The 1990s will be remembered prominently as the time when Chicago prepared its premier performing arts organizations for the next century. Sara Lee Corporation is pleased to have played a central role in raising the funds needed to create the wonderful new Symphony Center. It is a fitting showcase for our treasured Chicago Symphony Orchestra and will delight audiences for generations to come. This decade represents a defining time for Chicago. It is probably more than just a coincidence that the last decades of the nineteenth and twentieth centuries are so culturally significant.
Many people believe that preparing for a new century can energize a community.
The new Museum of Contemporary Art is a beautifully and distinctively designed building, with its sculpture garden and magnificent view of Lake Michigan. Chicago' s artistic life made even more vibrant. Sara Lee Corporation is delighted to be associated with this landmark occasion. Throughout its fifty-seven years, Sara Lee has supported cultural endeavors as part of our commitment to enhancing the communities in which we operate. And I believe Chicago is the one American city that can be defined most of all by the cultural and artistic life that it offers its people.