A Conversation with the Art Institute, Half Acre, and the Chicago Brewseum about Impressionism, the "Stacks of Wheat" beer collaboration, and the intersection between art, industry, and beer in Chicago!
Chicago Brewseum Executive Director Liz Garibay welcomes Gloria Groom, Chair of European Painting and Sculpture of the Art Institute of Chicago and David and Mary Winton Green Curator, and Gabriel Magliaro co-founder of Half Acre Beer Company for a conversation about Impressionism, the "Stacks of Wheat" beer collaboration, and the intersection between art, industry, and beer in Chicago.
When Claude Monet’s paintings first appeared in a Chicago in 1888-90, they ignited the passions of the press, public, and local collectors alike. Bertha and Potter Palmer acquired some 20 paintings by the artist in 1891—including several from the "Stacks of Wheat" series. In 1903, the Art Institute of Chicago became the first American museum to purchase one of Monet’s paintings. And today, the museum is home to the largest collection of his works outside of Paris.
At the same time as Monet’s rise to fame, the American beer industry was booming. And Chicago was at the center of it all. Immigrant beer makers were innovators, supporters of the arts, and important contributors to the growth of the city. At the 1893 World's Columbian Exposition, building on the ashes of the Great Fire of 1871, Chicago became a beacon to the world as Americans from all walks of life could stroll through vast halls exhibiting works by Monet and his contemporaries, plus the monumental pavilions by American immigrant beer icons Frederick Pabst and Adolphus Busch.
In the spirit of firsts, three uniquely Chicago institutions—the Art Institute of Chicago, the Chicago Brewseum, and Half Acre Beer Company—have come together to make "Stacks of Wheat," a beer that celebrates the city's connection to Monet's legacy.
