The event included two tours (the group being split in half in order that the tour not feel crowded) of the Modern Wing of the Art Institute of Chicago. The tours were led by two knowledgeable and entertaining docents. The docents explained the early 20th century art with such enthusiasm and depth of understanding it felt as if one were seeing a familiar Picasso or Matisse in an entirely new way.
The event attracted 45 members of the Chicago restructuring community and was greatly enjoyed by all. The evening finished with a wine and cheese reception in the Art Institute’s spectacular Stock Exchange Trading Room. One of the city's most important early architects was Louis Sullivan, who, with his partner, Dankmar Adler, designed the Chicago Stock Exchange, built in 1893–94. When the Stock Exchange was demolished in 1972, sections of Sullivan's elaborate stenciled decorations, molded plaster capitals, and art glass were preserved from the Trading Room, the magnificent centerpiece of this 13-story structure. Using these fragments, the Art Institute was able to reconstruct the Trading Room in its new wing in 1976–77.
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