Miró's Chicago
| Miró's Chicago | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Artist | Joan Miró |
| Year | 1981 |
| Type | Mixed media sculpture |
| Dimensions | 12 m (39 ft) |
| Location | Brunswick Plaza, Chicago |
| 41°52′59″N 87°37′49″W / 41.88306°N 87.63037°W | |
Miró's Chicago (originally called The Sun, the Moon and One Star)[1] is a sculpture by Joan Miró in Brunswick Plaza, Chicago, United States. It is 39 feet (12 m) tall, and is made of steel, wire mesh, concrete, bronze, and ceramic tile.[2]
History
The sculpture is located in small plaza named "Brunswick Plaza" located outside of the Cook County Administration Building (originally known as the "Brunswick Building").[1][3] Architect Bruce Graham had begun talks with Miró about designing a sculpture for its exterior plaza during the early stages of the building's design.[4] In 1969, the Brunswick Corporation commissioned a design from Miró for such a sculpture, but they decided not to proceed due to the costs. The original bronze model of Miró's Chicago is currently in the collection of the Milwaukee Art Museum.[5]
Chicago Mayor Jane Byrne reached an agreement in which the city would provide funds for the sculpture's construction conditional upon 50% of funding being provided by other contributors. Sufficient funding commitments were secured from several institutions, foundations and individuals, and construction was begun. Miró reduced the cost of its construction donating his design to the city, with the names of the contributors included in the specification.[5] Miró donated his design to leave the sculpture as a gift to the residents of Chicago.[4] The City of Chicago ultimately contributed $250,000, and the majority funding came from the other donors.[5]
The completed sculpture was unveiled on April 20, 1981.[1][4] The sculpture is regarded as a companion of sorts to the the untitled 1967 sculpture by Pablo Picasso located across-the-street at Daley Plaza. The inclusion of plaza space and some landscaping around the skyscraper was meant to compliment the nearby plaza outside Daley Center, and the construction of the sculpture completed this original vision.[4]
Location
The sculpture is located in Brunswick Plaza, situated between the Cook County Administration Building and the Chicago Temple Building in the downtown Loop community area of Chicago, Illinois.[5] This location is directly to the south of the Daley Center, and nearly directly south of the Chicago Picasso.[1]
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See also
References
- ^ a b c d "Miró: Chicago". Chicago Public Library. August 1997. Retrieved June 6, 2007.
- ^ "Public Art Guide" (PDF). City of Chicago. Archived from the original (PDF) on August 10, 2011. Retrieved September 22, 2011.
- ^ "Cook County Administration Building". Emporis. Archived from the original on May 14, 2015. Retrieved December 18, 2021.
- ^ a b c d Harrington, Adam (April 20, 2025). "On This Day In 1981: Joan Miró's Chicago Sculpture Is Unveiled Downtown". CBS News. CBS Chicago. Retrieved August 10, 2025.
- ^ a b c d "Art Inventories Catalogue". Smithsonian Institution. 2004. Retrieved July 1, 2007.