Had Canadian artist Gordon Halloran been born a city boy and never experienced rural Ontario and the vast wintry expanse of his boyhood home, he might have been content to remain an award-winning illustrator.
But by the 1990s, Halloran—already known around the world for his work—was inspired to explore, discover and invent a unique form of art. His Paintings Below Zero became public art events. Thousands have witnessed and interacted with his huge ice creations in Calgary, Edmonton and Vancouver.
Now, Chicago moves center stage as host city for the U.S. debut of Gordon Halloran’s Museum of Modern Ice—and you can be a part of it. Just come to Chicago’s famed Millennium Park from February 1-29. This art event (predicted by Chicago officials to be “an engaging visual spectacle”) promises to be big, incredibly one-of-a-kind—and absolutely free.
The Chicago work is to feature Halloran’s creation of a spectacularly colored ice wall 95 feet long and 12 feet high. This will be the artist’s largest ice installation yet, monumental in size and scope. On the side visible from Michigan Avenue, visitors will recognize Chicago’s famous skyline. The opposite side is meant to be interactive and viewed up close and personally. It was inspired by a glacial wall, and the work will actually evolve over time with both planned and natural changes.
Making use of portable refrigeration equipment (aluminum plates for efficient cold conductivity), Halloran can assemble table-sized sheets of ice into startling configurations and maintain them regardless of the temperature.
Another part of the Museum of Modern Ice will be an abstract ice painting Halloran will create within Millennium Park’s McCormick Tribune Ice Rink. So if you visit, you will be able to skate across a giant work of art. This creation will be similar to the original ice painting created for The World Figure Skating Championships in 1996.
“Chicago is well known for offering rich cultural resources and Gordon Halloan’s groundbreaking work supports our long-standing commitment to bring world-class art to this city,” says Chicago Mayor Richard M. Daley. “Chicago is proud to be the first city in the United States to present Paintings Below Zero, which is a must-see exhibition for both residents and visitors this winter.”
It is ice, after all. And Chicago in February is COLD. So bundle up. There will be free weekend family activities offered in a heated tent near the ice wall. In addition, the Chicago Cultural Center (across from Millennium Park) will be a place for visitors to warm up and enjoy a whole slate of events, including cooking demos, knitting and crafting how-tos, concerts and more.
Millennium Park is open from 6 a.m. to 11 p.m. daily. The ice rink is open from 10 a.m. to 10 p.m. daily. Skate rental is $9 per person. The Chicago Cultural Center is open Monday through Thursday from 8 a.m. to 7 p.m.; Friday from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m.; Saturday 9 a.m. to 6 p.m.; Sunday 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.
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