The American Writers Museum will soon become the latest attraction in Chicago. Come 2017, the institution will be made accessible to thousands of passersby in North Michigan Avenue, the heart of the hustle and bustle in the town.
Retired manufacturing executive Malcolm O'Hagan, who founded the project, says that the spot is just right, knowing that the shopping strip where it sits is "one of the busiest blocks in Chicago." The building is also in close proximity to other tourist attractions such as the Chicago Cultural Center and the Arts Institute of Chicago.
According to The Guardian, it took five years before the American Writers Museum found its home. There has been exhaustive planning and the crucial search for a location that will be able to house galleries and interactive exhibits. Also, a lot of the time went to fundraising efforts.
American Writers Museum executive director Nike Whitcomb told Chicago Tribune that they are already on their $3.2 million mark but are still $5 million short. That covers the construction of the 11,000-square-foot museum and operating expenses for three years.
Whitcomb expects to welcome at least 120,000 visitors every year. That, she estimates, translates to a $1.75 million in revenue by 2021.
The American Writers Museum is touted to be the first of its kind. Talking about what the museum could offer, O'Hagan said via WBEZ, "People are fascinated by writers. They want to see the people, they want to meet them, they want to understand how they do what they do."
O'Hagan also revealed via WBEZ that he hatched the idea after learning the abundance of writer museums in his hometown Dublin and the lack of it in America. The founder says that in the institution, visitors will be able to explore how writers and their works helped shape their history as a people, their identity, their culture and their daily lives.
As expected, there will be lots to see and to look forward to in the American Writers Museum. New York Times reports that there will be both permanent and temporary exhibits, which will treat visitors with the rise and the eventual germination of American literature in the form of about 15 works on the subject.
In turn, there will be sections reserved for authors of yesterday. There will also be segments dedicated to the various genre of literature - children's, mysteries and many others. Visitors get to choose which books or authors and even quotes get featured in one section. Considering its location, Chicago-native writers will be given the spotlight too.
To cover as much as of the rich world of literature as it can, there will be what is dubbed a "surprise bookshelf," which contains 150 works of diverse genres. Important and classic writings like "Slaughterhouse-Five" by Kurt Vonnegut, "Moby-Dick" by Herman Melville and "Harold and the Purple Crayon" by Crockett Johnson will be featured.
More than that, expect to see the exhibits that cater to both the thirst for knowledge on writings and the writers themselves. American Writers Museum opens in spring 2017 at 180 North Michigan Avenue.