends at noon, you can stay in
the building but the outside doors will be locked
Thursday
none available
Friday
10:00 a.m. - 2:00 p.m.
Saturday
11:00 a.m. - 2:00 p.m.
Sunday
none available at this time
Studio Monitors
Studio hours will be monitored primarily by student monitors.
Student monitors receive a 1/3 tuition reduction for
monitoring a specific time slot each week. The duties of a
monitor are minimal but vital to the safe and efficient
running of the studio. If you would like to be a studio
monitor or would like more information about the duties please
contact Dan Deuel at Stirling Hall. Assuming similar
experience and qualifications, applicants are assigned time
slots on a first come first served basis.
Kiln Firing Schedule
The gas kiln is fired on an as-needed basis. Typically this
means we will fire about every two weeks. We will post the
exact date of each firing on the door to the kiln room and on
this web site as soon as we have enough work to efficiently
fire the kiln. We will keep you posted!
Other Information
We will post information regarding upcoming workshops, events,
fired work pickup times, biographies of teachers, local art
shows, favorite glaze formulas, and much more on a regular
basis.
Questions?
Contact Dan Deuel at 847-810-3940 or at deueld@cityoflakeforest.com.
