Libertyville museum readying exhibit showcasing comic book artist Alex Ross
With an exhibition of his work opening this weekend in Libertyville, renowned comic book artist Alex Ross personally delivered a very special piece for the show Wednesday - a one-of-a-kind, life-size statue of Captain America.
The fiberglass, custom-modified figure normally stands in the basement of Ross' Chicago-area home. But he's letting fans get an up-close look as part of the "Marvelocity: The Art of Alex Ross" exhibit at the Bess Bower Dunn Museum, 1899 W. Winchester Road.
"I'm sharing it here at the museum because it's so close by to where I live, I can always come to visit it," Ross said of the treasured piece, which he assembled and put in place with help from friends and museum staff.
Ross will attend the exhibit's grand opening Saturday, signing autographs from 2 to 5 p.m.
A painter whose photorealistic style often is compared to Norman Rockwell's, Ross stands out in an industry dominated by artists who draw with pencil and ink or on computer tablets.
His award-winning projects include the graphic novels "Marvels" with writer Kurt Busiek and "Kingdom Come" with writer Mark Waid.
Ross also has painted countless comic book covers, posters and assorted collectibles featuring characters from "Star Wars," "Sesame Street" and even the Beatles' "Yellow Submarine" animated film.
"Marvelocity" is the first museum exhibition of Ross' work in the Chicago area. Museums in Pittsburgh, Seattle and Virginia have shown his paintings, too.
The exhibit, which runs through Sept. 8, features Ross' portraits of Marvel Comics' heroes and villains, sculptures, childhood pieces and much more.
It gets its name from "Marvelocity," a 312-page, hardcover book by Ross, graphic designer Chip Kidd and photographer Geoff Spear. The oversized book collects many of the paintings Ross has done of Marvel Comics characters including Spider-Man and Captain America, as well as preliminary sketches and other work.
"Marvelocity" will be the first high-profile event for the Dunn Museum, which was opened last year by the Lake County Forest Preserve District. When asked why he chose the museum for the showcase, Ross had a simple answer.
"They asked," he said. "It's a very nice place and it made a very strong impression."
The Dunn Museum is open Saturday from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Admission is $6 for adults and $3 for seniors or for kids ages 4 to 17. Kids 3 or younger get in free.
The first 100 people to arrive Saturday will get in free.
Ross will autograph up to five items per person. Posters and other merchandise will be available for purchase in the museum gift shop.
For more, visit lcfpd.org/museum or call (847) 968-3400.