

The Experience
A glimpse into the past, as told by Morrison-Shearer Trustee, Sue Boléa:
“For many years, this Northbrook compound was a quiet mecca for renowned artists, theatre personalities, writers, critics, dancers, and musicians, [among them musician/artist John Cage and dancer Ruth St. Denis.] Whether stopping in Chicago for appearances or passing through on tour, they found their way to Sybil Shearer’s studio and Helen Morrison’s door. These and people of all walks of life who struck the fancy of Sybil or Helen were invited for tea — a formalized ritual that initiated you into the magic of their rarefied world. As the afternoon sun waned and the shadows spread across the living room floor, you realized that there existed another kind of light inside and it had been there all along. The dinner hour came and went without notice and the mundane outside world slipped away and relinquished its pull. Sybil got up to dance. Helen quoted her favorite authors. Photographs were shown. It was an interlude out of time. When at last, you gathered the bits and pieces of the person you came in as and stumbled out into the dark night, your heart and soul had the unusual sensation of being both wrung out clean and completely inspired.”