Love is in the Air and in the Art
We've all been hibernating this winter, and especially the last several days, so now we are eager to get out and visit local galleries and museums to really warm up. This Valentine's Day there are a handful of thematic exhibitions taking place that you can enjoy with a loved-one. There are shows at Weinberg/Newton and LineDot taking place this week, as well as a concert at the Driehaus, exhibitions at the Art Institute and the Block Museum, and an early reminder about MoCP's photography benefit party on March 1.
We know everyone needs some (last-minute) gift ideas too, and the Art Institute, the Driehaus and the MCA all offer great art-themed gifts.
Love is in the air, and in the art...
Happy Valentine's Day!
XOXO
Haiku Your Love at Weinberg/Newton
The best gifts are from the heart, right? Spread some love this Valentine's Day at "Haiku Your Love" at Weinberg/Newton Gallery on Tuesday, February 13. At this fundraiser for the American Heart Association, attendees will participate in making haikus from various love-themed words that will be prearranged from large stencils provided by the David L. Hoyt Foundation. The Poetry Center will make recommendations for words to include in each of the haikus and suggestions for different haiku formats. Participants and attendees will vote on their favorite haiku, which will be framed after the event and put on display at the CLA for extended viewing. Tickets are $3.50 on Eventbrite and $5 at the door. Proceeds will be donated to the American Heart Association. The event is open to the public. Details here.
Anthony Lister Valentine's Release + Reception at LineDot Editions
Join LineDot on Valentine's night for the release of an exclusive collection of drawings by one of Australia's most renowned contemporary artists, Anthony Lister. Drinks will be served and the artist will be in attendance. Details here.
Baroque Concert at the Driehaus Museum + The Art of Seating
Love is In the Air with a Third Coast Baroque concert in the always-romantic-setting of the Driehaus. The concert is Wednesday, February 14, 6:30 – 7:30 p.m. and features “Chicago’s most accomplished period instrumentalists and singers,” (Chicago Tribune) who will present classical music inspired by Cupid’s favorite holiday. While you're there, catch the recently opened exhibition/love letter to The Art of Seating. Details here.
The Driehaus also has a very nice gift shop... Consider some French poster art cufflinks ($54), or a porcelain diffuser ($62)
Rodin, Sculptor and Storyteller at Art Institute
Even though it's Valentine's Day, go beyond Rodin's famous The Kiss at this exhibition. At the beginning of the 20th century, Auguste Rodin (1840–1917) was the most famous artist in the world. On the centenary of his death, the Art Institute joins museums around the world in celebrating the renowned artist’s life and work. Presenting rarely seen sculptures and drawings from private collections, as well as from the museum’s rich holdings, this exhibition is the first devoted to the sculptor at the Art Institute since 1923. Rodin was a master of visual communication. His powerfully expressive sculpted bodies speak to us directly through cleverly constructed gestures and poses and in the carefully rendered surfaces of his bronzes and marbles. Details here.
The Art Institute Gift shop features more gift ideas:
A plate featuring Rodin's The Kiss ($108 for members) and a sterling silver pin by SAIC alumnus Edward Gorey (on sale for $29.99)
Tickets to MoCP Darkroom, March 1
What's better than spending a night out together? We suggest buying two tickets to MoCP's annual benefit coming up on March 1 - go VIP and spend a fabulous evening enjoying photography and a grand party. You may also want to bid on one of the works of art up for auction. This one can be your ultimate last minute gift (buy tickets, print them out and seal with a kiss!) Details and tickets here.
William Blake and the Age of Aquarius at the Block Museum
This is a thinking-person's romantic outing, for sure. In the summer of 1967, more than 100,000 young people streamed into the Haight-Ashbury district of San Francisco and the Sunset Strip in Los Angeles, as well as Greenwich Village in New York and Old Town in Chicago, to celebrate peace, love, music, and mind-altering drugs. Many of the artists, poets and musicians associated with the “Summer of Love” embraced the work of British visionary poet and artist William Blake (1757–1827) and used it as a compass to drive their own political and personal evolutions. William Blake and the Age of Aquarius will consider parallels between Blake’s time and mid-twentieth-century America, touching on such issues as political repression, social transformation, and struggles for civil rights. Details here.
Shop the Museum of Contemporary Art
The MCA store is frequently the answer to our gift-giving needs, and some of these new and best-selling items in store may delight your art-lover.
For the hot man in your life ($18.95)
Make your love pop-up ($14.95)
Say it with a Jeff Koons kiss... Or two ($29.95/ea)
Your love is surreal ($40)
Top of page image: Chris Uphues's installation on a residential garage in Chicago