Gapers Block has ceased publication.

Gapers Block published from April 22, 2003 to Jan. 1, 2016. The site will remain up in archive form. Please visit Third Coast Review, a new site by several GB alumni.
 Thank you for your readership and contributions. 

TODAY

Friday, March 29

Gapers Block
Search

Gapers Block on Facebook Gapers Block on Flickr Gapers Block on Twitter The Gapers Block Tumblr


A/C

Performance Wed Dec 16 2015

Neo-Futurists Host New Year's Eve Performance-Party (and Receive NEA Grant)

Neo-Futurists audience

The Neo-Futurists, Chicago's acclaimed experimental theater group, closed out their second and final weekend of Best of 2015 shows on Sunday and they're getting ready for New Year's Eve with a special Too Much Light Makes the Baby Go Blind performance.

Their 27-year-running late night show, Too Much Light Makes the Baby Go Blind is seemingly as relevant and cutting edge as ever. Several of their Best of 2015 performances sold out and last week it was announced that the Neo-Futurists' Neo-Access Program and Neo-Futurist Kitchen Festival would receive grant funding from the National Endowment for the Arts.

Continue reading this entry »

Emma Terhaar

History Fri Nov 13 2015

100th Anniversary of Joe Hill's Execution to be Celebrated with Music & Eulogies

Joe HillThe 100th anniversary of the execution and funeral of Joe Hill, the Swedish immigrant songwriter and labor activist, will be celebrated Sunday evening, Nov. 22, at the Hideout. The evening will include a reenactment of his funeral at Chicago's old West Side Auditorium and reinterpreted versions of the songs played at his funeral by a crew of Chicago musicians.

Performers will include Bucky Halker, Jon Langford, Sally Timms, LeRoy Bach, Khari Lemuel, Martin Billheimer, Janet Bean, Fluffy and Psalm One. Hill's music inspired musicians like Woody Guthrie, Bob Dylan and Joan Baez and his songs, such as "Preacher and the Slave," "Rebel Girl" and "Casey Jones," were sung by workers all over the country.

Continue reading this entry »

Nancy Bishop

Event Fri Oct 23 2015

14 Terrifyingly Arty Ways to Celebrate Halloween

Spooky and scary events allow us all a little fun in this so-far warm fall weather. With the witches in place in the hallway and the squirrels already eating the pumpkins on the porch, I hope I'm not the only one looking forward to some bloodcurdling scares this Halloween season. So here's a list of 14 thrilling theater productions and other artistic events (in no particular order) so that you can celebrate Hallow's Eve this year.

1. No One Here But Witches at Uptown Underground

Chicago's only "Retrotainment" venue gives you reason to enjoy burlesque, comedy, circus, magic and the speakeasy lifestyle every night for the rest of October. No One Here But Witches features witch-themed cabaret Monday nights at 7:00pm. Each other 8pm nightly production brings another magical experience at the Uptown Underground featuring "gore-lesque", freak-show striptease, circus arts and more. 21+ Advance reservation recommended. Click here for more information.

Continue reading this entry »

Jen Kraakevik

Art Thu Oct 22 2015

MCA to Auction Works by 100 Artists Friday

MCA art auction

This year will mark the Museum of Contemporary Art Chicago's 17th Benefit Art Auction after a five-year break. Works by more than 100 artists, ranging from painting to sculpture, will be included in the auction that begins this Friday with over 500 guests in attendance.

The MCA has a successful past with previous art auctions for the museum. In 2010, the museum raised $2.8 million from bidders and was able to spread out the proceeds for several fiscal years. "All of the money goes right back into supporting the MCA's core mission," says Michael Darling, James W. Alsdorf Chief Curator, whose role includes fundraising for programs and education within the museum.

Continue reading this entry »

S. Nicole Lane

Event Wed Sep 30 2015

20x2 Returns to Schubas with "When Did You Know?"

20x2 Chicago poster: When did you know?Gapers Block is proud to present 20x2 Chicago, a live event where 20 people are asked the same question and given two minutes each to answer in whichever way they choose. The results may take any form, from spoken word to music to film, and can be as varied as the emotions and reactions they evoke. This edition's question is "When did you know?" See the answers on Friday, Oct. 23 at Schubas, 3159 N. Southport Ave.

20x2 is a mainstay of afterhours programming at SXSW Interactive in Austin, TX, and Chicago is its first official offshoot. The last Chicago show was April 18, and featured the question "What's next?" Responses included an ode to turning 30, an app to predict the future, and a dance to a familiar Balkan break beat. Who knows what the speakers will come up with this time?

Continue reading this entry »

Andrew Huff

Art Wed Sep 23 2015

Arrived Deeply Uncomfortable, Left Somewhat Satisfied: EXPO Chicago 2015

The 2015 Expo Chicago presented 140 galleries from all over the world last weekend at the Navy Pier festival hall. In a celebratory manner, THE SEEN, an independent editorial affiliate of Expo, released their first print issue over the weekend, and /Dialogues introduced panel discussions and conversations throughout the three bustling days. IN/SITU provided large-scale installations and site-specific works throughout the expansive hall inside and outside on Navy Pier.

The most memorable work in the IN/SITU program, possibly because of its location, was Daniel Buren's From three windows, which illuminated the space and released color while suspended from the ceiling. The residual program pieces were lost among the volume of visitors and rousing bodies that centered around the smaller works in the booths--glancing at what was above, and being lured in towards the interest of sales.

from three windows, by Daniel Buren
Daniel Buren "from three windows," courtesy of EXPO Chicago

Continue reading this entry »

S. Nicole Lane

Event Mon Sep 21 2015

Interview with Jim Lasko of Redmoon on the Great Chicago Fire Festival

Great Chicago Fire Festival
Photos by Sam Doyle.

New Orleans has Mardi Gras. New York has New Year's Eve. Now Chicago has the Great Chicago Fire Festival, an event that is unique to us and highlights Chicago's talent at reinvention in the face of adversity. This coming Saturday, the Great Chicago Fire Festival will kick off its second annual event, this time on the terra firma of Northerly Island, a hidden gem nestled in the museum campus right on the lake. The bold concept of the festival is from Redmoon Theater's executive artistic director and co-founder Jim Lasko. He has a way of getting large groups of people to collaborate and produce amazing spectacles--and his dream is to give Chicago an annual one. Last September the festival packed both sides of the Chicago River, but it was beleaguered by false starts and misfires. This year will be different though, because it's a whole new event, from location to activities and even to accessibility for onlookers. I interviewed Jim Lasko to get some insight in to the plan, Redmoon's philosophy and what we should expect.

Tickets are free to the Sept. 26, 5-to-9pm event at Northerly Island, 1520 S. Linn White Dr., but it is recommended that you reserve tickets early.

Continue reading this entry »

Kim Campbell

History Wed Jul 01 2015

July 4th Celebration at Chicago History Museum Features Chicago Film Premiere and New Facilities

By Jen Kraakevik

GB-ChiHistJuly4.jpgFace painting, speeches, musical performances, crafts and other all-American activities are on the agenda for the Fourth of July celebration at the Chicago History Museum from 10am to noon Saturday.

Afternoon events at the History Museum will include a premiere of the film The Great Chicago Adventure in the renovated Robert R. McCormick Theater. Visitors can explore a wall-to-wall map of Chicago and other interactive art pieces in the grand opening of the Guild Gallery. President Gary T. Johnson said in a press release. "We couldn't pick a better day to showcase these fantastic new experiences that celebrate Chicago's place in American history."

Continue reading this entry »

A/C

Art Thu Jun 25 2015

Celebrate Pride at the Froot Salad Party at Annoyance Theatre

Chicago's 46th annual Pride Fest came fast around the corner this year with a two-day festival celebrating love, capped by Sunday's parade. In addition to the glitz and glamour of the day, a party entitled Froot Salad will occur Sunday at the Annoyance Theatre and Bar.

11010552_806958662732693_9723706423609034_n-2.jpg

Courtesy of VAM

The space will include three rooms, two blackout rave areas, a full bar, food, and open windows to witness the parade in full action. Froot Salad will be filled with performances, visual arts, live DJs, and support from the local creative community. Curation is provided by Do312, The Lesbifriends Cartel, Cramer PR & Events, Stardust, VAM, Deep Eddy Vodka, Pabst Blue Ribbon and Riot Fest.

Continue reading this entry »

S. Nicole Lane / Comments (2)

Preview Mon Jun 22 2015

Printers Ball 2015: Push & Pull this Saturday

printers ball 2015An all-day celebration perfect for any lit lover, the Printers Ball 2015: Push & Pull will bring together printers, writers, publishers, artists, readers, and collectors for its daylong festival of literary culture and printmaking. The event will have 18 programs throughout the day, and "guests can anticipate a field day of hands-on experiences with printmaking, writing, and live lit." There will also be roundtable discussions with artists and peers as a part of the program lineup, and a book marketplace for all to delight in.

One of the programmed events will be the Steamroller Spectacular, in which guests will be able to observe live steamroller printing with blocks carved by artists. Another will be the Book Butcher. Participants can order different "cuts" of free magazines and books from the head "butcher," Brad Rohloff, in his deli-themed Book Butcher Shop. See the full schedule of what they have planned here.

The ball will begin at 2pm on Saturday, June 27, and will last until 10pm at the Hubbard Street Lofts, located at 1821 W. Hubbard. Tickets range from being free at the most basic level, to $5 for guaranteed admission to see the keynote speaker, and then VIP Admission for $25, in which participants are guaranteed to see the keynote speaker, receive a commemorative poster and tote bag, five free books at the "Butcher" and a complimentary drink ticket.

Jennifer Prohov

Design Mon Jun 22 2015

AIGA Hosts Book Launch Party That's Part Circus, Part Theater

GB-ThisIsChi-bookcvr.png
The Chicago chapter of AIGA, the professional association for design, launched its new book about Chicago design and designers Thursday. But it wasn't your typical book signing party. The designers did it with style and surprises. The venue itself was a signal that things would get interesting, since it was held at Redmoon Theater, a well-known avatar of surprises and creativity.

This Is Chicago, a 224-page book, celebrates the centennial of the organization originally known by its initialism, the American Institute of Graphic Arts. This Is Chicago features "an eclectic mix of designers who have had significant impact on us--in hopes that their passion, perseverance, humility and bravery will enable you to see Chicago the way that we see it." Their intent, AIGA says in the book's foreword, is to celebrate what it is about Chicago that makes it different from any other community.

Continue reading this entry »

Nancy Bishop

Art Wed Jun 10 2015

Urban Sketchers Chicago Plan Seminar for On-Location Sketching

UrbanSketchers Chicago from Kordt Larsen on Vimeo.

Urban sketchers? They're not graffiti artists or pavement chalkers. Urban Sketchers Chicago will hold their second annual Sketching Seminar dedicated to the art of on-location sketching July 11 and 12. Professional instructors will lead sketching sessions at various downtown locations with Chicago's famous architecture as background.

Ten workshops and four activities over the two days will address specific skills and techniques of sketching. The organization expects 100 to 120 sketchers to participate. The 2014 event attracted sketchers from the Midwest, Canada and Europe.

Continue reading this entry »

Nancy Bishop

Art Mon May 04 2015

Cultural Conversation: Dance + Dramaturgy @ High Concept Labs

Chicago Dancemakers Forum and High Concept Labs are joining together to present a full day of events on Saturday, May 9, for panel discussions and rehearsals, which focus on contemporary dance and dramaturgical processes.

The free event invites creators, artists, dramaturges, performers, students and the greater Chicago community to engage in the conversations and dialogue concerning the practice and theory of movement and the body.

Continue reading this entry »

S. Nicole Lane

Art Fri Apr 17 2015

ACTIVATE Returns to the Loop

Last year, the Chicago Loop Alliance invited the public to interact and experience the alleyways of downtown Chicago. Bringing interactive artists such as Luftwerk, and hosting a party-like atmosphere, the Loop was transformed into a pop-up urban experience. Beginning May 15, the CLA will be hosting six nights of ACTIVATE one night each month until October.

image001.png

Nearly $400,000 was produced for local Loop businesses in the first seven ACTIVATE events from 2013-2014 and more than 14,000 attended the event during the series. The series will be continued this year from May until October with new artists, music, and culture, which were carefully curated for the public.

Continue reading this entry »

S. Nicole Lane

Event Mon Mar 30 2015

What's Next? 20x2 Chicago Returns to Schubas April 18

20x2 ChicagoGapers Block is proud to present 20x2 Chicago, a live event where 20 people are asked the same question and given two minutes each to answer in whichever way they choose. The results may take any form, from spoken word to music to film, and can be as varied as the emotions and reactions they evoke. This edition's question is "What's Next?" See the answers on Saturday, April 18 at Schubas, 3159 N. Southport Ave.

20x2 is a mainstay of afterhours programming at SXSW Interactive in Austin, TX, and Chicago is its first official offshoot. The last Chicago show was Oct. 21, 2014, and featured the question "How do you do?" Responses ranged from an arm-wrenching party trick to a giant "cootie catcher" game to a set of rules against small talk. Who knows what the speakers will come up with this time?

Continue reading this entry »

Andrew Huff

Preview Mon Mar 09 2015

CUBE Ensemble: Faces of Eurydice @ The Flat Iron Arts Building

The CUBE Ensemble, a Chicago based performance company, will be presenting Faces of Eurydice, a dance-opera-theater at the Flat Iron Arts Building in Wicker Park. The retelling of the myth of Orpheus is choreographed by Hope Goldman and the music and lyrics are directed by Hope Littwin.

FOE.jpg

The performances will take place at The Pentagon Theater in the Flat Iron Arts Building, 1575 N Milwaukee Ave. The first performance is Thursday, March 12, continuing through Saturday, March 21. Performances are at 7:30pm each night.

Tickets can be found through Brown Paper Tickets;pre-sale tickets are $25 admission, $10 industry/student and regular tickets are $35 admission, $15 industry/student.

The performers include Beth Berta, Jeremy Cairns, Allison Cook, Kroydell Galima, Lia Kohl, Hope Littwin, Alexandra Olsavsky and Vienna Willems.

S. Nicole Lane

Art Thu Mar 05 2015

What Did She Say? @ Sidetracked Studio

The new Evanston gallery, Sidetracked Studio, will host its first exhibition curated by Michele Mahon Jahelka Saturday from 6 to 9pm. The artist couple, Lauren Levato Coyne and Rory Coyne, work upstairs in the studio producing their own work, while the showroom on the first floor presents rotating exhibitions.

The all-female exhibition, What Did She Say? , will present works that span the spectrum from oil to wood and printmaking to drawing. Each artist brings forth a dialogue for perspective and communication through a variety of mediums. Jahelka urges viewers to "Stop and listen" when entering the exhibition space and derive meaningful contexts within the gallery and with the individual works.

SidetrackedStudio.jpg

The artists in the exhibition include: Raeleen Kao, Amy Ventura, Lauren Levato Coyne, Mary Lou Novak, Teresa James, and Kristina Smith.

The exhibition will be on view until May 10. The studio and gallery space is located at 707 Chicago Ave., Evanston. Gallery hours are noon to 6pm Wednesday through Saturday.

S. Nicole Lane

Event Wed Feb 18 2015

Inside/Within & VIA Publication @ Threewalls Gallery

ILikeYourWork.jpgI'll have to admit, I'm a little -- okay more than a little -- immersed in the online archive, Inside/Within. I won't go into specifics about how sleek their website is, or how they sometimes incorporate .gifs into interview segments, but I will go into how important I think studio visits are for eager fan-folk (like myself) and how, similarly, they are beneficial for the artists themselves. In a nutshell, Inside/Within is an online archive that visits, absorbs and features Chicago artists in their creative spaces. Exposing an artist's creative space allows for other artists, or interested peers, to gain insight into what goes on behind the scenes. The website has a pretty large collection of captivating interviews and close-ups of studio practice. For both reader and artist, the process enables creative growth and the ability to share ideas and artistic practice.

So, of course, excitement and dedication forced me outside into the fresh snow and black ice when I heard that VIA Publication and Inside/Within were hosting an event at Threewalls called "I Like Your Work."

Continue reading this entry »

S. Nicole Lane

Art Mon Feb 02 2015

Call for Artists: ACTIVATE

The downtown Chicago alleyways were filled last summer. Music, creative participants, performers and drinks were offered by the Chicago Loop Alliance in an event called ACTIVATE. The Chicago Loop Alliance strives to promote urban experiences which involve performance, art, and culture. The event attracted on-lookers, buyers and artists from all over the loop and beyond. This summer, CLA is activating again.

unnamed.jpg

Artists, curators, designers and all-around creatives are invited to submit (PDF) their ideas and work in a chance to work closely with ACTIVATE. Creative exhibitions filled up the alleys of the loop last year and transformed the urban landscape of Chicago into an interactive party. Last year, 143 artists participated and 14,000 people attended the event.

Submissions are due by 11:59pm March 27. For further info, call 312-782-9160 or email info@chicagoloopalliance.com.

S. Nicole Lane

Art Tue Jan 27 2015

Call for Plants for (Provisional) Park at Co-Prosperity Sphere

Calling all plant lovers and plant parents! (Provisional) Park would like you to place your plants on temporary loan for a project in Bridgeport.

(Provisional) Park

(Provisional) Park will be a temporary indoor park made up entirely of your wonderful green and tropical houseplants, located inside of Co-Prosperity Sphere at 3219-21 S. Morgan St. The project was created by artist Allyson Packer, who graduated from the University of North Carolina Chapel Hill with a BFA in 2009. The park will free and open to the public March 6-April 3 between 6am and 11pm.

If you would like to lend your plant to Packer for the duration of the park, email provisionalpark@gmail.com to schedule a pick-up or feel free to bring your plants to Co-Prosperity Sphere between 10am and 5pm on Sunday, March 1. Have no fear, your plants will be returned in April once the project is completed!

S. Nicole Lane

Art Mon Nov 03 2014

Preview: 21st Annual SOFA Chicago Fair Nov. 7-9

EZammitt.jpg

SOFA Chicago is doing it again. Thirty-four thousand individuals will attend the exposition at Navy Pier where 70-plus galleries will present creative works and emerging artists to Chicago art lovers. The 21st annual event will feature exhibits, a lecture series, in person creatives and the unveiling of many incredible first time, never before seen, art pieces -- a collectors must have! The Art and Design Fair is an internationally known event which interconnects the fine arts and the design world in a weekend full of creative bliss.

SOFA is Chicago's consociation of art collectors, creative individuals and designers. It continues to lure and pull individuals into the great event for a chance to witness or even purchase items that have never before been unveiled.

In addition to unseen work, the fair will also be hosting world renown galleries and artists that collectors and art lovers continue to come back for each year. Above is an image from Eric Zammitt, who is represented by the David Richard Gallery in Santa Fe. Along with artists like Zammitt and galleries like those in Santa Fe, Yvel, the William Zimmer Gallery, Pistachios, the Maurine Littleton Gallery, Kirra Galleries are just a small selection of those that will be in attendance at the fair. In total, 14 countries will be exhibiting this year at the exposition.

Continue reading this entry »

S. Nicole Lane

Preview Wed Oct 22 2014

"How Do You Do?" Find out at 20x2 Chicago Oct. 25

20x2 Chicago - how do you do?Gapers Block is proud to present 20x2 Chicago, a live event where 20 people are asked the same question and given two minutes each to answer in whichever way they choose. The results may take any form, from spoken word to music to film, and can be as varied as the emotions and reactions they evoke. This edition's question is "How do you do?" See the answers on Saturday, Oct. 25 at Schubas, 3159 N. Southport Ave.

20x2 is a mainstay of afterhours programming at SXSW Interactive in Austin, TX, and Chicago is the show's first official offshoot. At the last edition on April 19, the question was "Where are we?" Responses ranged from location quiz based on photos to a tearful tribute to a father who purposefully got lost to a recitation of Carl Sanburg's poem "Chicago." Who knows what the speakers will come up with this time?

Continue reading this entry »

Andrew Huff

Art Wed Oct 08 2014

Adam Szymczyk Speaking @ Northwestern University 10/11

image001.png@01CFE2E5.1131AC90.png

The Department of Art Theory and Practice at Northwestern University is hosting a conversation and dialogue with Adam Szymczyk and Carolyn Christov-Bakargiev on Oct. 11 at 2pm.

Adam Szymczyk is curating documenta 14, which is one of the known as the world's most significant art exhibitions. Northwestern will be hosting Adam for his first US discussion about his vision and curation of documenta 14.

Documenta 14 is a contemporary art exhibition which takes place every five years in Kassel, Germany. During this talk, the Polish-born curator and the visiting professor, Carolyn Christov-Bakargiev, will be discussing the "best frequented contemporary art exhibition." 2012 documenta artistic director Edith Kreeger Wolf will also be joining the talk for her input and background with the show. documenta has shown works from major movements such as Fauvism, Expressionism, Cubism, the Blaue Reiter and Futurism.

The event is free and open to the public. The conversation will be held in the McCormick Auditorium at the Norris University Center., 1999 Campus Dr. in Evanston.

S. Nicole Lane

Performance Fri Oct 03 2014

Redmoon Creates Fiery Spectacle

Redmoon's Fire Festival Houses on the move; photo by Evan Barr
Redmoon's Fire Festival houses on the move; photo by Evan Barr.

Redmoon, Chicago's oldest spectacle performance company, in partnership with the city's Department of Cultural Affairs and Special Events and the Chicago Park District presents The Great Chicago Fire Festival on Saturday, October 4. Meant to be a celebration of the city's renewal following the Great Chicago Fire of 1871 and to showcase the diversity of the neighborhoods that have flourished since, the free festival will feature a River Bazaar, performances by local performers and a grand finale with a fiery spectacle that only Redmoon could create.

The festival begins at 3pm with a River Bazaar between State Street and Michigan Avenue along the city's new river walk, with designated areas representing each of the official Fire Neighborhoods (Albany Park, Austin, Avondale, Bronzeville, Englewood, Humboldt Park, Little Village, North Lawndale, Old Town, Pilsen, Roseland, South Chicago, South Shore, Uptown and Woodlawn). In each area, foods, crafts and other goods representing the neighborhoods will be for sale. From 5:30 to 8pm two stages (at 435 N. Michigan and 330 N. Wabash) will feature local poets, spoken word artists, hip hop performers and an urban dance battle.

Continue reading this entry »

Jeanne Newman / Comments (1)

Neighborhood Mon Sep 08 2014

Lakeview East Festival of the Arts Celebrates 10th Anniversary

GB-LakeviewEast_01.jpg
More than 150 juried artists will show their work next weekend during the 10th annual Lakeview East Festival of the Arts. The festival showcases original paintings, prints, sculpture, photography, furniture, ceramics, jewelry and more. In addition to artists' booths, there will be live music on multiple stages, an interactive children's area, wine and food booths. The event is hosted and produced by the Lakeview East Chamber of Commerce.

The festival will begin with a special anniversary kickoff party and preview celebration (open to the public) 6:30 to 10pm Friday. Festival hours are 10am to 6pm Saturday with live music, food and drink tents open until 10pm, and 10am to 5pm Sunday on Broadway between Belmont and Hawthorne.

Continue reading this entry »

Nancy Bishop

Event Mon Sep 01 2014

A Return for Renegade Craft Fair

Renegade Craft Fair, notable for its bounty of detailed jewelry, unique art prints, eccentric products and gorgeous decorating pieces, returns to Chicago Sept. 6 and 7 for its 12th annual summer market.

The Renegade Craft Fair began in Chicago in 2003 and has since traveled the nation as it has garnered the attention of craftmakers throughout the country and beyond. Focused on handmade goods, the fair will showcase endless one-of-a-kind pieces created by talented up-and-coming designers. Over 250,000 shoppers attend the fair circuit throughout the year, which travels from Chicago to Los Angeles and as far as London.

Continue reading this entry »

Sarah Brooks

Art Sat Aug 02 2014

Radical Tenderness @ High Concept Laboratories

Artifical Ear.jpg
High Concept Laboratories is an organization which supports Chicago artists through production services, space for creatives and various forms of administrative assistance. HCL has a wonderful open space located inside of Mana Contemporary, an old warehouse in Pilsen which houses artist studios, and hosts events and shows. This past week on Thursday, HCL hosted an event entitled, "Radical Tenderness" which featured performance, sound, poetry and video as a collective event with a small and intimate audience. Artists Amir George, Sofia Moreno, La Spacer and Anna Vitale, were each featured in the event where they brought their voices, their bodies and their overall energy in depicting the theme for the night.

Continue reading this entry »

S. Nicole Lane

Theatre Thu Jul 24 2014

Arm Wrestlers Test Their Strength at CLLAW XIX

CLLAW18-1.jpgChicago's strongest women will flex their muscles this weekend as they elbow their way through CLLAW XIX, a Chicago League of Lady Arm Wrestlers (CLLAW) competition.

Presented by the Sideshow Theatre Company, this marks the 19th CLLAW match, pitting the city's best female arm wrestlers against each other for a good cause. The bout features women arm wrestlers dressed in over-the-top get ups and promises shady referees and animated managers and entourages.

"The energy going into this CLLAW is really electric," said Karie Miller of Sideshow Theatre Company and a CLLAW organizer. "This match is unique in that about half of the wrestlers are new and about half are veterans."

Continue reading this entry »

Miriam Finder

Film Tue May 06 2014

Chicago Critics Film Festival Returns May 9-15

ccff.jpgLast year, along with several of my fellow Chicago-based film critic associates — all member of the Chicago Film Critics Association — I embarked on an endeavor to do something that had never been done before. We created and put on the first-ever film festival programmed and run entirely by film critics. The programmers scoured festivals from Toronto, Sundance, SXSW and others to find what we considered the best of the best of the dozens of films we saw at each festival. We mixed up the program to include festival favorites, films still looking for distribution, and even a rarely seen but much loved classic, Sorcerer from director William Friedkin (who also attended). And for three glorious days last April, we actually managed to pull together a great line-up and got a few high-profile filmmakers to come out and do Q&As for our audiences.

The event was so successful that we decided to grow the experience for audiences this year and move the location from the Chicago suburbs to inside the city limits this year. The Second Annual Chicago Critics Film Festival will take place May 9-15 at the legendary Music Box Theatre, 3733 N. Southport Ave.

Continue reading this entry »

Steve Prokopy

Event Mon Apr 07 2014

Where Are We? 20x2 is Back April 19 at Schubas

20x2 Chicago: Where Are We? April 19, 2014 at SchubasGapers Block is proud to present 20x2 Chicago, a live event where 20 people are asked the same question and given two minutes each to answer in whichever way they choose. The results may take any form, from spoken word to music to film, and can be as varied as the emotions and reactions they evoke. This edition's question is "Where are we?" See the answers on Saturday, April 19 at Schubas, 3159 N. Southport Ave.

20x2 is a mainstay of afterhours programming at SXSW Interactive in Austin, TX, and Chicago is its first official offshoot. The first show was Oct. 19, 2013, and featured the question "How could you?" Responses ranged from an airing of high school grievances to a slide presentation about overcoming cancer to a live collaboration between a musician and artist.

Continue reading this entry »

Andrew Huff

Preview Fri Mar 28 2014

Lyp Sinc Show @ Defibrillator Gallery

unnamed.jpgThe performance gallery, Defibrillator, will be presenting their annual April Fools Day fundraiser, the Lyp Sinc Show, on Tuesday, April 1. This unique art gallery focuses on performance art. The gallery hosts an International Performance Art Festival annually, entitled, RAPID PULSE, June 1-10. The festival presents a total of 28 international and local performance artists for a series of 10 days. The Lyp Sinc Show occurs as a fundraiser for the artists meals, materials and housing for RAPID PULSE. There will be a total of 13 artists/groups at the Lip Sinc Show, which kicks off at 7pm.

Silky Jumbo will be the host for the evening and Jordan Jaymes will be the DJ.

Defibrillator Art Gallery is located at 1136 N. Milwaukee Ave. The gallery requests a $10 donation at the door, refreshments are included. Call 773-609-1137 for more information.

Additional events include No Lights, No Lycra, a weekly dance party in the dark. The next one will occur Monday, March 31 at 8:15pm.

S. Nicole Lane

Preview Fri Mar 21 2014

Photography and Motherhood @ MoCP

10_Press Image_Home Truths_ES.jpg

Starting April 18, The Museum of Contemporary Photography will be presenting the works of nine photographers in an exhibition entitled, Home Truths: Photography and Motherhood. The opening reception, held from 5 to 7pm will introduce gender roles, domesticity and identity.

Continue reading this entry »

S. Nicole Lane

Preview Sat Mar 15 2014

UChicago Presents: Art and Anatomy

Alt-header.jpg
Photo by UChicago Arts

Are you intrigued by anatomy and art? Are you interested in (literally) looking inside of yourself? This spring, UChicago Arts will be hosting a multi-venue exhibition entitled Imaging/Imagining that incorporates both the artistic and the scientific history of the body.

This exhibition will be held in various locations across the campus, including the Special Collections Research Center (The Body as Text), the Smart Museum (The Body In Art) and the Crerar Library (The Body as Data). Each space will introduce the history of anatomy in a specialized and organized category. The Body as Text explores the history of medical illustration as well as when the partnership of art and science were separated due to the invention of the x-ray. The Body as Data focuses on modern anatomy and the introduction of computers. The exhibition at the Smart Museum, The Body as Art, focuses on the subjective imagination within the medical illustrations that were once incredibly important for anatomists.

Continue reading this entry »

S. Nicole Lane

Art Sat Mar 15 2014

Performance & Spectacle at Second Friday in Pilsen

Pilsen1.jpg
Photo by Nicole Lane

The Chicago Arts District in East Pilsen opens its galleries, artists studios and neighborhood shops for local people every second Friday of the month.

Last night, Rooms, a performance space, had its final performance from an ongoing series entitled, RITUAL NO. 10:WAVES. The ritual included two male performers--one was seated and one was pouring water from one bucket to the other. The seated man beat a steady dream-beat while the standing performer transitioned from a platform to the wooden floor. As pictured above, the individual poured water from one bucket to another for three steady hours.

Continue reading this entry »

S. Nicole Lane

Art Sat Mar 08 2014

Wicker Park: First Fridays @ The Flat Iron Building

The weather, warming up slightly this week, urged a substantial amount of Chicago makers, gallery goers and visual arts lovers, to the Flat Iron Arts Building last night. I, finally wearing something that wasn't reminiscent of a Christmas Story, trekked out to Wicker Park for the open studios, refreshments and socializing. This was my first time "First Fridays" at Wicker Park; I usually frequent Pilsen for "Second Fridays," instead. However, I am a fan of the area and decided to wander down for a peek at how they run things down at the Flat Iron Building.

erwer.jpg

Continue reading this entry »

S. Nicole Lane

Art Fri Dec 20 2013

Who Needs Santa's Lap? Here's a Polar Bear

polar bear holiday diego leclery
New Holiday Spirit: Sit on a Polar Bear's Lap, by Diego Leclery

Contemporary art and the holidays don't often mix, but Diego Leclery's New Holiday Spirit: Sit on a Polar Bear's Lap brings the two together this Saturday at The Suburban gallery, 125 N. Harvey Ave. in Oak Park.

From 2 to 4pm, visitors may sit on a life-size polar bear's lap and be hugged, pose for pictures, take a very brief nap -- anything but be mauled and eaten, which is what would normally happen in such circumstances. This is the fourth year Leclery has held polar bear lap hours at the gallery. Admission is free, and (well-behaved) kids are welcome.

Andrew Huff

Event Tue Nov 26 2013

McDonald's Thanksgiving Parade: Celebrating 80 Years in Chicago

Chicago is a parade kind of town, and as we embark upon another holiday season, one of the biggest and highly anticipated parades, the McDonald's Thanksgiving Parade, returns for its 80th year.

This all ages, family-friendly event is indeed a Chicago holiday tradition; each year, thousands of parade-goers line up along State Street to view the best in marching bands, choirs, floats, popular character balloons, celebrity guests and more, all celebrating the holidays.

Lowndes High School Marching Band.jpg

Continue reading this entry »

LaShawn Williams

Art Around Town Fri Nov 22 2013

Weekend Art Pick: Vision Quest 2013

VQ.jpg
Okay, okay. So it already started last night. But if you're only going to make it to one art event this weekend, check out Vision Quest 2013.

Held at Mana Contemporary in East Pilsen near the river, Vision Quest is a three-day post-internet [IRL] translation of the dinca.org blog experience, featuring a handful of screenings and live A/V performances that travel the niches of internet art, computer art, new and experimental media, video art, avant-garde film and video, documentary and ethnographic cinema.

Continue reading this entry »

Kelly Reaves

Event Tue Nov 19 2013

Oh, Hi Mark! Greg Sestero Dishes About The Room

thedisasterartist.jpgGreg Sestero, best known as Mark in The Room, has written a book, The Disaster Artist: My Life Inside The Room, the Greatest Bad Movie Ever Made, about his experiences meeting writer/director/star Tommy Wiseau and making the cult classic film. is sure to please the many fans of Wiseau's bizarre masterpiece.

Sestero met the enigmatic Wiseau in a San Francisco acting class. They became unlikely friends, then collaborators, culminating in the cinematic disaster that would eventually bring them both worldwide fame.

Continue reading this entry »

Andrew Huff

Art Around Town Fri Nov 01 2013

Weekend Art Pick: HATCH Projects' Twelve Variations

Nason.jpg

Kristin Nason, untitled, mixed media, 2013. Photo courtesy of CAC.

Hatch Projects was just nominated by Newcity as the "Best Opportunity for Emerging Artists" because of the impressive critical infrastructure the Chicago Artists Coalition has built around the studios it houses to support its resident artists' practices and careers. It promises regular contact with curators, critics, collectors and arts administrators... even a solo exhibition for each member. To see what has come of it, head over to the CAC in the West Loop tonight for Twelve Variations.

Continue reading this entry »

Kelly Reaves

Art Around Town Fri Oct 25 2013

Weekend Art Pick: East Garfield Park Open Houses

andreaedra.jpg
East Garfield Park curator Edra Soto (right) with Featured Artists Andrea Jablonski (left) and DJ Mr. Voice (center)

There are a bunch of shows opening in the West Loop tonight, but if only because of its sheer breadth (and that's not the only reason), if you can only go to one "art event" this weekend (because those are the parameters I've committed to for this weekly column), go to East Garfield Park.

Continue reading this entry »

Kelly Reaves

Art Around Town Fri Oct 18 2013

Weekend Art Pick: Rusty Shackleford Dream Feeder & Katie Torn Dream House @ Roots & Culture

This weekend, if you can only go to one art opening, go to David Sprecher's Anchors on Sunday -- his second solo exhibition at Peanut Gallery. He has built a false wall and is playing with perception subtly through various methods, and his playful approach to art making combined with his personal investigation into the human body and spirit makes for a compelling exhibition. BUT, because of my personal involvement with Peanut Gallery I may be biased, so I'm going to give you another option.

Rusty Shackleford Dream Feeder & Katie Torn Dream House

show77.jpg

How about some colorful prints, paintings, arrangements & video work loosely based on nostalgia and technology at Roots & Culture?

Continue reading this entry »

Kelly Reaves

Art Around Town Thu Oct 10 2013

Weekend Art Pick: Little Man Pee Pool Party: The Whiz Paddler's Lament

peepool.jpg

If you can only go to one art show this weekend, consider spending a portion of your Friday night checking about a bunch of new sculptures that pee into wading pools!

Continue reading this entry »

Kelly Reaves

Event Thu Oct 10 2013

20x2 Chicago Debuts at Martyrs' Oct. 19

20x2chi_twitter.jpgGapers Block is proud to present 20x2 Chicago, a live event where 20 people are asked the same question and given two minutes each to answer in whichever way they choose. The results can be as varied as the emotions and reactions they evoke. This edition's question is "How could you?" See the answers on Saturday, Oct. 19 at Martyrs', 3855 N. Lincoln Ave.

20x2 is a mainstay of afterhours programming at SXSW Interactive in Austin, TX, and Chicago is its first official offshoot. The Austin show came to Chicago in 2010 to ask "Who knew?", and the responses ranged from an exploration of architectural history to an explanation of how much you can lift with your beard to a song about punk kids who think they know everything.

Continue reading this entry »

Andrew Huff

Art Fri Oct 04 2013

Weekend Art Pick: Dock 6 Art & Design 6

Every weekend in Chicago, there is more art available to check out than any of us actually have time for. Most of it is listed at thevisualist.org and at Art Talk Chicago. For those of you who have a hard time deciding which to go to, I'll make a recommendation for you every week. This week's pick:

Dock 6 Art & Design 6

Dock6ShowFall13.jpg

Continue reading this entry »

Kelly Reaves

Event Sat Sep 28 2013

EXPO Chicago, the Homegrown High Art Mothership

EXPO_2.jpg

A second EXPO Chicago has now come and gone, passing through Navy Pier like an electrical storm, this time buzzing with a few new satellites -- countless gallery openings and open studios, but also medium-scale alternative fairs like the econo-centric EDITION at the Chicago Artists Coalition and the grassroots, street-oriented Fountain Art Fair at Mana Contemporary, all within five miles of Navy Pier. It's nice to see this happening... hopefully the city will be blowing up like Miami during Art Basel by next year. Or maybe we like to keep things a little more low-key in Chicago. In any case:

Continue reading this entry »

Kelly Reaves / Comments (4)

Art Thu Sep 19 2013

EDITION Chicago Gives EXPO a Run for its Money

EDITIONChicagoLOGO.jpgWhenever a fair or festival becomes successful, satellite events are soon to follow. And now that the much-hyped EXPO Chicago has gotten a little steam, that's exactly what's happening. This weekend the Chicago Artist Coalition (CAC) and local gallerist Andrew Rafacz have teamed up to create EDITION Chicago with the aim of exhibiting high quality, cutting-edge work that presents new ideas, while remaining financially attainable. Because let's face it, EXPO is bound to have a lot of exciting work on exhibit, but most of us won't be able to buy any of it.

"We are pleased to present such a diverse and respected list of galleries in our first year that proves great contemporary art can be found in all price ranges," said Executive Director of CAC Carolina O. Jayaram. "Not only is the new EDITION Chicago an incredible opportunity to start building an art collection or add to your existing collection, but the satellite fair builds on the exciting momentum surrounding art in Chicago right now that CAC is proud to be an integral part of."

Continue reading this entry »

Kelly Reaves

Art Around Town Thu Jul 04 2013

Art Around Town

Hi, guys! I didn't find much going on this weekend. Please leave info about additional exhibitions that flew under my radar in the comments section. Happy holiday!

Tonight (Thursday):

  • Matthew Hoffman: Independence @ Comfort Station

  • Saturday:

  • (ƒ)utility projects: boundary transactions @ The Franklin
  • Kelly Reaves

    Art Around Town Thu Jun 27 2013

    Art Around Town

    Tonight (Thursday):

  • If You Need Me I'll be in Space Benefit @ Chicago Art Department
  • June Atomic Sketch @ Green Eye
  • Marshall Brown + Geof Oppenheimer discuss Architecture, Power, and the Urban Imaginary @ Western Exhibitions
  • Michelle Harris @ D Gallery
  • IN SITU @ The Student Union Galleries
  • Sex. Money. Race. Gender.: The Ladydrawers @ Averill and Bernard Leviton A+D Gallery, Columbia College
  • Friday:

  • Robert Donley: Personal Universe & Matt Nichols: Cellar Door @ Corbett vs. Dempsey
  • The Mission & Acre Residency: Parallels @ The Mission
  • Milwaukee Ave. Arts Festival (all weekend)
  • Binary Lore/A modest occupation @ threewalls
  • Gil Leora @ Firecat
  • Shawn Kieffer @ Elastic Arts

  • Saturday:

  • HOTBOX & Nate Otto @ Galerie F
  • Robb Stone: Gazing closing reception and artist talk @ Bert Green Fine Art
  • Jon Chambers: RAZR: Left Over Mythologies of the Best Selling Clamshell Phone @ The Milk Factory Gallery
  • 2 of a kind @ LVL3
  • Much Much More Lecture Series presents: Heather Mekkelson @ Humboldt Park branch, Chicago Public Library
  • FLAT 14 @ Floor Length and Tux
  • Starving Artist 2013 @ Chicago Artists Coalition
  • Africobra: Philosophy @ Logan Center Gallery
  • Jennifer Cronin, Keelan McMorrow & Tim Kowalczyk: Illusions of Reality, Realism, Perceptions and Impersonations @ Morpho Gallery
  • Jewelery Beef Summer Show @ Galerie F

  • Sunday:

  • J.C. Steinbrunner: w/ dispatch @ Terrain Exhibitions
  • New Word Exchange @ Slow

  • Tuesday:

  • Chicago Works: José Lerma @ The MCA

  • Thursday:

  • Matthew Hoffman: Independence @ Comfort Station
  • Kelly Reaves

    Art Around Town Fri Jun 14 2013

    Art Around Town

    Tonight:

  • Gordon Matta-Clark, Suzanne Harris, Tina Girouard: The 112 Greene Street Years @ Rhona Hoffman
  • Artist Tour: Wild Life Sanctuary with Jenny Kendler @ The SUB-MISSION
  • Brent Gutzeit @ Swim Cafe
  • Opposites Attract: An Illustrative Exhibit @ Chicago Urban Art Society
  • The Urban Operating System (Version 13) @ Co-Prosperity Sphere
  • Samantha Bittman & Gabriel Pionkowski @ Thomas Robertello Gallery
  • Embody @ Design Cloud
  • Word on the Street: Image, Language, Signage @ Center for Book & Paper Arts
  • GBDB presents: Weird Dude Energy @ Heaven Gallery
  • David Cordero: Gavage @ PSA Projects (Hosted by the Loneliness Chapel)
  • Modern Storytellers @ Ugly Step Sister Art Gallery

  • Saturday:

  • Charlie Megna: Lost Tribes of Renni @ The Annex
  • Above the Pavement: A City Fair (Version 13) @ Maria's and Pleasant House Bakery
  • 18 x 24: Chicago @ Galerie F
  • Chicago Alternative Comics Expo (all weekend) @ Center on Halsted
  • threewalls 10th Anniversary Gala @ Salvage One
  • Local Brilliance @ Cobalt Studio
  • League of Women Designers: Skirt @ Manifold
  • Hense: New Paintings @ Maxwell Colette Gallery

  • Sunday:

  • Sarah & Ashley Williams: The Herding @ Peanut Gallery
  • Sarah and Joseph Belknap: Our Findings From Spaceship Earth @ Roxaboxen Exhibitions
  • Abinadi Meza: The Driftless Moment @ ACRE Projects
  • Open Doors / Puertas Abiertas: A Conversation. Sergio Gomez @ NMMA
  • The Marble Room Series presents June 16th @ The Parlor
  • Kelly Reaves

    Art Around Town Fri Jun 07 2013

    Art Around Town

    Tonight:

  • Joseph Rynkiewicz: I Hear You Singing Through the Wires @ Johalla Projects
  • Daniel Bennett: Definitions 1 @ Aspect Ratio
  • Midwest Contemporary @ Lillstreet Gallery
  • grapheme @ slow
  • Artist-Run ARTBAR: Artists Ain't Unicorns @ Hyde Park Art Center
  • Marshall Brown: Center of the World, Chicago @ Western Exhibitions
  • Cody Hudson: Salad Days Days & Alex Chitty: The Way They Wanted to Sleep @ Andrew Rafacz
  • John Buck & Hunter Buck @ Zolla/Lieberman
  • Owen Kydd: Regular Colors @ Document
  • Jessica Bardsley, Victoria Bradford, Rebecca Hamlin Green: Live/Work @ Chicago Artists Coalition
  • Baccara: Thirteen Ways @ Chicago Artists Coalition
  • Matt Irie and Geoffrey Todd Smith: Imaginary Friends @ NEIU

  • Saturday:

  • ACRE Block Party
  • Yard Dog @ Firecat
  • REBIRTH @ Archer Loft

  • Monday:

  • Lumpen Release Party
  • Kelly Reaves

    Art Around Town Thu May 30 2013

    Art Around Town

    Friday:

  • FiLMs on 79 Independent Film Festival @ Gallery 79
  • Rapid Pulse Vernissage, with Wafaa Bilal @ DEFIBRILLATOR
  • Elusive Emporium @ Block 37 (all weekend)
  • Kathleen Thometz: Treehouse @ RAC

  • Saturday:

  • Rapid Pulse Performance Art Festival (all weekend & next)
  • Peter Fagundo: Love's Confusing Joy @ The Bike Room
  • Nathan Vernau: Perfect Timing @ Comfort Station

  • Sunday:

  • Johanna Braun and Michael Niemetz: The Chic Boutique @ Adds Donna
  • Madeleine Bailey: When the peaks of our sky come together, my house will have a roof @ Terrain Exhibitions

  • Thursday:

  • Brave New Art World Open House @ River North Gallery District
  • Kelly Reaves

    Art Fri May 24 2013

    Art Around Town

    Tonight:

  • trying to be cute bc the abyss @ Co-Prosperity Sphere
  • Kelly Reaves & Kate Arford: Creature Comforts @ Elastic
  • Thorne Brandt: Drums @ Roots & Culture
  • Tyrue "Slang" Jones: The Freedom of Art @ Gala Gallery
  • Kathy Halper, Jason Lahr & Krista Hoefle @ Packer Schopf
  • A Correspondence: An installation by Sovannra Yos @ Plaines Project
  • Bruce Thorn @ Star Lounge

  • Saturday:

  • Garbage World 6 @ Big Forever (highly recommended!)

  • Sunday:

  • The Chic Boutique Chicago @ ADDS DONNA

  • Tuesday:

  • Art is the Word (workshop) @ Peanut Gallery

  • Wednesday:

  • Loophole Limbo @ Gallery 400
  • Libby Lumpkin (Lecture) @ Logan Center for the Arts
  • Visiting Artist Lecture: Doug Ischar @ Mary and Leigh Block Museum of Art Pick-Laudati Auditorium

  • Thursday:

  • Elusive Emporium @ Block 37 (through Sunday)
  • Atomic Sketch @ Green Eye
  • MULTIPLICES: Collaborative reading + response @ threewalls
  • Kelly Reaves

    Art Around Town Thu May 16 2013

    Art Around Town

    Friday:

    Manifest (Columbia College's BA & MFA in Photography thesis show) @ 1006 Columbus
    HUGE ART SHOW @ Hubbard St. Lofts
    Image Structure (artist talk & book release) @ Public Works
    Ron Copeland: Remnants of Things Past @ Galerie F
    On The Precipice @ Zhou B Art Center
    Artists Book Collection Launch @ Johalla Projects
    In a Perfect World @ Beverly Arts Center
    End of Year Show: Making the New @ IIT Institute of Design
    The Salon Series with Lynn Basa @ The Salon Series Projects
    Gertrude Abercrombie & Julia Thecla @ Corbett vs. Dempsey
    Gina Litherland: The Reason for the Unreason @ Corbett vs. Dempsey
    Per Se @ 3433
    Sway (UChicago MFA Show #4) @ Logan Center Gallery
    Multiple Exposures @ Bridgeport Art Center
    Kickoff Celebration @ The Parlor

    Continue reading this entry »

    Kelly Reaves

    Art Around Town Fri May 10 2013

    Art Around Town

    Tonight:

  • Design & Art 5 @ Dock 6
  • Josué Pellot, Josh Reames, Morgan Sims and Ron Ewert: No Stairway to Heaven @ Heaven
  • Rimas Simaitis & Tim Brown: Dark Star @ Roots & Culture
  • The New Aesthetic @ Gallery 19
  • Jim Dee & Patrick Putze @ ROOMS
  • Pop-Up Art Market @ Goddess Palace
  • Tim Mann & Jon Waites: It's Five O'Clock Somewhere @ LODOS
  • A New Narrative @ Rotofugi
  • ASCII 4 @ Elastic Arts Foundation
  • Amanda Joy Calobrisi: Friends of My World @ Ugly Step Sister Art Gallery
  • Glossolalia: Senior Thesis Exhibition from the Department of Art Theory & Practice @ Dittmar Gallery
  • Laura Davis: Unknown Pleasures @ Chicago Artists Coalition
  • Jesse Butcher, James T. Green, & Christopher Meerdo: No Gods No Masters. @ Chicago Artists Coalition
  • ShowPODs: NEIU exhibition opening @ 1839 S. Halsted
  • The Presence of Absence @ Hairpin Arts Center
  • Humans Being II @ Woman Made Gallery

  • Saturday:

  • Jessica Taylor Caponigro: Black Damp @ Johalla Projects
  • Barron Storey: Factum 1 and Factum 2 & Robb Stone: Gazing @ Bert Green Fine Art
  • HERZOGOUDREAULT (closing) @ Lloyd Dobler
  • Second Saturday Open House @ Lacuna Artist Lofts
  • HER @ Beauty & Brawn Art Gallery & Think Space

  • Sunday:

  • Lorraine Dauw: Nancy Drew Titan Savor @ The Hills Esthetic Center

  • Monday:

  • Open Art Lab: Horse Models @ Hyde Park Art Center
  • Eric May and Rimas Simaitis present: E-Dogz: Apocalypse Culinary Refuge Center @ Gallery 400
  • Richard Fishman (Lecture) @ Logan Center for the Arts

  • Tuesday

  • Art is the Word (workshop) @ Peanut Gallery

  • Wednesday:

  • The Prospective Series 2 @ Old Town Social
  • Kelly Reaves

    Art Around Town Fri May 03 2013

    Art Around Town

    Tonight:

  • AXIS 2013 International Art Festical (all weekend) @ 4011 N. Ravenswood
  • Marissa Lee Benedict and Aay Preston-Myint @ threewalls
  • Erica Bohm: The Third Expedition & Jenny Kendler: Wild Life Sanctuary @ The Mission
  • Group Show @ David Leonardis Gallery
  • Kaoru Arima: And Then @ Queer Thoughts
  • Marina Miliou-Theocharaki @ Anatomy/Gift/Association
  • Jennet Thomas: I Am Your Error Message @ Gallery 400
  • Wayward (UChicago MFA Show #3) @ Logan Center Gallery
  • HalfLifers @ Gallery 400

  • Saturday:

  • Free Comic Book Day @ Quimbys
  • Art Sandwich (fundraiser) @ Roots & Culture
  • Bob Nuestro: Alapaap {Cloud] @ Rogers Park Library
  • Elisa Harkins: Native American Fax Machine @ Happy Collaborationists
  • Sketching in the Galleries with Vesna Jovanovic @ U of C's Oriental Institute
  • ASSEMBLE @ Vertical Gallery
  • Kelly Kaczynski: Here On The Way There @ Comfort Station
  • Until We All Agree @ Defribrillator
  • 1035 Days (NIU MFA Show) @ Ebersmoore
  • Brian Rush & Gwyneth Anderson: Detent & Stow @ Adult Contemporary
  • Daniel Bauer: Domestica Dentata @ Alderman Exhibitions
  • Methodic Deconstruction @ The Franklin
  • Conor Ekstrom @ Alcatraz Chicago
  • Carol Jackson & Julie Potratz: Runs and Goses @ slow
  • Raychael Stine: carry on daisies @ Jekyll and Hyde

  • Sunday:

  • Nicholas Frank: Peregrine was great... @ peregrineprogram
  • Sean Ward: Reading Room @ Julius Caesar
  • Underground Art Market @ 1617 N. Drake
  • Emily Carter and Meg Leary: I'm Not Allowed In The Golden Nugget @ ACRE Projects

  • Monday:

  • Serge Charchoune: Other Modernisms (1889-1975) @ Smart Museum of Art

  • Wednesday:

  • The Artist's Life: Edgar Arceneaux in conversation with Sabina Ott @ Arts Incubator in Washington Park
  • New Street Agenda @ International Art Drops
  • Kelly Reaves

    Fashion Wed May 01 2013

    SAIC's Fashion 2013 this Friday: Not Your Typical Runway Show

    Fashion 2013 Logo.jpgImagine if the designers on "Project Runway" had semesters instead of days to complete their collections and they were encouraged to think way outside the box -- like, down the street from the box -- and come up with intricate, complete looks with solid conceptual frameworks and visual interest up the wazoo. The resulting wearable, avante-garde sculptures delight, amuse, and somehow manage to still (usually) make the models look sexy and savvy. This can all be seen live, right in front of you, at The School of the Art Institute's annual fashion show, Fashion 2013 -- because "ready to wear" is great and all, but when you're paying $75 a ticket, you want a show. And art school kids (love 'em or hate 'em) are the right people to give you one, because they've been poked and prodded by some of the most talented faculty in the world to come up with strikingly fresh designs, incorporating and combining techniques from the fields of sculpture, performance, design, technology, architecture and installation.

    "Our strong team of faculty and students inspires us to advance, take more risks and follow unusual directions in order to break through to new territory," said Associate Professor Anke Loh, Sage Chair in Fashion Design. "We are poised and ready to continue to experiment with our individual and collective inquiries into fashion, body, and garment."

    Fashion 2013 will be presented three times this Friday, May 3: at 9am is an open dress rehearsal. Tickets are $40. Noon and 3pm shows are general admission seating. Tickets for those shows are $75. Tickets are available now at saicfashion.org and also at the door. Those of us interested in the future of fashion, the intersection of cutting-edge design and contemporary art or simply a breathtaking show make sure not to miss it each spring. It's worth playing hooky from work.

    Kelly Reaves

    Art Around Town Fri Apr 26 2013

    Art Around Town

    Tonight:

  • Interdisciplinary Arts MFA Thesis Exhibition and Performances @ Center for Book & Paper Arts
  • Suara Wilitoff: Anyone Who's Everyone @ Document
  • 1001 @ Tom Robinson Gallery
  • Timothy James Kelly: Does It Look Like I'm Here @ LODOS
  • Keelan McMorrow: Breaking The Line @ R. Hanel Gallery
  • Robyn O'Neil: I Want Blood @ Western Exhibitions
  • David Soukup: Perennial Escapism @ Maxwell Colette Gallery
  • Art Matter @ Design Cloud LLC
  • David Musashi Tanimura @ Firecat
  • Goons World @ Galerie F
  • 83ism and Lauren Feece: Now See Hear @ Believe Inn

  • Saturday:

  • Moldy Cartridge: A Multi-Media Environment @ 2250 W. Grand
  • Rafael E. Vera: Nothing Concrete @ Bert Green Fine Art
  • Neal Vandenbergh and Latham Zearfoss: Commonwealth @ Roxaboxen
  • Kevin Jennings: Plato Gyro @ Sofa King
  • Edra Soto: Wake Up! @ +medicine cabinet
  • BACK MATTER: Artist-led Programming/Performances @ Co-Prosperity Sphere
  • Jeroen Nelemans: Higher Definition @ Terrain Exhibitions
  • Elsa Muñoz: Transience @ Zygman Voss Gallery
  • Larry Lee: Number One Son @ Chinese American Museum

  • Sunday:

  • Matt Rich: Razors & Vapors and Pages, Pages ... @ Devening Projects + Editions
  • William Pope.L: Forlesen @ The Renaissance Society
  • Dan Paz: the fiction is outside @ PSA Projects

  • Monday:

  • SAIC Visiting Artists Program: Vaginal Davis Lecture @ The Art Institute of Chicago, Rubloff Auditorium

  • Wednesday:

  • Marie-Caroline Hominal & François Chaignaud: Duchesses @ Defibrillator Performance Art Gallery

  • Thursday:

  • Clownflaneur: MFA Thesis Exhibition from the Department of Art Theory + Practice @ Mary and Leigh Block Museum of Art
  • Kelly Reaves

    Art Around Town Thu Apr 18 2013

    Art Around Town

    Friday:

  • Alumni on 5: Teaching Artists @ Columbia College Chicago Library
  • Phyllis Bramson, Nicholas Ostoff, Mario Romano & Carly Silverman: The Need to Paint @ Zolla/Lieberman Gallery
  • SAIC's Visual and Critical Studies Masters Exhibition: BACK MATTER @ Co-Prosperity Sphere
  • UChicago MFA Show #2: Ply @ Logan Center Gallery
  • UIC MFA Thesis Exhibition #4: Departure @ Gallery 400
  • SAIC Spring Art Sale @ SAIC Ballroom
  • Artists of Eastbank Spring Fling @ Artists of Eastbank
  • Ag47's Spring Showcase: Infectious @ Hairpin Lofts

  • Saturday:

  • Erik Wenzel: Fernweh @ The Storefront
  • Spring Open House @ Rumble Arts Center
  • Sean Fader: The Wishing Pelt @ Defibrillator Performance Art Gallery
  • Caleb Sheridan: It Will Heal @ 3433
  • Eric Lebofsky: Cosmos @ Rational Park

  • Sunday:

  • Nina Palomba: Better Left Unsaid @ Peanut Gallery

  • Monday:

  • Chicago at Work: Barbara Kasten (Lecture) @ LeRoy Neiman Center, First Floor

  • Wednesday:

  • Raychael Stine: Psychopomps and Spectral Hounds (Lecture) @ Lillstreet Loft

  • Thursday:

  • April Atomic Sketch @ Green Eye Lounge
  • Tzuchien Tho: Nothing Just Isn't (what it used to be): The Void and Structure (Lecture) @ Gallery 400
  • Kelly Reaves

    Art Around Town Fri Apr 12 2013

    Art Around Town

    Tonight:

  • UIC BFA Thesis: Too Much Information @ UIC Art & Design Hall
  • Image Structure @ Public Works
  • DISTRACTIONS / DISTORTIONS 2013 (tonight and tomorrow) @ MultiKulti
  • .blacK~SSStaTic_darK~fuZZZ_dOOm~glitCH (screening) @ The Nightingale
  • Alla Yanovsky & Conne Toebe @ Elastic
  • Happy Birthday Henry Darger @ Intuit
  • Medley: A Group Collage Exhibit @ Chicago Urban Art Society (CUAS)
  • Steven Husby: Brute Force @ 65GRAND
  • SAIC MFA Show @ Sullivan Galleries
  • Allen Vandever & Team ART! @ showPOD
  • Christopher Ottinger: Ghost Machines @ Chicago Artists' Coalition
  • Jordan Martins, Matthew Schlagbaum and Theodore Darst: Lossless @ Chicago Artists' Coalition
  • A Spectre is Haunting: UIC MFA Thesis Exhibition 3 @ Gallery 400

  • Saturday:

  • Jessica Hyatt (reading) @ threewalls
  • Fulton Market Gallery Tour
  • Abigail DeVille: XXXXXXX @ Iceberg Projects
  • Sanford Biggers: Ago @ moniquemeloche
  • Kate Levant: Inhuman Indifference @ moniquemeloche
  • Seth Adelsberger, Stacy Fisher, & Peter Shear: Transposed Planes @ LVL3
  • Spaghetti Social (Landline Benefit) @ Roxaboxen

  • Sunday:

  • Steven Frost & Steven Vainberg: Drinking From the Snake's Mouth @ The Plaines Project
  • Lauren Edwards & Kera MacKenzie: BURDEN OF PROOF @ ACRE Projects
  • Compiled People 2: MDF @ Alcatraz Chicago
  • Jeremiah Hulsebos-Spofford: Hall of Khan @ Hyde Park Art Center
  • Cauleen Smith: 17 @ Hyde Park Art Center
  • Nowhere Better @ Hyde Park Art Center

  • Monday:

  • Trebor Paglen (Lecture) @ Logan Center for the Arts

  • Tuesday:

  • Steven Nelson: Circumnavigating the Atlantic, Houston Conwill's Choreographed Diaspora (Lecture) @ Gallery 400 Lecture Room

  • Thursday:

  • Young Jean Lee Theater Company: Untitled Feminist Show @ The Museum of Contemporary Art
  • Eric Fleischauer & Jason Lazarus: twohundredfiftysixcolors (screening) @ Gene Siskel Film Center
  • Kelly Reaves

    Dance Wed Apr 10 2013

    FlySpace Dance Series Launches at Jay Pritzker Pavilion

    TDC - Moving Stories (4), photo by William Frederking.jpg
    Moving Stories, photo by William Frederking

    Last weekend, FlySpace Dance Series kicked off at Jay Pritzker Pavilion in Millennium Park, marking the launch of a new and exciting resource-sharing consortium between four Chicago dance companies called FlySpace. In case you missed it, the series continues with another round of performances this weekend in the same place (Friday and Saturday at 7pm and Sunday at 5pm). FlySpace is not a new dance company, but a new strategic partnership in Chicago between The Dance COLEctive, Hedwig Dances, Same Planet Different World Dance Theatre and Zephyr Dance. The four artistic directors of these companies--Jan Bartoszek, Margi Cole, Michelle Kranicke and Joanna Rosenthal--are also the four artistic directors of FlySpace, sharing directorship equally. Cole, founder and artistic director of The Dance COLEctive, answered some questions about what audiences can expect from FlySpace at their show this weekend, as well as in the future.

    Continue reading this entry »

    Caitlin Bergh

    Comedy Wed Apr 10 2013

    Double Feature: A Stand-Up Comedy & Film Festival

    DOUBLE FEATURE.jpgIan Abramson, Tim Barnes, Melody Kamali and Marlena Rodriguez are a comedic quartet not unlike "Captain Planet," as Barnes points out. The four can be seen doing stand-up frequently all over Chicago, as well as huddled in dark corners around the city editing films on their laptops. Recently, they had a joint realization. "We looked at the Chicago comedy scene and saw that there were a lot of people who enjoyed both film and stand-up, but there wasn't much that brought them together," said Abramson. In an attempt to foster collaboration and showcase a variety of Chicago talent, the four comedians decided to create and produce Double Feature, a new showcase combining film and stand-up, which will debut on April 24 at the Den Theatre. "We're calling it a 'Stand Up Comedy Film Festival,' Barnes said. Through film and performance, the producers hope to include all of the comedic genres and communities. "Double Feature" will "serve as a melting pot for Chicago comedians," Rodriguez says, "whether they [are] filmmakers, sketch writers, improvisers, or stand-ups." While stand-ups will have new, broader audience to cater to, Double Feature presents filmmakers with "rare opportunities to hear a live audience react to their work," says Barnes. I talked to the producers about what makes Double Feature different and why you can't afford to miss it.

    Continue reading this entry »

    Caitlin Bergh / Comments (1)

    Event Mon Apr 08 2013

    Legends and Luminaries Celebrate WVON's 50th Anniversary

    A golden anniversary is a milestone--a reason to celebrate in grand fashion--and for WVON, Chicago's only black owned and operated radio station, the milestone was marked in a major way.

    WVON1.jpg

    Held Saturday night at the Chicago Theatre and hosted by WVON personality Matt McGill ("The Matt McGill Morning Show") and actress Tracee Ellis Ross ("Girlfriends"), the event, dubbed "Impact 50," was feted by politicians, performers, and personalities from Chicago and beyond, all who came to pay tribute to the iconic radio station: Comedian and activist Dick Gregory, Rev. Al Sharpton, director George Lucas, Radio Hall of Fame inductee Herb Kent, filmmaker and Chicago native Robert Townsend, Chicago White Sox's Kenny Williams, TV and radio executive Cathy Hughes, and Governor Pat Quinn, were among them. For Quinn, the commemoration brought back childhood memories. "I can still remember the disc jockeys and Wesley South with his talk show, talking about the important issues in the 60s--civil rights," he said.

    Continue reading this entry »

    LaShawn Williams

    Film Sat Apr 06 2013

    Of Two Minds Comes to Chicago

    OTM_Main_Title.png

    From April 8 and 9, Chicagoans will have the rare opportunity to see a screening of Doug Blush and Lisa Klein's critically acclaimed documentary Of Two Minds, which explores life with bipolar disorder, at Turning Point Behavioral Health Care Center in Evanston. The intimate benefit screening on Monday the 8th includes a hors d'oeuvres reception and conversation with award-winning filmmaker Doug Blush and Carlton Davis, one of the three main subjects featured in the film. Viewers will also have a chance to contribute to the awareness and treatment of mental illness by attending, as proceeds will benefit Turning Point's mission of making comprehensive, high-quality mental health care accessible to all. Then the film will have a free public screening at the Skokie Public Library on Tuesday, April 9th at 6:30pm.

    From the creative team that brought you The Invisible War, Wordplay, I.O.U.S.A., Superheroes and These Amazing Shadows, Of Two Minds , over the course of three years, intimately follows the lives of three individuals, as well as their family and friends, who are diagnosed with bipolar disorder. The film's three main subjects include Cheri Keating, a high-profile LA stylist, Carlton Davis, a Pasadena artist, and Liz Spikol, a Philadelphia-based writer and journalist. Inspired by co-director Lisa Klein's sister, who struggled with bipolar disorder until her death at age 42, Of Two Minds is an attempt to bring awareness to the more than five million Americans diagnosed with bipolar disorder, who often suffer from social stigma, medical insurance nightmares, and, frequently, a fear of losing jobs and relationships that forces them to stay in the bipolar "closet," according to the Director's Notes.

    Continue reading this entry »

    Caitlin Bergh / Comments (1)

    Art Thu Apr 04 2013

    Art Around Town

    Friday:

  • How We Make It: An Art Exhibit and Celebration of Ronnie Cuculich @ Arts of Life
  • Cameron, Chau, and Carrelli @ Packer Schopf
  • Diegesis (UChicago MFA Show #1) @ Logan Center Gallery
  • Fraser Taylor: Solids + Lines @ Room 406
  • Edward Dimendberg: Writing in the Present Tense @ Graham Foundation
  • Noah Barker: Production Courtyard @ LODOS
  • Todd Diederich: Luminous Flux @ Johalla Projects
  • David Hartt: for everyone a garden @ Corbett vs. Dempsey
  • FORM: ART + floral: CMYK @ Chicago Artists Coalition
  • A strange house in my voice: UIC MFA Thesis Exhibition 2 @ Gallery 400

  • Saturday:

  • McArthur Binion: Ghost: Rhythms @ Kavi Gupta
  • The Young and the Restless @ Vertical Gallery
  • Jesse Butcher & Anthony Romero: Cyclical, Circular. Like Vultures. @ Happy Collaborationists
  • Karolina Gnatowski: Hash Mountain @ The Franklin
  • Emily Severance & Helmut Heiss: Be the party (please don't go) @ slow
  • hArts for Arts 4 @ LVL3

  • Sunday:

  • Alex Jovanovich: Some Poor Girls @ ADDS DONNA

  • Monday:

  • Susan Hiller (Lecture) @ Logan Center for the Arts

  • Wednesday:

  • Guy Ben-Ner (Lecture) @ Logan Center for the Arts
  • The Artist As Philanthropist: Artist-Endowed Foundations as a New Force in Cultural Philanthropy @ Graham Foundation
  • Documentarian Gallery Tour @ Gallery 400

  • Thursday:

  • A Spectre is Haunting: UIC MFA Thesis Exhibition Screening @ Gallery 400
  • SAIC Visiting Artists Program: Rosa Barba Lecture @ Gene Siskel Film Center
  • Kelly Reaves

    Comedy Wed Apr 03 2013

    Party Like a Kardashian on Sunday at Studio Paris

    Kam.jpg

    Fawzia Mirza's hilarious web series "Kam Kardashian," which follows the daily adventures of the long-lost gay Kardashian sister Kam, is having a huge season two launch party this Sunday in association with the monthly Chicago queer event "T Party" at Studio Paris in River North. If you want to party like a Kardashian with some of the funniest and most successful people in Chicago, Studio Paris on Sunday is definitely the place to be. I had a chance to talk to Mirza, the creator and star of "Kam Kardashian" and director Ryan Logan , about their incredible project as it launches into its second season, and why you can't afford to miss the upcoming sexy fun Kardashian party this weekend.

    What are you most excited for about the Season 2 launch party?
    Logan: We're excited to launch our season at the T Party at Studio Paris because it's a place where everyone can have fun, celebrate in style and party like a Kardashian but in a queer-friendly environment. And I am always eager to bring different communities together: queer, comedy, theatre, film.

    Continue reading this entry »

    Caitlin Bergh

    Art Wed Apr 03 2013

    Violence in Chicago is a Conversation

    20130314110911-ProfilePhoto.jpgIf you live in the city, which I am assuming you do because you are reading this, then you have heard of, seen, or been involved in some sort of violent act, and that is the topic of Collaboraction's Crime Scene, as the title may suggest. Anthony Moseley is the visionary for this piece that tries to "do something" rather than just entertain or tell a story, and what it does is start the conversation. What is violence? How can it be controlled? Who is contributing to it? And whether your conversation after the show will be about the show or about real violence, which is what the show is about, it doesn't really matter because it gets you talking, and it absolutely will.

    This is not a performance I want to touch in terms of artistic quality, although it is, by no stretch of the imagination, quality. It is not about the story though, it is not really even about violence,. I say that because it is a confrontational performance that uses violence to speak against violence, this is about the viewer 100%. How do you feel? How do you react? When I was there I heard laughter when someone was killed on stage, if that person walks away to think about that reaction, I think they would find their relationship to violence a little more easy to locate, or examine. There are no answers to violence, and none are presented to us save the song "Let Hope Rise" which recreates the whole "We Are The World" type sob story, and very directly show how little can be done.

    This weekend may be your last chance to see it so make some room in your calendar on
    Thursday April 4th 8pm
    Friday April 5th 8pm
    Saturday April 6th 8pm
    Sunday April 7th 7pm

    This show is a must see and I would like to plug their IndyGoGo Crowd-Funding campaign - please Help this show continue being seen by seeing it and funding it's becoming a traveling show. Click here to help them out financially.

    MartinJon

    Event Tue Apr 02 2013

    The Soul Train Impact: Music, Moguls and More

    ST LOGO.png

    Image courtesy of SoulTrain.com

    There is no denying the effect the late Don Cornelius and "Soul Train" had on pop culture; for over 30 years, every Saturday morning, people everywhere were glued to their televisions to see the latest fashion, dance moves, and performances by the hottest soul and R&B acts.

    Dubbed "the hippest trip in America," "Soul Train" launched the careers of up-and-coming bands and singers and made already popular acts even more popular; however, its influence extends beyond the beats and "The Boogie." Through its humble Windy City beginnings and even after the show was moved to Los Angeles in the early 70s, Cornelius turned his dream into a powerhouse brand and created a legacy for many years to come.

    Continue reading this entry »

    LaShawn Williams / Comments (1)

    Radio Mon Apr 01 2013

    WVON Turns 50: An Interview with Melody Spann-Cooper

    MSCOOPER2.jpg

    When talking to Melody Spann-Cooper, it is clear that she has two loves: the City of Chicago and radio. With the latter a part of her DNA (her father is legendary Chicago music and media icon Pervis "The Blues Man" Spann), Spann-Cooper has become a legend in her own right as president and general manager of WVON-1690AM, Chicago's only black owned and operated radio station, and also as chair of its parent company, Midway Broadcasting Corporation.

    Named one of the "most powerful women in Chicago journalism," Spann-Cooper remains steadfastly committed to the station's mission as "the voice of Black Chicago," serving as a main source of information, empowerment and activism for the city's black community. "My passion is to ignite our people to wake up and have a clear dialogue on who we are today," she said.

    And it is this same passion that has paved the way for the history-making station's celebration of its 50th anniversary this weekend in Chicago. Here, Spann-Cooper talks about the state of the black talk radio format, the power of WVON and its listeners and the station's long-time community and cultural impact.

    Continue reading this entry »

    LaShawn Williams

    Art Fri Mar 22 2013

    Art on Armitage: Up-cycled Art Finds Its Way to April's Window Display

    Thumbnail image for Thumbnail image for PRESS RELEASE photo - Nebulous Connections - Peterson_Ng_Sell.jpgIn the constant hustle and bustle of today's society,
    artists Stacy Peterson, Pei San Ng, and Amie Sell have decided to tackle the intricate web of human connections in their Art on Armitage installation: Nebulous Connections.

    From April 5-30, Art on Armitage, 4125 W. Armitage, will be featuring an eco-friendly window art exhibit in celebration of the modern era of unity, harmony, and prosperity.

    Inspired by a trip to Creative Reuse Warehouse with the goal to use "up-cycled" materials, these artists created a nebulous cloud of recycled industrial hardware and metal wires. The piece plays on modern communication and acts as a visual representation of how people work together to create communities, social networks, and how molecular structures build. Using the individual recycled pieces, a wholeness or oneness is created.

    An artist's reception from 6am-8pm on April 6th will welcome Artists Stacy Peterson, Pei San Ng, Amie Sell, and you! Meet these artists and better understand their installation.

    A reception featuring the installation's artists will be held on Saturday, April 6, from 6pm-8pm; for more information, be sure to check out Art on Armitage.

    Lauren Haberman

    Art Around Town Fri Mar 22 2013

    Art Around Town

    Tonight:

  • THE JETTISONED, MIRROR BOX & AFTER THE FALL @ International Museum of Surgical Science
  • Trailer Park Projects @ Institute of Puerto Rican Arts and Culture
  • Stacy Holloway: Homeward Bound @ FM*
  • Spring Salon: The Reading Score and Cleanings @ threewalls
  • Blunt Graffix presents Loaded Guns @ Galerie F
  • How Do I Look? Closing Reception & Catalogue Release @ Roots & Culture
  • Michael Zapruder: Pink Thunder @ Rational Park
  • Paolo Eleuteri Serpieri: The American West through Italian Eyes @ Scuola Internazionale di Comics
  • Body Doubles: UIC MFA Thesis Exhibition 1 @ Gallery 400

  • Saturday:

  • Eleanor Spiess-Ferris (artist talk) @ Packer-Schopf
  • Cities in Dust Jewelry Trunk Show @ moniquemeloche
  • Cut Me Some SLAC: A Fundraiser for the South Logan Arts Coalition @ Parson's Chicken and Fish
  • JONATHAN FIELDS: CIRCUS LEMONADE ONE @ The Hills Esthetic Center
  • NICK LALLY: SOFT EDGES @ The Plaines Project
  • Thad Kellstadt: Lazy Dreams @ Cabin
  • lionvsgorilla: appetite for destruction @ Fulton Street Collective
  • Atalanta & The Lion @ HAUSER Gallery
  • Stephanie Cristello & Mika Horibuchi: Bad Graphics @ Alcatraz Chicago
  • The Cabaret Cabaret One-Year Anniversary @ Roxaboxen Exhibitions

  • Sunday:

  • ERIN MCKENNA & SAMANTHA REHARK: DOUBLE DIP @ ACRE Projects
  • Doug Ischar, walk-through of John Neff @ The Renaissance Society
  • Edra Soto: Graft @ Terrain Exhibitions

  • Wednesday:

  • Artist Lecture: Alex Chitty @ Lillstreet Lofts

  • Thursday:

  • Joe Varisco: MAJESTY 101 (workshop) @ Peanut Gallery
  • Kelly Reaves

    Art Around Town Fri Mar 15 2013

    Art Around Town

    Tonight:

  • UIUC MFA Show: Artificial Turf @ Peanut Gallery
  • Christopher Meerdo: Anthology @ Document
  • Deb Sokolow @ Western Exhibitions
  • Meredith & Anna: You Gotta @ The Octagon Gallery
  • Jennifer Mills: 101 one-liners; Falling Flat @ Chicago Artists Coalition
  • Johana Moscoso, Kristin Nason & Kristina Felix: Indelicate Objects @ Chicago Artists' Coalition
  • Jamie Woodruff: New Heat from The Windy City @ David Leonardis
  • Chen Xiaowei: Above and Below the Clouds @ The Research House for Asian Art
  • Night of Insight Feat. Tirtza Even @ Rumble Arts
  • Duk Ju L. Kim, Darrell Roberts, John Salhus: Being Paint @ Zhou. B. Art Center

  • Saturday:

  • Remodeling Home @ HOME Gallery
  • Jade Boyd & Nicole White: Transference @ 3433
  • Josh Dihle: Yellow Humid Picture Night @ Autumn Space
  • Planet of the A.CE @ Maxwell Colette Gallery
  • Super Hero Portrait Slam @ Cultural Center
  • Matt Tuteur: We Are Chicago @ Gala Gallery
  • The Chicago Exchange @ MultiKulti
  • NO MEDIA @ TRITRIANGLE

  • Sunday:

  • Vincent Hawkins: Flying Suit @ devening projects + editions
  • Nancy Ford: Land Loping @ devening projects + editions
  • Lee Blalock: Neue @ Hyde Park Art Center

  • Tuesday:

  • SAIC's Visiting Artists Program: Jacob Hashimoto Lecture @ SAIC Columbus Auditorium
  • Glitch Art Share Fest @ MCA
  • Kelly Reaves

    Comedy Fri Mar 15 2013

    The Shit Show: A Tale of Two Ladies and a Hot Dog Man

    shitshowdjbooth.jpg

    Ever Mainard and Rasa Gierstikas are two Chicago comics and producers who are as similar as they are opposite. Both sassy, loud, and unapologetic, but in totally different ways, they are a unique and dynamic duo when they take the stage to co-host The Shit Show, a free comedy showcase on the last Friday of every month at The Shambles. While Mainard, a cast member at Chicago Underground Comedy, packs her schedule with stand-up, sketch and film, the more focused Gierstikas pours herself entirely into the project that she and Mainard are currently co-producing: The Shit Show. Mainard and Gierstikas have devoted many more hours of planning and decorating to the show than their audience, buzzed from The Shit Show's free Fireball Whiskey shots and delirious from laughing too hard, might ever know. But now they can! Here, the co-producers confess that their "shit show" is much more work than the title suggests, and that their relationship is a bizarre, but functional, business and drinking partnership.

    The Shit Show started as an open mic that was a comedian-favorite on Monday nights, but, since August, you've transformed it into a showcase on the last Friday of every month. What was that transition like?

    Mainard: We knew it would be a little different to run it as a showcase. There's a lot of organizing and a crazy number of press releases to send. We were a little nervous about turnout, but it's been fun watching the show grow more and more.

    Gierstikas: I think since it was an open mic before, we know what we want from the showcase and it transitioned smoothly. I haven't experienced the worst of it yet (except for Ever Mainard).

    How did you two decide to do a show together? What is it like being co-producers?

    Mainard: I met Rasa when I used to go to The Shambles open mic. I thought she hated me and was the meanest person I had ever met. We started working together and the open mic grew from just 7 comics stepping up to the mic to the now 100 people in attendance for the show. [As co-producers], we try and fail at GoogleDocs and then we text a lot. We also meet at The Shambles to talk and plan and drink. We have fun, and then we stay out of each other's lives.

    Gierstikas: [When I met Ever], I thought she was really fun and talented, so it seemed like the logical choice to have her help take over co-hosting The Shambles open mic every week. We're on the same page with what we want from this show and I think we trust each other's judgment.

    Continue reading this entry »

    Caitlin Bergh

    Event Fri Mar 08 2013

    ASMP/APA Bar Night -- A Chance to Network

    On the second Wednesday of every month, the American Society of Media Photographers and American Photographic Artists (with the help of either ProGear, Dodd Camera, or Calumet Photographic) turn DeLux Bar and Grill, 669 N. Milwaukee Ave., into Chicago's photography networking headquarters.

    Bar nights are meant to be fun, and this one doesn't disappoint. There are always drink deals and some kind of food provided. It seems one of the sponsors does a prize-draw every time, and a business card is all that's required to enter. Yet, with events like this, I always wonder if professionals are actually forming connections, or if this is just a chance to party on someone else's tab.

    When I asked Brian Eaves, "photographer first," and "digital tech. second to pay the bills," he said that it is a very important event that offers a multitude of opportunities that may not immediately meet the eye. "It's great for networking," he said, "'cause every now and then you do find some good people here that you've never met before." Eaves told me how a whole community of photo-related professionals ranging from makeup artists to printers surface at the allure of a more informal setting.

    This informal setting also offers the opportunity for up and coming artists to rub elbows with the more established folks in order to make the connections that may eventually lead to the coveted photography assistant job.
    The bar night has a long history, beginning before ASMP and APA took the event on, maintained by devoted artists until the present day. "There was always like ten of us that would do this," said Eaves, "Everyone that pretty much worked off of Grand Avenue, between Foster and Damen and south to Lake St. -- we would page each other... everyone would come and just talk."

    The event still sustains that important human element and cultivates the spirit of creation. The next bar night will be Wednesday, Mar. 13 at DeLux Bar and Grill, 669 N. Milwaukee Ave. It's free to go -- bring a business card to enter the drawing.

    Sarah Shuel

    Art Around Town Fri Mar 08 2013

    Art Around Town

    Friday:

  • ROOMS & Steve Juras: The Wail of Silence @ ROOMS Gallery
  • David Weinberg: A Decade of Printmaking + Daniel Hojnacki: An Idle Procession @ David Weinberg Photography
  • David Kroll: Recent Paintings @ Zolla/Lieberman Gallery
  • Open House @ Arts Incubator in Washington Park
  • Beyond Here Lies Nothin': Fifty Years of the American Landscape @ Stephen Daiter Gallery
  • An Idle Procession @ The Coat Check Gallery/David Weinberg Photography
  • Don't Sweat It! @ Galerie F
  • Jessica Hyatt & Andrew Norman Wilson @ threewalls
  • Jamie Woodruff: New Heat from The Windy City @ David Leonardis

  • Saturday:

  • John Boskovich: Screening and Interview with Gary Indiana @ The Renaissance Society
  • Pauline M. Lariviere: Dissecting Art, Intersecting Anatomy @ S3 Gallery
  • Rafael E. Vera: Nothing Concrete @ Bert Green Fine Art
  • Interface @ Star Lounge

  • Sunday:

  • Autumn Space Benefit Auction @ Autumn Space
  • Michael Ian Larsen: The Tree, the Gift, and the Amphibian @ PEREGRINEPROGRAM
  • Rebecca Beachy & Walker Blackwell: The Bearer @ Iceberg Projects

  • Thursday:

  • Atomic Sketch @ Intuit
  • Form Fit: Heidi Norton (lecture) @ Gallery 400
  • STRANGE TERRORS (screenings) @ Cafe Mustache
  • Kelly Reaves

    Literary Thu Mar 07 2013

    Obsession-Worthy: Lionhearted Live Lit at Guts & Glory

    s+k.jpg

    Keith Ecker and Samantha Irby are names that are revered in the Chicago storytelling scene. If you see these names on the bill of a show, you can rest assured that you're in for a good night. At least at the show. You still might get a parking ticket or have other, unrelated problems. They're good, but they're not magic!

    Or are they? Ecker and Irby do seem to have a touch of the supernatural about them. In their storytelling, they spew truth wrapped in smart, sassy phrasing and delivered with pizazz. Yes, pizazz. They've got it. Ecker and Irby are forces of nature, producing so much material and participating in so many shows that you'd have a hard time stalking them if you tried. (I've tried). They also both look exceedingly hip every time you see them. How do they do this? If only someone could successfully stalk them to find out. But today I'm interviewing them less about their outfits and more about their newest creation, a night of live lit that is a unique addition to the booming Chicago storytelling scene: Guts & Glory.

    If you haven't been to Guts & Glory, cancel your spa day and do this instead; it is acupuncture for the soul. On the third Wednesday of every month, an audience bigger than your extended family's Christmas gathering (and far less awkward) snuggles into the back of Powell's Bookstore to hear fearless tales of guts, and possibly glory. But, as Ecker points out, the glory mainly comes from just getting up there and talking. How did these two hip, smart storytellers create a hugely successful show and make it look effortless? And am I or am I not obsessed with them? Do I just get obsessed with everyone who can tell a good story in a cute outfit? Sorry, excuse me, I promise this is about Guts & Glory. Let the questions begin.

    Continue reading this entry »

    Caitlin Bergh

    Art Around Town Fri Mar 01 2013

    Art Around Town

    Tonight:

  • 10th Annual Creative Chicago Expo
  • Tilt Shift @ Sullivan Galleries
  • Photo Show @ The Marshfield Project
  • You-Ni Chae: Motif Painting @ 65GRAND
  • 16th International Open @ Woman Made Gallery
  • SAIC Spring 2013 Undergraduate Exhibition Opening Reception @ Sullivan Galleries
  • Typeforce 4 @ Co-Prosperity Sphere
  • Paintings by Missy Dahl @ The Elephant Room Gallery
  • Jeffrey Forsythe: Social Studies @ Perimeter Gallery

  • Saturday:

  • Garett Yahn: Old Work/New Work (performance) @ 1254 N. Noble
  • Artist Talk No. 1: James T. Green @ Autotelic
  • Tattoo & Flash Art Show @ Royal Flesh
  • GASPAR / HALL @ The Franklin
  • Northwestern University, Art Theory + Practice: Open Studios @ Northwestern University Locy Building
  • Amun (The Unseen Legends) @ Arts Incubator in Washington Park
  • Assistant Saws Magician in Half @ slow

  • Sunday:

  • John Neff Opening Reception and Artist Talk @ The Renaissance Society
  • Constructing The Intangible @ ACRE Projects
  • Jovencio de la Paz: Chicago Sky Interior @ PSA Propjects

  • Monday:

  • Tony Cokes (Artist Talk) @ Reva & David Logan Center for the Arts
  • SAIC Visiting Artists Program: Julie Ault Lecture @ SAIC Columbus Auditorium

  • Tuesday:

  • Willy Smart: How to Listen to and Understand Fake Music (lecture) @ Forever & Always

  • Thursday:

  • Parallel/Parallax @ President's Gallery at Harold Washington College
  • Kelly Reaves

    Theatre Thu Feb 28 2013

    The Neo-Futurists Present: Analog

    Looking for something to do this weekend? Starting Friday, March 1, the Neo-Futurists will be debuting their newest production, Analog.

    Analog-Illustration_v2-350x263.jpgCreated by Kurt Chiang and directed by Tif Harrison, this experimental play leads the audience through a writer's process. Based on Chiang's personal experience: his self-proscribed task of transcribing the entire 1954 novel Lord of the Flies by William Golding. Chiang explains the intricate details of the self-prescribed task- how long it took, where he performed the task, what color ink was used, the notebook he wrote in -- but as he delves further into the description of the transcription, the more the pressing question of "Why does this thing exist?" comes forth.

    This play strives to theatrically display the solitude and darkness a writer must inhabit before he is able to find his voice. Twisting through a writer's process, it maps where we go when we write and how a work is created from this.

    As the play continues the rest of the ensemble contribute their own voices to Chiang's work -- supporting or rejecting the thoughts Chiang has laid out. Following the writer's process, after Chiang's voice has been established in the piece, the outside world is invited to interpret and make the newly created piece of art their own.

    Playing at The Neo-Futurarium, 5153 N. Ashland Ave.
    7:30pm Thurs-Sat.
    March 1 - April 6, 2013
    Order Tickets: $20 ($10 for students/ seniors with ID)

    Lauren Haberman

    Art Around Town Fri Feb 22 2013

    Art Around Town

    Tonight:

  • How do I Look? @ Roots & Culture
  • Cig Harvey Opening & Book Signing @ Firecat Projects
  • 16th Chicago Bike Winter Art Show @ Galerie F
  • HULLABALOO II: FUGUE SPACE @ Charnel House
  • Sarah Hicks: Pop Garden! @ Thomas Robertello
  • Shay DeGrandis & Dmitry Samarov: Crushes & Covers @ Elastic
  • Otto Splotch & Friends: Variety Show @ Peanut Gallery
  • Erica Mott & Trevor Martin (performance) @ Links Hall
  • Structures for Reading: Text, (Infra) Structure & the Reading Body in Contemporary Art @ Columbia College Center for Book and Paper Arts

  • Saturday:

  • Wingding @ LVL3
  • Mothergirl's Two Women Do Three Things (performance) @ 1254 N. Noble
  • Arts & Drafts @ Intuit
  • Fred Burkhart: Artist's Talk & Reading @ Alibi Fine Art

  • Tuesday:

  • Lucky Dragons (performance) @ MCA

  • Thursday:

  • Rube Goldberg's Ghost: Confounding Design and Laborious Objects @ Glass Curtain Gallery
  • Atomic Sketch @ Green Eye
  • Majesty 101 (workshop) @ Peanut Gallery
  • Still Life / Real Life: Food & Art @ Sonnenschein Gallery
  • Kelly Reaves

    Art Wed Feb 20 2013

    EXPO Chicago Returns This September

    expochgo.jpgComing this September, come on out for EXPO Chicago's EXPO Art Week 2013 (Sept. 16-22) in conjunction with Choose Chicago and Chicago's Department of Cultural Affairs and Special Events. This four-day event will be held in Navy Pier's Festival Hall and will host over 120 leading international galleries providing visitors with a mix of contemporary/modern art and design. Meanwhile, art and cultural festivities will take place all over the city.

    During the Expo, keep and eye out and partake in citywide exhibits, gallery openings, installations, public art projects, music, theater and dance performances, and special dining experiences for residents and visiting international cultural tourists.

    Continue reading this entry »

    Lauren Haberman

    Event Thu Feb 14 2013

    Gilda's Club Celebrates 15 Years in Chicago

    wwa_ob_2_gilda_radner.jpegThis Valentine's Day marks the 15th anniversary for Gilda's Club in Chicago. For 15 years Gilda's Club Chicago has been standing by cancer patients and their families through thick and thin.

    The Club was founded in memory of the famed "Saturday Night Live" and former Second City Cast member, Gilda Radner.

    Radner was diagnosed with cancer in 1985. Once commenting on her diagnosis she said, "Having cancer gave me membership in an elite club I'd rather not belong to." After her death in 1989, Gilda's Club was opened as a support community for families and patients affected by Cancer. Gilda's Club Chicago is a community with no membership dues. Through health seminars, classes in yoga, and special events, Gilda's club provides an escape from the stresses of diagnosis and treatment.

    Second City has remained close to Gilda's Club since the first red door opened to the public, raising funds and performing at many of the Center's functions. See Second City perform tomorrow, and join Gilda's Club Chicago at 5pm in celebrating their 15-year milestone with an open house at 537 N. Wells St. and comedy performance.

    Finally, if you're still in a last minute pinch to find your loved one a great Valentine's Day gift, check out Chocolate Inspirations, Inc. and their Chocolate for Charity program. This year, 10% of the proceeds will go directly towards Gilda's Club Chicago and help support another 15 years to come.

    Photo courtesy of Gilda's Club Chicago

    Lauren Haberman

    Dance Wed Feb 13 2013

    A Valentine's Day Dance to End Violence Against Women

    OBR.jpg

    This Valentine's Day, Chicagoans going about their daily lives will be pleasantly surprised to find that Feb. 14 is much more than a cheesy holiday this year. It is a historic, global protest of violence against women. At noon, Chicagoans wearing red scarves and dancing in synchrony will overflow onto Daley Plaza for the once in a lifetime event, One Billion Rising.

    A worldwide strike happening this Valentine's Day only, One Billion Rising is orchestrated by V-Day, a non-profit founded by Eve Ensler 15 years ago. V-Day is producing over 7,000 events this year that demand an end to violence against women, including hundreds of productions of The Vagina Monologues, screenings of documentaries, and workshops for men called V-Men. The name "One Billion Rising" comes from the UN estimate that one in three women will be beaten, raped or violated in her lifetime. This adds up, roughly, to one billion women. Today, those one billion victims will be represented by one billion dancers, joining hands in cities all over the world.

    According to V-Day College and Community Campaigns Manager Laura Waleryszak, this event, which may look like a typical flash mob at first, will soon reveal itself to be "the largest synchronized global action in history for violence against women."

    Starting at noon at Daley Plaza, Chicago will "rise," kicking off the day with "booty shaking, body loving fun" from Chicago artists Cheerobix, BeMoved, Psalm One, DJ All the Way Kay, the Fabulous Ladies of Fitness (FLOF), KOKUMO, and Book of Mormon cast member and Broadway star Patrice Compton. The work of these artists, in its own way, is already about rising. Take FLOF, for example, whose monthly dance parties are "focused on wellness and women's power," Waleryszak says. After the noon kick off, those who are rising will march, or take a free trolley, from Daley Plaza to The River East Arts Center, 435 E. Illinois St., for a free dance party from 1 to 6pm.

    Continue reading this entry »

    Caitlin Bergh

    Art Around Town Fri Feb 08 2013

    Art Around Town

    Tonight:

  • Elsa Muñoz, Laura Denzer and Rine Boyer: EN ROUTE: "she divided the world into thirds" @ North Park University
  • Randy Simmons & Friends @ David Leonardis
  • Eric Stefanski: Vacancies, Monuments of Social Despair @ The Ugly Step Sister Gallery
  • Becca Mann: Wane's World: A History of "Things" @ The Soccer Club Club
  • Rodney Quiriconi: Constructions, 1960-1970 @ Corbett vs. Dempsey
  • Diane Simpson @ Corbett vs. Dempsey
  • Tranquility through Assemblage @ ROOMS Gallery
  • Judith Brotman & Karolina Gnatowski: Stranger Danger @ Adult contemporary
  • Don't Fret: Love in the Time of Online Dating @ Johalla Projects
  • George Desort's winter photography @ Blue Sky Bakery

  • Saturday:

  • Johanna Billing: I'm Gonna Live Anyhow Until I Die & Matthew Metzger: Waver @ Kavi Gupta
  • Open Studio @ Autotelic {Studios}
  • Robert Burnier: The Horseless Carriage @ Andrew Rafacz Gallery
  • Chris Smith: The Visitor's Hours & Visitation Rites @ The Franklin
  • Jeremy Bolen: Cern @ Andrew Rafacz Gallery
  • What is Afro-Surreal? (discussion) @ Chicago Cultural Center
  • schizo panel (discussion) @ threewalls
  • Lauren Levato and Andréa Stanislav (artist talks) @ Packer Schopf

  • Sunday:

  • Surfin' @ Adds Donna
  • #With: The Jerks @ ACRE Projects
  • Anne Rorimer Lecture - Joy of the Real: The Reception of "New Art" in 1970s Chicago @ The Renaissance Society
  • Christina McClelland & Tom Costa: After The After Party @ Roxaboxen Editions
  • Performances in The Snow @ Anatomy/Gift/Association
  • Anamalis Baculus Minimus @ Elastic Arts Center

  • Wednesday:

  • The Sahmat Collective: Art and Activism in India since 1989 @ Smart Museum of Art
  • Kelly Reaves

    Preview Fri Feb 01 2013

    Preview: artEdge Annual Fundraising Benefit at the MCA

    Fitz and the TantrumsThe romance of the Industrial Age will sweep through Chicago for one night only -- this Saturday, Feb. 2 -- when the Museum of Contemporary Art hosts its annual fundraising benefit, artEdge.

    MCA's Warehouse location will be transformed into a work of functional and live art reminiscent of days past and of the building's own history as a bakery. The benefit will include a meal and a concert, but is much more than the sum of its parts. Guests will be treated to a complete experience from beginning to end, and with the proceeds going back to the museum, the event is not to be missed.

    Attendees will enter through the back alleys of the warehouse, a throwback to Chicago as a city of bricks, and then make their way up a winding, wrought-iron staircase to the first course of their meal, hors d'oeuvres strung from chain-linked walls. Next, guests will find themselves in an industrial-chic wonderland of light and metal created by Heffernan Morgan Designs and Event Creative.

    The event guarantees not only a treat for the tastebuds, but also a symphony for the other four senses. As the party-goers make their way through the Chain Link Room, Automation Room, Corrugated Room and Chain Room, they'll experience dinner served on moving conveyor belts, whirling ceiling fans, state-of-the-art manufacturing presentations, and special live performances curated by Peter Taub, the MCA's Director of Performance Programs.

    The soiree will conclude with a dessert bar, a VIP Rubber Bar, and a concert by indie pop group Fitz and the Tantrums.

    The event takes place on Saturday, Feb. 2, from 7pm to 11pm. Individual tickets are available for $1,000, which includes the cocktail reception, dinner, dessert reception and concert performance. Table packages begin at $15,000. Concert tickets are available for $150 and include the dessert reception, open bar and concert performance. To purchase tickets, table packages, make reservations, or to inquire about sponsorship, email hhanas@mcachicago.org or call (312) 397-3868.

    Sarah Shuel

    Art Around Town Fri Feb 01 2013

    Art Around Town

    Tonight:

  • Scott Cowan: New Works @ Document
  • Bound and/or Stapled (or not) @ Western Exhibitions
  • Plant Life @ Western Exhibitions
  • Gabriel Vormstein: Tempus fungit-amor mannet @ moniquemeloche
  • Amanda Olbrys: Balance @ saki
  • Alberto Aguilar: Just Days Until Dead (artists talk) @ Elmhurst Art Museum
  • Neat: The Art of the Whiskey Vessel @ Lillstreet
  • Brian Leli: London through a Lens @ Eyeporium Gallery
  • Gabriel Vormstein: Tempus fungit - amor mannet @ moniquemeloche

  • Saturday:

  • Chris Garofalo: Zoophytosphere Vivaria & Ceramic Sculpture @ Rhona Hoffman Gallery
  • Mothergirl: Two Women Do Three Things @ Happy Collaborationists
  • Nick Bastis: In Order to be Company @ The Hills Esthetic Center
  • Carron Little & Dave Richards: Extended dissent is no long goodbye @ slow
  • Gabriel Vormstein artists talk with Hamza Walker @ moniquemeloche

  • Sunday:

  • Shit is Real @ devening projects + editions
  • Drawer's Drawing @ Julius Caesar & PEREGRINEPROGRAM
  • Stitched and Glued: The Handmade Photo Book @ Riverside Arts Center

  • Tuesday:

  • SAIC's Visiting Artists Program: Martha Schwartz Lecture @ The Art Institute of Chicago, Fullerton Auditorium

  • Thursday

  • Collage Zine Workshop & Social @ Peanut Gallery
  • Edmund Clark: Guantanamo If the Light Goes Out @ Roosevelt U's Gage Gallery
  • As You Are : A Decade of You Are Beautiful @ Green Exchange
  • Kelly Reaves

    Preview Fri Jan 25 2013

    Preview: Kiss Kiss Cabaret's 2nd Anniversary Show

    KKC 2nd anniversary Show.jpg

    If a night of risqué comedy and provocative burlesque performances sounds fun, or even just plain interesting to you, then look no further than Kiss Kiss Cabaret's Second Anniversary Show on February 1.

    This special anniversary show features Kiss Kiss Cabaret's full lineup of comedians, burlesque performers, musicians, jugglers, magicians and hosts. Guests are even invited to partake in post-show birthday cake. Maybe this is what they meant by having your cake and eating it too.

    This second anniversary party also marks Kiss Kiss Cabaret's 100th performance since the company was founded. The Cabaret's burlesque troupe, "The Kiss Kiss Coquettes," includes performers who have traveled the world practicing their craft. Bella Ciao, Naughty Natanya, and the rest of the company are sure to entertain.

    The 18-and-over show is happening February 1 at 11pm at the Greenhouse Theater Center, 2257 N. Lincoln. Tickets are $15 in advance or $20 at the door. The show is expected to sell out, so it's a good idea to purchase in advance.

    If you can't make it for the celebration, Kiss Kiss Cabaret puts on a weekly show every Friday at the Greenhouse Theater Center.

    Sarah Shuel

    Art Around Town Thu Jan 24 2013

    Art Around Town

    Friday:

  • Michelle Grabner @ Shane Campbell Gallery (Lincoln Park)
  • Renee Robbins @ Firecat Projects
  • Meg Duguid & Catie Olson: Tabletop @ Defibrillator Performance Art Gallery
  • LAUREN PAYNE & ERIN WASHINGTON: AS ABOVE SO BELOW @ Johalla Projects
  • Lumpen Comics Show @ Co-Prosperity Sphere
  • Alison Veit, Eric Veit, Laura Veit: Shalom @ Queer Thoughts
  • Robert Chase Heishman, Jessica Labatte, Alistair Matthews & Liz Nielsen: Fractal Semblance @ Roots & Culture
  • Granite Amit, Nicole McCormick Santiago & Christopher Fraser (closing receptions) @ ARC Gallery

  • Saturday:

  • Michelle Grabner @ Shane Campbell Gallery (Chicago)
  • Leslie Baum & Brian Kokoska: Post Hope @ LVL3
  • Collage on Demand: Benefit for Letha and Dan Rodman Melchior @ The Franklin

  • Sunday:

  • Michelle Grabner & Brendan Fowler @ Shane Campbell Gallery (Oak Park)
  • Vinculum (Passes) @ Gallery Uno

  • Tuesday:

  • Kayl Parker and Cody Tumblin: Pile Hunk Stage @ Gallery X

  • Wednesday:

  • Stephanie Tisza lecture @ Lillstreet

  • Thursday

  • Tricksters @ C33 Gallery
  • Atomic Sketch @ Green Eye Lounge
  • Schizo Culture: A Collaborative Reading and Catalog Release @ threewalls
  • Kelly Reaves

    Art Around Town Thu Jan 17 2013

    Art Around Town

    Friday:

  • John Lyon: Imitate Fiction @ 65GRAND
  • Observer Effect @ Gallery 400
  • Rebecca Rothfus @ D Gallery
  • Janie Stamm: Archipelago, Lost Islands of the Atlantic @ AdventureLand Gallery
  • Hullabaloo @ GAG (Garden Apartment Gallery)
  • John Sabraw: Arborescent @ Thomas McCormick Gallery
  • Winter Show 2013 @ Water Street Studios
  • Happy Birthday David Leonardis @ David Leonardis Gallery
  • Rebekah Heller: Solo Bassoon (performance) @ Corbett vs. Dempsey
  • Nice One + LUCX: In a Perfect World @ Galerie F
  • Public/Private @ Woman Made Gallery
  • See and Be Seen Art Auction @ Eyeporium Gallery
  • Brain Frame 10 @ Brain Frame
  • Mario Gonzalez Jr.: Style Bombing @ 33 Contemporary
  • Studio Faculty Biennial @ NEIU
  • Has Beens and Wannabes @ Zhou B. Art Center

  • Saturday:

  • Open House: Art About Home @ Elmhurst Art Museum
  • Sarah Mendelsohn: Stretches Topless @ The Plaines Project
  • Jordan Martins: Grafts & Ruptures @ Rational Park

  • Sunday:

  • Ben Fain: A Holy Order (screening) @ Julius Caesar (4pm)
  • MILCAH BASSEL & TERUKO NIMURA: POTENTIALITIES @ Roxaboxen Exhibitions
  • THELONIOUS ELLIOTT & WRAY HERBERT-KING: MOVING A HOLE @ ACRE Projects
  • Tom Torluemke: Fearsome Fable - Tolerable Truth @ Hyde Park Art Center
  • Jin Lee: Forest @ Terrain
  • Film Por Vida Print Exchange @ Peanut Gallery
  • Awash in Color (curator tour) @ Smart Museum

  • Wednesday:

  • Brian Jungen & Duane Linklater: Modest Livelihood @ Logan Center
  • Kelly Reaves

    Art Around Town Thu Jan 10 2013

    Art Around Town

    Friday:

  • DIG @ Heaven Gallery
  • Mathew Paul Jinks: The Unreliable Narrator @ threewalls
  • Mary Patten: Panel @ threewalls
  • Jesse Butcher & Corkey Sinks: Collaborative Works @ Adult Contemporary (formerly Murdertown)
  • Kate Ruggeri: Ultimate Boon @ Ebersmoore
  • Andrew Mausert-Mooney: Studio Audience (WEATHER PATTERNS) @ Johalla Projects
  • Wood @ Las Manos Gallery
  • Vera Klement: Early & Late Work, & William Conger: New Paintings @ Zolla/Lieberman Gallery
  • Exchange: Chicago - Detroit @ Chicago Artists' Coalition
  • Claire Ashley: frizzflopsqueezepop @ Cultural Center
  • Lauren Levato: Wunderkammer, Andréa Stanislav: Wilderness of Mirrors, Bruce Riley: Psychedelic & Deborah Baker: Zodiac @ Packer Schopf
  • David Weinberg: A Decade of Printmaking @ David Weinberg Photography
  • The Circus Collages of C.T. McClusky & Kevin Blythe Sampson: An Ill Wind Blowing @ Intuit
  • Jeroen Nelemans: Return to the Cave & Sarah Williams: Mt. Terranean @ Mission Projects
  • Daniel Kim and Jordan Scott @ Judy A. Saslow Gallery
  • Molly Briggs: Walking, Looking, Making @ Zg Gallery
  • Brian Jungen & Duane Linklater: Modest Livelihood @ Logan Center Gallery
  • Greg Shirilla: Animalis Propensio @ Elastic Arts

  • Saturday:

  • Resucitate (Fundraiser Party) @ Defibrillator
  • Love Under Funnel Cake and Venga Boys @ Space Club HQ
  • Raeleen Kao: Body Like A Barrow & Jessica Curtaz: Fold @ Bert Green Fine Art
  • Terry Adkins: Recital @ Block Museum
  • Granite Amit, Nicole McCormick Santiago & Christopher Fraser @ ARC Gallery
  • Echoes of Chicago presents: Resolutions @ 1812 W. Hubbard
  • Atomic Sketch: Exquisite Corpse @ Challengers Comics & Conversation

  • Sunday:

  • Mike Schuh: The Dead of Winter @ PSA Projects
  • Goshka Macuga: Curators Dieter Roelstraete & Stephanie Smith in Conversation @ Smart Museum of Art

  • Wednesday:

  • Kira O'Reilly: Thresholding Bodies @ Block Museum of Art

  • Thursday:

  • Marcos Raya: Loose Nukes @ National Museum of Mexican Art
  • Kelly Reaves / Comments (1)

    Art Around Town Fri Jan 04 2013

    Art Around Town

    Tonight:

  • Edie Fake: Memory Palaces @ Thomas Robertello
  • First Fridays: Resolution @ MCA
  • The IPaintMyMind Collection @ Galerie F

  • Sunday:

  • R. H. Quaytman: Passing Through The Opposite of What It Approaches, Chapter 25 @ The Renaissance Society

  • Thursday:

  • Climate of Uncertainty @ DePaul Art Museum
  • Jessica Stockholder Lecture @ AIC's Price Auditorium
  • Kelly Reaves

    Art Around Town Fri Dec 28 2012

    Art Around Town

    Tonight:

  • William Test @ Firecat Projects
  • OMG HOT! @ Believe Inn

  • Monday:

  • Heaven Gallery's NYE Benefit

  • That's all I could find. Please leave info about additional visual arts openings/events in the comments section. Happy New Year!

    Kelly Reaves

    Art Around Town Fri Dec 21 2012

    Art Around Town

    Tonight:

  • OMG HOT! @ Believe Inn
  • Opening the Black Box (closing reception) with Solstice Performance @ Sullivan Galleries
  • Sergio Gomez: 41 Winters @ 33 Contemporary
  • CENTERLINE: State of Mind (closing reception) @ Zhou B. Art Center
  • Hamid Drake and Michael Zerang Winter Solstice Concerts @ Links Hall
  • Night of Insight featuring Nicole Garneau @ Rumble Arts
  • Art & Apocalypse @ MultiKulti

  • ...aaand that's all she wrote, folks! Please leave info about additional visual art events this week in the comments section, if you know of any. Have a warm and happy solstice!

    Kelly Reaves

    Review Thu Dec 20 2012

    A Discussion of Fear on the "Last Day on Earth"

    I woke up this morning and opened my computer for my regular routine, which involves checking Facebook, my email, and my always growing list of news sources and social media sites for anything strange or out of the ordinary.

    Today, nearly every one of my Facebook friends has posted about the end of the world. Some are kidding, some are serious, and some, like me, joke around about it in that uneasy way that people do when they need to laugh at things that would be terrifying if they were real.

    While tomorrow's Mayan-predicted end of the world is real or not is up for speculation, everyone in this world has more immediately pressing fears that are truly and paralyzingly absolute. Earlier this week, 40 individuals bared these fears to an audience of over 700 people in a production called Fear Experiment 3.

    Continue reading this entry »

    Sarah Shuel

    Art Around Town Fri Dec 14 2012

    Art Around Town

    Tonight:

  • Dutes Miller: In the Garden & Leah Mackin @ Western Exhibitions
  • Deconstructing the Classroom, Reconstructing The Queer @ Roxaboxen Exhibitions
  • Thomas Schleinstein @ Queer Thoughts
  • Georgia Wall: Dedication to this View @ Document
  • Diego Leclery: Sit on a Polar Bear's Lap! @ The Suburban
  • Alison Carey & Michael Reedy: New Kingdoms/Expulsion @ International Museum of Surgical Science
  • Light Bright Art Show @ Thirteen Asian Tapas & Bar
  • Boundary Lines: Three Films about Immigration (screening) @ Calles y Sueños-Chicago
  • Happy B-Day Howard Finster & Friends @ David Leonardis Gallery
  • Jim Newberry: Improvisers (closing reception) @ Elastic
  • End of the World @ Howard Street Gallery
  • Mike Bancroft: Clearance: Everything Must Go @ HumanThread Gallery
  • Pilsen 2nd Fridays Gallery Night

  • Saturday:

  • Blood & Fire: Auction Benefit & Holiday Party @ Roots & Culture
  • Alex Tam: A Mechanical Disruption by the Past @ Terrain
  • Paul Erschen: Taffy Pull @ The Milk Factory
  • Chris Hammes: How to Repel Wolves @ +medicine cabinet
  • Adam Grossi: Householder @ Sofa King
  • Annie Bielski & Molly Welsh: Heavy Pettings @ LODOS
  • James Krone: Waterhome @ Kavi Gupta Gallery
  • Urban Folk Circuit @ Glenwood Bar
  • Artists of East Bank Holiday Sale @ Bridgeport Art Center
  • SHoP Moving Party/Open House/Fundraiser
  • Alberto Aguilar (artist talk) @ SHoP
  • TEMPLEHEAD: REDUX @ Reversible Eye

  • Sunday:

  • Allison Wade: The Rest of the More & Nick Ostoff: Tracing @ devening projects + editions
  • Paul Perkins: Dead Heat @ Peanut Gallery
  • A Painting Show (in two parts) - Part II @ PEREGRINEPROGRAM
  • Paul Nelson: Old Weight @ Julius Caesar
  • Chris Cuellar & Brendan Meara @ ACRE Projects
  • Tony Fitzpatrick @ Riverside Arts Center
  • Windy City Artist Alley/ Pilsen Pop-Up Holiday Market @ Creative Industry District
  • Kelly Reaves

    Art Sun Dec 09 2012

    See Potential's First Project Launches

    See Potential
    Photograph by David Schalliol

    See Potential, a collaboration between photographer Emily Schiffer, the Center for Urban Transformation's Orrin Williams and a variety of other partners, launched its first project today at the future site of Kusanya Cafe, 825 W. 69th St. Photographs have been installed at the site to "beautify the community" and raise awareness of food access issues in Englewood.

    David Schalliol / Comments (2)

    Art Around Town Fri Dec 07 2012

    Art Around Town

    Tonight:

  • National Exposure @ ARC Gallery
  • The Dollar Store @ Chicago Cultural Center Pedway
  • Laura Denzer, Stephanie Tisza & Brenna Quinn: SKIN TIGHT(24HRS/25DAYS) @ New Capital
  • Schlong Night(24HRS/25DAYS) @ New Capital
  • Mythologies @ Sullivan Galleries
  • New Work @ Sullivan Galleries
  • Sam Jaffe: One By One @ 65GRAND
  • Bolt Residency: Preview @ Chicago Artists' Coalition
  • Marissa Lee Benedict & Brittany Ransom: Life in Some Form @ Chicago Artists' Coalition
  • ODLCO Holiday Shop & Open House
  • The Arts of Life 1st annual Holiday Boutique @ The Kinzie Corridor Gallery

  • Saturday:

  • E. Aaron Ross: 368 Records Played for the First and Last Time (With Teeth Sharp As Old Friends) & Rabid Rabbit: Kill the Wabbit (24 HRS / 25 DAYS) @ New Capital
  • Middle Coast Zine Fest @ Gallerie F
  • SMALL Symposium @ Tasting @ Chicago Cultural Center
  • Between Places: Chicago - Detroit @ 6018NORTH
  • Eric Marciano: The Age of Insects @ The Nightingale
  • Cabaret Cabaret: A Retrospective @ Alcatraz Chicago
  • First Look At A Long Time @ Johalla Projects
  • Artist Talk: Goshka Macuga @ Smart Museum of Art
  • Ben Cowan: Neighbors @ Gillock Gallery
  • Brian Wade Dunn & Lee Klawans: Glitch Art @ The Nineteen Hundred and One Gallery
  • I/E G @ Gala Gallery
  • AREA Wants & Needs Auction @ Co-Prosperity Sphere

  • Sunday:

  • Anne Harris: The Mind's I (closing reception) @ Julius Caesar

  • Monday:

  • The Wedding Cake Project (24 HRS / 25 DAYS) @ New Capital
  • Unfinished Business: 21st Century Home Economics @ Jane Addams Hull-House Museum

  • Tuesday:

  • Brian Jungen & Duane Linklater: Modest Livelihood @ Logan Center Gallery

  • Wednesday:

  • Ojero: A Character of Culture (Artist Talk & Meet and Greet) @ Elephant Room, Inc.
  • Kelly Reaves

    Art Around Town Fri Nov 30 2012

    Art Around Town

    Tonight:

  • Lilli Carré & Alexander Stewart: Where I'd Leave the Thing Itself @ Roots & Culture
  • Richard Koppe: Gyroscopic @ Corbett vs. Dempsey
  • Kirk Faber: Paintings @ LODOS Contemporáneo
  • T.J. Clark (lecture) @ Open Practice Committee
  • Cornelia Art Building Holiday Show
  • Walter Robinson @ Firecat Projects
  • ACRE Rising: An Astronomical Astrological Event @ Heaven Gallery

  • Saturday:

  • Diana Guerrero-Maciá: Artist Talk @ threewalls
  • The Race: IOTO vs Bad at Sports @ Autotelic
  • Seth Sher & Michael Vallera: Capacity of Voids @ The Plaines Project
  • Durationals no.1 @ Anatomy/Gift/Association
  • Justin Bendell, Terence Hannum, Thad Kellstadt, David Moré, & Bert Stabler: Blank Origin @ The Franklin
  • Paul Nudd (lecture) @ AIC
  • Co-Op Holiday Bazaar @ Ignite Glass Studios
  • Installation Views (part of 24 Hrs/25 Days) @ New Capital

  • Sunday:

  • Nine On The Prairie @ The Annex at Spudnik Press
  • Epic Something @ Hyde Park Art Center
  • Bette Cerf Hill: string theory @ Hyde Park Art Center
  • Quarterly Site #12: EPIC SOMETHING @ HPAC
  • Leo Kaplan: SUNDAY SUNDAY SUNDAY (part of 24 Hrs/25 Days) @ New Capital

  • Tuesday:

  • Paul Nudd hosts Doodleganza @ MCA

  • Thursday:

  • Jake Meyers: Don't Quit @ Chicago Cultural Center
  • Rumble Arts Grand Reopening
  • Kelly Reaves

    Film Tue Nov 20 2012

    Local Director Brings Dreams to Chicago

    Thumbnail image for Thumbnail image for DREAMS CAST 2.jpg

    Cast of Dreams; from l to r: Terri J. Vaughn, Mel Jackson, Vickie Winans & Syesha Mercado.

    It is often said that we should all follow our dreams; for film director Joel Kapity, dreaming inspires and gives hope. "Deep inside us all, there is a dream to be free, a dream to be loved, and a dream to become our potential," he said.

    And it was this same spirit that filled the air at the sold-out red carpet screening of Kapity's film, Dreams, held recently at the Portage Theater, 4050 N. Milwaukee.

    Continue reading this entry »

    LaShawn Williams

    Art Around Town Fri Nov 16 2012

    Art Around Town

    Tonight:

  • Brain Frame 9 @ The Gallery Formerly Known As Happy Dog
  • Stephen Eichhorn: Warm Embrace @ The Soccer Club Club
  • Chris Vorhees & Simparch (lecture) @ Open Practice Committee
  • Jesus Mejia & Ruth: Circulatory @ Chicago Cultural Center
  • 23HRS/25DAYS @ New Capital (starts tonight, goes on for 25 days straight
  • We Do Doodle @ Howard Street Gallery
  • Adam Hanson: No We Can't, It Looks Underwater @ Galerie F
  • Irena Knezevic: NIGHT OF THE WORLD @ Alderman Exhibitions
  • At the Beginning Again @ TRITRIANGLE
  • Triangulation @ Co-Prosperity Sphere
  • Anxious Object: Masterpiece or Junk? @ Bridgeport Art Center
  • SAIC Holiday Art Sale (tomorrow too!)
  • The Fish Bowl @ 33 Contemporary Gallery
  • Craig Abell-Champion: Who Murdered Me? @ Public Works Gallery

  • Saturday:

  • Daniel Baird: Meridian @ Robert Bills Contemporary
  • Bodies of Work (A Comprehensive Overview) @ Western Exhibitions
  • Sarah Mosk & Bryan Lear: The Distance Inward @ The Hills
  • FLATware @ Floor Length and Tux
  • Pink Lipstick @ High Heels @ Roots & Culture

  • Sunday:

  • Scott Foley: Don't Look Into the Fire @ PSA Projects
  • A Painting Show (In Two Parts) @ PEREGRINEPROGRAM
  • Connie Noyes: No Relation @ Noyes Cultural Arts Center
  • Kelly Reaves

    Comedy Fri Nov 16 2012

    30 Straight Hours of Comedy

    playground.jpegOn November 30 through December 1 at the Playground Theater (3209 N. Halsted St.), local improv troupe K.C. Redheart will sacrifice their health and well-being to perform 30 straight hours of comedy as part of the third annual Playground Improv Marathon, a charity event benefiting the Illinois Coalition of Reach Out and Read.

    The five members of K.C. Redheart will test the endurance of their wits, going without sleep while performing for the Marathon's entire 30 hours. Each hour will mark the start of a new show as K.C. Redheart welcomes guests from around the city to improvise with them, including performers from CIC, Upstairs Gallery, Second City, ComedySportz, the Annoyance Theatre, iO, and the marathon's home, The Playground Theater.

    Continue reading this entry »

    Kelly Reaves

    Art Around Town Fri Nov 09 2012

    Art Around Town

    Tonight:

  • MDW Fair: Verissage Opening Party (MDW is all weekend) @ Mana Contemporary
  • SAIC MFW Open Studios
  • Pete & Dyl: The Documentary @ Chicago Cultural Center
  • LVL Eater 3 @ Co-Prosperity Sphere
  • Mark Porter: Autohemorrhaging Actuator @ The Mission
  • Pia Howell: Homosapien 2 @ Queer Thoughts
  • Bret Slater: An Amulet that Natters @ Thomas Robertello Gallery
  • Mike Nudelman: Seeing Things @ Thomas Robertello Gallery

  • Saturday:

  • Making is the Mirror @ Roxaboxen Exhibitions
  • Public Hearing presents Dana DeGiulio and Carrie Schneider: A Conversation @ Gallery 400
  • Handmade Market @ Empty Bottle
  • Mandy Cano Villalobos: N.N. (Ningún Nombre/No Name) @ Calles y Sueños
  • Infinite Jamz @ LVL3

  • Sunday:

  • Water-reading @ ADDS DONNA
  • Ben Roethlisberger: Trade Rumors @ Terrain

  • Monday:

  • Lari Pittman (lecture) @ School of the Art Institute of Chicago
  • Tom McDonough (lecture) @ Open Practice Committee

  • Tuesday:

  • Caroline Jones (lecture) @ Open Practice Committee

  • Wednesday:

  • Artist Talk/Workshop with Erin Page @ Pedestrian Project
  • Kelly Reaves

    Art Around Town Fri Nov 02 2012

    Art Around Town

    Tonight:

  • Erik Peterson: Square Dance @ Daley Center
  • Stephen Eichhorn: Death Is Not Your Friend @ ebersmoore
  • Diana Guerrero-Maciá: The Uncertainty of Signs & Jessie Mott A Day for Cake and Accidents @ threewalls
  • Fraser Taylor: Peculiarities @ Balloon Contemporary
  • In the Spirit of Walser (Closing Reception) @ Donald Young Gallery
  • New Sacred @ Jupiter Outpost
  • Image/Clot: Coupling Displays and Dalliances of a Romantic Nature @ Zolla/Lieberman Gallery
  • Irena Knezevic: The Night of the World @ Alderman Exhibitions
  • Bleem, Wright Rivers, Greene, Crisman @ Packer Schopf
  • Radiate: Art of the South Asian Diaspora @ Gallery 400
  • Intuit's Visionary Ball

  • Saturday:

  • Tory Fair, Jeff Perrott and Daniela Rivera: Lake Effect / Nor'easter: Part I & Joe Wardwell and BEN FUNKE: Lapsed @ Andrew Rafacz
  • Under the Influence: The Art of Beer @ Co-Prosperity Sphere
  • Ian J. Whitmore: Nowhere @ Johalla Projects
  • Renovar: On the Origin of Species @ Heaven Gallery
  • Justin Cooper: Board @ moniquemeloche
  • Public Hearing Panel Discussion #1 @ Gallery 400
  • Mary Helena & Nicholas Rummler: Parallel Present Tense @ The Franklin
  • From the Street to the Shop and Back Again @ Star Lounge
  • TEMPLEHEAD @ Reversible Eye
  • California Ave. Art Haunt

  • Sunday:

  • Etta Sandry & Hilary Baldwin: Movements & Transformations @ ACRE Projects

  • Monday:

  • Ricardo Basbaum (lecture) @ Open Practice Committee

  • Tuesday

  • Lucky Pierre & Guests: AMERICA/N @ Defibrillator Gallery
  • Steven Henry Madoff (lecture) @ Open Practice Committee

  • Wednesday:

  • SPECTRALINA (performance) @ DePaul Art Museum

  • Thursday:

  • The Redemption of Ishtar Bukkake @ Sullivan Galleries
  • Kelly Reaves

    Art Around Town Fri Oct 26 2012

    Art Around Town

    Tonight:

  • SAIC's BFA Exhibition @ Sullivan Galleries
  • Melanie Schiff: Sun Land @ Kavi Gupta Gallery
  • Jon Waites and Bruno Smith: BFA SHOW @ In Here Gallery
  • Philip von Zweck @ 65GRAND
  • Dietrich Wegner: And to Think That It Was Found Upside Down @ Carrie Secrist Gallery
  • Joyce Pensato: You Gotta Do What You Gotta Do @ Corbett vs. Dempsey
  • Scott Carter: Force Majeure @ Linda Warren Projects
  • Eric Doyle @ Firecat Projects
  • Elastic Renovation Party: Grand Re-Opening and Fundraiser
  • Festival for the Dead @ Q4
  • Art as an Entrepreneur (discussion) @ Garfield Park Gold Dome
  • Lillstreet Student Member Show

  • Saturday:

  • Mischief Fest @ Hyde Park Art Center
  • Mark Wagner & Nicholas Frank @ Western Exhibitions
  • Elizabeth Atterbury: Photography Indoors @ Document
  • BONESHAKER @ Redmoon
  • Panel Discussion: Creating Community Beyond Place @ Woman Made Gallery
  • Block by Block: Building an Understanding (interactive event, tomorrow too) @ 4080 N. Milwaukee
  • Anna Jóelsdóttir (artist talk) @ Zg Gallery

  • Monday:

  • Cristobal Lehyt (lecture) @ Open Practice Committee

  • Wednesday:

  • California Ave. Art Haunt

  • Thursday:

  • SOFA Chicago 2012 (all weekend) @ Navy Pier
  • Hornswaggler Arts: At the Threshold @ Smart Museum of Art
  • Make sure to check out chicagoartistsmonth.org for WAY more...

    Kelly Reaves

    Art Around Town Fri Oct 19 2012

    Art Around Town

    Tonight:

  • Bridgeport Art Walk (all weekend)
  • Nino "TSELONE" Rodriguez: Redbirth @ Howard Street Gallery
  • The New Maximum @ Co-Prosperity Sphere
  • Matthew Hoffman: We're All In This Together @ The COOP
  • Joseph Kramer & Ginger Krebs: Sudden Enough @ Defibrillator
  • Mike Paro: As long as it looks good and fits the budget @ Kirk's Apartment
  • Soo Shin, Kristina Paabus, & Jesse Butcher: At That Very Moment @ Heaven Gallery
  • Cauleen Smith Lecture @ Northwestern University
  • Nate Mathews & Ashley Morgan: Shifting Domain @ Manifold

  • Saturday:

  • Surabhi Ghosh: Proofs @ The Bike Room
  • Tannatt / Schwartz @ New Capital
  • Salmagundi @ Alcatraz
  • Good Clean Fun @ Studio 115/114B 1907 N. Mendell
  • Editing Sale @ Open Secret Studios
  • Home: Public or Private Artists Talk @ 6018 NORTH
  • Dana Carter: In the Morning We Sweep Out the Shadows @ Comfort Station
  • Dreams of a City @ Tocco

  • Sunday:

  • Whitney Huber: Rymplecloth @ Terrain
  • J Clayton, Michelle Bolinger, Michelle Grabner, Brad Killam, Tom Jacobs @ Riverside Arts Center + Freeark Gallery

  • Thursday

  • Atomic Sketch @ Greeneye
  • Brittni Hessler & Nina Hartmann: In the Heart of All Beauty Lies Something Inhuman @ LeRoy Neiman Center Gallery
  • Aaron Koblin Visiting Artists Program Lecture @ SAIC Columbus Auditorium
  • Kelly Reaves / Comments (1)

    Event Mon Oct 15 2012

    African American Arts Alliance of Chicago: Black Excellence Awards

    AAAAC.jpg

    Whether it is through theater from ensembles like MPAACT, the Black Ensemble Theater and eta Creative Arts Foundation, classic and contemporary dance by companies like Deeply Rooted Dance Theater, or film showcases like the Black Harvest Film Festival, Chicago's black arts community is representative of the city's diversity and its cultural landscape.

    To celebrate this community and "unity in the arts," the African American Arts Alliance of Chicago presents its "12th Annual Black Excellence Awards," which recognizes local artists from the world of filmmaking, theater, music, dance, television, visual art, and literature, who have significantly contributed to the city's artistic scene.

    The awards ceremony, which will feature a "who's who" in the black arts industry, will be held Monday, October 29 from 7:30pm-9pm at the DuSable Museum, 740 E. 56th St.; Muntu Dance Theatre's artistic director Amaniyea Payne will be honored with a lifetime achievement award. Tickets are $20-$37.50; for more information and a full list of award nominees, visit the website or call 773-754-3923.

    LaShawn Williams

    Art Around Town Fri Oct 12 2012

    Art Around Town

    Tonight:

  • Michael Milano & Luis Romero: all is as all as as yet or as yet @ Roots & Culture
  • 4 - An Eccentric Alumni Exhibition @ North Park University
  • OUT OF SITE, 2012 finale performance @ Various Locations in Wicker Park
  • SMALL is Ordinary Shop Opening @ Chicago Cultural Center
  • Hubbard St Lofts Fall Open House
  • Jessica Myers: INTERSECTIONS: Folk Art Manifestations of Mourning & Warning @ CAD
  • The Nature Drawings of Peter Karklins w/ performance by Rodrigo Therezo @ DePaul Art Museum
  • Heather Gabel: Night Visions @ Johalla Projects
  • Michael Milano & Luis Romero: all is as all as as yet or as yet @ Roots & Culture
  • Hebru Brantely: Brothers of the Robbing Hood @ The Ultra Gallery
  • Dock 6: Design and Art 4 @ Dock 6
  • Ritual No. 3: I Am I @ Rooms Gallery
  • Locality @ Chicago Artists' Coalition
  • Jenny Kendler: The Hall of Disappearing @ Chicago Artists' Coalition
  • Logan Launch Festival (all weekend)
  • NATO Reflections in the New Chicago @ URI-EICHEN Gallery
  • Connie Noyes: IN THE PINK @ Noyes Studio

  • Saturday:

  • Albany/Caroll Open House (tomorrow too)
  • Comfort Station Kegger Fundraiser
  • Fulton Street Collective Fall Open House
  • Andrea Jablonski: Private Collection @ The Franklin
  • Modular22 @ 22
  • MAS Context: Analog @ NEW PROJECTS
  • The Great Refusal Presents: Taking on Queer Performance @ DfrbrL8r
  • Wall Text @ Logan Center for the Arts
  • Artist Talks & Cigar Box Guitar Concert @ Packer Schopf
  • Rain Wilson @ eta Square

  • Sunday:

  • Andy Moore: The Accident @ Cabin Exhibitions
  • Thatiana Oliviera and Miranda Maynard: THIS WILL HELP @ ACRE Projects
  • Christopher Michlig, Patternesque and Julia Hechtman @ Devening Projects
  • Luke Pelletier: Lonely Bones @ Peanut Gallery

  • Monday:

  • Tania Bruguera Visiting Artists Program Lecture @ The Art Institute of Chicago, Rubloff Auditorium

  • Tuesday:

  • Dream a Little Dream @ Open Secret Studios
  • Ramin Takloo-Bighash: Voices @ Gallery 400
  • Chicago Dirty New Media @ MCA Garage

  • Wednesday:

  • Live Session at The Recorded Memory Studio @ threewalls
  • Light: Third Annual Juried Photo Exhibition @ David Weinberg Photography
  • Ann Lauterbach (lecture) @ Open Practice Committee
  • From Chicago to Lahore: A Cultural Nexus @ Chicago Cultural Center
  • Spaces of Learning: Museums and Education @ UIC
  • Kelly Reaves

    Art Tue Oct 09 2012

    A Well Fed Evening: CAC's Starving Artist 2012

    tumblr_mbjjh2Bvl31qz7t30o2_1280.jpg

    A sense of smell is paramount to a true food-tasting experience. Earlier that day, what began as a tickle in the back of my throat developed into a full-blown cold, one that challenged my enjoyment of the Chicago Artists' Coalition annual Starving Artist benefit. For the event, local celebrity chefs team up with local artists to craft works and eats inspired by each others' vision. Despite my own physical ailments shaping my experiences of the food, as a benefit in support of the visual arts, 2012's Starving Artist event was a success.

    What does it take to run a worthwhile and eclectic artist-focused event? Well for one, the ability for guests to view and interact with a variety of different artistic practices. Rather than load the space and the evening with in-cohesive artworks, the event's organizers gave guests room to breathe and interact with the art on their own.

    Continue reading this entry »

    Britt Julious

    Art Around Town Fri Oct 05 2012

    Art Around Town

    Friday

  • SMALL Showroom for Furniture & Functional Objects @ Bridgeport Art Center Skyline Loft
  • Will to Power @ Bridgeport Art Center Gallery
  • Light Sculpture/Media Culture @ Bridgeport Art Center
  • P o r n A g a i n - Vol 1 @ Bridgeport Art Center
  • Community Cartography, the Art of the Map @ Kinzie Corridor Community Gallery
  • Ian "hydEON" Ferguson : Flash Mobbed and Dolloped @ Co-Prosperity Sphere
  • Yentl, a performance for The Great Refusal: Taking on New Queer Aesthetics @ Sullivan Galleries
  • Shawn Stucky @ Jupiter Outpost
  • Mariano Chavez @ AdventureLand Works On Paper
  • Oh My Goddess @ Queer Thoughts
  • Doug Ischar: Films 2007 - 2012 @ CCC Art and Design Department
  • Polly Yates: Trialogues @ The Plaines Project
  • Welcome To Goonswood @ Maxwell Colette Gallery
  • The Installation Experiment @ showPOD
  • Julia Haw: You Can Never Go Back @ Eyeporium Gallery
  • Migrating @ Los Manos Gallery
  • All Hallow's Eve @ Gallery 27
  • HOME: Public or Private? @ 6018NORTH

  • Saturday:

  • Starving Artist Benefit @ CAC
  • Ở / Works by Artists of Vietnamese Heritage @ BaseSpace Gallery
  • Year of the Black Water Dragon @ Tocco
  • Dreams of a City // ART PARTY @ Mautene Court
  • Alex Chitty: Platonic Year @ Alderman Exhibitions
  • Falling Short @ LVL3
  • Benjamin Bellas: Represent the sound outside these spaces. @ slow
  • Jordan Martins: Dysgraphia @ saki
  • Uptown Mural Walk

  • Sunday:

  • Ramón Miranda Beltrán: Chicago is My Kind of Town @ Julius Caesar
  • Christopher Aque: Homonyms (for Misfits and Outcasts) @ PEREGRINEPROGRAM

  • Monday:

  • Anthony Elms: Like Stripes that Gather at the Waist (lecture) @ Logan Center for the Arts

  • Tuesday:

  • Free Art, For Free @ Chicago The Beautiful
  • Pumpkin Carving @ Peanut Gallery
  • Benjamin Nicholson: Voices @ Gallery 400
  • Daniel Garriga: Images of Fashion @ Zhou B. Art Center

  • Wednesday:

  • Richard Hull & Ken Vandermark (audio/visual performance) @ DePaul Art Museum

  • Thursday:

  • Richard Lerman: Sonic Environments @ Logan Center for the Arts
  • Pamela Lee (lecture) @ Open Practice Committee
  • Richard Pare: The Lost Vanguard: Soviet Modernist Architecture, 1922-32 @ The Graham Foundation
  • Kelly Reaves

    Film Wed Oct 03 2012

    Sybil Danning at Music Box of Horrors

    sybil_danning.jpgInternational sex symbol, B-movie queen and '80s action hero Sybil Danning will be at the Music Box next weekend for two events.

    On Friday, Oct. 12, she'll be around for autographs and Q&A following a screening of the original, uncut 1983 women-in-prison (a genre!) movie Chained Heat. There are catfights, shower scenes, and other things people like, all hosted by nudity buff Mr. Skin, for only $10 at 9:30pm.

    On Saturday, Oct. 13, Sybil will do a Q&A following a screening of Howling II: Your Sister is a Werewolf, which is part of the Music Box of Horrors, a 24-hour horror movie marathon featuring all kinds of great stuff: The Invisible Man, The Golem, Squirm (with director Jeff Lieberman in person!), Blood Diner and many more. Tickets are $35 before, $40 day of.

    Tim Rolph

    Preview Mon Oct 01 2012

    Preview: Chicago Artists' Coalition's Starving Artist Gala

    cacstarvingartist2012.jpgThe Chicago Artists' Coalition's annual Starving Artist benefit event is this Saturday, Oct. 6. Once again, four artists have been paired with four chefs to create artwork and food inspired by each other.

    Photographer Laura Letinsky teams up with food preservationist Tara Lane of Jane Addams Hull-House Museum, multimedia artist Jeanne Dunning pairs with executive chef Jared Van Camp of Nellcôte, conceptual artist Erik Peterson collaborates with chef de cuisine Erling Wu-Bower of Avec (formerly sous chef at Publican Quality Meats), and multimedia artist Jenny Kendler works with executive chef Beverly Kim of Bonsoirée.

    Continue reading this entry »

    Andrew Huff

    Art Around Town Fri Sep 28 2012

    Art Around Town

    Tonight

  • Adoration of the Flesh @ Charnel House
  • Six to the Third: Small-Scale Works from Members of Chicago Sculpture International @ Lillstreet Gallery
  • Third Year Anniversary @ Water Street Studios
  • Performing Negotiations @ North Branch Projects
  • Alphabet Soup @ Galerie F
  • Tinder Toys Launch Party @ Rotofugi
  • James Jankowiak @ Firecat Projects
  • Ravenswood Art Walk (all weekend)

  • Saturday:

  • Spudnik Press Benefit Auction In Progress @ 1821 W. Hubbard St.
  • Vitor Butkus: Is That All There Is? @ DEFIBRILLATOR
  • Regin Igloria: Suspended @ The Franklin
  • James Sorfleet @ Horrorbles

  • Sunday:

  • Water Music @ The beach near 6219 North Sheridan Road
  • Candida Alvarez conversation with critic Terry Myers @ Riverside Arts Center
  • Jo Hormuth Artist Talk @ Julius Caesar

  • Monday:

  • Dmitry Samarov: View from a Chicago Cab @ Blackstone Branch Library

  • Tuesday:

  • Ellen Lanyon Artist Talk @ DuPaul Art Museum
  • Karen Reimer: Voices @ Gallery 400
  • Live Recording Session @ threewalls

  • Wednesday:

  • Andi Zeisler Visiting Artists Program Lecture @ SAIC Columbus Auditorium
  • Dmitry Samarov Reading @ Blackstone Branch Library

  • Thursday:

  • Liz Ensz: New World Landscapes @ SAIC's Gallery X
  • At the Threshold @ Smart Museum of Art
  • The 23rd International Sculpture Conference: Process, Patron, Public @ The School of the Art Institute of Chicago
  • Kelly Reaves

    Art Around Town Fri Sep 21 2012

    Art Around Town

    The big, glaring (in a good way) art event this weekend is obviously EXPO, which I highly recommend after seeing it last Wednesday (I will be posting about it shortly). Give yourself a good two hours there, at least. BUT after you check that out, check this stuff out:

    Tonight:

  • Gallery Weekend Chicago (all over, all weekend)
  • Teresa Albor @ What It Is
  • Judith Brotman: Flying Machines, Golems and Other Transformations (closing reception) @ NEIU
  • Li - The River of Souls @ Zhou B. Art Center
  • Gogy Farias: Life Cycles @ 33 Contemporary
  • John Opera: People, Places, and Things @ Andrew Rafacz Gallery

  • Saturday:

  • EXPO Afterparty: EXTENDED @ Hairpin Arts
  • Late Night Gallery Hop @ River North
  • ANDERSON/MURPHY/NIELSEN @ NEW CAPITAL
  • Wobbly Misconduct Closing Reception @ LVL3
  • Rodney Graham and Josiah McElheny: In The Spirit of Walser @ Donald Young Gallery
  • Shane Guffogg Solo Show and Prints & Drawings Group Show @ Bert Green Fine Art
  • Art on Track @ The CTA!
  • Art to the People- 2012 ArtReach Fundraiser @ Lillstreet Art Center

  • Sunday:

  • SOFIA LEIBY & LAURA HART NEWLON + HILARY BALDWIN: QUIET ECHO ON LOUD WIND @ ACRE Projects
  • Danh Vo: Uterus @ The Renaissance Society
  • Collateral Damage: The Human Face of War @ Stephen Daiter Gallery
  • Two Histories of the World @ Hyde Park Art Center
  • Youth Art Board: Dreams & Nightmares @ Hyde Park Art Center
  • Ground Floor @ Hyde Park Art Center
  • Candida Alvarez: drawing green @ Riverside Arts Center

  • Tuesday:

  • Stephen Burks Visiting Artists Program Lecture @ The Art Institute of Chicago, Rubloff Auditorium
  • Kelly Reaves

    Art Around Town Fri Sep 14 2012

    Art Around Town

    Tonight:

  • The Installation Experiment @ 1826-1843 S. Halsted
  • Joseph Clayton Mills: The Patient @ Experimental Sound Studio
  • Afterimage and Ellen Lanyon: Persistence of Invention @ DePaul Art Museum
  • Michele Stutts, Richa Sharma & The Alliance of Women Artists @ ARC Gallery
  • Shane Huffman: Sense and Sensibility @ 65GRAND
  • Candida Alvarez: Drawing Green @ Riverside ARTS Center
  • Laura Letinsky: Ill Form and Void Full @ Valerie Carberry Gallery
  • Michael Clifford: Love From Scratch @ CourtneyBlades
  • Melika Bass: Slider @ Chicago Artists' Coalition
  • Jordan Eagles: Blood Work @ International Museum of Surgical Science
  • The Great Refusal: Taking on New Queer Aesthetics @ Sullivan Galleries
  • Afterimage @ Joan Flasch Artists' Book Collection
  • Afterimage @ Roger Brown Study Collection
  • Allowances and Occurances @ Defibrillator Performance Art Gallery
  • Layers, Paths, & Channels @ Chicago Artists' Coalition
  • Karen Reimer: Endless Set #1399 @ Gallery 400

  • Saturday:

  • Better Late Than Never: Bluetown Skateboard's Release Party & Art Show< @ Peanut Gallery
  • Jan Pieter Fokkens, Jeffery Cote de Luna & Mike Nudelman: Insignia @ 3012
  • Ron Ewert & Josh Reames: Conventional Wisdom @ Autumn Space Gallery
  • Eastern, Sentral & Pacific @ Maxwell Colette Gallery
  • Joel Ross in collaboration with Jason Creps: Alleys and Parking Lots @ moniquemeloche
  • Janice Kerbel @ The Arts Club of Chicago

  • Sunday:

  • Dana DeGiulio: Say Say Say @ Iceberg Projects
  • Danny Volk: Title Removed By The Homeowners @ PSA Projects
  • duckrabbit @ Adds Donna

  • Thursday:

  • Meghan Moe Beitiks, Sabri Reed, Jason Friedes, and Lindsey French: Impossible Conversations @ SUGS
  • Kelly Reaves

    Art Around Town Fri Sep 07 2012

    Art Around Town: Season Openers

    Tonight is the night to see some art, guys, or at least a whole lot of other people looking at art. Here goes it:

    Tonight:

  • Tom Berenz: Velvet Hammer @ Robert Bills Contemporary
  • Gregory Jacobsen: Overwhelming Acrid Odor of Potential Paramour @ Zg Gallery
  • Robert Lostutter: Garden of Opiates @ Corbett vs. Dempsey
  • Form is Secondary to Function @ Antena
  • Alexine Haynes: Big Gut @ Queer Thoughts
  • Cauleen Smith: The Journeyman @ threewalls
  • Michael Rea: The Last Catholic @ Ebersmoore
  • Robert Lostutter: Garden of Opiates @ Corbett vs. Dempsey
  • Rough Trade II: a Boston and Chicago Artist Exchange @ Defibrillator Performance Art Gallery
  • Eric Fleischauer: In Circulation @ DOCUMENT
  • Josh Mannis: Fashion @ Western Exhibitions
  • Geoffrey Todd Smith: Looker @ Western Exhibitions
  • Bill Berger & Heather Mekkelson: Invisible Apocalypse @ Roots & Culture
  • Brenda Moore @ Linda Warren Projects
  • Anne Lindberg: sustaining pedal @ Carrie Secrist Gallery
  • Chris Ware: Building Stories @ Carl Hammer Gallery
  • Noelle Mason: Blue Skies/Black Death @ Thomas Robertello Gallery
  • Objectify This: Female Anatomy Dissected and Displayed @ Design Cloud Gallery
  • Storm Thorgerson: Computers Have A Lot To Answer For @ Public Works
  • Joel Dean: The Real Problem @ Alderman Exhibitions
  • Vivian Maier: Out of the Shadows @ Thomas Masters Gallery
  • Spent: Portraits of the Exhausted @ David Weinberg
  • Gunschel, Dingilian, Lee @ Packer Schopf
  • September Stars @ Judy A Saslow Gallery

  • Saturday:

  • Renegade Craft Fair (tomorrow too!)
  • Paul Perkins: Dead Heat @ Sidecar
  • Terence Swafford: The Force of Habit @ Comfort Station
  • Jeff Austin @ Anatomy/Gift/Association
  • Alex de Leon: Opaque Light @ The Plaines Project
  • Zoe Nelson: Deep Cuts @ Lloyd Dobler Gallery
  • Euphemize @ slow

  • Sunday:

  • Joan Giroux: one sandpile, within hearing distance @ Terrain
  • Jo Hormuth: There is Only You @ Julius Caesar
  • Gina Ciaccio: Works on the Beauty of Dead Things @ Star Lounge

  • Thursday:

  • Dan S. Wang: Not a Printing Office @ D Gallery
  • Kelly Reaves

    Art Around Town Fri Aug 31 2012

    Art Around Town

    Tonight:

  • Luke Daly & Bailey Romaine: Various Froms @ Roxaboxen Exhibitions
  • Brent Riley: Who Goes There @ Firecat Projects
  • Karen Reimer: Endless Set #1399 @ Gallery 400

  • Saturday:

  • AUSIKAITIS/KLOSS @ New Capital
  • MCA DNA: John Cage @ Museum of Contemporary Art
  • Dreaming Child @ Gallery 27

  • Sunday:

  • Did You See Heaven: WYSIWYG @ Peregrineprogram
  • Shouting Pictures @ The Brick Gallery

  • Thursday:

  • Zach Meisner: Low-Relief @ Leroy Neiman Center Gallery
  • JOHANA DRUCKER: DRUCKWORKS @ Center for Book and Paper Arts
  • Kelly Reaves

    Art Around Town Fri Aug 24 2012

    Art Around Town

    Tonight

  • fix it if it ain't broke @ slow
  • Everyman's Astronomy @ Jupiter Outpost

  • Saturday:

  • Open House & Workshops @ Lillstreet Art Center
  • 21 Motorcycles Closing Performances @ The Hills
  • EVOLVE @ Peanut Gallery
  • Michael Pfisterer: Beyond the Garden of Cyrus @ devening projects + editions
  • Gary Stephan: The Story of What Happens @ devening projects + editions
  • Julie Potratz: ROCK SHOW @ Cabin
  • Jim Lange @ Anatomically Correct

  • Sunday:

  • Anthony Bowers Closing Reception @ Star Lounge

  • Monday:

  • Jaap Blonk @ Corbett vs. Dempsey
  • Atomic Sketch: Under the Art @ Green Eye

  • Thursday:

  • They Shapes @ SUGs
  • Kelly Reaves

    Dance Sun Aug 19 2012

    Dance Works: Bolero Chicago and the Chicago Dancing Festival

    Bolero Chicago rehearsal (4).jpg

    Photo by Araceli Arroyo

    Last Monday evening in an old gymnasium in the Edgewater neighborhood, a group of 30 or so Chicagoans opened multicolored umbrellas in-sync, waved cellphones above their heads like lighters at an outdoor concert, and mimed a quaint, picturesque baseball game. The activities - familiar, universal - were just quick glimpses of Bolero Chicago, the local edition of the acclaimed community-centric dance work. Created by New York-based Larry Keigwin of KEIGWIN + COMPANY (K+C), Bolero Chicago features anywhere from 30-80 local non-dancers incorporating a variety of different movements to represent Chicago's broad culture and style. The work will be featured along with performances from the Joffrey Ballet, Hubbard Street Dance Chicago, Giordano Dance Chicago, and national dance companies as part of the 6th annual Chicago Dancing Festival. This year's festival runs from August 20 - 25.

    Continue reading this entry »

    Britt Julious

    Art Around Town Fri Aug 17 2012

    Art Around Town

    Tonight:

  • Jim Zimpel: Angle @ Chicago Cultural Center
  • Industry of the Ordinary: Sic Transit Gloria Mundi @ Chicago Cultural Center
  • Amber Hawk Swanson: All That is Left of You/Everything You Are Now @ Chicago Artists' Coalition
  • Debra Kayes & Steve Amos: Color Theory @ Chicago Artists' Coalition
  • ZORE @ Zhou B. Art Center
  • Urban Transmission @ 33 Contemporary

  • Saturday:

  • Alberto Aguilar: (In) Between Out @ The Franklin
  • Wobbly Misconduct @ LVL3
  • Glenwood Ave. Arts Fest (today and tomorrow)
  • Kelly Reaves

    Art Around Town Fri Aug 10 2012

    Art Around Town

    Tonight:

  • Keiichi Tanaami: Selected Filmworks @ Corbett vs. Dempsey
  • Caroline Carlsmith, Alex Chitty, New Hands (Carson Fisk-Vittori & Michael Hunter), and Kristina Paabus: Dolphin Days @ Alderman Exhibitions
  • Second Friday Open Studios @ Fine Arts Building

  • Saturday:

  • Gallery Walk w/ Karl Wirsum @ Intuit
  • Alberto Aguilar & Jorge Lucero: Painting Background @ Beverly Arts Center
  • The Milk Factory's 2nd Annual Mini Film Festival

  • Sunday:

  • Winslow Smith and Sean Ward: Not Moving @ Julius Caesar
  • Gabe Farrar & Siebren Versteeg @ The Suburban
  • 21st Evanston and Vicinity Biennial @ Evanston Art Center
  • Kelly Reaves

    Art Around Town Fri Aug 03 2012

    Art Around Town

    Tonight:

  • Art in the Park @ Mary Bartelme Park
  • Matt Wojtan @ Metropolis Coffee Co.
  • Closing Reception: Now is the Time @ Believe Inn
  • Samantha Simpson @ Firecat Projects

  • Saturday

  • Paul Wear @ Salon Tress

  • Sunday:

  • Closing Reception: Robots Will Keep Us as Pets @ Alderman Exhibitions
  • Artist Talk with Melissa Oresky @ Hyde Park Art Center
  • Stupid Monsters & White Trash Saints (curated by MUSE) @ Peanut Gallery

  • Wednesday

  • Chicago's Twelve @ Garfield Park Conservatory

  • Thursday:

  • Closing Reception: Material Assumptions: Paper as Dialogue/PACE Exhibition @ Center for Book and Paper Arts
  • Kelly Reaves

    Art Sat Jul 28 2012

    Hot Pockets: the Air Pockets Project

    MarianneKim.jpeg

    Marianne Kim

    The streets of Wicker Park are filled with upscale boutiques and gourmet taco shops, but the neighborhood was once reborn as an artist's enclave. Like many parts of Chicago, Wicker Park has undergone transformation, both good and unfortunate. The last legs of gentrification usually ensure that the artistic colonizers that first remade the neighborhood are pushed out. And yet, many artistic practices (even those still gaining footing in Chicago's fickle art community) remain. Defibrillator, a performance art gallery, has quickly established itself as an epicenter for emerging and established local, national, and international performance art in the city. For the 2012 Wicker Park Fest, the gallery curated (with a grant from the Wicker Park/Bucktown Chamber of Commerce) Air Pocket Project, a series of five inflatable performance installations located at the intersection of Milwaukee Avenue and Wood Street. The Wicker Park Fest runs from noon to 8pm today and Sunday, July 29.

    Continue reading this entry »

    Britt Julious

    Art Around Town Fri Jul 27 2012

    Art Around Town

    Tonight:

  • Texploitation: Art, Guns, Girls, and BBQ @ Antena
  • Patricia Acosta & Sandra Oviedo @ La Esperanza Restaurant Pilsen
  • FIRE DOG Zine Reading & Release @ Read/Write Library
  • The Goat Party @ Jackson Junge Gallery
  • Rocks on rocks on rocks / make_space_copy.jpg @ The Plaines Project
  • Sports Infiltrated @ Design Cloud
  • Yo Solo @ Collaboraction's Pentagon Theatre
  • Aaron Henderson @ DEFIBRILLATOR
  • Seymour Rosofksy: Xylophone Solo @ Corbett vs Dempsey

  • Saturday

  • Air Pocket Project @ Wicker Park Fest / DEFIBRILLATOR
  • Memorial and Block Party in Tribute to Mark Aguhar @ Great Space

  • Sunday:

  • House Greg Gentrifies @ LAWN Gallery*
  • Kelly Reaves

    Art Around Town Fri Jul 20 2012

    Art Around Town

    Tonight:

  • Milwaukee Ave. Arts Fest (all weekend)
  • David Schalliol: The Bloomingdale @ Comfort Station
  • The 8th Annual Printers Ball: Time Warp! @ Columbia College
  • Purgatory's Playground @ Bright Olive Art Lab
  • My Idea of Fun @ ebersmoore
  • SPACE VULTURE WORSHIP PROJECT @ TGFKAHD
  • GOLDEN PRINCESS 720 SCREENING: 16MM HORROR SHOWCASE @ Hairpin Lofts Art Center
  • Ghost in the Puka Shell @ CourtneyBlades
  • Nadav Assor and David Davidovsky: Strip @ Hyde Park Art Center
  • Galerie F Grand Opening
  • Synchrodogs @ Public Works

  • Saturday:

  • The Hungry Games @ Pawnworks
  • Multiseonsory @ Quennect 4
  • Kira Scerbin & Jack Schneider: How Very @ Lodos Contemporáneo

  • Sunday:

  • The Broken Peanut Casino Peanut Gallery's 2012 Fundraiser Party

  • Wednesday

  • Logandale Roadshow @ Orbit Room

  • Thursday:

  • Atomic Sketch Event 4 Year Anniversary Summer Spectacular @ Green Eye Lounge
  • The Dragon is the Frame Performances @ Gallery 400
  • Kelly Reaves

    Art Around Town Fri Jul 13 2012

    Art Around Town

    Tonight:

  • UN BODY @ TGFKAHD
  • IN/VISIBLE @ Co-Prosperity Sphere
  • Configured Spaces @ Lillstreet Art Center
  • In Search of Paradise @ Chicago Arts District, ShowPODS 1-7
  • CJ Hungerman: Random Robot Attacks bubblegum banger bomb bots @ FM*Gallery
  • Corinne Halbert: Foxx Luv $ Vantage Point @ The Mission
  • Karl Wirsum & Ex-Static: George Kagan's Radios @ Intuit
  • Time and Materials @ Manifold
  • 4 Solos @ Packer Schopf
  • Betty Heredia: Get Back on the Grid; Come Away from the Ledge @ Swim Cafe
  • Chicago Community Darkroom Member's Showcase @ Cobalt Studio
  • Burial Day Books' Campfire Stories @ Uncharted Books

  • Saturday:

  • STRESS/DE-STRESS @ The Nightingale
  • Artist-Run Bike Tour (starts at Document)
  • LSLR Reads @ Comfort Station
  • 21 Motorcyles @ The Hills Esthetic Center
  • Jeff Gillette: Slumscapes & Carl Ramsey: New Urban Paintings @ Bert Green Fine Art
  • Next Top Artist Showcase @ Alternatives, Inc.

  • Tuesday

  • Max Garett: Super Moment @ LeRoy Neiman Center Gallery
  • Carlos Motta: We Who Feel Differently @ Gallery 400
  • Kelly Reaves

    Art Around Town Fri Jul 06 2012

    Art Around Town

    Tonight:

  • Cydney Lewis & Sandra Perlow: This Captivating Culture @ CAC
  • Marty Burns: Hold Fast @ CAC
  • Ivan Lozano: C____ of the eye / C____ of the Hand: @ Johalla Projects
  • Anne Evans: Urban Trace @ Riverside Arts Center
  • Stacey Rozich: This Must Be The Place @ CUAC
  • Jon Langford: Cheating Hearts @ Firecat Projects

  • Saturday:

  • Indirect Observation & The Quarterly Site #11: Line-of-Site @ Western Exhibitions
  • Don't Forget to Boogie @ Roots & Culture
  • The American Hero @ Gallery 27

  • Thursday:

  • Open Studio and Talk with Nadav Assor & Daniel Davidovsky @ Hyde Park Art Center
  • Kelly Reaves

    Art Around Town Fri Jun 29 2012

    Art Around Town

    Tonight:

  • Majeed, Mooses, Myrie @ Logan Center Gallery
  • Show Room/Odie Off @ threewalls
  • Vivian Maier: Vintage Prints @ Corbett vs. Dempsey
  • Bowling Alone @ Andrew Rafacz
  • Tracy Kostenbader: Rampant Objects @ Gallery B.1.e.
  • Weavemaker Pro @ The Plaines Project
  • The Dragon is the Frame @ Gallery 400
  • GRAY @ Willow Chicago
  • smooth square, soft circle @ 65 Grand
  • Grey Gardens/Nothing But Flowers @ Casualiving

  • Saturday:

  • Kloss/Stoltmann @ New Capital
  • Judith Brotman: I Dozed, I Napped, I Writhed, I Dreamed @ The Bike Room

  • Sunday:

  • Chroma Phobia @ ACRE Projects
  • Kelly Reaves

    Event Thu Jun 28 2012

    High Design: Anna Hovet & the ROOF Runway Series

    Roof 59254 (2).jpg
    The idea of an emerging Chicago fashion community has been one of the inhibiting, not strengthening forces for Chicago designers. "Emerging" suggests a path from A to B or steps a community, a city must take to make it established, respected, and part of the crowd. But the true Chicago creatives think differently, if not practically. Chicago can never be the new New York on a logistical (a lack of manufacturing resources) or cultural (a lack of outlets for exposure) level. But Chicago succeeds in its ability to nurture singular designers and talents. One such designer, Anna Hovet, will present a collection of her past work at the newly-launched ROOF Runway series. Hovet's show takes place tonight, with additional shows running once a month through October 11.

    Continue reading this entry »

    Britt Julious

    News Wed Jun 27 2012

    Now's Your Chance to Have Some Say in CPS' Arts Education

    ccp.pngThis past month CPS announced the creation of the first district-wide CPS Arts Education Plan. David Vitale, President of the Board of Education shared that CPS would launch a public planning process to gather public feedback towards setting standards and policies for improving and expanding arts programs across Chicago Public Schools. Over the next few weeks CPS is seeking your input to propell them down a more art-conscious path.

    Community Engagement Sessions have now been set for all audience groups and the planning process will move quickly. Go to the CPS Arts Plan website to register for a public forum and learn how you can add your voice to this plan (see session dates/information here). Visit Ingenuity Incorporated to learn how you can become involved in improving the educational experiences of our public school children.

    In addition to the upcoming CPS Arts Education Plan Community Engagement Sessions, the Department of Cultural Affairs and Special Events is conducting upcoming Town Hall sessions to review the draft of Chicago's Cultural Plan. Information and registration links may be found here.

    Kelly Reaves

    Art Around Town Fri Jun 22 2012

    Art Around Town

    Tonight:

  • Objects in Space @ Living Room Gallery
  • Andreas Fischer with Ariel Dill, Amanda Dalton Innis, Sofia Leiby, and Trew Schriefer: Robots Will Keep Us As Pets @ Alderman Exhibitions
  • Kim Leutwyler @ A.Vision Chicago
  • Mirthe, Delight, AWE: A Group Show @ Co-Prosperity Sphere
  • Juan Angel Chavez: Gone & Glenn Goldberg: Fables and Other Places @ Linda Warren Projects
  • Lindsey E. Bates: In The Alternative Realm @ Gallery Swarm
  • Grow in the Dark @ Roxaboxen Exhibitions

  • Saturday:

  • Ways of Making: National Juried Competition @ Visual Arts Gallery, Governors State University
  • Slow & Low: Special Fundraiser Show @ Chicago Urban Art Society
  • ACRE Block Party
  • 100 Canvases for Things that Matter @ The Silver Room
  • Celebrating Humanity Fiesta @ FM*
  • The Chicago Exchange Indoor Arts Market

  • Sunday:

  • Zummertapez: Jo Dery @ Roots & Culture
  • Kelly Reaves

    Performance Wed Jun 20 2012

    Ties and Tassels and Charity

    Thumbnail image for Thumbnail image for July 7th.jpgTypically known for its burlesque and variety shows, Ties and Tassels is showing audiences what community is all about. In May, one of the performers known as Spiffy Kins (aka Mae the bellydancer) and her partner were victims of a fire that destroyed their home and many of their belongings. In response to the sudden and drastic loss, Ties and Tassels organized a fundraiser event featuring more than 20 performers.

    The other performers are donating their time and talents to provide more than four hours of entertainment. The show will include performances by Ammunition, Queerella Fistalot, Rosemary Maybe, Cruel Valentine, Lizzy Von Schtupp, Bella Bathory, Bizarre Sally, Miss Vine, Lady Shana, Lolita Chiquitita, Viva La Muerte, Josephine Shaker, Lee Na-Moo, Dahlia Fatale, Scarlett Deville, Dollface, Sauda Namir, Titty Perkin, Feral, Flambé Bandersnatch, Millie Mae, Dahalia Fatale and Laila.

    Continue reading this entry »

    Janna Dons

    Art Around Town Thu Jun 14 2012

    Art Around Town

    Friday:

  • Smith/Pace: Cosmos @ New Capital
  • Lauren Elder, Brian Khek, Andre Lenox, Evan Lenox, Micah Schippa, ft. Drew Olivo: allstate @ Robert Bills Contemporary
  • A Long Time Coming @ Heaven Gallery
  • Roundtable: Group Effort - Hand Papermaking, Collaboration, and Contemporary Art @ Center for Book and Paper Arts
  • Material Assumptions: Paper as Dialogue @ Center for Book and Paper Arts
  • Facemask @ Zhou B. Art Center
  • DECIPHER @ The Parlor
  • Brain Trubble @ TGFKAHD
  • Brigitta Rossetti: La Flor Que Yo Esperaba @ 33 Contemporary

  • Saturday:

  • Chicago Alternative Comics Expo (tomorrow too!) @ Columbia College
  • VOIDS @ The Franklin
  • The Arts of Life Summer Carnival
  • Noelle Allen: Trellis @ Carrie Secrist

  • Sunday:

  • Lee Delegard and Allison Wade: May or May Not @ ACRE Projects
  • Kelly Reaves

    Art Wed Jun 06 2012

    Body Works: The Rapid Pulse International Performance Art Festival

    SAIKO_KASE.jpg

    Image of Saiko Kase courtesy of the artist

    Chicago is a city historically-rich in the practice of performance art. But like many artistic practices that were once prominent in the city, it is only now that this history is being recognized on a grander scale. Featuring a mix of 29 local, national, and international performing artists, the first Rapid Pulse International Performance Art Festival aims to address both the city's emerging practitioners of performance art as well as the eclectic array of seasoned performers across the globe. The festival runs through June 10 at various venues across the city.

    Continue reading this entry »

    Britt Julious

    Theatre Tue May 29 2012

    My Kind of Town Opens Conversation on Corruption with the Experts and the Victims

    MyKindOfTown_Image245px.jpgAh Chicago! A town with many proud legacies; from championship sports teams, to shiny bean-shaped monuments and deep dish pizza, it's truly one of a kind. However, woven among the cultural tapestry that comprises Chicago, is the dark, blood-stained thread of corruption. It's a tradition well documented with every imprisoned official and unearthed scandal. TimeLine Theatre Company's new drama, My Kind of Town, reflects some of that seedy underbelly in its humanizing story of injustice, torture and innocence. The company is also offering several platforms for communal discussions with experts about today's culture of law and order as a whole.

    Written by veteran investigative journalist John Conroy, My Kind of Town revolves around one imprisoned man's fight for justice. The play is inspired by real-life stories of victims, police officers, prosecutors and families who've been affected by allegations of torture and corruption.

    Continue reading this entry »

    Janna Dons

    Culture Wed May 23 2012

    A Mini MALL

    TheMall_lookbook_663.jpg
    Cher Horowitz walks down a hallway wearing a yellow plaid skirt and matching cropped jacket. The outfit -- part schoolgirl innocence, part precise tailoring and professional realness -- is a perfect summary of a film (and a decade) that can be best defined by its lack of classification. Clueless, a film more often recognized for its banter and "Before They Were Famous" celebrities, was radical because it refused to play by the rules. Director and writer Amy Heckerling's film based on Jane Austen's Emma was less a contemporary update and more of an independent, one-of-a-kind "world creation" of youth, debauchery, language and style.

    In their first collection as THE MALL, Ready-to-Stare jewelry designer Alysse Dalessandro and vintage seller Matt Kasin (aka the Gaudy God) created and curated a an Etsy-based concept store of highly aesthetic and idea-driven handmade accessories and vintage clothing inspired by the film as well as other '90s teen cult classics such as Romy and Michelle's High School Reunion and Spice World. This is not nostalgia, for nostalgia elicits a desire to return to the emotions born in a past era. Rather, THE MALL understands and utilizes the films as important cultural references that are as valuable and inspirational now as they were more than a decade ago. The two will debut their collection this Friday at a launch event at ZaZaZoo Nail Salon.

    Continue reading this entry »

    Britt Julious

    Art Fri May 18 2012

    Northwestern to Put Art on Ice

    Thumbnail image for block-logo.pngOn Monday, May 21, Northwestern University's Evanston campus will host a fleeting work of art, erected by students, staff, and faculty and removed by nature. The construction is a recreation of conceptual artist Allan Kaprow's seminal sculpture/performance work, "Fluids," and will entail stacking approximately 375 blocks of ice to build a monumental structure on the Plaza outside the Mary and Leigh Block Museum of Art at 40 Arts Circle Drive.

    Kaprow coined the term, "Happening" to describe an event or situation performed in the name of art. He first conceived of "Fluids" in 1967 and intended it to be staged again by others--creating a shared experience in art through separate happenings. This will mark the first time the project has been reenacted in the Midwest.

    Continue reading this entry »

    Janna Dons

    Street Art Fri May 18 2012

    Galerie F: Walk-Ins Welcome

    The cool cats over at FugScreen screenprinting studios have a conundrum (albeit a pretty good one to have): too much art, not enough space. So they're opening a gallery in Logan Square this July to exhibit the best work that's run through their hands by their cohorts. With a focus on poster and street art, Galerie F has a unique ethic: fully functional six days of the week, all day long, with no appointments required. In other words, an "open door gallery". This is important to them because they want to be accessible -- they want people to be able to wander in and browse at their own pace. And as cool as Chicago's plethora of artist-run, DIY spaces are, you just can't do that at most of them.

    Continue reading this entry »

    Kelly Reaves

    Art Around Town Fri May 18 2012

    Art Around Town

    Tonight

  • Husband, Robby MacBain, and Hannah Verrill: Nearer to Know Less (performances) @ Alderman Exhibitions
  • 8 x 8 at The Coop
  • A MICROGALLERY :: Galerie F Fundraising Event @ Finch's Beer Company
  • Sex, Spraypaint & Satire: Parody without Humor @ Grand Bizarre
  • Culture Shocked @ Design Cloud
  • a PERSONAL PROJECT show @ Defibrillator
  • And then... @ Lillstreet Art Center
  • Artists of Eastbank Open Studios @ Bridgeport Art Center
  • Phase 1 / Live Archive and Outreach Center @ Versionfest
  • Versionfest Friday Night of action @ Co-Prosperity Sphere
  • Brian Kapernekas: 40,000 Fathoms Before the Eye @ 65GRAND
  • Nick Black: The Road to Candyland @ Antena

  • Saturday:

  • The Empty Vessel @ Manifest Exhibitions
  • Thorne Brandt and Chris Collins: Wicked Games @ The Hills Esthetic Center
  • Summer Open House: Free Workshops All Day @ Lillstreet Art Center
  • Suspended @ LVL3
  • Sunday:

  • MUSIC AND ART MEET CULTURE FEST: Chicago's Largest Indoor Music and Art Festival @ Congress Theater
  • Janine Biunno: HOW THINGS STAND @ ACRE Projects
  • A Conversation with Christy Matson @ Alderman Exhibitions

  • Wednesday

  • Color Films @ Gallery 400 Lecture Room
  • Kelly Reaves

    Event Wed May 16 2012

    Gapers Block Event: 8x8 at The Coop

    8x8_350.jpgIn the spirit of artistic collaboration, The Coop and Gapers Block have teamed up to produce 8x8, an experiment in writing and design.

    Eight Chicagoland designers (Jesse Hora, Andy Luce, Chad Kouri, Ina Weise, Letterform, Ryan Sievert, Paul Octavious and Kyle Fletcher) were paired with eight local writers (Patrick Somerville, Claire Zulkey, Kevin Guilfoile, William Shunn, Wendy McClure, Scott Smith, Gapers Block political editor Ramsin Canon and Book Club co-founder Veronica Bond) to create collaborative works, with text informing and influencing art and vice versa. The results of this experiment are presented in limited edition poster form, with writing and design back to back.

    The posters make their debut at a reception Friday night, May 18, from 6pm to 10pm at The Coop coworking space, 230 W. Superior St., 2nd floor. Refreshments will be served, and sets of the posters will be available for purchase, with proceeds benefiting Open Books.

    Andrew Huff

    Art Around Town Fri May 11 2012

    Art Around Town

    Tonight:

  • Pulled: A Catalog of Screen Printing @ Public Works
  • Medley: A Collage Exhibit @ Chicago Urban Art Society
  • The Homoccult Show Closing Reception @ S+S Projects
  • Involuntary. Loss(y). Privacy. @ BLANC Gallery
  • Memory Address @ Chicago Artists' Coalition
  • Stacia Yeapanis: Over and Over Again @ Chicago Artists' Coalition
  • Carmen McLeod @ Rhona Hoffman Gallery
  • Open Studios @ Lacuna Artists Lofts Studios
  • Natural Networks @ Morpho Gallery
  • Manual Labor @ The Post Family
  • Bradley Biancardi and Zoe Nelson: Dear Resonance and the Memory Hole @ Roots & Culture
  • Carly Silverman & Vera Klement @ Zolla/Lieberman

  • Saturday:

  • Olivia Valentine: 1:1@ Happy Collaborationists
  • David Leggett & Kristina Paabus @ Hinge Gallery
  • Bridgeport Day
  • MCA Screen: Cauleen Smith: A Star Is a Seed / Solar Flare Arkestral Marching Band performance
  • Explore Fulton Market
  • New Sounds and New Sculpture from Coppice and Maria Jönsonn @ High Concept Laboratories
  • Ellen Nielsen: ULTRAVIOLETS @ Plaines Projects
  • Scott Reeder & Henning Strassburger @ Kavi Gupta
  • Ground Up: The Infrastructure of Place (closing reception) @ The Bike Room

  • Sunday:

  • EUNHYEA CHOI: CROSSING SPACE @ ACRE Projects
  • Dawoud Bey: Picturing People @ Renaissance Society
  • More Version Fest!
  • Kelly Reaves

    Event Thu May 10 2012

    Chicago Live! Kicks Off Spring Season Tonight

    Thumbnail image for Chicago LIve.jpgChicago Live!, the live news/radio show produced by the Chicago Tribune in partnership with The Second City, kicks off its spring 2012 season tonight at the UP Comedy Club on North Avenue.

    Hosted by veteran Chicago reporter, author and radio/TV personality Rick Kogan, Chicago Live! is a weekly stage and radio show that gathers top news makers and guests from the arts and entertainment and pop culture worlds. The hour-long show features Chicago-centric news interviews as well as comedy sketches from The Second City.

    Tonight's episode features guests like Lookingglass Theatre Company artistic director Andrew White, Chicago River Canoe & Kayak founder and director Ryan Chew, Forest Preserve District of Coook County superintendent Arnold Randall with River Trail Nature Center animal handler Ryan DePauw, members of the 2012 Chicago Tribune All-State Academic Team, and musical guests, The Blisters.

    Continue reading this entry »

    Janna Dons

    Art Around Town Fri May 04 2012

    Art Around Town

    Tonight:

  • Moon Fool (tomorrow too) @ Defibrillator Gallery
  • 30/30 @ One Strange Bird (and Lady Bird)
  • Laura Fayer: Treasure @ Thomas Robertello Gallery
  • Alison Harris: Chiaroscuro @ Chicago Photography Center
  • The Other City @ Carousel Projects
  • Chris Uphues @ Rotofugi
  • SMALL Showroom Opening
  • A Performance Show @ The Dog & Bone Space
  • Now Go See It Or Else You Won't! @ Flat Iron Arts
  • Nice-One: The CTA Experience @ Inkling
  • Black Arts @ Roxaboxen Exhibitions
  • UChicago MFA Thesis Show 1: Stageless Morphologies and A Fat Girl Crying @ Reva and David Logan Center for the Arts
  • Manifest BFA Fine Art Thesis Show 2 @ C33 Gallery
  • Manifest BFA Fine Art Thesis Show 1 @ A + D
  • Version festival Opening Weekend @ Co-Prosperity Sphere
  • Future Relics: Cast-offs @ Co-Prosperity Sphere
  • Natural Selection @ Black Cloud Gallery
  • Doug Fogelson: Exit Eden @ City Gallery at the Historic Water Tower
  • Dock 6 Design & Arts @ Dock 6
  • A. Laurie Palmer @ Threewalls
  • Graham Ebetsch @ Jupiter Outpost
  • Kinzie First Fridays
  • Occupy837 @ MANIFEST

  • Saturday:

  • Sarah Belknap and Joseph Belknap: Cosmic Debris @ Comfort Station
  • Game Night @ Sullivan Galleries
  • Mike Schreiber: True Hip Hop @ The Silver Room
  • GREYSCALE @ KUNZ VIS Projects
  • Is It What? (Closing Reception) @ Hinge Gallery
  • Symposium: Of Hospitality @ Logan Center for the Arts
  • Version Festival: Act of God @ The Orphanage (First Lutheran Church of the Trinity)

  • Sunday:

  • Positive Reinforcement @ Peanut Gallery
  • Sunday Soup Chicago @ Roots & Culture
  • COOKBOOK SHUFFLE A party to celebrate the release of KADABRA VOL II @ ACRE Projects
  • Did You See Heaven: SPECTRA @ PEREGRINEPROGRAM
  • GRAVEYARD @ The Terraformer
  • Melina Ausikaitis @ Julius Caesar

  • Monday:

  • Act I: Absence Makes It Real @ SUGS
  • Kelly Reaves

    Event Sat Apr 28 2012

    International Antiques Fair @ Merchandise Mart

    grasshopper leg vase.jpg

    Grasshopper Leg Vase and Ginkgo Vase by Paul Dachsel, for sale at Century Guild Decorative Arts (Booth 3080) this weekend at the International Antiques Fair.

    The entry fee for this year's International Antiques Fair at the Merchandise Mart is $15, but considering the objects for perusal (and for sale if you've got several thousand dollars burning a hole in your pocket) it's worth the entry fee. I've never in my life stood so close to an original Marc Chagall lithograph, not even at a museum. Dinan & Chighine (Booth 7084) has it priced at $3,800, but I think I'll just remember what it was like to stand inches away from it. Also for sale at the Dinan & Chighine booth are original Henri Matisse lithographs at $1,650 each, and a set of 4 Karl Brodtuman lithographs at $9,600 for the set.

    Continue reading this entry »

    J.H. Palmer

    Art Around Town Fri Apr 27 2012

    Art Around Town

    Tonight:

  • [Per-Sep-Shuhn] @ Chicago Art Department
  • SAIC MFA Thesis Exhibitions @ Sullivan Galleries
  • Justificaciòn a priori: Science and Aesthetics in the Work of Gustavo Dìaz @ The Mission
  • I CAN DO THAT (closing reception) @ Variable Space
  • Erik Peterson: The Middle @ Chicago Artists' Coalition
  • Spectral Landscape (with Viewing Stations) @ Gallery 400
  • Chris Thiel: The Imaginary Realm @ Gallery Swarm
  • Tom Torluemke and Jeriah Hildwine @ Linda Warren Projects
  • Nicholas Sistler TROUBLE @ Firecat Projects

  • Saturday:

  • Liliana Porter: The Task @ Carrie Secrist Gallery
  • Livid Feel (A program of three video works) @ 65GRAND
  • Contemporary Art and Documentary Practices (roundtable) @ The Renaissance Society
  • Nicholas Cueva: Dolium Volvitur: Art Movements throughout history @ Autumn Space Galley
  • We're All In It Together Now @ Believe Inn
  • Ear Eater #14: Extravagant Simplicity @ Cathouse
  • It ain't over.... @ slow
  • Christy Matson: The Sun Doesn't Show through the Mist until Noon @ Alderman Exhibitions
  • R & C Annual Spring Benefit Bash @ Roots & Culture
  • Scott Horsley: Natural History @ Bert Green Fine Art

  • Sunday:

  • James Kubie artist talk @ Julius Caesar (2pm)
  • Todd King & Nicholas Wylie: Puer Aeternus @ ACRE Projects
  • Conversation with the Artist: David Leggett @ Hyde Park Art Center

  • Tuesday:

  • Amplifying Voices (Theaster Gates artist talk) @ Smart Museum

  • Thursday:

  • Hecho En Logan Square @ I am Logan Square
  • Matthew Avignone: Stranger Than Family @ David Weinberg Photography
  • The Sketchbook Project 2012 World Tour @ Hyde Park Art Center

  • ...more at Sixty Inches from Center!

    Kelly Reaves

    Fashion Tue Apr 17 2012

    Hot Dada Runway

    fashion2012_sidebar.jpegThe School of the Art Institute of Chicago's annual fashion show -- probably the tastiest treat for your eyes in Chicago all year -- is taking place this Thursday in Millennium Park. This year's show, featuring more than 300 garments from SAIC's Fashion Design BFA candidates showcased by more than 70 hot and sexy professional models, will be the largest ever in the show's 78-year history. It will conclude with the elaborate and diverse creations of more than 40 seniors, the largest graduating class in SAIC Fashion Design history.

    I was able to go last year (and I'll be posting all about this year's show here next week) and I had to pick my jaw up off the floor at the end of the show. While some of the designs are just okay, and most of them are not "ready to wear," the vision and spark that these shows feature is astounding. This is SAIC, people. Nobody's cutting corners or playing it safe. Who says Chicago doesn't know fashion? It's right in front of us, slapping us in the face at this show. I highly recommend you pick up a ticket immediately.

    Tickets aren't cheap, though. The 9am dress rehearsal will run you $40. The noon and 3pm shows are $75, and admissions to the super hot-shit evening gala, "THE WALK" (which includes cocktails and dinner) costs a steep $500. BUT, it is a benefit, with proceeds supporting scholarship funds for future visionaries. For tickets and more information, visit SAIC's site. For Mia DiMeo's coverage of last year's show, click here.

    Kelly Reaves

    Art Around Town Fri Apr 13 2012

    Art Around Town

    Tonight:

  • 3 Solos: Lamantia, Cox & Eberhardt @ Packer-Schopf Gallery
  • Paradigm Shift: The Art of the Chicago Spring @ Fine Art Building
  • ESCAPE GROUP: Performances and Responses @ threewalls
  • SADIE HAWKINS SEMIFORMAL DANCE W/ DJ Jean Short @ Roxaboxen Exhibitions
  • Hebru Brantley: Trapped in What I Made Believe @ kasia kay art projects
  • With Other People With Other Sons @ Heaven Gallery
  • I can do that @ Variable Space
  • Amanda Greive: The Middle @ Chicago Artists' Coalition
  • It's Getting Hot in Here @ Chicago Artists' Coalition
  • Scott Nadeau: Insignificant Matter @ Defibrillator
  • Jacqueline Hendrickson: WIWWIW @ DOVA Temporary
  • Embody @ Black Cloud Gallery
  • Stories of Man @ Judy A Saslow Gallery
  • I Believe in Nothing, Everything is Sacred @ Judy A Saslow Gallery
  • UK/Chicago Performance @ British Consul General's Residence
  • I Accidentally Turned Off the Sun: 2012 UIC Art MFA Thesis Exhibition 4 @ Gallery 400
  • Survival Techniques: Narratives of Resistance @ The Museum of Contemporary Photography
  • In Decay - Stitching America's Ruins @ Chicago Cultural Center

  • Saturday:

  • VERSION FESTIVAL 12 Benefit Exhibition: Objet Petit Ahh... @ Co-Prosperity Sphere
  • Zombie Prom: Benefit for The Arts of Life @ Empty Bottle
  • High Concept Labs Spring Open House
  • Paul Erschen: Newport Room @ The Hills
  • In The Spirit of Walser @ Donald Young Gallery
  • FLAT 12 @ Floor Length and Tux
  • Life Force @ Riverside Arts Center Freeark Gallery
  • Temporal Figuration @ LVL3
  • Artist Talk: Nina Barnett, Chaz Evans, Kasia Houlihan, Mark Kent, and Brendan Meara @ Gallery 400 Lecture Room

  • Sunday:

  • Alison Ruttan: Natural Disaster @ ADDS DONNA
  • Adam Blumberg: Boys' Life @ ACRE Projects
  • limes and bricks suck pink you tasteless hunk or just limes and brick suck pink or tasteless hunk @ Terrain Exhibitions
  • Martin Soto: Bomba Negra Series: Venus and Jupiter @ Afri-Caribe Cultural Center
  • Tim Nickodemus Reading Discussion @ Alderman Exhibitions
  • Kelly Reaves

    Art Wed Apr 11 2012

    Hypnosis as a Vehicle for Art/Moon Pondering at New Capital

    NC.jpg

    image courtesy of New Capital

    As you might imagine, there are difficulties that come along with hypnotizing groups of people at a time, and Jacob C. Hammes certainly faced these difficulties on Friday night as the small room he performed in at New Capital coursed with 50+ fidgety onlookers, awkwardly trying to cram themselves closer together so that they could take part in the action, or at least get a glimpse. About an hour into it, the room had emptied to about a dozen people - about five who seemed to be hypnotized and the rest along for the ride. The hypnotized slouched in their chairs, eyes closed, mumbling about balls of gas and floating inside of diamonds when engaged by Hammes.

    Continue reading this entry »

    Kelly Reaves / Comments (2)

    Art Around Town Fri Apr 06 2012

    Art Around Town

    Tonight:

  • Russell Tyler @ ebersmoore
  • The Homocult Show (all weekend) @ S&S Project
  • Hammes/Payne @ NEW CAPITAL
  • Eric Wenzel: FRESH FAT @ 65GRAND
  • James Jankowiak: The Profane Illumination @ Johalla Projects
  • On Beyond Zebra: 2012 UIC Art MFA Thesis Exhibition 3 @ Gallery 400
  • Brad Temkin, Barbara Cooper, Linda Hoffhines: Art and the Urban Garden @ Lillstreet Art Center
  • Time To Make The Donuts: The Gigposters of Ryan Duggan @ saki
  • Jennifer Cronin, Matt Maniscalco, and Ian Mitchell Wallace: Embody @ Black Cloud Gallery
  • EFFORT @ DfbrL8r
  • Now You See It, Now You Don't @ Flat Iron

  • Saturday:

  • Escape Group: Lectures and Bloody Mary Bar @ threewalls
  • Ground Up, the Infrastructure of Place @ The Bike Room
  • hArts for Art 3 @ LVL3
  • Joseph G. Cruz: not a fact, still extremely real @ Comfort Station
  • Katherine Desjardins: A Provisional Proposition @ kasia kay art projects gallery
  • Catherine Forster: They call me theirs @ Notebaert Nature Museum Chicago
  • Artist Talk: Jeremy Bolen, Paul Cowan, Marianna Milhorat, and Neal Vandenbergh @ Gallery 400 Lecture Room
  • Black, White, Gold @ Hosted by Casualiving

  • Sunday:

  • James Kubie: Blood and Gold @ Julius Caesar
  • Caleb Cole: Other People's Clothes @ ACRE Projects
  • CAKE (Chicago Alternative Comics Expo) @ The Hideout
  • Comic Art Battle @ The Hideout

  • Monday:

  • Galerie F Fundraiser @ Cole's Bar

  • Wednesday:

  • Film Screening: Before Ai Weiwei and Enemies of the People @ The Museum of Contemporary Photography
  • threewallsSALON: Unofficial Publics
  • Yvonne Rainer lecture @ AIC

  • Thursday:

  • Survival Techniques @ The Museum of Contemporary Photography
  • Kelly Reaves

    Event Wed Apr 04 2012

    The Homocult Show Shakes Up Bridgeport this Weekend

    homocult.jpgThis is not for the faint of heart, but few good things are: The Homocult Show (featuring a screening of Homocult & other Esoterica) takes place this weekend at S&S Project(NSFW) in Bridgeport, and a visit is highly recommended, especially if you're looking to step a little outside of the box.

    Homocult & other Esoterica is a group of short experimental queer films focused on magick & the occult, curated by Daniel McKernan.

    Many of the films capture the spirit of arch-gay cinematic spell-casters Kenneth Anger and Derek Jarman, especially those made by the program's more (in)famous participants, such as Throbbing Gristle alumni Genesis Breyer P-Orridge and Peter Christopherson. The younger contributors, such as Black Sun Productions, are clearly influenced by P-Orridge and Christopherson's bold career choices; their homages make the films crackle with cross-generational currents of erotic, creative energy. -- Flavorpill

    Continue reading this entry »

    Kelly Reaves

    Art Around Town Fri Mar 30 2012

    Art Around Town

    Tonight:

  • Rachel Smith @ Chicago The Beautiful
  • For the Wild Rabbit @ Murdertown Gallery
  • Torch Song: 2012 UIC Art MFA Thesis Exhibition 2 @ Gallery 400
  • Splatter Platter: 2012 UIC Art MFA Thesis Exhibition 2 @ Gallery 400
  • Catherine Sullivan & Co.: Inaugurals @ Logan Center Gallery
  • Urban Gateway's All For Art Gala @ Venue One

  • Saturday:

  • Shane Ward: Lincoln never ate anything yellow, AKA: Tendencies will define you. @ Happy Collaborationists
  • Escape Into the Briar Patch @ slow
  • John Cage, Toko Shinoda, Yozo Hamaguchi @ Floating World Gallery
  • Artist Talk: Mark Aguhar, Sebastian Aguirre, Jon Chambers, and Andrew Mausert-Mooney @ Gallery 400 Lecture Room
  • Christian Reiben (closing reception) @ The Bike Room
  • Carrie Schneider: Burning House @ moniquemeloche
  • Lady Rollins: Losing the Gloves (performance) @ Carrie Secrist
  • Mladenoff, DeAno, and Iemmolo @ Packer Schopf

  • Sunday:

  • David Sprecher: FOOL @ Peanut Gallery
  • Ben Pegram + Chris Semel: Twenty-Six @ ACRE Projects
  • Lip Sync Show @ DEFIBRILLATOR
  • David Salkin: Room for Views @ PEREGRINEPROGRAM
  • Galerie F Kickstarter Launch
  • Closing reception dead drunk shark @ The Hills
  • Talk + Closing: Dana DeGiulio + Audrey Adams @ Julius Caesar (2pm)

  • Monday:

  • Artist Residency Panel Discussion @ The School of the Art Institute of Chicago (SAIC) Michigan Avenue Ballroom

  • Thursday:

  • Effort @ DEFIBRILLATOR
  • ASCII 3 @ California Clipper (back room)
  • Michael S. Lewis @ Mark Shale Project Space
  • Print me a Square @ I am Logan Square

  • Kelly Reaves

    Benefit Fri Mar 30 2012

    In Full Bloom

    The Burlington continues its current line-up of great events with Bloom-n-Boom, hosted by the Subject to Change collaborative which, "aims to create a space of "no shame," when it comes to the music we enjoy and the people we love and care about -- our family (both blood and chosen) and our community." The event celebrates the early arrival of spring and the ongoing blooming of the trans community with the Chicago Women's Health Center's Trans Greater Access Project (TGAP). The project promotes services such as trans-affirming healthcare by providing hormone therapy, trans-sensitive gynecological exams, and counseling.

    The night kicks off at 9pm with DJ sets by Josie Blush, Miss Summer Clearance, and Panakin Skywalker. Although no guests will be turned away, patrons are encouraged to give a $5 suggested donation.

    In addition to the music, Subject to Change will also be selling a companion zine featuring works from people who have used the TGAP program as well as others who have trans health and affirming-related work to share. Submissions for this zine continue through Sunday, April 1 and acceptable works include prose, essays, photography, drawings, comics, and poetry. Submissions can be sent to subjecttochangezine@gmail.com.

    Bloom-n-Boom takes place at The Burlington, 3425 West Fullerton at 9pm.

    Britt Julious

    Art Around Town Fri Mar 23 2012

    Art Around Town

    Tonight:

  • Andy Hall & Kaylee Wyant: Modern Model @ Roots & Culture
  • Rebecca Shore: All in One @ Corbett vs Dempsey
  • Evil Is Interesting @ Antena Gallery
  • Jesus Mejia: The Fidelity of Instruments @ The Plaines Project
  • Andrew Martin & Sam Harvey: Formal Engagement @ Lillstreet Art Center
  • 2012 Creative Chicago Expo (today and tomorrow) @ Cultural Center
  • .you.i.you.see. @ Co-Prosperity Sphere
  • Flicks 2 Print: A Graffiti Writer Print Exhibition @ B1E Gallery
  • Villain Affair @ The Cooler
  • Cornelia Arts Building March Open House
  • Roger Moy: Love, Why I flunked Out of Trade School @ Gallery Swarm
  • DESTINEEZ CHILD + GURL DON'T BE DUMB (screening) @ threewalls
  • Black Thorns in the Black Box (screening) @ The Nightingale
  • BRAIN FRAME 5

  • Saturday:

  • The Physical Impossibility of a Hangover in the Mind of Someone Drinking @ TheHills Esthetic Center
  • Tim Nickodemus: Megatheria @ Alderman Exhibitions
  • Trial Myriad @ North Branch Projects
  • Zachary Buchner @ Andrew Rafacz Gallery
  • Women of a Certain Age @ South Side Community Arts Center
  • Zak Sally, John Porcellino & Dale Flattum: Physical Evidence @ RATIONAL PARK
  • Hamza J. Salim: Suicide Bombers @ Casa Aztlan
  • Rumble Arts Crafts Fair

  • Sunday:

  • Art-Zine/Chicago: Spring Fling @ Peanut Gallery
  • Matt Austin & EJ Hill: Slow Dance @ ACRE Projects
  • AB(e)DUCTED! The Honest Abe Art Show @ Cole's
  • Andrea Jablonski and Erin Page @ Star Coffee
  • Of Dolls and Murder (screening) @ Glessner House Museum

  • Wednesday

  • Brent Green: Musical Perforamnce, Lecture and Screening @ The Art Institute of Chicago, Rubloff Auditorium

  • Thursday:

  • Patrick Lichty: Ex Nihilo / Improbable Objects @ What It Is
  • Mickalene Thomas @ Rhona Hoffman Gallery
  • THAW @ DANK Haus
  • Kelly Reaves

    Art Around Town Fri Mar 16 2012

    Art Around Town

    Tonight:

  • Sirianni/Lane @ NEW CAPITAL
  • Look at Me: 2012 UIC Art MFA Thesis Exhibition 1 @ Gallery 400
  • Power Lines @ Chicago Artists' Coalition
  • Gwynne Johnson: This Doubtful Paradise @ Chicago Artists' Coalition
  • Megan Born: Dirt @ The Graham Foundation
  • Heroes & Icons @ Yollocalli Arts Reach
  • Black Thorns in the White Cube / Elijah Burgher @ Western Exhibitions
  • IN PARALLEL @ Jennifer Norback Fine Art; INC
  • The Art of the Wall @ Elephant Room
  • Ruben Aguirre: Reveries of Light @ The Silver Room
  • About Face @ Zhou B. Art Center
  • Jason Robert Bell: The One Man Army Corpse & Michael Nudelman: Lookin' Out My Back Door @ Thomas Robertello Gallery
  • What's my GPA Again? @ SAIC Sullivan Galleries
  • Dystopia: Spiritual Warfare in a Mechanized World @ Las Manos Gallery
  • Maria Tomasula: Singularities & Teodor Dumitrescu: Fire Season @ Zolla/Lieberman Gallery
  • Portfolio @ Elmhurst Art Museum
  • SPRINGEN @ 33 Contemporary Gallery

  • Saturday:

  • Artist Talk: Mary Helena Clark, Tiffany Funk, Anthony Koerner, Nicholas Rummler, and Gwendolyn Zabicki @ Gallery 400 Lecture Room
  • Mark Jackson: Darkness and Light @ Iceberg Projects
  • Light Show @ Roots & Culture Contemporary Art Center
  • Sean Ward @ Autumn Space Gallery
  • SAIC Spring BFA Exhibition
  • PLAY! -- MORE OR LESS @ Believe Inn
  • Gong Lab: Suite for Dreamers @ High Concept Laboratories
  • Mixed Movement Chicago @ Rumble Arts Center
  • Suicide Bombers @ Casa Aztlan

  • Sunday:

  • Holly Holmes: Transcription @ Terrain Exhibitions
  • Yto Barrada: Riffs @ The Renaissance Society
  • Brandy Fisher: A System of Relations @ ACRE Projects
  • ARTE NO ES FÁCIL @ Links Hall

  • Tuesday:

  • Sabina Ott: to perceive the invisible in you @ SXU Gallery
  • Kelly Reaves

    Art Around Town Fri Mar 09 2012

    Art Around Town

    Tonight:

  • Chicago Zine Fest (today and tomorrow)
  • Dissolution @ Eel Space
  • Sans @ Co-Prosperity Sphere
  • John Opera: Form Fit @ Gallery 400 Lecture Room
  • Alan and Michael Fleming @ threewalls
  • Andrew Rauhauser: STRATA @ FM* Gallery
  • VOCES DE MUJERES III-Celebrating International Women's Day @ Carlos & Dominguez Fine Arts Gallery
  • Octagon Open House
  • Bike Winter Fashion Show @ Gala Gallery
  • Jessica Bardsley: LIGHTWATER @ The Nightengale

  • Saturday:

  • Nostalgia: Artist Discussion & Group Show @ Happy Collaborationists Exhibition Space
  • R&D @ Manifold
  • Christian Rieben: The Failure of Rational Thought @ The Bike Room
  • Piranha Club #2: The Last Last Meal @ Roots & Culture
  • Axis Mundi: Artist Talk with Jason Brammer @ Firecat Projects
  • BASK: Scenic Riot @ OhNo!Doom

  • Sunday:

  • Joseph Rynkiewicz: A Line Describing Eternity @ ACRE Projects
  • I Surrender @ Devening Projects + Editions

  • Monday:

  • Marilyn Minter Visiting Artists Program Lecture @ The Art Institute of Chicago, Rubloff Auditorium
  • Andreas Fisher Lecture @ Gallery 400 Lecture Room

  • Tuesday:

  • Look at Me UIC MFA Thesis Exhibition @ Gallery 400

  • Wednesday:

  • Life on the Land: re-imagining public space SALON @ threewalls

  • Thursday:

  • Jen Heaslip: New Paintings @ Bert Green Fine Art
  • Kelly Reaves

    Museums Fri Mar 02 2012

    Join the Feast, Witness Radical Hospitality in Action

    I've had several run-ins with food-related arts events of late.

    There was "The Dinner Party" on Jan. 30--a monthly, streamed-live meal/performance featuring artists Tony Fitzpatrick, Jon Langford, and Rachel Rockford, as well as chef Homaru Cantu of Moto (see www.FearNoArt.tv for more). Coming soon, "Food & Performance", a two day installation of interactive, edible performances, will be held at Defibrillator March 17 and 18.

    And, I forgot to mention all of the odd salons/underground dinners/etc. that seem to be sprouting up around the city faster than I can say grace.

    Where does our fascination with the intersection between art and food come from?

    The Smart Museum's newest exhibit, Feast, sets out to chart our obsession with food, drink, meal-sharing, and art in a new, interactive series of installations and events in Hyde Park. It not only chronicles the history of the "artist-orchestrated meal", but also brings that history to a more contemporary table in which audience is asked to assess, participate, and celebrate in its meaning.

    Continue reading this entry »

    Alexa DeTogne

    Art Around Town Fri Mar 02 2012

    Art Around Town

    Tonight:

  • WOW House @ Johalla Projects
  • Light Show @ Roots & Culture
  • Kinzie First Friday @ The Arts of Life
  • Matthew Hoffman: I Made This For You @ Public Works
  • botanic/organic // National Juried Exhibit @ Union Street Gallery
  • Linoleum block prints by Kevin O'Rourke @ Inkling
  • Rules & Regulations @ Jupiter Outpost
  • Cory Sever: Top Of The Most @ One Strange Bird (and Lady Bird)
  • Prima Sakuntabhai @ Cobalt Studio
  • DECKED @ Black Cloud Gallery
  • Rim Lee: Retrospective @ Kasia Kay
  • Carl Baratta: Sweet Water @ Lloyd Dobler
  • various small abstractions @ D Gallery
  • Alleys & Ruins @ Schneider Gallery
  • Alan Cohen: Revisited Exposures @ Document
  • Every now and then I fall apart @ The Plaines Project
  • TUNDRA: body in performance @ S&S Project
  • Benjamin Bellas and Oli Watt: That thing in that old Groucho Marx movie... @ Kirk's Apartment
  • Nazafarin Lofti @ Tony Wight Gallery
  • Footprints in Vertical Skies @ Jackson Junge Gallery
  • Recent Drawings by Mariana Sissia @ The Mission Projects
  • Trime Bumiller @ Zg Gallery

  • Saturday:

  • MFA Open Studios @ Northwestern University
  • Blood: New Work by Chris Hefner & Andy Hefner @ saki
  • Logan Square Spring Fling Fashion Show @ Hairitics Dye for Your Beliefs
  • WHPK 88.5fm presents Pictures and Sounds @ UofC Film Studies Center
  • Veronica Bruce, Brian McNearney, and Morgan Sims: Reality Slips @ Robert Bills Contemporary
  • Domain and Range @ Jenny's Common
  • They Wore Faces of Red Clay @ SideCar
  • Is it What? @ Hinge Gallery
  • Stuck Up: A Selected History of Alternative & Pop Culture Told Through Stickers @ Maxwell Colette Gallery
  • Christian Rieben @ The Bike Room
  • 3 Diverse Artists // 1 Awesome Show @ Next Door
  • PLAY! @ Believe Inn

  • Sunday:

  • Force Majeure @ DEFIBRILLATOR and NEW CAPITAL
  • I'M WATCHING THE SUN COME UP NOW @ ACRE Projects
  • Dana DeGiulio @ Julius Caesar

  • Tuesday

  • PechaKucha Night Chicago presents Volume 21 @ Martyrs'
  • Craig Dykers lecture @ AIC's Rubloff Auditorium

  • Thursday:

  • Chicago Nocturne @ I Am Logan Square
  • Kelly Reaves / Comments (1)

    Event Wed Feb 29 2012

    CAC Open House for the BOLT Residency today!

    BOLTstudio.jpg

    A BOLT studio; photo courtesy of the CAC.

    The CAC is hosting an open house today from 5 to 7pm to give prospective BOLT residents a chance to see the space and get a sense of what goes on there before applying. You will have the opportunity to explore the studio spaces, their 8,000 square foot exhibition space, and meet CAC staff and current residents (many of the residents are very cool people with interesting art practices: Sarah and Joseph Belknap, Marty Burns, Amber Hawk Swanson, etc., so go if only to see their studios and talk to them.) Tours will run every 15 minutes. Another open house will be offered on March 5 (5-7pm).

    BOLT Residency is a highly competitive, juried, one-year artist studio residency program offering artists the opportunity to engage the Chicago arts community and its public in critical dialogue about contemporary art. Located at the CAC in the West Loop, BOLT provides workspace, creative community, exhibition opportunities and professional development for emerging contemporary artists.

    The 2012 BOLT Residency Application Guidelines are available HERE for DOWNLOAD. Applications are due March 15, 2012. To Apply, click HERE. The CAC and the BOLT studios are located at 217 N. Carpenter St.

    Kelly Reaves

    Art Around Town Fri Feb 24 2012

    Art Around Town

    Tonight:

  • The Whitney Houston Biennial @ Murdertown
  • Ox-Bow Winter Benefit
  • Re-opening Celebration @ Alderman Exhibitions
  • PLAY! @ Believe Inn
  • 15th Annual Bike Winter Art Show @ Gala Gallery
  • Exploring Axis Mundi: The Still Point At The Center of The Turning Universe @ Firecat Projects
  • IPaintMyMind T-Shirt & Art Print Release Party @ Simone's
  • Timeless @ Judy A Saslow Gallery
  • Iemmolo / DeAno/ Mladenoff @ Packer Schopf Gallery
  • Chicago The Beautiful @ 914

  • Saturday:

  • NEXT/NOW (tonight and tomorrow) @ Defribrillator
  • I'm OK if You're OK @ threewalls
  • Florida Oasis Part 4 : FINAL INSTALLMENT @ Comfort Station
  • Robin Kang: Cry, or Don't @ The Milk Factory
  • Three Vertices @ LVL3
  • Auntie Em's Mobile Home @ slow
  • Bright Lights, Big City: The Art of Modernism in Japanese Woodblock Prints @ Floating World Gallery
  • The Hashbrown Chili Cookoff @ Spudnik Press
  • This House is Not a Home @ SHoP
  • Kindred Visions @ Blanc Gallery
  • Photography and Art Meet Culture @ Al Teatro Ristorante

  • Sunday:

  • Kate Bowen: Almost Always Getting it Right @ ACRE Projects
  • More or Less @ RoxaBoxen Exhibitions
  • Performance by David Grubbs and Susan Howe: Frolic Architecture David Grubbs and Susan Howe @ The Renaissance Society
  • IN THE SPIRIT OF WALSER Artist Reception @ Donald Young Gallery

  • Wednesday:

  • Speechless @ The Museum of Contemporary Photography
  • The World Finder, an Epic Tragedy in Four Acts @ Gallery 400

  • Thursday:

  • Judith Hladik-Voss @ Chicago Public LibraryLincoln/Belmont branch

  • That's not enough for you?!? Okay, there's more...

    Kelly Reaves

    Art Around Town Fri Feb 17 2012

    Art Around Town

    Tonight:

  • Living By Example @ Northeastern Illinois University Fine Arts Center
  • The Piranha Club @ Roots & Culture
  • Anointed: Ritual Vessels by Julia Galloway, Seth Green, and Andrew Gilliatt @ Lillstreet Art Center
  • HITS CLOSE TO HOME @ CAC
  • Closing Reception // Abigail Csanda & Allison Spicer: Inferences @ Next Door Chicago
  • 9th MEASURE @ Chicago Artist's Coalition
  • arow Collective Presents The Drop Out Kids @ Clothes Optional Vintage
  • #Crapitalism Listening Party // Panel Discussion @ Rumble Arts
  • A Collection of Cuban Imagery @ Gallery Swarm
  • Your Game Bytes @ RGB Lounge
  • New Work by Ari Neiditz with music from Turpentine and Animal City @ The Yellow Book

  • Saturday:

  • Florida Oasis Pt. 3 @ Logan Square Comfort Station
  • Magalie Guérin: The Warmest Guest @ Autumn Space Gallery
  • 2012 Chicago Cultural Plan Town Hall Meeting @ DuSable Museum
  • Arte No es Fácil @ Links Hall
  • the big stink moves like a moth towards the light @ Hungryman Gallery
  • Expressions of LOVE @ Japanese Culture Center

  • Sunday:

  • Michelle Anne Harris: Accidents of Gravity @ ACRE Projects
  • Honk If You Love Painting @ Terrain Exhibitions
  • Curatorial Talk with Bisi Silva @ Doukan 7002

  • Wednesday:

  • Art21 Season 6 Advance Screening @ Gallery 400 Lecture Room
  • Kelly Reaves

    Event Wed Feb 15 2012

    U of Chicago Professors Take to the Stage

    Law and literary enthusiasts unite!

    The University of Chicago's Law School is hosting a two--day conference, Manhood in American Law and Literature, which will serve as a platform for discussion surrounding the issues of sexuality and law within the context of literary works.

    A highlight of the conference is sure to be the two dramatic scenes presented by the school's faculty members. Judge Richard Posner, Professor Jonathan Masur, and Professor Daniel Abebe will perform scenes from The Caine Mutiny Court-Martial, by Herman Wouk, followed by performances from Professor Martha Nussbaum and Professor Douglas Baird in The Little Foxes, by Lillian Hellman.

    The conference will also feature speakers from a variety of fields and universities. Discussions will be anchored in literature, including classics like To Kill a Mockingbird, by Harper Lee and F. Scott Fitzgerald's The Great Gatsby. There will even be a live reading by renowned author, Joyce Carol Oates.

    The conference will take place on UofC's campus on Friday, February 17 through Saturday, February 18. A full schedule of events can be found here.

    The conference is free and open to the public. No RSVP is required, but seating may be limited.

    Janna Dons

    Event Sun Feb 12 2012

    A Lovely Alternative to Valentines Day

    They say the opposite of Love is Hate. But this Valentines Day at the Logan Square Auditorium, the opposite of Love is Hilarity, Charity and possibly Intoxication.

    Thanks to the love-filled partnership of the Chicago Reader, 2nd Story, WBEZ and Empty Bottle, Chicago will be graced with the Third Annual Anti-Valentines Day Party on Tuesday 14 February. Chicago comedians Seth and Kellen will be hosting this shindig and will also be the night's official demolisher of ex memorabilia; everything from T-shirts to love letters to saved nail clippings will destroyed. In between the destroying (and healing) 2nd Story will be regaling the audience with the best bad date stories.

    Continue reading this entry »

    Niki Fritz

    Art Around Town Fri Feb 10 2012

    Art Around Town

    Tonight:

  • Artist Talk: AA Bronson @ University of Chicago
  • Short Court: Tropical Aesthletics @ Antena
  • APOCALYPSE IN THE PLEASURE GARDENS performance by MIKEY McPARLANE @ New Capital
  • Aron Gent, Nick Ostoff, Sophia Rauch: Isaz: Ice is bark of rivers @ The Hills Esthetic Center
  • Heidi Norton: Reasons to Cut Into the Earth @ Johalla Projects
  • ReBirth @ DEFIBRILLATOR
  • URBAN POP @ Yollocalli
  • 1 Year Anniversary of Escapism @ Maya Essence
  • Jeremy Tinder @ Rotofugi
  • Moneyworth Art Opening and Trunk Show @ kokorokoko
  • Tyrue "Slang" Jones: TRUE LOVE @ GALA Gallery
  • Closing Reception for Scented Illusions: Avon and Art @ S&S Project Gallery

  • Saturday:

  • Min Song: Small-Scale Lifestyles 2 @ Happy Collaborationists
  • Meet Martin Creed @ Museum of Contemporary Art Chicago
  • Monster Movie Seminar @ Hinge Gallery
  • Cathy Wilkes: I Give You All My Money Gallery Tour @ The Renaissance Society
  • Anthony Marcos Rea: The Ones I Remember @ Cobalt Studio
  • CAKE Benefit @ Mortville
  • Super Button Mashers, A Gamer Tribute @ OhNo!ARCADE

  • Sunday:

  • Fatima Haider & Lourdes Correa-Carlo @ Julius Caesar
  • James Green: Beta Eyes @ ACRE Projects
  • Magalie Guérin: The Warmest Guest @ Autumn Space Gallery
  • Lecture by Marsha Bentley Hale: Mannequin Mystique @ The Renaissance Society
  • Someone Else's Dream @ Hyde Park Art Center
  • Meet the Artist: Keelan McMorrow @ The Bluebird

  • Wednesday:

  • Feast: Radical Hospitality in Contemporary Art @ Smart Museum of Art

  • Thursday:

  • Many Years After, On a Sunny Afternoon @ Art Lounge, Student Center West, UIC
  • Marina Abramovic: A Lecture on Performance and Its Future @ First United Methodist Church at The Chicago Temple
  • Closing Party for The Chicago Project @ Co-Prosperity Sphere
  • Kelly Reaves

    Event Thu Feb 09 2012

    Spike Lee Visits Chicago State University

    SPIKE1.jpg
    Filmmaker/Director Spike Lee at Chicago State University.

    Spike Lee's love for sports is as widely known as his love for filmmaking; last night, adorned in full New York Giants gear, in front of a packed Chicago audience full of Bears fans, he didn't hesitate to gloat a bit about his hometown team's recent Super Bowl win.

    The playful taunting by Lee, the Academy Award-nominated filmmaker, director and screenwriter behind critically-acclaimed films such as Malcolm X, 4 Little Girls and Do the Right Thing, led to a more serious tone for his keynote address at Chicago State University's "Revolutions, Reels & Rhythms" lecture series, part of the university's Black History Month programming.

    Continue reading this entry »

    LaShawn Williams / Comments (6)

    Benefit Thu Feb 09 2012

    Ox-Bow Winter Benefit: THE Winter Art Party

    oxbow.jpgIt's time for the Ox-Bow Winter Benefit! Hooray!!! What's Ox-Bow, you ask? Only Michigan's most inspiring, wild, longtime retreat/residency for artists, where Jim Henson is said to have invented Kermit the frog. What's the Winter Benefit? Only Chicago's best winter art party. Why? Well, it's a great chance to buy some fiiine pieces of work by Chicago's finest pieces of work -- big names, people. We're talking Jim Lutes. Rachel Niffenegger. Carl Baratta. In short, if you collect art, this is the premier event for buying it -- not only because you can get great deals on it, but the money goes to a pretty damn cool cause (Ox-Bow). And if you, like me, can't afford to buy much art but you still appreciate a good Swamp Thing-themed dance party, well, this is for you, too. Not convinced yet? Here are some more reasons for you to go:

    Continue reading this entry »

    Kelly Reaves

    Event Sun Feb 05 2012

    Chicago's Music Man: Celebrating Carl Davis

    CPL PANEL.JPG

    Panel members discuss Carl Davis; Chicago Public Library. Photo: Charles Jackson.

    When it comes to classic soul music, Chicago has richly contributed to America's cultural landscape; with groups and singers such as Jerry "The Iceman" Butler, The Impressions, Gene Chandler, The Staple Singers, The Artistics and The Chi-Lites, the Chicago sound is a major contributor to popular music. According to legendary Chicago radio personality, V103's Herb Kent, the "Chicago sound" is undeniable. "Back in the day there was the Philly sound and the Motown sound--and we had the Chicago sound. It started a bit before Carl Davis, but he refined it," said Kent.

    Continue reading this entry »

    LaShawn Williams / Comments (1)

    Art Around Town Fri Feb 03 2012

    Art Around Town

    Tonight:

  • Issuing Forth @ Robert Bills Contemporary
  • Molly Zuckerman-Hartung: Negative Joy @ Corbett vs. Dempsey
  • Watie White @ Co-Prosperity Sphere
  • Antonia Gurkovska: Index @ Kavi Gupta
  • SKY LINES @ Charnel House
  • Brian Beard: A Series of Poor Decisions @ Inkling
  • Ian Ferguson: Gold Huffing @ One Strange Bird (and Lady Bird)
  • Philip Dembinski: Wavelength @ Jupiter Outpost
  • Christina A Long: Antipathies @ The Silver Room
  • Hebru Brantley: BAD ACTORS @ Grand Bizzare Gallery
  • THOMAS SCHÜTTE: In the Spirit of Walser @ Donald Young Gallery

  • Saturday:

  • 2nd Floor Rear Festival
  • Florida Oasis @ Logan Square Comfort Station
  • Hovsepian / Marshall: On The Wall @ moniquemeloche
  • Jon Waites: Radical, Work @ PEREGRINEPROGRAM
  • Inaugural Exhibition @ Bert Green Fine Art
  • Scott Wolniak @ Andrew Rafacz Gallery
  • Finding Funding for Creative Projects (workshop) @ Chicago Artists Coalition
  • (NO) Vacancy @ Carrie Secrist Gallery
  • Home Knowledge Spectacular @ North Branch Projects
  • Young Sun Han: sooner later @ Las Manos Gallery
  • Marilyn Zimmerman @ ARC Gallery

  • Sunday:

  • Form Over Function @ Peanut Gallery
  • Rebecca Beachy: Ground @ Roxaboxen Exhibitions
  • Alice Feldt: I'd Languish in Your Dust @ ACRE Projects
  • Cupola Bobber: The Field, The Mantel @ ADDS DONNA
  • Lecture by Dennis King Keenan: Irigaray and the Sacrifice of Sacrifice @ The Renaissance Society
  • Dayo Laoye: Evolution @ South Shore Cultural Center

  • Tuesday:

  • BIG THINGS Pop-Up Market @ Public Works
  • Kelly Reaves

    Event Thu Feb 02 2012

    The First Annual Gapers Block Valentines Dance-a-Thon is Just Around the Corner

    And man, are we excited. If you're as unimpressed as we are with all of the run-of-the-mill options for Valentines Day, join us on Sunday, February 12th at Quenchers for the First Annual Gapers Block Valentines Dance-a-Thon.

    Continue reading this entry »

    Nellie Huggins

    Art Mon Jan 30 2012

    Sticks and Stones in Pilsen

    RBeachy.jpg

    From DEER/ GROUND (book), photograph with deer bone shards, tanned deer hide, concrete. Photo courtesy of ACRE & Roxaboxen Exhibitions.

    Remember the controversial interview I posted with Rebecca Beachy a couple years ago? You know... the artist who was making hats out of roadkill? Well, she's graduated now and she's got a solo show opening this Sunday (7-10pm) at Roxaboxen Exhibitions in Pilsen, brought to you by ACRE exhibitions.

    Continue reading this entry »

    Kelly Reaves

    Event Fri Jan 20 2012

    Chicago Rolls Out the Red Carpet for Bernie Mac

    Bernie Mac's love for Chicago was both evident and undeniable--and at last night's red carpet screening of the documentary I Ain't Scared of You: A Tribute to Bernie Mac, the love Chicago has for him was also evident. "It is a wonderful feeling to see everyone come out and support," said his widow, Rhonda McCullough. "It just shows me how much people really loved Bernie and I'm always touched by it--especially tonight."

    Continue reading this entry »

    LaShawn Williams / Comments (1)

    Art Around Town Fri Jan 20 2012

    Art Around Town

    Tonight:

  • STUCK UP: A Selected History of Alternative & Pop Culture Told Through Stickers @ Maxwell Colette Gallery
  • REVOLUTION 2012 @ Jackson Junge Gallery
  • 2012 National Wet Paint Exhibition | Make Sound Exhibition and Performance @ Zhou B. Art Center
  • Night of Insight : Re-Frame: Communing @ Rumble Arts
  • LOSSY @ Roots and Culture
  • 20 in Their Twenties @ Woman Made
  • Dressing the Loom @ The Plaines Project
  • Voices: Ryan Griffis, Lize Mogel, and Sarah Ross @ Gallery 400
  • Unfolding Space: an architecture of moments @ Floating World Gallery
  • Quarterly Site #9: Support @ Chicago Artists' Coalition
  • ASCENT @ Chicago Artists' Coalition
  • Global Cities, Model Worlds + The World Finder @ Gallery 400
  • Atomic Comics: Masters of the Humorverse @ Mayne Stage

  • Saturday

  • The 4th Annual Winter Block Party for Chicago's Hip-Hop Arts @ Metro
  • unfurl @ dan devening projects
  • Robert Overby @ Rhona Hoffman Gallery
  • Anagram City @ Golden Gallery

  • Sunday:

  • NOT ALL DAYS ARE THE SAME; A CONTEMPLATION OF TRANSITS @ Roxaboxen
  • Jefferson Godard @ Terrain
  • Cathy Wilkes: I Give You All My Money @ The Renaissance Society

  • Wednesday:

  • Paul D'Amato @ DePaul Art Museum

  • Thursday:

  • Kelly K. Jones: Our No Place @ Gallery X @ School of the Art Institute of Chicago

  • Kelly Reaves

    Event Thu Jan 19 2012

    Lightness & Darkness Wants to be Your Friend

    L&D.jpg

    Brand-spankin' new multimedia book project Lightness & Darkness will throw its release party and first performance on January 28 at Happy Dog Gallery (1542 N. Milwaukee), a Wicker Park apartment gallery and alternative art space.

    Continue reading this entry »

    Kelly Reaves

    Event Tue Jan 17 2012

    Announcing the First Annual Gapers Block Valentines Dance-a-Thon

    Gapers Block is hosting our first annual Valentines Dance-a-Thon on Sunday, February 12 at Quenchers Saloon in Logan Square. We are looking for dancers and refs to take part in the event, and all are welcome to come and spectate.

    dance-a-thon logo.jpg

    Continue reading this entry »

    Nellie Huggins

    Art Mon Jan 16 2012

    20 Years Strong

    It has been a long time since my first visit to Woman Made Gallery, this year, on their 20th anniversary I am so glad, and proud, Chicago has such a great space that has nurtured and helped grow the arts here.

    Woman Made Gallery has recently announce its 20 Years Strong campaign, and with it comes a look back on the arts, the women and the years that have made Women Made Gallery a unique institution, not only in Chicago but throughout the United States.

    .

    MartinJon

    Event Fri Jan 13 2012

    Art Around Town

    Tonight:

  • Wayne White: Spark in the Void @ Packer Schopf Gallery
  • F*ck Em @ FM*Gallery
  • Scented Illusions: Avon and Art @ S&S Project Gallery
  • New Formalisms 2 @ 65 Grand
  • Tarantisimo Summit Art Show @ Reversible Eye
  • ACRE Presents: Emily Clayton & Eileen Meuller @ Roots & Culture
  • Laura Mackin: 120 Years @ threewalls
  • MR. SMITH GOES TO ROXABOXEN with PERFORMANCE BY ONO @ Roxaboxen
  • I Shall Be Released @ Union St. Gallery
  • PROOF Book Release Party // Works by the 2010 UIC MFA Grads @ SHoP
  • David "Netherland" van Alphen: New Work @ Rotofugi
  • SUPERSTRUCTURES @ Mission Projects
  • Structures: Art, Music & Awesomeness @ New Wave Coffee

  • Saturday:

  • Life As It Really Is (screening) @ ADDS DONNA
  • Mark Booth performance @ Devening Projects
  • Group Exhibition @ Hinge Gallery
  • Tax and Record Keeping Workshop for Artists @ Chicago Artist Coalition
  • Best Of Cast And Crew Show @ RGB Lounge
  • Aay Preston-Myint: I'M HERE TO MAKE FRIENDS @ Happy Collaborationists

  • Sunday:

  • CHICAGO PHOTOGRAPHER Second Annual Vivian Maier FILM WALK @ (meet at) Caribou Coffee
  • COURTNEY WEBER: OTHER FLOWERS @ ACRE

  • Thursday:

  • BRAIN FRAME 4 @ Happy Dog
  • Kelly Reaves

    Event Thu Jan 12 2012

    WBEZ's Winter Block Party for Chicago Hip Hop Arts

    breakdance.jpg

    For the best mix of hip hop and the arts, you won't want to miss WBEZ's annual Winter Block Party for Chicago's Hip Hop Arts. Now in its fourth year, this free, all-ages event, the ultimate showcase of the city's hip-hop arts scene, features visual and performance art, poetry, dance, film and music.

    Continue reading this entry »

    LaShawn Williams / Comments (2)

    Art Around Town Fri Jan 06 2012

    Art Around Town

    Tonight:

  • First Fridays @ Kinzie Corridor
  • OUT ON A LIMB (performance) @ Casualiving
  • FAR OUT @ Judy A Saslow Gallery
  • Moyra Davy @ Donald Young Gallery
  • Moves Thinks Repeats Pauses @ Tony Wight Gallery
  • Holiday Hangover Opening With Architecture for Humanity @ Black Cloud Gallery
  • Paul Erschen: West Plaza @ Document
  • First Fridays @ Inkling
  • NEU! @ ebersmoore
  • MOVES THINKS REPEATS PAUSES @ Tony Wight
  • Martina Nehrling: In Defense of Wondering @ Zg Gallery

  • Saturday:

  • Chiara No: WILD THINGS, I THINK I LOVE YOU @ Johalla Projects
  • Artist's Talk: Steven Frost and David Hartwell, moderated by Alison Cuddy @ Robert Bills Contemporary

  • Sunday:

  • WIPE OUT @ Peanut Gallery
  • ACCUMULATIONS: new works by ACRE staff @ ACRE

  • Thursday:

  • Karen Reimer Artist Talk w/ Shannon Stratton @ moniquemeloche
  • Kelly Reaves

    Fashion Mon Dec 19 2011

    Models and Music: Surround Sound of Fashion

    SSOF 5.JPG
    Singer/actor Tyrese; Surround Sound of Fashion.


    The symbiotic relationship between fashion and music is undeniable -- and at Power 92's Surround Sound of Fashion, the two were definitely displayed in a big way.

    This annual showcase for fashion designers and aspiring models, with a portion of the proceeds benefiting Windows of Opportunity, an organization that provides scholarships for economically disadvantaged youth, was held last weekend at the Harris Theater for Music and Dance, 205 E. Randolph. Twenty male and female models competed in a runway show for a chance at a number of prizes, including an exclusive photo shoot.

    Continue reading this entry »

    LaShawn Williams

    Event Fri Dec 16 2011

    Art Around Town

    Tonight:

  • Matt Sauermilch: The Process of Wooding Out @ Heaven
  • Don't Eat the Snow Show @ Happy Dog Gallery
  • Après-Ski Party @ Maria's
  • GURL DON'T BE DUMB presents STICKLIP @ Upstairs Gallery
  • Elliot Reed: Till The World Ends @ Kirk's Apartment
  • 3rd Fridays @ Zhou B. Art Center

  • Saturday:

  • Anthony Elms, Edie Fake and Andy Roche: Center for Experimental Lectures @ Alderman Exhibitions
  • Ding Dong @ Terrain
  • Karsten Lund: Strange Weather, Vague Suspicions @ PEREGRINEPROGRAM
  • Jake Myers: Short Court @ it'sa_pony projects
  • Bertrand Goldberg: Reflections (open house) @ the Arts Club
  • Kelly Reaves

    Event Fri Dec 09 2011

    Art Around Town

    Tonight:

  • John Riepenhoff @ Western Exhibitions
  • High Design Holiday @ Re-Building Exchange
  • Ryan Szeszycki: Contralands of Yore @ Star Coffee Lounge
  • Tell Tale Signs @ Corbett vs. Dempsey
  • W.M. FitzPatrick: Survey @ Casualiving
  • ACRE Country Fair @ Heaven Gallery
  • Mini Logan Square @ Comfort Station
  • Of Us: Experiments in Interaction @ Mess Hall
  • Emmett Kerrigan and Lora Fosberg @ Linda Warren Projects
  • Project Onward Holiday Sale and Portrait Slam! @ Chicago Cultural Center (Saturday too)
  • Curator Talk: Demands, Attacks and Declarations @ Center for Book & Paper Arts
  • STA Holiday Party @ Center for Book @ Paper Arts
  • Sze Lin Pang presents: An Exhibition of International Artists @ Roots & Culture
  • ARTIFACT @ Chicago Artist Coalition
  • The Precession Art Auction & Fundraiser Party @ HOME
  • Samantha Bittman: Perceptual Notions @ Thomas Robertello

  • Saturday:

  • Emily Green:Decompositions @ Happy Collaborationists
  • Tony Lewis @ Autumn Space Gallery
  • FLAT 11 @ Floor Length and Tux
  • Artist Talk with Cole Pierce & Rusty Shackleford @ Hinge Gallery
  • The Holiday Pop-Up Shop @ Firebelly Design Studio
  • Cooperative Image Group and Glassworks Bazaar & Benefit @ Chicago Hot Glass
  • Facets Holiday Warehouse Sale (tomorrow too)

  • Sunday:

  • Danielle Gustafson-Sundell: songs that start with i @ JULIUS CAESAR
  • Christopher Meerdo //// STALEMATE \\\\ @ Roxaboxen Exhibitions
  • Mark Booth: THE SEA IS REPRESENTED BY AN IRREGULAR SHAPE @ Devening Projects & Editions

  • Wednesday:

  • Semi-Permanent Program @ Gallery 400
  • Holiday Party @ Hinge Gallery

  • Thursday:

  • Jordan Martins: Strange Attractions @ Elastic Vision Gallery
  • Kelly Reaves

    Event Thu Dec 08 2011

    Friday Night Lights

    a clip from Empire

    Feel like you don't have enough conceptual film in your life? Do you, like I, desperately wish you could've hung out at The Factory? Or maybe you did. Or, maybe you're just looking for something to do tomorrow night and sitting in your regular bar doesn't sound appealing.

    If this sounds like you, I've got a pretty badass-looking event for you: To coincide with the launch of the Art Institute's upcoming "Light Years: Conceptual Art and the Photograph 1964-1977" exhibition, the Evening Associates of the Art Institute of Chicago (a young professional affiliate group) will be hosting a viewing party on December 9 to watch Andy Warhol's conceptual film Empire, which will be projected in its entirety on to the exterior of the Aon building. The party will include a DJ, drinks and hors d'oeuvres, and a special sneak preview of the new "Light Years" exhibition, which opens this Saturday.

    Continue reading this entry »

    Kelly Reaves

    Event Fri Dec 02 2011

    Art Around Town

    Tonight:

  • Bob Jones: Mountains and Matter @ 65 Grand
  • Stephen Flemister: Profiles, Hallucinations & Tokens
  • HOLD FAST TO DREAMS @ Believe Inn
  • ART+DESIGN @ Las Manos Gallery
  • Riva Lehrer: Mirror Shards @ Printworks Gallery
  • Tony Fitzpatrick: Nickel History: The Nation of Heat @ Firecat Projects
  • 003 ON THE LAM : XIAO TSE @ This Is Not The Studio
  • Personal Project Art Show @ DEFIBRILLATOR Gallery
  • Patron "Simply Perfect' Art Project @ Gallery@220
  • Text, Drugs and Rock & Roll [an International Group Show] @ Maxwell Colette Gallery
  • 36th Annual Holiday Party @ Lillstreet Art Center
  • NiINE! Exhibition/Benefit @ Chicago Art Department
  • And Off They Went @ DOVETAIL Chicago

  • Saturday:

  • PETER FISCHLI DAVID WEISS @ Donald Young Gallery
  • Steven Frost and David Hartwell: Joint Disassembly @ Robert Bills Contemporary
  • Greg Kelley: Soft Delete/Purgative Dryness @ Graham Foundation
  • What's Your Art? Celebrating the Art Centers of Chicago @ Chicago Cultural Center
  • Industry of the Ordinary Connect with David Hockney @ AIC Price Auditorium
  • AREA Chicago's 5th Annual Wants & Needs Auction @ Rumble Arts Center
  • Party...With An Artist @ Co-Prosperity Sphere

  • Sunday:

  • I am the Queen @ LVL3
  • Sales 101 for Artists Part 1 @ Official Flourish Studios
  • Zacharias Abubeker: A FEW METAPHORS FOR DISTANCE @ ACRE Projects
  • Communal Aesthetics Vs. Communal Practices: A Panel Discussion @ Iceberg Projects
  • Kelly Reaves

    Event Fri Nov 18 2011

    Art Around Town

    Tonight:

  • HUNGRY BELLOWS OF THE MINOTAUR @ FM*Gallery
  • GOMEZ/WILSON: Windows & Mirrors @ New Capital
  • CURRENT @ 33 Contemporary
  • Mind and Reality @ Roxaboxen
  • Tantalized: 20 Paintings by Andrew Ek and Dana Toft @ VG
  • Head @ Slow
  • Tilo Schulz, Artist Talk @ University of Chicago
  • ANGELICIES: A Look at the Moderna Day Angel @ Jackson Junge Gallery
  • LEVEL EATER 2 @ Co-Prosperity Sphere
  • Seth Sher: Nominal Mystique @ The Hills
  • Connie Noyes: Pink Space @ Blanc Gallery

  • Saturday:

  • Stephanie Brooks: Let me not to the marriage of true minds admit impediments. @ Terrain
  • Public Collectors: Collection Show and Tell with Ricki Hill @ Gallery 400
  • Marilyn Manson Without the Makeup @ 1dM
  • Recursion @ 2612 Space
  • Roots & Culture 5th Anniversary Party
  • Elliot Reed: 'Till The World Ends @ Lemonspace
  • FOTA's Fall Fair: Art Lab @ Reynold's Club
  • The DIY Trunk Show @ Broadway Armory
  • CAMP @ Octagon Gallery
  • Karen Reimer: The Domestic Partnership of Heaven and Hell @ moniquemeloche
  • Tony Tasset & Sayre Gomez @ Kavi Gupta

  • Sunday:

  • Jim Ricks: Please, Please, Please Let Me Get What I Want @ Peanut Gallery
  • Coppice and Andrew Furse present Apiary @ Packer-Schopf Gallery
  • Caleb Yono Lecture @ Julius Caesar
  • JOSHUA SAMPSON / A DEVICE FOR SEEING @ ACRE
  • Stitchy! @ Roxaboxen
  • Play: New Work by David Linneweh & Leslie Mutchler @ What it is
  • Spudnik Press Cooperative: Portfolio Review
  • Kelly Reaves

    Event Fri Nov 11 2011

    Art Around Town

    Tonight:

  • Read/Write Library Opening Celebration
  • Warrior's unite....!! @ Q4/MultiKulti
  • Division|Collective presents NETCAFE
  • Boogie Art II @ The Fountainhead
  • Marwen's Art Fair 2011
  • Amos Kennedy Print Sale & Screening of Proceed & Be Bold @ Lillstreet Art Center
  • Lift A Glass Wine Tasting & Auction @ Chicago Urban Art Society
  • Rahmaan Statik: Creative Liberation @ RGB Lounge
  • Fine Arts Building Studios' Second Fridays Open Studios
  • HOLOCENE OVERKILL @ Defibrillator Performance Art Gallery
  • Lumpen 20th Anniversary Party + Release of The Chairman @ Maria's
  • TEEBS @ Pawn Works & Lady Luck After Party @ Beauty Bar
  • Scott Jarrett: In the Lining @ Heaven
  • Art Sale @ Comet Vintage

  • Saturday:

  • Family Tattoo Art Show
  • [BUY LOCAL IN PILSEN] CRAFT FAIR @ Chicago Urban Art Society
  • "Aqua Interlude & Reflection" Glass Mosaic Project @ Columbus Dr. & Roosevelt (underpass)
  • they go on whistling @ Crawlspace
  • Faheem Majeed @ Iceberg Projects
  • Mike Pocius: Mike's Kind of Town, One Town That Won't Let You Down @ Cobalt Studio
  • COWBOY // New Work by Yasi Ghanbari @ ACRE Projects
  • CLAIRE ASHLEY: SOLO DISCO @ Happy Collaborationists
  • Comedy: Stand-Up & Improve @ Roxaboxen
  • Beverly Art Center Competition & Exhibition

  • Sunday:

  • SYMPOSIUM: THE HOME IN/AS COMMUNITY @ Hyde Park Art Center
  • The Renaissance Society's Fall Poetry Reading Series
  • Rebecca George: Bunny Paintings @ Portage ARTSpace

  • Thursday:

  • Artist Talk and Open Gallery Night: Antonia Contro @ Cultural Center
  • Kelly Reaves

    Event Fri Nov 04 2011

    Art Around Town

    Tonight:

  • MATIAS: Somewhere Between Right and Wrong There Is Nothing Left @ Alderman Exhibitions
  • Adrift @ David Weinberg Photography
  • Aftermath @ BOLT Residency Project Space
  • Brian Dettmer: Paperback @ Packer Schopf
  • Jamie Adams & jin soo kim @ Zolla/Lieberman Gallery
  • Noland + Csicsko @ Judy A. Saslow Gallery
  • Paints, pigments & knives: SOFA hospitality night
  • Dawson and Hoffman @ Addington Gallery
  • Melanie Parke: Looking Through Windows @ Anne Loucks Gallery
  • Artist Talk with Ivan Lo @ Elephant Room
  • Winter Showcase Group Art Show @ Inkling
  • CAC presents Aftermath & Pine Feather Period
  • A Paler Shade of Yellow: Larry Lee at Kirk's Apartment
  • First Friday Art Salons: Art & Technology @ Art Lab 123
  • The Female State @ Links Hall
  • Archival Impulse @ Gallery 400

  • Saturday:

  • Ron Terada: Being There @ MCA
  • Post Synapse: New Work by Joe Anderson @ Space 1858
  • Dealing with New Demands @ Comfort Station
  • Gozamos' Día de los Muertos Party @ Chicago Art Department
  • Cole Pierce & Rusty Shackleford @ Hinge Gallery

  • Sunday:

  • Mike Edison Reading // Performance // Book Launch @ The Renaissance Society
  • L. Lee Junge & M. Jackson Artist Talk @ Jackson Junge Gallery
  • Open House @ Rumble Arts
  • WAX/WANE // New work by Liz McCarthy @ ACRE
  • TWIRL // Opening Reception and Performance @ JULIUS CÆSAR
  • Kelly Reaves

    Event Fri Oct 28 2011

    Art Around Town

    Tonight:

  • South Loop Art Walk
  • Voices From the Center @ threewalls
  • Albert Oehlen: Painthing on the Möve @ Corbett vs. Dempsey
  • "CelebrARTE" honoring Latino Creativity in Chicago. ¡Sí Señor! @ Zhou B. Art Center
  • Halloween Party @ TGFKA Happy Dog (tomorrow too!)
  • Halloween Party @ Redmoon
  • Global Wake-Up Film Festival (all weekend!) @ Columbia College

  • Saturday:

  • The Future's Past | ARTIST TALK: Gallery As Studio @ Blanc Gallery
  • Real Space @ LVL3
  • Mischief Night @ Hyde Park Art Center
  • Torture Survivors: A Roundtable @ NEIU Carruthers Center for Inner City Studies
  • Element Flux Artist Talk @ Jackson Junge Gallery
  • Unfree Freedom: An Exploration of Identity in Central Europe @ Center for Book and Paper Arts
  • Halloween comic book signing and release of Dulce de Ojo @ The Elephant Room
  • Thrill the World @ Happy Collaborationists

  • Sunday:

  • Veronica Bruce Artist Talk @ Julius Caesar
  • Todd Deiderich: WE @ ACRE Projects
  • Open Studio: Torkwase Dyson @ Dorchester Projects
  • Memorial Service Recognizing the Life and Work of William Walker @ Southside Community Art Center
  • Kelly Reaves

    Film Wed Oct 26 2011

    Celluloid Salon with Chrissy Murderbot @ The Viaduct Theatre, 11/2

    Over in Transmission, Jason Olexa has the details on a pretty wacky-sounding film screening with live DJ accompaniment:

    "Hi-NRG-Disco-Booty-Jungle-Rave producer Chrissy Murderbot will be DJing a live soundtrack to a quartet of films running the gamut of a dog's quest through the afterlife in search of an orange, unintentional slapstick employee training videos, scientists, dancers, and rockets. Expect an evening where dream logic reigns supreme."

    Check it out here.

    Kelly Reaves

    Event Tue Oct 25 2011

    Violence in the Media. Violence in Our Lives.

    Last summer, the Chicago domestic violence agency Between Friends launched an awareness campaign at the Pitchfork Music Festival partially in response to the horrifically violent lyrics of the group of Odd Future. On a broader scale the campaign was meant to get music lovers talking about the impact of music on society and to create a dialogue about the prevalence of violent lyrics. Between Friends along with several partner agencies is continuing that conversation tomorrow with an event at the Hideout called "Violence in the Media. Violence in Our Lives."

    "I think this is such an important thing to be talking about because music is so prevalent in our society," says Colleen Norton, prevention & education manager at Between Friends. "I definitely do not believe that media is the culprit behind violence. I think it's the other way around. If violence wasn't so prevalent in our society, it wouldn't pop up in music as much as it does. This is why I think we need to talk about the violence that we hear in music so that we can think about what's going on in our world."

    The event will include a panel discussion with Miles Raymer from The Reader, Cyndi from Girls Rock Chicago and musicians Tim'm West and C.C. Carter. They will be discussing the responsibility of musicians and the media to curb hateful lyrics and how we can address the issues as a society. Both musician panelists will be performing plus Steve Adler (DJ the Tornado), Prevention & Education Specialist at Rape Victim Advocates, will be spinning a dub step set by all female producers/MCs.

    The event is 5:30pm to 8:30pm at the Hideout. There is a $5 suggested donation. Find out more details about the event on Facebook or on the Hideout's webpage.

    Niki Fritz

    Event Fri Oct 21 2011

    Art Around Town

    Tonight:

  • MDW Fair + Hand in Glove Conference (all weekend!)
  • Ryan Travis Christian @ Western Exhibitions
  • Fab.com 3 Day Print Sale @ Fugscreens Studios
  • 20th Anniversary Lumpen Magazine #117 Release Party @ Maria's
  • 3rd Friday / JAWAchic Opening @ Zhou B. Art Center
  • Artists Of EastBank Open Studios (all weekend!) @ Bridgeport Art Center
  • Def Jam 25: A Conversation with Bill Adler and Cey Adams @ Chicago Urban Art Society
  • Thad Kellstadt: This House Ain't a Home @ Eastern Expansion
  • Judy Natal: Future Perfect @ Co-Prosperity Sphere
  • Jason Robert Bell: I Believe in Harvey Dent or Three Months in Valparaiso @ Thomas Robertello

  • Saturday:

  • Model Citizens @ Peanut Gallery
  • DONT FRET: MAN...THE TIMES...MAN @ Maxwell Colette Gallery
  • Warehouse Junkies Vol.4 - Record Sale @ Chicago Urban Art Society
  • Release Party for PHONEBOOK 3 @ threewalls
  • Screen Printing Basics with Tara Zanzig @ Rumble Arts
  • More Supernatural Chicago @ Beverly Arts Center

  • Sunday:

  • Ancestral Footsteps @ Faie African Art Gallery/ Cottage Gallery
  • Kelly Reaves

    Art Wed Oct 19 2011

    Be (MDW) Fair or be Square

    mdwfair.jpgStarting Friday and running through this weekend, The MDW Fair presents a Fall Showcase of solo and duo exhibitions curated by small not-for-profits, artist-run spaces, independent galleries, collectives and curators from around the country. This, the second iteration of the MDW Fair runs in conjunction with The Hand in Glove Conference and will highlight innovative curatorial and administrative practices happening in independent arts initiatives. The Fall Showcase will focus on the practices of individual artists, offering the opportunity for each artist to mount an ambitious project. The Fall Showcase, like the previous MDW Fair, will also feature an independent arts publisher's forum. The fair opens this Friday from 8 to 11pm and then noon to 6pm over the weekend. More info here.

    Kelly Reaves

    Event Fri Oct 14 2011

    Art Around Town

    Tonight:

  • 1821 Hubbard St. Lofts Open House
  • ALive Installation Project @ DEFIBRILLATOR Performance Art Gallery
  • Yesterday's Losers Are Tomorrow CEO's @ Lacuna Artist Lofts & Studios
  • The 2nd Annual 50/50 Pilsen: Art Show
  • Alberto Aguilar & Michelle Harris @ Roots & Culture
  • Portraits of Afghanistan @ Elephant Room, Inc.
  • SAIC: Fall 2011 Undergraduate Exhibition @ Sullivan Galleries
  • dream, in, the, act @ Kunz, Vis, Projects
  • Live painting, live music @ Brown Rice
  • Second Friday Sale and Art Event @ Comet Vintage

  • Saturday:

  • Le Petit Monstres @ OhNo!Doom
  • Pilsen Open Studios (tomorrow too)
  • Fulton Street Collective Fall Open House
  • EXTRACT: A 2-Day Multidiscipline Art Event (tomorrow too) @ S3 Gallery
  • Opening Reception for Scott Stack and Cheryl Pope @ moniquemeloche
  • Beverly Wine & Cheese @ Beverly Arts Center
  • Worlds Collide! Closing Reception @ Carrie Secrist
  • Albany-Carroll Arts Building Open Studios (tomorrow too)
  • Evil Dead Fundraising Party for InTransit @ Peanut Gallery

  • Sunday:

  • East Garfield Artwalk
  • The COLORBORATION PROJECT @ NU Hillel
  • Kelly Reaves

    Theater Mon Oct 10 2011

    Octavarius's History Lesson: Did Mrs. O'Leary's Cow Cause the Great Chicago Fire?

    "The hot cow's back!" my friend whispered to me about 30 minutes into Octavarius: Trial of the O'Leary Cow. CowOctavarius1.jpg
    It's odd for a man dressed in a cow suit to be called "hot," but the costume worked for improv performer Nick Mikula. A member of comedy troupe Octavarius, Mikula played the title role in the show, staged on October 9--the 140th anniversary of the Great Chicago Fire.

    Continue reading this entry »

    Ruthie Kott

    Event Fri Oct 07 2011

    Art Around Town

    Tonight:

  • Mark Palmen: Geist @ The Meadow
  • New Ways: An Exhibition of Ragdale Fellowship Artists @ Coalition Gallery
  • Space Division Open Studios
  • UK/Chicago @ British Consulate Residence
  • Nancy Holt: Sightlines @ Graham Foundation
  • threewalls presents the Waldorf Panels on Sculpture @ Andrew Rafacz
  • The Future's Past: Exhibition & Installations // Opening Reception and Trolley Tour @ Blanc Gallery
  • Form in Flora II Sculpture Show (all weekend) @ Lincoln Park Conservatory
  • BLACK AND WHITE AND RED ALL OVER: Fifteen years of Alkaline Trio designs by Heather Gabel @ Johalla Projects
  • Hornswaggler Collection Exhibition @ Co-Prosperity Sphere
  • Friends of Transit Print Invitational Reception @ I am Logan Square Gallery
  • Michelle Simon: Fabulous Friends @ Inkling
  • The Jacket Show @ SmArt Gallery
  • Meat for the Siren: New Paintings by Christian Rieben @ Gallery Uno
  • Element Flux @ Jackson Junge Gallery
  • Ann Toebbe @ MCA UBS 12x12

  • Saturday:

  • Project Onward Portrait Slam @ Cultural Center
  • Mining the Wasteland: Land Art's Legacy in Contemporary Art and Politics @ Graham Foundation
  • James Gallagher: Frequent Fits @ Pawnworks
  • Jessica Taylor Caponigro: But the Dust Came In @ Happy Collaborationists
  • Songs for October, a seance with Zachary Cahill @ threewalls
  • Mandy Cano Vilalobos: Voces @ Roxaboxen Exhibitions
  • CURATORS' SHOWCASE EXHIBIT @ Arts Center, Logan Square/Avondale
  • North Park Art Walk (all weekend) @ Koh-Varilla Guild
  • Karolina Gnatowski: Tie Dyes on the Sunrise @ The Bike Room

  • Sunday:

  • Locals Only @ Peanut Gallery
  • The Caffeine Exhibit by the Breakfast Group @ Old Town Art Center
  • Ooh La La Chicago @ ARC Gallery
  • Historic Chicago Re-Imagined @ The Belmont by Reside
  • Kelly Reaves

    Art Fri Sep 30 2011

    Art on Track 2011

    By Nicolette Caldwell.

    AOT.jpg

    Thumbnail image for SIFC-GB-Featured.jpg

    September marks a special time for the visual arts in Chicago. It is the annual kick-off to what is known as the art season. Out of the many art happenings that took place this month, Art on Track might possibly be one of the most anticipated annual events. It is an intriguing combination of site-specific installations on one of the Orange Line CTA train cars circling the loop.

    Continue reading this entry »

    A/C

    Event Fri Sep 30 2011

    Art Around Town

    Tonight:

  • Arts of Life Collaboration Showcase
  • Ravenswood Artwalk (all weekend)
  • Ryan Shultz @ Studio 101
  • P3: Exhibitions For the Senses @ The Thomas Tomc Gallery
  • The Space of the Encounter @ DOVA Temporary
  • 50/50 Pilsen Craft Show (all weekend)
  • 41st Annual East Pilsen Open House
  • Voices of Resistance 10: REVISION @ Marwen
  • Write Now: Artists & Letterforms @ Chicago Cultural Center
  • Amanda Gutierrez: Land and Escape @ Cobalt Studio

  • Saturday:

  • Design Harvest Fest (today and tomorrow)
  • It Is What It Is @ SHoP
  • Open Studios @ Wolcott Studios
  • "Painted Video Session" Workshop with ED JR. @ Glass Curtain Gallery
  • Time/Space @ R&D Gallery
  • Aidan Fitzpatrick & Kasia Houlihan: BRING ME CLOSE @ Comfort Station
  • Peanut Gallery FUNdraiser Show @ Cafe Mustache
  • Roxaboxen 24 Hour Horror Film Fest: Horror 101
  • Art Depth's 2nd Annual ART PARTY & 1st open DRAW-A-THON @ Mautene Court

  • Sunday:

  • Veronica Bruce: Environmental Factors @ Julius Caesar
  • Kelly Reaves

    Event Wed Sep 28 2011

    CAM Kicks off in Ravenswood This Weekend

    RAW2011-Poster11x17-662x1024.jpgGet a head start on Chicago Artist Month this weekend with the kickoff event -- the Ravenswood Art Walk, which will feature the work of over 200 local artists, including over 40 open studios. This opening night event this Friday will also include live performances and some damn good food by some of Ravenswood's best restaurants.

    The Friday night event will kickoff at 7pm in and around the Ravenswood Event Center (4011 N. Ravenswood), with ample spillage out into the street (Ravenswood Ave. itself will be shut down between Montrose and Sunnyside for a street fair)(Stop by the GB booth!). The fun won't stop Friday, though, so make sure to stop by on Saturday and/or Sunday for more festivities. Bring the kids. Details here. MORE details, including a schedule of performances, can be found here. Click here for a map. Best of all, admission is FREE!

    Kelly Reaves

    Event Fri Sep 23 2011

    Art Around Town

    Tonight:

  • Riley Henderson: Uninhibited Parameters @ Chicago Art Department
  • Scrapbook @ The Hideout
  • Woodworked @ Chicago Urban Art Society
  • Fair Warning @ Comfort Station
  • Ladies Ring Shout: Contemporary Representations of the Black Female @ Experimental Station
  • Baroque Rock @ Defibrillator
  • ARTini: Urban Gateways Fundraiser @ Lumen
  • Stitch and Bitch/Tejer y Joder @ Antena

  • Saturday:

  • Reduction or Something Less @ LVL3
  • 002 On The Lam : Machine @ Harvey's Studio
  • Anthea Behm: Objective Confess @ Golden
  • Klein Bottle (for "The Search") @ Andrew Rafacz
  • Blast @ Beverly Art Center
  • Intimacy Issues @ The Carrousel Space Project

  • Sunday:

  • Anne-Mie Van Kerckhoven: In a Saturnian World @ Renaissance Society
  • No Place Like Home @ The Hyde Park Art Center

  • Thursday:

  • Vision and Communism @ Smart Museum
  • Kelly Reaves

    Event Fri Sep 16 2011

    Art Around Town

    Tonight:

  • UPLIFT @ Believe Inn
  • MOS Meet & Greet Gallery Show @ Zhou B. Art Center
  • Dock 6 Collective Presents Fall Design and Art Series
  • ART WAR @ Treasure Town (tonight and tomorrow)
  • OUT OF SITE: 3 CARD MOLLY -- a mobile performance along Milwaukee Ave.
  • Ballad of the Tattooed Lady: New Works by Ellen Greene @ Firecat Projects
  • ROREM/ZENDEJAS @ New Capital
  • Brilliant Corners of Popular Amusements @ Eckhart Park (all weekend)
  • Jennifer Sowinski: Knot the News You Know @ Mess Hall
  • Unveil Chicago @ The Art Museo at the InterContinental
  • Bruce Nauman: Combinations Described (Chicago) @ Donald Young
  • Group Show @ Elmhurst Art Museum

  • Saturday:

  • Stan SHELLABARGER // Gallery Talk @ Western Exhibitions
  • FLAT 10 (FBI 3) @ Floor Length N Tux
  • SPLAY Closing Party and Performance Events @ Roxaboxen Exhibitions
  • South Side Community Art Center Auction @ Blanc Gallery
  • Meeting Of Styles Chicago 2011 @ Wall of Style (today & tomorrow)
  • Coalition Arts Fair @ 91st St.
  • Paper Exhibition @ Las Manos Gallery
  • Poets @ Kunz,Vis,Projects
  • Art on Track 2011 @ Adams & Wabash CTA Platform
  • RE: CHICAGO @ Depaul Art Museum
  • Joe Zucker: The Grid Paintings @ Corbett vs. Dempsey

  • Sunday:

  • Stitchy! @ Roxaboxen Exhibitions
  • "Friday Night Somewhere" Season Finale Screening Party! @ Peanut Gallery
  • Kelly Reaves

    Event Tue Sep 13 2011

    YWCA's Screening of Miss Representation: A Humanistic Call to Action

    It would be easy to blow off Miss Representation as just another panties-in-a-bunch feminist documentary; and I imagine a good majority of the penis-clad population might do just that and not read past the word feminist. But at the risk of sounding like a naggy bitch, please don't. Miss Representation is not just another "Annie get you guns" feminist mantra meant only to enrage the vags and turn us all into lesbians. Miss Representation is the story about our society; it is a story about the increasingly bruised and bloody relationships between the media and the women; and the lesson of this story is how shitty media hurts vags and penises alike. So if you have a vagina or just love vaginas in all their equal glory, this documentary is your story as well.

    Newest Miss Representation Trailer (2011 Sundance Film Festival Official Selection) from Miss Representation on Vimeo.

    Through simple facts, complex personal stories and embarrassingly real media clips, Miss Representation shows how the media is permanently damaging the self esteem and future of hundreds girls in direct and indirect, obvious and subtle, disturbing and accepted ways. But beyond telling the story, the movie tell viewers to stop whining about the insanity of man-made media, stop accepting Barbie (or Bratz dolls for the newer generations) as inevitable and make a change, particularly through their own traitorous wallets.

    In hopes of inspiring the women of Chicago to act, the YWCA put together a screening of the new documentary. The first screening sold out in weeks, so the YWCA put together another screening, which sold out as well. The packed house at last Thursday's showing included Joycelyn Winneke from the Tribune, Shia Kapos from Crain's as well as an entire Girl Scout troop. They were all there to see the show but also to make a change.

    Continue reading this entry »

    Niki Fritz / Comments (1)

    Event Fri Sep 09 2011

    Art Around Town

    Alright, guys. This is it. This is a big weekend for gallery openings, with many (most?) of them kicking off their fall programming with the best of the best tonight. If you only make it out art-hopping once this year, go tonight.

    Tonight:

  • Michael Hunter: Isn't It Always @ Alderman Exhibitions
  • Nathan Vernau: Lovesick @ Robert Bills Contemporary
  • Overkill @ The Mission Projects
  • Public School Presents: Homework @ The Family Room
  • Zachary Cahill: USSA 2012: The Orphanage Project @ threewalls
  • Angel Otero: The Dangerous Ability To Fascinate Other People @ Kavi Gupta
  • Stan Shellabarger & Maria Petschnig @ Western Exhibitions
  • Andrew Holmquist: WORLDS COLLIDE! @ Carrie Secrist
  • Harrison, Peltz, Smithenry @ Packer Schopf
  • Steve Hough: Solid Space Liminal @ Zg Gallery
  • Rob Carter: Culte @ ebersmoore
  • Young Contemporaries @ CourtneyBlades
  • Barbara Kasten: Ineluctable @ Tony Wight Gallery
  • Bret Slater: Multinous @ Thomas Robertello Gallery
  • Jason Robert Bell: Mystical Outlaw Rebel / Baaddaasss Drawings @ Thomas Robertello Gallery
  • Dan Gunn @ moniquemeloche
  • Ronald Clayton: Keys, Marks and Signs & Julia Katz: Maelstrom @ Addington Gallery
  • All That Also Means To See @ Woman Made Gallery
  • Picture Framing @ 65GRAND
  • Jason Lazarus & Cody Hudson @ Andrew Rafacz Gallery
  • Jacob C. Hammes & Lisa Rybovich-Crallé @ Roots & Culture
  • Pre-Renegade Party and Print Sale featuring Moveable Type @ Rar Rar's Workshop
  • Painting Under the Lines: Video Paintings by Nathan Peck @ Chicago Art Department
  • Mutualisms @ Co-Prosperity Sphere
  • 15th Annual Artist Made Kite Exhibit @ August House Studio

  • Saturday:

  • Daniel Baird and Russell Leng: Ruins @ Hungry Man Gallery
  • Beach Party IV: Forbidden Pair of Dice (The Final Chapter) @ The Hills
  • Jake Myers: Suburban Commando @ Happy Collaborationists
  • The Free Store 2011 @ ACRE Projects
  • Kaylee Rae Wyant: The Spoon River @ Lloyd Dobler Gallery
  • AIR: tasteless, odorless, colorless @ SideCar
  • Jeffrey Forsythe & Dan Tague: The Value of Greed @ Hinge Gallery

  • Sunday:

  • WISHYOUWEREHERE @ ADDS DONNA
  • Mutualisms Symposium @ Co-Prosperity Sphere
  • dimensional lines: art + dress @ Evanston Art Center
  • 9/11 Exhibit Reception and Commemoration @ South Shore Arts
  • ...and there are surely many more I've missed. Check back on us in a few days -- A/C's newest contributor Natalie Edwards and I will have a recap of the opening chaos, including our two cents on the art we were able to catch glances of while smooshed amongst the drunken hordes.

    Kelly Reaves

    Event Wed Sep 07 2011

    Fashion's Night Out Hits Chicago

    Although Fashion's Night Out began in New York City, the event has quickly spread across the country as a way to celebrate the artistry of the designer and the return of fall. Chicago's Fashion's Night Out promises to be the most eclectic and broad celebration the city has seen (especially with celebrations at new British arrivals such as AllSaints and Topshop). Below are some recommended events taking place tomorrow in the city, beginning tomorrow at 6pm. More information about Fashion's Night Out and additional events taking place throughout the city is available here.

    brad.jpg
    Fame, Fashion & Flavor: 900's Night Out
    900 North Michigan Shops
    This event -- hosted by Brad Gorecki of The Rachel Zoe Project -- includes a beauty bazaar with mini manicures, massages, eyelash extensions, brow waxing, and hair styling from Mario Tricoci Hair Salon & Day Spa and Bloomingdale's. Guests may also taste food from local restaurants such as prasino and Cibo Matto and craft beers from BridgePort Brewing Company and Trumer Pils. Additional activities include personal styling, a photo booth, and a flash fashion show with clothing from Mark Shale and Bloomingdale's, among others.

    AllSaints Chicago
    700 N. Michigan Ave.
    Featuring DJ Avi Sic, this celebration at the newly opened British import includes complimentary cocktails from Tanteo, the chance to create digital flipbooks, and a 20 percent discount on items throughout the store.

    Chanel
    935 N. Michigan Ave.
    Guests can pick up the newest CHANEL Nail Colour Collection, Les Jeans de Chanel -- created exclusively for Fashion's Night Out by Peter Philips, Creative Director of CHANEL Makeup. These colors, inspired by traditional denim fabric, will be offered along with complimentary mini manicures.

    Continue reading this entry »

    Britt Julious / Comments (1)

    Event Wed Sep 07 2011

    Art, War, Tolstoy & Tamales

    ART WAR | September 16 & 17 from David Burkart on Vimeo.

    This is not your mother's art exhibit, it is an event. An art attack. An art war.

    In fact, this two-day event is called ART WAR, and it is the first in a series of new explorations of the forces behind art. ART WAR, inspired by Tolstoy's writings of civil disobedience & non-violence, will involve the 7,000 square foot loft in Little Village known as Treasure Town being filled with artworks by over 100 artists from all backgrounds. From interactive installations to an entire circus, a dance war with fake blood on a blank canvas to the most inspiring local musicians, ART WAR promises to "not say what we do not think or feel."

    Admission is a suggested 5-10 dollar donation, and every dollar earned goes directly to the contributing artists & future like-minded shows. This event will take place September 16 & 17 at Treasure Town Loft. Details can be found on Facebook. PS: The Tamale Guy will be there. Bring your hungry pants.

    Kelly Reaves

    Event Fri Sep 02 2011

    Art Around Town

    Tonight:

  • Andrea Jablonski & Carolyn Kelley: Arts of Life Kickoff @ Kinzie Studio/Gallery (2010 W. Carroll Ave.)
  • Exquisite Corpse @Fulton Street Collective
  • Laura Berger: Secret Sideshow @ Hazel
  • Marcus Johnson & Alyssa Miserendino: Photo Show @ Flat Iron
  • Fresh Prints @ Star Coffee
  • Hereafterfest 2011 @ Heaven
  • Chicago Jazzfest afterfest @ Logan Square Arts Center (all weekend)
  • African Festival of the Arts @ Washington Park (all weekend)
  • Goshi Pop Up Art Show by Join Creative
  • Roxaboxen Fundraiser: Xina Xurner, Mr. 666, JEROME BAEZ, Panthervision

  • Saturday:

  • Maria's Anniversary Party @ Maria's & Co-Prosperity Sphere
  • Brent Houzenga: Remixed Remains @ Pawn Works
  • UBS 12 × 12: New Artists/New Work: Dan Gunn @ MCA
  • Happy Collaborationists w/ Claire Ashley @ Temporary Allegiance
  • End of Summer/Back To School Street Fest @ Urban Art Rereat
  • EQ - Skyn Deep IV "FH2T" Design Competition Opening Reception @ RGB Lounge

  • Sunday:

  • Steven Husby: RUBICON @ Julius Caesar
  • STRÖBEL/travis (closing reception for NEW CATALOGUE/KANDIS WILLIAMS) @ New Capital
  • JETTISON Fall 2011 Issue Release / What's Happening!! @ Longman & Eagle

  • Thursday:

  • CoLaboratory @ Glass Curtain Gallery

  • Kelly Reaves

    Art Thu Sep 01 2011

    What's Happening with Jettison Quarterly

    293173_2063371377797_1050115437_31872774_4933378_n.1.jpg
    Local online and print art publication Jettison Quarterly made a splash at NEXT as part of the larger Art Chicago weekend with their newly formatted print edition of the magazine. Their latest issue -- featuring artist Scott Reeder and former MCA curator Tricia Van Eck -- promises to deliver on locally focused news, art and culture. To celebrate their latest release, the publication will be joining Old Style and Longman & Eagle for a free block party on Kedzie and Schubert. The event will feature a pig roast and dance party with tunes spun by DJs from the ever-popular Windy City Soul Club. The What's Happening!! block party takes place this Sunday, September 4 from 4pm to 10pm.

    Additional copies of Jettison Quarterly will be available Sept. 9 at the Kavi Gupta gallery as part of the opening night for the fall art season, the Renegade Craft Fair on Sept. 10-11, and at various cafes and venues in the city.

    Britt Julious

    Event Tue Aug 30 2011

    MDW Part Two + Hand-in-Glove Conference

    mdwfair_banner2.jpg

    The wildly popular and successful MDW Fair of last spring is happening again this October 21-23 at the Geolofts. Formed as a collaborative project between the Public Media Institute, Roots & Culture and threewalls, the MDW Fair was conceived as a showcase for independent art initiatives, spaces, galleries and artist groups from the Chicago metropolitan area -- basically what NEXT was eight or nine years ago, but on a larger scale.

    Continue reading this entry »

    Kelly Reaves

    Event Fri Aug 26 2011

    Art Around Town

    Tonight:

  • SPLAY @ Roxaboxen Exhibitions
  • Lillstreet International Juried Exhibition: Below The Surface
  • Katherine M. Webb: Live Human Target @ Kruger Gallery
  • Joseph Ravens (performance) @ The Polish Triangle
  • All Eyes on Art @ The Boulevard Bash (Logan Square) (All Weekend)
  • Debbie Vasquez & Robert Verran: Arts of Life Exhibit @ minibar Ultra Lounge & Cafe
  • FMEL Workshop "Circuit Bending" by Juanjose Rivas (Dorkbot) @ National Museum of Mexican Arts
  • Slip N Slide: Multi Media Summer Event @ Prak-sis Back yard

  • Saturday:

  • Unspoken Words Art Showcase presented by One Heart One Soul @ Firecat Projects
  • HEROIC: PLEASE! A Night of Performances and Dance party @ Defibrillator Performance Art Gallery
  • Awakenings Exhibit sponsored by "Active Minds" @ Illinois Institute of Technology's Hermann Hall
  • FMEL Video Proyección : "Frontier Life" @ National Museum of Mexican Art
  • Art On The Lawn @ the coach house
  • Trash & Treasures Low Brow Art Show & Garage Sale behind Revolution Tattoo
  • Food Truck Social @ Ashland & Chicago
  • This is the Same as That @ LVL3
  • Juanjose Rivas (performance) @ The Nightingale
  • Bucktown Arts Fest (today and tomorrow)

  • Sunday:

  • Moving Design and Comfort Station present Fair Warning
  • SCULPTURE GARDEN/PAINTING SHOW @ Iceberg Projects
  • Volker Saul + Timothy Bergstrom @ devening projects + editions

  • Thursday:

  • Talking Pictures @ 23 E. Madison (Pop-Up)
  • Kelly Reaves

    Dance Wed Aug 24 2011

    Dance, Dance, Revolution: Five Years of the Chicago Dancing Festival

    FES090818_tr0548.jpg

    Todd Rosenberg Photography

    Sunlight filtered in through the windows of the Ruth Page Center for the Arts. Like past dance companies, the River North Chicago Dance Company used the cozy rehearsal space to finalize 9-Person Precision Ball Passing, a company premiere by Charlie Moulton. Nine dancers stood on a set of black stairs performing a largely upper-body based routine featuring repetitive hand gestures and minor juggling feats with colored balls. The entire routine looked not unlike the clapping games little children practice on school playgrounds.

    On the surface, the movements appear simple, but a closer examination demonstrates how the movements grow increasingly more complicated rhythmically as the routine progresses. Stay calm and carry on was the motto of the routine as additional pressure to stay on the varying beat of the accompanying music demonstrated the various manifestations of contemporary dance.

    Continue reading this entry »

    Britt Julious

    Interview Wed Aug 24 2011

    Not So Starving Artists

    starvingartist.jpg

    A burlesque dancer at "Starving Artist". Photo by Andrew Huff.

    The Chicago Artist's Coalition hosted a swanky event last Thursday called "Starving Artist" -- essentially a benefit for the CAC -- where eight Chicago's top chefs and artists were paired up to create a "unique sensory experience," inspired by each other's work. One sixtyblue pastry chef Hillary Blanchard-Rikower was paired with Lauren Brescia, avec's Koren Grieveson was paired with Tim Anderson, The Girl & The Goat's Stephanie Izard was paired with Richard Hull and Province's Randy Zwieban was paired with Judy Ledgerwood.

    The results were delicious, both gastronomically and visually. Between finger foods and swigs of champagne, I spoke with each of the artists about their experiences working on this project. (Read interviews with the chefs over in Drive-Thru.)

    Continue reading this entry »

    Kelly Reaves

    Art Mon Aug 22 2011

    Hennessey Youngman at the Museum of Contemporary Art

    youngman.jpgInfluential humorist and art commentator Hennessey Youngman will visit the Windy City on September 7 to join "The Dialogue," an annual live-chat panel on "museums, diversity, and inclusion" at the Museum of Contemporary Art Theater. This year's event with Youngman will focus on Millennials and their effect on museum issues, alongside "Chicago's Commissioner of Cultural Affairs, Michelle T. Boone, and our newest curator, Naomi Beckwith, formerly of The Studio Museum in Harlem." While some concerns with Youngman's gender politics have been voiced among those in the art crowd, his highly entertaining video segments are largely appreciated for gleefully punching holes in otherwise hyper-serious art world conventions. The MCA's press materials describe Youngman as "You Tube's most followed art theorist," and points out Art in America's description of his satirical Art Thoughtz program performances as "Ali G with an MFA."

    The characterization seems apt. In response to this writer's recent romantic breakup and search for art to make/look at appropriate to the moment, Youngman had the following hilarious advice (intentional spelling errors and grammatical breakages left in): "Break up art? Break into her/his house and lay naked in their bed until they come home from work and recite TLC's "Waterfalls" while they call the police. Videotape the whole ordeal, show the video of you waiting in bed on one channel projected onto the wall, then the police beating and crying on another channel, but way smaller. This way, the audience connects more with your interpretation of your ex's arrival, and your humiliation is underplayed and dismissible, also take every Macbook photobooth photo you've ever taken with them and make a rapid slideshow of the images to enduce nausia."

    The Museum of Contemporary Art, 220 E. Chicago Ave. Program and reception $35. Program only: nonmembers $10; MCA members $8; students $6. If you can't make it to the live event, check out the Live Tweet at @mcachicago, using the #thedialogue to participate in the conversation via tweet. Twitter comments can also be followed live during the event at the MCA's website.

    Youngman's You Tube channel home is here, and the announcement on the MCA Chicago's site is here.

    Photo courtesy of Hennessey Youngman

    Michael Workman

    Event Fri Aug 19 2011

    Art Around Town

    Tonight:

  • Preview & Time Signatures @ CAC
  • Ken Minami: Still Life into Real Life @ Packer Schopf Gallery
  • Alberto Paniaya: Consequence @ 33 Contemporary Gallery
  • Dariusz Labuzek @ Chicago Art Matrix Gallery
  • The Glenwood Avenue Arts Fest (all weekend)
  • free / not free @ The Center on Halsted
  • Film Screening/last show at Nudge

  • Saturday:

  • Unisono @ Zocalo
  • If and Only If - Necessary and Sufficient Works by Ruyell Ho @ The Bike Room
  • Kegger Benefit for Comfort Station

  • Thursday:

  • Atomic Sketch @ Greeneye
  • Kelly Reaves

    Literary Thu Aug 18 2011

    9/11 Stories at Webster's Wine Bar & Uncommon Ground

    Everybody has a 9/11 story. That morning as I rode the Red Line to work, I wrote in my journal about the countdown to my impending wedding scheduled for that Saturday. "Just four more days," I wrote in anticipation, "and I'll be married." When I got to work my colleagues were clustered around the television in the reception area, eyes glued to the now iconic image of the World Trade Center up in smoke. I knew that very instant that my wedding would, at best, have to be postponed. I called my mother in tears before the first tower fell, sobbing openly within the flimsy confines of my cubicle and not giving a damn who heard me. Work closed early, and I got a ride home in the backseat of a colleague's car. Traffic was heavy; everyone was leaving work. I cried the whole way home. I sat on my couch and didn't move for hours, eyes glued to the television, absorbing the horrors of what was happening.

    Having grown up in Brooklyn, I felt an overwhelming urge to take every last penny that my fiancé and I had saved for our honeymoon and send it to the Red Cross, keeping just enough to get on the next Greyhound bus bound for New York to volunteer to do whatever I could. My fiancé convinced me not to send all of our money, and the talking heads on TV convinced me that unless I had a specific service that I could offer -- emergency psychiatry, for instance -- that I'd just be a burden arriving in New York at that particular moment. In the end I gave $300 to the Red Cross, and stayed in Chicago, and cried. I cried at home, I cried openly in the streets, I cried in the shower. On September 15, 2001, which should have been my wedding day, I woke to a gorgeous blue sky, and a perfect, sunny day. My fiancé went to work; and I hung out at the shop with him. Someone asked when we were getting married, "it was supposed to be today," I said.

    Continue reading this entry »

    J.H. Palmer

    Event Tue Aug 16 2011

    Art You Can Eat

    starving.jpg

    (left) one sixtyblue Pastry Chef Hillary Blanchard-Rikower and
    (right) Artist Lauren Brescia. Photo by Jon Shaft Photography.

    This Thursday the Chicago Artists Coalition is putting on an event pairing local visual artists with local chefs in which they create original works (food & art) inspired by one another's aesthetic. The artwork created will be exhibited and auctioned at the event, while the chefs' creations are eaten. Sorry, chefs.

    Tickets aren't cheap -- $100 for CAC members, $125 for the rest of us, $150 at the door -- but it should be a great opportunity for hobnobbing and stuffing your face with some of the best food Chicago has to offer. For more information, click here.

    Kelly Reaves

    Benefit Mon Aug 15 2011

    Kegs Stands for Comfort Station

    kegger.jpgThere's a lot going on this weekend but if you haven't cemented your Saturday plans yet, consider going to Comfort Station's kegger. Perhaps the best (and most obvious) abandoned-building-turned-art space ever, Comfort Station took over the little building in the heart/crotch of Logan Square that was vacant for so long, it became invisible to most of us.

    Their party this Saturday will feature music, food by Homage Street food truck, face-painting, croquet, ping-pong, quirky film and slide show screenings, and, of course, good-ole' outdoor boozing. A suggested $10 donation gets you a cup for a night of Revolution beer. All proceeds from your donation benefit Comfort Station -- they're raising funds for storm windows to extend their active year into the cooler months and track lighting to keep spotlights on the artwork.

    The party is this Saturday, August 20 from 6pm to midnight-ish at Comfort Station: The Keel/Coulson Sideyard @ 3016 W. Logan Blvd. For details, click here.

    Kelly Reaves

    Event Fri Aug 12 2011

    Art Around Town

    Tonight:

  • Birthday @ Peanut Gallery
  • BUILT Festival (tonight and tomorrow) @ 1767 N. Milwaukee
  • Janice Trecker: Jolt @ Eastern Espansion
  • Thee End Puppetry Troupe with Avant Pop & Folk Music @ Ball Hall

  • Saturday:

  • Garden Craft & Art Fair @ Global Coffee and Cargo
  • Exhibition Closing/ DVD Release/ Performance @ Andrew Rafacz
  • ETERNITY - The Rave and Club Flyer Collection of Bridgette Buckley @ The Storefront
  • Debutante Barbecue and Reading @ Happy Dog Gallery

  • Sunday:

  • Stitchy! @ Roxaboxen Exhibitions

  • Thursday:

  • Byron Gin and Heather Hancock: Lake Effects @ Uncommon Ground
  • Kelly Reaves

    Art Thu Aug 11 2011

    Shipping and Handling: BUILT Festival

    built-poster-Lowres-728x1024.jpg
    Although the more underground, independent, and emerging Chicago art scenes and artists might be overshadowed by larger fairs and urban coasts, alternative events still foster and support local practitioners. BUILT Festival, a two-day event founded by Chicago artists Tristan J.M. Hummel and co-produced by David Dvorak, allows contemporary artists and curators the space to transform unusual, transportable, and seemingly temporary environments - shipping containers - into alternative and guerrilla venues in an empty lot on Milwaukee avenue.

    The theme for this initial festival is "urban culture" and audiences will get the chance to witness more than 100 projects, exhibitions, and performances inside and surrounding these containers from local spaces and institutions such as the Chicago Urban Art Society, Spudnik Press, and the Chicago Artists Coalition. In addition to the array of visual and performative art projects, visitors can listen to music by musicians and DJ's such as White Mystery, Raj Mahal, and Tim Zawada.

    Tickets for BUILT Festival can be purchased online or at the door for $10. All-weekend BUILT VIP passes are also available online today and include $6 worth of drink tickets. BUILT Festival takes place in the empty lot at 1767 N. Milwaukee this Friday from 5:00pm-10:30pm and Saturday from 12:00pm-10:30pm.

    Britt Julious

    Event Fri Aug 05 2011

    Art Around Town

    Tonight:

  • Art Bazaar @ Black Cloud Gallery
  • Matt Irie: You are the Vanishing Point @ ebersmoore
  • Process @ Make Space
  • Anna Elizabeth Moore @ MCA 12x12
  • Movie Mojo Film Series @ Cultural Center
  • Sound Craft Series 2: All Night Dub Sessions @ Impala Gallery

  • Saturday:

  • Public Collectors: Underground Music Fanzines from the 80s/90s @ The Storefront
  • The Toy Formerly Known As... @ Slow

  • Sunday:

  • Tim Burtonwood (artist talk) @ Hinge Gallery

  • Monday:

  • Peanut Sounds @ Peanut Gallery

  • Tuesday:

  • Platypus Radical Bourgeois Philosophy Film Screenings @ SAIC
  • Kelly Reaves

    Event Sat Jul 30 2011

    2011 Black Women's Expo

    For Chicago's African-American community, The Black Women's Expo is one of the most anticipated events of the year. Now in its 18th year, the expo, a premiere showcase in culture, professional empowerment, seminars, entertainment and celebrity guests, returns next weekend to the McCormick Place.

    Some of this year's highlights include "The MAC Experience: From Struggle to Fame," a conversation about the late Bernie Mac and his impact on Chicago and the world of comedy; "From 'Bad Girl' to Great Woman: The Reel on Reality TV," with Chicago's Tiffany Davis, star of Oxygen's "Bad Girl's Club" and "A Conversation with Regina Taylor," a forum featuring the critically acclaimed actress who also serves as an Artistic Associate at the Goodman Theatre.

    The Black Women's Expo will be held at the McCormick Place, 2301 S. Lake Shore Drive, Saturday, Aug. 6, 10am-8pm and Sunday, Aug. 7, 11am-7pm. Tickets are $10 for adults; $5 for children and seniors. For more information about other events during the expo weekend, visit the website or contact 312-454-6100.

    LaShawn Williams

    Event Fri Jul 29 2011

    Art Around Town

    Tonight:

  • Stephen Coorlas and Dominic Peternel: Calculated Aesthetic image @ Alderman Exhibitions
  • This Means A Lot @ LOOSE SPACE
  • Paris - Chicago: In Transit @ ARC Gallery
  • Stephen Coorlas & Dominic Peternel: Calulated Aesthetic @ Alderman Exhibitions
  • Reframing Ruin: a Prelude to the Bloomingdale Trail photo exhibit @ Milwaukee Ave Arts Fest

  • Saturday:

  • Skewville: Not My Type @ Pawnworks
  • Putney Swope @ Octagon Gallery
  • Peruvian Independence Day Party @ Rio's D'Sudamerica Restaurant

  • Sunday:

  • Holly Murkerson: Landlocked Blue @ Julius Cæsar
  • Undomesticated @ 2787 N Milwaukee Ave.

  • Thursday:

  • Chi-Town Chefs Cook Out @ Campbell Co-Op Garden
  • Kelly Reaves

    Theater Tue Jul 26 2011

    Manual Cinema Presents ADA/AVA

    horizontalshadowhand.jpg

    Fans of unconventional theater take note: Chicago's got a new shadow puppet show.

    Experimental multimedia puppetry group Manual Cinema presents ADA/AVA, its first evening-length original shadow puppetry work, at the Charnel House (3421 W. Fullerton) this Thursday, July 28 through Sunday the 31st. Manual Cinema combines overhead projector shadow puppetry, actors in silhouette, and live music performance to create handmade, cinematic stories exploring new frontiers of immersive storytelling.

    Continue reading this entry »

    Kelly Reaves / Comments (1)

    Event Fri Jul 22 2011

    Art Around Town

    Tonight:

  • New Catalogue and Kandis Williams @ New Capital
  • Heaven Gallery turns 11 @ Heaven Gallery
  • No Coast Outré Presents: Carnaval Croquant @ Belmont Army
  • Reggae Church Fundraiser
  • Color Scheming @ Chicago Artist's Coalition
  • AREA #11:im/migrations Release Party @ Calles Y Sueños

  • Saturday:

  • I'm Happy, and I'm Singing @ Comfort Station
  • Zoe Strauss: On The Beach: Works in Progress Slideshows @ iceberg projects
  • Marissa Perel: For a long time, all I could do was surrender. @ Spoke

  • Thursday:

  • You Should Come: One Night Only @ Roxaboxen Exhibitions
  • Kelly Reaves

    Event Fri Jul 15 2011

    Art Around Town

    Tonight:

  • Animality @ DOVA Temporary
  • Keepin' it Real @ HungryMan Gallery
  • Philip von Zweck @ 65GRAND
  • Clyde Angel, Gérard Sendrey and the artists of Thresholds: Inspired @ Judy Saslow Gallery
  • 7th Annual National Self-Portrait Exhibition @ 33 Contemporary
  • Jeremy Tubbs: Holding Power @ Jennifer Norback Fine Art Inc.

  • Saturday:

  • ADDIS EXPERIENCE @ Co-Prosperity Sphere
  • Roe Ethridge, Margarete Jakschik and Jonas Wood @ Shane Campbell Gallery
  • A Small Forest @ Kunsthalle New
  • Josh Simpson (Artist Talk) @ Block Museum

  • Sunday:

  • Simon Ingram and Doug Melini: Au Plein Air @ The Suburban
  • Aron Gent: Not Quite As Good Because of You @ Hyde Park Art Center
  • Karolina Gnatowski and Diana Guerrero-Maciá: Sea Change @ The Meadow
  • Lori Felker: Zummertapez (screening) @ Roots & Culture
  • Kelly Reaves

    Art Tue Jul 12 2011

    Opening Reception: Keepin' It Real

    michelle.jpg

    This Friday HungryMan Gallery presents the group show Keepin' it Real, featuring the work of Petra Cortright, Thomson Dryjanski, Derek Frech and Bob Myaing, Aaron Graham, and Mac Katter.

    The relevancy of internet context within a physical exhibition is a new challenge for our generation of art makers and curators. Keepin' it Real examines the possibilities and difficulties presented by work that exists in dual realms, the physical and the digital, as well as the opportunities and limitations of a curatorial process entirely reliant on e-mail, chat and internet surfing.

    Opening Reception 7 - 11pm, this Friday July 15
    Closing Reception 4 - 7pm, Sunday August 21
    Open Sundays 12 - 5pm

    Michelle D. Villarreal

    Event Fri Jul 08 2011

    Art Around Town

    Tonight:

  • You Better Be Listening: Text in Self-Taught Art @ Intuit
  • Michael Dinges: Artifacts from the Recent Present @ Chicago Cultural Center
  • Group Show @ Packer-Schopf Gallery
  • Mark Handforth Plaza Project @ Museum of Contemporary Art
  • Dominick Di Meo: Transfer @ Corbett vs. Dempsey
  • Sioban Lombardi and Gwendolyn Zabicki: The Exceptional Ordinary @ Robert Bills Contemporary
  • Destineez Child and BEAST @ New Capital
  • Samuel D. York @ Courtney Blades

  • Saturday:

  • RINGO FEST @ Co-Prosperity Sphere
  • This Things I Believe: 30 Artists. 30 Minutes. No Censorship. @ Happy Dog Gallery
  • Part Wolf @ What It Is
  • Space Out, Space In @ Andrew Rafacz Gallery
  • Kaugummi Books Retrospective @ Golden Age
  • People Don't Like to Read Art @ Western Exhibitions

  • Sunday:

  • US @ BEN RUSSELL
  • Kelly Reaves

    Benefit Wed Jul 06 2011

    Nursing Back the Conservatory

    conservatory.jpg

    photo courtesy of the Garfield Park Conservatory

    In case you haven't heard, the illustrious Garfield Park Conservatory was severely damaged by the hailstorm last Thursday, and The Hideout is hosting a special Soup and Bread benefit program tonight to help fund the cleanup and repairs. If you've been to the conservatory, you love it. If you've been to The Hideout, you probably love it, too. Why not stop by tonight (5:30 - 8pm) and stuff your face for a good cause? Details here.

    Kelly Reaves

    Event Sun Jul 03 2011

    Out in Chicago at the Chicago History Museum

    Pride Week in Chicago is a great time for individuals to learn more about Chicago's gay community. But the buck shouldn't stop there. In these post "Pride" weeks, make a plan to stop by an LGBT awareness exhibit currently running at the Chicago History Museum called Out in Chicago .

    This exhibit covers 150 years of Chicago's LGBT history while utilizing four artistic themes to present that history, individuals and their bodies, family and home, communities, and political action.

    The exhibit opened in May and has been covered by the Sun Times and ABC news, among other media outlets. General admission is $14 but is free for members. The exhibit will run at the Chicago History Museum until March 26, 2012.

    Katie Richardson

    Event Sat Jun 25 2011

    Art You Can't Find Anywhere Else

    GPARSBT.jpg

    Tomorrow afternoon the Hyde Park Art Center hosts part four in their series of neighborhood-centric gallery tours -- Artist-Run Spaces in Garfield Park. Hop on your bike and explore the warehouse artist studios and artist run spaces on the west side. Starting at noon at my favorite coffee shop, The Star Lounge (2521 W. Chicago), the tour will visit some of the city's newest exhibition venues and see the work of emerging artists, followed by a barbecue (at my house!). Visit hydeparkart.org for details (the site says the tour is over at 3 but a little bird (and a bunch of fliers) told me it goes 'till 6pm).

    Kelly Reaves

    Event Fri Jun 24 2011

    Art Around Town

    Tonight:

  • DEVILCHILD @ Impala Gallery
  • Eija-Liisa Ahtila: The House @ The Art Institute of Chicago
  • SUMMER 2011: TRANSITION @ The Mission
  • Salvador Jiménez Flores: Plugged Out @ Antena
  • Untitled Document @ Tony Wight Gallery
  • Rafaël Rozendaal (artist's talk) @ The Nightingale
  • Cut, Bit and Curious @ Spudnik Press
  • Michael Sirianni: CTRL @ Johalla Projects
  • Clown Soldier as The Human Cannon Ball @ Pawn Works

  • Saturday:

  • See Me Better Mural Unveiling @ 1528 S. Christiana
  • ACRE Block Party @ ACRE Projects
  • Cameron Crawford: Babies. Babies. No Babies. (armpit) @ PEREGRINEPROGRAM

  • Sunday:

  • Garfield Park Artist-Run Spaces Bike Tour

  • Wednesday:

  • Unfold, apart and together @ GOLDEN

  • Thursday:

  • Go Figure @ Smart Museum of Art
  • Kelly Reaves

    Event Thu Jun 23 2011

    WI Rise Up: An Art In These Times Exhibition

    union made.jpgTonight at 7pm, Art In These Times, the community gallery at In These Times' office (2040 N. Milwaukee Ave.), presents a new exhibition of posters and photographs from ongoing labor demonstrations in Wisconsin that began on February 14, 2011. The exhibition is a collaboration with Nicolas Lampert and will feature prints and placards he has collected as an active participant in the labor and community rallies in Madison. The Hard Times Trio, a jazz group which performs classic labor songs, will perform. The artwork will be on display through the summer and fall.

    The exhibition features screenprints and off-set posters from rallies in Madison and Milwaukee and features prints by Nicolas Lampert, Colin Matthes, Eric Drooker, Jesus Barraza, Josh MacPhee, Jesse Graves and others. The photography of Lauren Cumbia (who co-organizes the gallery space with Daniel Tucker), Brandon Pittser and the Public Collectors archive will also be exhibited.

    Check out this recent report from Wisconsin by curator Nicolas Lampert and Dan S. Wang for more information about the movement to defend collective bargaining rights.

    Kelly Reaves

    Fashion Thu Jun 23 2011

    A Luxury Pop-Up Shop

    image002.jpg
    For the vintage-oriented fashion fan, Chicago has finally started to host a round of exclusive pop-up shops, group sales, and special events to cater to this ever-growing market. Cult-favorite independent boutique Sofia is one of the city's most reliable sources for that perfect combination of contemporary labels and high-crafted vintage statement pieces.

    For their latest event, the store welcomes Luxury Garage Sale for a pop-up store inside of the boutique. Luxury Garage Sale features new or gently used contemporary and designer clothing, artwork, and other items for the home. Featuring designer clothing, jewelry, and handbags, the sale begins today and lasts through Sunday at 5pm.

    Sofia is located at 72 East Oak Street. The store is open 11am to 7pm, Thursday through Saturday, and on Sunday from 12pm to 5pm.

    Britt Julious

    Benefit Wed Jun 22 2011

    Graffiti for Good

    302.jpg

    Photo courtesy of Graffiti Zone.

    Four youth winners of Graffiti Zone's Next Top Artist Contest will be honored tomorrow night at GZ's Spring Fundraiser. The event will take place at Chicago Urban Arts Society: 2229 S. Halsted from 6 to 9pm. Hosted by Chicago hip hop performer Philip Morris, described as "one of the ultimate word smiths of hip-hop (Skope Magazine)," the evening will feature catering by Green Cuisine, open bar, silent auction and performances by Opera-Matic with sound by Mark Messing. Ample free parking is available behind the building off of Cermak. Tickets are $35 at the door, or online at graffitizone.org. All proceeds to benefit Graffiti Zone, a five-year old non-profit arts organization serving kids from Humboldt Park. More info about the fundraiser can be found here.

    Kelly Reaves

    Event Fri Jun 17 2011

    Art Around Town

    Tonight:

  • File Type @ Gallery 400
  • Video Playlist: Intimate Civics and Everyday Explorers @ Museum of Contemporary Photography
  • Hang in There @ Co-Prosperity Sphere
  • New Works: Micheal McGuire, Doug Britt Reyes, Michelle Peterson Albandoz @ Las Manos Gallery
  • Wet Paint: Two @ Zhou B. Art Center
  • Sweet Tooth Bake Sale/Exhibition/Benefit @ Chicago Urban Art Society
  • Impetus @ 33 Contemporary

  • Saturday:

  • Tola Brennan: The great reification of the interior territories @ The Nicole Villeneuve Gallery
  • Minor Art Attack Craft Fair @ Phee Funhouse (2055 W. Erie)
  • Pandora's Box: Joseph Cornell Unlocks the MCA Collection @ Museum of Contemporary Art
  • Victor Yañez Lazcano: [ALMOST][ABSOLUTELY] @ Mess Hall
  • Instruction Sets @ Autumn Space
  • Hope Esser and Christalena Hughmanick: retracing @ Murdertown
  • Brian Khek and Micah Schippa: 24:7 LX @ Kunsthalle New
  • What's My Line? @ Roots & Culture
  • Olivia Swider and Julia Asherman: HeartBrainLungGut @ Pentagon

  • Sunday:

  • Val Magarian: Blips & Hiccups @ ACRE Projects

  • Thursday:

  • Running Room @ A+D Gallery
  • Kelly Reaves

    Design Tue Jun 14 2011

    Get Your Guerrilla On Tonight

    truck.jpg
    truckshow.jpg

    Furniture geeks and functional art fans, take heed: the 7th Annual Guerrilla Truck Show is tonight, along with a bevy of exhibitions and parties in the area designed to be visited in tandem. These events take place tonight from 5:30 to 9:30 in the West Loop, with the official truck show at Morlen Sinoway Atelier: 1052 W. Fulton Market St. For more information, visit the Facebook event page. For a map of all the locations participating, click here. Also, (not noted on the map) EBERSMOORE (213 N. Morgan, #3C) is hosting a special exhibition of work by the talented group known as the Dock 6 Collective (works pictured above). For photos of past GTS's, check out this Flickr collection.

    Kelly Reaves

    Event Fri Jun 10 2011

    Art Around Town

    Tonight:

  • Drawings @ Valerie Carberry Gallery
  • Pia Howell: Cool Ranch @ Golden Age
  • Caroline Picard: Happiness Machines @ Roxaboxen Exhibitions
  • Wow and Flutter: Dynamic Range in Analog Art @ Johalla Projects
  • Trail Mix: Navigating the Visual Tradition of Nature @ Coalition Gallery
  • Divining Landscapes: New Sculptures by Robert MacNeill @ 2nd FL Gallery
  • Ian Ferguson: MIND BLIZZARD: CHICAGO @ Creative Go-Round
  • Informed @ Star Coffee Lounge

  • Saturday:

  • Brandon Alvendia: Thoughts Unsaid Then Forgotten @ Mess Hall
  • Ryan Thompson: Dark Flight @ DIG
  • Gregg Bordowitz and Stephanie Brooks @ iceberg projects
  • Noah Furman: Frankenstein's Raga @ The Hills Esthetic Center
  • Artist Reception and Open House @ Korean Cultural Center of Chicago

  • Sunday:

  • R.E.H. Gordon: The Observants @ ACRE Projects
  • Stitchy! Sewing Party @ Roxaboxen Exhibitions
  • Messin' with Texas @ Hyde Park Art Center

  • Also (furniture nerds): Don't forget about the Guerrilla Truck Show on Tuesday and NeoCon, which goes Monday through Wednesday at the Merchandise Mart.

    Kelly Reaves

    Art Tue Jun 07 2011

    Last Minute Plans: Directed Reading Series

    17.jpg

    Thomas Roach, 86 plastic chairs uncomfortable to stack but ill, 2011.

    Tonight begins a two-part reading series at Alderman Exhibitions featuring selections from William T. Vollman's short story collection, The Atlas. A companion to the gallery's current exhibition, Thomas Roach: New Drawings, tonight's reading will also include a discussion and reception. Vollman's stories, often quick and glinting descriptions of brief moments in passing, are a compliment to Roach's drawings which often evoke an ethereal and visceral quality. Although the event is free, guests are encouraged to RSVP at info@aldermanexhibitions.com. PDF's of the selected stories are available for each session and copies can be sent to you upon request in the RSVP.

    The Program:
    WEDNESDAY, JUNE 8, 7pm
    William T. Vollmann, The Atlas, PART 1
    Selected stories for Part 1:

    The Back of My Head
    It's Too Difficult to Explain
    Bad Air
    Brandi's Jacket
    Houses

    WEDNESDAY, JUNE 22, 7pm
    William T. Vollmann, The Atlas, PART 2
    Selected stories for Part 2:

    The Atlas
    The Rifles
    Where Are You Today
    Last Day at the Bakery

    Alderman Exhibitions is located at 350 North Ogden, 4th floor.

    Britt Julious

    Event Fri Jun 03 2011

    Art Around Town

    Tonight:

  • POLYAMORY @ Noble and Superior Projects
  • Visual Narration: Contemporary Forms of Storytelling @ Robert Bills Contemporary
  • The Four D's @ Judy A. Saslow Gallery
  • Strange Harmonies @ Peanut Gallery
  • Heaven Knows @ S&S Project
  • Order + Chaos @ Black Cloud Gallery
  • In Stitches: Smile Now, Cry Later (closing reception) @ Cobalt Studio
  • Unaveilable: There Will Be Tears (performance) @ Packer Schopf Gallery
  • Raul Maldonado: Esta Chido Todo @ Intuit
  • First Friday Free Rogers Park Zine Salon @ Mess Hall
  • Stephanie Owen Solo Show @ Three Birds Gallery

  • Saturday:

  • John Henderson: 12 x 12 @ MCA
  • Priscilla Stadler: Favors @ Mess Hall
  • John Neff Prints Robert Blanchon @ GOLDEN
  • FRIENDS FOREVER: The Legacy of Camp Gay (2001-2005) @ Monument 2
  • "What's Your Art?": Celebrating the Art Centers of Chicago @ Cultural Center
  • Jon Aley: Unnatural Disasters @ Comfort Station
  • Intuit's Teacher Fellowship Program Exhibition @ Intuit

  • Sunday:

  • Leeza Meksin and Yevgeniya Baras: Hide @ ADDS DONNA
  • Madeleine Bailey: By The Time The Focus On We Became They I Was Alone @ ACRE Projects
  • If I Do Nothing Nothing Does @ Julius Cæsar
  • Trindlerschinquand: The Shed Performance @ Roxaboxen Exhibitions
  • Kelly Reaves

    Theater Thu Jun 02 2011

    Collaboraction's Sketchbook 11: Evolution Begins Tonight

    A trailer for Sketchbook 9, to give you an idea of what Sketchbook is.

    Collaboraction theater company's wildly popular annual Sketchbook festival begins tonight at the Chopin Theater. Sketchbook is a lively multi-media event, combining several art forms including theater, music, visual art, new technologies and bombastic partying, anchored by a show that features several short plays. Selected from hundreds of submissions, Sketchbook brings together the collective talents of more than two hundred pioneering directors, designers, actors, musicians and artists from Chicago and around the country for a jaw-dropping evening of creativity, experimentation, and celebration.

    Kelly Reaves

    Benefit Thu Jun 02 2011

    Art as Medicine Celebrated Tonight

    TheArtTrade presents ArtFutura 2011 from TheArtTrade on Vimeo.

    If you've got this evening free, consider heading downtown for the Art Futura Awards Party.

    Art Futura is a small yearly exhibition (in its 9th year with attendance growing to 300 last year) connecting artists and art therapy patients -- blending the best of both worlds. It is a great cause that helps the community of emerging artists who submit work and the work of art therapists who help support over 100 patients as they try to rebuild their lives after spinal cord, brain, and stroke injuries.

    The Art Futura website has a collection of inspirational profiles of the artists in the exhibition for you to check out, as well as more information about tonight's benefit, which caters to a younger audience than most events of this type -- this is for people who want to be engaged and may just be starting to get into charitable causes.

    Kelly Reaves

    Event Fri May 27 2011

    Art Around Town

    Tonight:

  • Elina Malkin: Fake Can Be Just as Inefficient @ ACRE Projects
  • Patrick Berran: One Must Eat the Other @ Thomas Robertello Gallery
  • New Fiber @ Monument 2
  • The Stars Are Too High @ Pentagon
  • Angela Piehl: Organic Excess @ ARC Gallery
  • Sequential Art: Comics and Beyond @ ARC Gallery

  • Saturday:

  • Mark Bradford @ Museum of Contemporary Art
  • R James Healy: M.16.2 @ What It Is
  • Marian Glebes: No Ball Playing: Objects Of Rebellion And Control @ Mess Hall
  • Tim Louis Graham: an unmurmuring turn @ PEREGRINEPROGRAM
  • Kelly Kaczynski and Cori Williams: Impossible Bottle @ Happy Collaborationists' Exhibition Space
  • Frank Piatek Gallery Talk @ Julius Caesar

  • Sunday:

  • Scott Whipkey: The Trilogie Triage @ ACRE Projects
  • George Monteleone: The Hypnogogic Empiric (screening) @ Roots & Culture
  • Kelly Reaves

    Event Tue May 24 2011

    LeToya Luckett and Luster's

    LETOYA.jpg

    LeToya Luckett may be from Houston; however, Chicago also holds a special place in her heart. "I love Chicago," said Luckett, "this is where my Luster's family is based."

    Luckett, formerly of the hit R&B group Destiny's Child, made a special appearance this past weekend at WalMart, 2500 W. 95th St., in Southwest Evergreen Park, to promote Chicago-based Luster's hair care products. As the new celebrity spokesperson for Luster's Pink Brand Smooth Touch products, the Grammy-award winning singer and actress was on hand to sign autographs and greet fans and to also share tips on how to achieve a "superstar look" using Luster's products.

    Continue reading this entry »

    LaShawn Williams / Comments (2)

    Event Fri May 20 2011

    Art Around Town

    Tonight:

  • Mark Mulroney: A Hostile Womb @ ebersmoore
  • Vie de Boheme!!!: threewalls' Spring Gala @ Maxim's
  • 3 Floyd's Party/Public Media Institute Benefit @ Maria's & Co-Prosperity Sphere
  • Rachel Niffeneger & Paul Nudd: Band of Bikers @ Western Exhibitions
  • Never Let Me Go @ Rhona Hoffman
  • MFA 11 @ DOVA Temporary
  • Will Sieruta: An Extraordinary Ordinariness @ Autumn Space
  • Ceaseless Blooms in Jobless Colors @ Johalla Projects
  • Jasmine Justice: You'll Love Them All for Giving You the Swellest Time You've Ever Had! @ 65GRAND
  • Anthony Pateras Performance @ Graham Foundation
  • Cinematic Bodies @ Zolla/Lieberman Gallery
  • Studio Conversations @ 33 Contemporary Gallery

  • Saturday:

  • Healing Arts Festival @ Multikulti
  • Greg Stimac: Empire @ Andrew Rafacz Gallery
  • Kendell Carter: Liberation Summer @ moniquemeloche
  • Gregg Bordowitz: Talk is the object @ iceberg projects
  • Thomas Roach: New Drawings @ Alderman Exhibitions
  • FLAT 9 @ Floor Length and Tux
  • Brandon Anschultz and Adam Farcus: Ingredients for Humble Magic @ The Hills Esthetic Center

  • Sunday:

  • Stitchy! @ Roxaboxen Exhibitions
  • Jessye McDowell: All About You Forever @ ACRE Projects
  • Elon Katz and Kyle Evan: DIDGERIDOO BEAT (performance) @ Monument 2

  • Wednesday:

  • Gary Hill @ Donald Young Gallery
  • Kelly Reaves

    Event Fri May 13 2011

    Art Around Town

    Tonight:

  • Chicago Street Art Show @ Chicago Urban Art Society
  • Monica Rezman, Rebecca Rinquist & Kevin Veara @ Packer Schopf Gallery
  • Claire Arctander: SHYALATOR @ Plaines Project
  • In Stitches: Smile Now, Cry Later @ Cobalt Studio
  • Drink, Draw, Destroy @ HPAC
  • Brendan Meara and Frank Heath: Bcc: @ Roots & Culture
  • Saturday:

  • Gabriel Specter: Repeat Offender @ Pawn Works
  • A Happy Collaborationists Hypothesis: Sleepover
  • Fulton Market Gallery Walk
  • All Alone Beweep My Outcast State @ Kruger Gallery
  • Sunday:

  • William J. O'Brien @ The Renaissance Society
  • Lydia Anne McCarthy: SHADOWS AND REFLECTIONS @ ACRE Projects
  • Kelly Reaves

    Performance Mon May 09 2011

    Strong Works Starts Tonight

    In an effort to bring more performance-oriented stuff to the already artistic neighborhood of Logan Square, a few of its residents have started a performance collective called Strong Works, and they'll be bringing a series of staged readings, improv shows, panel discussions, traditional "performance pieces" and live music to the neighborhood over the course of this summer.

    "The Cannon," a monthly event starting tonight, will feature six Chicago actors
    performing short stories chosen by Will Litton, fiction editor of the literary magazine
    Wag's Revue, and Sam Nyhart, company member of Strong Works. Readings will be "performative, polished and punchy," according to Amanda Rozmiarek, production manager of Strong Works.

    Tonight's event will be held at Bonny's (2417 N. Milwaukee Ave.) from 9
    to 10. Afterward, the Strong Works jazz band will play, followed by DJs, dancing and drinks. A $5 donation will be gently suggested at the door to keep their otherwise entirely unfunded season going.

    Kelly Reaves

    Event Fri May 06 2011

    Art Around Town

    If you want to see some art, here's where to go:

    Tonight:

  • While All Such Things End @ WASTE
  • Gabrielle Garland @ DOVA Temporary
  • Systems Variable @ Roxaboxen Exhibitions
  • Betsy Odom: Registry and Montgomery Perry Smith Milking @ threewalls
  • Incantation @ Peanut Gallery
  • KEVIN MALELLA: BEFORE VINYL SKYLINES @ Plaines Project
  • Saturday:

  • Aliza Morell: Transcandescent @ Comfort Station
  • Matthew Metzger: Nocturne @ Museum of Contemporary Art
  • Milan Redux @ Object Design League
  • REBUS @ BEN RUSSELL
  • Richard Artschwager: In the Driver's Seat @ Corbett vs. Dempsey
  • A Rod Stewart Little Richard Prince Charles Manson Family @ LVL3
  • is the move @ Paperjaw
  • TWEEN @ Octagon
  • Lenox-Lenox: IF OUR WORLD PROTECTS @ Monument 2
  • Andy Roche: RIFFIN' @ Roots & Culture
  • Steppenwolf's GALA
  • Sunday:

  • Frank Piatek: Lecture Notes, Working Drawing, Ludibrium World Trees That Float @ Julius Cæsar
  • Kelly Reaves

    Art Sat Apr 30 2011

    Britt's Artropolis Picks

    It's never a good sign when you spend more time checking out the crowd rather than the art. The scene at this year's Artropolis opening was as festive as ever, and the joining of Art Chicago and NEXT on the same floor provided ample opportunity to move back and forth between more established galleries and emerging spaces. However, much of the appeal of Artropolis lies in the activities, discussions, and other assorted events that will continue to take place throughout the weekend. The opening was only a taste of the culture of this year's event and I highly encourage guests to spend time exploring all that the two events have to offer.

    mj1.jpg

    Caitlin Arnold: Hailey and Jade, 2008

    Caitlin Arnold (represented at Johalla Projects): Arnold's images document adolescent girls at their most curious and questioning stage. Her subjects understand and are fearful of the world they are quickly being thrust into; this much is evident as each subject stares with longing at the camera.

    Continue reading this entry »

    Britt Julious

    Art Fri Apr 29 2011

    When Art Meets Hops

    Untitleddrawing.pngIf Chicago is a beer city, then our status is one that is in a state of flux. Although our selection is on par with other cities of similar size, our mass breweries are far outpaced by towns with more-established emerging and DIY breweries. However, the number of smaller breweries continues to grow with each year and home brewing has increasingly expanded as an option for the individual or groups more deeply invested in a hands-on and locally sourced means of food production.

    For his latest community-oriented project, artist Christopher Tourre aims to bring the culture of the home brewery to the masses. Entitled PUBLIC BREWERY, Tourre organized a temporary and experimental brewery that includes a series of workshops and gatherings at the Spoke's Residency Project Space that will allow guests to brew their own beer or soda using either their own ingredients or locally produced food items such as cherries, honey, and crabapple blossom syrup.

    Continue reading this entry »

    Britt Julious

    Event Thu Apr 28 2011

    Art Around Town

    onthemakeartguide.jpg

    On the Make did such a great job with their annual Art Guide (released today), I figured I'd just link to that this week, rather than try to do all the work they already did all over again.

    So here it is: On the Make's Art Guide.

    Pretty awesome, huh?

    Kelly Reaves

    Film Wed Apr 27 2011

    Love Is Found

    Rothbart2.jpgDavy Rothbart had no problem opening up to a video camera about his complicated love life, in part because his friend David Meiklejohn was behind it.

    "One surprising thing about documentary film is how quickly people forget about the camera," says Rothbart, the subject of the "romantic documentary" My Heart Is An Idiot and creator of Found magazine, which publishes bizarre and/or hilarious notes, photos, homework assignments, ticket stubs, drawings, and more that readers submit. "The first couple of days (or weeks, maybe)" in front of a camera "people are hyper-aware of [it]. And then the camera quickly becomes invisible, and the subject just feels like they're hanging out with you -- they forget about the camera even being there, and just act totally naturally."

    Continue reading this entry »

    Ruthie Kott / Comments (2)

    Event Fri Apr 22 2011

    Art All Over the Place

    This weekend is one of the biggest weekends for art in Chicago all year, with Version Fest and the new MDW Fair (both down in Bridgeport) going on. You would be doing yourself a serious disservice if you let this awful weather keep you inside.

    Tonight:
    VideoVersus @ Happy Dog Gallery
    Time- Portrait of History: Zhou Brothers New Works @ Zhou B. Art Center
    Reality Show @ Noble & Superior Projects
    Before Vinyl Skylines: New works by Kevin Malella @ The Plaines Project
    The Painting Show @ Los Manos Gallery

    Saturday:
    Living Philanthropic's Day 365 Party @ Collaboraction

    Sunday:
    Lauren Beck & Sophia Dixon: Wormhole @ ACRE Projects

    Ongoing all weekend!:
    Version Festival in Bridgeport
    eChicago 2011: Democracy, Diversity, and the Digital
    MDW Fair

    Kelly Reaves

    Art Wed Apr 20 2011

    A Different Kind of Art Fair

    MDWFair.jpg
    Chicago's largest art fair, Art Chicago, has taken a hit in recent years due to mismanagement and other logistical issues. For the local art community, the fair - now a massive four-day event encompassing multiple floors of the Merchandise Mart - often isolates or ignores the eclectic, diverse, and ever-changing Chicago and Midwest-based art galleries, publications, and institutions.

    Three of Chicago's most celebrated art entities-- threewalls, Roots and Culture, and Public Media Institute-- present the MDW Fair, a celebration and gathering of Chicagoland area independent art initiatives, spaces, galleries, publishers, and artist groups, and something of a response to the much larger fair which takes place the following weekend. Running April 23 and 24, the fair aims to "demonstrate the diversity, strength, and vision of the people/places making it happen in the art ecology of our region."

    Continue reading this entry »

    Britt Julious / Comments (2)

    Film Fri Apr 15 2011

    Crazy Legs and Bouncing Cats


    The award-winning and unbelievably-touching documentary, Bouncing Cats, is screening tomorrow at 5pm at the Wicker Park Art Center as part of the International Movies & Music Festival. The film follows Crazy Legs (of the Rock Steady Crew) as he unifies and empowers youth in Uganda, teaching them to breakdance through his "Breakdance Project Uganda".

    The film, directed by Nabil Elderkin, narrated by Common and featuring interviews with Will.I.Am, Mos Def and K'Naan, has won four awards on the film festival circuit recently including the Audience Award for "Best Feature Documentary" at the Bahamas International Film Festival this past December.

    Tomorrow's event will include interview opportunities and a live Q&A session with Crazy Legs after the film screening.

    CIMM Festival Tickets are $10 and can be purchased at cimmfest.org. Donations for Breakdance Project Uganda are accepted at bouncingcats.com, where you can also find more information about the film and the Breakdance Project Uganda.

    Kelly Reaves

    Gallery Fri Apr 15 2011

    Art Around Town

    Today:

    Saturday:

    Sunday:

    Kelly Reaves / Comments (2)

    Art Fri Apr 08 2011

    Social Butterfly

    Go see some art! Have some wine! See and be seen!

    Tonight:

    Saturday:

    Kelly Reaves

    Art Fri Apr 01 2011

    Big Art Weekend

    A whole lot of art to see this weekend:

    Tonight:

    Saturday:

    Sunday:

    Kelly Reaves

    Art Wed Mar 30 2011

    An Audio/Visual Farewell to the Last Cabrini High-rise

    Last night, former Cabrini-Green residents gathered at the last remaining high-rise building, 1230 N. Burling, to celebrate the community's life while wishing it farewell. A few short speeches were made to the press, but the highlights were mixing with friends, performances by ThaBrigade Stamps Marching Band and the installation in the building itself.


    The band performed several numbers for the crowd as the sun set.




    The building is illuminated by the more than 100 LEDs of Project Cabrini Green.


    Demolition is scheduled to begin in the morning.

    David Schalliol has been documenting the Chicago Housing Authority's Plan for Transformation since 2003. Additional images from his documentation may be seen on his website.

    David Schalliol / Comments (1)

    Event Tue Mar 29 2011

    We Don't Need No PhD

    threewalls_artseducation.jpg

    If you've been craving some serious art talk but don't have the loot to go to art school, stop by threewalls tonight (or across the hallway at Western Exhibitions, rather) for their "Unschooling Arts Education" SALON-- part of their monthly, (free!) super-educational and interactive discussion series.

    Starting at 7 tonight, the discussion will start off with questions along the lines of: Do I really need a MFA to be a successful artist? What does the fact that you can get a PhD in visual art say about the baseline criteria that art professionals need to meet before being allowed to do anything in the arts? Is formal education valued over experience, and if so, what does this mean for the democratization of voices in the art world?

    Invited guests who will be driving the discussion include Zachary Cahill, Erica Meiners (Northeastern Illinois University), Bert Stabler, Jacqueline Terrassa (MCA) and Rebecca Zorach (University of Chicago). This event is free and open to the public. Details here.

    Kelly Reaves

    Benefit Mon Mar 28 2011

    Urban Gateways' Gala Benefit this Friday

    67.jpg

    If you haven't made plans for Friday yet, consider buying a ticket for Urban Gateways' 50th Anniversary Gala &/or Gala Undone After Party. Gala starts at 6pm, and tickets are a steep $350, but the after party (Gala Undone) is affordable for normal folks, with tickets going for $40 in advance or $50 at the door. The event will feature veteran Urban Gateways artist James "Casper" Jankowiak, who will create an interactive mural during the event, a performance by Urban Gateways touring artists and resident performing ensemble of the Chicago Human Rhythm Project, BAM! and a late-night dance party to the music of DJ Mister Wolf (of Only Children). Also on hand will be plenty of munchies, an open bar and a silent auction.

    Gala Undone will take place this Friday, April 1 from 9:30 to midnight at Venue One (1044 W. Randolph). More details here.

    Kelly Reaves

    Gallery Thu Mar 24 2011

    Weekend Art

    If you're looking to see some art, here's a good place to start:

    Friday:

    Also, check out the Chicago Zine Fest going on at Columbia College Friday and Saturday.

    Saturday:

    Sunday:

    Holla if you've got stuff to add. Have a great weekend!

    Kelly Reaves

    Art Tue Mar 22 2011

    BYOB this Saturday!

    Screen shot 2011-03-22 at 9.33.57 PM.png

    BYOB Chicago (organized by Nicholas O'Brien and Brian Khek) has invited more than 30 Chicago-based and international artists to create a collaborative happening of moving light, sound and performance. The dynamic structure will no-doubt be enhanced by a series of ad hoc installations, performances and special projects, creating an immerse environment of DIY spontaneity and experimentation.

    The Chicago iteration of this international project will occur on Saturday, March 26 at the Archer Ballroom from 7 to 10pm.

    Continue reading this entry »

    Michelle D. Villarreal / Comments (1)

    Event Fri Mar 18 2011

    Out About Town

    Here is a comprehensive list of artsy options for the weekend. These are mostly all opening receptions, with a few performances, benefits and artist lectures thrown in. Most of the events today start around 5 or 6pm, but some of the Saturday and Sunday events start earlier. Click on the links for details. See you around!

    Tonight:

    Saturday:

    Sunday:

    Kelly Reaves / Comments (2)

    Benefit Thu Mar 17 2011

    Vive la Collaboraction!

    Carnaval_Let Them Eat Cake_Photo by Saverio Truglia.jpg

    Photo by Saverio Truglia

    This Saturday night Collaboraction will throw its most revolutionary fundraising party to date with their 9th annual CARNAVAL: Let Them Eat Cake! party at the Double Door. The venue will be transformed into a party battle zone with live musical performances, radical costumes, burlesque, immersive theatrical interludes, two floors of dancing and bottomless drinks.

    "With revolution in the air, Collaboraction gathers its diverse and vibrant colony of artists to create an immersive artistic experience that vibrates with bacchanalian insurrection. Part party and part living art installation, our 9th annual CARNAVAL will be a debaucherous deconstruction of the history of revolution in France and throughout the globe," said Anthony Moseley, Artistic and Executive Director of Collaboraction, in the press release.

    Continue reading this entry »

    Kelly Reaves

    Comedy Sat Mar 12 2011

    Octavarius Snaps into a Slim Jim (A.K.A. Stage 773)


    Critically acclaimed comedy troupe Octavarius is premiering a new show series titled "Octavarius: Battle for the Belt," tomorrow night (March 13) at 7pm at Stage 773. Additional performances will take place on March 20 & 27. Colt Cabana, former WWE and current Ring of Honor superstar, is a special guest of the series, making an in-person appearance on night two (the 20th) and video appearances on night one and three. "The Ego" Robert Anthony, CZW Heavyweight Champion, will make a surprise appearance on the final night of the series (the 27th). The stage will be transformed into a wrestling ring, complete with ropes, turnbuckles and a Jumbotron. Tickets are $15 per show, or $25 for a ringside pass to all three nights. Audience members are encouraged to make a sign cheering or jeering their favorite Octavarius superstars, and receive tickets at a discounted rate of $12. For more information, visit Octavarius.com.

    Kelly Reaves

    Art Fri Mar 11 2011

    Art All Over the Place

    It's Friday! It's sunny and beautiful out! Let's go see some art!

    Here are some options:

    Also, tomorrow we've got Karen Bovinich & EJ Hill's There is no I in it opening at The Hills Esthetic Center and Candida Alvarez's Black/Dinner Napkin Paintings opening at Peregrine Program.

    Don't say I didn't warn you.

    Kelly Reaves

    Art Thu Mar 10 2011

    Local Love

    megnabodyguards.jpg

    painting by Charlie Megna

    Do you remember the profile I wrote of Charlie Megna last year? No?

    Well this kid's got spirit, and in the year since that profile was written his work has developed into some INSANE s*%t. He has progressed from painting pigeons and two-flats to battles between tube-sock wearing devil children with rainbow juice for blood. I guess that's just what happens when you lock yourself up in a studio with a bunch of toxic chemicals every day for an extended period of time.

    Continue reading this entry »

    Kelly Reaves / Comments (1)

    Art Thu Mar 10 2011

    Patterns & Portraits

    pnp.jpg

    This Saturday The Garden is hosting a one night event from 8pm to 1am that will feature too many talented Chicago artists and musicians to wrap your head around. Brett Manning (a girl), is the curator along with the help of others. This isn't an event to miss and then cry about later when you hear all your friends were there. It is a small world after all.

    Visit the P&P blog for more information.

    Michelle D. Villarreal / Comments (1)

    Art Wed Mar 09 2011

    Drama Queen

    gallery400_kaluplinzy.jpg

    image courtesy of Gallery 400

    If you're looking for a little lively art talk today, look no further than UIC's Gallery 400. Today at 5pm they're hosting an artist's talk with Kalup Linzy-- a multidisciplinary artist whose practice includes videos, performances, and music. I am not familiar with his work but it sounds like a lot of fun, and (potentially) part of the Post Black movement-- one of the most exiting contemporary art movements, albeit underrepresented. (Pulled from the press release:)

    His satirical narratives--inspired by soap operas, telenovelas and Hollywood melodramas--deal with race, sexuality, gender, class, and the art world itself. Serving as writer, director, cinematographer, editor, and actor, he performs, often in drag, a series of memorable, defiant characters. Simultaneously salacious and poignant, Linzy's works fuse dramatic intensity with melodramatic irony and gut-busting comedy.

    Gallery 400 is located at 400 S. Peoria St. in the West Loop. For more information about Linzy, visit his website.

    Kelly Reaves

    Event Sun Mar 06 2011

    Story Week Festival of Writers: Class Acts

    This month, Columbia College Chicago presents Story Week Festival of Writers: Class Acts. Put on by the college's Fiction Writing Department in conjunction with the Chicago Public Library and Metro, this six-day festival, now in its 15th year, will contain a variety of performances, panel discussions and author readings, all designed to ignite conversations about classism and its role in creative arts and the world of publishing.

    The festival will feature a diverse group of guest writers who will read and discuss their works in a number of different events at the college and throughout the city; among them are Chicago native Jennifer Egan, author of the New York Times bestseller A Visit from the Goon Squad, Irvine Welsh, author of Trainspotting, and Columbia College Chicago professor and author Audrey Niffenegger. Other festival highlights include readings and workshops by acclaimed actress and playwright Regina Taylor, comedy by Stephanie Shaw and "Chicago Classics," hosted by Rick Kogan.

    Story Week Festival of Writers: Class Acts runs Sunday, March 13 through Friday, March 18. The festival is free and open to the public; check the website for full schedule and event locations. For more information, contact 312-369-7611.

    LaShawn Williams

    Art Fri Mar 04 2011

    So Much Art, So Little Time

    The-Hedgehogs-Dilemma.IMAGE_-728x1024.jpg

    © Courtesy of DOVA Temporary

    Today is the first Friday of the month, which means there are a bunch of art shows opening tonight. Here's a quick sampling of what's going on around town:

    Kelly Reaves

    Comedy Thu Mar 03 2011

    Getting Weird at the Lincoln Lodge Tonight

    weirdgirl.jpg

    Local comedian Mo Welch debuts her "one woman show", Weird Girl, at the Lincoln Lodge tonight. For the show she combines her trademark characters from "The Mo Show" with her real life upbringing. Welch also adds her original short films, making the show both multi-media and interactive. Although "The Mo Show" is nascent, it has already received a good amount of press, with appearances by some of Chicago's top comedians. Welch's Weird Girl: One Human Show promises the same wacky abandon.

    Weird Girl debuts at 9pm tonight at The Lincoln Lodge, and runs again tomorrow (March 4)-- same place, same time. Tickets are $10. More information can be found at mowelch.com. Buy tickets ahead of time at thelincolnlodge.com.

    Kelly Reaves

    Art Wed Mar 02 2011

    First Fridays: Robots @ the MCA

    aba7apeople1stfloor.jpg

    Photo © Museum of Contemporary Art, Chicago.

    The Museum of Contemporary Art Chicago's re-vamped monthly party, First Fridays, continues to combine music, visual arts, and exclusive events. March's theme is Robots and includes selected tunes by DJ Josh Madden and an appearance by Billy Bot of Slideshow Theatre.

    Compared to previous iterations of the event, March's celebration is fantastically heavy on the museum's bread and butter, the arts. Club Nutz return to the museum after a week-long summer residency as part of Here/Not There. In its latest presentation, visitors can view a robot stand-up comedian, a robotic magic show, an open mic, and DJ dance parties. Visitors also get a behind-the-scenes look at the filming of artist Kirsten Leenaars' soap opera based on MCA staff members. As well, Takeshi Moro, the latest artist in the UBS 12 x 12: New Artists/New Work series open his solo exhibition of photographic works and designed objects.

    First Fridays: Robots takes place Friday, March 4 from 6 pm to 10 pm. Tickets are $10 for MCA members, $13 in advance, or $18 at the door. All tickets include museum admission, live entertainment, and hors d'oeuvres. For more information, visit mcachicago.org.

    Britt Julious

    Culture Tue Mar 01 2011

    Poetry Center of Chicago Grand Re-Opening

    Founded in 1976, the Poetry Center of Chicago is an independent not-for-profit literary arts organization that continues to build access to poetry through readings, workshops, residencies, and arts education for Chicago's diverse population. The Poetry Center fortifies its history of provocative and enriching guest performers (Allen Ginsburg and William Burroughs gave the center's first reading in the basement of the Museum of Contemporary Art Chicago) with a keynote performance from Iranian poet/playwright Ezzat Goushegir on Saturday, March 5 at 3 pm. She will be reading from her one-woman play, The Bride of Acacias, about the life of poet Forough Farrokzad.

    The performance is one of many events taking place over the next couple of days, and weeks, as the Poetry Center officially moves into the Chicago Cultural Center. Now located in the pedway of the Cultural Center, the new offices include a public art gallery, Welcome Center, workshop space, and the center's administrative headquarters. Other re-opening celebrations include a public reception and commemorative readings beginning Friday, March 4 through Saturday, March 5, noon - 5 pm.

    The Poetry Center of Chicago is located within the Chicago Cultural Center pedway, 78 East Washington.

    Britt Julious

    Event Mon Feb 28 2011

    Chicago Public Library Celebrates Women's History Month

    March is Women's History Month; to celebrate, the Chicago Public Library presents "Women in Performing Arts: Women Take the Stage," a program dedicated to women's cultural achievements.

    The celebration, in conjunction with the Library's "Celebrating Diversity" campaign, is a full program lineup filled with a variety of events honoring women's contributions to the arts.

    One of the premiere events for Women's History Month is "Decades of Dresses: 1905-1991," a showcase of the evolution of women's fashion trends, with collectors Chloe Bert and Ruth Thomas modeling their collection of dresses from the 20th century. This event will be held Tuesday, March 29 at 6pm, at the Harold Washington Library Center, 400 S. State St.

    Other highlights include "Women 'Firsts' in the Performance Arts," a program highlighting women from different ethnic backgrounds who were trailblazers in the arts, and "Birth of a Label," a discussion centered on T'izm Sound Productions, Chicago's first and only urban music record label.

    All events are free and open to the public; see full event calendar for library locations, dates and other scheduling details. For more information, visit a neighborhood library branch or contact 312-747-4300.

    LaShawn Williams

    Art Sun Feb 27 2011

    Last Minute Plans: Twice Removed Publication Launch

    TwiceRemovedCover540.jpgIndependent curator and arts administrator Karly Wildenhaus' latest solo exhibition, Twice Removed: a Survey of Take Away Work, has already garnered extensive press coverage for its crafty exploration of an object's meaning and place in contemporary art long after its initial exhibition run. Featuring prints, buttons, posters, and other ephemera, Twice Removed is a unique and expertly constructed exhibition based solely on others' work.

    Local artist book shop Golden Age will launch the publication component of the exhibition today, from 3 to 5 pm. Wildenhaus, who also wrote the publication, will be on hand to discuss both the exhibition and the publication.

    Golden Age is located at 119 North Peoria #2D.

    Britt Julious

    Benefit Wed Feb 02 2011

    Dress Up Like Warhol and Dance the Night Away

    ox-bow.jpg

    One of Ox-Bow's early dance parties, photo courtesy of their Facebook page.

    For the past 100 years Ox-Bow (the SAIC-affiliated artist residency/commune/adult summer camp) has hosted a themed costumed dance party and benefit auction every Friday night while classes are in session. Every year the themes get more creative and the dance parties get more epic.

    Friday, February 18 they are bringing the party into the city (lucky us!) and they invite you to come dressed as a famous artist or artwork. Eric May, head chef at Ox-Bow and director of Roots and Culture Contemporary Arts Center, will spin funk, soul, dub and reggae CORRECTION: yacht rock/early rave/Moombahton.

    Continue reading this entry »

    Kelly Reaves / Comments (4)

    Feature Fri Jan 21 2011

    Strike a Pose: Chicago's Thriving Underground Ball Scene

    This story was submitted by Rachel Rabbit White. All photos by Edmund X. White.

    ball2.jpg

    It's a snowy December night on the South Side and the ballroom has filled up quickly. There are guys in tailored suits, girls in red-heeled Louboutins. There are pop-gothy capes and futuristic glasses. The crowd is gathered around a catwalk -- and everyone is young, black and queer.

    This is a ball. An underground LGBTQ contest where participants compete by "walking" -- showing off themed outfits and voguing -- a stylized house dance that continues to evolve. They are competing for trophies and the hope to become "legendary" -- famous not only in Chicago but the entire community, which now spans the globe. Balls found fame with Paris is Burning, a documentary about the New York scene, but Chicago's had its own ball circuit for as long as New York -- one that has its own trends, culture and history. And as the Internet popularizes the community, Chicago is seeing another wave in the resurgence of balls.

    Continue reading this entry »

    A/C / Comments (5)

    Art Wed Jan 12 2011

    A Celebration of Satire

    Thomas_Rowlandson_Miseries_of_London.jpg

    Thomas Rowlandson, Miseries of London, 1807.

    A delightful celebration of subversion is going up at Northwestern University's Block Museum, with a public opening reception tomorrow (Thursday) at 5pm. Two complementary exhibitions are opening: Thomas Rowlandson: Pleasures and Pursuits in Georgian England, and The Satirical Edge in Contemporary Prints and Graphics.

    The former includes 71 drawings, watercolors, prints, and books by Thomas Rowlandson, a popular English satirist who applied his masterful drawing skills and keen sense of humor to colorful, detailed, and sometimes bawdy depictions of everyday life in and around London during the late 18th and early 19th centuries. These works offer an entryway into the social and political life of Georgian England. Rowlandson specialized in capturing the follies and foibles on display in his native city during a time of remarkable population growth and social change, as members of differing classes clumsily mixed and mingled for the first time. Click here for a slideshow preview. (Flash)

    Continue reading this entry »

    Kelly Reaves

    Theater Mon Jan 10 2011

    DIY Theater Comes to Logan Square's Beloved DIY Music Venue

    TMO.jpgBaltimore-based theater group, The Missoula Oblongata, is bringing their newest play, Clamlump, to Ball Hall on Monday, Feb. 14. The description of the play is pretty mindboggling except for the bit about it being set "deep in the hollows of a boarded up stadium," but if you check out TMO's website I think you will be convinced to go whether or not you understand what you're going for. The play will feature a live score performed by Travis Sehorn and an opening act by ventriloquist, April Camlin. BYOP(illow) to sit on. Click here to visit the Facebook event page, or here to visit The Missoula Oblongata's website. Ball Hall's address is secret because the city will try to get their hands into the venue's (empty) pockets if they are given the opportunity. If you wanna go, you've gotta find out where it is for yourself. You can thank the city for that. Admission will most likely require a small donation, but has not yet been specified.

    Kelly Reaves

    Fashion Thu Dec 09 2010

    One-Stop Pop-Up Shop: DRUNK MALL

    44678_539000457379_77801222_31533781_5130171_n.jpg

    Alysse Dalessandro, Matt Kasin, Kirsten Kilponen, Benjamin Bradshaw


    What is the aesthetic underground if not constantly evolving? For members of the "vintage underground," this constant evolution concerns space and the possibilities one venue can provide in telling stories of design and style.

    The participants in this Friday's DRUNK MALL (Bummer Town, The Gaudy God, Jenstyle, SisterMan, and The Sometimes Store) curate a crafty collection of vintage goods pulled from the stylistically-unique '80s and '90s. Their choices are attuned to the wants of post-modern vintage hunters whose tastes are more than just jeans and a white t-shirt.

    DRUNK MALL is not the first event of its kind, and it is the roaming spirit of the event that best defines the idea of the current "vintage underground." The past year included a noticeable increase in these curated, collective, community sales at parties, trunk shows, fashion presentations, and gay night clubs. The attention to vintage wear fits along with the sporadic nature of these events.

    "Shopping for vintage is like shopping handmade -- people like this idea of owning something unique and hand-selected rather than buying mass-produced goods," said Alysse Dalessandro, co-owner of The Sometimes Store. And like the items they sell, these sales are one-off events, not permanent fixtures. Blink and you'll miss it.

    Continue reading this entry »

    Britt Julious

    Art Thu Dec 09 2010

    Select Media Festival Begins Tonight

    SMF7.jpg

    SMF7, 2008. Photo by Eric Bartholomew.

    Inspired by artists and designers who use available analog and digital tools to communicate complex data from the everyday to the very obscure, the Public Media Institute presents Select Media Festival 9: Infoporn II this weekend as an homage to their love for data visualization. A selection of works from around the world takes form in installations, a publication library, interactive projects, and infographics. The exhibition itself will be viewable at Co-Prosperity Sphere for two days only: Friday, Dec. 10 from 7pm to 1am and Saturday Dec. 11 from 2 to 9pm.

    Tonight they open SMF9: Infoporn II with the release of their own contribution to the information overload, Proximity Magazine: Issue 008. Themed "Education as Art," their newest issue is a 230-page opus and represents their latest and greatest effort in publishing. Stop by the release party at Maria's Packaged Goods & Community Bar to get a copy at a discount ($10), enjoy some beverages and meet the creators/contributors to the issue.

    Continue reading this entry »

    Kelly Reaves

    Theater Sun Dec 05 2010

    Black Playwrights Festival

    Thumbnail image for Thumbnail image for Thumbnail image for bpibutton.jpg

    The Black Ensemble Theater presents its sixth annual Black Playwrights Festival. The festival is produced by the theater's Black Playwrights Initiative (BPI), whose mission is to foster and unite Chicago's African-American playwright community; in addition, the BPI provides workshops, classes and other resources for black writers.

    This year's festival opens on Monday, Dec. 6, with readings from works by Black Ensemble Theater Associate Artistic Director, Rueben Echoles, and playwrights Runako Jahi and Wendell Etherly. The evening will also feature a tribute to writer and Chicago native, Eric Monte, of Cooley High and "Good Times" fame.

    Continue reading this entry »

    LaShawn Williams

    Feature Fri Dec 03 2010

    Hungry and Driven: Unearthing the Emerging Chicago Fashion Community

    Sometimes the fashion shows take place in abandoned warehouses on the West Side or in third floor fledgling art galleries in Wicker Park. Occasionally, someone will clear out the knick knacks and sketch pads they normally scatter across the battered love seats of their first apartments in the city. The point, it seems, for a new crop of young designers, is to prove that there is some form of community (albeit smaller and certainly less competitive) in Chicago in a similar vein to more established design cities like New York or Los Angeles. If there are designs to be shown, a venue can be found--or created--to showcase a young designers work.

    Every fall, the events of Chicago Fashion Focus primarily take place in the Macy's on State Street or in elaborately constructed tents in Millennium Park. The number of shows, usually less than 10, are a far cry from the fashion week events in smaller cities such as Miami or Minneapolis, and in no way compare to the extravaganza known as New York Fashion Week. With the demise of GenArt, the opportunities for local emerging designers to showcase their work during Fashion Focus is even less than during the event's first fledgling years in the early aughts. The results of this post-Gen Art era in the Chicago fashion scene has been ignored, or largely disjointed. For young designers obtaining their degrees from local art colleges such as the School of the Art Institute of Chicago, Columbia College, and the Illinois Institute of Art, the disconnect between their academic pursuits and the communities or opportunities available has been a wake-up call and the inspiration to pursue more DIY-generated opportunities for exposure and experience.

    In the spirit of this DIY-ethos, Carmen McGhee and Aris Sergakis, two fashion design students from the Illinois Institute of Art, came together to produce "UNEARTHED," an evening dedicated to the young emerging fashion designers of the city.

    carmenaris.jpg
    from left: McGhee and Sergakis

    Continue reading this entry »

    Britt Julious / Comments (2)

    Culture Mon Nov 29 2010

    December Will Be Magic Again

    katebushflyer.jpg

    Kate Bush is not a recluse as much as she is an artist who understands the importance of patience (and perhaps perfectionism) when creating music. Her work ethic is counter to contemporary music trends where a new record must be released each year to sustain an increasingly finicky international audience. This great span of time between albums has subsequently helped sustain an entrenched cult fan base whose devotion is now heard through musicians such as British chanteuse Bat For Lashes, Icelandic gem Bjork, Tori Amos, as well as newer singers like Lia Ices or Glasser.

    It is in the interest of Bush's local fanbase that writer Joe Erbentraut (along with promoter Joshua Wulbert) created "A Tribute to Kate Bush," an evening dedicated to Ms. Bush, as well as the numerous singers whose aesthetics are closely related to or influenced by her work.

    The idea for the evening originated organically. One bout of procrastination a few months ago led Erbentraut to his vinyl collection which includes many albums by the singer. He then mentioned the idea to Wulbert, a DJ and promoter for the monthly "gothy, dark, and swirly" party Procession, held at Late Bar.

    "In recent memory, I've heard of tribute nights to Bjork, Robyn, Annie Lennox and Fleetwood Mac, and thought Kate more than deserved the same here in Chicago," Erbentraut said. The event is not only unique to Chicago; it is also unique across many cities nationally, as Bush's fan base has, only recently, begun to celebrate her truly unique sound.

    Continue reading this entry »

    Britt Julious / Comments (1)

    Event Thu Nov 18 2010

    Mark Your Calendars for Sketch Fest

    Though the festival isn't until January, tickets for the Tenth Annual Chicago Sketch Comedy Fest go on sale tomorrow at noon. Claim your seat early and be rewarded with a discounted ticket price for your early bird ways. The festival, which runs from January 6 to January 16, will feature 129 groups, a Sketch Fest record. The shows will take place at Stage773, which is now under the management of Festival director Brian Posen, so he promises many encouraging new changes, including, but not limited to, cheaper beer prices.

    The festival's performance dates and times are: Thursdays at 8 and 9:30pm, Fridays at 7, 8, 9, 10 and 11pm, Saturdays at 6, 7, 8, 9, 10 and 11pm, and Sundays at 2:30, 4, 5:30, and 7pm. (Sunday, January 9 also features a 1pm performance.) Tickets are $14 each and go on sale Friday, Nov. 19 at noon; tickets purchased by December 31 will be discounted to $12.50. Tickets can be purchased at www.Stage773.com, by phone at 773-327-5252, and in person at the box office. All performances will take place at the recently acquired and soon-to-be renovated Stage773 building, located at 1225 W. Belmont.

    Dyan Flores

    Art Fri Oct 29 2010

    The Age Demanded @ Golden Age

    JonRafman_TheAgeDemanded_cr.jpg

    Martine Syms and Marco Kane Braunchweiler of the West Loop art shop/community space Golden Age once again demonstrate a potent knack for exhibiting up-and-coming artists primed for success. The shop's latest project features Jon Rafman in his first solo exhibition, The Age Demanded. In the exhibition, Rafman mixes a variety of different media (video, photography, and painting) in celebration and critique of technology and the "consciousness" it reflects.

    The Age Demanded
    opens tonight and included an "existential tour" through Second Life, the still-popular virtual environment that eerily promotes and masks different facets of contemporary life.

    The opening lasts from 6pm to 9pm, and the exhibition runs through December 10. Golden Age is locate at 119 N Peoria, #2D.

    Britt Julious

    Art Tue Oct 26 2010

    Mischief and Mayhem Reign This Weekend at HPAC

    shitshowershave.jpg

    The tunnel, photo courtesy of Garage Spaces

    Alright, people. If this doesn't sound like fun to you, you're absolutely hopeless: this Saturday Oct. 30, artists Mike Bancroft and Evan Plummer of Garage Spaces team up with The Hyde Park Art Center to bring you S***, Shower, and Shave. Part of HPAC's fabulous-sounding "Mischief Weekend" festival, S***, Shower, and Shave will begin with a tutorial on how to create your own arsenal out of a modified shaving cream can, then visitors will be released into a 60-foot soft sculpture tunnel to engage in shaving cream combat. What's better than that?

    S***, Shower, and Shave
    is only one of several events/exhibitions the HPAC has organized for "Mischief Night," which takes place at the museum this Saturday from 1 to 10pm, and is described by the HPAC as "celebrating the subversive, the weird, the illusive nature of art and artists." I highly recommend checking them all out here.

    Kelly Reaves

    Art Tue Oct 26 2010

    Discounted SOFA/Intuit Tickets

    SOFA-CG_08_0487.jpg

    The work of glass Maestro Lino Tagliapietra in Holsten Galleries booth at SOFA CHICAGO last year, photo courtesy of SOFA


    For those of you who are planning on going to the SOFA/Intuit Outsider Art fairs next weekend (November 5 - 7 at Navy Pier), we have good news: you can get half off your tickets if you use the code "ARTFAIR" when visiting the Tickets & Showtimes link at www.sofaexpo.com.

    Better yet, you can register with Intuit here for a FREE ticket, plus they'll get a donation for every complementary ticket that is turned in.

    Before the discount, general admission is $15 per ticket-- this admits visitors to both fairs and their related lecture series, special exhibits and events. Both fairs kick-off with a joint Opening Night Preview in Festival Hall on Thursday, Nov. 4. The public is invited to attend from 7 to 9pm for $50.

    Kelly Reaves / Comments (2)

    Feature Mon Oct 25 2010

    What We Do Is (Unintentionally) Secret

    bastisdance.jpg

    Beidler Elementary students performing at the "Forms of Spectacle and Solutions to Vacancy" Unveiling Ceremony. All photos by the author unless otherwise noted.

    Everyone knows the story of gentrification. Artists and other progressive people move to low-income neighborhoods looking for a good deal on a big space in the city. This attracts investors and developers, and the next thing you know, the original occupants of the neighborhood — including small businesses, families and even the artists themselves — are priced out of their homes to make room for culturally bankrupt replacements. The charm of the neighborhood is beaten out of it.

    Because of the housing market crash, along with foreclosures, the gentrification process has pretty much come to a halt in many parts of the city. A classic case of this in Chicago, for better of worse, is Garfield Park. Real estate in the neighborhood was highly sought after during the real estate boom because of its proximity to downtown and to the CTA and Metra trains, as well as the beloved Garfield Park Conservatory and the sprawling park itself, but has since been given up on by many developers. Now it is home to clusters of vacant lots and buildings, but what a lot of people don't realize is that a surprising number of the buildings that are occupied are occupied by artists. Not just any artists, either. Artists who aren't afraid to take risks, who dance to the beat of their own drums, who make some of the most engaging work and eclectic work around.

    Continue reading this entry »

    Kelly Reaves / Comments (4)

    Fashion Thu Oct 21 2010

    Fashion in Chicago: an interview with Alma Weiser of Renovar

    IRREGULARfashionshow.jpg
    Alma Weiser, the self-described "mother" of Heaven Gallery in Wicker Park, is also a local fashion designer whose inspirations range from Japanese anti-fashion designers of the 80s to the aesthetics of futurism. Her latest collection, Irregular a fashion homage by Renovar, premieres this Saturday at Heaven Gallery (1550 N Milwaukee, 2nd floor). Below, Weiser discusses her background, inspiration, goals for the future, and why a cute vintage dress dress is beneficial for more people than one would assume.

    What were your inspirations?
    I'm really inspired by Japanese designers. They're incredible. The work that they do is art. When I decided what I was going to do my next collection on, I just thought, "Japanese!" In the early 1980s, Japanese designers Rei Kawakubo and Yamamoto, they basically took Paris by storm. It was this whole movement that was anti-fashion. It wasn't this beautiful, form-fitting clothing anymore, showing the natural silhouette of the woman. It was more about the clothes being a second skin. It was just incredible. They came at the perfect moment. That's how movements are made. Somebody's doing something, and then that movement comes, and they're doing it simultaneously. I always admire when that happens. It's also about re-thinking your clothes, being as creative as possible as you can with the clothes. The image of Comme de Garcons is wearable art for the most thought-provoking, interesting, clothing you can think of.

    Continue reading this entry »

    Britt Julious / Comments (1)

    Business Tue Oct 19 2010

    Inkling Makes East Lakeview a Little More Colorful

    inklingstore.jpg

    All photos of the shop are by the author


    On an eclectic strip of North Broadway St. in East Lakeview sits a new(ish) store called Inkling, where Stephanie Keller sells her wares-- from hand-printed wrapping paper and greeting cards made by local artists to wacky porcelain knickknacks she's collected at antique stores and estate sales over the years. It's like Etsy, but you get to touch stuff.

    The store oozes cozy creativity and smells really good, too. There are so many interesting objects packed into the space that a fair viewing will probably require a good half hour, at least. Take your time. I would recommend bringing a coffee to aid with digestion and a few bucks, because you're going to want to buy something. Luckily, though, a few bucks are all you'll need because the prices are surprisingly low, especially considering that many of the items are hand-crafted, one-of-a-kind pieces. $5-$10 will get you a quirky, thoughtful little birthday/housewarming/baby shower gift for someone and $20 will get you an original screenprint.

    Continue reading this entry »

    Kelly Reaves

    Art Mon Oct 18 2010

    A Week Long Q&A with the MCA

    98b2cNM_UrbanChina_v3.jpg
    On Friday, October 22 from 3 to 4pm, Jiang Jun, editor-in-chief of Urban China magazine, takes over the MCA Chicago facebook page and will be answering questions. In anticipation of this online open forum, audiences can also post questions to the MCA Chicago facebook page throughout the week. The three most "vocal fans" will be chosen to meet Jun, take a private tour of the the museum's latest exhibition, Urban China: Informal Cities, and get prime seating at the Informal Cities Colloquium, taking place this Sunday.

    Urban China: Informal Cities explores the repercussions of urbanism in global cities. The exhibition arrives at a particularly rapt moment, when half of the world's population lives in these continuously evolving environments (either out of necessity or pleasure).

    During Sunday's colloquium, audience members are invited to join a discussion about global informal urban development and led by four architecture practitioners or writers. More information about the colloquium is available in Slowdown.

    Britt Julious

    Art Wed Oct 13 2010

    Bridgeport Art Walk This Weekend

    cps13.jpg

    Version Fest @ Co-Prosperity Sphere in 2007, photo courtesy of Co-Pro

    Bridgeport is home to a surprisingly bustling artistic community, from Co-Prosperity Sphere, run by the Public Media Institute to the Zhou B. Art Center. In an effort to raise awareness of that fact, the cultural spaces down there have teamed together for a "Bridgeport Art Walk" this weekend. At least seven (but probably more) exhibition/production spaces will open up to the public for us to meander around and gawk at their wares. The CAR website says that the walk will kick off each day (Friday, Oct. 15, Saturday and Sunday) at the Bridgeport Art Center at 1200 W 35th Street with the artists of Eastbank studios and then scatter throughout the neighborhood.

    Continue reading this entry »

    Kelly Reaves / Comments (1)

    Gallery Fri Oct 08 2010

    Vacation Group Art Show Opening @ Peanut Gallery

    schmidvacation.jpg

    Daniel Schmid

    The new gallery I co-run, Peanut Gallery, has a new show opening tonight-- a vacation-themed group show with paintings, drawings and photographs by twelve local artists:

    BONUS: A performance by the majestic Brandon Howe during the opening reception, tonight from 7 to 10 at Peanut Gallery: 1579 N. Milwaukee Ave. Rm. 345.

    This is a great show with a lot of unpredictable art by enthusiastic local artists. I'd love to see you at the opening, but if you can't make it the show will be up for a month by appointment.

    Kelly Reaves

    Dance Wed Oct 06 2010

    Luna Negra Dance Theater's 2010 Fall Series

    luna negra.png
    Luna Negra Dance Theater opens its 2010-2011 Chicago Season on October 16. Fans won't want to miss this performance, the company's first production under the direction of new Artistic Director Gustavo Ramirez Sansano. Luna Negra will perform the world premiere of Sansano's "Toda una Vida," the North American Premiere of "Bate" by Frenando Melo, and a revival of "Deshár Alhát," by Luna Negra's founder Eduardo Vilaro. Follwoing the perfromance the company presents the Noche Luna Gala including festive cocktails, savory Latin cuisine, and dancing to the sounds of Latin band Son de la Habana.

    The fall performance takes place Saturday, October 16, at 6:30 pm, at Harris Theater in Millennium Park, 205 E. Randolph St. Tickets are $25-$55, and may be purchased by calling 312-334-7777 or visiting www.harristheater.org. Reservations for the Nocha Luna Gala may be made by calling 312-337-6882.

    Emily Disher

    Event Thu Sep 30 2010

    Join Winifred Haun & Dancers in Oak Park Flash Mob

    Winifred Haun & Dancers' Flash Mob at the Milwaukee Ave Arts Festival

    You've imagined the stumped looks on the faces of unassuming bystanders. You've be dying to find out what it would be like to bust out your dance moves on a seemingly random day, in a seemingly random public place. Guess what? Here's your chance to join a flash mob!

    Winifred Haun & Dancers are hosting a flash mob in Oak Park on Saturday, October 9 as part of Oak Park's annual Artrageous!. One performance will take place on the steps of the Hemingway Museum (aka Arts Center), 339 N. Oak Park Ave., at 11 am, and the other on the plaza of the Oak Park Public Library, 834 Lake St. at 12 pm. You'll be dancing to the tunes of Stevie Wonder and George Crumb. There will be professional dancers dancing with you, so you'll have somewhere to turn if you forget your moves.

    Continue reading this entry »

    Emily Disher

    Event Tue Sep 28 2010

    Funny Business

    It was all about the laughs for Columbia College Chicago last weekend as the school celebrated its annual "Alumni Weekend." The festivities, which consisted of various panels, workshops and other activities, were an opportunity to network and re-connect with alumni from a variety of fields.

    For the "Laugh Track" part of the weekend, some of the school's most notable alumni from the entertainment industry convened for "The Business of Being Funny," a panel discussion where they shared memories of their time as students at Columbia and also discussed how they parlayed their comedic talent into a business.

    Held at the college's Getz Theater, the panel, made up of funny folks from the world of stand-up and improvisational comedy, writing, acting and directing, included author Karyn Bosnak, writer/director Steve Pink (Hot Tub Time Machine), comedienne Erica Watson, film editor Peter Teschner, writer/director Chris McKay (Robot Chicken) and actor/comedian Andy Richter ("Late Night With Conan O'Brien").

    Continue reading this entry »

    LaShawn Williams

    Dance Mon Sep 20 2010

    A Day of Free Dance at the Dance Center of Columbia College

    1306.png In celebration of ten years at their 1306 S. Michigan Ave. location, the Dance Center of Columbia College will present 13 hours of free dance performances, workshops, and classes on Saturday, Sept. 25. The event, 1306 - Ten Years Later, will fill the studios, theater, hallways, and even the stairwells of 1306 S. Michigan Ave. with activity from 10 am until 11 pm. Whether looking to learn how to dance, or to sit down and enjoy innovative contemporary pieces, audiences of all ages will find something to enjoy at 1306 - Ten Years Later.

    Continue reading this entry »

    Emily Disher

    Event Sun Sep 19 2010

    Italian Expo at Navy Pier

    Have you ever wondered how to experience Italy without even having to go to O'Hare or Midway? For the attendees of the fourth annual Italian Expo, no plane tickets or passports were needed; just a trip downtown was all that was necessary for a fabulous Italian getaway.

    IMG_3966.jpgHeld this weekend at Navy Pier and hosted by the Italian American Chamber of Commerce-Midwest (IACC), the Expo focused on the country's Lombardy region, (Lombardia in Italian); over 100 vendors and organizations from both Italy and the United States provided Chicagoans with a true taste of the country widely known for its rich and diverse culture.

    For Fulvio Calcinardi, IACC's Executive Director, Italian Expo allowed attendees a chance to truly experience Italy in Chicago and provided the opportunity to see "gorgeous fashion, cutting-edge product design and hand-crafted masterpieces, all of which and more can be enjoyed right here in Chicago during Italian Expo."

    Continue reading this entry »

    LaShawn Williams / Comments (1)

    Event Thu Sep 16 2010

    Nouns and Verbs Alongside Some Really Pretty Pictures

    Former Gapers Block writer and photographer extraordinare, Brian Leli, has started a website called Noun/Verb where he posts his interviews with and profiles of interesting artists of all sorts, among other things. "Noun/Verb is devoted to artists and their actions," he explains. "Those driven to look further inside and out, to inspire and to be inspired--Noun/Verb explores boldly passionate individuals and the things that they do."

    A substantial part of this project will be the "Live Talks" series, which is what it sounds like-- live interviews with artists in public places. The first of the series, an interview with Matt Shaw of The Spend, will take place tomorrow evening at The Hideout. Click here for details on that event. Whether or not you're not able to make it out to that, definitely keep an eye on Noun/Verb and keep your ears peeled for future Live Talks events.

    Kelly Reaves

    Feature Tue Sep 14 2010

    Home is Where the Pride Is

    DPPparade.jpg

    This story was submitted by Gapers Block Book Club and Drive-Thru writer, Ruthie Kott. All photos in this article were taken by Louis Terry.

    The Chicago Temple's Dixon Chapel was packed for the July 23 open mic the night before the seventh annual Chicago Disability Pride Parade, and the food at the back of the room was just crumbs by the time Eli Clare got up to the microphone. His was the last performance of the night, and people were excited to hear him speak. When he introduced one of his poems, "How to Talk to a New Lover About Cerebral Palsy," the audience laughed. "I know that I'm home when people laugh," said Clare, a writer and speaker who was born with CP. When he shares the poem with more able-bodied audiences, he said, they just look sad.

    He started to read: "Tell her: Complete strangers / have patted my head, kissed / my cheek, called me courageous." And when he got to the part about the woman asking about the difference between CP and MS--"refrain from handing her an encyclopedia"--the audience in the room laughed again. Clare briefly interrupted the poem. "Yeah, I'm home," he said, smiling.

    Clare, a disability-rights and LGBTQ activist, was the 2010 parade's grand marshal. Living in Vermont's Green Mountains, he says, "I've made home in the disability community for nearly 25 years, and to be honored by that community in this way is bigger than I can express in words." It's a burgeoning community, one that's only recently begun to discover its voice, and Chicago, with the first disability-studies PhD program in the world at the University of Illinois at Chicago, is a center for disability-rights activism. People come from all over the region to participate in the parade, also the first of its kind in the world--in the past, there have been groups from Norway (they've since started a disability pride parade in Oslo), and this year there was a contingent from Korea.

    Continue reading this entry »

    Ruthie Kott / Comments (1)

    Art Thu Sep 09 2010

    R'Fuah: New Works by Max Kauffman Opens Tomorrow

    newnest.jpg

    Kauffman, "Untitled" (New Nest), photo courtesy of the artist

    Denver folk artist Max Kauffman makes art about things that seem like they deserve to have art made about them. His new solo show, which opens tomorrow night at Pawn Works, is about the things we hold dear-- our beliefs, our idols, our relics and our nostalgic ephemera. He is interested in what these things actually represent and why we, as human beings, become so attached to them. How do inanimate objects garner so much strength and importance? He believes we are actually "pulling on the strength within ourselves, our thoughts and spirits, when we look to these things."

    With this collection of his work, titled R'fuah, he poses the question: "Does this renewal, this evolution of this cycle of spirit and material make us more or less human? By putting our faith in objects, are we overpowering or overpowered?"

    R'fuah will feature new mixed media paintings on paper and wood, ceramic works and a site-specific installation. The opening for this exhibit will be from tomorrow, Friday September 10 from 6 to 10pm at Pawn Works: 1050 N. Damen Ave. If you miss the opening, the show will be up through October 10 by appointment.

    Kelly Reaves

    Event Fri Aug 27 2010

    Redmoon Would Like to Introduce You to J.O.E.

    Redmoon J.O.E. lumenarium

    Redmoon is, of course, well known for its large-scale theatrical events -- even they prefer to refer to them as spectacles, because "play" just doesn't capture what they do. Their latest is the Joyous Outdoor Event, aka J.O.E. It's being staged in South Belmont Harbor Park, at Belmont and Lake Shore Drive, in collaboration with the Metro/smartbar and Chicago Park District. Among the many goings-on are concerts by JC Brooks & The Uptown Sound, Scotland Yard Gospel Choir, My Gold Mask and others (curated by Metro); performances by Redmoon and other theatre troupes; a clown fashion show; games, races and tugs-of-war; soapbox speeches on Labor Day; and The Luminarium, the large explorable structure pictured above. Each evening culminates in a performance of Redmoon's Last of My Species II: The Perilous Songs of Bibi Merhdad, billed as a sequel to last year's spectacle.

    J.O.E. runs Thursday, Sept. 2 from 6 to 10pm; Friday, Sept. 3 from 6 to 10pm; Saturday, Sept. 4 from 1 to 10pm; Sunday, Sept. 5 from 1 to 10pm; and Monday, Sept.6 from 1 to 6pm. Tickets are $25 for adults, $10 for kids.

    Andrew Huff

    Event Tue Aug 24 2010

    African Festival of the Arts

    AFRICAN FEST2.jpg

    Summertime in Chicago has become synonymous with outdoor festivals, and this year is certainly no different. The African Festival of the Arts, one of the city's largest festivals, has truly become one of the "must attend" events of the summer.

    A staple event of the African International House, this four-day festival, taking place over the Labor Day holiday weekend, offers the best in African culture; in addition, the festival features a variety of vendors with unique African-themed sculptures, paintings, fashion and other forms of art. For festival producer Patrick Woodtor, this event is not only for the African community, but also for all of Chicago's diverse neighborhoods. "The festival offers something for everyone and all communities in Chicago," said Woodtor. "Our mission is to educate our audiences about Africa, the cradle of civilization, while celebrating her significance and impact on mankind."

    Continue reading this entry »

    LaShawn Williams

    Business Thu Aug 12 2010

    The Bench

    Unemployed? Maybe you're sitting around in your pajamas at 2 in the afternoon watching Hulu in between bouts of job searching on Craigslist. Maybe you're training yourself to eat like an eighteen year old again because you can't afford grown-up food anymore. Maybe you're getting a little depressed because all you're finding is jobs you don't want. Or maybe you're finding jobs you'd love to have but you're bombing at the interviews.

    You know what you need? You need some moral support. And maybe a beer, too.

    Fellow A/C writer Whitney Stoepel has teamed up with the super-talented and hilarious local writer Natalie Edwards and created an unemployment club of sorts, called "The Bench", which meets at the Maproom every Friday at 1pm. Armed with pints of beer and/or fancy coffee, they go over resumes, share job-finding tips and techniques as well as interesting job opportunities, and perhaps most importantly, they pat each other on the back and give each other a reason to get out of their pajamas and go out into the world every Friday. Every meeting focuses on a theme, like how to interview well and how to stay relevant in your field while working freelance jobs to get by.

    Continue reading this entry »

    Kelly Reaves / Comments (1)

    Art Sun Aug 08 2010

    This Saturday...


    More info here. RSVP to derek@nationalheadquarters.org.

    Kelly Reaves

    Art Wed Aug 04 2010

    August is Mystical Month

    hydrafine.jpg

    Photo courtesy of The Network of Crowded Art

    Mysticism and folklore are really hot right now. Don't believe me? There are two art shows opening in August that flirt with those themes. First, Hey, We're All Beginners Here! opens at Roots and Culture on Friday. The show, organized by The Network of Crowded Art is inspired by a multi-headed hydra in that it utilizes multiple voices and activities to "illuminate our historical moment and paths into the future." Through a series of workshops, field trips, performances and exhibitions, the events at Roots and Culture are designed to make you think about what we're doing here on earth (I think.) Hey, We're All Beginners Here is a trans-temporal, trans-spatial, trans-disciplinary exhibition (a big show!) of mutating, mutable work by a cast of talented marginal characters. Among those contributing are Robin Hustle, Sarah Kavage, Pennie Brinson, Salem Collo-Julin, Sarah Ross, Red76, Sarah Smizz, Courtney Moran, and Park McArthur. The exhibition includes drawings, an open stage and pulpit, a book making work shop, good food, video, wheat grass, and a bike ride to Schaumburg.

    Continue reading this entry »

    Kelly Reaves

    Event Fri Jul 30 2010

    The Black Women's Expo

    Thumbnail image for TheBlackWomensExpo.jpg

    The Black Women's Expo is traditionally known for having something in store for everyone, and this year is no different.

    Now in its 17th year, this two-day event, held on Saturday, August 7 and Sunday, August 8, will feature educational seminars, literary and music workshops and live entertainment for all attendees.

    On Saturday during the expo, the big and small screens will be celebrated with the "Film, Screenwriters and Television Seminar." Geared towards aspiring filmmakers, a panel of industry figures, including actor Ernest Thomas ("What's Happening!!," "Everybody Hates Chris"), Chicago native and actress Cynda Williams (One False Move, Mo Better Blues, Introducing: Dorothy Dandridge) and producer and director Darryl Roberts, will speak to audience members about how to get started in and maintain a career in filmmaking.

    Other events include a fashion show and a poetry showcase featuring spoken word artists.

    The Black Women's Expo will be held at the McCormick Place's North Building, Hall C1, 2301 S. Lake Shore Drive, Saturday, Aug. 7, 10am-8pm and Sunday, Aug. 8, 11am-7pm. Tickets are $10 for adults; $5 for children and seniors. For more information about other events during the expo weekend, visit the website or contact 312-243-3554.

    LaShawn Williams

    Film Mon Jul 26 2010

    Silent Summer @ The Portage Theater

    thefreshman.jpg

    Harold Lloyd and Jobyna Ralston in the 1925 silent film The Freshman.

    At the six corners of Irving, Milwaukee, and Cicero, a couple doors north of a store that has the words "Thom McCann" embedded in gold script in the entryway, and across from what used to be a restaurant called Mr. Steer, is the Portage Theater. Built in 1920, and refurbished in recent years (it was used as a location for the 2008 film Public Enemies), it has been home to the Silent Film Society of Chicago's annual Silent Summer Film Festival for a number of years.

    The West End Jazz Band made an appearance Friday night to mark the opening of this year's festival, warming up the audience as advertisements for area merchants, most of whom I'd never heard of before, were projected onto the screen: Tunar Design Group; Safety Signs & Lighting; and one that said, simply "Advertise On This Screen, $25".

    Organist Dennis Scott, dressed in a tuxedo, introduced the film lineup to the audience: a 1919 short starring Harold Lloyd and Bibi Daniels entitled Bumping into Broadway; and the main event -- the 1925 film The Freshman.

    Continue reading this entry »

    J.H. Palmer

    Art Fri Jul 23 2010

    Call for Artists: Chicago Artists Month Exhibition

    cam.jpg

    Chicago area visual artists are encouraged to submit work to an art exhibition to kick off Chicago Artists Month that will sponsored by the Chicago Department of Cultural Affairs, the Chicago Arts District and Gapers Block. A panel of three Gapers Block staffers will curate the show, and selected artists will participate in the exhibition on Friday, October 1 from 6-10pm at 2001 S. Halsted Street.

    Continue reading this entry »

    David Schalliol / Comments (1)

    Art Mon Jul 12 2010

    Beyond the Aesthetic and the Anti-Aesthetic @ AIC

    The Summer Stone Theory Institute presents an informal lecture by James Elkins in the Morton auditorium at the Art Institute of Chicago, 111 S. Michigan Ave., on July 18 at 1pm. This year's event addresses one of the central puzzles of contemporary art practice: the choice between continuations of modernism with its aesthetic values and the many kinds of postmodernism, which include politics, gender and identity.

    Hiba Ali

    Event Fri Jul 02 2010

    Threadless Turns 10, Takes Tour

    Threadless Everywhere tour trailer

    Threadless Everywhere tour trailerLocal designer t-shirt phenomenon Threadless is celebrating its 10th anniversary with a two-month tour of the country -- and Canada! -- in a custom Airstream and van.

    The tour kicks off with a party today at Threadless HQ, 4043 N. Ravenswood Ave., from 2 to 5pm. Check out the trailer, draw on the city mural, and enjoy Flirty Cupcakes, games and prizes -- including four VIP passes to Pitchfork Music Festival and cool 10th anniversary swag bags.

    After the send-off, the trailer's headed to San Francisco, LA and down to San Diego for Comic-Con. On Sept. 11 it'll roll through Chicago for the fourth annual Threadless Family Reunion at the Bottom Lounge -- to which you're invited. From there, it's off to Canada and the East Coast through early October. There's an anniversary party and book release planned, again at Bottom Lounge, for Oct. 10 (get it? 10/10/10!) with details to come.

    Andrew Huff

    GB store

    Architecture Tue Nov 03 2015

    Paul Goldberger Describes the "Pragmatism and Poetry" of Frank Gehry's Architecture in His New Book

    By Nancy Bishop

    Architecture critic Paul Goldberger talks about Frank Gehry's life and work in a new book.
    Read this feature »

    Steve at the Movies Fri Jan 01 2016

    Best Feature Films & Documentaries of 2015

    By Steve Prokopy

    Read this column »

    Blogroll

    ACRE
    An Angry White Guy
    Antena
    AREA Chicago
    ArchitectureChicago Plus
    Arts Engagement Exchange
    The Art Letter
    Art or Idiocy?
    Art Slant Chicago
    Art Talk Chicago
    Bad at Sports
    Bite and Smile
    Brian Dickie of COT
    Bridgeport International
    Carrie Secrist Gallery
    Chainsaw Calligraphy
    Chicago Art Blog
    Chicago Art Department
    Chicago Art Examiner
    Chicago Art Journal
    Chicago Artists Resource
    Chicago Art Map
    Chicago Art Review
    Chicago Classical Music
    Chicago Comedy Examiner
    Chicago Cultural Center
    Chicago Daily Views
    Chicago Film Examiner
    Chicago Film Archives
    Chicago Gallery News
    Chicago Uncommon
    Collaboraction
    Contemporary Art Space
    Co-op Image Group
    Co-Prosperity Sphere
    Chicago Urban Art Society
    Creative Control
    Defibrillator
    Devening Projects
    Digressions
    DIY Film
    ebersmoore
    The Exhibition Agency
    The Flatiron Project
    F newsmagazine
    The Gallery Crawl...
    Galerie F
    The Gaudy God
    Happy Dog Gallery
    HollywoodChicago
    Homeroom Chicago
    I, Homunculus
    Hyde Park Artcenter Blog
    InCUBATE
    Joyce Owens: Artist on Art
    J-Pointe
    Julius Caesar
    Kasia Kay Gallery
    Kavi Gupta Gallery
    Rob Kozlowski
    Lookingglass Theatre Blog
    Lumpen Blog
    Marquee
    Mess Hall
    N'DIGO
    Neoteric Art
    NewcityArt
    NewcityFilm
    NewcityStage
    Not If But When
    Noun and Verb
    On Film
    On the Make
    Onstage
    Peanut Gallery
    Peregrine Program
    Performink
    The Poor Choices Show
    Pop Up Art Loop
    The Post Family
    The Recycled Film
    Reversible Eye
    Rhona Hoffman Gallery
    Roots & Culture Gallery
    SAIC Blog
    The Seen
    Sharkforum
    Sisterman Vintage
    Site of Big Shoulders
    Sixty Inches From Center
    Soleil's To-Do's
    Sometimes Store
    Steppenwolf.blog
    Stop Go Stop
    Storefront Rebellion
    TOC Blog
    Theater for the Future
    Theatre in Chicago
    The Franklin
    The Mission
    The Theater Loop
    Thomas Robertello Gallery
    threewalls
    Time Tells Tony Wight Gallery
    Uncommon Photographers
    The Unscene Chicago
    The Visualist
    Vocalo
    Western Exhibitions
    What's Going On?
    What to Wear During an Orange Alert?
    You, Me, Them, Everybody
    Zg Gallery

    GB store

     

    Events


    A/C on Flickr

    Join the A/C Flickr Pool.



    About A/C

    A/C is the arts and culture section of Gapers Block, covering the many forms of expression on display in Chicago. More...
    Please see our submission guidelines.

    Editor: Nancy Bishop, nancy@gapersblock.com
    A/C staff inbox: ac@gapersblock.com

    Archives

     

    A/C Flickr Pool
     Subscribe in a reader.

    GB store

    GB Store

    GB Buttons $1.50

    GB T-Shirt $12

    I ✶ Chi T-Shirts $15