The Arts Club was founded in 1916 and has occupied eight different sites. The present building was the first to be conceived exclusively for the Arts Club. It opened in 1997 and was designed by John Vinci of Vinci/Hamp Architects, Inc. The core of the design is a staircase by Ludwig Mies van der Rohe. The staircase was rescued from the former Arts Club interior at 109 E. Ontario prior to demolition. Fulfilling its founding mission to promote higher standards of art and to connect art lovers and art workers, The Arts Club has hosted public exhibitions and programs free of charge for over 100 years. The Arts Club will offer staff-guided tours of the permanent collection throughout the building on Saturday, October 14th at 11am, 1pm, and 3pm. Each tour will last around an hour.