May Theme Day: Shadows

Today is Theme Day and the theme, chosen by vote, is Shadows. ( Click here to view thumbnails for all participants )

I was walking along the Riverwalk in early April (shortly after the theme was selected) and noticed that the shadow in the Chicago River, created by the Columbus Street Bridge, was pretty interesting. It resembled a pool that is used for swimming races - the kind with the lane dividers. The shadows from cars, taxis, and trucks that drove over could be the racing swimmers.

Here's a side view of the shadow and the bridge that created the shadow. Plus there's some bonus shadows: the railings from the Riverwalk create some geometric shadows along the sidewalk.

Wind Chimes

In the plaza area of the Aon Center (previously known as the Amoco Building and The Standard Oil Building before that), there is a Sounding Sculpture by artist Harry Bertoia. These thin brass rods create a musical hum when the wind blows.

Fountains that Spit

The Crown Fountain in Millennium Park has two large screens that display several different faces in rotation. At regular intervals during the Spring, Summer, and early Fall, the faces spit water into the plaza area. On really hot days, you'll see visitors, mostly children, getting cooled off. The mouths are lined up with the water spout to give the illusion of the faces spraying water. The faces are the artist's (Jaume Plensa) modern take on the gargoyles and mythical creatures that usually spray the water in fountains.

Chicago Rising

This sculpture, created by Milton Horn in 1954, is called Chicago Rising from the Lake. Amazingly, this piece of art sat in a storage facility for over 10 years until someone re-discovered it. The Department of Cultural Affairs brought it back to life and installed it on the Columbus Drive Bridge in the late 1990s.

It is a 12 by 14 foot bronze relief that weighs almost three tons. According to various websites, Chicago, shown as a female figure, is rising from Lake Michigan and is surrounded by items that are representative of Chicago's industry: a sheath of wheat, a steer, and an eagle. I'm assuming those are symbols for commodity trading, stockyards and meat processing, and financial institutions.

Northerly Island Birdhouses

Northerly Island, formerly Miegs Field, is quietly becoming quite the nature and recreation area. Nice bike/running/walking paths exist and it is starting to attract migratory and resident birds. Last Friday, a slightly clouded sunset really brightened up the birdhouses that are along the shore.

Above the Clouds

Fog rolled in again this morning, blanketing parts of the lakefront. I've always found it an interesting perspective when the fog only covers the bottom half of the skyline - making it look like the buildings rise higher than the clouds (or, that these phantom buildings are floating around). Yes, this is the Chicago Skyline - a segment of it that you don't often see. I guess you can call it the New South Loop skyline. A lot of high rise buildings - offices and residential - have sprung up in the south Loop in the last several years.

Happy Arbor Day

A green tree sprung up in the middle of Michigan Avenue this week. Since it is a little too early for full leafing, the leaves are ribbons. The ribbon project is sponsored by the Morton Arboretum to celebrate Arbor Week. Fourth graders from schools all over Chicago contributed their thoughts on why trees are important. According to the press release, "The goal is to help create tomorrow's environmental leaders as kids learn to appreciate trees. Arbor Day, the nation's oldest environmental holiday, is dedicated to planting trees." Some of the thoughts from the kids include:

• "A tree could give an insect a lunch, and we need insects."
• "One tree makes a difference to me because it gives us oxygen and makes our community look a little better."
• "When a tree grows for years and years, it holds special memories we can all share and it becomes a part of this world."

The tree, a Triumph elm, will be permanently planted in Grant Park.