Irv Kupcinet Memorial

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Irv Kupcinet Memorial
Completed: 2006
Sculptor: Preston Jackson
City of Chicago Public Art Collection ...

The plaque reads ... "Irv Kupcinet 'Mr Chicago' embodied the city he loved with all his energy and enthusiasm. In his "Chicago Sun Times" column and on his television shows. Kup was honest, accurate and fair, and his commitment to charity was one we should all aspire to match." - Mayor Richard M Daley ...
Donated by Kuv's Friends and Family ...

Preston Jackson’s over-lifesize sculpture of Irv Kupcinet is an excellent example of contemporary figurative art sensitively created for and sited in a difficult location by the artist. Placed on the approach to the “Irv Kupcinet Memorial Bridge” of Wabash Avenue this singular figure welcomes viewers from Michigan Avenue while maintaining an engaging rear view.

Riverwalk Gateway

Riverwalk Gateway [Ceramic murals]...
Artist: Ellen Lanyon
Location: Under Lakeshore Drive, south bank of Chicago River ...
The trellised, cast-concrete walkway, is designed by Skidmore, Owings & Merrill..

Ellen Lanyon's ceramic murals offers Chicago pedestrians a pictorial narrative of the city's history as it is entwined to the Chicago River. In 1998, the painter Ellen Lanyon won a competition to create ceramic murals for the two 127-foot-long walls which flank the Riverwalk Gateway.

On each side 6 introductory panels flank the 8 central images, presenting a colorful abstraction of Chicago's Native American and botanical heritage ... " The 16 full-scale narrative panels each document an episode in Chicago's history. Beginning on the west side of the walkway, the first panel presents the arrival of Europeans by canoe at the portage between the Chicago River and Lake Michigan. Black-and-white text, presenting information such as event descriptions and dates, appears in the borders of each section, helping to carry the story along....






" The river remains the primary theme of the narrative because of its centrality to Chicago's development. Although the waterway has become polluted, necessitating innovative engineering to clean it up, it remains a part of nature--a habitat for wildlife and a place of meditation and recreation. Bridges and maps make frequent appearances in these murals, recording the changes in the city's landscape and the evolution of bridge designs to accommodate the city's expanding needs. Several panels refer to the various inhabitants of Chicago: medicine bundles and tepees represent Native Americans; the cabin built by the first settler, Jean Baptiste Point du Sable, a black man of African and French descent, is associated with African-Americans; and Fort Dearborn evokes the American military. Lanyon incorporates images of plants and wildlife in each piece, recalling motifs she has used throughout her career... "



REF : Historical Promenade - Ellen Lanyon ...

Ruins - III

Ruins - III - Nita Sunderland ...
1981-2004 .. Bronze and limestone ...

Art-in-Architecture Program ..
LOCATION: East Riverwalk, between Columbus and Lake Shore Dr.

Ruins III, part of the Ruins series, was inspired by artist Nita Sunderland’s travels in Italy and England. It reflects her ongoing interest in parallels between medieval and contemporary society. In this case, Sunderland suggests the isolation that exists within a greater community dynamic. Physical separation is suggested by the placement of the figures, while division imposed by societal roles is implied by the figural silhouettes of knights, a leper and a medieval woman.



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Missing Marker ... Among few others, this is another piece of Public Art missing marker ... I didnt find any information about the sculpture on the site .. click here ..
However there is information on the City of Chicago official website ... Nita Sunderland [Ruins III].. click here ...

Untitled

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I could not find any information on these ...
I found them close to the Riverwalk Gateway under the Lakeshore Drive Bridge ...

Chairs

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I loved the art that went into placing these chairs ... along the Lake Michigan ... the road behind is the Lake Shore Drive.

Batcolumn

Batcolum by Claes Oldenburg ..
On observing Chicago’s flat terrain, the Swedish-born artist once commented, “the real art here is architecture, or anything that really stands up.” . Like all of Oldenburg’s monuments, Batcolumn combines a humorous and irreverent attitude toward popular objects with meticulous construction details and handling of scale and proportion. It can alternately be seen as a reference to historical monumental columns, a salute to the American institution of baseball or a tribute to the steel industry.

Batcolum by Claes Oldenburg
1977, Cor-Ten steel painted gray, H 100 ft.
Commissioned by the U.S. General Services Administration through its Art-in-Architecture Program
LOCATION:Harold Washington Social Security Administration Building Plaza
600 W. Madison St..

Reference: Claes Oldenburg (Batcolumn), click here

The Sounding Sculpture

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The "Sounding Sculpture" .. by Harry Bertoia, 1975
Copper-beryllium, brass and granite
Six of 11 elements on display, H 16 ft. (each)
Commissioned by Amoco Corporation.
LOCATION: Aon Center (formerly Amoco Building) Plaza, 200 E. Randolph St.

While the elements of Harry Bertoia’s sculpture are abstract, his inspiration comes from nature. A memory of wheat fields swaying in the breeze and the intriguing notion of a mythological Aeolian harp activated by the winds inspired Bertoia to create his “sounding sculpture” fountain. Installed in two parts, each segment of the artwork consists of black granite bases supporting brass plates, from which rise rows of flexible rods of thin copper. Wind currents cause the rods to vibrate at various frequencies according to their lengths, creating pleasing musical sounds.

A part of Chicago Public Art Program ..
Reference: Harry Bertoia (Untitled Sounding Sculpture) click here

We Will

We Will ... by Richard Hunt [2005] ..

I coudnt find much information on this sculpture ...

But I did find some information on the artist ... Richard Hunt was appointed, by President Lyndon Johnson, to serve as one of the first artists on the governing board of the National Endowment for the Arts. He has continued to serve on the board of the quintessential art institutions in America and abroad; including the Board of Trustees for the Ravinia Festival, Museum of Comtemporary Art, Chicago; American Academy in Rome; National Board of Directors, Smithsonian Institute; and the esteemed American Academy of Arts and Letters. His professorships and artist residencies include Yale University, Purdue University, Cornell University, and Harvard University.

* I've earlier posted image of another statue by Richard Hunt "Freeform ... click here
...

A Post-box and a few Newspaper & Magazine Stands ...

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A Post-box and a few Newspaper & Magazine Stands ...

Not strickly a public art ... but very attractive nevertheless ...
Saw it in the DePaul University Plaza, as I as taking photos of "Vincentian Letter", as shown in the previous post ...

Vincentian Letter

Vincentian Letter ... Alexander Tylevich ..
Dedicated in 2000 ... this 21-foot sculpture, in the DePaul University plaza at Jackson Boulevard and State Street ..

The sculptor, lives in St. Paul, Minn. Tylevich, is originally from the Soviet Union. He was the winner of a national competition that DePaul held to find an artist best suited for the work ...




Click on the image for enlarged view ...

The sculpture refers to the history of DePaul and to the life St. Vincent de Paul, the 17th century priest who dedicated his life to serving the poor and for whom the university is named. The major motif of the sculpture is a pair of bronze elements, which are actually an "envelope" and an "open letter" to be read by all who pass by. The letter side of the sculpture is a bas-relief image of St. Vincent welded onto bronze patina. The envelope portion of the piece tells the history of DePaul through an artistic interpretation of archival documents, which include a heraldic cross and an image of the fleur-de-lis (the symbol of France), the university's Tree of Wisdom logo and a profile image of a young person.

Mark di Suvero - Millennium Park [North Boeing Gallery]

Orion ..
2007 .. H-53' X W-26'8" X D-20' [Painted Steel]
Mark di Suvero transforms heavy industrial materials into vibrant uplifting forms. Di Suvero often paints his sculptures to bright orange red so they create a striking drawing against the blue sky. The artist draws inspiration from many sources including mathematics, physics, music, poetry and astronomy. The sculpture refers to the constellation named for the famed hunter of Greek mythology.



Johnny Appleseed ..
1989-93 ... H-23' X W-22' X D-44' [Steel and Stainless Steel]

Mark di Suvero is recognized by contemporary art scholars and critics for inventing a radical style of art which challenges the very nature and defiunition of sculpture. Built from steel and found materials such as wooden beams and scrap metal, this abstract assemblages are large in scale and powerfully expressive. Open forms that unfolds and thrust outwards, his sculpture define and describe the space they occupy.

Johnny Appleseed is a masterpiece of artists use of unorthodox materials. The tiles refers to the celebrated nurseryman who redefined the American landscape by planting orchards and giving seeds and trees to pioneer settlers, introducing the apple to Ohio, indiana and Illinois ...



Five sculptures of Mark Di Suvero are exhibited in the Millennium Park ... Two in the North Boeing Gallery and Three in the South Boeing Gallery ...

Mark Di Suvero is one of America's most influential artists ... famous for his massive works in abstract expressionism ... On the stand seen in the third image is written ..." He encourages viewers to walk through, on and around his sculpture, so they can experience it from all perspective"...

These sculptures are on display ...
From April 17, 2007 - to - April 1, 2008.

Mark di Suvero - Millennium Park [South Boeing Gallery]

Shang: 1985 .. H 25' X W 19' X D 7'8" [Steel]
The sculpture features a suspended steel I-beam bent by the artist into a swing that visitors are invited to ride. It's title refers to the Shang dynasty and is a tribute to the country where di Suvero was born ...



Rust Angel: 1995 .. H-8'11" X W-14'7" X D-7'8" [Painted Steel]
The main body of the sculpture is crafted from a single plate of steel, which Di Suvero cut with a torch, and then pulled into complex configuration.



Yoga: 1991 ...H-29' X W-31' X D-31' [Steel and Stainless Steel]
A bent steel I-beam rests high overhead on a bearing that enables it to move in the wind. the five-ton element appears weightless as it spins and rocks gently up and down.



An excerpt from the stand ... "Mark di Suvero does not make technical drawings or models from his large scale work. He engages directly with the material making the sculptures himself. He draws free hand onto steel plates which he considers his paper and the arcs he cuts out with a cutting torch express the compass reach of his outstreatched arms. Using a crane he brings steel plates and beams together welding and bolting them into place. He would also cold bend the steel with an anchor and a crane, a technique that can be seen in Rust Angel, Shang and Yoga."

These sculptures are on display ...
From April 17, 2007 - to - April 1, 2008.

Niki in the Garden

30 extraordinarily colorful and whimsical outdoor sculptures by Niki de Saint Phalle, in the Garfield Park Conservatory ... May4 - Oct 31, 2007.

Niki de Saint Phalle was born in 1930 in Neuilly-sur-Seine, France and raised in New York City. She was a self-taught artist.A founding member and only female involved in the Noveau Realisme movement, she met with prominent avant-garde artists like Christo, Yves Klein and Arman while she was in Paris.

Developing crippling rheumatoid arthritis later in life that made it very hard for her to use her hands and even walk, she never stopped working day in and day out while in the midst of a project. Her art was her life, and she was determined to live it. In the early 1990's Saint Phalle settled in southern California, and in 2000 she was awarded the acclaimed 12th Premium Imperial Prize in the sculpture category, considered the Nobel Prize equivalent to those in the art world. She remained in California until her death in 2002

Cool Globe Online Auction

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Cool Globe Online Auction ...

Cool Globe ... ... an innovative public art project in Chicago [June - September, 2007] using the medium of public art to inspire individuals and organizations to take action against global warming.

Now starting Monday, November 26 for one week ... select large and mini-globes from the Cool Globes exhibit in Chicago will be auctioned to raise funds for the Chicago Conservation Corp Clubs, which provide environmental education opportunities for Chicago¹s youth.

Among the globes to be auctioned are mini-globes from luminaries like ... Bill Clinton, Robert Redford, David Schwimmer, Tobey Maguire, Eva Mendes, Rob Corddry, Jenny Lennon and the cast of “Reno 911”, Magic Johnson, Dave Winfield, Chicago Bear Tommie Harris, Tony Bennett, BB King, Heather Headley, The Gypsy Kings ...

The best part is that the potential buyers of these works of art don’t have to be in Chicago to buy one. The auction will take place online, hosted by eBay.

Auction begins: Monday, November 26 at 9:00 a.m.
Auction ends: Monday, December 3 at 9:00 a.m.

For more information, check ... Cool Globe Online Auction, Click here ...
Chicago Conservation Corps, Click here ...

Cool Globes .. Hot idea for a cooler planet

click on the image for enlarged view....

From June-September 2007, the City of Chicago is hosting “CoolGlobes: Hot Ideas for a Cooler Planet,” an innovative project that uses the medium of public art to inspire individuals and organizations to take action against global warming.

The exhibit features over 100 sculpted globes, each five feet in diameter, displayed along Chicago’s lakefront from The Field Museum north and at Navy Pier. Artists from around the world, including Jim Dine, Yair Engel, Tom Van Sant and Juame Plensa, designed the globes, using a variety of materials to transform their plain white sphere to create awareness and provoke discussion about potential solutions to global warming.

Cool Globes - II

To read about the ... "Cool Globe" Exhibition ... Click here ..

Cool Globes - III

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To read about the ... "Cool Globe" Exhibition ... Click here ..

River Esplanade Park

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River Esplanade Park ...
River Esplanade Park is one of three new parks developed in the mid-1980s to provide recreational space for Cityfront Center, a mixed-use development north of the Chicago River. In 1988, the Chicago Dock and Canal Trust donated 1.3 acres of under-utilized industrial property to the Chicago Park District to create this pleasant riverside esplanade. A paved plaza with ornamental railings, benches, and plantings, River Esplanade Park provides an ideal place to sit and watch boats pass by or stroll along the river.

The park stretches both east and west from the Metropolitan Water Reclamation District's centennial fountain and water cannon, designed in 1989 by Lohan Associates.

City of Chicago "Public Art Program"..

In the year 1978, the City Council of the City of Chicago created a "Public Art Program".. which ..

- recognizes the importance of the artistic expression of local and international artists..
- desires to enhance its public structures and environment through artwork located in public places ...
- will enhance Chicago's stature as a national leader in public art ..

The Public Art Programs have been established across the country in 200 states, counties and municipalities, . . . . to provide an effective vehicle for the commissioning and placement of such artwork ..

City Council of the City of Chicago also passed a Percent-for-Art ordinance requires that 1.33% of the construction budget for City-owned buildings be set aside for artwork on the premises.

Since this "Public-Art-Program" has been adopted, the public art in chicago has grown by leaps and bounds ...


For more information, click here

Crack the Whip [Navy Pier]

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Crack the Whip
Sculptor: Jo Saylors
Location: Navy Pier ... between Second and Brown Streets ...

Bob Newhart [Navy Pier]

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Bob Newhart as Dr. Bob Hartley ...
Presented by the people of TV Land.

In the Navy Pier ...

Chicago Rising from the Lake

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Chicago Rising from the Lake - Milton Horn..
1954, Bronze, H 7 ft. x W 12 ft.
City of Chicago Public Art Collection..
LOCATION:Columbus Drive Bridge Columbus Dr. at the Chicago River..

Milton Horn’s bronze bas-relief is symbolic of the city of Chicago. The female figure represents Chicago emerging reborn from the bottom of Lake Michigan following the Great Chicago Fire of 1871. The sheaf of wheat, bull and eagle reference Chicago’s historic role as a center of commerce, the livestock market and air transportation, respectively. Floral forms evoke the city motto, “Urbs in Horto” or “City in a Garden.” Finally, the bronze ring arching across the relief represents Chicago’s central geography within the United States.

Reference: Chicago Public Art Program, click here

The Centennial Plaza and Fountain

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The Centennial Plaza and Fountain ...
Metropolitan Water Reclamation District of Great Chicago ...

Every hour on the hour, from 10:00 to 14:00 and again from 17:00 to midnight, the esplanade's Centennial Fountain shoots a massive arc of water across the river for 10 minutes. The entire exercise is meant to commemorate the labor-intensive reversal of the Chicago River in 1900, which tidily began sending all of the city's wastes downriver rather than into the lake.

Mosaic Sofa [River East]

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I have no idea of what these are called ... saw them in River East area.
Next time I'm in that area, i'll look for any information ...

Merchandise Mart Hall of Fame

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Merchandise Mart Hall of Fame ..
Eight busts of outstanding American merchants ...
by Minna Harkavy, Milton Horn, Lewis Iselin, Henry Rox, Charles Umlauf ..
1953, Bronzes, four-times life-size (each)
Commissioned by The Merchandise Mart ..
LOCATION:The Merchandise Mart main entrance at the Chicago River..

Eight heroic-sized busts of men, whose names or companies are well-known to American consumers, stand in tribute to this country’s remarkable system of merchandising. Mounted on tall pillars, the portrait-heads of these innovative Americans are positioned like sentries facing the entrance of The Merchandise Mart, the world’s largest wholesale buying center.

"To immortalize outstanding American merchants", Joseph Kennedy in 1953 commissioned eight bronze busts, four times life size, which would come to be known as the Merchandise Mart Hall of Fame ...
- Retail magnates Frank Winfield Woolworth, Marshall Field and Aaron Montgomery Ward ..
- Julius Rosenwald and Robert Elkington Wood of Sears, Roebuck and Company fame ..
- Advertiser John Wanamaker, merchandiser Edward Albert Filene, and A&P grocery chain founder George Huntington Hartford.

Heald Square Monument

Heald Square Monument..

George Washington, Robert Morris and Hyam Salomon Memorial holding hands ..

Sculptor: by Lorado Taft ..

The familiar figure of George Washington is portrayed clasping the hands of two of his civilian supporters, Robert Morris and Hyam Salomon. Although few recognize their names, these two men could be called the financiers of the American Revolution. Lorado Taft, whose forebears fought in the Revolutionary War, designed the monument, which would become his last work. It was completed by Leonard Crunelle ..
Heald Square Monument honors Nathan Heald, the commander of Fort Dearborn, which stood just east of this site.

1941, Bronze, H 11 ft. 8 in. x W 10 ft. 10 in. x D 5 ft. 3 in.
City of Chicago Public Art Collection, commissioned by The Patriotic Foundation of Chicago ..
LOCATION: Heald Square ... East Wacker Dr. at Wabash Ave.