The Members Table           photo by Lawrence Okrent
The Members Table photo by Lawrence Okrent

The Cliff Dwellers is a private club of about 400 members who enjoy engaging with the arts and the company of like-minded others.

Many members are, or have been, actively engaged in music, painting, writing, acting, architecture, design, and related categories or are involved in arts education. Other members support the arts through regular attendance at concerts, theater events, art exhibitions, or humanities lectures, or through financial sponsorship. In accordance with The Club’s long tradition of accepting freedom of choice, there is no dress code and casual attire mixes with business dress. On special occasions, formal attire may be suggested, but options remain in effect.

Membership

The Cliff Dwellers Club welcomes those who are involved in the arts and those who appreciate the arts. Membership is open to anyone age 25 or over.  New members require a sponsor and co-sponsor.  Monthly dues are based on membership classification.  Those under the age of 39 are billed at reduced monthly dues.

The Club offers a three-month trial membership for a one-time fee of $250.

Membership Benefits

Members and their guests can take advantage of the following offerings:

  • Programs and events including speakers (such as recently-published authors), music programs, timely lectures on museum exhibitions, architectural presentations or other topics of interest to club members.
  • Club gallery showings every four to six weeks. The works most often are by a single artist who typically is introduced to members with a reception shortly after the exhibit is mounted.
  • Saturday at the Movies film club, facilitated by Eve Moran, provides an opportunity to view and discuss films over lunch.
  • The Cliff Dwellers Book Club meets on designated Saturdays to discuss books over lunch, occasionally with the author. Discussions are facilitated by Richard Reeder.
  • Dining for lunch or dinner inside or outside during warmer months.
  • Event space rental for members’ special events such as weddings and receptions or for other organizations that members belong to which do not have a permanent quarters.
  • Reciprocal clubs access to over 25 clubs in other U.S. cities and countries such as the Cosmos Club, Washington, D.C. and the City University Club, London, England.

Please send other questions to reservations@cliff-chicago.org or check out the contents of other pages included in this website. We do appreciate your interest in The Cliff Dwellers, now in its second century of service!

Membership Categories

AIR

Artists-in-Residence

A

Architecture

AA

Allied Arts

D

Drama

Emeritus

Emeritus

HON

Honorary

LIT

Literature

M

Music

NR

Non-Resident

P

Painting

PE

Professional Educator

S

Sculpture

LAY

Layman

W

Widow/Widower

Support for the Arts

Since 2000, The Club’s Artists-in- Residence program has supported local younger artists and performers between the ages of 24 and 38 to come together during a one- year period to foster a mutual appreciation of the inter-relationship of the arts and to provide a site both for meetings and the presentation of their abilities to a compatible audience of Club members. A-I- R awardees pay no dues during their class year and then have the option to apply for full Club membership upon completion of the program. Applications are solicited annually.

The Cliff Dwellers Arts Foundation, a separate, not-for- profit affiliate, makes grants to arts-oriented organizations and individuals, presenting events at The Club such as concerts, performances, and films, and sponsoring an annual music competition. Grant recipients are chosen by the full Board from qualified applications received by a set deadline each spring and fall; applications are available online and members are encouraged to invite their favorite groups to apply.