Hull-House Artists In Chicago and Beyond Exhibition

You may have noticed a sign for the Jane Addams Research Center next to the deep red exterior of a two-storey building along Main Street in St. Joseph. This quiet organization was founded by scholars Michael R. Hill and his late life-partner Mary Jo Deegan. Its focus on......More

You may have noticed a sign for the Jane Addams Research Center next to the deep red exterior of a two-storey building along Main Street in St. Joseph. This quiet organization was founded by scholars Michael R. Hill and his late life-partner Mary Jo Deegan. Its focus on the historic sociologist, settlement leader, and Nobel Peace Prize winner Jane Addams and her influential network of male and female colleagues has taken many forms, including an expansive collection of artworks resulting from the expertise, training, and inspiration of the art school at the Hull-House social settlement in Chicago (Hull commemorates the name of the home’s original owner). The Hull-House Art School, established by Jane Addams and Ellen Gates Starr, with Enella Benedict as its first director, provided classes and studio space for youngsters and adults alike from 1893 onward to the 1960s. It was an important, but underappreciated, cultural phenomenon in Chicago. In this exhibition, artworks range from functional to fine art and include commemorative medallions, artist-illustrated books and calendars, novels, jewelry, metalwork, fabrics, ceramics, prints, maps, drawings, and paintings. These works — from the late eighteenth to the mid-twentieth century — represent the deep impact contributed by a community art center and highlight the affiliated artists who made them.  While some are little known, several artists in the exhibition are prominent in Chicago collections (including the Art Institute of Chicago) and are found in museums, homes, and other repositories throughout the United States. Michael R. Hill has curated the exhibit and is preparing an exhibition catalog. Dr. Hill has served as a docent at the Krasl Art Center and is an astute interdisciplinary scholar who is ever learning and engaging with the arts of Chicago and Southwest Michigan.  

2025 Summer Art Market

Enjoy sunshine, sculpture, and support small-town artists with Krasl Art Center this summer! KAC’s Summer Art Market on the Green is a free community event featuring different artists each month. The event is from 10am- 5pm on August 30, 2025. Each market features 12 re......More

Enjoy sunshine, sculpture, and support small-town artists with Krasl Art Center this summer! KAC’s Summer Art Market on the Green is a free community event featuring different artists each month. The event is from 10am- 5pm on August 30, 2025. Each market features 12 regional artists, including one Emerging Artist vendor. Purchases made support the artists directly, and guests are encouraged to explore KAC’s sculpture and gallery exhibitions during their visit.

Lion on Loan

Celebrating THE LION ON LOAN! An afternoon of Sundaes on Sunday with jazz pianist David Lahm performing the work of his mother, the famed Dorothy Fields, who wrote “A Fine Romance”, “I Can’t Give You Anything But Love”,  “The Sunny Side of the Street”, Academy Award-win......More

Celebrating THE LION ON LOAN! An afternoon of Sundaes on Sunday with jazz pianist David Lahm performing the work of his mother, the famed Dorothy Fields, who wrote “A Fine Romance”, “I Can’t Give You Anything But Love”,  “The Sunny Side of the Street”, Academy Award-winning “The Way You Look Tonite” and more.Sunday September 7, 1pm

George Krasl Memorial Concert

Presented in memory of founder George Krasl, the Krasl Art Center and Richard Hunt Studio Center welcome the Chicago-based company BEYOND THIS POINT. Founded by percussionist John Corkhill, Beyond this Point is known for their collaborative, innovative and immersive mul......More

Presented in memory of founder George Krasl, the Krasl Art Center and Richard Hunt Studio Center welcome the Chicago-based company BEYOND THIS POINT. Founded by percussionist John Corkhill, Beyond this Point is known for their collaborative, innovative and immersive multimedia performances. Befitting of the vision of George and Olga Krasl to “make life more worthwhile,” this performance promises to fill the emerging arts space of the Richard Hunt Studio Center with an unforgettable live exploration of the intersections of percussion, sculpture, performance art, lights, movement and text.

Richard Hunt Studio Center, 258 Territorial Road, Benton Harbor, MI, 49022, United States

Hull-House Panel Discussion & Performance

1:00 PM: Panel Discussion at Krasl Art CenterFeaturing Guest Curator Michael R. Hill, PhD, Independent Art History Educator and Curator Anne Morse, Nina Carazzo, and University of Chicago Graham School Instructor Lin Atnip 3:00 PM: George Krasl Memorial Concert at Richa......More

1:00 PM: Panel Discussion at Krasl Art CenterFeaturing Guest Curator Michael R. Hill, PhD, Independent Art History Educator and Curator Anne Morse, Nina Carazzo, and University of Chicago Graham School Instructor Lin Atnip 3:00 PM: George Krasl Memorial Concert at Richard Hunt Studio CenterFeaturing Beyond this Point