Circa 1881 and The Peninsula Chicago present Whoville, an exhibition featuring over thirty art works from the Beth Rudin DeWoody Collection. On view from September 9 to October 23, 2016, at The Peninsula Chicago, the exhibition coincides with the annual EXPO CHICAGO, the International Exposition of Contemporary & Modern Art (September 22-25, 2016). Whoville is the latest project from Circa 1881's ongoing partnership with The Peninsula Hotels to present rotating art exhibitions of world-class contemporary art for the hotels' public spaces. The winner of the 2016 CODAaward in the Hospitality category, Circa 1881 produces art exhibitions and programming in collaboration with noted collectors or from artworks on loan from private collections it has under management.
Whoville is both an exclusive glimpse into the collecting world of Beth Rudin DeWoody, one of America's most notable collectors, and a celebration of Chicago's distinctive artistic history. A playful reference to the noted Chicago artist group, the Hairy Who, most of whom studied at the School of the Art Institute of Chicago (SAIC) and exhibited together at the Hyde Park Art Center in the 1960s, Whoville highlights some of Chicago's most prominent artists, past and present, along
with an eclectic selection of works that explore travel, transformative environments or share the fantastical, surreal aesthetic of Dr. Seuss' fictional land, Whoville. Curated by Laura Dvorkin, the exhibition includes works by Thomas Beale, Roger Brown, Nick Cave, Liz Craft, Mira Dancy, Ed Flood, Theaster Gates, Art Green, Richard Jackson, Kerry James, Marshall, Bruce Nauman, Gladys Nilsson, Ed Paschke, Randy Polumbo, Nathaniel Mary Quinn, Christina Ramberg, Tony Tasset, H.C. Westermann, and Karl Wirsum.
"We are pleased to showcase this exceptional collection during EXPO CHICAGO," said Alvaro Leal, founder of Circa 1881. "This collaboration exemplifies our mission to bring museum quality art into public spaces and adds another exciting art venue for the fair goers, hotel guests, and the general public."
"Collaborating with Circa 1881 on this exhibition has provided an exciting opportunity to share my collection with Peninsula Chicago guests and the greater public," said DeWoody. "I look forward to attending EXPO CHICAGO and exhibiting the Whoville artists in Chicago, a city to which many of them are historically linked."
Maria Razumich-Zec, Regional Vice President and General Manager of The Peninsula Chicago says, "We are delighted that Ms. DeWoody will showcase pieces from her renowned collection at The Peninsula Chicago. Known for celebrating stimulating art within the hotel, we believe it is our obligation to continue to display works that provoke thought, emotion and dialogue. The pieces selected by Laura Dvorkin from Ms. DeWoody's collection should accomplish this feat. We hope this collaboration with Circa 1881 will further elevate the perception of Chicago as a pillar among the world's art community."
The art represented in this exhibition spans an array of media including drawing, painting, collage, and sculpture. In addition to artworks displayed inside the hotel's main lobby, Love Stream #2 by Randy Polumbo will be on view in front of the hotel's main entrance and open to the public daily during EXPO CHICAGO (Sept. 22-25). Polumbo's most ambitious and monumental work to date, Love Stream #2 is a vintage Airstream aluminum trailer whose interior has been transformed into a colorful garden of hand blown glass and light sculptures.
Whoville is Circa 1881's seventh collaboration with The Peninsula Hotels. Their recent project, PINK LOTUS, a large-scale, site-specific light sculpture by artist Grimanesa Amorós that was installed on the façade of The Peninsula New York in October, 2015, in honor of Breast Cancer Awareness Month, won the 2016 CODAaward in the hospitality category. More information:
https://www.codaworx.com/awards.
