Illinois is home to over 280 museums, including over 25 museums dedicated to art and design. Nov. 9 is ‘Go to an Art Museum Day,’ and visiting a museum sometime soon is a perfect way to celebrate this day. Here are some of the top art museums in Illinois!
The Art Institute of Chicago – Known as Chicago’s No. 1 museum, the Art Institute of Chicago was founded in 1879, and has grown substantially over the last century and a half. It is committed to contributing to an inspired and just society as well as advancing racial justice. In addition, the Art Institute of Chicago is mindful that their museum stands on Native American land. The museum shares collections of art across time, culture, geography and identity.
Museum of Contemporary Art – Founded in 1967, the MCA’s mission is to exhibit new and experimental art and media. It has a contemporary art collection of over 2,000 pieces. It considers contemporary art to be different from the general art world because in general art, the values of the past are enshrined, but contemporary art showcases new ideas. The museum works closely with their community to create space for dialogue, growth and learning.
National Museum of Mexican Art – The National Museum of Mexican Art was founded in 1982, and represents the Mexican community from their own point of view and their own voice. Their mission is to show appreciation and knowledge of Mexican art and culture. They have one of the country’s largest Mexican art collections, including more than 18,000 seminal pieces from ancient Mexico to present day. The museum also hosts cultural programs such as theater, dance and music.
Rockford Art Museum – Comprised of more than 2,000 works of art, the RAM has modern and contemporary art from the 19th and 20th centuries through today, from American Impressionist paintings to African American Art from the Black south. Its focus, however, is on regional art with an emphasis on Illinois artists. Its mission is to foster creativity and build community through visual arts.
Frank Lloyd Wright designed The Dana Thomas House in 1902 for Susan Lawrence Dana, a forward-thinking socialite living in Springfield. The home is the 72 building designed by Wright, and contains the largest collection of site-specific, original Wright art glass and furniture. The house was sold to the state in 1981 and is maintained by the Historic Preservation Division of the Illinois Department of Natural Resources.
Contemporary Art Center of Peoria – The CAC was founded in 1996. Its mission is to advance, develop and understand contemporary art, educate diverse students, provide opportunities for viewers and artists through culturally and artistically diverse exhibitions, and enrich the community. From science fiction art to cartoons, this museum has a wide arrangement of art.
Do any of these museums sound interesting to you? If so, celebrate ‘Go to an Art Museum Day’ by popping in.
For 32 years, the Wintrust Magnificent Mile Lights Festival has been a beloved tradition for Chicagoans and people across the nation that visit the Windy City for the holidays. The Magnificent Mile Light Festival is located along the heart of Michigan Avenue. The festival is hosted annually on the Saturday before Thanksgiving. This year it will be held on Nov. 18.
The history of holiday celebrations on Michigan Avenue date back to 1949 when members of the Greater North Michigan Avenue Association displayed a 50 foot tall Christmas tree in Water Tower Park. The grand tree was adorned in 1,500 lights and a six foot star topper. However, the Magnificent Mile Light Festival as we know it developed after the Saks Fifth Avenue shop decided to decorate the trees outside of the their shop with white lights instead of their traditional ornaments. Soon after, other shops along Michigan Avenue began to adopt the tradition and displayed their own lights. This trend evolved into the festival which now displays 200 trees in sparkling lights with one million lights scattered along the mile.
This year, the holiday festivities that will be available include pictures with Santa, musical performances, a tree lighting ceremony and a fireworks show at the conclusion of the event. Shops along the Magnificent Mile will also be participating in the holiday activities and booths will be located in Pioneer Court. Activities will be held throughout the day from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m.
For more information about the Magnificent Mile Lights Festival, visit their website here.
Happy holidays!
Hobnob Market is coming to Springfield this weekend – a great time to start your holiday shopping!
The market sells stylish goods with a vintage edge and clothing from boutiques. This year, there will be over 120 handmade and boutique vendors at the market.
The market will be open from 4-8 p.m. on Friday, Nov. 3, and 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Saturday, Nov. 4. The market is located at the Illinois State Fairgrounds inside the Expo Building.
The first Hobnob Market was hosted in November of 2012, and the event drew 800 shoppers. In the last decade, the market has grown substantially.
Hobnob Market was created by Scott and Holly Snelling. They began the market in 2012 after soul searching on how they wanted to live their lives and raise their children. They like to encourage anyone dreaming of starting a business to just do it, because while making risky decisions can be scary, but it is also often worth it.
For more information on the Hobnob Market, please visit https://hobnobmarket.com/.
National Author’s Day is celebrated on Nov. 1 each year and serves as a day to appreciate our favorite authors for their dedication to the art of writing and their persistence to sharing their stories to the world. Whether you are a fan of fiction, non-fiction, fantasy, romance, poetry or any other topic, you can appreciate the realm of literature and the impact that authors have on our lives and society.
The origin of National Author’s Day is here in Illinois’ Village of Bement. Bement is a small village in Piatt County which currently has a population of about 1,470 individuals. Back in 1928, Nellie Verne Burt McPherson, president of the Bement, Illinois Women’s Club was inspired to set aside a day to celebrate American authors. She had a profound love for reading her whole life and as an educator emphasized the importance of reading and literature to her students. After writing a note to Irving Bacheller about how much she enjoyed his book, Eben Holden’s Last Day A’ Fishing, he sent her back a signed copy of another one of his works. To adequately thank him for his gift, she submitted her idea for National Author’s Day to the General Federation of Women’s Clubs.
In May 1929, the club endorsed a resolution for National Author’s Day to be observed to honor American writers. It wasn’t until 1949 that the U.S. Department of Commerce officially recognized the day. Now, years later, National Author’s Day has been globally recognized and serves as a day to celebrate countless authors for their contributions to literature and inspire people to become avid readers and writers.
In celebration of the day, here is a list of note-worthy Illinois authors:
Ray Bradbury was born in Waukegan in 1920 and was an author and screenwriter. His works consist of a variety of genres including fantasy, horror, mystery and others. His most popular works are Fahrenheit 451 and The Martian Chronicles.
Ernest Hemingway was born in Oak Park in 1899. He was a novelist, short-story writer and journalist. He is one of the major American novelists of the 20th Century and received the Nobel Prize for Literature in 1954 for “his mastery of the art of narrative” highlighting his work The Old Man and the Sea.
William Maxwell was born in Lincoln in 1908 and grew up in Chicago. He was a novelist, short-story writer and long-time editor for the New York Times. Many of his short stories and novels consist of themes from his childhood. Some of his works are Bright Center of Heaven, The Folded Leaf and So Long, See you Tomorrow. He is considered to be a “writer’s writer” as he never had an exorbitant amount of commercial success but was highly respected by other writers.
To learn more about Illinois authors, visit the Illinois Secretary of State website.