Crowded Top Ten

The ArtPrize Top Ten have been announced and I was finally able to make it downtown to see some of the art (or parts of art, as seen behind crowds and between strollers). 

The crowds have taken over ArtPrize, and where I was weary at the beginning of Season 5, I am now simply exhausted. It's been an anticlimactic year, where the crowds are thick, the conversation has actually been quite thin. No one is clamoring "you have to see _________!" 

The Top 25 were essentially all located, in 4 Center Center locations, which leads me to gripe about ArtPrize's primary flaw... location, location, location. 

I haven't quite decided what I'm going to vote for with my final remaining vote. While there are few things that are fine and lovely, there's nothing I really want to give $250,000 to. I'm still waiting for that "wow" factor! At this point, I almost feel like I'm voting based on what i Don't want to win!

Natural Frozen Wonders

Winter is rapidly approaching, and as I prepare to cover my plants for the impending frost, I cross my fingers in secret hope that one day I'll come across a rare frost flower. 

A frost flower is created on early winter mornings when extremely thin layers of ice are pushed out from plant stems or sometimes wood.

Conditions have to be just so for frost flowers to form. Temperatures must be freezing but the ground must not be.

Read more about the science behind these frozen petioles here.

Living in History

Just north of Chicago, Illinois sits historic Fort Sheridan, Illinois— a very striking and unusual residential community on the shore of Lake Michigan. 

Fort Sheridan was originally developed as a US Army installation in the late 1890’s. Consisting of 94 contributing historic buildings on 640 acres of prime lakefront property, it was designated as a US historic landmark property in the 1980’s.

After the Army moved out in 1993, the historic building were restored to their original grandeur and adapted for modern living.

On my most recent visit to Chicago, I was driven through the community, and was struck by the heritage still present on the grounds. It beautifully blends tradition and modern amenities into a completely relevant and idyllic neighborhood. 

Restored officers’ mansions have become single family homes as well as townhouses/duplexes; and stables and soldiers’ barracks have been converted to stately condos.

These buildings are some of the most unique housing opportunities I've ever seen. They are all built to be architecturally similar, brownstone-like, building styles. And they all overlook 54 acres of Parade Grounds where no building structures can ever be built (by specific agreement with the US Government to develop the decommissioned army fort for private use). 

So if you feel like living in the past (but don't want to give up your modern amenities) check out the available properties at Fort Sheridan!

Folding the Past

We've had a bit of a debate in our office. It seems that Kindle vs. Paperback may be the new Mac vs. PC debate. In our overcrowded, digital age, do books have a place anymore?

Betsy Birkey of Exploded Library in Chicago, IL is reinterpreting how we look at discarded books. Simply by folding pages, she is giving unexpected new life to otherwise unwanted, out-of-date books—hopefully saving it from a dust-collecting life in a forgotten basement. 



198, 187, September 26, 2011
She doesn't cut the pages, but rather treats them as origami with no glue or tape. If the artist were to unfold the pages, the book would remain readable, in tact. 

In the ongoing debate, I am pro-Paperback. I love the smell of a printed book, the feel of the cover rolling back as you curl on the couch and the sound of a crisp page turning. I also love the possibility of sharing a book, and letting the cover wear as it is loved by multiple readers–then talked about over coffee. 

december 10, 2010, 193

So it isn't surprising that I'm a fan of Birkey's work. It's visually stunning, and seems logistically... tricky. I'm amazed at the many different manners in which she has discovered to fold a page, and love how she often incorporates the inner design of the book cover into the folding. 

I'm tempted to try it, though I know I will be overwhelmed by the thinking that goes behind each of these. Which seems appropriate... old, discarded books, and they're still making us think...

Burger of the Week #128

It's the most American thing I've ever seen, and you can get it in Japan. The megapizzaburger cost $26 and can be bought at the Pizza Little Party in Kyota.

The Heroes that Made America

Earlier this year, the USPS released a new collection of forever stamps, honoring the people who worked and sacrificed to make America great—  Made in America: Building a Nation.

The 12-Panel collection features black-and-white photographs of early 20th-century industrial workers, whose dedication and work ethic contributed to the growth of modern America. These iconic images* connect us to our past and tell a powerful story of American strength, prosperity and determination. 

*11 of the 12 images were shot by photgrapher Lewis Hine. 

For Sale: Above Average Real Estate...

I'll admit, I'm probably a bigger Frank Lloyd Wright fan than the next guy-- which is why i'm currently scheming of ways to acquire... several million dollars.

47 miles north of Manhatten, this Frank Lloyd Wright designed home is for sale, and it comes with it's own island. All for a measly 19.9 million dollars.

The 5,000 square foot Massaro House was designed by Wright in 1949 for engineer A.K. Chahroudi, but Chahroudi couldn’t afford the $50,000 budget. Instead, Wright built Chahroudi a small, 1,200 square foot, cottage (now the current guest house) on the island. And in 2003, businessman Joseph Massaro bought the island along with Wright’s original plans, and had the home built as Wright intended from 2003-2007. 

As many of Wright's homes do, the Massaro home incorporates native rock formations into the home's interior. A 12 foot by 60 foot rock formation greets guests in the main foyer and others appear in the bathroom and kitchen. 

In signature Wright style, the home cantilevers out over the lake, and the entire home is lined with windows, maximizing daylight and the natural beauty surrounding the home. Though the home is furnished with Wright-designed pieces as originally intended, it was given a modern upgrade with energy-efficient climate control and radiant floor heating. All yours (or mine)... for less than 20 million....

Greener Grass

If you've ever ridden in the car with me for any distance, you've probably heard me bitch about abandoned buildings..."Just tear them down! Plant some trees!"

In NYC, a gas station has been transformed into a sheep pasture as a "pop-up landscape". The creation by art collector Michael Shvo and the Paul Kasmin Gallery has been dubbed an urban intervention.

The station, which I presume was non-functional and abandoned, will host a new public art program in the Chelsea neighborhood, and will showcase rotating exhibitions.

I'm thrilled by this. Let's do this America — new uses for ugly abandoned structures. Frivolity and silliness approved!

Here We Go Again: ArtPrize 5.0

Year Five of ArtPrize kicked off at noon today. I have to say, I wasn't feeling up to it. ArtPrize? Already? Again? I was dreading the crowds, the spectacle, the public chatter. 

But after all the excitement and everything I've seen in the last 24 hours, all the things I was dreading, I'm now looking forward to— the people, the craziness, the conversation! With the hustle of the city, it's hard not to get swept up in the momentum of it, and want to get out there and see as much as you can — especially in our fleeting snow-free days. 

For an opening night sneak peek, we spent an hour or two strolling the edges of ArtPrize.The greatest stumble-upon this evening was the Western Michigan University building (which i didn't even know existed). It's large gallery was an unexpected display of appreciable art. It's not one of the main exhibition centers, so be sure to seek it out. 

And if you head down to Artprize, be sure to stop by the Acton Building (lovely recent renovation) and see Crazy Revisited by my very own, beloved mother, Jenny Lynn! And then Vote 55026!

So now that my ArtPrize dread has subsided, I plan to spend as much time downtown in the next few weeks as I can. Looking forward to the spectacle, the talent, the beauty and the unexpected. 

Burger of the Week #127

Great post from abduzeedo featuring logos with burgers. Be sure to check out the original post where there are many more!

Burger of the Week #126

This is revolting, yet slightly inspired... gotta give them props for innovative leftovers. Deep fried, fast food leftovers—Only a desperate man would go there. Another brilliant(?) creation from Epic Meal Time.

Burger of the Week #125

Think with your mouth....
more unusual ads from McDonalds. Crazy, wonderful, and more than a little bit weird. Love the randomness from a major chain! Check them all out here.