Field Trip: Crab Tree Farms

Join CIADC on Saturday, April 23 for a private outing at the historic Crab Tree Farm in Lake Bluff!

Crab Tree Farm originated as part of a 370-acre dairy farm, owned by the eminent Illinois federal district judge and railroad president Henry W. Blodgett in the mid-nineteenth century. (1) Crab Tree Farm currently displays several collections in settings that have been created to reflect the aesthetics of the Arts and Crafts movement.

The Arts and Crafts movement, inspired in England by the writings of John Ruskin and the work of the designer William Morris in the late nineteenth century, developed in reaction to the loss of artisanry and pride in one’s labor brought about by the Industrial Revolution. (2)

A working farm, Crab Tree Farm also supports and facilitates contemporary craftsmanship – half of the central barn is a fully equipped workshop for woodworkers, ceramic artists, metalworkers, and sculptors who receive short- and long-term residencies. (3)

Our tour will include a viewing of the renowned Arts and Crafts furnishings collection and an insiders look at the Farm's contemporary artist-in-residence wood, ceramics, and metal workshops. Cost is $20 per person, and includes a box lunch and drink. 

Please register by April 16, online by clicking here!