News & Events

Lori ‘Low-reen’ Lewis, the lead singer and band leader is a registered nurse working with homeless people.  She was a student of Chicago Blues legend David ‘Honeyboy’ Edwards and wanted to give back for the help she got learning to play Blues from Mr. Edwards and many other Blues musicians she saw play on Maxwell … Read More

The Maxwell Street Foundation (MSF) hosted a webinar on Zoom led by The Conservation Center on 10/19/2020, where the Center’s conservators virtually walked us through their conservation process recently completed for the “Vienna Beef” sign from the MSF’s collection of Maxwell Street artifacts. Maria Ochalek, the Director of Client Services at the Center, welcomed the … Read More

The Maxwell Street Foundation seeks your Maxwell Street Market story while the Market remains closed due to the pandemic.  The Foundation has been a Partner with StoryCorps for the past five years during which time numerous interviews were conducted at the Maxwell Street Market on Sundays and in the StoryCorps studio, the latter of which … Read More

The iconic Blues Bus that had sold blues music and celebrated blues musicians at the historic Maxwell Street Market under the ownership of its creators, John and Marie Johnson, is now a little slice of its former glory.  Funds are being sought by the Foundation to preserve this portion of the Bus, which underwent steady decline since … Read More

The portraits of Dr. Philip Maxwell, for whom Chicago’s Maxwell Street is named, and his wife Jerusha are displayed at Saint Ignatius College Prep inside the school’s Main Entry that has fronted the Maxwell Street neighborhood since 1869.  Currently on loan to Saint Ignatius, the portraits were donated to the Maxwell Street Foundation by Leslie Heaton … Read More

These architectural fragments from buildings formerly along Maxwell Street, Halsted Street, and Roosevelt Road help tell the story of the built environment and commerce at the old Maxwell Street Market.  This exhibition was organized by the Maxwell Street Foundation with assistance by Saint Ignatius College Prep. The display is located inside the Richard J. Daley Library … Read More

The Making Futures collaboration between the University of the Arts Berlin and the practitioners’ collective raumlabor requested a Maxwell Street walking tour, drawn to board member Dr. Janelle Walker’s dissertation posted on the Maxwell Street Foundation website.  The group convened in Chicago to conduct a mobile workshop for the Chicago Architecture Biennial (September 19, 2019 – January 5, 2020) about “care-responsive … Read More

At our April meeting, board member Peter Pero donated this pressboard sign from one of the hot dog stands formerly near Maxwell and Halsted Streets to our collection of historic artifacts and papers. Thanks Peter!

Ron Salazar, a friend to the Maxwell Street Foundation and to the city of Chicago, passed away suddenly on January 26, 2019.  Ron worked for the Department of Cultural Affairs and Special Events (DCASE), and prior to that for the Mayor’s Office of Special Events (MOSE).  In his roles throughout that time, Ron was instrumental … Read More

The Maxwell Street Foundation concluded its 2018 season at the New Maxwell Street Market on Desplaines Avenue in October.  Members vended a variety of Maxwell Street-themed items ranging from books to posters and T-shirts, and engaged in good conversation about Maxwell Street history and the continued vibrancy of the marketplace on Desplaines.  Please continue to … Read More