so when I got the opportunity to attend a conference there, I was excited. I tacked a couple of extra days on so that I would have a chance to see some of the city, and not just the inside of the hotel where the conference was.
The conference was at a hotel near the airport. I arrived a full day before the concert so I could have a day exploring the city before the opening night of the conference. The next morning, after a big breakfast at my hotel, I took the L into the center of the city. Before reaching downtown, the line I was on goes underground, so I emerged from underground into a forest of skyscrapers.
Chicago is known for it's incredible architecture, and rightly so. It was impressive. Once I got my bearings, I headed over to Millennium Park to see the Cloud Gate before heading into the Art Institute. On the way there, I saw some modern Chinese art installations. I swear the cold air made the colours brighter.
As it turns out, admission to the Art Institute was free for the month of February, so I splurged on an audio guide. It was great to be able to learn more about specific pieces of artwork, and there are several different self-guided tours available too. I chose the director's tour, which takes you to some of the Institute's key pieces. It was great to see some iconic pieces of artwork, not just from the United States but from around the world. I was excited to see a few paintings by Monet, one of my favourite artists, but my favourite piece was one I'd never seen before, by a Chicago artist (Nightlife, by Archibald J. Motley Jr.). The Art Institute was a great place to get a taste of some of the architectural details I would later see as I spent the afternoon exploring downtown Chicago--along the river, on the streets, and up the Willis Tower.
The conference was at a hotel near the airport. I arrived a full day before the concert so I could have a day exploring the city before the opening night of the conference. The next morning, after a big breakfast at my hotel, I took the L into the center of the city. Before reaching downtown, the line I was on goes underground, so I emerged from underground into a forest of skyscrapers.
Chicago is known for it's incredible architecture, and rightly so. It was impressive. Once I got my bearings, I headed over to Millennium Park to see the Cloud Gate before heading into the Art Institute. On the way there, I saw some modern Chinese art installations. I swear the cold air made the colours brighter.
As it turns out, admission to the Art Institute was free for the month of February, so I splurged on an audio guide. It was great to be able to learn more about specific pieces of artwork, and there are several different self-guided tours available too. I chose the director's tour, which takes you to some of the Institute's key pieces. It was great to see some iconic pieces of artwork, not just from the United States but from around the world. I was excited to see a few paintings by Monet, one of my favourite artists, but my favourite piece was one I'd never seen before, by a Chicago artist (Nightlife, by Archibald J. Motley Jr.). The Art Institute was a great place to get a taste of some of the architectural details I would later see as I spent the afternoon exploring downtown Chicago--along the river, on the streets, and up the Willis Tower.