September 20, 2022 at 7:00 am by Ray Pride
Author Rich Benjamin at the Raue Center
Annual Recycled Art Sale And Benefit Returns To Highland Park
The annual Recycled Art Sale and Benefit returns to Highland Park October 13-22 for its twenty-third year. Hosted by The Art Center Highland Park, the event offers a collection of artwork including posters, jewelry, artifacts and curios, as well as deeply discounted works by artists such as Salvador Dali, LeRoy Neiman and Chicago-based outsider artist Lee Godie. Details here.
The OI Welcomes Museum Associate Director And Chief Curator
Marc Maillot, director of the French Archaeological Unit in Khartoum, Sudan, has accepted the position of OI Museum associate director and chief curator, the museum relays in a release. Maillot, who received his PhD from the Sorbonne, has held the position of Director of the French Archaeological Unit on behalf of the French Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Marc has been director of excavations at the site of Damboya in Sudan as well as involved in the organization of exhibitions and in cultural heritage preservation efforts. He considers this appointment “a motivating challenge to bring a long-term vision to one of the best collections in my discipline.” With a background in Nubian studies and archaeology, he will guide the OI Museum while connecting the collections to the latest state-of-the-art research in Nubia and reinforcing OI partnerships at an international level. More on the OI here.
Alphawood Foundation Wins Award For “Reconstructing the Garrick: Adler & Sullivan’s Lost Masterpiece”
The Alphawood Foundation Chicago has won the 2022 Alice Award for “Reconstructing the Garrick: Adler & Sullivan’s Lost Masterpiece,” its illustrated, 352-page book edited by John Vinci with Tim Samuelson, Eric Nordstrom and Chris Ware, and designed by Chris Ware. The Alice Award, created in 2013, is administered by the New York-based Furthermore, and is given to a book that represents excellence in all aspects of the work—from idea to design to quality of production. “This award is a testament to the incredible efforts of John Vinci, Tim Samuelson, Eric Nordstrom, and Chris Ware to bring to the public a greater appreciation of Adler & Sullivan’s ‘Lost Masterpiece,’ both through the visually stunning book and related exhibition on the Garrick Theater at Wrightwood 659 in Chicago.” “We are proud to have served as publisher,” says Chirag G. Badlani, executive director of Alphawood Foundation Chicago. The book is here. More on the award here.
Navy Pier Neighborhood Artisan Market Continues
Navy Pier continues to provide access for entrepreneurs to sell their products through the Neighborhood Artisan Market, which showcases creative talent found across Chicago and its neighborhoods. Visitors can experience upcoming neighborhood Artisan Markets during normal Navy Pier operating hours, including Friday, September 23 through Sunday, September 25 (Greater Grand Crossing Community). Visitors can meet local Chicago artists, see crafts and learn stories. The market is planned in conjunction with local neighborhood business groups and the City of Chicago Department of Business Affairs. “Navy Pier is proud of the opportunities we provide entrepreneurs who have great success stories to share about their experiences as full-time partners or vendors at the pop-up artisan markets that represent the flavor of individual neighborhoods,” Navy Pier president and CEO Marilynn Gardner says in a release. “We’re especially proud of our expanding incubator for women and minority-owned businesses and encourage all guests to engage with these entrepreneurs who have transformed their passions into careers.” More here.
Data Centers Boom In Illinois
A $2.5 billion data center is planned for the former United Airlines headquarters, reports the Trib. The site will host a 1.5 million-square-foot campus. “Hyperscale data centers typically house hundreds of thousands of computer servers in each building to meet the data storage needs of the world’s largest companies… The development is the eighth new data center project to launch in the past year in ComEd’s service territory… ComEd will build a new substation at the site to support CloudHQ’s operations.”
City Council Committee Approves Delivery Robots
“Robotic personal delivery devices described as ‘beverage coolers on wheels’ will soon be delivering more restaurant meals and groceries in and around the campus of the University of Illinois Chicago,” reports the Sun-Times. “The Chicago City Council’s Committee on License and Consumer Protection approved an ordinance championed by Mayor Lori Lightfoot expanding a year-old, pandemic-inspired pilot that had been confined to just a portion of the UIC campus.”
Staffing Shortages Persist For Chicago Eateries
Some restaurateurs believe that immigration restrictions imposed under the Trump administration, as well as the pandemic, are hitting establishments harder than ever, reports WTTW. Robert Gomez, owner of Subterranean and Beat Kitchen, suggests that “policy-makers should come together and discuss how to legalize migrants, otherwise, the restaurant industry ‘will not bounce back.'”
Pops for Champagne Sabers Fortieth Anniversary
Pops for Champagne is celebrating its fortieth anniversary this September. One of the nation’s most noted champagne bars, Pops has served almost a million bottles of champagne since opening in 1982. To celebrate their anniversary, they’re serving a rotating $40 pour of unique champagne, not typically served by the glass. They’ve also expanded their menu, adding new offerings weekly, aiming to represent smaller producers from the Champagne region of France. Their underground speakeasy, Watershed, has been remodeled, with updated furniture and flooring and an enhanced sound system, while honoring the historic features of the property. Watershed will also introduce a “seasonal” cocktail menu where every season focuses on a different television show, paying homage to the meaning of “watershed” in broadcasting, which is the time of day after which programming aimed toward mature or adult audiences is permitted. Find Pops here.
Chicago Gourmet Presents Prost! In the Park
Chicago Gourmet, one of the nation’s largest food festivals, has added Prost! In the Park, a beer and spirits festival with brews, bites and “boozie bevs” from popular and soon-to-be-discovered producers. Chef Sarah Grueneberg (Monteverde Restaurant & Pastificio) will host. Guests “will enjoy chef takes on classic German delights, oom-pah bands, fun cocktails, and of course, plenty of frosty pints.” “Prost! In The Park offers an incredible opportunity to showcase new and known breweries in Illinois and beyond,” Ray Stout, executive director, Illinois Craft Brewers Guild, says in a release. “We aim to throw a world-class beer event, but we also seek to share a strong representation of up-and-coming breweries that provide a diverse snapshot of creativity in our community.” Tickets here.
Chicago International Film Festival Announces Full Schedule
The fifty-eighth edition of North America’s longest-running film festival will open with Steve James’ “Compassionate Spy,” feature “Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery” as its centerpiece and close with Noah Baumbach’s “White Noise,” and will run from October 12-23. Screenings are set across the city, including at River East, the Music Box, Siskel and the Chicago History Museum as well as virtually and with pop-up screenings at Austin Town Hall and the Hamilton Park Cultural Center in Englewood. The ChiFilmFest Opening Night Block Party will take place on Southport near the Music Box, 5-10pm, featuring vendors, music, photo ops and food trucks. The program includes ninety-two features and fifty-six shorts, two world-premieres, fourteen North American premieres and twenty-two U.S. premieres. Special presentations include a Darren Aronofsky Masterclass to accompany “The Whale”; Park Chan-Wook’s “Decision To Leave”; Lukas Dhont’s “Close”; Laura Poitras’ “All The Beauty And The Bloodshed”; Sam Mendes’ “Empire of Light” and Martin McDonagh’s “The Banshees of Inisherin.” Chicago attractions include “Art and Pep,” Mercedes Kane’s portrait of activists Art Johnston and Pepe Peña, whose gay bar Sidetrack has fueled movements and created community on Chicago’s Halsted Street for decades; “Saint Frances” director Alex Thompson’s psychological thriller “Rounding”; and the world premiere of “King Of Kings: Chasing Edward Jones,” a portrait of Harriet Marin Jones’ grandfather, a gambling entrepreneur who was one of the most powerful and richest Black men in America in the 1930s and forties, who went head-to-head with the Chicago mob. The complete list is here. The program is here. Tickets and passes here.
Yes, Your “Ferris” Day Is Possible At Breakneck Speed
The old question washes up, this time at the Washington Post: could Ferris Bueller do all that shit in a single day? Leigh Giangreco, of the Thompson Center Sbarro’s beat, tries John Hughes’ itinerary on for size: “As an adopted Chicagoan and longtime John Hughes devotee, I’ve always wondered whether it’s possible to do everything Ferris accomplished as he dodges school in the 1986 film. He knocks out a trip to the top of the Sears Tower, the Chicago Board of Trade, a fancy French lunch, a Cubs game, the Art Institute, the Von Steuben Day parade and the beach, then races on foot through his North Shore suburb to get home by 6pm. Even with the help of movie magic, it seems like a stretch… It may seem antithetical to Ferris’ laissez-faire attitude, but the key to completing this marathon of events is meticulous planning. I used Google Maps to estimate our time of arrival at each location and drove my own car; my only regret is not renting a convertible for such a picturesque day. Just because Ferris never looks rushed in the movie doesn’t mean this is a leisurely day. If you want to see everything on his list, you’ve got to keep up the pace.” Meanwhile, On Location Tours can take you to the Loop-ish locations as part of their newly christened “Downtown Chicago TV & Movie Sites Walking Tour,” siting “The Dark Knight,” “The Blues Brothers,” “Ozark” and instances of other minor big-screen epiphanies. “Some guest favorite sites featured on the tour include the Auditorium Theatre, featured in ‘Public Enemies,’ the famous Art Institute of Chicago and Willis Tower as seen in ‘Ferris Bueller’s Day Off’ and iconic spots from romantic comedies, including ‘My Best Friend’s Wedding,’ ‘While You Were Sleeping’ and ‘What Women Want.'” Mr. Beef on Orleans Street is featured in the two-hour tour, in memory of the first season of “The Bear.” The cost of the public tour is $36 for adults and $26 for children (ages 6-9). The private tour is $55 per person for groups of two and $45 per person for groups of three or more. Tickets here.
Sant Jordi USA Festival of Books Launches In Chicago
“Chicago is home to an extraordinarily diverse set of writers, but it’s also home to literary translators who work from dozens of minority, underrepresented or straight-up endangered languages to bring the literature of the world into English,” Sant Jordi USA says in a release. “Translation is as much a political, cultural and migratory statement as it is a literary one.” With support from Chicago’s DCASE, the group is launching the inaugural Sant Jordi USA Festival of Books in Chicago, an international cousin of the Sant Jordi Festival of Books, Roses & the Arts begun nearly a century ago in Catalonia. The three events are: Friday, September 23, hosted by Haymarket Books at Haymarket House in Uptown, translator, scholar, and cultural administrator Mary Ann Newman will be in conversation with the poet Erik Noonan about “Aristocrats, Revolutionaries, and Hermits in Twentieth-Century Catalonia;” Saturday, September 24 at the Seminary Co-op Bookstore in Hyde Park, the poet and translator Daniel Borzutzky, translator Lucina Schell, and the poet Jose-Luis Moctezuma address “Infiltrating Language Itself: Memory, Justice, and Poetry in Translation;” Sunday, September 25 at Exile in Bookville in the Loop, Chicago-based translators Izidora Angel and Alta L. Price discuss “New Takes on Exile Literature.” All events are free and open to the public; the official festival website is here; the reservation link is here.
“The Divided States of America” In Crystal Lake
Author, speaker and cultural anthropologist Rich Benjamin will join the Raue Center for the Arts on October 14 for “The Divided States of America: Big National Transformations, Small Towns,” a presentation and moderated Q&A discussing the writer’s personal experiences engaging with communities in small-town America and his observations of modern society, culture and politics. “It’s important for us to have honest conversations on Race,” Raue Center executive director, Richard Kuranda, says in a release. “Over the last five years, we have opened our eyes to the power of a community wanting to confront the ugly truth that racism does exist here. Hopefully, this discussion will help further that conversation in McHenry County.” More here.
Remembering Genevieve Buck, Columnist, Editor And Fashion Reporter
“Genevieve Buck entered the newspaper business when it was still a raucous, male-dominated world in which women were considered secondary,” writes Rick Kogan in a remembrance at the Tribune. “But over the next decades Buck would prove to be an influential and internationally admired fashion reporter and editor, business reporter and columnist, and feature story writer. She did so with a memorably deft touch. And she was as stylish in person as in print… ‘Gen was “fashion” for the many years I worked at the Tribune,’ said former Tribune writer Judy Hevrdejs, who worked with Buck. ‘She had a great attention to details—in the details of a designer dress, of the trends showing up on the streets of Chicago and beyond, and most importantly in the details of a story she was writing.'” More here.
Invisible Institute Founder Reflects On Robbery At Gunpoint
Invisible Institute founder Jamie Kalven compares the “Lakeview Scream” attack ad to the experience of he and his wife with gunpoint robbery in a column at the Trib. The experience “left us with the knotty conundrum of how to understand and manage the presence of fear in our lives.”
Illinois Philharmonic Will Crown Composer-In-Residence
“As part of Maestro Stilian Kirov’s vision to encourage the development of new musical voices, Illinois Philharmonic Orchestra is proud to host our fourth annual composer competition, IPO Classical Evolve, aimed at expanding the canon of classical music for current and future generations,” the group relays in a release. “In an innovative and artistically fulfilling process, three finalists will have their new, original seven-to-ten-minute score workshopped and performed live to IPO audiences on Thursday, September 22. The winning composer will be named IPO Composer-in-Residence” and have the opportunity to compose three orchestral works during the 2023-24 season. The event will be held at the Marg Kallemeyn Theatre on the Trinity Christian College campus. More here.
Symphony Ball On Opening CSOA Weekend
The Women’s Board of the Chicago Symphony Orchestra Association (CSOA) will present Symphony Ball, a festive part of the opening weekend of the Chicago Symphony Orchestra’s season that includes red-carpet arrivals and a preconcert champagne toast throughout Symphony Center for all concertgoers. The gala evening will also honor Riccardo Muti for his artistic partnership with the CSO as music director. Symphony Ball is chaired by CSOA Women’s Board member Dora Aalbregtse and her husband John Aalbregtse, a CSOA Trustee. Northern Trust is the Presenting Sponsor of Symphony Ball. The Symphony Ball concert will open with Samuel Coleridge-Taylor’s recently rediscovered work, “Solemn Prelude.” Riccardo Muti and the CSO will be joined by the renowned pianist Yefim Bronfman in Mozart’s joyous Piano Concerto No. 22 before concluding with a soaring finale, Tchaikovsky’s virtuosic and deeply moving symphonic poem “Francesca da Rimini.” More here.
“Good Night, Oscar” Heading To Broadway
“The smash hit Goodman Theatre production of ‘Good Night, Oscar’ is headed to Broadway in the spring with most of its original Chicago cast, including its acclaimed star, Sean Hayes,” reports Chris Jones at the Trib. “Doug Wright’s play with music, an exploration of the pianist, actor and raconteur Oscar Levant, is slated to begin performances at the Belasco Theatre on Broadway on April 7, 2023, with an opening night of April 24.”
Deeply Rooted Performs At Navy Pier
Deeply Rooted Dance Theater performs free at Navy Pier on September 25. Deeply Rooted joins an impressive group of the city’s top musical, theatrical, dance and cultural organizations for the Chicago Live! weekend at Navy Pier September 24-25. The company performs “Parallel Lives,” choreographed by associate artistic director Gary Abbott, and “Heaven,” choreographed by Abbott and creative-executive director Kevin Iega Jeff, on Sunday, September 25 at 4pm at East End Plaza. More here.
Steppenwolf For Young Adults Presents “1919”
Steppenwolf Theatre Company will present the Steppenwolf for Young Adults’ (SYA) world premiere of “1919,” adapted by J. Nicole Brooks from Eve L. Ewing’s collection of poems about the killing of Black teenager Eugene Williams in 1919 off the segregated Chicago lakeshore, and how this tragedy reverberates today. “1919” runs October 4-29 as the second-ever production in Steppenwolf’s new in-the-round Ensemble Theater, the centerpiece of its recently unveiled Arts and Education Center. Directed by Gabrielle Randle-Bent and Tasia A. Jones, the production features Sheldon D. Brown, DeMorris Burrows, Max Thomas, Sola Thompson, Jessica Dean Turner and Alexis Ward. Tickets and more here.
ARTS & CULTURE & ETC.
Cultural Center Announces Programming For Cooler Seasons
The City of Chicago and the Department of Cultural Affairs and Special Events (DCASE) have announced the fall and winter lineup of free film, music and art programming, as well as tours and lectures throughout the Chicago Cultural Center. In addition to ongoing, yearlong programming, the season includes a new immersive exhibition, “Exact Dutch Yellow” by Luftwerk, a Chicago-based collaborative, that plays on color theory and will transform the fourth floor exhibit hall into a chromatic experience; an “Under the Dome” concert lineup that features performances by prominent artists KAINA and Mick Jenkins; and holiday gifts and programming at the Buddy store, including a special holiday ornament show and one-of-a-kind gifts from Chicago. More here.
Fall Fest Returns To Lincoln Park Zoo
Lincoln Park Zoo’s free Fall Fest kicks off September 30. In addition to autumn-themed animal features and musical entertainment, the zoo’s fall pop-up bar, Patch’s Pumpkin Bar & Grill, returns to offer seasonal food, drinks, décor, and views of Pepper Family Wildlife Center. Visitors can pick a pumpkin at the zoo’s pumpkin patch and “can marvel at the masterpieces created by professional pumpkin carvers and attend a drag story time.” Fall Fest features ticketed experiences, including a Pumpkin Walk at Pritzker Family Children’s Zoo, with live professional pumpkin carvers on Saturdays and Sundays, a Harvest Maze, rides (including a sixty-five-foot Ferris wheel, fun slide and “Pirate’s Revenge”), Lionel Train Adventure, and the AT&T Endangered Species Carousel. “Fall is one of the best times to visit Lincoln Park Zoo, with species of all sorts enjoying the cooler weather and the zoo’s foliage bursting with autumnal colors,” events manager Meg Hein says in a release. Fall Fest is free and open to the public Friday-Sunday from September 30-October 30 and on Monday, October 10, from 10am-5pm. Registration is not required but guests can sign up here. Attractions require tickets and can be bought online or at the zoo.
Circus Auction To Include Retired Museum Of Science And Industry Exhibit
“The circus exhibit seen by thousands of children has been on display, in one form or another, since the early 1970s,” reports the Sun-Times. “For many it was magical, for others, like a nightmare scene from a bad horror” movie. “The remaining two dozen or so items—including ten hand-made dioramas with mechanical moving figures—were removed earlier this month to make way for a new exhibit. Traditional circuses, like rotary phones and drive-in movies, don’t have the same appeal they once did.” Some of the artifacts from the Museum of Science and Industry are included in the sale of the circus archives of John and Jan Zweifel on Saturday, September 24, 2022. The Zweifel’s archives were home to tens of thousands of documents, photographs, and relics, including correspondence and memorabilia, as well as circus and Wild West costumes, posters and banners. Among the featured lots will be objects and documents from the life and career of Tom Thumb and Buffalo Bill, as well as P.T. Barnum, and nearly every “greatest show on earth” of the last century. Also included are objects and artifacts from the long-running circus exhibit at the Museum of Science and Industry. “The sale of this collection allows these artifacts a life beyond the museum.” Among these featured lots are an expansive scale-model miniature circus big top, sideshow, street parade, and even the interactive circus displays popular with museum visitors over a nearly fifty-year history. The auction will be conducted in Potter & Potter’s gallery at 5001 West Belmont. All lots are available for preview and bidding here.
PETA Petitions Museum Of Science And Industry About Live Chick Display
PETA’s humane education division has sent a letter to the president and CEO of the Museum of Science and Industry, Chevy Humphrey, calling on her to end the museum’s live-chick display and cow-eye dissection. “With these exhibits, the institution is sending a harmful message to children that animals are mere objects to be used and is supporting industries in which animals endure bloody, violent deaths,” the group says in a release. “The Museum of Science and Industry is desensitizing kids to violence and teaching them that other sentient beings are disposable,” PETA senior director Rachelle Owen writes. “TeachKind is calling on this museum to ditch cruelty and bad science and embrace modern, superior, non-animal methods that are on the cutting edge of research.” More here.
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