Tiffany Lamps, Beyond the Shade
2026-01-28 17:00 - 21:00 (America/Chicago)
Lisa Key, Executive Director of the Driehaus Museum, presented a fascinating lecture on the curated exhibition of Tiffany Lamps now on display at the museum. Learn about the astounding artistry and craftsmanship of Tiffany’s innovative lighting fixtures, and their place in the timeline of the technological shift from oil lamps to electricity.

Sketch Club
2026-02-28 10:00 - 12:00
Field trip to the Field Museum!
The Cliff Dwellers Sketch Club will meet at 10 a.m. on Saturday, February 28 at the South end of the Main Hall of the Field Museum of Natural History. The museum is a treasure trove of sketching inspiration!
Bring your sketch pad, pencils, and paint brushes and join the group for a fun morning. All skill levels welcome!

Gallery Artists Reception
2026-03-23 17:00 - 19:00
The Cliff Dwellers celebrated our talented artists:
Sandra Campbell
Jenny Oliinyk
Sharon Bladholm
and our Sketch Club Members
We met the creators and explored their works with an inspiring evening of art and conversation!

A Special Sketch Club Outing - The Driehaus Museum
2026-04-18 10:00 - 12:00
The Cliff Dwellers Sketch Club
has been invited by our friends at The Driehaus Museum to an exclusive Sketch Session at their historic location on Erie St.! We’ll be allowed early access to the museum at 10 a.m., and will have an area in one of their galleries reserved for our group to draw.
Come out for lunch afterwards with the gang! Location TBD.
Bring your sketch pad, pencils, and paint brushes and join the group for a fun morning. All skill levels welcome!

Let Charlie Hasbrouck know if you’ll be coming to this fantastic sketching opportunity at charlie.hasbrouck@gmail.com

Chicago's Forgotten Impressionist - James Bolivar Needham
2026-07-07 17:00 - 20:30
A visionary, self-taught artist who was among the first in the city to see beauty in Chicago’s industrial waterways, James Bolivar Needham (1830-1931) never achieved widespread fame in his lifetime. The Cliff Dwellers’ founders and members, however, appreciated Needham’s perspective and saw him as an example of the artistic innovation unique to Chicago.
Cliff Dwellers AIR and Chicago Maritime Museum curator Madeline Crispwell will walk us through Needham’s life, from his parents’ escape on the Underground Railroad to his connections with artists like Hamlin Garland and Lorado Taft, and will explore questions still to be answered.
Doors open: 5:00 p.m.
Dinner: 6:00 p.m.
Program: 7:00 p.m.
Members: $54
Invited Guests: $60
Program only: $20
Please make your reservation for this event NO LATER THAN June 30th.
reservations@cliff-chicago.org 312-922-8080

Sketch Club
2026-07-18 10:00 - 12:00
The Cliff Dwellers Sketch Club will meet at 10 a.m. on Saturday, July 18 at 10 a.m. at the Club. If the weather cooperates, we’ll be drawing in the parks and gardens around the Art Institute of Chicago, OR stay at the Club to sketch if you prefer!
Join the group for a fun morning. Those interested can then enjoy the Saturday Jazz brunch at the Club at noon (members: $38, non-members $46. Say Happy Birthday to Joan Pantsios, while you’re there!)
Be sure to make a reservation with the Club by July 10 if you’ll be brunching.
If you’re coming to sketch, let Charlie Hasbrouck know so we can watch for you! Text Charlie at 312-714-8796
For brunch reservations:
reservations@cliff-chicago.org 312-922-8080

Sketch Club
2026-08-22 10:00 - 12:00
The Cliff Dwellers Sketch Club will meet at 10 a.m. on Saturday, August 22 at 10 a.m. at the Club! We’ll determine if we’re sketching inside or out as we consider the weather of the day.
Join the group for a fun morning. Those interested can stay to enjoy the Saturday brunch at the Club at noon (members: $38, non-members $46. )
Be sure to make a reservation with the Club by August 14 if you’ll be brunching.
If you’re coming to sketch, let Charlie Hasbrouck know so we can watch for you! Text Charlie at 312-714-8796
For brunch reservations:
reservations@cliff-chicago.org 312-922-8080
