Bulletin
Church in Social Action: Radical Nuns
First Lutheran Church of the Trinity, 643 W. 31st St. Thursday, March 10, 6pm–7pm. (312) 225-3099. darstcenter.org
American nuns were once a classic symbol of conservative values; in recent decades, they’ve developed a radical reputation. Dr. Joel Cruz, of the Lutheran School of Theology at Chicago, will discuss the history of radical nuns like seventeenth-century scholar Sor Juana Inés de la Cruz. (Adam Thorp)
Presentación del libro Voces Migrantes
National Museum of Mexican Art, 1852 W. 19th St. Thursday, March 10, 6pm–9pm. (312) 738-1503. nationalmuseumofmexicanart.org
In the spring of 2006, the United States saw mass protests against a proposed immigration bill that would, among other things, build a fence along the U.S.-Mexico border. (Sound familiar?) On the ten-year anniversary of the protests’s beginnings, three authors will reflect on the movement’s impact. (Christian Belanger)
Let’s Talk Testing
Blackstone Library, 4904 S. Lake Park Ave. Monday, March 14, 5:30pm. 19th Ward Office, 10400 S. Western Ave. Wednesday, March 16, 7pm. Daley Library, 3400 S. Halsted St. Tuesday, March 22, 6pm. morethanascorechicago.org
As politicians locally and nationwide have increased standardized testing in public schools, parent and community groups have been fighting back. One such local group, More Than a Score, will hold community conversations this month to update parents, teachers, and students on the “opt-out” movement and help them organize against the proliferation of high-stakes testing in education. (Mari Cohen)
Englewood Village Meeting
Spirit Redeemed Church, 6615 S. Ashland Ave. Tuesday, March 15th, 6pm–8pm. (866) 845-1032. ragenglewood.org
This Tuesday, the Resident Association of Greater Englewood (R.A.G.E.) will give updates on their ongoing projects—including an initiative to solicit items to help people in Flint, MI—and conduct conversations on the future of the Englewood Line. (Yunhan Wen)
Seventh Annual Woodlawn Community Summit
School of Social Service Administration, 969 E. 60th St. Saturday, March 19, 8am–12:30pm. Free. Reserve tickets at bit.ly/1QCii5y
People are gathering to shape the future for Woodlawn Community. At an open forum discussion on Woodlawn’s economy, guest speaker Lori Lightfoot, the chair of the Chicago Police Board (CPB), will also share her insight on police reform. (Yunhan Wen)
Natalie Moore: “The South Side”
International House, 1414 E. 59th St. Thursday, March 31, 6pm. csrpc.uchicago.edu
Journalist and South Side native Natalie Moore is the author of The South Side: A Portrait of Chicago and American Segregation, which will be released on March 22. Moore is joined by writer Rick Perlstein for a discussion on how racially determined institutions and policies segregate the South Side. (Anne Li)
Visual Arts
Chicago’s South Side and the Prison Neighborhood + Arts Project
Seminary Co-op, 5751 S. Woodlawn Ave. Thursday, March 10, 4:30pm. (773) 752-4381. semcoop.com
Join Audrey Petty, Kai Parker, Lasana Kazembe, and Sarah Ross from the Prison + Neighborhood Arts Project to discuss how their work, which brings artists and art classes to inmates at Stateville Prison, impacts broader communities. (Sara Cohen)
Not Just Another Pretty Face Public Salon
Hyde Park Art Center, 5020 S. Cornell Ave. Thursday, March 10, 6pm–8pm. Free. (773) 324-5520. hydeparkart.org
Hyde Park Art Center’s Public Salon provides a space to enjoy local contemporary art, socialize with the artists behind the work, and even start building a personal collection through purchase or commission. (Sam Royall)
Present Standard Gallery Talk with Alberto Aguilar
Chicago Cultural Center, 78 E. Washington St. Thursday, March 10, 5:30pm–6:30pm. Free. (312) 744-6630. chicagoculturalcenter.org
“Present Standard,” a collection of contemporary art by twenty-five U.S.-based Latino artists, is holding a discussion featuring a number of local artists, including Alberto Aguilar. Come enjoy the art and engage in conversation around its themes. (Sam Royall)
Autonomia Contra la Muerte / Autonomy Against Death
Uri-Eichen Gallery, 2101 S. Halsted St. March 11–April 1 by appointment. Opening Friday, March 11, 6pm–10 pm; discussion 7pm, live music 8pm. Free. Profits from posters go towards the Mexican social movements involved. (312) 852-7717. uri-eichen.com
An all-in-one event with an impact: peruse social justice-related posters from Mexican collectives Grafica de Lucha, Mujeres Grabando Resistencia, and Escuela de Cultura Popular Martires del 68; join in discussion with some of the creators and activists and stay for live music. (Sara Cohen)
Delight in Weakness
Crude Creatures Contemporary Art Gallery, 1747 S. Halsted St. March 11–April 4. Tuesday–Thursday, 4pm–8pm; Friday–Saturday, 6pm–9pm; Sunday–Monday by reservation. Opening Friday, March 11, 6pm–10pm. Free. (312) 929-3057. crudecreatures.com
Yejin So writes, “My stories are boasts about my weaknesses.” These stories take the form of painted portraits and aim to foster an environment that celebrates the common human experiences of sorrow and failure. Bring your own fear and anxiety. (Lewis Page)
Sympathetic Magic Performances
The Archer Beach Haus, 3012 S. Archer Ave. Sunday, March 13, 6pm. $10 suggested donation.
One of Jeremy Pauly’s performance art pieces, Questions Remisent, involves him shirtless and armed with a hatchet. Valerie Kuehne has played her cello with her face painted while screaming. Both artists, along with seven other performance artists—including Mothergirl, Peyton Stewart, the trio PPL, Joern Burmester, and Florian Feigl—will come together for a night of magic. (Lewis Page)
Music
Freida Lee
Mo Better Jazz Chicago, 2423 E. 75th St. Friday, March 11. Doors 7pm. $10 donation. (773) 741-6254. mobetterjazzchicago.us
Come enjoy food and drinks as singer Freida Lee takes the Mo Better stage. A twenty-one-year veteran with experience alongside jazz greats like Chicago pianist John Young, Freida and her singing style are reminiscent of past jazz pioneers while affirming her place as a living legend among us. (Kezie Nwachukwu)
Fantasty
Wesley Kimler Studio, 2046 W. Carroll Ave. Saturday, March 12, 9pm. Free with RSVP. 18+. do312.com/fantasty
VAM Studio celebrates its one-year birthday with a huge exhibition, featuring live performances and visual art from the city’s coolest underground talents. Prepare for 3D video, performances by Glass Lux, Daryn Alexus, Owen Bones, DJ Taye, Sirr Tmo, and more…and possibly live animals. (Zoe Makoul)
Jacquees
The Promontory, 5311 S. Lake Park Ave. Sunday, March 13, doors 3pm, show 4pm. $20 in advance, $25 at door. (312) 801-2100. promontorychicago.com
A native of Decatur, Georgia, Rodriquez Jacquees Broadnax, who performs under the mononym Jacquees, has made a name for himself as a singer-rapper-songwriter polymath. Come see him perform songs from 19, a 2014 EP that landed him a contract with Cash Money Records. (Jake Bittle)
Adrienne Locke
The Quarry, 2423 E. 75th St. Friday, March 18, 7pm–11:30pm. (773) 741–6254. mobetterjazzchicago.us
This Friday, South Shore jazz hub Mo Better will be hosting an evening with Adrienne Locke, a Chicago-area jazz vocalist who self-styles as “The Songstress.” Her website seems to be down at the moment, but she’s performed in the past with a band called Collective Soul, and she’s very active on Instagram, both of which seem like good signs. (Jake Bittle)
Mavis Staples
Thalia Hall, 1807 S. Allport St. Saturday, March 19, doors 7pm, show 8pm. $33. (312) 526-3851. thaliahallchicago.com
You might remember Chicago native Mavis Staples from her long tenure as one of the most prominent members of classic soul family The Staple Singers, or from her even longer time playing as a solo artist. No matter how you know her, come see her show off her inimitable pipes at Thalia Hall on the 19th. (Austin Brown)
Frank Russell
The Quarry, 2423 E. 75th St. Friday, March 25. Doors 7pm. $10 donation. (773) 741-6254. mobetterjazzchicago.us
Experienced bassist Frank Russell, performing for Mo Better Jazz at the end of March, has been described as “one of the escapees from Monster Bass Island.” Come see the Chicago native who’s played with the likes of Miles Davis and Arsenio Hall. (Christian Belanger)
Tekno at the Promontory
The Promontory, 5311 S. Lake Park Ave. Sunday, March 27, doors 3pm. $30 cover, $20 advance. (312) 801-2100. promontorychicago.com
According to Nigerian culture website naijaquest.com, this early-twenties singer has been called the “Chris Brown of Nigeria.” Come watch him and two other DJ’s at this matinee blowout, part of the D.I.S. Entertainment’s “Afro Fusion Best Day Party” series. (Jake Bittle)
Stage & Screen
Stony Island Storytime
Stony Island Arts Bank, 6760 S. Stony Island Ave. Saturday, March 12, 11am–noon. rebuild-foundation.org
Leading with Literacy (LWL) debuts its weekly Story Time for children. Male readers sent by LWL will tell stories thoughtfully selected from the Arts Bank’s Johnson Publishing Company Library and DuSable High School Holdings to help children explore their interest in literature and creativity. (Yunhan Wen)
Seeds of Disunion: Classics in Black Stereotypy Film Series: Gone With the Wind, Part 2
Black Cinema House, 7200 S. Kimbark Ave. Friday, March 11, 7pm–9:30pm. rebuild-foundation.org
Didn’t get enough from last week’s screening? Here comes the second half of Gone with the Wind! After two hours of absorbing the romance of the old South, there will be the usual critical post-screening conversations led by UofC professor Jacqueline Stewart and Northwestern professor Miriam Petty. (Yunhan Wen)
Long Day’s Journey Into Night
Court Theatre, 5535 S. Ellis Ave. March 10–April 10. $38, discounts available for seniors, faculty, and students. (773) 753-4472. courttheatre.org
David Auburn directs Eugene O’Neill’s Long Day’s 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)
A Night with Underground Imagist Filmmaker Tom Palazzolo
Logan Center for the Arts, 915 E. 60th St. Friday, March 11, 7pm. Free. (773) 702-8596. filmstudiescenter.uchicago.edu.
Veteran filmmaker Tom Palazzolo displays tastes of his short films chronicling Chicago neighborhoods. Predominantly focused on black-and-white imagery, Palazzolo has cultivated a unique and acclaimed style in his fifty-year career. A follow-up Q&A will be moderated by Jim Dempsey, co-curator of the Smart Museum’s “Monster Roster” exhibition. (Martin Awano)
Jar the Floor and Proof
University Church, 5655 S. University Ave. “Jar the Floor” opens Friday, March 11 at 8pm; matinee on Saturday, March 12 at 2pm. “Proof” opens Saturday, March 12 at 8pm; matinee and evening performance on Sunday, March 13 at 2pm and 6pm. $10.75. hydeparkcommunityplayers.org
What do cross-generational birthday parties and genius mathematicians have in common? They form the crux of the Hyde Park Community Players’s two newest productions: Jar the Floor, a quick-witted family drama, and Proof, a Pulitzer Prize—winning look into a complex father-daughter relationship. (Christopher Good)
The Blackline
DuSable Museum of African American History, 740 E. 56th Pl. Thursday, March 10, 7pm. $15. (773) 947-0600. dusablemuseum.org
Make your way to the DuSable for a screening of filmmaker D. Channsin Berry’s seventy-five-minute glimpse into African-American womanhood and identity. With its in-depth look at the foundations and conventions of black culture—from marriage to religion, and everything in between—The Blackline is sure to spark meaningful conversation. (Christopher Good)
Race & the Media Series I
DuSable Museum of African American History, 740 E. 56th Pl. Friday, March 11, 7pm. $25, $20 for students. (773) 947-0600. dusablemuseum.org
As everyone from Chris Rock to Danny DeVito can tell you, Hollywood has a race problem—so the DuSable is bringing Hollywood to the South Side. Action hero Richard Roundtree, Everybody Hates Chris screenwriter Rodney Barnes, and Academy Award nominee Margaret Avery will lead a star-studded panel about inclusion and representation. (Christopher Good)
The Set Speaks
Propeller Fund Studios, 4th floor of Mana Contemporary at 2233 S. Throop St. Through March 31. Open Monday–Friday, 9am-5pm; Saturday, noon-5pm. Free. (312) 850-0555. acretv.org
For ACRE TV’s 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 exhibition—which will be streamed live—promises to deliver everything from #newglobalmatriarchy to soap operas for two months straight. (Christopher Good)
Lines in the Dust
eta Creative Arts Foundation, 7558 S. Chicago Ave. Through March 27. Friday and Saturday, 8pm; Sunday, 3pm. $30, discounts available for seniors, students, and groups. (773) 752-3955. etacreativearts.org
“Who gets the best education in America?” This is the question asked by Lines in the Dust, playwright Nikkole Salter’s gripping look into education inequity, poverty, and its human cost. Join director Phyllis E. Griffin for the play’s Chicago premiere. (Christopher Good)