Friends visited Chicago for the first time last week, and I acted as their tour guide.  They are artsy folks and wanted to see the art of Chicago.

The first stop had to be the Art Institute, one of the oldest and largest art museums in the United States. Founded in 1879 and expanded several times, the Art Institute currently houses about 3,000,000 works of art. I have been there many times, and I always find new wonders.

Two of Chicago’s most iconic sculptures are positioned at the entrance to the Art Institute. Unveiled in 1894, the two lions are made of bronze, with a green patina.  Each majestic beast weighs more than 2 tons.

In the heart of downtown is The Picasso, an untitled and unexplained work created by Pablo Picasso and gifted by him to the city. It was dedicated in 1967 and was the first major piece of public artwork downtown. Originally receiving a lukewarm response, it has become one of the most-visited and -beloved sculptures in Chicago.

One of the newer sculptures is Cloud Gate in Millennium Park. Affectionately called The Bean because of its shape, the elliptical sculpture made of seamless stainless steel plates reflects Chicago’s skyline — and the clouds above. While popular with visitors, I just don’t see the attraction.

Slightly south of Cloud Gate is Crown Fountain, which I find much more interesting. It is a reflecting pool with a 50-foot glass block tower at each end.  Video images of faces appear on the towers with water flowing from their open mouths. It is both aesthetically appealing and thought-provoking.

Other stops on my art tour included the Monument with Standing Beast (white fiberglass artwork), Agora (headless and armless iron sculptures), The Four Seasons (a four-sided mosaic created from glass and stone) and The Flamingo (a bright red steel structure). Of course, since I was the tour guide, I had to make a stop at the United Center to show off the statues of Chicago sports legends Michael Jordan, Bobby Hull and Stan Mikita.

I did my best to cover the best public artwork and statues. I probably enjoyed getting close looks at these creations as much as my friends did.

— John Wroblewski, distribution specialist