Bulletin
Understanding Autism Workshop
King Community Center, 4314 S. Cottage Grove Ave. Wednesday, January 6, 10am–12 pm. (312) 747-8571. rcadd.eventbrite.com
The first in a series of Wednesday morning workshops, the Resource Center for Autism and Developmental Delays’ Understanding Autism seminar will cater to both families and professionals seeking information or credits, providing a broad yet comprehensive overview of the disease. (Sara Cohen)
TIF 101 Webinar
Webinar url will be posted at tinyurl.com/TIF-101-Webinar-1. Wednesday, January 6, 6:30pm–7:30pm. RSVP to receive reminder email. tifreports.com
TIF (Tax Increment Financing) may be the most important issue in municipal government you have not yet bothered to understand. The mission of the TIF Illumination Project’s webinar, and its ward-by-ward town meetings, is to make sure you have no excuse. (Adam Thorp)
Chicago After Laquan McDonald: Rebuilding the Trust
Quadrangle Club, 1155 E. 57th St. Thursday, January 7, 6pm–7:15pm. (713) 834-4671. politics.uchicago.edu
The Institute of Politics is hosting a panel discussion on responsible policing and racial relations in the wake of the shooting of Laquan McDonald. Come to examine the history of Chicago’s police and communities and discuss ways to move forward from the recent tragedies. Panelists include Invisible Institute founder Jamie Kalven, former St. Louis Chief of Police Daniel Isom, and Sun-Times columnist Mary Mitchell. (Anne Li)
Elected School Board Teach-in
UIC College of Education, 1040 W. Harrison St., Room 3427. Saturday, January 9, 5pm–7pm. teachersforjustice.org
A nonbinding referendum calling for an elected school board received more than eighty percent of the vote in each of the thirty-seven wards where it was on the ballot last February; this event, held by Chicago Teachers for Social Justice, will discuss how to turn this widespread support into political reality. (Adam Thorp)
Capitalism in the Web of Life
Seminary Co-op, 5751 S. Woodlawn Ave. Tuesday, January 12, 6pm. Free. (773) 752-4381. semcoop.com
Under the auspices of the Chicago Center for Contemporary Theory, professor and leftist writer Jason W. Moore will discuss his new book, Capitalism in the Web of Life. By analyzing what he calls “world-ecology,” Moore explores the tension between environmental crises and the accumulation of capital. (Christopher Good)
The People Make the Peace: Lessons from the Vietnam Anti-War Movement
57th Street Books, 1301 E. 57th St. Sunday, January 17, 3pm. Free. (773) 684-1300. semcoop.com
Four decades have passed since U.S. boots retreated from Vietnamese ground, but the Vietnam War—and the counterculture that challenged it—remains a crucial case study for non-interventionists and pacifists. Organizer and Yippie cofounder Nancy Kurshan will discuss the war with Frank Joyce and Bill Ayers in support of her new book on the topic. (Christopher Good)
Visual Arts
Endangered Species at Prospectus
Prospectus Art Gallery, 1210 W. 18th St. Friday, January 8 through Friday, March 13. Opening reception January 8, 5pm–10pm. (312) 733-6132. Contact Israel Hernandez for more information.
This one-man show from local artist Mark Nelson will showcase paintings and prints centered around themes of economic inequality and other contemporary global issues. The subtitle for the show is “Surviving the 1%.” Nelson, who has exhibited before at the National Museum of Mexican Art, frequently draws on his extensive travels in Central America and beyond. (Jake Bittle)
Gordon Parks: A Segregation Story, 1956
Rhona Hoffman Gallery, 118 N. Peoria St. Opening reception Friday, January 8, 5pm–7pm. Open through Saturday, February 20. Free. (312) 455-1990. rhoffmangallery.com
The Rhona Hoffman Gallery will present photographs taken by seminal African-American photographer, Gordon Parks, for a series on segregation in Life Magazine. Parks quickly gained recognition for his intimate shots of daily life for black families living in the heart of the Jim Crow South. (Emeline Posner)
Fragile States
ACRE, 1345 W. 19th St. Opening reception Friday, January 8th, 6pm–9pm. (847) 778-5946. info@acreresidency.org
This three-artist exhibit, featuring the work of Kate Colon, Bryan Volta, and Jenyu Wang, examines the role of perception and narrative. Through different media, the three explore the uncertain and the unknown through themes of absurdity, obsession, familiarity and more. (Margaret Mary Glazier)
Family Day at the Smart
Smart Museum of Art, 5550 S. Greenwood Ave. Saturday, January 9, 1pm–4pm. Ages 4–12. Free. (773) 702–0200. smartmuseum.uchicago.edu
This installment of the Smart Museum’s series of monthly children’s events will introduce kids to the expressionist movement. Subtitled “Yellow Trees, Green Beaches,” the program will encourage children to explore the limits of color and shape. If you think your kid has a touch of Klee or Kandinsky, don’t miss this introduction to artistic styles. (Jake Bittle)
The Weight of Rage
Hyde Park Art Center, 5020 S. Cornell Ave. Thursday, January 10 through Sunday, March 20. Gallery walk-through Saturday, January 16, 3pm–5pm. Free. (773) 324-5520. p-nap.org
The burden of incarceration affects a vast network of people, from inmates themselves to the surrounding communities. Channeling the frustration, pain, and other emotions that stem from such a burden, Stateville inmates and teachers in the Prison + Neighborhood Arts Program have created this exceptional exhibition of visual and literary art. (Sara Cohen)
Call for Entries: Bridgeport Art Center’s 4th Annual Art Competition
Bridgeport Art Center, 1200 W. 35th St. Application deadline January 30. $35 application fee. Applicants must be over 18 and live within a 150 mile radius of Chicago. (773) 247-3000. bridgeportart.com
Looking to showcase your art or earn up to $1000 in prize money? Mary Ellen Croteau and William Lieberman will judge artwork in six categories, selecting the best pieces for display in the Bridgeport Art Center’s fourth floor gallery. Submit yours today! (Sara Cohen)
music
The Come Up: A New Music Showcase
Double Door, 1572 N. Milwaukee Ave. Wednesday, January 6, 6:30pm. All ages. $5 general admission, $15 VIP. (773) 489-3160. doubledoor.com
Here’s something to add to the calendar: a performance by Add-2, who raps with the likes of the Roots and Robert Glasper when he’s not busy getting cosigns from Common. He’ll be joined by Ric Wilson, who—with an excellent EP under his belt and round-rimmed glasses on his face—is quickly becoming one of the South Side’s most compelling storytellers. (Christopher Good)
Atom Meets Bomb
Reggies, 2105 S. State Street. Thursday, January 7, 8pm. 21+. $5. (312) 949-0120. reggieslive.com
These fledgling Chicago-based rockers might go by the name Atom Meets Bomb, but they sound more like Blink-182 meets Stone Temple Pilots: raw, with a faint nuclear glow. Punk opening act Atomic Sundae might have been chosen just to maintain the lineup’s radioactive motif, but hey—you can leave the Geiger counter at home. (Christopher Good)
Bobbi Wilsyn
The Quarry, 2423 E. 75th St. Friday, January 8. Doors 7pm, show 8pm. (773) 741-6254. mobetterjazzchicago.us
Bobbi Wilsyn describes herself on her website as “one of the best singers in the Chicago area.” A senior lecturer at Columbia College, renowned singer-actress, and prolific soloist, Wilsyn is sure to live up to this self-description during her solo performance at Mo Better Jazz. (Lewis Page)
Stephen Lynerd
The Quarry, 2423 E. 75th St. Friday, January 15. Doors 7pm, show 8:15pm. $10. (773) 741-6254. mobetterjazzchicago.us
Stephen Lynerd, a talented vibist, drummer and frontman of The Stephen Lynerd Group, will bring his unique improvisational style to The Quarry. Lynerd will be accompanied by Rob Clearfield on keys, Jon Deitemyer on drums, and Patrick Mulcahy on bass. Don’t miss out on the great vibes. (Jonathan Poilpre)
Pharez Whitted
Logan Center, 915 E. 60th St. Tuesday, January 19, 7:30pm. Free. (773) 702-2787. arts.uchicago.edu
The Logan Center’s Third Tuesday Jazz Series features trumpeter and composer Pharez Whitted, performing a concert in celebration of Louis Armstrong. Whitted works to keep his music “accessible to everyday people,” but he also hopes to inspire them to “visualize possibilities that they never imagined.” Come close your eyes and visualize new possibilities to this talented trumpeter and composer’s tunes. (Jonathan Poilpre)
Goapele
The Shrine, 2109 S. Wabash Ave. Saturday, January 23. Doors 8pm, show 9:30. $27.50. 21+. (312) 753-5700. theshrinechicago.com
Splitting the difference between upstarts like FKA Twigs and mainstays like Erykah Badu is Goapele Mohlabane, an Oakland, CA-based neo-soul singer par excellence. She’s worked with everyone from Snoop Dogg to Yasiin Bey and scored everything from Victoria’s Secret commercials to the 2010 World Cup, but now, she’ll take center stage. (Christopher Good)
Stage & Screen
Reading the Black Library
Stony Island Arts Bank, 6760 Stony Island Ave. Thursday, January 7, 2pm. Free. (312) 857-5561. rebuild-foundation.org
Since its inception in 1942, Chicago’s own Johnson Publishing Company set a precedent for black news media with magazines like Ebony and Jet. Join the Rebuild Foundation for selected readings from the Arts Bank’s collection of Johnson-published works, and stay afterwards to discuss the impact of what is now the nation’s largest African-American owned publishing company. (Christopher Good)
Mikel Patrick Avery: PLAY
Stony Island Arts Bank, 6760 S. Stony Island Ave. Thursday, January 7, 6pm–7pm. Free. (312) 857-5561. rebuild-foundation.org
Come see experimental jazz drummer Mikel Patrick Avery perform a cross between theater and musical performance, featuring mostly “non-musical” objects and lots of audience engagement, at the Stony Island Arts Bank next Thursday. Sit as close as you dare—Avery loves breaking the fourth wall. (Austin Brown)
The Virgin Margarida
Studio Movie Grill Chatham 14, 210 W. 87th St. Thursday, January 7, 7pm. $6. (773) 322-1450. blackworldcinema.net
Set in post-revolution Mozambique in 1975, the film follows the sixteen-year-old Margarida, a virgin, who, along with a bus of female sex workers, is captured by revolutionary soldiers for a euphemistic “re-education.” Despite the grim subject matter, the film manages warmth and humor under the impressive direction of Licínio Azevedo. (Clyde Schwab)
The Crucible
Augustana Lutheran Church, 5500 S. Woodlawn Ave. Friday, January 8, 8pm. $5. (773) 493-6451. hydeparkcommunityplayers.org
The Hyde Park Community Players’s staged reading of Act II of The Crucible will bring one of Arthur Miller’s most famous works from Salem to the South Side. Miller’s masterpiece might be about witch-hunts—both literal and allegorical—but with a friendly atmosphere and snacks for the post-reading discussion, there’s no need to worry about the stakes. (Christopher Good)
Fall Film Workshop: Student Screenings
Black Cinema House, 7200 S. Kimbark Ave. Sunday, January 10, 4pm–6pm. Free. (312) 857-5561. rebuild-foundation.org
On the fence about BCH’s winter film workshop? A perusal of the fall students’ final projects could help. Their workshop culminated in takes on the ciné-roman genre, “film novels” that combine still images, text, and sound. If you’re impressed, the screening will be followed by an info session for winter. (Julia Aizuss)
Self + Otherness Film Workshop
Black Cinema House, 7200 S. Kimbark Ave. Wednesday, January 13, 5:30pm–7:30pm. Free. (312) 857-5561. rebuild-foundation.org
Start the year right by joining the Black Cinema House’s “Self + Otherness” workshop, meeting every Wednesday. Learn about the technology, artistry, and community surrounding video art and start on your own projects. No need for a heavy-duty camera: even a phone with video capability will do. (Austin Brown)
Satchmo at the Waldorf
Court Theater, 5535 S. Ellis Ave. Through February 7. $38, discounts available for seniors, faculty, and students. (773) 753-4472. courttheatre.org
Satchmo at the Waldorf, in its Midwest premiere, is a single-actor play that deals with the emotions, legacy, friendships, and fate of Louis Armstrong, set after his last show in 1971. As a highlight of Chicago’s Louis Armstrong Festival, this jazzy journey is not one to miss. (Margaret Mary Glazier)