Jan & John Maggs Antiques

Chicago's Loop Art Tour

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On our recent short break in Chicago we took advantage of fair weather to explore the city's renowned collection of public art on display in and around The Loop.

As our guide, we took WikiTravel's self-guided tour. Although we discovered that it wasn't completely current, it provided an excellent way to crawl about the city, drinking in more and less important examples of artworks and architecture.

Our wanderings brought us before many important works scattered through the area, all of which are viewable without charge, and also provided a close-up look at many of Chicago's most famous buildings.

 Please join us.

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We began our tour at the Art Institute of Chicago, where we would later spend the better part of two of our vacation days.

Though not mentioned in the WikiTravel piece, these larger-than-life lions, created by Edward Kemeys in 1894, appear to guard the entrance.

The handsome pair are beloved by Chicagoans, and they seemed like a good starting point for our tour.

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From the lions we move to the grounds of the Art Institute, beautifully maintained and a delightful place to begin.

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Alexander Calder's Flying Dragon (1975)

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Henry Moore's Large Interior Form (1982)

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David Smith's Cubi VII (1963)

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From the Art Institute, we headed north to Millenium Park to see Jaume Plensa's Crown Fountain (2004).

We watched while a young woman ran repeatedly from her tripod-mounted phone to one of the two ever-changing towers, trying for the perfect selfie.
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Anish Kapoor's Cloud Gate (2004) occupies prime real estate in Millennium Park.

We took the obligatory photo, despite the fact that it was, like a Midwestern Stonehenge, enclosed by fencing to keep us out.

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Frank Gehry's Jay Pritzger Pavilion, a state-of-the art performance space in Millennium Park, is as much a feast for the eye as for the ear.

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We left Millenium park over Frank Gehry's long, winding BP Bridge, which brought us to Grant Park.

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Halfway to Grant Park, we caught this view of the Chicago skyline.

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Our first stop - Aon Center, dominated by the supertall Aon Center.

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Aon Center from the ground

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One of Henry Bertoia's two Sounding Sculptures, in Aon Center.

The thin copper rods moving gently in the wind produce a compelling metallic sound.

Unfortunately, workers operating jackhammers a few feet away foiled our attempt to film (or even hear!) the music.

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Richard Hunt's Winged Form (1987)

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The famous Chicago Picasso (1967) on the plaza of Richard J. Daley Center

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Joan Miro's surrealist Chicago (1981), just across Washington Street

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Marc Chagall's The Four Seasons on the plaza of the Chase Tower portrays fanciful scenes of Chicago.

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And finally, for now, Alexander Calder's The Flamingo, shot in the evening dark, hinting at the beauty of Chicago after dark.

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We hope you enjoyed this walk through parts of Chicago. Revisiting them through these pictures has convinced us that we will return.

Since returning home, we've discovered the official publication listing and discussing these and several dozen additional works on display daily in Chicago.

publicartguide1.pdf (chicago.gov)

Next time!

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