There are many things that I’m looking forward to doing in Chicago, so when Don asked us to come up with a list of 7 activities, I had more trouble narrowing down my options than researching them. Here they are, in no particular order.
Museum of Contemporary Art
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| A work of art by Takashi Murakami |
Chicago’s Museum of Contemporary Art
(MCA) has 4 stories of art as well as a 34,000 square foot sculpture garden.
This museum is high on my list of things to do for a couple of reasons. First,
the building had a redesign in 1996, and its spiral staircase is magnificent
and something I would love to photograph. Next, it features some of my favorite
artists, including an installation in the sculpture garden by Sol Lewitt, whose
work is really appealing to me. Finally, the museum will host an exhibition by
Takashi Murakami, someone whose art I want to see in person, during the time that
I’ll be in Chicago.
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| The central stairwell of the MCA |
The Art Institute of
Chicago is a very large museum that interests me because it showcases a wide
variety of art. Unlike the MCA, the Art Institute exhibits more historical
works, and also has a broader depth of the mediums that it showcases. This
museum has a dedicated section for Architecture and Design, as well as a
photography collection. The museum is huge and filled with art, and I’m sure
I’ll leave feeling very inspired.
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| The exterior of the Art Institute |
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| One of the glass floors of The Ledge |
The Willis Tower is
110 stories tall, and is the tallest building in America. On the 103rd floor,
there is a collection of glass floors that extend out from the building
collectively known as The Ledge. The main reason I want to visit this
particular building is because I want to view the city from above, and see
everything in context. Rooftopping is something that I enjoy but won’t be doing
in Chicago, so this experience would provide me with a similar thrill and
vantage point to take pictures from.
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| Willis Tower from a distance |
Lincoln Park Zoo
Lincoln Park Zoo is not only a decently-sized zoo with around 35 acres
of land and over 1,000 total animals, it has free (!) admission. I’m intrigued
by its Regenstein Birds of Prey exhibit, mostly because it houses the cinereous
vulture, which is one of the largest species of birds of prey in the world.
Additionally, polar bears rank highly on my list of favorite animals, and there
is a whole exhibit within the zoo called the Walter Family Arctic Tundra that
is designed specifically to host polar them.
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| The entrance of Lincoln Park Zoo |
The Harold Washington
Library is the main branch of Chicago’s Public Library System. There are 9
stories that are used for traditional library functions such as housing books
and resources. The most attractive part of this library to me is its Winter Garden
on the 9th floor. The Winter Garden is a large space covered by a glass
ceiling. From what I’ve seen in pictures, the natural light in the room is
beautiful. The library seems very grand and majestic, and its Winter Garden is
a location that I’d like to photograph.
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| Inside the Winter Garden |
Leaders 1354 is a
Chicago-based clothing brand and retail store. Its vision of selling items that
appeal to and promote the concept of the conscious consumer is something that I
can identify with. It is of my opinion that purchases should be made with
sufficient research and that decisions should be well-educated, and this
label/store embodies that. Also, their stock overlaps somewhat with my fashion
tastes, which is another bonus. The store looks like a nice place to go to when
I want to add a couple of pieces to my wardrobe or shoe selection.
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| The interior of the Leaders store |
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| The Doane Observatory |
This planetarium is
the oldest in America. It has three theaters, museum space, and an actual
public observatory. I like learning about the universe that we live in, and
this museum looks like the best place in Chicago to do that. Planetarium shows
are always really entertaining experiences that I actually learn from, so I’m
definitely looking forward to attending one of those. Something else that I’d
like to do at the Adler Planetarium is visit the Doane Observatory, which
offers views of the moon, stars, planets, and even other galaxies. Space and
the universe are concepts that I don’t really understand, yet frequently think
about it, and I think that spending some time here would help expand my
perspective on those topics.
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| The Planetarium, viewed from outside |
While I was writing this blog post, I realized just
how many things there are for me to do (in addition to coursework) during my 3
or so weeks in Chicago. These days, I feel that whenever I do something
ILC-related, I end up getting more excited for this summer, and this post was
no different. July can't come soon enough.
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