What do you love about the museum?
I love the genuine warmth and
spirituality of the people behind LUMA
and what they work to accomplish.
They also embrace all faiths through
art, and that’s so very cool.
What has been your favorite
exhibition at LUMA?
I truly loved the Gorey exhibition
because the art has so much humor and
the drawings are great. I also enjoyed
seeing the collection of Haggadahs from
hundreds of years ago.
What are you most looking forward
to during LUMA’s 10th Anniversary?
With great pride, I look forward to
reviewing the museum’s accomplish-
ments, especially
LUMA’s Greatest Hits
.
What’s your favorite thing to do in
Chicago?
That’s easy—shop! Especially on Oak
Street. I have been President of the Oak
Street Council for the past 17 years and I
can’t help myself. When I visit a store and
speak to the manager about business, I
usually end up finding something I really
love. This job is dangerous!
You’ve served on so many committees
in Chicago. What do you most enjoy
about volunteering?
I have been blessed and giving back is
an important aspect of my life that I
have been passionate about.
What are you reading right now?
I just finished
Gone Girl
by Gillian
Flynn, which totally kept my interest.
The main character was over the top,
but it made for quite an interesting
read. I’m just starting
David and
Goliath: Underdogs, Misfits, and the Art
of Battling Giants
by Malcolm Gladwell.
He really makes you think in a very
different way and so far it’s fabulous.
You are married to a famous jeweler.
But Lester Lampert is also an artist.
How does that creativity translate
into your life together?”
It pretty much impacts our life on a
daily basis. It’s exciting to be married to
someone so creative and fun! And it’s
all about the little things, like messages
he leaves me in the morning . . . using
random things on the vanity to write
that he loves me. I also get original and
amazing presents!
Where do you and Lester like to go
when vacationing?
We love to travel all over the world.
East Africa was our favorite trip of all
time. For fun and rest, St. Martin. Also,
Cabo San Lucas, where we can have
romantic evenings and play golf on
gorgeous courses during the day. Vegas
is always fun for good entertainment,
great food, and a little gaming.
Name the person (dead or alive) you’d
most like to meet.
I would have loved to meet Golda Meir,
the fourth Prime Minister of Israel. She
was often referred to as the “Iron Lady
of Israeli politics.” She was portrayed
as a strong-willed and straight-
talking, confident leader of the Jewish
people. Interestingly, she grew up in
Wisconsin.
In today’s ever increasingly secular
world, do you think it is harder than
before to instill religious values in
young people?
Yes, I think it is harder. Young people
today are confronted with many
challenges and outside pressures. In
order to instill these values, I think
a strong family commitment to a
religious and spiritual lifestyle is
imperative to maintain.
LUMA Spotlight
Maureen Lampert
30
Maureen has served as the President of
the Oak Street Council since 1997. She
has coordinated numerous events on Oak
Street and elsewhere for various charities.
Maureen has served as Chairman of the
Board and President of Mt. Sinai Hospital
Service Club and then served on the Mount
Sinai Hospital Medical Board. Maureen
used her background in the study of art
and interior design to design a fire opal
necklace, which is part of the permanent
collection in the Field Museum’s Grainger
Hall of Gems. She has been married to
Lester Lampert for 53 years, and has two
children and seven grandchildren.
