The latest documentary from Ken Burns and his team tries to encompass Da Vinci’s multitudinous pursuits and put viewers “in between his ears,” as the filmmaker David McMahon says. We spoke to him and Sarah Burns.
Playlist Art
Art
Get in the Spirit with Vintage Holiday Cards from the Chicago History Museum
Daniel HautzingerFrom dogs in sweaters offering each other gifts to "Dickensian Christmas" scenes to personalized illustrations of graphic design and avant-garde art, the holiday cards in the Chicago History Museum's collection showcase a broad array of styles, and reveal how similar we are to people of the past.
The Quiet Art and Twisting Life of a Chicago-Based Japanese American Painter
Daniel HautzingerMiyoko Ito’s life was full of tumult, roiled by an earthquake, internment, health issues, and a bizarre coda, but you might not guess it from her quiet artwork. At a time when Chicago art was focused on figuration, she embraced cool, controlled abstraction.
Artist Chris Pappan Explores the Contemporary Identity of Native Americans
Meredith FrancisBy blending a lowbrow style and the use of ledger art, Kanza artist Chris Pappan uses his art to undo the erasure of Native peoples' histories and identities.
Take a Virtual Tour of the Art Institute (As It Was in the Past)
Meredith FrancisThe Art Institute may be closed right now, but you can take a virtual tour of its vast collection, featuring insight from some of its curators, plus get to see what it was like twenty years ago, in an archival program from WTTW hosted by the late Brian Dennehy.
