On a warm summer night, sitting in the Jay Pritzker Pavilion in Millennium Park, with it’s imposing metal mania of a sound system sluicing the air, I caught sight of what was once the tallest building in Chicago. The Prudential Building poked out just north of the park and I couldn’t help but remember the day my mother introduced my sister and me to this skyscraper.
Ma never finished grade school. I can’t remember her ever reading a novel, though she read the financial section of the Chicago Tribune every day until she passed away. She wasn’t well-versed, but she routinely watched WTTW television, a fan from its infancy, and she enjoyed the richness of public broadcasting. Ma was a faithful monetary contributor, giving what small amounts she could, though I did not know she donated to the station until just before she died.
It was on a warm summer day when I was about 12 years old that my mother, my sister, and I took two busses to get to the Lake Street El in Oak Park. Once in the Loop, we walked the short distance to the Art Institute of Chicago, my first time there. I was hooked just passing the lions at the entrance. Ma had done some research, asked some questions, made some phone calls that we were not privy to.
What we were privy to was an introduction to fine art. I remember that trip downtown to this day, more than 50 years later.
From the Art Institute, we walked to the Prudential Building. Did we eat lunch there? I don’t remember, but, I do remember the bird’s-eye view of the Lake from the “top of the rock”.
Thursday night I sat in an open-air auditorium in a park that spanned the distance between the Art Institute of Chicago and the Prudential Building.
Chicago is a well-storied city, ranging from its early days as a settlement named for the wild onions that grew there, to the great Chicago Fire and then the Columbian Exposition. A second city was born out of that fire, you see. One new from the first. Bigger, better, stronger. Chicago is known for its gangsters, like Al Capone, the Haymarket Riot, the 1968 Democratic Convention – and its politicians. It is also known for its hospitality and fortitude, its architecture, world-renowned institutions of higher learning. hospitals, art, music, public spaces and resolve – and I must mention one of the most beautiful and open lake fronts in the world.
So it was, on Thursday, sitting with good friends, after an hour of innovative music, that WTTW’s Geoffrey Baer introduced those instrumental to the evening’s events, including Piet Oudolf, one of the designers of the Lurie Garden, which opened ten years ago in Millennium Park – and then, the wonderful documentary of Jens Jensen’s life and works, The Living Green, began.
The Living Green is a stellar documentary of Jens Jensen’s life, career, innovation of landscape architecture, and his gift of green space to all. As the film ended, flashes of lightening and rumbles of thunder announced the rainfall that ushered us out of the park. As we left, I thought of the film and I marveled at the fact that such an event, a mere speck in the sand of how many were held along the open shoreline of Lake Michigan, and how a city, whether small or large, should be organic in nature, providing spaces for all of its citizens to breath in air, soak up sunshine and be refreshed and restored in the still green earth we live in.
Have you been in a Jens Jensen designed park, a Piet Oudolf garden, a green space nestled into a city of concrete and steel?
Just watched the documentary and now know about this remarkable man. What a gift to live in a city like Chicago where it seems that the positives greatly outweigh the negatives heard of in the press. Your description of your first visit to the museum with your mother and sister was poignant and touching. Your mother would be proud of you for your love of green space as reflected in your garden. I haven’t seen a Jensen park—yet. Maybe someday.
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I’m so pleased that you were able to watch the documentary, Marilyn. There is a lot of bad press, but, there are so many wonderful things about Chicago, including the acres upon acres of green space. Jensen’s influence is felt in many places, not the least of which are the many forest preserves that Tom and I take our walkabouts in. Jensen’s influence helped for the Forest Preserve District of Cook County, which is vast.
Thank you, Marilyn. She lived long enough to see me enjoy gardening in our old house. I’m grateful for that.
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Penny, I just love the way you combined the past memories with your current visit. This is a reminder to today’s parents. Children remember doing things with their parents so much more than the stuff that is bought for them. Your mother was a wonderful example to you and was a very loving mother. I’m glad you enjoyed your time with Jens Jensen. Sometime in the future, I’m sure you will enjoy a visit there with those adorable grandchildren as you tell the stories of your past visits and make a new memory with them.
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Thank you so much, Janet. I guess it is a reminder – and you and I were both so fortunate to have the parents we did. Now, we can carry it forward as grannies. 🙂
Actually, I’d forgotten, but last summer we were with the grandkids in Lincoln Park and the zoo. The park was one of his designs. Now, we need to go again so we can see more. I really do want to have them see the bean and play in the water features. Oh,here I go, spinning webs.
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I really enjoyed the story of your mother’s dedication to learning, despite the absence of a long and formal education. I can only imagine what she learned through public television and the inspiration she wanted to share with her daughters. And I am really interested in learning more about Jens Jensen. I shudder to think of how we who live in more urban environments would fare were it not for beautiful public green space. Whether large or small, I seem to have a nose to find them, I think mostly because I really need to know they exist. I’m so delighted you had the opportunity to enjoy the time in the City with your friends and to refresh your happy childhood memories while also enjoying the documentary. I’m quite sure I haven’t been to a Jensen park, but I would really like to know more. 🙂
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I’m delighted to hear it, Debra. She did enjoy public television and my-oh-my, she was quite upset, when Upstairs, Downstairs ended – and I didn’t even know she was watching it all those years. I was pretty “full” of myself at times.
If you have the time, you might want to view the documentary. It is really quite good. Thank goodness for those with the vision to preserve our public spaces, especially those of us in urban areas. It was a nice time and fortuitous that the Prudential Building was in my line of vision right then.
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What special memories of your mother, all interwoven with your enjoyment of Chicago. Isn’t it fascinating what outings leave an impression on us that lasts forever? I love this sentence of yours: ‘I was hooked just passing the lions at the entrance.’ How wonderful that your mother took so much trouble to introduce you to fine art.
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It was wonderful that she did, Juliet. It took a few hours on public transportation to get to the city and back and I’m so fortunate that she took us. Those lions are iconic to Chicago. There is a ceremony of the laying of the wreaths every Christmas; something I did not know at the time, but, boy, was I impressed. Amazing what we remember, isn’t it?
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I’m pretty sure you are not a Facebook aficionado, Penny, but I found this page there and thought you might be interested to see it: https://www.facebook.com/JensJensenMovie
I’m off to read more and watch the video!
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The more I’ve dug, the more I’m enjoying . . . I didn’t know until today that I actually have been in a park to which Jensen was connected . . . many, many lovely hours spent in Lincoln Park during my childhood. It occurs to me that you might also enjoy this website (if you’ve not found it already): http://www.anatomicallycorrect.org/jensjensenexhibition.htm
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Oh, Karen, thank you for digging in so deep and sharing the links. They were encouraging the use of social media, and here you are, sharing some of what was out there at the event. I enjoyed the Facebook link – and actually saw the back of one of my friends in one of the photos. I’ll have to forward it to her. Loved it. Lincoln Park is such a wonderful park to have spent part of our childhood in.
I’ve bookmarked Anatomically Correct to read more later, but, enjoyed what I did read (and no, I had not already found it, so, thanks). I’d forgotten Northwestern University and the Shakespeare Garden, which our garden club visited a few years ago.
Have you ever been to the Indiana Dunes?
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… and I’m delighted that you did share, Karen. Don’t ever feel you take more than you give, for you, dear blogging friend, are always a welcome part of the conversation. Not everyone who comments here writes a blog, but, like you, are what make the blogging community so vibrant.
I hope you have weathered yesterday’s storms.
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Glad I checked back to see your response before heading off to bed! I have not been to the Dunes, but maybe someday. Since I’m not a blogger, I sometimes feel as though I take more from those of you who are than I could ever give back, so I’m happy to have found some things to share that you hadn’t seen.
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Your post is a fabulous homage to both architecture and urban design, Penny. I’m going to make MTM read it. Places seed our memories. When these people designed the buildings and gardens you mention, they hoped someone like you would mold memories around their creations.
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I was moved by your words here, Andra, which really is a tribute to these innovative individuals who dared, still dare, to think outside the box. “mold memories around their creations” – ah, that we would all do that from time-to-time – and now it is MTM’s turn 🙂
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