Museums are like therapy minus the talk (and minus the big bucks, especially when you visit on free Friday); the artist is suddenly empathetic therapist encouraging reflection and insight via his/her own catharsis, and genius.
Granted, in my opinion, some pieces were more catharsis than genius, but even those pieces served to emphasize how rarely life truly satisfies our desires.
Their history was as interesting as mine; okay, much more interesting than mine.
I was drawn to Mario Cordillo’s dark abstracts involving bold, geometric designs although I can’t say why. If you’ve any experience with traditional therapy, breakthroughs are few and far between. I’m definitely going to need more therapy/museum visits.
I'll be good for about six weeks before the world crowds my thoughts and numbs my senses, rendering me useless without more therapy.
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THE BOTTOM LINE ON ELMHURST ART MUSEUM
Verdict: I truly enjoyed the intimacy of the Elmhurst Art Museum, not to mention their collection. EAM was the perfect venue for 90 minutes of therapy. Their revolving exhibitions and individual and family workshops speak to EAM's commitment to enriching people's lives by deepening their knowledge of art, architecture and design, increasing their understanding of the relevance of visual art in our society and sparking the development of individual creativity.
How to Get There: Directions from the East: Take 290 West to St. Charles Road West (Exit 14A). Go two miles to Cottage Hill, take a right. Continue straight for approximately one mile to the Museum. The Museum is on the west side (left) of Cottage Hill.
Directions from the West (West of I-355): Take I-88 East to I-290 West - go 2.2 miles. Go to St. Charles Road West (Exit 14A). Go 1.4 miles to Cottage Hill, take a right. Continue straight for approximately 1/2 mile to the Museum. The Museum is on the west side (left) of Cottage Hill.
Directions from the Northwest: Take I-90 to Route 53 South. Follow Route 53 South to I-290 East Chicago (right lanes). Take 290 East to St. Charles Road West (Exit 14A). Go two miles to Cottage Hill, take a right. Continue straight for approximately one mile to the Museum. The Museum is on the west side (left) of Cottage Hill.
Directions from the South: Take I-294 North to I-290 West. Take I-290 West to St. Charles Road West (Exit 14A). Go two miles to Cottage Hill, take a right. Continue straight for approximately one mile to the Museum. The Museum is on the west side (left) of Cottage Hill.
Directions from the North: Take 294 South to I-290 West (Rockford). Take the I- 290 West exit and STAY HARD TO THE RIGHT. Exit immediately North Avenue West. Take North Avenue to the third stop light, York Road. Take a left on York Road and head into downtown Elmhurst. Continue South on York until you must turn left or right. Turn right on Second Street and go one block to Addison. Turn Left on Addison. Continue South on Addison and go over the railroad tracks (if there is a train, sorry!). At this point Addison turns into Cottage Hill and the Museum is just ahead, past the stop sign, on the west side (right) of Cottage Hill.
Insider Information: Admission is always free on Fridays. EAM is a member of the Blue Star Museums, a collaboration among the National Endowment for the Arts, Blue Star Families, the Department of Defense, and a record-breaking 2,000 museums across America to offer admission to the nation’s active duty military personnel including National Guard and Reserve and their families.
Nearby Food: Jimmy and I had a quick lunch of Mexican food at a nearby Chipotle in the heart of Elmhurst’s downtown section, although there were plenty of nearby options, from Portillo’s famous hotdogs to Lou Malnati’s Pizza.