The Downers Grove Historical Society invites the community to a special evening celebrating hometown history and cinematic innovation at the historic Tivoli Theatre on Wednesday, April 29, 2026, from 6:00 to 9:00 p.m.
Richard J. Kulovany will be honored by the Downers Grove Historical Society as the 2026 Historian of the Year in recognition of his outstanding contributions to preserving and sharing local history.
The evening will also be featuring the premiere of History Happens Here: The Man Who Changed How We Hear the Movies, a documentary chronicling the remarkable journey of Tomlinson Holman—a Downers Grove North High School student whose early experiments in sound and light led to a groundbreaking career. Holman went on to collaborate with George Lucas, pioneer transformative audio technologies at Lucasfilm, teach at the University of Southern California, and contribute to innovative sound design at Apple Inc.. His work helped redefine how audiences experience sound in film—and it all began in Downers Grove.
The event schedule includes:
6:00–6:30 p.m. — Check-in and live organ performance 6:30–7:00 p.m. — History of the Tivoli presentation by theatre staff
7:00–7:15 p.m. — Historian of the Year Award presentation 7:15–7:25 p.m. — Film introduction by Jim Toth of Node Films
7:25–8:10 p.m. — Documentary premiere
8:10–9:00 p.m. — ReceptionRefreshments will be available for purchase.
Tickets are $5 for members and $10 for non-members. Tickets are available here or at the door on the day of the event.
For more information and to purchase tickets, visit the Downers Grove Historical Society’s website at dghistory.org. To stay informed about upcoming programs and events, community members are encouraged to subscribe to the Society’s newsletter which you can do on the website
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