On an unseasonably warm Tuesday night, some of Chicago’s Who’s Who in art, corporate, news, media were invited to an intimate dinner to celebrate the 75th anniversary of pump room at PUBLIC Hotel. Many of you know that before it was pump room at PUBLIC Hotels, it was the pump room at the Ambassador East Hotel which saw many local and famous celebrity faces walk through as well as sit in Booth #1. Hotelier Ian Schrager who revitalized the hotel 2 years ago and kept most of what was loved about the Ambassador was on hand for the celebration. 
Guests arrived to a cocktail reception before sitting down for a sumptuous dinner prepared by Chef Jean-Georges Vongerichten and staff. At one table was MCA Chicago Pritzker Director Madeleine Grynsztejn, EXPO Chicago President Tony Karman with wife Sondra, Jerry and Stacey Mickelson. At another table sat Linda Johnson Rice, M.K Pritzker, Trish Rooney Alden, Desiree Rogers, Neal Zucker, Theaster Gates. Bill Zwecker, actress Nora Dunn, Robin Lowenberg Tebbe of Magellan Group and Bob Sirott, Nazir and Mandy Mohammed of the Chicago Bulls, Chris LaMorte, Donna LaPietra and Bill Kurtis, Kevin Aeh, Dan Uslan, Ashley Netzky James Goeke, Cat De Orio, The OG Chicago music man Frankie Knuckles, JP Anderson, Victor Skrebneski, Graham Kostic and Fran Taglia, Kerry and Sarah Wood, and this lil ol gal were all in attendance. 
The 3 course menu included an elaborate display of chicken on fire(had to be there to get it) and copious amounts of wine and bubbly. Midway through dinner, Ian Schrager thanked guests in attendance, chef Jean-Georges while the slideshow of the new Chicago Icons, all shot by Jeff Schear were displayed on the screens. The new Chicago Icons, picked by Ian Schrager included Chicago luminaries such as Josh & Ikram Goldman, Theaster Gates, Jeanne Gang, Leslie Hindman, Rocky Wirtz, Val Warner & Ryan Chaiverini,Neal Zucker, Linda Johnson Rice, Lupe Fiasco, Nora Daley Conroy , Trish Rooney Alden, M.K & J.B Pritzker, Victor Skrebneski.
The night also celebrated the announcement of Lupe Fiasco as the new Artist in Residency program. He will be in charge of curating art that will be prominently displayed in the hotel area. The first of many to come is titled “BIAS” A PHOTOGRAPHY EXHIBITION and will be on display through Friday Oct. 4. Artists, including Hebru Brantley, who’s artwork was part of the curated collection were also in attendance. 
Honored to have been part of a wonderful celebration and here’s to many more years of celebration for the PUBLIC Hotel and pump room Ian, Laura, Jay, Jill, Lara and team! 
*images: Jeff Schear
