January 18-March 17, 2019 Heart’s Desire: Reflections on Love & Marriage When Cupid’s arrow strikes, the love that grows is celebrated and communicated through a variety of romantic gestures and traditions. Contemplate the power of love represented in unique 19th and 20th-century wedding dresses alongside images of the brides who wore them. View exquisitely-detailed valentines spanning 100 years, many from the Elmhurst History Museum collection. Explore other romantic traditions—from flowers to cake accessories—that convey the secrets of the heart. Visitors are invited to share a nonreturnable copy of their own wedding photo to leave behind in the exhibit. Location: Elmhurst History Museum, 120 E. Park Ave., Elmhurst Hours: Sun, Tues-Fri 1-5 p.m.; Sat. 10 a.m.-5 p.m. Admission: FREE More info: elmhursthistory.org or 630-833-1457

Friday, February 22, 2019 Date Night at Pinot’s Palette Bring out the artistic side of your romantic relationship at this special night at Pinot’s Palette! Paint, sip, and have fun in celebration of Elmhurst History Museum’s “Heart’s Desire” exhibit. No art experience required. Guests will receive step-by-step guidance from staff to create a beautiful “Love Birds” painting together. Visit the exhibit at Elmhurst History Museum prior to the program to pick up a coupon good for one free house wine or beer at the event. Registration Required: Online at https://www.pinotspalette.com/elmhurst Location: Pinot’s Palette, 214 N. York St., Elmhurst Time: 7-9:30 p.m. Cost: $40 per person (cash bar) More info: www.pinotspalette.com/elmhurst or call (630) 359-4500

Take an interactive journey through Elmhurst history! See the award-winning tabletop map filled with photos from various eras, and explore fascinating object towers on different themes, from businesses to community, and watch a video on Elmhurst history. Check out the latest History Spotlight, a rotating display of special objects and photos from the museum’s collection which currently features objects and information about York High School’s centennial.

Kids (newborns through grade eight) can join. Register at the Kids’ Help Desk with your valid Elmhurst Public Library card anytime from December 22 until February 28. Once signed up, kids receive a bookmark, a booklog to record the books read, and a reading challenge. Kids who reach reading goals by February 28 receive a sticker; a raffle ticket; and coupons for Skyzone, Meatheads, Brewpoint Coffee, and LEGOland.

The Library is here to jump-start the New Year with a healthier new you! Through a partnership with the Elmhurst Park District, programs focus on taking care of yourself in ways to help your your mind, body, spirit, and relationships thrive. The Common Connection is a series of programs using film, discussion, and critical thinking to identify topics that influence the world today — no matter who we are.

Burn off some energy at Free Family Open Gym. A guardian must remain with children at all times, this is not a drop-off program.

The Rock Café features 3 balanced meals made entirely out of stone. The Rock Café was generously donated to the Museum by the Josefeck Family in 2013. On display through May 2019.

When Cupid’s arrow strikes, the love that grows is celebrated and communicated through a variety of romantic gestures and traditions. Contemplate the power of love represented in unique and never-before-seen 19th and 20th century wedding dresses and exquisitely-detailed early 1900s valentines from the EHM collection. Explore romantic tokens of affection—including candy boxes, photos, and ephemera—that share the secrets of the heart with loved ones and the community at large.

This popular exhibit features 3 meals made of stone. Warning: Eating rocks leads to broken teeth!

Calling all 3rd to 5th grade performers! Are you ready to jump into acting, singing, and dancing? This class will offer a first hand experience in the fundamentals of musical theatre. The class will be taught by performer/writer Michael Potsic, who has been seen on the stages of The Paramount, Theatre At The Center, and The Second City. With his years of performance experience and knowledge, he will guide students as they build the technique, the drive, and the confidence that is necessary to be successful in musical theatre. Students will focus on skill-building in acting, singing, and dancing. The class will culminate in a final showcase that displays all of their hard work. The workshop is open to students third through fifth grade, who are Elmhurst residents or attend Elmhurst schools. If space allows, children from neighboring communities will be admitted.

Sponsored by the Kiwanis Club of Elmhurst and the Elmhurst Symphony Association, this annual event provides an opportunity for outstanding high school instrumentalists to gain recognition for their efforts and compete for the opportunity to perform a concerto movement with the Elmhurst Symphony Orchestra. The public is invited to attend and may come and go throughout the day.

Touring the globe (Buenos Aires, Mexico City, Elmhurst, and Karlsruhe), this exhibition celebrates the 100th anniversary of the founding of the Bauhaus, a legendary German school that revolutionized modern thinking and artistic approaches to industrialization. Photographs and documents combine with art and design pieces by Bauhaus masters and students—such as Mies van der Rohe, Walter Gropius, Wassily Kandinsky, Josef and Anni Albers, László Moholy-Nagy, Marcel Breuer and more.

On the occasion of this traveling exhibition and the 100th anniversary of the Bauhaus, scholar Kentgens-Craig will expand on the legacy of the legendary school and its lasting effects in the United States. Kentgens-Craig is adjunct associate professor of architecture at the NCSU College of Design and former head of the department of archives and collections at the Bauhaus Dessau Foundation, in Germany. She is the author of several books of the Bauhaus including The Bauhaus and America: first contacts 1919-1936 and The Bauhaus in America: the modernist émigrés and their influence on American architecture, interiors, and design, 1920-1940. This lecture is part of the Year of German-American Friendship initiated by the German Federal Foreign Office and the Goethe-Institut, and supported by the Federation of German Industries (BDI).

Call to register for Free.

On President's Day - and opening weekend of our new shows - the museum will offer a special Monday with hands-on family activities. We invite you to attend and be inspired by The Whole World a Bauhaus and our other current exhibitions. Available to all ages. Free with museum admission.

Join Daily Herald movie critic Dann Gire, and film historian Raymond Benson as they discuss their picks for the 2019 Academy Awards.

As a scholar, author and ordained minister, Brad R. Braxton explores the intersection of religion and social justice. He is the director of the Center for the Study of African American Religious Life and the supervisory curator of religion at the Smithsonian National Museum of African American History and Culture in Washington, D.C. In this talk, Braxton investigates the moral dimensions of effective public leadership.

The 52nd annual Elmhurst College Jazz Festival will be held Thursday, Feb. 21 through Sunday, Feb. 24, 2019. World-class artists performing at this year's Festival include: John Fedchock New York Big Band, Michael Davis and the Hip-Bone Big Band, Randy Brecker, Bill Evans, and Mike Stern.

In dreams, anything is possible. The recipe for Shakespeare’s most popular comedy includes a group of two young lovers, some amateur actors, and, of course, an assortment of fairies, including Oberon and Titania, in the midst of a bitter custody battle. The play commences with a marriage and then the fun really begins. What better time to depart Chicago’s cold winter and sojourn to Athens and its nearby forests? Melanie Keller makes her Shakespeare Project directing debut.

Greenman’s latest murder mystery dinner theatre production is loosely based on a TV show from the 1960s in which a witch marries a mortal and humorous complications ensue. In our play, life has moved on, and they are throwing a party for their daughter to celebrate her graduation from college. Nothing for this family is ever simple, so even this party is fraught with unexpected developments - including a dead body! Our dinner shows offer a family-style meal and the chance to win prizes.

Bring out the artistic side of your romantic relationship at this special night at Pinot’s Palette! Paint, sip, and have fun in celebration of our Heart’s Desire exhibit. No art experience required. Guests will receive step-by-step guidance from staff to create a beautiful “Love Birds” painting together. Visit the exhibit at Elmhurst History Museum prior to the program to pick up a coupon good for one free house wine or beer at the event. Register: https://www.pinotspalette.com/elmhurst

Try something - or some place - new! Enjoy specials and featured dishes in your own downtown. Visit our website for participating City Centre Restaurants and details.

We invite you and your family to participate in hands-on art activities inspired by the Bauhaus and our current exhibition. Free with museum admission or current membership.

We invite you and your family to participate in hands-on art activities inspired by the Bauhaus and our current exhibition.

Gemologist Sakina Bharani will discuss the whole spectrum of pearls including the growth process of natural pearls and human intervention in cultured pearls. She will also discuss different types of pearls, their color and shape along with historic background.

The Lions Pizza Party has been a favorite of families for over 30 years. Money raised at the Pizza Party helps those in our community who need assistance with vision, hearing, or other services such as diabetes awareness and prevention programs. $8 per adult; $35 for family of 5 or more; FREE for children 6 and under.

Learn about the history and unique design of the McCormick House (1952) by Mies van der Rohe. This docent-led tour will introduce concepts in the historical exhibition The Whole World a Bauhaus and end in the two contemporary site-specific exhibitions in the McCormick House.