Pop question: Do nametags look better on your shirt or next to a work of art? At this classy gallery in the John Hancock Center, you'll have to deal with both types of IDs. Maneuver your way to the not-so-user-friendly doorman on the bottom floor, get a tag that notes your destination, find another security guy to swipe you into the elevator and ride it on up to the 25th floor. Arriving is the most difficult part of this journey, though. Once you set foot in the Chicago location of this gallery (there's a second site in NYC), you'll be blown away by the big names in front of you. Modern and contemporary masters here include Andy Warhol, Magdalena Abakanowicz, Louise Nevelson, Joan Miro, Josef Albers, Piet Mondrian, Chuck Close, Willem de Koonig, Joseph Cornell, Marcel DuChamp and Mark Rothko, just to name a few.
The focus is squarely on the art here, with each piece standing on its own amid cold, gray floors and white walls. A friendly receptionist greets you, and unlike at other galleries, you won't be completely ignored and/or judged as you check out the exhibits. The space includes the first, larger gallery, a hallway, and a second gallery down the hall. Private offices overlooking Michigan Avenue feature even more knock-yer-socks-off art and stand as a testament to the gallery's prestige.
Richard Gray opened in the fall of 1963 on Ontario Street—arguably the first gallery district in Chicago—during a time when there were very few galleries here in the city at all. A pioneer in the Chicago arts scene, Gray is now known for his excellent collection of modern and contemporary masters.
Centerstage Reviewer: Alicia Eler
