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In 'Par Excellence Redux,' mini-golf is art again at the Elmhurst Art Museum

Posted October 05, 2021 1:00 am

By Scott C. Morgan

A visitor tries out Elmhurst artist Donna Piacenza's miniature golf creation called “Hole 9 Yards,” which is part of the Elmhurst Art Museum exhibit “Par Excellence Redux: The Back 9.” The cedar wood artwork features nine yardstick-sized pieces as barriers. Courtesy of Elmhurst Art Museum

Elmhurst artist Donna Piacenza had mixed feelings this July when she visited the opening of the Elmhurst Art Museum exhibit “Par Excellence Redux.”

“I was very excited about it and had a lot of fun with my kids,” Piacenza said. “But I immediately felt upset that I hadn't submitted a design for it.”

“Par Excellence Redux” is inspired by an iconic School of the Art Institute of Chicago exhibit that was dreamed up in 1988 by the late sculptor Michael O'Brien. Back then, he generated loads of publicity after he gathered a variety of artists to create conceptual pieces as an interactive 18-hole miniature golf course.

Curator Christopher Jobson wanted to revive the idea for the Elmhurst Art Museum, so he got permission from some of the original creators to do “Par Excellence Redux” for 2020. The new exhibit pays homage to its predecessor with both an archival display and Chicago artist Annalee Koehn re-creating her 1988 “Determine Your Fate” fortunetelling art piece to go along with 17 new works by other artists.

But due to COVID-19, the Elmhurst Art Museum had to delay the exhibit. Then the museum opted to halve its 18-hole exhibit due to social distancing concerns. So, “The Front 9” ran from July to September, while “The Back 9” is displayed from Oct. 13 to Jan. 2.

“A lot of these pieces had been sitting finished or half-finished in these artists' studios for one and a half years,” Jobson said. “The artists couldn't wait for this to happen finally.”

Two weeks after “The Front 9” opened, Piacenza was surprised to be contacted by Jobson. An artist for “The Back 9” had backed out, so Jobson needed a replacement as soon as possible.

Jobson also already knew of Piacenza from her product designs for the home furnishings retailer CB2. And Piacenza's status as a hometown artist was also a plus.

“Donna swept in at the last minute,” said Jobson, adding that she “is doing a magnificent job helping to make sure we have a full show.”

Piacenza found out that her creation would be the ninth hole. She devised “Hole 9 Yards” to feature nine yardstick-sized pieces as obstacles.

Design sustainability also was an important factor.

Piacenza didn't want her project to harm the environment, so she devised a nearly all-cedar wood art piece. Once the exhibit is over, she plans to repurpose “Hole 9 Yards” to create community garden beds in Elmhurst.

“I feel good about the design concept but also the future of the material,” Piacenza said. “Cedar is one of the best materials for garden beds because it repels insects and lasts a long time.”

With the tail end of a pandemic on the horizon, bringing a mini-golf exhibit to the Elmhurst Art Museum has proved to be a lark for both guests and contributing artists.

“It just seemed like perfect timing,” Piacenza said. “It was the right kind of project to be working on now — something to have fun with.”

A visitor tries out Elmhurst artist Donna Piacenza's miniature golf creation called "Hole 9 Yards," which is part of the Elmhurst Art Museum exhibit "Par Excellence Redux: The Back 9." Courtesy of Elmhurst Art Museum

The fortunetelling hole "Determine Your Fate" by artist Annalee Koehn was featured in the original School of the Art Institute of Chicago miniature golf exhibit in 1988. Koehn re-created it for Elmhurst Art Museum's "Par Excellence Redux: The Front 9." It returns for "The Back 9" as a practice hole. Courtesy of Elmhurst Art Museum

Elmhurst Art Museum's "Par Excellence Redux: The Back 9" exhibit features a social media backdrop with props for photo opportunities from Oct. 13 to Jan. 2. Courtesy of Elmhurst Art Museum

Chicago artist Eve Fineman's "Infinity Putt" features suspended golf balls and reflections to create visual illusions as an obstacle in "Par Excellence Redux: The Back 9" at the Elmhurst Art Museum. Rendering courtesy of Elmhurst Art Museum

Elmhurst Art Museum's "Par Excellence Redux: The Back 9" exhibit features a hole called "Timing is Everything" by artist James Merz of Fort Wayne, Indiana. Rendering courtesy of Elmhurst Art Museum

“Par Excellence Redux: The Back 9”

Location: Elmhurst Art Museum, 150 S. Cottage Hill Ave., Elmhurst, (630) 834-0202, <a href="https://www.elmhurstartmuseum.org/exhibitions/par-excellence-redux-the-back-9">elmhurstartmuseum.org</a>

Hours: noon to 5 p.m. Wednesday and Thursday; 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Friday to Sunday; through Jan. 2 (Tee times must be reserved in advance online)

Tickets: $10; $8 seniors; $5 kids ages 5 to 15; free for kids ages 5 and under

Parking: Nearby free lot

COVID-19 precautions: masks required

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