Today I dragged the boys to Open House Chicago. Open House Chicago is a self-guided tour of 150 architecturally-interesting spaces that are normally closed to the public. The sights are laid out geographically on a map, and the boys and I picked three nearby to visit.
First, Jett and I visited my selection, Ignite Glass Studios. I wasn't sure what to expect. Were we just there to admire the building, or would we see artists in action? Would it be interesting for kids? Would it be crowded?
Artists in action, yes, and no. We loved it!
The space was pretty awesome. We walked up a cement path decorated with long colorful rectangles of glass then we entered their front yard through a wrought-iron and stained-glass gate. The lawn was decorated with bales of hay and pumpkins both real and glass, which you could purchase. Charming!
Walking in to the building, we went straight back to watch the glass blowers in action. We saw the glowing orange kilns and watched the glass change from liquid to solid right before our eyes. Mesmerizing!
When the presentation was over Jett and I designed our own glass tile masterpieces. (Jett's is the jack-o-lantern and mine is the one that says BOO below.) The Jett decorated a Halloween cookie. It was a perfect event for an eight-year-old and his mom and I was so glad that we went.
Our second visit (after stopping home to pick up Kai) was The Conservation Center, where artists conserve and restore art. Jett picked this one because I told him that conserving art involved chemistry and art. I think he was excited about the science part. After our awesome experience at Ignite Glass Studio I was really excited to see what we could do and see at The Conservation Center, but unfortunately all they had planned was a short introductory speech about the work they do. They had nearly the entire room roped off so we couldn't even explore. We didn't get to see many examples of their work, look through the microscopes or look in the "hood" (where they make the chemicals). Jett made a valiant effort to listen to their speech, but Kai was out of his mind with boredom. Back to the car.
The office is a playful space with murals on the walls, t-shirts hanging from the ceiling, and games.
He was too short to pretend to pee in it, which is what all of the grown-ups were doing!
First, Jett and I visited my selection, Ignite Glass Studios. I wasn't sure what to expect. Were we just there to admire the building, or would we see artists in action? Would it be interesting for kids? Would it be crowded?
Artists in action, yes, and no. We loved it!
The space was pretty awesome. We walked up a cement path decorated with long colorful rectangles of glass then we entered their front yard through a wrought-iron and stained-glass gate. The lawn was decorated with bales of hay and pumpkins both real and glass, which you could purchase. Charming!
Walking in to the building, we went straight back to watch the glass blowers in action. We saw the glowing orange kilns and watched the glass change from liquid to solid right before our eyes. Mesmerizing! When the presentation was over Jett and I designed our own glass tile masterpieces. (Jett's is the jack-o-lantern and mine is the one that says BOO below.) The Jett decorated a Halloween cookie. It was a perfect event for an eight-year-old and his mom and I was so glad that we went.Our second visit (after stopping home to pick up Kai) was The Conservation Center, where artists conserve and restore art. Jett picked this one because I told him that conserving art involved chemistry and art. I think he was excited about the science part. After our awesome experience at Ignite Glass Studio I was really excited to see what we could do and see at The Conservation Center, but unfortunately all they had planned was a short introductory speech about the work they do. They had nearly the entire room roped off so we couldn't even explore. We didn't get to see many examples of their work, look through the microscopes or look in the "hood" (where they make the chemicals). Jett made a valiant effort to listen to their speech, but Kai was out of his mind with boredom. Back to the car.
Then we made the best decision of the day.
The office is a playful space with murals on the walls, t-shirts hanging from the ceiling, and games.
We toured the warehouse and office, played with lego figurines that an employee left sitting out on her desk, and played with all of the games in their lobby. Everyone visiting Threadless seemed laid-back and relaxed. One guy played a video game with Jett (who was looking longingly at it but hadn't asked me for money for it yet) and no one seemed to mind our errant ping-pong balls.
He won the point but lost the match. Then I accidentally beat both Jett and Kai, but they were good sports about it, probably because they still had darts and foosball left to play.
He was too short to pretend to pee in it, which is what all of the grown-ups were doing!
It was a great way to spend a Sunday afternoon!
