Saturday, November 26, 2011

Art Institute Lion On the Prowl and Back to Nature for Christmas 2011


click to view on YouTube in larger size
No plastic bubbles this year; the Art Institute of Chicago is going back to nature.  Friday, the workers from the museum's Physical Plant department were working with physical plants during this holiday season's ceremonial wreathing - the 20th - of On the Prowl, the northernmost of the the two lions, sculpted by Edward Kemeys, that guard the Michigan avenue entrance.  (The name of the southernmost lion?  Surprisingly enough: Murray.)
 click images for larger view
The large crowd assembled for the event enjoyed the joyful singing of the Wooten Choral Ensemble, while the lions on the Peoples Gas Building looked down on the scene with the usual mixed emotions of envy and hurt feelings.

3 comments:

Anonymous said...

The south lion stands in the attitude of Defiance. Why do you think his name is Murray?

Terry Murray said...

Why was only one lion "wreathed"? Why was my namesake not festooned?

Anonymous said...

Both Prowl and Defiance have wreaths.

FYI: The lion that wonders around talking to kids is named Artie.