MLA ‘08 Blog

The Museum of Contemporary Art (MCA) is dedicated to “art of our time”, works created since 1945. MCA exhibits include painting, sculpture, photography, video & film, and performances. For an overview, join one of the tours offered daily at 1:00pm.

Current exhibitions at MCA include a presentation of work by Karen Kilimnik. Kilimnik first gained fame for her scatter-art installations in the 1980’s and early 90’s. This exhibit includes a selection of her installations and paintings. Her work is described as “draw[ing] on the traditions of gothic mystery and fairy tales, presenting narratives that unfold over the course of a series of related paintings.”

The MCA also hosts performances. Currently on stage is Heather Raffo’s 9 Parts of Desire. Raffo performs all roles in this work, which portrays the life of Iraqi women under the rule of Saddam Hussein and since his expulsion. Tickets are still available for May 16th, 17th and 18th; call the box office at 312-397-4010 or purchase online.

Insider Tip: Be sure to stop in at the MCA Store to browse the unique gifts. And if you’re feeling hungry, Puck’s at the MCA (a creation of Chef Wolfgang Puck) has a seasonal lunch menu, outdoor patio, and most importantly, a great view.

Museum of Contemporary Art
Address: 220 E. Chicago Avenue (map)
Hours: 10:00am-8:00pm Tu; 10:00am-5:00pm W-Su; closed Monday
Admission: $10 (adult), free on Tuesdays

- Kristin Hitchcock

Many of Chicago’s Farmers’ Markets open for the season in May. Wandering through the market is a great way to enjoy a beautiful spring day. And if you find you’ve been eating too many sunrise seminar pastries, why not pick up a healthful snack while you’re out!

Saturday, May 17th

Evanston Farmers’ Market
Hours: 7:30am-1:00pm
Location: Maple & Clark
Directions: Within walking distance of the Hotel Orrington.

Green City Market (one of the best in the city!)
Hours: 7:00am-1:30pm
Location: Lincoln Park (Clark & LaSalle)
Directions: From the Hyatt, catch the Northbound 151 Sheridan bus on Michigan Avenue. (map)
Special Programs: At 9am join in the festivities at the 10th Anniversary Rally for Local Sustainable Farming. Local celebrities such as Mayor Daley and Rick Bayless (of Fronterra Restaurant) will be in attendance.

Tuesday, May 20th

Federal Plaza Market
Hours: 7:00am-3:00pm
Location: Adams & Dearborn
Directions: From the Hyatt, walk South on Michigan Avenue to Adams Street. Turn left on Adams and walk three blocks to the corner of Dearborn.

Wednesday, May 21st

Green City Market
Hours: 7:00am-1:30pm
Location: South end of Lincoln Park (Clark & LaSalle)
Directions: From the Hyatt, catch the Northbound 151 Sheridan bus on Michigan Avenue. (map)
Special Program: At 10:30am, the market hosts cooking demonstrations by local chefs. Today’s demonstration is by Martial Noguier, executive chef at the French restaurant one sixtyblue.

(Image from City of Chicago website)

The Shedd Aquarium opened in 1930 and is named for John G. Shedd, a retired president of Marshall Field & Company (the flagship Marshall Field’s department store, now owned by Macy’s, is located downtown on State Street). Shedd was a powerful booster for the city of Chicago, and gave several million dollars to make sure his aquarium would be just as grand as the two museums already in Grant Park: the Art Institute of Chicago and the Field Museum. When it opened, it was the world’s largest aquarium and the first to claim itself an inland aquarium with a permanent saltwater collection.

The Shedd has over 22,000 aquatic animals representing 1500 species of fish, reptiles, amphibians, invertebrates, birds, and mammals. Special exhibits include Amazon Rising, Caribbean Reef, and Wild Reef, complete with several dozen sharks. The Oceanarium has shows several times a day featuring staff interacting with dolphins, whales, and other marine mammals. A special temporary exhibit includes the Komodo lizard, sometimes called the Komodo Dragon.

Shedd Aquarium
Address: 1200 South Lake Shore Drive (see directions in a previous post)
Hours: 9:00am-5:00pm M-F, 9:00am-6:00pm Sa-Su
Admission: $8, aquarium only (adult); $27.50, aquarium, special exhibits, Oceanarium, and 4-D theater

- Patricia Pinkowski & Jim Shedlock

(Photo from Shedd Aquarium website)

The Field Museum was founded to house the biological and anthropological collections assembled for the World’s Columbian Exposition of 1893. The museum name changed in 1905 to honor its major benefactor, Marshall Field, and moved to the lakefront in 1921. The museum actively engages in current research, supported by a notable library holding more than 250,000 volumes.

Chicago’s Field Museum has something for everyone. For a start, there’s famous Sue*, the world’s largest, most complete and best-preserved T Rex. There are dozens of fascinating exhibits including Inside Ancient Egypt, the hall of gems, Our Evolving Planet, The Ancient Americas, and the special exhibit Mythic Creatures: Dragons, Mermaids, and Unicorns.

On Saturday, May 17th there is a free lecture on E Coli and the Science of Life and a book signing by Dr. Carl Zimmer. Zimmer explores how this microbe, known to most of us for its deadly outbreaks, is actually leading scientists to a new understanding of what it means to be alive. Discover the pivotal role E. coli has played in the history of biology and explore how it continues to lead the way in the search for life-saving drugs, clean fuel, and a deeper understanding of our own genetic makeup and the history of life.

In case you get hungry during your visit, there is a McDonalds (burgers, fries etc…) and Corner Bakery (salads and sandwiches) in the Museum.

Field Museum of Natural History
Address: Roosevelt Road at Lake Shore Drive (see directions in a previous post)
Hours: 9:00am - 5:00 pm daily, last admission at 4:00pm
Admission: $14, general admission (adult); $22, with Mythic Creatures ticket

* You can also get a glimpse of a full-size Sue replica in O’Hare Airport as you arrive!

- Andrea Garren & Jim Shedlock

(Image from the Field Museum website)

Built in 1930 and named for Chicago industrialist Max Adler (an early stockholder in Sears, Roebuck and Company), the Adler Planetarium is considered the first modern planetarium in the Western hemisphere. It can be seen at the edge of the Museum Campus, jutting out into the lake, from many points in the city.

From models of the solar system to ancient astronomical instruments to interactive exhibits, Adler’s galleries provide a passageway to explore the universe. It is home to two planetarium theaters, including the world’s first all-digital projection theater, the StarRider. They provide downloadable guides on their website.

Adler Planetarium
Address: 1300 South Lake Shore Drive (see directions in a previous post)
Hours: 9:30 a.m. - 4:30 p.m daily
Admission: $10 (adult general admission)

- Patricia Pinkowski & Jim Shedlock

(Photo from the Adler Planetarium website)

Just south of Chicago’s Loop is the 57-acre lakefront Museum Campus. Visiting this destination is a real treat. What other big city lets you go from seeing dinosaurs to viewing a star-bright sky to watching dolphins and whales frolic in the sea? You can do all of this by visiting the Field Museum, the Adler Planetarium and the Shedd Aquarium.

(Those of you who watch football on TV have seen it many times. The Chicago Bears play their home games at Soldier Field, right next to the campus, and the blimp provides many interesting shots).

Transportation

You can get to the Museum Campus by cab, car, or city bus:

• View driving directions (from MapQuest)
• View Museum Campus map
• CTA Bus #146 Southbound to Museum Campus (pdf) - stops along Michigan Avenue north of the river and on State Street south of the river. From the Hyatt, walk west to Michigan Ave. Cross the bridge and look for a 146 bus stop sign on the West side of the street. Hop on the bus and tour through downtown. The bus will drop you off right across the street from the Museum.

Adler Planetarium
Address: 1300 South Lake Shore Drive
Hours: 9:30 a.m. - 4:30 p.m daily
Admission: $10 (adult general admission)

Field Museum of Natural History
Address: Roosevelt Road at Lake Shore Drive
Hours: 9:00am - 5:00 pm daily, last admission at 4:00pm
Admission: $14, general admission (adult); extra for tickets to some special exhibits

Shedd Aquarium
Address: 1200 South Lake Shore Drive
Hours: 9:00am-5:00pm M-F, 9:00am-6:00pm Sa-Su
Admission: $8, aquarium only (adult); $27.50, aquarium, special exhibits, Oceanarium, and 4-D theater

There are many other museums listed in the MLA ‘08 Chicago Attractions Guide (pdf).

-Pat Pinkowski & Jim Shedlock

(Photo from City of Chicago website)

A unique destination, a short ride from the Hyatt, is the International Museum of Surgical Science. View historical artifacts and exhibits exploring surgical themes across history and cultures:

• View a rare working iron lung
• Explore a turn-of-the-century apothecary shop
• Learn about historical contributions of surgeons in Japan and in Latin America

The Museum is open Tuesday through Sunday, from 10am to 4pm. Admission is $9. A list of exhibits is available on the IMSS website.

International Museum of Surgical Science
Address: 1524 N. Lake Shore Drive (map)
Phone: 312-642-6502
Directions: Take the #151 bus headed north on Michigan Avenue.

Here’s a fun idea from a fellow MLA member, who may have read our previous post on performances in Chicago . . .

The unusual thing I am doing in Chicago is attending Chicago Opera Theater in the Harris Theater in Millennium Park, to see The Flowering Tree. It is a modern opera based on a combination of Mozart’s the Magic Flute and an Indian legend. The composer, John Adams, conducts some of the performances; a young woman conductor, some of the others. The singing is in both English and Spanish; “Supertitles” in English are also provided. Performances are May 14, 17, 20, 23, 25. Check out the Web site http://www.chicagooperatheater.org.

-Laura Barrett

If there are other fun Chicago activities you’d like to let fellow members know about, leave us a comment below. And thanks, Laura, for sharing!

Four hundred feet above the streets of Chicago is an architectural gem, The Sky Chapel at the top of the First United Methodist Church at the Chicago Temple.

The Chicago Temple is the oldest church in the city; it was founded in 1831, six years before the city of Chicago was incorporated. The Sky Chapel, reached by two elevators and a set of stairs, is located under the church spire. The chapel was a gift from the Walgreen family, dedicated on Easter morning 1952.

As an architecture aficionado, I was delighted to be introduced to this tiny gem in the city. In the chapel, stained glass windows are themed to “transportation in the City of Chicago”, and you have everything from ox carts to jets. An unusual topic for a religious institution! They can open the windows, and it’s amazing how distant the city sounds up there. The view is excellent, too.

- Diane Fagen

The Chicago Temple is located at 77 W. Washington Street, directly across the street from Daley Plaza and the iconic Picasso sculpture. Tour information is available here.

Thanks to LAC member Diane Fagen, for sharing her insider knowledge!

On Sunday, May 18^th from 6:30-9:00pm, the Chicago History Museum will be hosting a fun boat tour called Exploring Chicago’s Yeast Side: A History of Beer. This sunset tour will take in the sights related to Chicago’s long history of beer brewing and provide beautiful views of the city from Lake Michigan. There are even beer tastings provided by Berghoff Brewery. Tickets are still available (as of 5/2/08) for $45.00 per adult.

Tour meets at the Chicago Line Cruises dock at North Pier, 465 N. McClurg Court, about 1/2 mile northeast of the Hyatt Regency. From the Hyatt, follow Michigan Ave. North, across the bridge, to Illinois St. Turn right on Illinois and walk to McClurg Ct. North Pier is at 465 N. McClurg Ct., on the left side of the street.

For more information on the Chicago History Museum consult our earlier post.

-Andrea Garren