Poll | 01/06/2009 12:00 am

When's the last time you visited an art museum?

Within this last month

23% (62 votes)

Within the past six months

26% (68 votes)

In the last year

18% (48 votes)

In the last five years

20% (53 votes)

I've never been to an art museum

5% (14 votes)

Other (tell us below)

7% (19 votes)

Total votes: 264

Read more about: Art, Culture, Lifestyle, Museums

203 Reader Comments (so far…) Sign In or Register to comment

I love the art institue an as a teen aged girl I spent as much time there as possible…so wonderful of you to share your connection to it.

By Tee Zee on 01/08/2009 8:08 pm

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Do you still live nearly - and did you go to school in the city??

By joan larsen on 01/08/2009 8:32 pm

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Yes, and just climbing the steps is a great thrill…there are so many rooms with so many special works…and memories too numerous…yes, I attended school in the city…

By Tee Zee on 01/09/2009 9:36 am

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I feel the same — while the city doesn’t give me “the lift” I had once felt, I still soar when I am on Michigan Avenue. I lived on the south side and went to the Lab School from their nursery school on - WHAT a school!

By joan larsen on 01/09/2009 9:56 am

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I’ve been fortunate to grow up in and attend a public school with teachers who enjoyed their craft. I was creative and that was encouraged by an art teacher with passion, the city at that time had a program where we were able to attend classes at the art institute on Saturdays were we were allowed to draw in the different rooms, taught an appreciation for the different periods, one of my favorite times was in the modern art room with an Alexander Calder mobile which had a gong which we set in motion most of the afternoon and I delighted when everyone in the room reacted to the “gong” sound…it was magical. I still feel the same since I live in a neighborhood where we all gather, know one another by name and when I venture out of my haven and mention I know my neighbors I’m looked on like a creature from beyond.

By Tee Zee on 01/09/2009 10:46 am

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Merrell — Naperville is a showcase suburb - upper middle class and lovely!!! But you now have me interested — and would you mind tell me of your background and if you even knew growing up you had a birth family — or did you research them? How were you treated - and did you feel like family or just someone visiting? I can’t imagine what a situation like that must be like — and yet I would certainly go ahead with it — as I have the most insatiable curiosity and absolute love of meeting new people — even those that may turn out to be eccentric or worse!!! If you decide to write, it will be more private after tonight to do so — so if you feel comfortable in really writing a lot — I would love to know. You hear of these things, but have never known anyone personally — and once you started, you kept moving. I’d also like to know if you - between you and me — were more satisfied with your adoptive family than the real family you found. Or did you miss out on a lot do you think growing up - and did you have real siblings also in other homes? I love the look of Borzois — and how is it working out. . . and what kind of companion is he like for you? Is it a girl puppy and did you name her Lucretia Borzoi? Just kidding — but would be fun to have a takeoff on names! Joan

By joan larsen on 01/08/2009 10:33 pm

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Merrell, I would encourage you to explore more of Chicago, in spite of the weather, there is no place that feels as comfortable as this city with a restaurant of any cuisine you can name. The architecture will take your breath away, the lakefront that won’t make you long for any ocean and people who will help you find whatever interests you.

By Tee Zee on 01/09/2009 11:05 am

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I haven’t been there in a while, but that’s one of my favorite parts of the whole Art Institute! How fascinating that you’re connected with it…I’m very jealous. I always wanted a real sword…I should take up fencing. But anyway, do you have any good stories about how your uncle acquired the armor?

By Blue Lizard on 01/07/2009 11:40 pm

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Really - another armor lover - GREAT - and you visited what I think of as my OWN collection!!! There is a book in the bookstore that I never picked up at the Art Institute of Chicago on the whole story I believe, but I was only a tot when he died - I remember his estate and the funeral for some reason (my first perhaps) - but his nephew, named for him, then was the caretaker of the mansion thereafter… and best friends with my parents. Your question intrigues me — as that answer I don’t know so maybe I will get the book. I DO know it is the largest single collection of ANYTHING in a single museum in the world. Do you like lizards??? Just curious. If you do, I will tell you the most amazing story of me and a frilled lizard … but will just whet your appetite for now. You see, I happen to have many interests and I really get into things — and I am close up and personal with lizards. Penguins like me also — I am not kidding as one out of 300,000 will see me and push his way through the crowds of birds and come over and stand in front of me like me know each other — and I begin to wonder if we do. It has happened often enough that I actually wonder if there isn’t more to this than meets the eye!

By joan larsen on 01/08/2009 12:10 am

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When I was a kid my parents acquired for me a homemade suit of armor. It was always a great Halloween costume, and since it was aluminum, not half as uncomfortably heavy as a real one. I used to make the action figures in a medieval land I created armor and swords out of tinfoil. For Christmas a few years back my mom got me a decorative, but still pretty strong sword. I have a friend also who is into making chain maille jewelry. I think what the medieval craftsmen were able to do with their limited technology was amazingly beautiful, obviously in a different sense from most art. I can’t decide whether I am jealous of those who got to wear it or thankful I didn’t! Despite this, I don’t know as much about armor as I would like. I know when I was younger I knew the names of all the parts, and during my presentation I realized I had spelled it “amour”. Ha ha. I would be very interesting in reading that book about your uncle’s collection. I might end up going to the Art Institute next week…my mom asked if I’d help chaperone her class, and even if I’m too busy making sure the kids aren’t destroying American Gothic to look for the book I’ll be sure to suggest they check out the armor and weapons. They’re fifth graders…the boys will love it. Do you know what the book is called? I just figured with so much armor there had to be some good stories involving it. We’ll see… Blue Lizard is actually an anagram of my name, and I found the picture on Google. It’s the bluest lizard I’ve ever seen—I’ve seen lizards that were supposedly blue and…not so much compared to this one. I’m more of an orangutan fan myself. I volunteered and now work at a zoo, though, so I could appreciate a lizard story. Fire away! I gather from your posts that you have lots of fabulous adventures. Your penguin attraction sounds interesting. You don’t happen to have a thing for black and white clothes, or eat a lot of fish? Go swimming in the ocean? At the zoo I once got to touch a penguin that had been raised by humans, but I’m sure it would have rather been swimming. The keeper told us they got a bit nervous with humans around, as opposed to the giraffes who tried to eat someone’s cell phone.

By Blue Lizard on 01/08/2009 2:50 pm

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I would just go in the gift shop and ask for the book pertaining to the George Harding Armor Collection — it must still be in stock I would think. Then you can tell ME all about it… how embarrassing! Your life sounds wonderful . . as it is full of nature, my favorite thing. My daughter - who writes on WOW - is down in Antarctica with my husband now … I go to the polar regions often and this would be probably her only chance to see this “other world” that is unlike anything on this Earth - and I have seen most of it. And we all know our penguins very well — and certain single ones seem attracted to me. Figure that. And yes, in my youth I was a champion swimmer - on the Michigan State team until I broke my foot on their diving board… and I moved on to love instead :-) DO look up a photo of a frilled lizard — as they are very large and when they open their mouths they are very formidable as the frill rises - frightening. What no one knows is though that when the mouth is open, frill up, they cannot bite. So everything runs in another direction. We were in the jungles of the Top End of Australia - Kakadu when it was non-commercial - and were travelling in two small vans. The other had gone ahead to see a group of sulphur-crested cockatoos 20 miles away, when our driver spotted the frilled lizard up in a tree. He was an Aborginal and shimmied up the tree, caught him, and the idea was to show him to the other part of our group. So with me holding this 2 foot long lizard behind the neck and another brave person holding his tail while this strong giant tried to get away — we travelled 20 miles with him - showed him off — and the clutching him til my muscles were ruined, we did as all who obey nature do, we brought him back to the tree we found him. Always - always - snakes, anything, you may pick them up, admire them, but the place they are found is their home - and they must be put back. In Antarctica, you can sit on a beach and a penguin can come over and meet you, but you must never get within yards of them. Fortunately, they like me and come with their children and show them off to me — and I say kind words that they seem to like. And yes, I do think there is more to nature than meets the eye - if you have ever closely watched an orangatan’s eyes as he looks at you — sometimes I feel a connection, don’t you? Or do you think that I am really really far out. I happen to think not — but it has taken years of being out in the wild all over the world that has drawn me to this conclusion. Enough.

By joan larsen on 01/08/2009 3:26 pm

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If I can break away from the fifth graders, I will definitely peruse the book. If I don’t get a chance to next week, I’m often in the area, so I’ll check it out eventually and try to remember good armor stories for you! I do love the zoo and I’ll be sad if I don’t get a chance to return. The economy’s gotten to them, too and they’re cutting some positions. I don’t end up working with animals in my zoo job, which is only during the summer, anyway, but when I was a volunteer I was in this two-year program that gave us a lot of behind the scenes tours, which is how I’ve acquired a few animal stories. Yours, as they take place in the natural setting, win. That’s also how I acquired my love for orangutans—in the second year of this program you had the opportunity do a scientific research study with a zoo mentor. Mine took me on a walk and stopped right in front of the orangutans. Kind of by default I ended up with them. I ended up observing them on weekends and since not many people came to the zoo in winter often it was just me and them. Sometimes I would talk to them, and there were several times they did things I felt…it’s hard to explain. I was reading keeper logs and as part of their enrichment, which is animal entertainment, so to speak, they gave the orangutans mirrors and televison. Those are such human things, and I can’t recall reading their reactions, but it just made me smile. Then there was the time the gibbons who also shared the exhibit began their morning screaming ritual, usually around 11 or so. There was a burlap bag (also for enrichment) in the orangutan exhibit, and the male orangutan, after putting up with this screaming which sounds eerily like an amplified ambulance for about five minutes just up and put the bag over his head. And there’s more where that came from. There’s so much in their actions we can identify with. This is true of all primates but the orangutan always gets short shrift. You hear about Goodall and Fossey but never about Galikidas. Sorry, that was a tangent! I was just agreeing with you. Not only is there that connection, but in nature we find a lot of similar patterns or inspiring stories, things we can relate to. Not to anthropomorphosize (sp?) or anything, but for instance, the lizard who can’t bite when its frills are up. Doesn’t that just sound like a metaphor? The photos I saw of them probably did not convey the full effect as only a few looked annoyed and most looked Elizabethan. But I’m glad they do not bite when their frills are up because otherwise it seems to me after a twenty mile journey you would have had a lot more problems to deal with than muscle exhaustion. Though you hope he would have been too happy to get back to the tree…And the most I can say about the penguins is that they must know you were a good swimmer…somehow. Perhaps they are males who want some extra help getting fish. Ironically, as part of my zoo job I recently dressed up in a penguin costume—it was a tad too big. I just saw a PBS program about Antartica. It was absolutely beautiful, so I’m sure your daughter is enjoying herself. I would go but I have enough trouble dealing with the thought that it’s supposed to be 0 next week. Thanks for taking time to share! Have you ever thought about, in addition to your other adventures, becoming a zoo volunteer? Most don’t end up working with animals, but zoo guests could definitely benefit from you sharing your knowledge and experience. I’m not sure where you’re located, but I think most zoos have volunteer programs. Then you could always be close to nature when you’re not right next to it! Best, Blue Lizard.

By Blue Lizard on 01/08/2009 11:23 pm

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Birute Gildikas, Dian Fossey, and Jane Goodall - on a one time only basis - came I believe to the Auditorium Theatre in Chicago — and, of course, I was there and managed to meet all three. I don’t think they cared to share a stage - particularly the first two - who wore their fame as a crown and were distant. Goodall - the most well known - was much more friendly afterwards. But how is THAT for a coup??? I had an opportunity to see Gildikas at work — but Sumatra and Borneo require special stamina and a tendency not to scream as large insects try to devour you — and I could see I was not up to it. But I am generally not a scairdy cat. As you know, the most dangerous animal in Africa is the hippo, killing more people than any other in spite of their benign look. In Botswana, heading to dinner from our tent near the shore, we hadn’t realized that hippo forage at night on land and found ourselves “trapped” in a forest of them munching. We could not go forward, we could not go back, they were everywhere. We froze. We did not appear at dinner so Great White Hunters with rifles did come out to find us - and, with guns, were more brave than we as they guided us down the path. Every night we were there we could feel the hippo sides - I presume they were hippos - as they shoved the tent side inward on their forays into the night. In Namibia I have seen DESERT elephants and mountain zebras - unseen in any other place. . . but like red lechwes for their beauty best, and wildebeest - as I believe it was said that when God made all the animals, there were leftover parts so God put them together to make this ungainly animal who is so appealing. We have always made great efforts to go to remote places for chances to see the large and small that only inhabit the wilds - like the oryx in the Namibian dunes - tallest dunes (1000 feet) in the world and bright red - which we climbed, not knowing that the curling side lines we saw in the sand on the way up were sidewinders who spend the day under the blazing sun and heat buried in the dunes. When they spent millions at Brookfield Zoo in Chicago to bring in their first magellenic penguins, I was invited for the opening. Their people did not carefully look at the way they must get out of water to land, and they would hit the concrete side and fall back, bleeding. I was actually crying that first night as I had been to Chile where they were brought from and knew their habits and terrain. I made such a commotion with the head of the zoo over the inhumanity of this, that it was reworked to a gradual ramp form. As you can tell, I know the animals - and I will state with authority that adelie penguins in particular display behavior so similar to humans from much study in Antarctica that it dispells the antropomorphic putdowns. There is an unknown here that science does not want to acknowledge. And you I know in your writing above, cannot explain either but “know”. I loved your descriptions, showing your keen observations and obvious love of animals does reflect mine. I love zoos - but I have tears when I see elephants in much too small an exclosure, or lions or tigers exhibited in cages. Their pacing tells me in an instant that they need land to roam - and I have to turn away. I am sure you have felt the same. Continue to write as I find a like-minded person a rarity — and I am enjoying this no end. I have too many irons on the fire to be a zoo docent. I write and have political office and more and more and I usually end up writing at odd hours like this as it is!!! Thanks for so much that for so interesting!

By joan larsen on 01/09/2009 4:48 am

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How wonderful your connection to animals! I’m just fascinated, and too have suspected there’s more of a connection between humans and animals. I really can’t understand anyone who does not respect that connection, I’m blown away that you can give voice to that connection. I also have felt when an animal is uncomfortable in many zoos and other situations I have had to turn away not having the power to change things.

By Tee Zee on 01/09/2009 9:45 am

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Tee Zee again . . . we are two of a kind… but I am sure I am worse as I get tears in my eyes to see an animal on display behind bars in a cage that will cause him to be demented. Just watching the behavior for a few minutes tells the whole story, doesn’t it. I want to put the head of the zoo behind bars instead, as if they cannot afford the correct surroundings they should not have that animal. I have had some out in the wild face-to-face experiences with animals that absolutely tell me that we have much more of a connection - at least with some — and I will defend what I am saying. I know it, I have seen the situations and have been marked by them, never stopping wondering what it is that I do not understand as something wonderful has just happened.

By joan larsen on 01/09/2009 10:04 am