Paintings Celebrate Hotel Opening & Collaboration with Local Non-Profit: Chicago Arts Partnerships in Education
CHICAGO, IL – March 25, 2010 – Kimpton’s new Hotel Palomar Chicago is unveiling a collection of Windy City-inspired artwork created by local public school students as part of a collaboration with Chicago Arts Partnerships in Education (CAPE), a nonprofit organization that seeks to advance arts-based learning in the city’s schools. The hotel, which celebrates “Art in Motion” through its theme and River North location, commissioned the pieces to commemorate its opening on March 24, 2010.
The Palomar Chicago team asked sixth and seventh grade students in CAPE’s after-school program at Ryder Elementary Math & Science Special School to imagine and express in a painting what the City of Chicago means to them, with the theme “What Moves You?” The three pieces chosen will be featured in postcards used to correspond with hotel guests and clients and displayed in the hotel’s public areas, to be unveiled at the ribbon cutting ceremony in April.
“We are thrilled to partner with CAPE, which has core business philosophies similar to Kimpton’s. Creativity is fundamental to both of our organizations,” said Nabil Moubayed, general manager. “While CAPE seeks to introduce creativity into the classroom and overall learning process, Kimpton strives to be an industry innovator in terms of the amenities, activities and services we offer guests.”
Recognized as a national leader in the field of school improvement through the arts, CAPE takes a collaborative and integrated approach to education and is dedicated to making arts a key part of the school’s curriculum, rather than an afterthought. CAPE seeks to foster what’s known in academic communities as “21st century learning,” helping today’s students compete in a global economy by instilling skills such as creativity and critical thinking, which arts-based education promotes.
Palomar Chicago aims to spread awareness of CAPE’s mission through a long-term partnership, which includes displaying local student’s artwork in the hotel, hosting teachers, artists and administrators affiliated with CAPE, and involving guests in support for the organization.
The hotel is located at 505 North State Street, Chicago, IL, 60654. For more information or reservations, please call (312) 755-9703 or (877) 731-0505 toll free or visit www.hotelpalomar-chicago.com. For information on CAPE, please visit www.capeweb.org.
About CAPE
Founded in 1992, CAPE advances the arts as a vital strategy for improving teaching and learning by increasing students’ capacity for academic success, critical thinking and creativity. CAPE’s partnerships serve as a living laboratory for a community of artists and teachers dedicated to infusing arts throughout the curriculum, and for a community of researchers dedicated to understanding how teaching through the arts improves student achievement. “CAPE was one of the first – if not the first – organization in the country that put cultural resources system-wide to effect deep change, not just a quick fix in schools,” says Doug Herbert, former Director of Arts Education at the National Endowment for the Arts.
CAPE’s primary strategy for developing new understandings of school improvement through the arts is through long-term partnerships between teachers and artists/arts organizations. CAPE has consciously sought to “bring the arts to the table” in broad-based discussions about school improvement. CAPE helps do this by building a professional community of teacher/artist teams through cross-school projects designed around the concept of emergent curriculum – compelling curricular themes that arise from the interest and experience of teachers, artists and students. Programs include: Habla Summer Institute, Walt Disney Magnet School, Chicago Opera Theater, Humboldt Park Building Community Through the Arts School Engagement Initiative, and Chicago Arts Educators Forum.
About Hotel Palomar Chicago
Located in Chicago’s vibrant River North neighborhood, The Hotel Palomar Chicago is Kimpton’s newest addition to its Windy City collection. Designed by Orlando Diaz-Azcuy, the hotel celebrates “Art in Motion,” and features pieces that pay homage to Chicago’s 1893 Columbian Exposition and Fair. The evolved boutique concept features 261 guest rooms and suites, all with floor-to-ceiling windows, a rooftop indoor pool, 5,800 square feet of stunning meeting and event space, and an adjacent dining experience, Sable Kitchen & Bar. In addition to an eco-friendly green roof, the hotel operates with more than 80 sustainable practices as part of Kimpton’s brand-wide EarthCare program. Hotel Palomar Chicago is convenient to many of Chicago’s most popular attractions, including The Magnificent Mile, McCormick Place, Navy Pier and Merchandise Mart, as well as family favorites such as the Chicago Children’s Museum and the Willis Tower Skydeck. The hotel is located at 505 North State Street, Chicago, IL, 60654. For information please call (312) 755-9703 or (877) 731-0505 toll free or visit www.hotelpalomar-chicago.com or www.facebook.com/palomar.chicago.
Media Contacts:
Quinn & Co.
Leslie Dewees / 212-868-1900 x357/ jhafner@quinnandco.com
Nicole Ruggiero/ 212.868.1900 X 248/ldewees@quinnandco.com
Kimpton Hotels
Jennifer Navarro /312-325-7188 /jennifer.navarro@kimptonhotels.com
