Few displays of American consumerism can compete with Chicago’s Miracle Mile. Pretty much every high-end retailer one can think of has a slot on this fabulous stretch of N. Michigan Avenue. Given that I’m not currently in the market for more material accumulation, it was oh so pleasant to drop out of the hustle-bustle in favor of high culture. Terra Museum of American Art, with its free admission, is an artful sanctuary in the midst of this commercial district and well worth investigating.
The show that brought us in, “Debating American Modernism: Stieglitz, Duchamp and the New York Avant-Garde” proved to be fascinating. It contains works by Max Weber, Man Ray, Georgia O’Keeffe, and several artists I was previously unfamiliar with. Then, as we descended stairs and explored other exhibits we came across the marvelous ethno-photography of Edward S. Curtis. I’ve often admired his images of Native Americans in books, but had never been afforded the opportunity to see 65 master prints up close. Incredible stuff!