Chicago's Year of Public Art is in full swing today, as the city throws a 50th birthday party for the Picasso statue in Daley Plaza this afternoon. Thankfully, the year-long celebration isn't over yet and another event is already in the works. Today, the Department of Cultural Affairs and Special Events announced that a Public Art Festival will take place throughout the city during the month of October.
While a final lineup of Public Art Festival events will be announced next month, the programming will culminate with the Public Art Symposium at the Chicago Cultural Center on October 26 and 27. During the symposium (which is free and open to the public), artists, scholars and community organizers will gather to discuss the state of public art in Chicago. The two-day event will coincide with the release of Chicago’s first Public Art Plan, which will set forth a roadmap for future installations and projects throughout the city.
The month of October will also bring new public art to all 50 wards in Chicago, as part of the 50x50 Neighborhood Arts Project, which solicited proposals from artists earlier this year. On October 1, the third Terrain Biennial will kick off throughout the city, placing art installations in unconventional locations such as front yards and vacant lots. Later in the month DCASE will host a celebration of Cloud Gate (better known as “the Bean”) on October 17, taking place around the famous sculpture in Millennium Park.
If you want to see some great public art before October's festivities begin, you can always seek out Chicago's latest public art installations or simply take a stroll on the Riverwalk and take a selfie with the giant deer sculpture.
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