Bryan Tipton

I spent the 4th of July weekend in Chicago.  It's a great city.  I spent an afternoon at the Art Institute of Chicago museum.  Out of all of the museums I've visited, I think that it's my favorite.  Its collection is so diverse and comprehensive, and the museum is arranged wonderfully.  On the other side of the spectrum, I also wandered over to the Museum of Contemporary Art and was disappointed.  Last year they had an amazing exhibit featuring the paintings of John Currin, but this season they displayed mostly conceptual art.  One display involved a piece of wood sitting in the middle of the floor.  My mind just isn't tuned to that type of art.  If a piece of artwork can mean anything, it equivalently also represents nothing. I just didn't feel engaged.  I need to find a connection.  One of the coolest activities in Chicago was taking an architectural boat tour of the city.  The boat meandered along the Chicago River with a tour guide providing information about the passing buildings.  Much like George Costanza, I felt myself wishing I was an architect.  The tour maintained a fascinating balance between art, history, and science.  Good stuff.