Art Weekend - Empty Nest, by Curt Swarm

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When I saw the artwork of Bisa Butler advertised I knew we had to see her exhibit at the Chicago Art Institute. I've seen a lot of art in my day, but never art like this. An Afro American woman, Butler depicts scenes of black people on quilts. Simply put, it's stunning—some of the best artwork I've ever seen. I told Ginnie we had to get to Chicago to see this. She agreed. We debated how to get there. Amtrak? Too unreliable. Drive? In downtown Chicago? Gulp. Let's do it! It would be a birthday treat for us both. My birthday is July 28, Ginnie's is August 28. We decided to splurge and do the town. We're not getting any younger.

We made reservations for a two-night stay in a downtown Chicago hotel, and purchased tickets for the Art Institute. With Ginnie as my navigator, and her smartphone GPS in hand, we took off.

We learned the hard way. Don't drive Lower Wacker Dr. if you don't know what you're doing. By “Lower Wacker,” Chicago means UNDERGROUND! And it's scary! Cars kept beeping at me—country boy in the city. Ginnie's GPS quit working and it was quite disorienting. By the grace of God, we were spit out of the Underground within sight of our hotel. Whew!

It was 4:30 on Friday night. Right across the street was Morton's The Steakhouse in the Morton building. It was early enough we didn't need reservations—old people like to eat early, you know. I had perhaps the best ribeye steak I've ever had—filet mignon for Ginnie. We really didn't need the double chocolate mousse for dessert but, like I say, this was a special occasion. We paid for it the rest of the night with our stomachs grumbling.

The next morning, we were up and walking the half-dozen blocks to the Art Institute, through Millennium Park, with “Cloud Gate,” also known as, “The Bean,” and “Crown Fountain,” also known as, “The Kissing Fountains.” Kids played in the water while parents snapped pictures. The architecture of Chicago's downtown buildings is something to behold.

Bisa Butler's quilts are the most stunning art I have ever seen. I could sit and look at her quilts for hours, they are that magnificent. She puts so much emotion into every stitch. And these are quilts, folks. Goes to show you: art can be anyplace, anytime, anywhere. I'm not going to go into a long art monologue. Bisa Butler's art speaks for itself. Just seeing her quilts made the trip worthwhile.

And the Chicago Art Institute has so much more to offer, like the Obama Portraits, Van Gogh, Monet, and so on.

Wore out, we lunched in the shade in Millennium Park on genuine Chicago hot dogs with “the works!” Then it was back to the hotel for a nap, before trekking to the Navy Pier. We had dinner outdoors with the view of Lake Michigan, jet skiers, tour boats and seagulls stealing French fries. On the way back to the hotel, it was ice-cream cones for dessert. I tried to talk Ginnie into a ride on the ferris wheel, but she's wimpy.

Sunday morning we breakfasted on egg-and-bacon croissants at a French cafe. A double espresso coffee got me zinging for a Vincent Van Gogh interactive art exhibit that we took in before heading home. Only in Chicago will there be three Van Gogh exhibits going on simultaneously.

We had a couple of warnings about the violence in Chicago. Every weekend there are x number of murders. Let me tell you, downtown Chicago is jammed packed with some of the most beautiful, peaceful people in the world. Add to that the architecture, the beautiful weather we were blessed with, and it was a right smart art weekend. Happy birthday, Ginnie.

Have a good story?  Call or text Curt Swarm in Mt. Pleasant at 319-217-0526, find him on Facebook, email him at curtswarm@yahoo.com, or visit his website at www.empty-nest-words-photos-and-frames.com.

art fair, Chicago, Curt Swarm, editorial, Empty Nest, fort madison, Mt. Pleasant, opinion, Pen City Current

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