As you’ll no doubt agree, 2020 has been a year unlike any we have experienced in our lifetimes. While many cultural and community centers were forced to close their doors, Barrington’s White House continued to deliver quality performances, speakers and artists virtually.
In fact, despite a two-month full shutdown of our venue, we expanded our audiences in 2020, with over 6,000 people having attended or viewed our events. Our community craved cultural experiences, and we were able to deliver them virtually.
The mission of Barrington’s White House is to provide high-quality cultural, community, and educational events supported by event revenue, donations, and grants within a Village-owned, downtown historic landmark building that supports the economic vitality of our area. As Barrington’s White House celebrates our five-year anniversary in 2020, our mission has not changed.
In order to continue providing quality cultural experiences despite the pandemic, we learned how to use Zoom, YouTube and Instagram in order to stream events to our audiences. We filmed artists in their studios to bring you our 3rd Thursdays Art Night Out Series. We even launched a new series, 2nd Thursdays Jazz Cabaret, which featured a variety of local and Chicagoland musicians safely performing in our ballroom.
Our Fall Season opening event featured The Lincoln Trio, performing the world premiere of “Dash” by composer Jennifer Higdon. The Courageous Conversations series continued to lead us in fostering greater inclusion and belonging. By pivoting quickly to virtual delivery until we can be in person again, Barrington’s White House was able to expand our audience reach in Barrington and beyond.
We could not have achieved our goals without the extremely generous backing of our donors, who stayed steadfast in providing ongoing support to Barrington’s White House throughout the crisis. It was clear that our donors value and cherish the work we do and the cultural experiences we provide.
We have also been gratified by the continued support of the Village of Barrington Board of Trustees, which clearly believes that our mission is an important one. However, like so, and find new ways to deliver our programming. We purchased necessary technical equipment and expanded our know-how in order to stay relevant and to help support the performers, speakers and artists who make their living entertaining and informing us.
While none of us knows how long it will be until we can enjoy world-class cultural experiences in person again, we are committed to continuing our innovative programming and curating virtual offerings that we hope will bring entertainment and joy to the community.
We need our generous donors now more than ever. December 1, 2020, is Giving Tuesday, a global generosity movement, unleashing the power of people and organizations to transform their communities and their world. GivingTuesday will kick off the generosity season this year by inspiring people to give back on December 1st, and throughout the year. We hope you are inspired by all the things that are going on at Barrington’s White House and will consider making a year-end gift or a #GivingTuesday donation! All gifts are greatly appreciated and can be given in honor or memory of someone special. To find out more about what we do, visit our website FriendsofBWH.org or click here to donate today.
Barrington’s White House is a unique, historic venue located in the heart of downtown Barrington at 145 West Main Street. This meticulously restored 1898 mansion hosts cultural and community events, and is also available for rental for weddings, corporate meetings, non-profit fundraisers and family celebrations. Visit the web site or call 224-512-4292 for your private tour.
