University Park, IL–(ENEWSPF)– Whimsical cats and performing seals. Spiraling spiders and flying fish. You can view artist Alexander Calder’s three-dimensional representation of such fantastic animals when the Nathan Manilow Sculpture Park (NMSP) at Governors State University hosts a July 17 trip to “Alexander Calder and Contemporary Art: Form, Balance, Joy” at the Museum of Contemporary Art in Chicago.
Join NMSP Director Geoff Bates on an all-day road trip that examines Calder’s continuing influence on modern American art, and especially seven young sculptors who create work that was clearly inspired by this New England master.
“This trip offers participants an opportunity to learn about Calder and some of his best-known work, and to be introduced to talented contemporary artists who are taking his original ideas in new directions,” Bates said. “These are important pieces of art. When Calder initiated his three-dimensional works, he was nothing short of revolutionary – what he created came straight out of abstract surrealism.”
Calder (1898-1976) worked in a number of artistic media but is probably best remembered for his mobiles – floating wire and boldly painted sheet metal creations – and stabiles, non-representational sculptures anchored to the ground on three or four legs. The MCA exhibition displays nearly 60 of Calder’s three-dimensional works from the museum’s own collection and more than a dozen institutions around the country. Thirty-two pieces from young artists provide contemporary counterpoint to the master’s vision.
The July 17 trip begins at 9:10 a.m. when participants depart for Chicago from the Flossmoor Metra Station. After arriving at Millennium Station, they will travel to the Museum of Contemporary Art via the CTA Red Line. After viewing the exhibition, participants will eat lunch at The Elephant and Castle, a nearby London-style pub, and then head back to the Loop to view Calder’s towering Flamingo in Federal Plaza. The tour group will arrive back in Flossmoor at 5:23 p.m.
No advance reservations are required. Admission to the MCA is $12 ($7 for seniors) and participants should have money for train fare and lunch.
The nationally-renowned Nathan Manilow Sculpture Park is located at Governors State University’s main campus in University Park. The park is open, free of charge, from dawn to dusk 365 days a year. For more information about the July 17 trip or the sculpture park, contact the NMSP at [email protected] or call (708) 534-4486.
