All images courtesy Graham Foundation © Michelle Litvin
When you think of the Gold Coast, what comes to mind? Businessfolk? The Magnificent Mile? Old Money? Yea, I was with you until one random, winter’s day I wandered into a little hidden gem nestled in one of Chicago’s oldest neighborhood at Barton Place and Astor Street, The Graham Foundation. This seemingly ill-fitting fixture in the heart of the Gold Coast offers excellent exhibits at no charge-that’s right friends-NO CHARGE! When I first stumbled across this place, they were showing an installment called What You Can Do With The City, focusing on four key words (expanding on all of them): Walking, Gardening, Recycling, and Playing. Throughout the exhibit, guests are greeted with thought provoking phrases such as: FRICTION opportunities in obstacles, EXCESS ingenious reactions to city scraps, PLAN SMARTER trying out borrowed tools, LOW EFFORT repeated movements resonate, GUERILLA DIY civic improvements, SHARE don’t exclude other users, CHOOSE taking an alternative, and CLUE helping others act. These powerfully inspirational signs lead into the pieces by artists from around the world who feel we as a whole are capable of doing more with what we are given on this earth.
I found the exhibit extremely intriguing and educational while promoting rebellious ways to live in and enhance a society that doesn’t necessarily encourage rebellion on a regular basis. If you had a chance to check this specific exhibit out, leave a comment about how it made you feel or post photos to our facebook wall. Let’s bring these ideas to the forefront of the human consciousness…together!
Opening soon at The Graham Foundation: Utopia Posible by Felipe Dulzaides starting April 30th and running through July 17th. The installment explores the National Art Schools that were left unfinished in Havana, Cuba, commissioned by Fidel Castro in 1961. Be sure to check this out!
For more information regarding events and shows at The Graham Foundation, visit www.grahamfoundation.org or call their ultra-friendly staff at (312) 787-4071.
The Graham Foundation
4 West Burton Place
Chicago, IL 60610
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http://www.facebook.com/pages/Graham-Foundation-for-Advanced-Studies-in-the-Fine-Arts/72868252843
