Chicago Botanic Garden Fall 2019

OFFICERS Robert F. Finke, Chair Jean M. Franczyk, President & CEO DIRECTORS Dana Anderson Russell F. Bartmes Martha D. Boudos Terrence R. Brady Jennifer K. Brown, ex o cio Neville F. Bryan John H. Buehler Michael J. Busch Heidi B. Capozzi David R. Casper Robin Colburn Jill M. Delaney James W. DeYoung Timothy A. Dugan Peter M. Ellis Jean M. Franczyk, ex o cio Steven J. Gavin Arthur J. Gibson Nancy Gidwitz Christopher E. Girgenti Ellis M. Goodman Charles V. Greener Joseph P. Gromacki Gillian Growdon William J. Hagenah Jonathan S. Holloway Jane Irwin Gregory K. Jones Peter Keehn R. Henry Kleeman Judith H. Konen, ex o cio omas E. Lanctot M. James Leider Benjamin F. Lenhardt, Jr. Anne Leventry Diane vS. Levy Laura M. Linger Anne S. Loucks Michael J. McMurray Christopher Merrill William E. Moeller Gregory A. Moerschel Lois L. Morrison Jennifer J. Neighbours, ex o cio Jane S. Park Katie Parks, ex o cio George A. Peinado Toni Preckwinkle, ex o cio Bob Probst Arnold Randall, ex o cio Mary B. Richardson- Lowry John C. Robak James Robinson Ryan S. Ruskin Robert E. Shaw Andrew Sinclair omas E. Skilling Maria Smithburg Pam F. Szokol Catherine M. Waddell Andrew J. Warzecha Susan A. Willetts Melvin F. Williams, Jr. Nicole S. Williams Michael R. Zimmerman LIFE DIRECTORS Marilynn B. Alsdorf J. Melfort Campbell Barbara Whitney Carr Gary P. Coughlan Peter R. Crane Suzanne S. Dixon omas A. Donahoe Peter B. Foreman Ralph F. Fujimoto James J. Glasser John K. Greene Caryn L. Harris John L. Howard Pamela K. Hull omas B. Hunter III Posy L. Krehbiel William H. Kurtis Donna La Pietra Daniel I. H. Linzer Josephine P. Louis Mary L. McCormack Jeanine McNally William A. Osborn Homi B. Patel Susan L. Regenstein Anne O. Scott David Byron Smith Susan K. Stone Richard L. omas Howard J. Trienens Ernest P. Waud III Arthur M. Wood, Jr. We cultivate the power of plants to sustain and enrich life. Gardens constantly change. As we enter fall, new plants like asters bloom while others enter dormancy. Trees put on a bril- liant show as they conserve energy for winter and the next growing season. Look at how the Chicago Botanic Garden evolved in its rst 47 years. e Garden began with a home landscape center and seasonal garden shows. Now, the Garden has 27 display gardens, and events and exhibitions that bring more than one million visitors each year to our Glencoe campus. Our work also extends beyond our 385 acres through our plant conserva- tion science research and community engagement programs. With the Garden’s new Strategic Plan as our guide, we con- tinue to look for ways to reinvigorate our programs to generate excitement, engage our visitors, and drive more revenue. With this, I am excited to announce a new end-of-the-year holiday exhibition for 2019. Lightscape will transform the Garden into a festive, magical world of light, art, and sound. Lightscape also will help us maintain and sustain this Garden. Programs like this allow us to grow revenue to support plant science conservation, community outreach, and other work that supports our mission: We cultivate the power of plants to sustain and enrich life. At Lightscape, visitors will walk along a mile-long path lled with detailed, curated art ex- periences at every turn: a towering tunnel of lights, light beams dancing through singing trees, even the natural beauty of relight. e after-dark, illuminated trail is created for, and inspired by, the Garden. Lightscape, which is making its U.S. debut here, will be a whole new way to celebrate the holiday season—and the natural beauty of the Chicago Botanic Garden. Due to this new opportunity, we made the di cult decision to retire Wonderland Express. is will also include all of its ancillary programs, such as Breakfast with Santa, Hanukkah and Christmas Concerts, and Holiday Cheers. e holiday train exhibition served as a sig- nature event for us for 13 years and has been a beloved tradition for many of you. However, it has experienced fairly stagnant attendance over the years. We also know our visitors have many choices and are always looking for new experiences. You can still enjoy trains at our Model Railroad Garden: Landmarks of America, which will continue to operate from May to October. You can learn more about Lightscape on page 16; tickets are on sale now. ank you for your support of Wonderland Express. e Garden team and our partners are hard at work to make Lightscape a new holiday tradition for you and your family. I look forward to experi- encing this fantastic light show with you. Jean M. Franczyk President and CEO