Bulletin
Donation from Englewood to Flint
Make a monetary donation to: Teamwork Englewood, 815 W. 63rd St., 2nd Fl. c/o From Englewood to Flint. For item drop-off locations see: bit.ly/1VQ5zhT. Donations open until Saturday, April 23. (773) 488-6600. englewoodportal.org
Multiple organizations in Englewood are calling for action to help vulnerable residents suffering from the public health crisis in Flint. They aim to provide basic care kits, water and monetary aid. Refer to the website for the list of items needed. (Yunhan Wen)
The State of the Left in Europe
University of Chicago, Bartlett Lounge, 5640 S. University Ave. Thursday, March 31, 2pm.
The Platypus Affiliated Society is hosting a panel discussing the political mobilization of leftists entering parliamentary politics in Europe as a result of continuous social crises. The panel includes experts in academia, politics, art and social service from Austria, Germany and the U.K. (Yunhan Wen)
The South Side: A Portrait of Chicago and American Segregation
International House, 1414 E. 59th St. Thursday, March 31, 6pmâ7:30pm. Free. (773) 753-2270. ihouse.uchicago.edu
In 1963, James Baldwin described âthe South Sideâa million in captivityâstretching from this doorstep as far as the eye could see.â Itâs a description which Natalie Moore might argue still captures the reality of Chicago today. At this event, she will unfurl her history of what remains one of Americaâs most segregated cities. (Adam Thorp)
Volunteer for MBoutique 2016
De La Salle Institute, 3434 S. Michigan Ave. Saturday, April 2, 7amâ5pm. Register at bit.ly/1SqZINc. (773) 285-5800. metroboard.org
MBoutique is the Chicago Urban Leagueâs annual event that provides free prom dresses, accessories, and advice for teenage girls around Chicagoland. Register any time before April 2 to volunteer; available roles include personal shopping assistant, dressing room attendant, and more. (Christian Belanger)
From #BlackLivesMatter to Black Liberation
Chicago Cultural Center, 78 E. Washington St. Wednesday, April 6, 7pmâ8:30pm. Free. Register in advance at bit.ly/25p2EBc. (773) 583-7884. haymarketbooks.org
A concern with race and a concern with class are sometimes presented as contradictory. Academic and activist Keeanga-Yamahtta Taylor suggests instead that class power cannot be unsettled until racial hierarchies are demolished; at this event she will advance her understanding of the modern moment in black liberation. (Adam Thorp)
Visual Arts
New Exhibits at the National Museum of Mexican Art
National Museum of Mexican Art, 1852 W. 19th St. 1pmâ5pm, Tuesday-Sunday. Free. (312) 738-1503. nationalmuseumofmexicanart.org
The National Museum of Mexican Art introduces four new temporary exhibits this March. Estampas de la Raza surveys the contributions of Mexican American Artists from post-1960 American printmaking. âContemplationsâ examines the work of minimalist artist Dan Ramirez. âBrown Brilliance Darkness Matterâ explores the work of Maria Gaspar and âTraveling Mindsâ is an installation by Victoria Martinez. (Bilal Othman)
Michelle NonĂł Open Studio Hours
Hyde Park Art Center, 5020 S. Cornell Ave. Studio open Wednesdays, March 30âApril 13, 4pmâ7pm. Free. (773) 324-5520. hydeparkart.org
As humans, we owe a great deal to fermentation: yogurt, alcohol, bread. To be added to this list is the work of Puerto Rican artist Michelle NonĂł, who explores the âintersection between performance and agricultureâ with living mediums like yeast. Not to be missed by anyone with an interest in art, or metabolic processes. (Christopher Good)
Julietta Cheung: Prospects
Ballroom Projects, 3012 S. Archer Ave. apt. 3. Opening reception Saturday, April 2, 7pmâ10pm. Open by appointment through April 23. Free. ballroomprojects.tumblr.com
Audacious multimedia artist Julietta Cheung will return to Ballroom Projects to commemorate the spaceâs third anniversary, and to continue negotiating the tension âbetween the self and society in a spatial context.â The exhibitionâs press release promises plenty of syntactical homage and linguistic bricolageâfood for thought if there ever was any. (Christopher Good)
Latino Art Now! Re-imagining Global Intersections Conference
Chicago Cultural Center, 78 East Washington St. Thursday, April 7, 3pm. UIC Conference Center, 750 Halsted St.; Friday & Saturday, April 8-9, 9amâ5pm. $50 General Public. $10 Student w/ID. Iuplr.uic.edu
Chicago, a city that has historically championed Latino visual art, now continues that long and rich tradition by hosting the fifth biennial Latino Art Now! Conference. Artists, critics, educators, directors, and art enthusiasts come together to discuss, debate, and examine the state of U.S.-Latino art. (Bilal Othman)
The Bridge
Rockefeller Memorial Chapel, 5850 S. Woodlawn Ave. Opening reception Tuesday, April 12, 5:30pmâ8:30pm. Through March 19. Monday-Saturday, 8amâ5pm; Sunday 8amâ4pm. Free. (773) 702-2100.
This exhibition crosses borders, creeds, and cultures in an effort to unearth the structures that connect and support those on any side. Forty-seven self-identifying Arab, Persian, and Jewish contemporary artists come together to bridge the ocean in this traveling exhibition, carrying with them a message of intercultural and inter-religious harmony. (Corinne Butta)
Music
Thao & the Get Down Stay Down
Thalia Hall, 1807 S. Allport St. Friday, April 1, doors 7:30pm, show 8:30pm. $20 general admission ($22 at the door). (312) 526-3851. thaliahallchicago.com
Thao Nguyen knows the rules of genre and instrumentation well enough to break them. But the psychedelic palette her band deals inâpunchy drums, elastic basslines, and earworm chantsâis glued together by top-notch songwriting and a rock-solid live act. Perfect for foot-tapping and head-nodding. (Christopher Good)
Mobb Deep
The Promontory, 5311 S. Lake Park Ave. West. Friday, April 8, doors 8pm, show 9pm. $22 general admission ($25 at the door), $35-$40 seats. (312) 801-2100. promontorychicago.com
Itâs been a wild twenty-one years since Prodigy and Havoc changed the East Coast game with The Infamous. But with all hatchets buried in the 2014 comeback album The Infamous Mobb Deep, the powerhouse duo is back to stay. Tune in, drop out, and get âstuck off the realnessâ of two living legends. (Christopher Good)
Theophilus Reed
Mo Better Jazz, 2423 E. 75th St. Friday, April 15, doors and show 7pm. $10 suggested donation. All ages. (773) 741-6254. mobetterjazzchicago.us
Join an evening of food, friends, and music at Mo Better Jazz Chicago. The skills of Chicago jazz veteran Theophilus Reed will be on full display as his years of experience help him guide his audience from Chicago jazz of the past to that of the present. (Kezie Nwachukwu)
Peter and the Test Tube Babies
Reggieâs Rock Club, 2105 S. State St. Saturday, April 2, doors and show 8pm. $16 general admission. 18+. (312) 949-0120. reggieslive.com
The music worldâs British Invasion continues with the return of Peter and the Test Tube Babies, the punk rock band from Brighton, UK. Their humor and personal experience of youth continue to entertain today, just as much as they did thirty years ago. (Kezie Nwachukwu)
Billy Branch and the Sons of Blues
Buddy Guyâs Legends, 700 S. Wabash St. Friday, April 1, 9pm. $21 general admission. 21+. (312) 427-1190. buddyguy.com
Billy Branch and the Sons of Blues are giving Chicago an opportunity to experience some classic jazz. The Grammy-nominated jazz singerâs group functions not just as a part of Chicagoâs deep well of musical heritage, but also brings their talents to modern audiences. (Gozie Nwachukwu)
Stage and Screen
The Set Speaks
Propeller Fund Studios, 4th floor of Mana Contemporary at 2233 S. Throop St. Through March 31. Open MondayâFriday, 9am-5pm; Saturday, noon-5pm. Free. (312) 850-0555. acretv.org
For ACRE TVâs new programming block, seven groups of artists will take turns broadcasting a nonstop camera feed from their studio. Falling halfway between the schlock of Big Brother and the avant-garde stylings of Hito Steyerl, the exhibitionâwhich will be streamed liveâpromises to deliver everything from #newglobalmatriarchy to soap operas for two months straight. (Christopher Good)
Golub and Woman as Protagonist
Logan Center for the Arts, 915 E. 60th St. Friday, April 1, 7pm. Free. (773) 702-8596. filmstudiescenter.uchicago.edu
To commemorate and complement the Smart Museumâs exhibition, Monster Roster, filmmaker Gordon Quinn and UofC professor Judy Hoffman will screen two documentaries on two respective artists. From the atavistic artwork of Leon Golub to the gender commentary of Nancy Spero, the two selections span nihilism, feminism, and every -ism in between. (Christopher Good)
Not Here Staged Reading
Augustana Lutheran Church, 5500 S. Woodlawn Ave. Friday, April 1, 8pm. $5. (773) 753-2270. hydeparkcommunityplayers.org
In this staged reading, the Hyde Park Community Players double down on their commitment to local theater by putting on a play written by Gerri Hudson, one of their first members. Participants will walk with the playwrightâs direction through the story of seven women hiding for months in a bathroom during the 1994 Rwandan genocide. (Adam Thorp)
Whatâs Happening at Local 70?
Kartemquin Films, 1901 W. Wellington Ave. Friday, April 1âFriday, April 8, 5pm. (773) 472-4366. Streaming free at kartemquin.com
This documentary captures a discussion between striking workers in Chicago about the conditions that led to their walk-out. The film served both as a retrospective look and a contemporary organizing tool, used to shore up support for the strike. (Adam Thorp)
Lose Nothing: An Evening with Kevin Jerome Everson
Black Cinema House, 7200 S. Kimbark Ave. Friday, April 1, 7pmâ9:30pm. (312) 857-5561. rebuild-foundation.org
Not only is there nothing to lose by viewing a selection of new short film by media artist Kevin Jerome Everson, but thereâs also much to gain: most notably, insight into Eversonâs creative process from the Chicago premiere of his short Auditioning for Nathaniel and the discussion afterward with Indiana University professor Terri Francis. (Julia Aizuss)
Our Lawndale Stories
3824 W. Ogden Ave. Saturday, April 2, 6:30pmâ9pm. $10 recommended donation.
What do poet Ms. Claudia, pastor Rev. Steve, cartoonist Ms. Nicole, and former Farragut student Mr. Willie have in common? All four are long time residents of the 60623 zip code. Join them for a night of storytelling that will bring the Lawndale neighborhoodâs history right into the present. (Corinne Butta)
Group 312 Film Screening
Chicago Art Department, 1932 S. Halsted St. Sunday, April 3, 7:30pmâ10pm. Free. (312) 725-4223. chicagoartdepartment.org
Watch a short film, bring a favorite music video, or present your own work: at Group 312âs monthly screening, hosted by Chicago Art Department resident artist Chuck Przybyl, anything goes. This time around, the theme is âShameââbut the real shame would be missing out on this freeform celebration of cinema. (Christopher Good)
The Oxcart (or La Carreta) Staged Reading
National Museum of Puerto Rican Arts and Culture, 3015 W. Division St. Monday, April 4, 6:30pm. Free. (773) 753-4472. courttheatre.org
Edward Torres directs a rendition of The Oxcart (or La Carreta) for the second installment of Court Theatreâs Spotlight Reading Series. Written by RenĂ© MarquĂ©s, the play tracks a Puerto Rican family as they struggle to find a home. Their constant displacement offers a poignant look at belonging and constructing identity. (Chigozie Nwachukwu)
United Shades of America
DuSable Museum, 740 E. 56th Pl. Thursday, April 7, doors 6:30pm. RSVP UnitedShadesChicago@turner.com (773) 947-0600. dusablemuseum.org
The perks of living near comedianâand Hyde Park residentâW. Kamau Bell? You get to watch the first episode of his new docuseries, âUnited Shades of America,â before it premieres a couple weeks later on CNN. After the screening, Bell will discuss how the show uses humor to explore race in communities nationwide. (Julia Aizuss)
Long Dayâs Journey Into Night
Court Theatre, 5535 S. Ellis Ave. March 10âApril 10. $38, discounts available for seniors, faculty, and students. (773) 753-4472. courttheatre.org
David Auburn directs Eugene OâNeillâs Long Dayâs Journey Into Night. Join aging patriarch James Tyrone at his family home in Connecticut, and watch as the archetypal American dream unravels in the course of an evening. A riveting drama of a couple hours, this journey will no doubt also be long in memory. (Martin Awano)