Museums & Attractions
- The St. Louis Museum of Art is presenting Bare Witness: Photographs by Gordon Parks, a retrospective exhibition of more than 50 photographs representing the works of the artist’s career. The images displayed were selected by Parks himself before his death in 2006. From 1948 to1970, Parks served as staff photographer for Life magazine, capturing on film a range of social issues including crime and urban decay in Harlem, segregation in Alabama, disease in the slums of Brazil, and the struggle for civil rights by Black Muslims. Parks generated one of his most enduring images, American Gothic, in 1942 as part of a documentary project in Washington, D.C. The photograph is a reference to Grant Wood’s famous painting of the same name and depicts a black cleaning woman holding a broom against a backdrop of an American flag. The image conveys the hardship of the woman’s life and the unfulfilled promise of equality for African Americans. For more information, call 314.721.0072 or visit http://saintlouis.art.museum .
- Chicago’s First Lady Cruises is touting its green initiatives, including its landscaped Riverside Gardens dock, which features an annual Monarch Butterfly Garden. The cruise company also is committed to using 11 percent biodiesel fuel, and offers a comprehensive program to recycle used oil, engine batteries, beverage containers, cardboard, and paper. Brochures are printed on recycled paper and architecture river cruise maps are recycled as guests disembark. The company also promotes the use of public transportation by staff and crew and uses environmentally safe cleaning solutions and low-flush toilets on its three vessels: the 225-passenger Chicago’s First Lady, 149-passenger Chicago’s Little Lady and 125-passenger Chicago’s Fair Lady. Cruises are offered on a private luxury yacht and explore Lake Michigan and architecture along the Chicago River. For more information, call 847.358.1330 or visit www.cruisechicago.com.
- The Fairmont Chicago in February debuted mySpa, an 11,000-square-foot center offering personalized massage, skincare, body treatments, manicures, pedicures, and treatments geared toward business travelers, as well as a full-service fitness studio. The spa accommodates groups, and all its massages can also be experienced in guest suites. For more information, call 312. 946.8945 or visit www.fairmont.com.