Friends of Ryerson Concert Series
MIC has partnered with the Friends of Ryerson Woods, and will host a series of three concerts celebrating a lifelong appreciation of nature and music. The Nature in the Classics concerts will be on Sundays, from 1:00 p.m. - 2:30 p.m., and include Academy soloists and string groups, as well as students from the community school. January featured guitar works of Maximo Diego Pujol and Andrew York, and string repertoire that included Telemann, Bach, Mozart, Paganini and Haydn.
Concerts are free and open to the public and take place at Brushwood Manor, Ryerson Woods, in Riverwoods, IL—just down the street from the MIC Lincolnshire campus.
Performances on:
January 22 / February 26 / March 18
About Ryerson Woods
The Edward L. Ryerson Conservation Area, or Ryerson Woods, is a 556-acre preserve located near Deerfield, Illinois. With 279 acres officially dedicated as an Illinois Nature Preserve, Ryerson is home to several rare species, including the blue-spotted salamander, wood frog, eastern massasauga rattlesnake, red-shouldered hawk, veery, and purple fringed orchid. Six miles of flat trails wind through a stately forest and follow a quiet river. They are open to hikers and--when snow is at least four inches deep--cross-country skiers.
Brushwood, built as a summer home by Ryerson Steel chairman and Chicagoland philanthropist, Edward L. Ryerson, houses the staff of the Friends of Ryerson Woods, as well as a collection of rare nature books and changing art exhibitions depicting the beauty and wonder of nature.
The Brushwood home is one of the architectural treasures of the Ryerson Conservation Area. Inspired by an 1840s Greek Revival farmhouse in Marengo, Illinois, Brushwood was built in 1942. The stately home with a columned portico was designed by Ambrose Cramer, who once worked for the great estate architect, David Adler. The historic feel of the house was achieved by salvaging brick, woodwork, and fixtures from older buildings. Cramer always described his project for the Ryersons as his best. Ryerson Woods is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.
Historical Facts
The Edward L. Ryerson Conservation Area (Ryerson Woods) is unique in the country--nationally recognized for its ecological, historical and architectural significance. Located on the east bank of the Des Plaines River, the area has long served as a natural corridor for travel by land and water. Major Native American trails forded the river at the present site of Ryerson Woods.
Settlement of the area began in 1834 when the Potowatomi Chief Mettawa helped Captain Daniel Wright, Lake County Illinois' first European landowner, build a pioneer cabin just west of Ryerson Woods. Early residents subdivided the heavily wooded land into 5 to 20-acre woodlots to ensure a supply of lumber for fuel, fence posts and lumber. Cattle grazed the area and removed the understory shrubs, creating a park-like setting.
Starting in the 1920's Edward L. Ryerson and several of his friends built log cabins in the woods to use for weekend getaways; several of the cabins still remain. In 1938, Ryerson purchased 250 acres of adjacent farmland where he became a gentleman farmer, raising Arabian horses. The farmland is now being restored to prairie.
By 1942, he had built their Greek Revival summerhouse at "Brushwood Farm" which is now used by the staff of the Friends of Ryerson Woods.
In the 1960's, Ryerson and his friends began, under Ryerson's leadership, to donate and sell their land to the Lake County Illinois Forest Preserve District.
In 1972, 279 acres of the Ryerson Conservation Area were dedicated as an Illinois Nature Preserve, owned and managed by the Lake County Forest Preserve District, recognizing the unique unspoiled natural woodland areas.
Today the district owns and manages the 556 acres of property to preserve the natural and cultural history of the area, as well as to provide environmental education and recreational opportunities.
Friends of Ryerson Woods
Created in 1982, Friends of Ryerson Woods works closely with the Lake County Forest Preserves to help protect this rare ecosystem for present and future generations. Friends of Ryerson Woods sponsors environmental education programs and projects to contribute to the resources at Ryerson Woods and inspire and inform people about the importance of our remaining natural areas.
Mission
Friends of Ryerson Woods uses the unique setting of Ryerson Woods to catalyze people's understanding, life-long appreciation, and behavior in support of nature. Friends accomplishes its mission in partnership with the Lake County Forest Preserve District.
Contact:
Friends of Ryerson Woods
21850 N. Riverwoods Rd.
Deerfield, IL 60015
847.968.3343
