Back from Break/ Chicago Madness

After almost six weeks of no new posts, I have returned to the world wide web with new posts full of insights, humor, and honest searching. Breaks are always a wonderful way to refuel and help to rekindle the passion for what is everyday work of college life. My break had very little formal arts participation until the CODA crew went to Chicago to learn about the cultural innovation taking place in that city.Chicago is an amazing town. Even though we were there in a fairly "dead" time for arts happenings and in the coldest time of the year, the energy of the city is one of creativity and innovation. Instead of trying to present a daily play-by-play of our events, I will outline the events we participated in and offer some comments on those I found most meaningful.

Our events were well-planned and free time was organized well with our scheduled events. We met with Rhodes alumni living in the arts world, sharing conversation and dinners together. We went on tours of the Art Institute of Chicago, the Harris Theatre, and all of Millennium Park. We met with some of the leaders in the Department of Cultural Affairs and with the retired CEO of the Sara Lee Corporation, Rhodes Alumni, and arts advocate John Bryan. In my free time I went to see a play at the Steppenwolf Theatre, visited the Museum of Contemporary arts, and as a finale to our trip, the group went to see Too Much Light Makes the Baby Go Blind, a show of improv/sketch comedy/poignant social commentary smashed into 30 plays presented in 60 minutes.

For this entry, though, I wish to highlight two of these events, our tour of Millennium Park and our visit with John Bryan, to events that are very closely linked. Mr. Bryan was the chief fundraiser for the Millennium Park project, helping to raise $250 million dollars in private donations for the creation of a public park that was make classical music and visual arts available to all Chicagoans for free.

Millennium Park is an amazing piece of innovation. Located off of Michigan Avenue in downtown Chicago, this beautiful park used to a rail yard. It actually still is a train station and a parking garage, but these are now locate underground, with the park positioned above them. With the depth of soil in the park, trees, grass, and other plants can grow and thrive not only provide aesthetic beauty but also an environmentally conscious "green roof" above the transportation station below.

The park consists of the the Harris Theatre, which is an underground theatre used for dance and music performances, as well as the Pritzker Pavilion, an outdoor playing space for concerts. Speakers are strategically placed on a lawn that will accommodate up to 7000 people. In the summer, the Chicago symphony plays here regularly, and the events are free to the public. Designed by renowned architect Frank Gehry, the park is not only practical but also the cutting edge in modern architecture.
Around the performance spaces are other visual arts creations such as the Crown Fountain and the new symbol of Chicago, Anish Kapoor's "Could Gate," lovingly called "the Bean" by locals. The park is free to the public and provides all ages, genders, racial backgrounds to gather around the visual, interactive arts, musical presentations, and active recreation. This park is an amazingly innovative way of engaging people with the arts, taking them off of an elitist pedestal and giving to the people.

As part of this experience, we had the opportunity to meet with Mr. John Bryan, the chief fundraiser for this massive project. Going to the home of the Bryan's was an artistic experience in itself, but I'll let others speak of his collection. Instead, I want to share some of his insights into how to create this communal sense of responsibility for bringing about artistic creation to communities.

Mr. Bryan first gives credit to his friend, Mayor Daley of Chicago. Civic leaders are invaluable to artistic creation, and Mr. Bryan was given the permission of the mayor to take on this project without much bureaucratic interference. With that permission, Mr. Bryan decided to play to the ego of potential contributors, creating a "exclusive" club of donors required to give at least $1 million dollars. By subtly mentioning what he, Mr. Bryan, was contributing he could call on his business acquaintances to contribute as well. By having a wide base of potential donors, he could play to the personality quirks of each person, offering some the "immortality" of having something named for them while others would be more inclined for the social impact of the park.

What I learned from viewing this park and meeting the chief fundraiser is the impact one person really can make on his community and the necessary elements that create that kind of influence. First, civic leaders are important to any artistic endeavor. Without the support of the local government, artistic creation is going to be difficult. Connections with people with money is also important. The more influential people you know, the more influence you have. Finally, and most importantly, is if the project you propose is one that can bring people together, can enrich the lives of the people of your city, and provide both a more joyous lifestyle and economic revitalization for the community, it is a project that must be completed.