Last day with paintings up

On our last day with painting up, it looks like rain, and the temperature is just above freezing. This morning I finally got a photo of Jessie, our Dear Chicago poet.



Dear Chicago,

They said rain was the source
of your wisdom. A hill not here.
when the drip becomes dots
the day will finally close.

love,

a sea not here



And here we are, on our last day with paintings up, at the breakfast meeting.



“I’m ready for it to be over,” Ari said.” And then we told our stories to each other, about our adventures - and tortures, and everything in between. It wasn't a comprehensive conversation, as we are missing so many who participated. But we had a few laughs. And then they went off to put more new pieces on the ever changing painting.

When Gord returned for lunch he said, "There's quite a few people out there today, and they're all just as amazed as ever."



Tonight we’re going to have a Leaving Ceremony at the wall at 6 o’clock and you’re invited to come say a few words about what the wall meant to you, mutter a blessing -- something for Chicago after Paintings Below Zero on Chase Promenade.

Yesterday we went to the Milwaukee Art Museum, a stunning white structure on the lake, designed by Santiago Calatrava, with ‘wings’ which open and shut.



On the freeway, I captured that large billboard as we drove by. This is the one we saw in the taxi on December 15th, on our way into Chicago to begin the project.



Colleen Duke, Cultural Affairs Officer at the Canadian Consulate, drove us.



It was great to get out of the city for an ART excursion, and to see such fine design.



Then, we had a dinner date with Jody Oshita-Bajor at 96 floors up at the John Hancock building in the Signature room, that famous tall landmark on the Chicago skyline. She hosted us at dinner: Here we are after an absolutely fantastic meal and conversation about art, architecture and politics!



Here's Peter Bajor, Jody, Katherine Bajor, me, Mark Sexton, and Gord. Thank you, Jody!

When we got back, Trevor, who works the front desk at Hard Rock Hotel, told us that it was his last day.



Trevor is going onto San Diego, a new frontier for him, in his young life. He was fantastic during our stay - as were so many at the Hard Rock. Good luck, Trevor!

Photo credits: Caitlin Hicks, Matt Hotz

Bring your wishes, say goodbye

In alpine nothern Italy in the small town of Fenestrelle, you could hear the cowbells tinkling in the distance, as sheep roamed the hillside down the mountain below. In winter, when the livestock were housed in barns, it was church bells tolling across the valley which became the sound of the morning. (www.paintingsbelowzero.blogspot.com)


Now we’re in Chicago, and it’s the ambulance siren and the blasting honk of the firetruck which fills up the space between the buildings and creeps into every ear in every building any time, day or night. Gord says it’s probably that the emergency workers want to remind all of us that they are doing their essential job, day and night.


I am seeing and hearing again all the things we discovered about Chicago - what makes it uniquely Chicago. After two and a half months here, I had become part of the daily crush, opening and closing the tail of my scarf, pulling on my gloves for the umpteenth time as I pushed open the revolving door and set myself against the cold.



But these are our last days here, and my eyes and ears are open again, cherishing what I experience, in heightened awareness as if saying goodbye to a lover.


Yesterday, the snow, that pristine gift from winter has fallen flake by flake and gently made everything uniformly white. At 7 AM the rooftops and sidewalks were blanketed. And then, of course, the people with shovels and cars and footsteps muddied it all in their determined daily rush.


Still, at minus 3 degrees, it felt balmy, and I just had to go over to the wall again and see how it sits there on Chase Promenade, lighting up the monochromatic winter landscape.


They tell us that over 112,000 people have visited the painting. I got a farewell email today, “Good luck to you! You've been a fantastic winter treat for all of us!”


On Friday, we’re going to have a ceremony of leaving. We’re bringing our wishes for Chicago, and asking others who have loved the wall to bring their own. Say goodbye.


At six o’clock we’re going to light the candles and melt one painting from the wall, a symbolic sacrifice for the destruction we know must follow.


People are already talking to us about how they will miss the colors. Maybe we’ll have some pieces that some can take away with them and put in their yards, like we did last time.


On Tuesday, Aldo Castillo hosted a reading of my work at his gallery on Franklin Street in River North. Almost everyone who said they’d attend eventually arrived; we had an audience of about 25 people. I read two well worn characters from my repertoire, felt like a singer who pulls out a popular song for a loving audience; and then read a chapter from my-almost-finally-tweaked novel. Pretty serious stuff, with one very ‘out there’ character. I think it went well, at least it was fantastic for me, to remember the times in our lives when we toured theatre and worked our art project on the same excursion (in the late nineties at the London International Financial Futures Exchange, and on weekends touring Singing the Bones ). It just felt great. To give my work the light of day, to perform again.


Gord gave a blue jacket to Amit, to acknowledge how much a part of our Chicago crew he was, as king of The Fulton. Amit gave it immediately to his father, Nehemiah, who wore it proudly throughout the reading. We stayed until 8. Lois Roelfs was there with her husband; she lives across from the park and has contributed photos to the blog.


In fact, every Friday night, she and friends have a party at her place to celebrate the wall and watch its many changes.

One more thing. It all started when I snapped Arquilla’s photo at the Consular Ball. She gave me her email address, and later as I wrote to send her the photo, I noticed her name. So I took a chance and wrote her a note.


"Dear Arquilla & Abou,

Here is the photo I took of you at the Chicago Consular Ball. Your name - Bakayoko - is one familiar to me and I am wondering if Abou may know a man I knew in Geneva, Switzerland, many years ago. (1975)

He was the Consulate General for The Ivory Coast in Geneva. I knew him simply as" Monsieur Bakayoko" -- and I lived with him for 3 months in a little town called Chambesy, working as Au pair for two young boys, his son Frank and Jacob (Frank's cousin). They were both five years old at the time. Franck's mother had died, so the boys needed someone to look after them.

A few years ago, I returned to Chambesy & Geneva, asking after him at the consulate, but they only said that he no longer worked in Switzerland.

Since you are in the diplomatic realm ... and your name is the same, I thought I'd contact you to see if you have any news of this man.

You looked so beautiful that night, enjoy the photo.”

Her note, after the Consular Ball, said simply,

“Caitlin,

Your email was quite a surprise and proof that the world is truly a small place. Monsieur Bakayoko, is in fact Abou's Uncle. He is now the Secretary of State for the Ivory Coast. Frank lives in Paris and has a small daughter. Abou is actually in the Finance realm and myself, I sit on the Board for the International Visitors Center of Chicago.”



And so we had supper together. Abou told me how the Bakayokos I knew have lived their lives since then. Abou, who reminds me of his uncle, gave me contact information for both Monsieur and Frank. and I can’t wait to call!

Photo credits: Caitlin Hicks, Colleen Duke, Matt Hotz, Gord Halloran

Our final Sunday: sunshine, artwork, fans

Photo credits: Matt Hotz, Caitlin Hicks

Romance, fun & beauty

David Kay and Metro Squash were all over it today with their leaders: Max Laverty, Paul Cussen, Christine Bonkamp and all the kids. Later, we got a note: Caitlin, thanks again for the presentation. Fantastic exhibit, the kids had a great time. Paul Cussen, Metro Squash.

Blue jackets out on the back wall, installing in the sunshine. Crowds, thick with curiosity, on all sides.





So many fans, gathering round, how could anyone possibly count this many people?





New paintings went up, as another sea of Saturday strollers filled the promenade.









What an adventure for everyone, to work, to see the work being done. To explain to the children. To feel the sun, to watch the color migrate to the edge into lace.









To be in family.


































This family came from Port Huron, Michigan, just to see Paintings Below Zero, the wall.

Here's Mel Jones and Susan Morrow, who, it turns out, work with Amit.



Photo credits for Saturday: Caitlin Hicks, Matt Hotz, Jessica Levin.

Next: A story, 32 years old, resurfaces in a chance meeting in Chicago. Our last Sunday at Millennium Park! Have you been blogged?

"It's like candy. You want to break off a piece and snack on it." - Audi Chenoweth



An intimate still life ~ by Jim Donegan
ICE BLOCKS

background & foreground
Colored Ice fused and smooth
yellows and reds
mid field
Chipped/ Jagged, hard- edged
yellows and reds

raspberry juices dripping
the spaces between

leading eye along a line
the sun caught

to black gap beneath

Thanks to artist Gordon Halloran for Painting Below Zero


Dear Caitlin,

I just wanted to tell you that I was downtown on Saturday and took a friend to see "Paintings Below Zero."IT WAS AMAZING! It's too bad Chicagoans don't go outside in winter. ha!


There must have been people 30 deep on each side-the sun was out - the piece was melting -people were snapping pictures like crazy… it couldn't have been cooler, or as Gordon says "colder!" I was hoping to bump into one of you… I just hope you got a chance to witness the crowds yourselves. - Pam Grimes, WGN-TV


“The wall looks great, evolving through all these weird weather patterns. Just as Gord predicted, Mother Nature is having lots of fun playing with his art." -Nancy Cottingham Powell




My sister, Bernadette wrote me today to say "emily has left a new comment on your post "58,000 visitors to Paintings Below Zero":


“What a neat exhibit and a great blog! I wanted to let you know that we featured the exhibit and linked to your blog on Intelligent Travel:


http://www.intelligenttravel.typepad.com/


On Wednesday, Evening Associates of The Art Institute of Chicago hosted us at lunch in the Garden restaurant, a preparation for Thursday's event, co-hosted with the Canadian Consulate. (www.eveningassociates.com)


Here they are: Glenn Eden, Gord, Ann Rosen, (Trade Commmissioner for the Government of Canada). Other side: Bonnie Goldsborough, Audi Chenoweth, Tara Anbudalyan and Colleen Duke.


Thursday evening, we all gathered for a slide show and talk with the artist about the work. Colleen and I put together a slide show with images from Italy and Toronto as well as Millennium Park.




And the question was:

“When the snow melts, I feel sad. How do you deal with the sense of loss?”

“There is no way to escape the lapse," he started, "it's part of the process. The experience of being in Chicago and sharing the work, it’s going to come to an end, there’s no running from it. It’s part of the sequence of life. When the paintings go through their transformation, I ask myself, ‘how did it(the color) fade away?’ and ‘how do I add something to the experience?’ It makes it very rich."


Subject: Chagall mosaic at Chase Plaza

Good morning!

Lynn (one of our docents last night) compared PBZ to the above mentioned mural. I don't think you two have seen it. Chase Plaza is located at 10 South Dearborn. The mosaic is outside. For a photo, go to http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Four_Seasons_%28Chagall%29.

Later, Colleen

Then, my sister Therese sent me an art photo: the home made belt I sent her for Christmas with scarf - from Italy?


Photo credits today: Julia Chester, Colleen Duke, Patrick Pyszka, Caitlin Hicks

58,000 visitors to Paintings Below Zero

Caitlin--I saw the Painting Below Zero installation yesterday -- IT IS INCREDIBLE !!!!!!!!!!!! I stood there for a while, even though it was totally freezing outside. I LOVED IT! I'm definitely going back again and again during this month. It was inspiring and made me feel relaxed--it's GREAT! I'm so glad I met you guys--I'm a fan! ~Margaret

The weather is fantastic again, have I stopped noticing the details? Now that I’m a ‘local’? Tonight is a lunar eclipse.


Everytime someone else takes a photograph of the exhibit, I appreciate the diversity we share; how we learn from one another, build our intelligence and knowledge on each other's experience. The above two are Julia Chester photos. See what I mean? I never saw what she saw, until she snapped the photo. Then, it becomes something I recognize. Her artwork resonates with my experience.


And the paintings change, just like the weather.



We had rain on Sunday. Here’s Gord in the truck, sorting through paintings he’s made, selecting new ones to install on the wall.



Monday, Aldo Castillo hosted lunch, where we discussed art, theatre, possibilities. Lorna Marsh, an artist from Capetown, South Africa shared her confidence as an artist who has torn it up and put it back on canvas all her life.


Kevin Richards, President of the Chamber of Commerce in Streeterville, and his intern, Selina, represented the marketing aspect, the context of presenting art, and theatre. Pat Turnbull, President of Kayhan International had a seasoned comment or two. Aldo brought us all together. I was there, taking the photographs.



Then, randomly, we met a woman and her daughter who had come to Chicago, expressly to see Paintings Below Zero at Millennium Park -- from Boulder Colorado. Here they are: Asia Sageman and Bert Steinmetz.


The crew worked all day, replacing ice shards,


so now you can see the morphed ice alongside the pristine pieces.


Then, Monday night we supped at Kerri’s. A warm, homey evening with kids underfoot, a basement ‘pub’ with bartender,









and dinnertime conversation about the meaning of art and politics in our lives. Gord sat next to Nora, who teaches Buddhism in Art at the Art Institute, of course the word 'ephemeral' came up a few times; Kerri talked politics (Obama/Hilary, race, sex),


Mike, an architect, wanted to believe that there is a standard to art which sets it apart; Dan, a mathemetician: about learning how math relates to our lives; Peggy and Olivier more or less observed all with a smile, while the kids tromped through from time to time. I was there too, taking the photographs.



We decided that I would read for our friends in Chicago, and we're going to: at Aldo's Gallery on Tuesday.

President's Day Weekend at The Popsicle

Here's Ravin, my (sometimes) squash partner.




Above: Matt, Gord and Jessica, a very helpful docent, who is going to send me her photos. Below: Julia, my second cousin, and her husband, Val. They made a special trip here from West Lafayette, Indiana, just to see Paintings Below Zero, and stayed two days. We saw the Impressionist exhibit (2nd only to the Louvre) at the Art Institute.







The pile of ice on the right was made by a little artist, who left a note.



Friday night we toured the painting with our hosts the Honourable Georges Rioux, Consul General of Canada, Jack & Rosemary Fortnum and Gary & Nancy Houser.


Jack treated us to dinner at the official residence of the Consul General of Canada. This was the auction item from Canada at the Consular Ball - dinner for four - with Paintings Below Zero artist, his wife (me!) and the Consul General (Georges Rioux) and his wife, Sharon Grey.



We did, indeed, have fun. Cuisine was excellent & Sharon, the rabble rouser.







Ari and Tim's parents came to town from western Canada: Chuck and Dacia from Victoria and Cheryl and Mick from The Sunshine Coast. Saturday night, we only waited a half hour for a table for eight at Mambo Grill. Tim's mother brought a copy of the front page of the Coast Reporter the full color story "Halloran's ice wall set to fire up Chicago".


Above photo was taken by Tim's choice volunteer -- she missed a couple of us. It was great to relax and be able to finally call our two core crew workers - 'the kids'.



We were all just missing Jaz.

Midwestern sky

This morning, the sun burst through the thick curtains in our otherwise dark room, one of those invent-the-world spectacular kind of days, sunshine so bright and magnificent, we were all suddenly young again, rich and full of all the promise we were ever capable of. The sky is big over Chicago. They have these days in the middle of winter.



We’ve been living the city high life for two months, to the day. Along with the stress and work of putting up the installation in madcap weather, we are taking advantage of Chicago's offerings: last night we saw Conor McPherson's Shining City at The Goodman. A few nights ago: a new opera: Osvaldo Golijov's Ainadamar.



Even so, I miss my kitchen, my cat, the earth beneath my feet. It’s spring after all, on the west coast: we’d be putting seeds into small pots, setting them on the windowsill, and watching green, hopeful seedlings poke up through the chocolate soil.



Gord has a cold. His opportunities have multiplied, and daily he’s grateful, especially for the interaction with the people who come in droves to see his artwork.





Sometimes, it’s overwhelming, trying to sort it all out. This week on the Presidents day holiday, I imagined everyone else at home, wearing fuzzy socks, sitting in the sun, drinking home brewed coffee and thinking: nothing.



A redoubled crew is out on the promenade today, putting up new shards, renewing the artwork in anticipation of the weekend crowds.



We had local media again, doing a very short story at dawn. This is Don Schwenneker of WBBM.



Here’s Jill Hurwitz and Marion Meers looking cheerful before the sun came up with producer Harvey Moshman from CBS 2.



Two weeks to go and I'm going to savor every minute. Tim’s parents are here, as are Ari’s. My cousin Julia also visits this weekend. The dinner hosted by the Consul General at the official residency is tonight. Gord just came in the door, for lunch. “People are so kind, “ he said, sinking into the chair in his paint-splatterd hoodie. “They just want to say ‘thank you’ and to shake my hand.”



A childhood acquaintance from New Carlisle has said he can't make it, after all, so that's disappointing. But it’s a good day. The sun is still brilliant, in the way it can be here. The sky, so big.



PHOTO CREDITS TODAY: Dave Frech, Adrian Goldberg, Caitlin Hicks, Lois Roelofs

Artist, audience & The Popsicle

Early Sunday morning, Jaz took a plane back to the west coast. The weather turned very very cold (2 degrees f), but there were still lots of people at The Popsicle. (Mark Rodda photo below).





And, it didn't stop them from filling Cassidy Theatre at The Cultural Center where Gord gave a talk about the installation. I took notes on a napkin.



Someone asked: "What has surprised you?" and Gord said,"There is no way you can dominate the work, you must have empathy with the process . . .




to watch and watch . . and midwife the work.



"To be out there yesterday, to be present as thousands of people responded to the work was fantastic,


the dazzling quality of some of the pieces as they go through their transformation." (Gary Sinclair photo below)


Usually, artists have openings and they don't get the chance to see people interact with their work.


Here .... what a bonus to hear them, to answer their questions. (K Ardner photo above)





At the end of the day, I received a comment posted on the blog, which I will re-print here: (Lois Roelofs photo above, Colleen Duke, below)

Wow.

Today I was a volunteer tour guide and expected almost no one to be out, given the sub zero temps and the far below zero wind chills. Was I wrong!



There were many enthusiastic people, and I enjoyed sharing what I know about the exhibit with them and discovering anew the beauty in the ice.



Mostly I want to say how much I have come to love the Museum of Modern Ice. I work directly across the street, so I have been able to watch it from the installation forward. I monitor its changes the way I would those of a growing child.



Every time I look, I see more. I feel not only engaged by the ice, I am beginning to feel a bit possessive of it.



Not in a way that I don't want to share it, just in a way that it belongs to me, that I will take the ice with me long after the season has gone. I think I am beginning to prosectively mourn its departure.



Thank you, Mr. Halloran and crew. I have a new appreciation for public art, the beauty of ice and the way this beauty has brought people together.

M. Jackson

Here's Eva Silverman, who has been working very hard coordinating so many events for Musuem of Modern Ice. Today, she introduced Gord to the crowd at Cassidy Theater.



We had supper with Rebeca and Michael Orlove at uncommonground, a community restaurant with fabulous artwork on the walls, a cabaret and wonderful hosts, Michael and Helen! Surprise, surprise!Todd from Hard Rock Hotel (the definition of cool) was there with a friend who owns Jane, another restaurant!





Tomorrow: Pre-dawn interview for CBS-TV. The newest opera: Ainadamar. THANK YOU to all photographers who contributed to today and yesterday's blog! Keep those photos coming!

Weekend on Chase Promenade

This weekend, it was all about public art.


Thousands of people came through Chase Promenade, hour after hour, curious and animated, looking, questioning, pointing and chatting about the thing they'd come to see: The Popsicle.


The crew was out in force, like an assembly line, doing all the things they do to keep the colors visible: torching, scraping, planing and watering, hauling out new pieces and gluing them to the surface.



Here's Julie McKay, her sisters and mother.


They hail from: Detroit, Grand Rapids and Trevor City, Michigan, as well as Jacksonville, Florida. They read about The Popsicle in a travel section, and decided to make Chicago their destination for their annual family get-together.





The cameras were out in force, here's a smattering I got in five minutes.





My own camera failed me - running out of batteries.














so I asked around: could someone take a photo for me?




It was like fishing for Salmon during the fall spawn going upstream.


I stumbled onto a photo club!


Mark Rodda was kind enough to get these for me, and it just demonstrate that our diversity is our strength.



A friend of the Van de Voorde's in Virginia said hello to Gord while I was back at the room getting my replacement batteries, which also failed ...



So I got this photo from Katie Ardner.



Here's Alberta & Jake Thomas who, after viewing the wall, quoted Deepak Chopra, something like: "without passion, there is no spirituality" ... then went onto link the passionate paintings with a spiritual experience.



On Saturday night The Canadian Consulate hosted a reception at the Chicago Cultural Center. Jim Kvedaras from presenting sponsor CN was there with his daughter -- and lots of fans.



Here's the crew with pals from Millennium Park. It was Jaz's last night in Chicago.














Later today: Through the eyes of other photographers on site during the weekend! Lecture at Cassidy Theatre; Jaz departs for the west coast.

The Chicago Consular Ball at Chicago Hilton Grand Ballroom

Friday, February 8, 2008


















The Chicago Consular Ball.








The annual black-tie formal where Consuls General from countries around the world gather once a year, and dressed in their tuxes and gowns, chat, dine & dance.



This year, we were guests of honor. Here we are with Peggy Parfenoff, International Visitors Center of Chicago and Honorable Georges Rioux, Consul General of Canada.



Where hors d'oeuvres, so luxurious, were reminiscent of our days as filmmakers at the Montreal World Film Festival, the world premiere of our film, "Singing the Bones".


Here's Gord with Tony and Valentine between the shrimp and lobster on ice.



A sort of chime/gong called all to the grand ballroom. Ballerinas danced near tables with glorious centerpieces.







The "Grand March of the Chicago Consular Corps", presented each Consul General to the crowd, under a spotlight.







We all stood and sang the United States national anthem.

Here's Gord with Donna Sadlicka, the soprano who performed with an absolutely unbelievable voice.

At the silent auction, we were out-bid. Canada's contribution was a dinner for four with the Canadian Consul General and . . . "world famous Canadian artist, Mr. Gordon Halloran" -- on Valentine's Day.



On the back cover of the 20-page program it said: Special Guest: Gordon Halloran, Artist. We stood at our table as we were announced.

Zygmunt Matynia, the Consul General of the Republic of Poland and his wife sat on either side at dinner at the huge, round table.


On my right a man named, almost unbelievably -- Carl Swanson. This name is so etched in my psyche -- as Carl Robert Swanson was my mother's first husband, killed in World War II just months before the war ended. I wrote a story about my journey to find his grave. (www.fatsalmon.ca/writing/veterans.htm)


Also at our table (#42) were Joan and Richard Miller, of Evanston, Illinois. Richard ultimately acted as the auctioneer for the larger items: a trip to London, Buenos Aires and Shanghai. Afterwards he asked me to dance.


Gord was thick in conversation with Aldo Castillo, Director of the Aldo Castillo Gallery -- who wants to bring Paintings Below Zero to Brazil.

I danced with Dan Miltner, whose wife, Kerrie McClimen, is Peggy's best friend. How refreshing it was, to be introduced to someone, hearing the words, "She's my best friend."



Mostly I delighted in the costumery of it all.



Below are Kerri McClimen, Peggy Parfenoff (Executive Director of International Visitors Center of Chicago), Rich McMenamin, Mary Sue Barrett, the Honorable Mads Mikkelson, Consul General of Denmark, and Emily Brinkmoeller.



Another couple, also with a name from my past: Bakayoko. Here: Arquilla & Abou. Bakayoko was the name of a diplomat for The Ivory Coast when I visited Geneva, just after graduating from university. My role, at 21 was au pair for his two sons, Franck and Jacob -- neither of whom I have seen since.



We danced.



until the lights came up





and people started taking home the flowers in the center of the tables. Here's Emily again, and her date, Marcelino Garcia, of the Illinois Department of Commerce & Economic Opportunity.



Tomorrow: the weekend with the Popsicle & Bean

The windy city: slush, sleet & rain

The Caution Falling Ice sign came to life today as I was underfoot when pelted by slushy snow on the way to Intelligentsia. We all scurried, our heads bowed.



This morning, over coffee, we were assaulted by psuedo songs in one key -- loud. The weather is no better. Sleet, snow, rain. Wet & windy. Above freezing. Happily, today was cooler. You can see how the paintings have changed. Our crew is skeleton, but we're back at work.


The word from Colleen Duke: My camera is back at the office as I am planning on periodic photo safaris until the wall is a colorful little puddle on the ground.




This one looks like we’ve landed on the moon.



Here’s Tim, torching past the frost.







Gord threatened to go back to The Fulton today to do more pours. The lacework and color is still quite amazing to see. Jaz took most of these photos.








People are stopping by the wall all day to ask questions, to thank Gord for bringing this colorful, unusual artwork to Chicago. It's not even the weekend - where are they all coming from? It's hard to get the work done with all the questions, but I think the ambassador in him enjoys posing for photos with everyone, or in this case, taking the photographs for them.



Meanwhile, people have been good to us, and we’ve gotten some sleep, so as to be able to appreciate it. Invited to dinner by Peggy Parfenoff of the International Visitor's Center of Chicago, at her in-laws.



Hosted by Michael & Marilyn, we had a lively supper in their playful, colorful, whimsical home, designed by son Eric. Peggy is one of the coordinators of the Consular Ball, a princess in black. She helped me find my dress!

Art Sutherland sent an enormous basket from Bin 36, congratulating us on our achievement. On Feb lst he was stranded in the Cascade mountains of Washington state in this cozy photo.
















Noreen Ahmed Ullah had lunch with us today. Great discussions about Islam, Pakistan, Afghanistan.


Meghan Muholland sent us a copy of Spirit (Southwest Airlines in flight magazine), where an article she wrote about Paintings Below Zero appeared this month.



Here’s Gord with Spirit Magazine photographer Phillip Chin, just outside Gord’s studio back in early December. The painting between them is part of Gord's Hung Jury series)

We’re still hearing from fans.

I live in Chicago and last Sunday walked to Millennium Park to see the Paintings Below Zero exhibit. Thought you might enjoy looking at your work as seen through my camera lens on a cold and foggy day. I think this and the ice skating rink are just spectacular! Thanks for doing this in Chicago.Tom Barrat

http://www.kodakgallery.com/I.jsp?c=o3y2cun.1vqdosaf&x=0&y=sb95ph



Paulie said...

"seeing these pics (and i am not an art lover by no means) makes me want to go and see this work of art live and tell all who are like me that there is no shame into liking this"

Tomorrow is the Consular Ball!

Super Tuesday, magniloquent

“Have fun. Pace yourself. Chicago can be a 24 hour party.”

It’s Super Tuesday. The rest of the country is out voting. Today, I passed a police barricade set up for ‘Obama’s rally.’ We’ll see what happens tonight. Jaz just called: could I come down and take some photos of the installation? They’re torching and spraying - and the paintings are magnificent. Some kind of storm is pelting my window, I hope it's snow.


Let’s just preface today’s blog with one of the recent words from Doctor Dictionary: magniloquent: lofty or grandiose in speech.

First of all, the paintings. You'll see them here in various stages of freezing -- from frosty to glassy. The frosty - suggestive of ice bergs melting into the ocean -- and the glassy = good enough to eat. Remember, temperatures went from very freezing to a balmy 45 degrees, to snow to rain to sleet to slush, and ice responds differently to those conditions.



Overheard at the opening itself, "Where's the artist’s signature? And Adrian Goldberg, who created the lighting, said, “If you’re the only person in the world who’s doing this, there’s no need to sign it.”

Colleen Duke, Academic and Cultural Affairs Officer at the Canadian Consulate woke us up, the morning after: “Well, are you basking in the media’s love affair with Paintings Below Zero?”

“It’s the coolest thing going on in the city,” said Todd Stablein, the Concierge at Hard Rock Hotel (whose favorite band is Poi Dog Pondering). “It’s the most amazing thing to have in your backyard.“ Here’s Todd & Gord with The Chicago Tribune and the Chicago Sun Times, on Feb 1st, when the full page, full color stories were printed in both papers.


We received congratulatory emails from all over the country: Patrick Firpo in San Francisco, my sisters, Gord’s brothers, even a long lost relative on the McLellan side in Michigan, among others.



“Congratulations. Wow! The wall looks awesome!” Debbie Hicks, Phoenix, Arizona.

“Congrats on a wonderful installation. You have every reason to be proud.” Mary Hicks, San Diego, California

"Congratulations!!!! Your work is beautiful (said warmly from our California home in front of a fire!!!) Hugs!" Bernie Milbury, Chino Hills, California

From New York: “The project looks fantastic. It’s even worth a trip to Chicago BRRRRRR in February.” Marilyn Meyerson.



From J.C. in B.C.: "Hey Gord, Congratulations!!!!!! Looks FANTASTIC!!!" (Photo credits, above: Colleen Duke)

“I am in awe at the depth of mastery going into every segment (of the painting). There are many here watching in complete amazement at how fine this project is.” - Katherine Denham, the dancer who changed River’s life.(see River’s bio on the right for more info on that). (Next 2 photos: Patrick Pyszka).



“Out of this world! A fantastic, colossal job.” Al Burns, Roberts Creek, British Columbia, Canada.

From Chicago: “The city seems to think it can lift our cold, broken spirits by taking the sould-crushing Chicago winter and adding the word “festival”. (The city would be right).“ Emily Withrow (flavorpill.com)



“Please pass my congrats to Gord and Caitlin. This looks absolutely stunning and I wish I could be there. The residents and visitors of Chicago are indeed lucky to have the installation.” Jane Fernyhough, City of Richmond. B.C., Canada.

“It looks fabulous!” Marielle Camozzi, Vancouver (Former intern with PBZ).

Here are a few of the Canadian Women’s Club of Chicago who hosted me at a lunch the day after -- and posed in front of a frosty painting. Photo by Susanna Doolin.



News was that the restaurant on the park was dead-of-winter-quiet -- and after opening, jammed to the rafters, busy, busy, busy. Over 12,000 visitors came to see the site on Saturday and Sunday. Gord didn’t get near it, but Jaz, Ari, and Tim kept it going over the weekend.

We had a delicious lunch at Vong's with River’s parents and his cousin, Jeremy.



We did pizza in the suite for Super Bowl.



We had dinner with Colleen Duke and her chef husband Kieran, an absolutely yummy affair which had us in a real home for a few hours. They brought out their best wines -- including Inniskillin ice wine.



We did a tour of the Chicago Art Institute - what a fabulous collection of impressionistic paintings! And it’s free to the public in February!

We said goodbye to River, and this morning, to Erik.





Last photo: Colleen Duke; all others not credited: Caitlin Hicks

Chicago gets its Popsicle

January 31, 2008



It looked like an easy finish ahead. At Intelligentsia, only River showed up: the rest were still in bed, recovering from a midnight ‘wrap’ - a film term for ‘it’s time to go home’.



Except (the original) Katie, and Tim. The wall looked beautiful, though still tarped. There was a lot of cleaning up to do.



Gord had decided it was close to done: a few more pieces at the top.



There is a moment when every painting is made, where the artist must stand back and decide: enough.



Enough brush strokes. Enough color. Enough elements. He must give the composition space - so that it has movement and sweep. Gord had arrived at that moment in the morning.


My first glance told me that the ‘painting’ wasn’t yet 12 feet high, if you wanted to be literal about it. And I thought: we promised 12 feet, didn't we? So I told him, ‘maybe you should have a couple pieces at the top.” Me, armchair artist, shotgun-seat driver, the expert, reflecting imagined mainstream concerns.



And he said, “It’s a painting, that’s how it looks. I don’t have to fill up every inch of it to be able to say that the painting is 12 feet tall. I like the space.”

Still, there had been a lot of focus on the numbers, on 'the biggest and best ever'. I wasn’t sure his audience, fed so much about the project through the media, would understand. But I left. My last art class was in high school. Who am I to question a work such as this?



Several hours later I couldn’t reach him. Tim told me Gord was having a time out and his phone was turned off. I knew he was feeling some kind of pressure - this morning he had been so light, so confident.

He arrived back at the suite with maybe an hour left until opening and headed straight for the bath. We dressed, met the crew in the lobby, realizing we had about five minutes to get to the site before the mayor did. We walked the streets together, proud, excited, almost late.



Afterwards, after the speeches and cameras popping,



after the hundreds of people crowded into the tent,





















after the walk through visit with the mayor,







after celebratory toasts at Bin 36, I learned in bits and pieces what happened in the afternoon just before opening.







Valentine, who has shepherded us through the entire project, who has shielded us from the issues, while finding solutions to solve them. Who broke her leg last week and who was at work the whole week, because she was needed. Valentine had visited the site, worried that the painting wasn't finished at the top, speaking passionately about her concerns.

One thing I know about Gord, he responds to passion. He loves it, respects it, trusts it. And this process of creating this painting had been made under intense scrutiny - daily interest and much attention from the press. It is a public piece of art. One thing I've heard about Chicago is: they embrace art, and once they do, it's theirs.

The other thing about Gord is -- he goes with what's in front him. What's in front of him has been part of the process of making these paintings from the get-go. He makes it his own, but he says, "Yes" before he considers saying "No" ... and after he says "Yes", he says ... "and?" He asks himself, "What is my opportunity here?"

The wonderful thing is - the 'artist's cut' and 'the final artist's cut' both turned out beautifully, after all.



But not without a bit of tension first.

After Valentine left the site, River, who is King of the Lift, pressed a button he shouldn’t have and the lift, a couple of inches from the wall, crashed into the north end of the painting, shattering a few pieces on both sides in the process. Treasured, saved-until-that-moment pieces, gone in seconds.



It was as if River pressed the gas when he should have pressed brake. It wasn't a huge deal, except that this happened to be the afternoon before opening. The truss structure -- and the wall -- held up well against the impact. Shaken, River descended the lift. Gord turned off his phone and went on a break.



Then it was All Hands On Deck -- as two hours worth of work had been destroyed in those few seconds.

As to the rest of the evening:



The Mayor was eloquent:



speaking about how art brings people together, across race, religion, income level, job, status.









Dot Coyle said things like"a bright spot this winter." Jim Foote, CN's V.P of Marketing for North America,(CN is our presenting sponsor) said the work was"truly breathtaking", and their sponsorship had been an excellent fit for their company.



Gord remembered everyone -- and spoke inspirationally about the work itself. I would have thanked some people by name at The Chicago Cultural Center - but if I had mentioned one name, I know I would have left out another.





We, all of us who worked on or contributed to this project - from the most recent intern (the 3rd Katie) to sponsors to crew to Christine Carrino in Communications -





to Joseph Zambrano in Finance - to Nathan Mason, to Laura Chmielewski, Jason Moy, Lauren Gentile -- to Michael Vasilevich, the Zamboni driver -- there are so many more -- had ownership in what we were celebrating.






























It is Gord's art, . . . "and" . . . it was our project.



Each of us contributed a personal best. And last night, we all celebrated what we shared: Our Popsicle. Chicago's Popsicle.

PHOTO CREDITS: Patrick Pyzska, Adrian Goldberg and Caitlin Hicks