Above Image:  Portrait sculptures “Laura, Paula and Ines” – by Jaume Plensa at South Boeing Gallery, Millennium Park..

 

This year marks the 10th anniversary of Millennium Park – the most successful public space in Chicago and arguably anywhere in the country or the world. It has become Chicago’s cultural identity and provided world class – open and free – public space to residents and tourists, thereby boosting local economic growth. In celebration of its anniversary much has been talked about its main attractions: the giant polished stainless steel “Cloud Gate” popularly nicknamed the “Bean”;  the fifty-foot tall glass tower with 1000 faces of Chicago citizens “Crown Fountains”;  the state-of-the-art venue for music festival “Pritzker Pavilion”;  and the 5 acre green oasis in the heart of the city “Lurie Garden”.  All these are permanent attractions of Millennium Park. Often overlooked is another public space that has featured some outstanding temporary exhibitions in Chicago – the Boeing Galleries.

Boeing Galleries – which are a pair of outdoor exhibition spaces in the Millennium Park – opened in 2005, a year after the opening of the Millennium Park. Over the years the north and south Boeing Galleries have been venue for series of rotating exhibitions of world-class Contemporary Art by living artists. The current exhibition – “1004 Portraits” – by internationally acclaimed Spanish artist Jaume Plensa, is fifth such temporary large scale outdoor sculptural exhibition at the Millennium Park.

This write-up is not specifically about the current temporary exhibition 1004 Portraits by Jaume Plensa.  It is more about the Boeing Galleries. The mission to present in these rotating exhibitions of Contemporary Art by living artists. Providing the much necessary     permanent and formal public space and an endowment to fund for such exhibitions.  It is also about the  organization – the Millennium Park Inc.  –  which  [in collaboration with other organizations] takes care of funding, organizing, and overseeing such exhibitions in the Boeing Galleries! It is important to point out that this is just one of the many functions of Millennium Park Inc. – a not-for-profit organization – whose mission is to provide funding and operational support to oversee certain aspects of design, restoration, maintenance and preservation of the Millennium Park.

Earlier exhibitions at Boeing Galleries have also been by well known national and international artists. In 2013 the galleries were venue for ceramic installations by Japanese-American artist Jun Kaneko -pioneer in the field of monumental ceramic sculptures. In 2011-12 there were colorful sculptures by Mexican artist Yvonne Domenge famous for her nature-oriented themes. Before that, in 2009-10, the exhibition included works by were four leading Chinese sculptors – Sui Jianguo, Chen Wenling, Zhan Wang and Shen Shaomin – inviting dialogue on enviornment, consumerism, trade, culture and art. The first large scale sculptural installations in the Boeing Galleries were in 2007-08 by one of America’s most influential artists – Mark di Suvero – famous for his massive works in abstract expressionism. Before these, there have been two photo exhibitions.. in 2006 there was “In Search of Paradise: Great Gardens of the World” and in 2005, the first year of the opening of Boeing Galleries, there was exhibition by noted aerial photographer Terry Evans “Revealing Chicago: An Aerial Portrait”.

The rotating exhibitions at the Boeing Galleries, bring elements of change, freshness, and variety to the permanent collection at the Millennium Park. These galleries have been made possible by a generous donation of $ 5 million by the Boeing Co. to fund the construction of the formal outdoor spaces for temporary exhibitions, and for an endowment to help fund visual arts exhibitions in them. The mission of the Boeing Galleries has always been to bring new, contemporary works by living artists. The galleries paved with granite and are surrounded by sycamore trees provide a perfect formal setting for large scale outdoor sculptural installations. New installations occur primarily in the spring and summer months. The exhibitions are brought to us by the not-for-profit Millennium Park Inc.,  in collaboration with the Chicago Department of Cultural Affairs and Special Events [DCASE, also a not-for-profit organization] and is sponsored by the Boeing Company, with support from the Richard H. Driehaus Foundation.

The usual trend for rotating exhibitions in Boeing Galleries has been to have the installations in the North and South Boeing Galleries. This year has been an exception. Of four new portrait sculptures that have been installed, the first “Looking into My Dreams, Awilda” stands at the entrance of Millennium Park at Madison Street and Michigan Avenue, and not in the North Boeing Gallery. However, the other three other sculptures, “Laura”, “Paula”, and “Ines” are installed in the South Boeing Gallery. The choice of Madison Street has been at the insistence of the sculptor Jaume Plensa who explained his fascination for this street in the words..

“It seems very neutral, very humble street, but for me, since I know Chicago for 17 years, I am fascinated by the street, because it splits the city into north and south. Madison is a very enigmatic street for me. Awilda is facing the Madison Street… When you are at a distance in Madison, you have an intuition that there is something floating in the air, because the piece is very wide, sometimes gets completely integrated with the sky and the tees, and when you approaching the park, you look into the face and it becomes more and more visible, and clear. It seems in some ways like a hologram floating, like a soul floating in the park. To me, it is very important the sculpture is not only filling up the space. It is important that the sculpture are expanding the space, there is certain type of energy to it”. – Jaume Plensa.

 

 

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In a city like Chicago, which prides its Public Art collection, there are many other venues that feature rotating art exhibitions in Public Spaces – free and open – for all to see! Notable among these are MCA Chicago Plaza Project, which this year brings “Wind Sculptures” by British artist Yinka Shonibare [click here.. ].  The Art Institute of Chicago’s Modern Wing has rotating exhibitions in the Bluhm Family Terrace .. click here.. One of the most discussed and photographed art exhibits have been in the Pioneer Court, which is open to public, but actually is a private space owned by Equitable Life Insurance Company & The Chicago Tribune Company. The art exhibits at Pioneer Court are brought to us by Zeller Realty Group.. click here.. So Boeing Galleries are definitely not the only venue for rotating art exhibitions. But it has over the years, been the space for some of the best large-scale, outdoor sculptural exhibitions by contemporary artists!

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Temporary exhibitions have their own advantages. They stir excitement and draw crowds. They bring back people who have already seen the permanent collection. They allow the organizers and curators to be experimental. In this age of social-media – with more and more people on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, YouTube and Blogs – creating buzz help attract visitors. Temporary Exhibitions provide the much needed novelty element, which promotes the social media buzz and a engage wider audience into public dialogue about these exhibitions.

 

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Rotating Large Scale Sculptural Exhibitions..
of Contemporary Art by Living Artist at the Boeing Galleries include:

2014: 1004 Portraits – by Jaume Plensa.. click here..
2013: Legends, Myths and Truths – by Jun Kaneko.. click here..
2011-12: Interconnected – Sculptures of Yvonne Domenge .. click here..
2009-10: A Conversation with Chicago: Contemporary Sculpture From China.. click here..
2007-08: Sculptures by Mark di Suvero.. click here..
Before these there have been two photo exhibitions..
2006: In Search of Paradise: Great Gardens of the World
2005:  Revealing Chicago: An Aerial Portrait by Terry Evans.

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I have enjoyed the pleasure of seeing and documenting all of the sculptural exhibitions at the Boeing Galleries. I’ve also attended the Opening Reception of the last two exhibitions: 1004 Portraits by Jaume Plensa and Legends, Myths and Truths by Jun Kaneko. Below are some images from these exhibitions..

 

 

 

Above Image from left: Jun Kaneko, Edward Uhlir, Lucas Cowan and Donna la Pietra at the Opening Reception of Legends, Myths and Truths – by Jun Kaneko. Jun Kaneko is the world renowned ceramist, Edward Uhlir is Execultive Director of Millennium Park Inc., Donna la Pietra is Chairperson of Millennium Park Inc. and Lucas Cowan has been curator of the Jun Kaneko show.. and all the earlier sculptural installation at the Millennium Park, which includes exhibition by Yvonne Domenge and Mark di Suvero.

 

 

2013: Legends, Myths and Truths – by Jun Kaneko. He is a Japanese-American ceramic artist living in Omaha, Nebraska, in the United States. In the exhibition, the North Boeing Gallery featured 17 figure sculptures called Tanukis. Tanuki is a Japanese raccoon dog. Since ancient times these are part of Japanese folklore. Shigaraki town in Japan is famous for pottery making, including Tanuki statues. South Boeing Gallery featured 13 monumental works by Jun Kaneko called Dangos. He created these at his Mission Clay: Pittsburg Project. For more.. click here..

 

 

2011-12: Interconnected – Sculptures of Yvonne Domenge . This was the first installation by a female or Latina artist at the Boeing Galleries. It is regarded as Chicago’s last event of the “Mexico 2010” city-wide yearlong 70-event celebration of the bicentennial of Mexico’s independence and the centennial of its Revolution. The exhibition featured four pieces: one in North Boeing Gallery and three in South Boeing Gallery. “Tree of Life” was in the North Boeing Gallery, which was the tallest of work in the exhibit. South Boeing Gallery included “Coral”, “Tabachin Ribbion” and “Wind Waves”. For more.. click here..

 

 

2009-10: A Conversation with Chicago: Contemporary Sculpture From China. The exhibition featured four large-scale sculptures by four leading Chinese sculptors. North Boeing Gallery had piece by Shen Shaomin [“Kowtow Pump”], and South Boeing Gallery had works by Chen Wenling [“Valiant Struggle”] Sui Jianguo [“Windy City 2009”] and Zhan Wang [“Jia Shan Shi No.46”]. For more, click here..

 

 

2007-08: Sculptures by Mark di Suvero. He is one of America’s most influential artists, famous for his massive works in abstract expressionism. “He encourages viewers to walk through, on and around his sculpture, so they can experience it from all perspective”. The exhibit included five pieces in total: two pieces in the North Boeing Gallery and three in the South Boeing Gallery. North Boeing Gallery featured “Orion” and “Johnny Appleseed”. South Boeing Gallery had “Shang”, “Rust Angel” and “Yoga”. For more.. click here..

 

Boeing Galleries provide a perfect formal space to make such rotating exhibitions possible. By featuring world class exhibitions of Contemporary Art by living artists, they offer the residents and visitors of Chicago some of the most memorable art exhibitions, and very subtly abreast people with the latest trends in contemporary art.

 

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RELATED LINKS:

2014: 1004 Portraits – by Jaume Plensa.. click here..
2013: Legends, Myths and Truths – by Jun Kaneko.. click here..
2011-12: Interconnected – Sculptures of Yvonne Domenge .. click here..
2009-10: A Conversation with Chicago: Contemporary Sculpture From China.. click here..
2007-08: Sculptures by Mark di Suvero.. click here..
Before these there have been two photo exhibitions..
2006: In Search of Paradise: Great Gardens of the World
2005:  Revealing Chicago: An Aerial Portrait by Terry Evans.

 

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