Joanne H. Alter Plaza

Joanne H. Alter Plaza..
The plaque reads..
Joanne H Alter was elected Commissioner of the Metropolitan Water Reclamation District of Greater Chicago, and served with distinction from 1972 to 1990. Commissioner Alter's vision for improvement in the Chicago River led to the revitalization of the entire river system. She, Commissioner Gloria Alitto Majewski and a Centennial Committee helped organize the District Centennial Anniversary Celebration, which included the creation of the Centennial Fountain on the north bank of the Chicago River at McClurg Court. the fountain was completed in 1989 to mark one hundred years of the District - protecting the water environment.

An ardent environmentalist, Commissioner Alter worked to beautify the District land holdings and water reclamation plants with flowers and native grass. This spot on the river she treasures, in the city she loves, is dedicated to Commissioner Joanne H Alter by her grateful colleagues on the Board of Commission in the year 2005..

Irv Kupcinet Memorial

Irv Kupcinet's hands are welcoming towards what was once the site of Chicago Sun Times building ... which was demolished and now in it's place stands the Trump Tower ...

Irv Kupcinet Memorial

Sculptor: Preston Jackson

Completed: 2006

Bronze

Donated by the Kupcinet Family and Friends

City of Chicago Public Art Collection...

Richard M.Daley, Mayor..

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..

Ruins - III

Ruins - III ..
By: Nita Sunderland ...
1981-2004
Description: Bronze and limestone ...
Location: East Riverwalk, between Columbus and Lake Shore Dr.
A part of Art-in-Architecture Program ..

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.







Reference: City of Chicago official website ...
Nita Sunderland [Ruins III].. click here ...

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.

We Will (2005) - by Richard Hunt

We Will (2005) - by Richard Hunt

Welded Stainless Steel / 35' H x 8'W x 8'D

Location: Heritage Building

at the corner of Randolph and Garland Court

near the Chicago Cultural Center and the Millennium Park

Commissioned by the Mesa Development Company

the developers of condominium in Chicago .

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

Click on the image for enlarged view ...

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 ...

Loop [Vincentian Letter - by Alexander Tylevich]

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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 ...

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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 & 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"...
Temporary Exhibit: From April 17, 2007 -to- April 1, 2008.

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
NORTH GALLERY: Orion and Johnny Appleseed..
SOUTH GALLERY: Shang, Rust Angel and Yoga..

NORTH 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 ...



SOUTH 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

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30 extraordinarily colorful and whimsical outdoor sculptures by Niki de Saint Phalle, in the Garfield Park Conservatory ... May 4 - 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

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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 ...

2007: Temporary Exhibit at Lake Front [Cool Globes : Hot idea for a cooler planet]

Cool Globes: Hot Ideas for a Cooler Planet
Artist: Various
2007: Temporary Exhibit  [June-September 2007]
Location: Lakefront from The Field Museum north and at Navy Pier

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.