A
As theweatherwarmsup, indooractivitiesmove
to theoutside.Wedinealfresco, sipcocktailson
thedeck, andenjoyconcerts in thepark.Why
not do thesame thingwithart?Summerdays
areperfect for touringsculpturegardensand
outdoorpaintingexhibitions. Bringapicnic
lunchanduncorkabottleofwine (whenpermis-
sible) toenhance theexperience.Here’sa round-
upof our favoritespots forenjoyingculture
whilegetting freshair.
LISLE, ILLINOIS
Steelroots at the
Morton Arboretum
The settingat theChicago-areaMortonArbore-
tummaybefilledwith trees—variouspines
thatfill thegarden’sConiferCollection, tobe
specific—but the focus ison the roots forartist
SteveTobin’s
Steelroots
exhibition. Thegiant,
root-like structures seem toburst forth from the
earth. SaysTobin, “The rootsevoke communi-
ties, families, unseenpower, andnetworksall
coming together fora sharedpurpose. They
gatherenergyandsend itupward insupportof
the ‘tree’ that isnotvisuallyapparent.”Visitors
areencouraged togetacloser lookbywalking
throughandaround thesculptures, even touch-
ing them. “I’d likepeople to thinkabout the fact
that rootsmaynotoftenbevisuallyapparent, but
that’swhere the tree’sstrength is,”Tobinsays.
Twenty-fivemileswestofChicagoat 4100 Illinois
Route53,mortonarb.org
LOS ANGELES
Pershing Square Art Squared
Cityscape Gallery
Going into its thirdseason,PershingSquareArt
SquaredCityscapeGallery isessentiallyan
outdoorgallery indowntownLosAngeles.This
summer’sexhibit focusesprimarilyonCalifornia-
basedpainters, sculptors, and installationartists.
Spreadovera largespaceand justashortwalk
from theMuseumofContemporaryArt,Pershing
SquareArtSquaredCityscapeGallery isaper-
fectvenue foroversizepieces.Emblematicof the
work thatfits thespace, theexhibitwill feature
six8x8-footgraphicworks.Thesearedigital re-
productionsofartists’ paintings, laser-printedon
vinyl andencased insideopeningsalongoneof
thegallery’smoreconspicuouswalls.When the
exhibit comesdown inOctober, thevinyl squares,
whicharespeciallydesigned towithstand theele-
ments,will besold.ArtSquaredpresentsagreat
opportunity forexperiencingmodernart inan
unlikely, outdoorsetting. 532SouthOliveStreet,
(213) 847-4970, artsquared.org
LASVEGAS
CityCenter
Servingasa centerpieceof theLasVegasStrip
and loadedwithhotels, restaurants, andgam-
blingoptions, CityCenter isdesigned toapproxi-
mateanupscale, denselypopulatedurban
environment. Theultramodernarchitecture is
artful in itsown right, andbonafideartworks,
purchased froma $40millionbudget, accent the
sidewalks.Highlights includea 64,000-pound
sculpturebyHenryMoore;NancyRubins’
Big
Edge
,which is constructed fromapileupof full-
sizeboatsandkayaks; andJennyHolzer’s text-
based installationat thevalet parkingareaof
theAriaResort&Casino. Consideringall the
gamblingat hand, her continually changing
truisms, suchas “Sometimesyouhavea luxury
of timebefore somethingbadhappens,” takeon
added resonance. CornerofHarmonAvenueand
LasVegasBoulevard, citycenter.com
DALLAS
Nasher Sculpture Center
Situatedadjacent to theDallasMuseumofArt,
theNasherhasan indoormuseum that feels
unconfined thanks to itsclear roof.Outside, in
thegarden, largepieces from theRaymondand
PatsyNasher collectionaredisplayed. Jonathan
Borofsky’ssteel-plated, larger-than-life
Ham-
meringMan
(which looksprettymuch theway it
sounds) andPabloPicasso’scubist renderingof a
woman’s face instonecount among theshow-
stoppers.Otherpiecesviewable throughout the
Steelroots at theMorton Arboretum
43
celebratedliving.com
SuMMER 2010
© KENNY EK
