Chicago’s Magnificent Mile just got more magnificent. A new public art exhibition was unveiled Tuesday along Michigan Avenue in downtown Chicago featuring the works of sculptor Carole A. Feuerman. Monuments of Stillness turned Magnificent Mile into a huge outdoor art gallery.

The day started at the Wrigley Building. After several short speeches, Feuerman regaled the crowd with stories of her art. The big moment came when Justice was revealed.

“Justice”

As I took pictures of the piece, I tried to avoid being in the image because of the reflective surface. Then I heard Feuerman stated she sculpted it that way for viewers to be part of the piece. That gave me a new perspective on viewing it and capturing the image.

Then we walked a short distance to The Golden Mean, another of Feuerman’s sculptures. Again, she spoke of the meaning of the piece.

“The Golden Mean”

A double-decker bus arrived to take us along Michigan Avenue to see the other pieces installed. Feuerman spoke about each piece.

“Bibi on the Ball”

“Monumental Quan”

“The Thinker”

The tour ended at Arica Hilton’s Hilton Contemporary gallery a few blocks west of Michigan Avenue. The gallery houses more of Feuerman’s sculptures as well as other beautiful art.

A few more sculptures of Monuments of Stillness still need to be installed. Once completed, there will be 11 pieces decorating the strip. They will remain there through October, when they will move to California.

One part of the speeches really stood out for me. Alderman Brian Hopkins connected this installation to Cows on Parade, the first major public art exhibit in Chicago in 1999. The colorful cows were my first real exposure to such art. As several of my blogs prove, I love and search for similar art projects.

— John Wroblewski, online writer