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S uperlatives PEOPLE, CULTURE, FOOD, STYLE VIEW FROM THE TOP Robert Gallucci THE MACARTHUR FOUNDATION PRESIDENT STEPS INTO THE SPOTLIGHT TO ANNOUNCE THE ANNUAL "GENIUS GRANTS" AND PROMOTE THE ORGANIZATION'S CONTINUED GOOD WORK IN CHICAGO AND ABROAD. BY J.P. ANDERSON PHOTOGRAPHY BY TIM KLEIN T he books that cover nearly every surface of the coffee table in Robert Gallucci's spacious Loop office reveal a man with fascinatingly catholic interests: Classic American Cars. Chicago From the Sky: A Region Transformed. Wynton Marsalis: Jazz ABZ. Himalaya: Mountains of Life. It's fitting, since Gallucci is the president of the MacArthur Foundation, most famous for awarding no-strings "genius grants" (this year in the amount of $625,000) to rising stars in a myriad of fields, from artists and musicians to geochemists, economists, and surgeons. "It's not a reward for past behavior so much as it is an investment that this person is going to continue to be productive," Gallucci explains, "and if given the award they'll have a greater opportunity to do that." The list of past recipients since the grants' inception in 1981 includes paleontologist Stephen Jay Gould, choreographer Twyla Tharp, and Chicago theater icon Mary Zimmerman, all of whom have gone on to widespread acclaim in their respective careers. continued on page 56 Led by Robert Gallucci, the MacArthur Foundation—one of the most influential philanthropic organizations in the world—has its home in Chicago's historic Marquette Building. MICHIGANAVEMAG.COM 055-056_MA_SP_VFT_October13.indd 55 55 9/17/13 5:58 PM