Arty Girl: Steve McQueen, The Last Mile

By Lilia Menconi Mon., Mar. 9 2009 at 12:56 PM

Categories: Arty Girl

Barbara and Steve McQueen.

Do you know who Steve McQueen is?

If not, just ask your mom and watch her get all hot and bothered while she talks about him.

And then feel really, really uncomfortable.

I'm no expert on the guy (my boyfriend just scoffed at me because I've never seen "Bullitt") but Steve McQueen was just about the hottest movie star in the 1960's. And, since I'm on a roll with the whole celebrities in art issue, you get to learn a little bit about the guy.

Specifically, about the last part of his life which was chronicled by his wife, Barbara McQueen, through photographs. She's been touring her collection with the exhibition "Steve McQueen: The Last Mile" for the last two years and is making her final stop at Chandler Center for the Arts.

The thirty photographs show private moments from 1977, when the couple met, to 1980 when Steve McQueen died of mesothelioma. The featured images plus hundreds more are included in Barbara McQueen's book that shares the show's title. This ultimate man's man was a true adventurer to the end, exploring the highways in his vintage pickup truck, flying antique airplanes and basically shucking all obligations of being a Hollywood pretty-boy.

See it all at Chandler Center for the Arts...and be sure to tell your mom about it.

"Steve McQueen: The Last Mile" at Chandler Center for the Arts, 250 N. Arizona Ave., remains open until April 11th. For more info, call 480-917-6859 or visit www.chandlercenter.org.

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