Join us in the beautiful courtyard of Glessner House for our annual gala, Celebrating William Morris.

This year marks the 150th anniversary of the founding of Morris & Company. William Morris had a profound influence on English and American interior design which continues to resonate today. The Glessners embraced his design aesthetic, selecting numerous wallpapers, fabrics, and other objects for their home, many of which have been recreated as part of the ongoing restoration of the house.

The event, styled as a summer garden party, will include abundant food and beverage, and the opportunity to tour the house, believed to be the most complete Morris interior of any publicly accessible house in the U.S. Morris-related items from the archives, not normally on view, will be on exhibit during the event.

A brief program will include the presentation of the annual John and Frances Glessner Award to Melinda Watt, who leads the Art Institute of Chicago’s textile department as Chair and Christa C. Mayer Thurman Curator. In 2021, she curated “Morris and Company: The Business of Beauty” which featured an entire gallery devoted to Glessner House.