To Sit A While
in partnership with
Navy Pier
Join us in Chicago August 21 – 23 as we celebrate the final national tour stop and permanent installation of our Lorraine Hansberry sculpture, To Sit A While, honoring the great American playwright.
What | Discussion: Lorraine Hansberry & Art as Place
When | Wednesday, August 21
Location | Logan Center for the Arts
Time | 6:00PM
What | Discussion: The Lasting Influence of Lorraine Hansberry
When | Thursday, August 22
Location | American Writers Museum
Time | 6:00 PM
What | Sculpture Dedication & Performance Celebration
When | Friday, August 23
Location | Lake Stage at Polk Bros Park
Time | 5:45 – 9:00 PM
Details and registration information for all events above.
Sculpture Dedication & Performance Celebration free and open to the public; no registration required.
Lorraine Hansberry was a prolific playwright, journalist, and activist. Her play A Raisin in the Sun was the first play by an African American woman produced on Broadway on March 11, 1959, at the Ethel Barrymore Theatre. It was revived on Broadway in 2004 and 2014. Generations of Black theater, television and film artists have been inspired by her masterpiece.
Los Angeles based artist Alison Saar’s sculpture work, entitled To Sit A While, features a figure of Hansberry surrounded by five bronze chairs, each representing a different aspect of her life and work. The life-size chairs are an invitation to the public to do just that: to sit with her and think.
The Lillys and The Lorraine Hansberry Initiative are proud to close the national tour of their sculpture To Sit A While with a permanent installation at Polk Bros Park in partnership with Navy Pier. This final installation will include a three program celebration spanning August 21 – 23, with the collaboration of Chicago-based artists and arts organizations.
To learn more about the Lorraine Hansberry Initiative sculpture and fellowship, please explore the various sections of this website.
Located on Lake Michigan, Navy Pier is the top nonprofit tourism destination in the Midwest, stretching more than six city blocks and typically welcoming 8 million annual guests. Originally opened in 1916 as a shipping and recreation facility, this Chicago landmark showcases over 50 acres of parks, restaurants, attractions, retail shops, sightseeing and dining cruise boats, exposition facilities, and more. The Pier celebrated its 100th anniversary in 2016 with the unveiling of the iconic Centennial Wheel, Polk Bros Park, Family Pavilion, and Peoples Energy Welcome Pavilion. Today, Navy Pier continues to usher in its second century with ongoing Pier-wide redevelopment efforts – including Sable, a 223-room Hilton hotel, new restaurant and retail partnerships, and thrilling new attractions such as Flyover Chicago and Illuminarium. The Pier is proud to present free, year-round cultural programming designed to inspire, educate, and connect communities across the city and globe. Click here to donate to Navy Pier, a mission-driven 501(c)(3) organization. For more information, visit NavyPier.org.
The mission of the American Writers Museum is to excite audiences about the impact of American writers – past, present and future – in shaping our collective histories, cultures, identities, and daily lives.
