11/2/2025- My first…read moremural pic and review.. On my daily morning walk last week-.. I remember seeing this one behind our Chevron..and Tahoe Natural Cafe-.. Our murals depict our city and the creative artists in town!

I think mural paintings are so creative on a large scale. It seems that no matter where you…read moretravel, you can always see a mural or two that may be cultural or simply a message to others. As many artists use spray cans to paint on the huge canvas, it takes a certain skill to get the proportions correct. While many sketch their theme before spraying, I have also seen artists just do their thing. Creativity at its best provided it's agreed upon prior to display.

I read about this museum closing in June and made a point to stop by for the first time a couple of…read moreweeks ago. After visiting, it's sad to know it's shutting down. This is a free public museum that showcases local talent. This is one of the better art museums in the city. The museum space isn't large, but it isn't small either. They have two floors of content, and the space is maximized to showcase the artists on display. Our visit included two artists that I hadn't heard of, but thoroughly enjoyed seeing and learning about. One of them was the Barbara Nessim exhibit upstairs, which was terrific. She has a rich and interesting history in the arts dating back to the 60's. Her work pioneered computer graphics, and she had an impact in so many ways outside of the art world. A letter opposing the closure of this art museum has been created. Please consider signing this to keep this museum open: https://openletter.earth/letter-opposing-the-closing-of-dpam-f02e5d5a Cheers.

This afternoon I attended a tour of the DePaul Art Museum's "Edgar Miller, Anti-Modern, 1917-1967"…read moreexhibit. The DePaul Art Museum is one of Chicago's smaller art museums, but it's a gem and well worth visiting. Conveniently located just east of the Red Line L stop on Fullerton Avenue, it's part of the DePaul University campus in Lincoln Park. They focus on modern and contemporary art with a permanent collection of over 3500 objects, all with a connection to Chicago. Their exhibits are thoughtful and engaging, and best of all the museum is free! Edgar Miller (1899-1993), the subject of their current exhibit, was a multi-disciplined, Chicago-based artist and designer who has been largely overlooked through the years. He started his career doing illustrations and graphic design for Alfonso Iannelli. Later he worked independently creating sculpture, art, ceramics, stained glass, graphics and architecture (oftentimes repurposing old structures and embellishing them with his artistic details). In the late 1950s he did freelance graphic and packaging work for the Container Corporation of America. Although there is a wonderful book on his career, the is the first major exhibit of his work. I highly recommend a visit to this wonderful Chicago museum, their current Miller exhibit, and future exhibits.

This bright red/orange piece, that resembles a cross between a praying mantis and an elephant. It…read morejust sucks you in. You cannot pass by it without looking. There is metered street parking and commercial lots within a reasonable walking distance, but most viewers of this statute would be passers by, on their way to another destinations. You will find this piece at the Federal Plaza in front of the Kluczynski Federal Building The steel sculpture is the work of Alexander Calder. It stands 53 feet tall and weighs 50 tons. It was commissioned by GSA in 1974. This piece is well maintained and looks great, especially for its age. I think it is supposed to represent a flamingo, but does not even come close to that. I think at a minimum the piece should have been painted pink versus its current international vermillion hue. As with most sculptures that I have visited and reviewed, this is not a destination piece, nor a long stop. I was there less than 5 minutes. So, you may want to consider planning out additional stops at many of the other attractions in the area (and there are many of them), or making this stop part of a larger itinerary to maximize your time and trip.

Another fun iconic sculpture in downtown Chicago! We had no problem finding it while walking back…read moreto Union Station from the Art Institute of Chicago. It's located at the intersection of W. Adams and S. Dearborn streets. American artist Alexander Calder installed the 53 foot tall steel sculpture in October, 1974. It is painted a bright red, vermillion red, which is now called Calder red. Enjoy!!

You can find these amazing murals at the underpass of Foster Avenue and Lake Shore Drive, Uptown…read moreChicago. They are pretty colorful and really adds life to the concrete walls! The walk from the lake to the residential area is more enjoyable.

I discovered this other little gem today on my way to Sunshine Cafe…read more And I was, just as for the one on 47th street, thoroughly impressed. And smiling. Turning gloomy underpasses into wonderful works of art is one of the best forms of urban improvement I have seen in years. It might seem pretty insignificant in the great scheme of things but to me it's highly symbolic: to revitalize some of the most disregarded spots of the city - ANY city - is definitely a step in the right direction. Underpasses are not doomed to be dark, smelly and forgotten. And when the art on display celebrate the Native American culture it takes a whole new dimension. The result - "Indian Land Dancing" - is a colorful display that interweaves time and heritage, with both distinct tribal nuances and larger Native American symbolism providing the bulk of the imagery. But no stereotype here: the entire project was in the hands of the Native American community who wanted to do 'something very meaningful' and connected to the present. Among other things: a skateboarder glides down the shimmering black mane of woman who hugs a sphere of seven circles representing responsibility to future generations. The underside of his board says "Apache." Woven into the woman's hair, a poem reads, "With our strong arms, we form a circle, and in that circle, we embrace the world." The 3,200 square inch mosaic grace both walls of the underpass, and is the only public display of Native American art in the city. Don't miss it this summer while walking to the beach. It's breathtaking.

Fun stroll [Chicago IL]…read more Just a short distance from the Millennium Park is this cool 925-foot-long winding pedestrian bridge in the Loop community area. This was fun to walk along and took us to another park at the end, the Maggie Daley Park. Interesting and cool piece of engineering looking like a giant silver snake. The stainless steel sheet looks beautiful shimmering in the sun. Aside from the Cloud Gate, the BP Pedestrian Bridge is another one of Millennium Park's popular attractions drawing large crowds of visitors including us! We were able to see views of the Chicago skyline, Lake Michigan, Historic Michigan Boulevard District, and Grant Park. If you're wondering what the BP stands for in its name it is named after the energy firm (formerly called British Petroleum) who donated a large sum to the project. Review #3824

Gehry designed this 925 ft long pedestrian bridge that spans Columbus Drives with skyline views &…read morethe Nichols Bridgeway arches from the park to the Art Institute's sculpture terrace. Named for energy firm BP, which donated $5 million toward its construction, it is the first Gehry-designed bridge to have been completed. BP Bridge is described as snakelike because of its curving form.

I'm a Chicagoan. It's important to know your biological and national history. The Museum is full of…read morehistorical artifacts. The guide was engaging and knowledgeable. I recommend that all Chicagoans especially our school aged children are exposed to an important legacy.

This is a gem and well worth the visit. Kudos to those working on preserving the Pullman buildingsread more

Beautiful building with well curated avant gard book store. Exhibitions are unusual and opening…read morereceptions are lovely.

I look forward to coming to these events, despite them being quite a ways away from where I work…read moreand live. The works tend towards architecture which is NOT my milieu but is thought provoking, and sometimes a live performance such as dance takes place too! The layout is elaborate, 3 levels (sorry no elevator?) and spacious rooms, a book store/library, and a back area outdoor in the summer with a fountain. I agree with Emily C. that the staff is a little underwhelmed by the works presented but I admit I don't like being 'sold' on artists' work, so being left to observe in peace is what I enjoy about this place. I'm sure when there's a lecture/discussion the staff is very enthused, as they were at this event. This event featured a poetry reading by Charles Bernstein, a poetry prize recipient, responding to artwork by his colleagues. Usually after there's a wine reception.

Had a good time at this art museum and gallery. It certainly is a way to know about a local artist…read morewho had a big impact. The Ed Paschke Art Center is the biggest collection of his work. Also it's free. There's a lot of permanent collections, and you can find exhibits by other local artists who come here for training. A few things about him. In 1939 he was born on the North Side. There was early influence by his father who made Disney animation and sketches among other things. After graduating from The School Of The Art Institute Of Chicago, he got a travel scholarship to Mexico. There he was influenced by the art colors and patterns. He was in the army, making drawings for weapons manuals. Then he started making collages using images from newspapers. He would enlarge and reproduce these using oil on canvas. Then getting his MFA at SAIC, he was influenced by the first museum exhibition held by Andy Warhol. He was getting popular as an artist. Then he also began teaching classes at several universities. Often he would invite students over to his studio, and tell them to grab a brush and start painting on a canvas. The Art Institute Of Chicago had a traveling career retrospective in 1989 that was one of his career highlights. In 2004 he passed away. The city honored him by naming a street after him. A few years later this art center was created by his children and the Rabb Family Foundation. This opened in 2014 and increased the awareness of his work and life. Admission is free. This is because of their commitment to accessibility to the public. In the permanent collection is the Howard Street Studio installation. This reimagines his art studio with unfinished art works, source material, and souvenirs. Basically it's like giving you an idea of how he made art. One can get a sense of his painting techniques, like how he used sponges to get the color and volume. A lot of other stuff in the permanent collection. Vaca Victoria was a part of the 1999 public art project "Cows On Parade." It was one of hundreds of fiberglass cows created by Chicago artists. This used to be on Superior in River North. It was only there a few days. There was controversy about some local gang symbols. It has a head painted like the Bulls logo. The six stars represent the NBA Championship wins. Also there's stuff by other local artists. This has a residency program where they can learn. Getting here is pretty easy without a car. It's located on Higgins by Milwaukee Avenue and the Jefferson Park Metra station. This is easy to get to with public transportation.

I'd love to see more of his exhibits or his artworks. I was awestruck when I come across his art…read moreexhibits at art institute I begged my dad to take me there when I was in high school. There I met Ed Paschke after I grabbed bought art book about him, got his autograph. I treasure this art book with his signature when I greeted him politely and told him my name. ( I wrote it down on note because I'm deaf and too shy to talk. Thank you Ed Paschke. May your colorful spirit in arts live on! I hope or wish to have one of your masterpieces. They are so beautiful and vibrant! I'll post pic once I find my art book.