Museums & Attractions
- The Detroit Institute of Arts opened a new gallery of Islamic art in February. The gallery includes works of art from the Mediterranean region, Middle East, Central Asia and India, and spans the 7th to early 20th centuries and also incorporates significant works of art on loan from nine public and private collections. The exhibits are arranged according to the thematic stories the art has to tell, expressed in seven major themes: The Silk Road; Masterpieces of Carpet Weaving; Art of the Great Empires: Ottoman, Safavid, and Mughal; The Medieval Islamic World: Urban Settings and Goods; Art of the Mamluks; Mediterranean Trade and Spanish Lusterware 1250–1500; and Sacred Writings from the Islamic World. The Detroit metropolitan area is home to the largest Middle Eastern population in the U.S. For more information, call 313.833.7900 or visit www.dia.org.
- The 20-acre Stevens Point Sculpture Park, in Stevens Point, Wis., which will feature artwork from local, regional and national artists, will celebrate its grand opening June 12. The park will connect to the Green Circle Trail, a 30.5-mile hiking and biking trail that loops around the Stevens Point area through natural forests and wetlands. The park will host seasonal events and education programs year-round.
For more information, e-mail pointsculpturepark@hotmail.com or visit www.stevenspointsculpturepark.org.
New Technology
- The Chicago Office of Tourism now has a presence on Foursquare, a location-based social networking application for mobile phones that the tourism bureau is using to promote citywide neighborhoods, restaurants and attractions. While following Explore Chicago at www.foursquare.com/explorechicago, visitors can check in at over 60 eligible citywide locations to earn up to three Chicago-themed game “badges,” all celebrating Chicago traditions. Game players are encouraged to discover the blues through historic sites and iconic clubs, search for the perfect Chicago-style hot dog and reenact their favorite scenes at one of many movie locations throughout the city, such as filming spots for The Blues Brothers, The Dark Knight, Ferris Bueller’s Day Off, High Fidelity and My Best Friend’s Wedding. The Explore Chicago website is posting lists of locations needed to earn the badges at www.explorechicago.org/games. Foursquare is free to download and is accessible on smart phones and other Internet-connected mobile devices. For more information, call 312.201.8847 or visit www.explorechicago.org.
Kudos
- Eaglewood Resort & Spa, in Itasca, Ill., recently achieved the Green Seal certification. The Green Seal program includes nearly three dozen environmentally responsible criteria for lodging properties. As part of the certification process, the property underwent an extensive operations audit fulfilling detailed requirements in all areas of the resort. Eaglewood estimates that through its recycling efforts accomplished in the second and third quarters of 2009, it saved 33.6 tons of cardboard/paper; 126 yards of landfill space; 573 trees; 235,970 gallons of water; and 809 gallons of gasoline. Other aspects of the process included waste minimization, energy efficiency implementation and environmentally and socially sensitive purchasing. For more information, call 630.773.1400 or visit www.eaglewoodresort.com.