Aaron Curry and Jason Meadows

That's a radical concept, agreed Lynne Warren, curator of the new Calder exhibit at the Museum of Contemporary Art.

The 20th century maverick made art accessible for all ages, Warren said. Calder's work exists just to be seen and experienced. Even "three-month-old babies can gaze at it," she pointed out.

So can next-generation artists, and seven are spotlit in "Alexander Calder and Contemporary Art: Form,T.J. Houshmandzadeh Balance and Joy," the first exhibit to showcase the sculptor's influence. Divided into two galleries, the show stars more than 60 Calder works in one room, 20 by younger talents in the other.

Artist Kristi Lippire, whose works are as super-sized and playful as Calder's, is frank about the master modernist's influence. "I don't think you can hang anything from the ceiling and not invoke art history," she said.

The Windy City, a natural backdrop for Calder's mobiles, boasts more than Aaron Curry 30 masterworks including public sculptures. The city's love affair dates back to Oct. 25, 1974, when Major Richard J. Daley proclaimed "Alexander Calder Day to mark the dedications of "Flamingo" in Federal Center Plaza and the "Universe" mobile in the Sears (now Willis) Tower.

"Alexander the Great" himself was the star attraction at a circus-style parade down State Street. The MCA hosted its first Calder retrospective in conjunction with the Calder-palooza.

More than 35 years later, the bright red "Flamingo" ranks with the Bean and the Picasso as a Chicago icon. Though fixed in place, the 53-foot, mantis-like "stabile" looks ready to pounce on pedestrians.

"Flying Dragon" in the Art Institute, bristles with the same kinetic energy. Those steel-plate wings are poised to flap.

Culled from collections nationwide, the new MCA show is Matt Hasselbeck a reminder why Calder, who died in 1976, had the world on a string from the 1940s through the mid-1970s.

A roomful of his sleek, Miro-inspired mobiles -- many sporting red, black and white discs and abstract shapes -- rotate gently in response to guests' movements and shifting air currents. French philosopher Jean-Paul Sartre likened the visual effect to nature "causing a thousand butterflies to take wing."

 Once upon a time, the combination of Lofa Tatupu(notes)  and Leroy Hill(notes)  figured to be the foundation of a great linebacking corps for years to come. The last couple of years, though, they've just been average, and both were seriously hampered by injuries in 2009 (Tatupu missed 11 games, Hill five). Aaron Curry(notes)  still has a chance to be a terrific player, and he better be if this defense is going to take any strides under new, defensive-minded coach Pete Carroll.