Museums

American Writers Museum

Chicago Scenic worked closely with Andy Anway, founder and principal at Amaze Design in Boston for more than 12 months to develop his design concepts and bring them to life at The American Writers Museum, the nation’s newest museum, now open and located on Chicago’s celebrated Michigan Avenue. The 11,000 sq. ft. museum’s objective is to engage visitors (and readers) of all ages and at many different levels, to enrich and deepen their appreciation for writers and writing in all forms.

“American Voices” is an 80-foot, multilayered interactive that features 100 American writers from the 1700’s through the early 1960’s. Visitors flip displays, view video screens and absorb brief capsules of information. The “Surprise Bookshelf”, also located in Writer’s Hall, features boxes that slide open to disclose a hidden tidbit about the writer’s life and work, delivered through words, graphics, video clips, or the occasional surprise artifact.

Nestled into the end of the Writer’s Hall long hallway is a restful and hypnotic digital “Word Waterfall”. Seemingly random letters assemble as brief quotes from writers—Kurt Vonnegut to Langston Hughes—then slide away in a cascade of water with an accompanying soundtrack provided by nature.

Other museum highlights include a children’s area that features an original mural painted by Paul O. Zelinsky that will entertain children with its whimsical collection of squirrels reading or snoozing in treetops. In the Readers Hall, visitors have an opportunity to lounge and read or linger for a moment and begin to write their own masterpiece on authentic clattering typewriters. That space serves double-duty, also acting as a gathering place during the Museum’s planned social and learning events.

Chicago Scenic worked closely with Andy Anway, founder and principal at Amaze Design in Boston for more than 12 months to develop his design concepts and bring them to life at The American Writers Museum, the nation’s newest museum, now open and located on Chicago’s celebrated Michigan Avenue. The 11,000 sq. ft. museum’s objective is to engage visitors (and readers) of all ages and at many different levels, to enrich and deepen their appreciation for writers and writing in all forms.

“American Voices” is an 80-foot, multilayered interactive that features 100 American writers from the 1700’s through the early 1960’s. Visitors flip displays, view video screens and absorb brief capsules of information. The “Surprise Bookshelf”, also located in Writer’s Hall, features boxes that slide open to disclose a hidden tidbit about the writer’s life and work, delivered through words, graphics, video clips, or the occasional surprise artifact.

Nestled into the end of the Writer’s Hall long hallway is a restful and hypnotic digital “Word Waterfall”. Seemingly random letters assemble as brief quotes from writers—Kurt Vonnegut to Langston Hughes—then slide away in a cascade of water with an accompanying soundtrack provided by nature.

Other museum highlights include a children’s area that features an original mural painted by Paul O. Zelinsky that will entertain children with its whimsical collection of squirrels reading or snoozing in treetops. In the Readers Hall, visitors have an opportunity to lounge and read or linger for a moment and begin to write their own masterpiece on authentic clattering typewriters. That space serves double-duty, also acting as a gathering place during the Museum’s planned social and learning events.

05.2017 back to Museums