.

CHICAGO: ART the GRANT PARK

Grant Park is often called Chicago’s “Open Front Yard” .

This 319 acres of open space has a large number of sculptures, monuments, fountains, gardens.

At the NORTH END of Grant Park is the state-of-the-art Millennium Park. At the SOUTH END of the Grant Park is the world’s largest Museum Campus, with three world class museums the Shedd Aquarium, The Field Museum and the Adler Planetarium. In between is the Art Institute of Chicago.

Since there are large number of Public Art pieces at all these places – Millennium Park, Museum Campus and the Art Institute of Chicago – I am discussing, each of them separately. This post is on art in the Grant Park.

.

.

 

---

 

.

 

.

Congress Plaza Gardens

The Bowman and The Spearman – by Ivan Mestrovic

Sculptor Ivan Mestrovic intended his monumental figures to commemorate the Native American and symbolize the struggle to settle this country. The sculpture highlights the muscular tension from the actions of hurling a spear and releasing an arrow. However there is neither a bow nor a spear in the sculpture. The sculptor left it to the viewers imagination. Although the sculptures are modeled in-the-round, the equestrians are viewed to their most monumental effect as relief silhouettes against the sky.

For more, click here..

.

 

---

 

.

 

Clarence Buckingham Memorial Fountain – by Edward Bennett

Kate Sturges Buckingham, philanthropist and art patron donated one million dollars for the fountain which was dedicated to the memory of her brother, Clarence Buckingham . At the time, she also established a $300,000 trust fund to ensure that the taxpayers would never have to cover all of the repair and upkeep costs associated with the fountain.

For more, click here..

.

 

---

 

.

.

 

Rose Garden and Figure Fountains

Figure Fountains: Crane Girl, Fisher Boy, Dove Girl and Turtle Boy – by Leonard Crunelle

On the north and south of the Clarence Buckingham Memorial Fountain are the rose gardens.. These rose gardens have four circular fountains with a bronze figures installed in the center of each fountain. The South Rose Garden has Dove Girl and Turtle Boy. The North Rose Garden has Crane Girl and Fisher Boy. Sculptor is Leonard Crunelle.

For more, click here..

 

.

.

 

---

 

.

North President’s Court

Sitting Lincoln – by Augustus Saint-Gaudens

The North President’s Court has the famous sculpture “Sitting Lincoln” by Augustus Saint-Gaudens. It also has a vegetable and herbs garden. The sculpture Sitting Lincoln was cast in 1908. However the monument was not installed in 1926. In the interim period, the Seated Lincoln was displayed at the New York Metropolitan Museum of Art and the 1915 San Francisco Exposition. Finally, in 1926, the South Park Commissioners installed the bronze figures. The exedra, – the enormous 150-foot wide marble setting – is by architect Stanford White. It’s well that that Augustus Saint-Gaudens and Stanford White have collaborated on a number of installations.

This monument is a gift to the city of Chicago by John Crerar, who left a $100,000 bequest in 1889 to construct a Lincoln statue. His trustees commissioned the sculptor Augustus Saint Gaudens to create this tribute.

For more, click here..

North President’s Court

Vegetable and herbs garden

 

.

 

---

 

.

South President’s Garden

 Artists and Automobile

The South President’s Court features the exhibit “Artists And Automobiles” , a series of sculptures by 5 Chicago artists … Mary Brogger, Ted Garner, Dessa Kirk, John Mason and Lucy Slivinski. Artists and Automobiles” was organized by the Public Art Program of the Chicago Department of Cultural Affairs. It was presented by Allstate, in celebration of its 75th anniversary, and the Chicago Department of Cultural Affairs. The artists were allowed to select automobile parts at Tech-Cor, [Allstate’s state-of-the-art research and training facility in Wheeling, Ill.]..which was delivered to their respective studios. The artists used the discarded car parts like windshields, tailpipes, mufflers, sidewalls, springs and bumpers, and made them into pieces of art, like.. Lilies [by Dessa Kirk], Glass Bench [by Ted Garner], Hedgerow [by Lucy Slivinski], Arise 2 [by John Mason] …

 

.

 

---

 

.

Sir Georg Solti Garden

Bust of Sir George Solti – by Dame Elisabeth Frink

Sir Georg Solti (1912-1997) was a world renowned orchestral conductor who served as director of the Chicago Symphony Orchestra for more than two decades. The sculpture was initially dedicated in front of the Lincoln Park Conservatory on the maestro’s 75th birthday. In 2006, when a new Sir Georg Solti Garden was created in Grant Park, the Chicago Park District moved the bust there and placed it on a stately dark granite base .

For more, click here..

 

.

 

---

 

.

 

.

 Congress Plaza Gardens

Eagle Fountains – by Frederick C. Hibbard

On the north and south sides of the Congress Plaza are two circular fountains with bronze eagles.

For more, click here..

 

.

 

---

 

.

.

 

Congress Triangle Gardens

Magdalene- by Dessa Kirk

 For more, click here..

 

.

 

---

 

.

.

 

Grant Park Gardens

Theodore Thomas Memorial / The Spirit of Music Statue – by Albin Polasek

For more, click here..

 

.

 

---

 

.

.

 

Grant Park Gardens

General John Logan Memorial – by Auguste Saint-Gaudens

For more, click here..

 

.

 

---

 

.

Grant Park

Rosenberg Fountain – by Franz Macht

For more, click here..

 

 

---

 

.

Grant Park

Agora – by Magdalena Abakanowicz

For more, click here..

 

.

.

 

---

 

.

Grant Park

Van Buren Street Station

For more, click here..

 

.

 

---

 

.

Grant Park

Reading Cones – by Richard Serra..

For more, click here..

 

.

 

---

 

.

Grant Park

Cancer Survivors Garden

For more, click here..

 

.

 

---

 

.

GRANT PARK
The Bowman and The Spearman – by Ivan Mestrovic.. click here..
Clarence Buckingham Memorial Fountain – by Edward Bennett.. click here..
Figure Fountains: Crane Girl, Fisher Boy, Dove Girl and Turtle Boy – by Leonard Crunelle.. click here..
Sitting Lincoln – by Augustus Saint-Gaudens [North President’s Court].. click here..
Artists and Automobile – Various Artists [South President’s Court].. click here..
Sir Georg Solti – by Elisabeth Frink .. click here..
Eagle Fountains – by Frederick C. Hibbard.. click here..
Magdalene – by Dessa Kirk.. click here..
Theodore Thomas Memorial / The Spirit of Music Statue – by Albin Polasek.. click here..
General John Logan Memorial – by Auguste Saint-Gaudens.. click here..
Rosenberg Fountain – by Franz Machtl.. click here..
Agora – by Magdalena Abakanowicz.. click here..
Van Buren Street Station click here..
Reading Cones – by Richard Serra.. click here..
Cancer Survivors Garden.. click here..

Aaron Montgomary Ward – by Milton Horn.. click here..
Christopher Columbus Monument – by Carl Brioschi click here..

.

 

---

 

.

Chicago Downtown and Loop have very high concentration of Public Art.
As such I am dividing the coverage under various posts:

The Loop

Millennium Park.. click here..

Grant Park.. click here..

Art Institute of Chicago.. click here..

Museum Campus & Soldier Field.. click here..

Chicago River: South Bank.. click here..

Chicago River: North Bank.. click here..

Pioneer Court..click here..

River North and Streeterville.. click here..

Public Art by Location.. click here..

.

 

---

 

.