On Thursday night, I headed to the Art Institute of Chicago’s pop up bar at the Chicago Athletic Association Hotel, “Dear Carmencita.” The bar is inspired by Sargent’s portrait of Carmen Dauset and is a creative way to get new audiences engaged in the exhibit, “John Singer Sargent & Chicago’s Gilded Age.” The bar will be open until August 5, 2018.
John Singer Sargent — American painter
1890
Musee d’Orsay, Paris
Oil on Canvas
228.6 x 134.22 cm (90 x 54 1/4 in.)
The bar room is a beautiful approximation of a Gilded Age parlor. It feels like you’re stepping back in time! The walls are covered with prints of John Singer Sargent paintings, which are cropped to focus on particular details.
Head over to the bar and you can pick out a drink inspired by a John Singer Sargent painting.
Every night, the bar has at least one free activity. When I went, I was fortunate to hear a short curator talk by Annelise Madsen, the curator of John Singer Sargent and Chicago’s Gilded Age.
Madsen’s talk was informative and fun, if a bit too short. She set the informal tone by asking the crowd, “Does everybody have a drink?” Then, Madsen gave us a short history of Sargent’s life and a taste of the “John Singer Sargent & Chicago’s Gilded Age” exhibit. She ended by describing the ways Sargent’s portrait of Carmen Dauset exemplifies the exhibit’s themes.
After the talk, visitors were encouraged to enter John Singer Sargent’s paintings by getting gilded makeovers and portrait photos.
Here I am getting my hair done.
Here are the awesome photos that Rose Kaz took of me and my fiancé
To see the upcoming events at Dear Carmencita, check out this page.
Follow me on Twitter @441isabel
American Perceptionalism 