Par Excellence Redux: The Back 9

Mash up art and laugh-out-loud mini golf fun at Par Excellence Redux, a fully playable course designed by artists and architects from the Midwest and elsewhere. Paying homage to the School of the Art Institute of Chicago's popular 1988 exhibition, Par Excellence, the exhibit's artists who designed the mini golf greens touch on various themes, with holes that feature optical illusions, an exploration of the cosmos and commentary on social and environmental issues. Wander The Back 9, on display throughout the Museum's main galleries, which includes: "Pinball Golf: An American Life" by Wes Baker that merges the format of pinball including flippers, pins, and targets with elements of mini golf; "Timing is Everything" by James Merz uses moving elements to illustrate that timing is everything, in life and in sports; and "Mission: Mars" by Vincent Lotesto (to achieve a hole-in-one, you must aim the golf ball up a ramp located on the highest volcano in our solar system and the ball falls into a collapsed crater on the summit and exits on the eastern side of the mountain. Exhibition-related fall and winter programming is free with museum admission and includes: a conversation about the inspiration and history behind the exhibition with the curator; an ugly sweater night; and a family holiday party (check for dates and times).