57th Street Art Fair, Hyde Park

Liz and I had a lazy day in mind, today. Though we were wanting to take things slow, we made it a point to wake up early… and wanted to have breakfast at Roux (before the crowds showed up).

In the neighborhood/area this weekend: graduation ceremonies at the University of Chicago, as well as the 57th Street Art Fair.

After breakfast, we decided to walk through campus so that we could stop by Botany Pond, on our way to 57th Street. Unfortunately for us, we learned that the pond was closed due to renovation work.

Peeking in, between the fencing.

Got a good view of the pond, with all the water drained. Great to hear they’re renovating this area, but sad we didn’t get see any ducks. In my head, I’m imagining a host of ducks just hanging out at an airbnb nearby, waiting until they could return home.

A lot of areas on campus were set up for receptions, but were empty when we encountered them.

Arriving at 57th Street, near Woodlawn.

This was closer to 10:30 AM, and already pretty crowded.

A booth full of colorful ceramics that caught my eye.

Lovely objects from one acre ceramics.

A fun collection of prints from Bagman Studios. Liz was particularly taken with the frog version of The Creation of Adam.

A lot of really vibrant, fun prints.

On walking by this booth, Liz nad I were both amazed at the oil paintings on display. They seemed to just leap off the canvas.

These are from James Whitbeck, and were simply phenomenal. These photos don’t do the pieces justice, and were incredible to see in person.

Some very stunning pottery from Glenn Woods.

Looking down South Kimbark.

An assortment of small little pots.

Intricate designs from K. M. Pottery.

Liz was particularly taken with this small piece (in front).

An assortment of planters from Kara Lovell Ceramics (another Hooiser).

Additional variations/colors.

This was one of Liz’s purchases.

On seeing the paintings from Kwame Boama Mensa-Aborampa, Liz and I were both fixated. In particular, we liked the piece in the middle (with the gray background).

Another very striking piece.

Liz was browsing some t-shirts, and came across some designs she liked by @swedeeva.

Not surprising, she ended up getting a t-shirt.

Had the weather been just a little cooler, I think she might have popped for the possum sweatshirt.

On the way home, we took the long way back. And stopped by to see if the turtles were out.

Spotted this guy, hanging out in the corner.

A bit hard to see, but the other turtle was hanging out inside the box – away from the sun.

A very slow and long Sunday, easy going and exactly what we wanted for the weekend. It was fun being a part of the energy on campus, seeing graduates walking around in their caps and gowns. It was nice browsing the art fair, and we got to see several friends. We ran into Betsy and Michael, some neighbors of ours.

And we also ran into Joan, a Hyde Park resident that we’d see almost daily, when Liz and I walked to the Metra stop. What’s crazy is that it’s been 2+ years since we saw Joan, because during the pandemic… Liz and I stopped going downtown to work.

Saying hello to Joan used to be this daily ritual for us, but abruptly ended when Covid hit. It was lovely to see her again, after all this time.

A very slow, easy going morning… being a part of the neighborhood, being a part of Hyde Park. A perfect Sunday, all around.

Related:
A Walk Around Campus
A Trek to Botany Pond
Turtle Walk
Dinner with Betsy and Michael
Random Images From Hyde Park

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