Miró's Chicago

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Miró's Chicago, officially The Sun, the Moon and One Star, is a 39-foot-tall mixed-media sculpture by Joan Miró in Brunswick Plaza, downtown Chicago. It’s made from steel, wire mesh, concrete, bronze, and ceramic tile, and sits on a stone base. The piece depicts a stylized woman with outstretched arms and a crown-like fork on top of her head.

The project began when architect Bruce Graham asked Miró to design a sculpture for the plaza outside the Cook County Administration Building. The work faced funding hurdles in the 1960s. Miró donated the design, and the city contributed $250,000, with most money coming from other donors including the SOM Foundation. The original bronze model is at the Milwaukee Art Museum. The sculpture was unveiled on April 20, 1981, Miró’s 88th birthday, at a smaller ceremony because of windy weather.

Often called Miró's Chicago or Miss Chicago, it is considered a companion to Picasso’s Chicago Picasso at Daley Plaza. Brunswick Plaza is small and shaded, so the sculpture isn’t as prominent there. In 2015, a bus shelter in front of the plaza partly blocked the view. The city pledged lighting, signage, tree removals, sidewalk improvements, and other steps to highlight the sculpture and draw attention to it.