The Peninsula Chicago Celebrates Expo Chicago With The Contemporary Art Exhibition Whoville Featuring Highlights From The Beth Rudin Dewoody Collection

CHICAGO, Sept. 22, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- The Peninsula Chicago is hosting an exciting art exhibition from noted contemporary collector, Beth Rudin DeWoody's art collection, curated by Laura Dvorkin in collaboration with Circa 1881. Titled Whoville, this exhibition coincides with the annual EXPO CHICAGO, the International Exposition of Contemporary & Modern Art, taking place at Navy Pier, September 22 to 25, 2016. The installation, featuring a number of Chicago artists, debuts on September 9, 2016 and will be displayed throughout the hotel's lobby through October 23, 2016, as a part of a public art project. This is the second year The Peninsula Chicago has presented an art installation in conjunction with EXPO CHICAGO. The Peninsula Chicago's partnership with Circa 1881 and Ms. DeWoody is a natural extension of the The Peninsula Hotels' wildly successful art initiatives around the world.

Of Whoville, DeWoody says, "Collaborating with Circa 1881 on this exhibition has provided an exciting opportunity to share my collection with Peninsula Chicago guests and the greater public. I look forward to attending EXPO CHICAGO and exhibiting the Whoville artists in Chicago, a city to which many of them are historically linked."

About the Exhibition
Whoville contains over 30 artworks and is both an exclusive glimpse into the collecting world of Beth Rudin DeWoody, one of America's most notable collectors, and a celebration of Chicago's distinctive artistic history. The contemporary artworks were handpicked by the curator, Laura Dvorkin, who has worked with the BRD Collection for several years. The exhibition highlights some of Chicago's most prominent artists, past and present, along with an eclectic selection of works that explore travel, transformative environments or share the fantastical, surreal aesthetic of Dr. Seuss' fictional land, Whoville. Featured artists include: Thomas Beale, Roger Brown, Nick Cave, Liz Craft, Mira Dancy, Ed Flood, Theaster Gates, Art Green, Richard Jackson, Kerry James Marshall, Bruce Nauman, Gladys Nilsson, Ed Paschke, Randy Polumbo, Nathaniel Mary Quinn, Christina Ramberg, Tony Tasset, H.C. Westermann and Karl Wirsum. The art represented in this exhibition spans an array of media including drawing, painting, collage, sculpture and installation in the form of a 1961 Caravel Airstream Trailer with hand blown glass, welded aluminum and LED lights. The latter composes Randy Polumbo's Love Stream #2, which will be displayed at Navy Pier outside of EXPO Chicago from September 22 through 25, open to the public for viewing daily from 11:00 am to 7:00 pm. The rest of the collection is open to the public and will be displayed at the hotel on the 5^th floor main Lobby Level from September 9 to October 25. The pieces will be located adjacent to The Lobby and The Bar. 

Maria Razumich-Zec, Regional Vice President and General Manager of The Peninsula Chicago says, "We are delighted that Ms. DeWoody will showcase pieces from her renowned collection at The Peninsula Chicago. Known for celebrating stimulating art within the hotel, we believe it is our obligation to continue to display works that provoke thought, emotion and dialogue. The pieces selected by Laura Dvorkin from Ms. DeWoody's collection should accomplish this feat. We hope this collaboration with Circa 1881 will further elevate the perception of Chicago as a pillar among the world's art community."

Whoville, is a playful reference to the noted Chicago artist group, the Hairy Who, most of whom studied at the School of the Art Institute of Chicago and exhibited together at the Hyde Park Art Center in the 1960s. The Hairy Who challenged popular taste by producing whimsical, absurd, grotesque and sometimes vulgar imagery. Like the surrealists, they were interested in the stranger and darker aspects of the human mind. Three of the six founding members of the Hairy Who (Gladys Nilsson, Karl Wirsum and Art Green) are included in Whoville.

Many of the other artists featured have connections to Chicago, such as Nick Cave, Ed Flood, Theaster Gates, Kerry James Marshall, Ed Paschke, Nathaniel Mary Quinn, Christina Ramberg and H.C. Westermann. 

About The Peninsula Chicago
The Peninsula Chicago is a Five Star, Five Diamond hotel located on the "Magnificent Mile" at 108 East Superior Street (at Michigan Avenue), within the city's premier shopping district. The 339 guest room hotel recently completed an extensive renovation of all guestrooms and suites. The hotel opened in 2001 and features three distinctive restaurants, a popular bar and a world-class spa. For information on The Peninsula Chicago, please visit www.peninsula.com/chicago or call +1 (312) 337 2888 or toll-free at +1 (866) 288 8889.

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SOURCE The Peninsula Chicago