Art Talk—Chicago Public Artworks December 4, 2020 Linda Kay—Visual Art Instructor Phone: (630) 483-5600 We are so fortunate to live near a city so full of art and cultural treasures. Every time I make a trip to the downtown Chicago area, I am treated to an endless treat of visual delights and artwork. I try to find hidden treasures that I have not seen before. It’s not difficult to do as Chicago is filled with architec- ture, statures, parks and gardens. I want to share some of my favorites that are mostly outdoors, easy to get to and can be seen any time of the year. In a time of social distancing and being careful, this is still a great way to get out and enjoy the arts. Last December I took my granddaughter with me to explore Chicago. We were on a mission to find the biggest Christmas tree in the city, but along the way we saw so many wonderful places that it added greatly to our search. It was a memorable day. We took frequent breaks to warm up and enjoy snacks. We talked about what we saw, our favorite sights and where the next turn might take us. This collection that I share with you today are some of our favorites and are all easily walkable. We spent a full day exploring and learned a lot. I had done a similar day with my daughter when she was about the same age and it was fun continuing this type of tour with my granddaughter. I have included a small map at the end to help you navigate your way. Take your time and enjoy the odds and ends you come across. Wear clothing that you can layer, good comfortable shoes and take a water bottle to sip on. Don’t have any agenda other than having a good time and I can guarantee you that it will be a memora- ble adventure. Enjoy our beautiful tour of Chicago! 1.) Ceres— Board of Trade Building, 141 W Jackson Blvd. At the end of the LaSalle Street’s can- yon as it is called, is a lovely Art Deco skyscraper by Holabird and Root architectural firm in 1930. Imag- ine, such a fine financial building being built during the Depression. It is topped by a lovely statue of Ceres created by John H Storrs depicting the Roman goddess of agriculture in honor of the commodities exchange. She is depicted holding a bag of grain and a stalk of wheat, and was considered one of the finest sculptures of its time. It is a lovely art deco style sculpture but is without a face. The sculptor did not believe that people would be able to see the details of the face from such a height, so he did not create one. You can see a scaled model of this sculpture in the Art Institute of Chicago and even buy a small version of it in their gift shop. When I first say this sculpture I was curious of whom it was depicting. Since its lines are very sim- plified, I could not tell if it was male or female in form. It is very iconic and could be depicting anyone from history. I really like this sculpture and like to think of Ceres looking over the commodities and fi- nancial district and helping it along. Spend a few minutes examining the details of the exterior of the building while you are there. It was the tallest building in the city until 1965. I love all the sleek lines of the walls with the detailed Art Deco details embellishing the windows and entrance. 2 2.) The Flamingo by Alexander Calder—230 S Dearborn Street. This “stabile” sculpture by Ameri- can sculptor, Alexander Calder in 1974 is a contrast in design from it’s surroundings. It is different from most of Calder’s work, which were mainly mobiles and moving installments, this piece is firmly anchored into the ground. It is modernism, minimalism and expressive in design. It is not popular with everyone, but I find it very striking and imaginative. It’s bright “Calder red” coloring was used to offset it from its surroundings. He also wanted to use curving forms to further contrast it with the buildings around it. A smaller version resides in the Art Institute of Chicago in the Modern wing. 3.) The Marquette Building—140 S Dearborn Street. One of the most elaborately decorated buildings in the city, the Marquette Building is a must see. Build in 1895 by the architectural group of Holabird and Roach, the same Holabird as the Board of Trade Building, this is a stunning example of the Chicago School of Architecture design. It is an early steel frame skyscraper and excellent example of this early style. It was renovated in the 2001 to replace the red terra cotta exterior but its basic outlines and all the details were kept. The entrance and two story interior depict the Jacques (Pierre) Marquette ex- pedition of this area in 1674. The bronze sculptures on the exterior over the doors are by sculptor Her- mon Atkins MacNeil. The mosaic frieze around the interior atrium is by the Tiffany Studio. The mosaic panels are by Louis Comfort Tiffany and his assistant, Jacob Adolph Holzer. 3 I spend quite a lot of time here looking at all the beautiful details of the mosaics and bronze sculptures. While it is a romantic depiction of this expedition, it is an amazing work of art and on the Na- tional Historic Landmark list. 4.) The Four Seasons by Marc Chagall—10 S Dearborn Street. A delightful respite from the city noise and busy streets is a stop at the Four Seasons mosaic at the Chase Tower park on South Dearborn Street. For years I walked past this beauty without even noticing it, but three years ago friends took me here. This lovely mosaic by artist Marc Chagall is a whimsical depiction of the four seasons. It is so uplifting that it takes away my cares just spending a while here looking at all the designs he used. It was part of the 1974 movement to add artwork to the city of Chicago and money well spent I believe. A canopy was add- ed to help protect it in 1994 and provides a comfortable atmosphere any time of the year. 4 5.) Chicago’s Picasso—50 W Washington Street. What visit to Chicago to see public artwork would be complete without a visit to the Picasso in Daley Plaza? It was the first major piece of artwork purchased by the city expressly for public art display. And what a grand location for it to be installed, the legal center of Chicago and across the street from the Office of the Mayor. The plaza is big enough to accommodate large events like the holiday Christkindlmarkt, political rallies and protests and has been featured in several popular movies. The city commissioned Pablo Picasso to do a sculpture in 1963 and it was installed in 1967. Made of American steel fabricated in Gary, Indiana, it stands 50 feet tall. The Art Institute of Chicago has a smaller Marquette of this sculpture in its collection. Picasso refused an offer for payment for his design work stating it was his gift to the city. There has been a lot of speculation on what Picasso intended to depict in his sculpture. Some say it is a depiction of his favorite model, others say it is an abstract of an Afghan Hound dog, but the one I believe is what his second wife suggested, that it is a frontal view of a baboon. Whatever it is, I like to look at it and imagine what Picasso was thinking while he created it. Maybe he was laughing the whole time, but I also think he wanted to create something so grand that would stand out over time. And it does that indeed. 5 6.) The Marshall Field’s and Company Building—111 N. Michigan Avenue. One of my favorite destinations in the loop. Who doesn’t have a memory of the Marshall Field’s building such as the won- derful shopping inside, the Walnut Room for lunch or the great holiday window scenes that they have become famous for? But what I love the most are the iconic clocks outside and the wonderful Tiffany atrium inside. This building is on the National History Landmarks list, is the third largest shopping build- ing in the world and fills an entire city block. It was the first store to have escalators installed, the first to post prices on their products and the first to offer personal shoppers to its customers. It has been built three times since its beginnings, the last time in two section between 1901—02 for the north section and 1905—06 for the south section. The building has three atria, the 5 story atrium with the Tiffany mosaic arch, the 13 story skylight atrium and the third atrium holds a lovely water fountain. Its four exterior col- umns on the State Street side are a stunning 50 feet tall. Now owned by Macy’s, it is still keeping up with the traditional holiday window displays but is now officially named “Macy’s on State Street.” 6 7.) The Chicago Cultural Center—78 E Washington Street. This building is a stunning jeweled box inside and out. It is run by the Chicago’s Department of Affairs and Special Events and the city’s official event venue for the mayor.