The long bus ride to and from Chicago was definitely worth the time I had to explore the city. Our group, Lizzie, Sarah, Holly and myself, worked well together and tried to see and experience as much as possible in the time we had. We started our day at the Art Institute of Chicago, going through various sections. A few were impressionism, print and drawing, Asian and Indian art, and Renaissance arms and armor. From the AIC we walked to the Cultural Center, which is an absolutely gorgeous building. We spent some time on the different floors looking at the incredible detail that was put into almost every surface in the place. There were a few outdoor installations in Millennium Park besides the Bean, so we spent some time there. The weather was nice all day, which made the experience that much better. Taking advantage of the great food opportunities in Chicago was also important to all of us, and we ended up at the South Water Kitchen, which turned out to be a great choice. The rest of the day was spent in various galleries, a few of which were high up in the John Hancock Center, and then at Utrecht. I love art supplies stores, and I ended up buying a new sketchbook.
Chicago is such a great city, I have family that lives there so I’ve visited before, but every time I go I enjoy the energy of the city. There’s nothing like being in a creative place like Chicago to help generate ideas for future work. I enjoyed walking around the streets and observing the people and activities going on as much as I enjoyed looking at the art in the museums and galleries. I learned about many fantastic new artists, and I’m sure I would have found more if we had had more time to explore.
