Under the aegis of the Illinois Humanities Council and its then-chairman Richard J. Franke, the notion of a "humanities day" was proposed, and then expanded into a "festival".
Eileen Mackevich created the first Chicago Humanities Festival, a one-day affair, held on November 11, 1990, at the Art Institute of Chicago and Orchestra Hall, before an audience of 3,500 people. Eight programs addressed the theme Expressions of Freedom, including a keynote address by playwright
Arthur Miller. Founding co-sponsor institutions included the
Art Institute of Chicago, the
Chicago Symphony Orchestra,
Lyric Opera of Chicago, and the
University of Chicago. In 1997, the Festival formally separated from the Illinois Humanities Council and established itself as an independent, nonprofit organization. Under Eileen Mackevich's leadership, by 2006, the independent Festival had expanded to nearly 150 programs over 16 days, in more than 30 venues, involving nearly 40 partner institutions and several hundred site volunteers, and attracting a combined audience of nearly 50,000. A Children's Humanities Festival was introduced in 2000. In addition, a year-round slate of education programs is devoted to supporting classroom teachers and students. The Festival also expanded its presence year-round, offering public lectures, readings, concerts, and special events that anticipate and build interest in the November Festival. In 2006,
Lawrence Weschler was appointed as the first artistic director of CHF, and in 2007
Stuart Flack joined as executive director. In January 2010,
Matti Bunzl was appointed as associate artistic director. In the fall, after four years with the festival, Lawrence Weschler became emeritus artistic director
Alison Cuddy was the artistic director from 2017 to 2021. In 2022, Lauren M. Pacheco and Michael Green were hired as Co-Creative Directors. == Stages, Sights & Sounds ==