Krista A.

Krista is an author, illustrator, teacher, and docent who wears many hats: Lincoln Park sculpture tour guide; framer/art gallery associate at Art de Triumph/Artful Framer Studios; math instructor at Mathnasium West DePaul; and docent for the Chicago Architecture Foundation’s historic and modern skyscraper tours. Her varied schedule allows her the flexibility to complete her self-published book, Giants in the Park: A Guide to Portrait Statues in Chicago’s Lincoln Park.

What neighborhood do you live in?
Lincoln Park has been my home since 1989, except for a short period when I spent seven months in Hamburg, Germany.

Your book project is the result of years of researching and exploring Lincoln Park. How would you describe your neighborhood in three words?
Alluring, historic, vibrant.

What would you consider to be some of Lincoln Park’s hidden gems or best kept secrets that people might not find in a guidebook?
The histories of Lincoln Park’s vintage monuments, present and missing, are largely long forgotten. Most surprising to learn about, for me, were the lost sphinxes of Lincoln Park.

Around the early 1880s, Andrew McNally, of Rand, McNally & Co., donated two female sphinxes to decorate the park’s Garfield Avenue (today Dickens) entrance. Clues suggest that they remained for about a decade. At one point, breastplates were attached to “conceal the voluptuous outlines of the bust.” These plates were later stolen, and the statues were eventually removed (to Mr. McNally’s olive ranch in California). Click here to view an engraving depicting these female sphinxes.

What are some of your favorite Lincoln Park restaurants?
R.J. Grunts, Athenian Room, Taco Joint, Mon Ami Gabi, Chicago Bagel Authority, and Bourgeois Pig Café – Yum!

What about some of your favorite Chicago restaurants outside of Lincoln Park?
Some of my favorites in nearby Old Town are Marge’s Still, Nookies, Old Jerusalem, and Bistro Margot.

Do you have any favorite or unique retails or shops that can’t be found anywhere else but Lincoln Park?
Art de Triumph/ Artful Framer Studios is unique for its framing expertise and local art.

What are some of the most interesting bits of history that tourists might not know about Lincoln Park?
Some Chicagoans are surprised to learn that Lincoln Park was once a cemetery. The baseball fields just north of W. LaSalle Drive cover what was once a potter’s field, burial grounds for individuals and the unknown. Between 1862 and 1865, an estimated 4,000 Confederate soldiers were laid to rest here from Chicago’s notorious prisoner of war camp, Camp Douglas. Many of these remains were likely never removed. Those interested in the park’s cemetery years should visit www.hiddentruths.com. The introduction to my book details this complicated and colorful history.

What are some of your favorite things to do in Chicago?
I’m happiest playing sports and exploring the built environment. Put the two together, and I’m most interested in visiting Chicago’s amazing parks, on a bike, with a football, or with a tennis racket in hand. Recently my boyfriend and I visited Humboldt Park, for a day of leisure and exploration. We were amazed! Wow – what a prize - a lagoon, a “prairie river,” expansive lawns, stately structures, a rose garden, and vintage sculpture.

Bronze bison regally guard the rose garden grounds. Famed animal sculptor Edward Kerneys, artist of our iconic Art Institute Lions, designed these female and male forms, nicknamed “Sounds of Whoop” and “Prairie King” respectively. Originally, Kerneys’ bison, created for the World’s Columbian Exposition of 1893, were plaster and massive in size. Humbolt Park’s editions were cast in 1911, from smaller plaster versions made in 1909 for a Garfield Park outdoor art exposition.I look forward to other such excursions, in and around Chicago.

Do you have any places or activities that you make sure to take your out of town guests?
I appreciate and need a good walk when I travel, so I recommend taking a stroll through Lincoln Park.  The park’s nature attractions are peaceful respites from the city’s ceaseless buzz. North and south ponds are lush with native plants, alluring both visitors and wildlife. (I saw a coyote once!)  Originally built to grow tropical water lilies, Lincoln Park’s Alfred Caldwell Lily Pool landscape is also a tribute to Midwest ecology. And, six miles of lakefront offer adventure and views of the skyline.

As a docent for the Chicago Architecture Foundation, you must get lots of questions from tourists. What is one of the most memorable things anyone’s ever asked you?
Why are there so many sirens? (I’d like to know too!!!)

Where does one go for a slice of really good pizza in Chicago?
A serious and tough question that I’ve narrowed down to three: Giordano’s, Bacino’s, and Pizza Capri.

What’s the best place to see the city skyline?
See the skyline from a boat cruise out on the lake, or sneak a peak from the Ferris Wheel. Please NOT while you’re driving!

Finally, we’ve got to ask – are you a Cubs or Sox fan?
Cubs fan! I believe!