Local

Mayor Emanuel Dedicates New Public Artwork Along Chicago Riverwalk


Chicago Public Art
Source: cityofchicago.org

Paintings by Candida Alvarez and other temporary art on view through Fall 2017

CHICAGO–(ENEWSPF)–August 21, 2017. Mayor Rahm Emanuel, the Department of Cultural Affairs and Special Events (DCASE) and Department of Fleet and Facility Management on Friday joined local artist Candida Alvarez to dedicate four paintings displayed along the Chicago Riverwalk. These artworks, located east of Michigan Avenue, will be exhibited through December 2017.

“Art and cultural programming on the Riverwalk celebrates diverse artwork across all mediums and builds on Chicago’s legacy of public art by enabling local artists to share their work with their neighbors and the world,” said Mayor Rahm Emanuel “In the Year of Public Art, patrons of the Riverwalk have a unique opportunity to see the world through the artists’ eyes.”

Emerging from a home life that immersed her in the traditions of her parents’ birthplace in Puerto Rico, Alvarez is known for paintings that combine the abstract and the representational – a major dialogue in current painting. Since 1998, Alvarez has been teaching painting and drawing at the School of the Art Institute of Chicago. Her work was recently featured in a solo exhibition at the Chicago Cultural Center.

The paintings join other temporary installations of public art on the Chicago Riverwalk this summer. Currently on display are artworks by Chicago artists Tony Tasset, Scott Reeder, Sam Kirk and Tyrue “Slang” Jones.

The Floating Museum is also currently on display along the Riverwalk, as part of a month-long tour at locations across Chicago. The Museum transforms an industrial barge into an aesthetically striking River Assembly exhibit – a mobile gallery and platform for public art and cultural programming. At each docking site, art crates are unloaded. The exhibition features a monument to Jean Baptiste Pointe du Sable, a moving image program, interdisciplinary performances and a “wonder cabinet” made from crates by Terry Dowd Inc. Some of these crates contain artwork, while others are transformed into works of art to be displayed along the riverside. The River Assembly exhibit plays on concepts of buoyancy and migration to physically move art across neighborhoods and transforms city sites into a full museum campus with exhibitions and programming.

“Our Chicago Riverwalk is a premiere recreational area and as such, it deserves some of the best art,” said Mark Kelly, Commissioner of the Department of Cultural Affairs and Special Events. “These temporary additions along the path offer a uniquely-Chicago experience.”

Mayor Emanuel and DCASE have designated 2017 as the “Year of Public Art.” In addition to displays along the Riverwalk, underway are the 50×50 Neighborhood Arts Projects, the creation of a Public Art Youth Corps, a new Public Art Festival this October, and exhibitions, performances, tours and more. YOPA represents a $1.5 million investment in artist-led community projects. For more information, Mayor Emanuel and DCASE have designated 2017 as the “Year of Public Art.” In addition to displays along the Riverwalk, underway are the 50×50 Neighborhood Arts Projects, the creation of a Public Art Youth Corps, a new Public Art Festival this October, and exhibitions, performances, tours and more. YOPA represents a $1.5 million investment in artist-led community projects. For more information, visitcityofchicago.org/yopa—and join the conversation on Facebook (Department of Cultural Affairs and Special Events), Twitter @ChicagoDCASE and Instagram @ChicagoDCASE,#2017isYOPA #chipublicart.

Completed in the fall of 2016, the Chicago Riverwalk (Lake Shore Dr. to Lake St.), the 1.25-mile promenade through the heart of the city continues to offer new and improved ways to enjoy one of Chicago’s waterfronts and architecture. Programming is produced by the Chicago Department of Cultural Affairs and Special Events in collaboration with the Chicago Department of Fleet and Facility Management, Choose Chicago, the Chicago Park District and the vendors and boat tour operators along the Chicago Riverwalk. For more information and a complete schedule of events, visit chicagoriverwalk.us—and join the conversation on social media using #ChiRiverwalk.

Source: http://cityofchicago.org


ARCHIVES