Chicago is something of a public art mecca. Picasso, Chagall, Miro, Calder, Dubuffet — legendary artists decoration the Loop, making the city streets an urban art museum everyone can enjoy.

Book a costless Chicago Greeter bout of the Loop's public fine art in the visitor of a knowledgeable local, or wander at your own pace in the company of art history's greats.

Here are 12 of the must-see spots to get you started.

The Picasso by Pablo Picasso

Continuing 50 feet alpine and weighing over 160 tons, The Picasso , as information technology is known, is an untitled sculpture that some liken to an insect or baboon. Pablo Picasso gifted the sculpture to the people of Chicago in 1967, without ever explaining what information technology was intended to represent. Today, information technology'south one of the metropolis'due south most famous and iconic public artworks. Taking two years to create, Picasso combined and modified sketches and motifs from his earlier works to develop his concept. The resulting 42-inch-alpine model of the sculpture tin can be seen at the Art Institute of Chicago, along with the artist's sketches for the slice. fifty W. Washington St.

Chicago by Joan Miró

Originally titled The Sun, the Moon and Ane Star, Joan Miró'southward mixed-media sculpture stands approximately 40-feet tall and is composed of steel, wire mesh, physical, bronze, and ceramic tile. It'due south a celestially inspired work, representing a female person effigy with a moon at her center and a star above her caput. At the aforementioned time, her bell-shaped base stresses her closeness to the world. Every bit with many groundbreaking works, the immediate public response upon the sculpture's 1981 unveiling wasn't all positive. One member of the public even threw a can of paint over it. But today, "Miss Chicago," equally the sculpture is affectionately known, is love past all. Brunswick Building Plaza, 69 W. Washington St.

The Four Seasons by Marc Chagall

Composed of thousands of inlaid fries in over 250 colors, the pattern for this mosaic was created in Chagall's studio in France, transferred onto full-scale panels, and installed in Chicago with the help of a skilled mosaicist. Even subsequently its arrival, Chagall connected to modify his design, updating those areas that featured the city skyline (last seen by the creative person 30 years before the mosaic'due south installation). He besides added pieces of native Chicago brick. In its entirety, the mosaic portrays the four seasons through six Chicago scenes, filled with birds, fish, flowers, suns, and pairs of lovers. Chagall commented that, "the seasons correspond human life, both physical and spiritual, at its different ages." Chase Tower Plaza, 10 S. Dearborn St.

Flamingo by Alexander Calder

You can't miss Alexander Calder's 53-foot-tall, vivid cherry Flamingo, with its curved lines contrasting dramatically with the steel and drinking glass Mies van der Rohe buildings that surround it. Though weighing l tons, Flamingo features an open design that invites you to walk under and effectually it. Flamingo was unveiled in 1974 and remains one of Chicago'due south almost distinct icons. Federal Plaza, 50 W. Adams St.

Cloud Gate, aka "The Bean" by Anish Karpoor

Its official proper noun is Cloud Gate, but this much-loved sculpture is definitely "The Bean" to locals. Measuring 66-feet long by 33-feet high, and weighing a colossal 110 tons, it'due south among the largest sculptures of its kind in the world, and was British artist Anish Kapoor's first U.Southward. public outdoor artwork. The elliptical sculpture, which was inspired by mercury, utilizes a seamless serial of highly polished stainless steel plates that reflect Chicago'south famous skyline on its surface. A 12-foot-high arch provides a "gate" to Millennium Park, inviting visitors to enter, bear on its mirror-like steel, and run into their distorted images reflected back at them. 201 E. Randolph St., between Michigan Ave. & Columbus Ave.

Crown Fountain by Jaume Plensa

Crown Fountain

Designed by Castilian creative person Jaume Plensa, Crown Fountain is a highly interactive art installation consisting of 2 50-foot glass cake towers at each end of a shallow reflecting pool. The towers projection video images of Chicago locals, who spout jets of h2o from their pouting lips. The pattern was inspired past the tradition of using gargoyles in fountains, sculpted with open mouths to allow water, a symbol of life, to menses. See the fountain in action from mid-leap to mid-fall, with LED images remaining on view yr-round. Millennium Park, 201 E. Randolph St., between Michigan Avenue and Columbus Avenue.

Monument with Standing Animate being by Jean Dubuffet

Beginning with an exhibition at the Arts Club of Chicago in 1951, French artist Jean Dubuffet forged a special connectedness with Chicago, domicile to one of just three awe-inspiring Dubuffet commissions in the United States. The artist'south 29-pes-tall, 10-ton fiberglass Monument with Standing Beast is composed of four elements that advise a standing animate being, a tree, a portal, and an architectural grade. You lot can't assistance simply want to enter the sculpture and explore — just every bit the artist had intended (he wanted to create a work that would resonate with the average person on the street). Affectionately referred to as "Snoopy in a blender" by locals, the artist described the sculpture as a "drawing which extends…into space." It's a great instance of Dubuffet'southward Art Brut manner, which mimicked visual works produced by children and untrained artists. James R. Thompson Center, 100 W. Randolph St.

Agora by Magdalena Abakanowicz

Agora in Chicago
Photo past Adam Alexander

Located forth the southwest side of Grant Park, Agora derives its name from the Greek word for meeting place. This striking cast-iron art installation comprises 106, 9-foot-alpine headless torsos. The figures are posed either walking in groups in various directions or standing all the same. Internationally renowned Polish artist Magdalena Abakanowicz donated the sculptural group in cooperation with the Smooth Ministry of Civilisation and other private donors. Although Abakanowicz has frequently exhibited in museums and public spaces throughout the world, Agora remains her largest permanent installation. Grant Park, South Michigan Avenue & East Roosevelt Bulldoze

Bronze Cow past Nathan Stonemason

In 1999, a herd of fiberglass cows united citizens, visitors, and businesses through a unique community-based public art event, Cows on Parade, that called upon local artists to produce designs to decorate each unadorned bovine. The commemorative bronze cow you'll see outside the Chicago Cultural Center was created by Nathan Mason in 2001, as a gift from the Hanig family unit (responsible for bringing the Cows on Parade event to Chicago all the style from Zurich, Switzerland). Look closely, and you'll see two famous Chicago landmarks — The Picasso and Celebrated Water Tower — reflected in the moo-cow'south eyes. 78 E. Washington St.

Art on theMART by various artists

Chicago's significant public fine art and cultural legacy continues to this twenty-four hours. And nowhere is this better seen than at Art on theMART, the largest video-project art installation in the world. Approximately 2.v acres of theMART's Chicago Riverwalk-facing facade has become a next-generation public art space, with curated international and local video art projected seasonally. 222 W. Merchandise Mart Plaza

Dirty Waters Mural past Eduardo Kobra

In 2016, the late, smashing Chicago dejection musician Muddied Waters was honored with a nine-story mural by internationally acclaimed Brazilian street artist Eduardo Kobra. A kaleidoscope of bright colors and bold lines are the creative person's trademark — y'all can't miss them every bit you lot walk along State Street towards Washington Street. Kobra is known the world over for his massive murals of famous people, including musicians Bob Dylan in Minneapolis and David Bowie in Jersey City. His Muddy Waters Landscape is part of the Wabash Arts Corridor, a Chicago hotspot for street art devotees. 17 North. State St.

Rushmore by Kerry James Marshall

Artist and MacArthur Fellow Kerry James Marshall designed an epic mural for the Chicago Cultural Centre'southward Garland Court facade, honoring xx women who shaped the city'due south arts and civilization scene. At 132-feet by 100-feet, this is the largest artwork Marshall has ever conceived. It's an explosion of bright pinks, greens, golds, and purples, depicting the likes of dancer and choreographer Ruth Page, cultural icon Oprah Winfrey, and Barbara Gaines, founder and artistic director of the Chicago Shakespeare Theater. Marshall's vision for the mural was executed by artist Jeff Zimmermann and his squad from Jazim, Inc. Garland Courtroom, 78 E. Washington St.

Looking for more? Check out this guide to public art from the Chicago Loop Alliance.