On August 9, I got together with one of my high-school friends who lives in Chicago. She is a member of the Art Institute, and a concert-goer (including a chamber music series at the Art Institute). We enjoyed a lovely brunch in the cafe on top of the modern wing of the Institute, and did some catching up. So nice to still enjoy our old friends!
Eventually we left the cafe to wander around in the Institute. (It was supposed to thunder on the 9th, so we made an indoor plan.)
What a view! This is from the 3rd level of the modern wing, I believe. Definitely looking north at Millennium Park. The structure we see at the foot of the skyscrapers is the home of concerts in the park. I can't call it a "band shell" -- it's way too fancy for that........ The curly bits are over the performers, and the network of pipes? is over the listeners.
The garden just between us and all of that -- it looks so lush! While we were in Chicago I got email from the Toledo (Ohio) zoo, talking about urban prairies and all the work the zoo is doing to grow native plants, and to encourage others to do the same. They said that new-ish patches of native plants are making a big difference to the small critters. Birds and insects, of course, and they also mentioned lizards, and even a red fox.
I can't help but believe that all of the flowers and other plants in Chicago have the same effect........
Work by Naum Gabo in the museum. I liked the way this looked a bit different from each angle. This is what that 60s? "string art" was trying to be.......
The Art Institute's collections are wide and varied. Decorative art, architecture fragments, ancient art, miniature rooms, painting from every period. They have a lot of work by Joseph Cornell. I love his assemblage. Sadly, it was too dark to photograph reasonably (it would be harmed by bright light). I was glad to get to see a bunch of it together!
My friend and I were doing enough talking as we strolled that I didn't take many pics. Here are a couple of things in the extensive Asian collection. I love the way the folds of the garment drape.......... So perfect, so serene.......
Another set of perfect folds, draping perfectly. This next one was in a dark spot. I've lightened it considerably, and now can see that it was painted. No wonder they had it in low light....
After wandering in the Institute for hours, I was overloaded on visual input. We left the museum. My friend suggested that we take a quick spin through the former public library, which is now the cultural center. Apparently Chicago has a tradition of elaborately decorated public libraries!
I got one quick snap of this young man on his back, taking a picture of the stained glass dome. I hope he got just the shot he wanted!
The dome is big enough that getting it all in one pic is non-trivial.
This building is full of quotes. You can see above that there are words around the bottom of the dome.
And the signs of the zodiac at the top.
The walls are heavily embellished. This isn't as clear as I wish it was, but you get an idea -- this is all mosaic.
I'm thinking about the people who did this work. Did they take joy in making all of this beauty? I hope so. I hope it wasn't just one more tedious job, tile by tiny tile.....
This shot is even blurrier than the prev, alas, but wow, eh? So many people spent so many hours embellishing this amazing space..........
Here's another quote. Perhaps Mlle. Kennedy and M. Stewart (who taught us French, in high school) would be glad to know we were able to translate this: Mortals are equal: it's not birth, but only virtue which makes the difference.
There were quotes in many languages, and many alphabets. Greek, Arabic, Hebrew. It would be a learned person who could read all of them!
I'm so glad that our stay in Chicago came at a time when my friend was available to get together. Isn't it lovely, when we discover we still have much in common with friends made nearly 50 years ago!
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