2021 ANNUAL MEETING – CHICAGO
The 2021 ASOR Annual Meeting will be held November 17–20 at the Hilton Chicago in downtown Chicago, IL. Featuring two international airports and direct flights from cities throughout Europe and the United States, Chicago is a central and convenient location as we strive for a carbon neutral meeting and for members who want to go on to the SBL/AAR meetings in San Antonio or travel for the Thanksgiving holiday.
With its midwestern soul and international charm, Chicago has something for everyone! In the heart of downtown and at the doorstep of the Hilton Chicago is the Chicago Cultural Mile with its rich history connecting Chicagoans and visitors alike with world class museums, art centers, educational institutions, and retailers. Head north to the Art Institute of Chicago and beyond to the Magnificent Mile, where you can veer off to the Museum of Contemporary Art, view the city skyline from 1000 feet up at the John Hancock Building’s 360 Chicago observation deck, shop to your hearts content, or hop on a boat at the Chicago River for the renowned architecture tour. Just across the street from the Hilton is Grant Park and Lake Michigan—a little bit of nature and tranquility in the Loop. Take a stroll along the lake toward Chicago’s picturesque Museum Campus where you’ll find the Field Museum of Natural History, Shedd Aquarium, and Adler Planetarium.
Chicago’s Field Museum of Natural History. Photo by Arlene Press.
Of course, one cannot speak of Chicago without mention of the abundance of renowned culinary adventures (and I’m not just talking about deep-dish pizza), craft breweries (with incredible taprooms and tastings), music (blues and jazz lovers unite), theatre (from the opera to musicals, and of course comedy—this is the home of Second City), and sports (one of only ten U.S. cities to have teams from the five major American professional team sports).
Just south of downtown in picturesque Hyde Park is a destination that ought to be at the top of the cultural to-do list for all ASOR attendees—the Oriental Institute, both a pioneering interdisciplinary research center and a world-renowned museum located on the University of Chicago campus. Since its founding in 1919, the OI has conducted field-defining research across the Middle East, including excavations and field projects, linguistic research deciphering ancient languages, creating comprehensive dictionaries, reconstructing the histories, literatures and religions of long-lost civilizations, and preserving the region’s imperiled cultural heritage. And their work continues today in Egypt, Israel, Jordan, Iraq, Turkey, and Afghanistan. Much of this research is on display at the OI Museum, home to the largest collection of ancient Middle East artifacts in the United States with more than 350,000 artifacts mainly excavated by OI archaeologists and some 5,000 on display to the public. Following a multi-million-dollar gallery renovation that was completed for the Centennial in 2019, the OI Museum is displaying more than 500 additional artifacts to the public for the first time including a new space devoted to the Islamic period and a monumental relief from Persepolis, which had been on loan for 80 years to the Boston Museum of Fine Arts. Learn more at .
Assyrian reliefs from Khorsabad on display at the Oriental Institute Museum. Courtesy of the Oriental Institute, photo by Michael Tropea.
While at the OI, architecture aficionados should also visit Frank Lloyd Wright’s Robie House just across the street. Hyde Park is also home to the DuSable Museum of African American History, Smart Museum of Art, Renaissance Society, Reva and David Logan Center for the Arts, and the Museum of Science and Industry, housed in the former Palace of Fine Arts—the only surviving building from the 1893 World’s Fair.
We look forward to sharing all that defines the Windy City with you in November 2021!
Kiersten Neumann
Oriental Institute
ASOR Program Committee Member