BULLETIN
Farewell, Obama
Harper Theatre, 5238 S. Harper Ave. Thursday, January 19, 6pm–9pm. $10. Buy tickets online. (773) 966-5091. blackownedchicago.com
Farewell, Obama, presented by Black Owned Chicago, is a documentary project highlighting the stories of those who knew Obama before and during his presidency. Come celebrate our president one last time through stories, snacks, and discussion. (Bridget Newsham)
Free Spirit Media Screening: Short Films by Chicago Youth
Chicago Cultural Center, 78 E. Washington St. Saturday, January 21, 2pm–4:30pm. Free. RSVP online. (773) 509-5330. wttw.com
At this screening and discussion of two youth-produced documentaries from Free Spirit Media, follow the story of a mother and daughter after their eviction from public housing in Nia & Kim, and join six Chicago teens on their journey to South Africa for a “Peace Exchange” leadership program in Ubuntu: The Peace Exchange. (Hafsa Razi)
Heritage Series: Latina Rebels
Center for Identity and Inclusion, 5710 S. Woodlawn Ave. Monday, January 23, 6pm–7:30pm. Free. (773) 702-5710. omsa.uchicago.edu
Prisca Dorcas Mojica Rodriguez’s “Latina Rebels” intends to be just as subversive as its name suggests. Rodriguez, the founder of the online community and platform, will present a keynote titled “Woke Brown Girls,” that will include a conversation on postcolonial Latina experiences and unjust expectations. (Jonathan Hogeback)
The Challenges and Rewards of Foster Parenting
Frederick Douglass Branch Library, 3353 W. 13th St. Thursday, January 26, 6:30pm-7:30pm. Free. (312) 673-2755.
Children in the foster care system struggle with the traumas of abuse or neglect, often coupled with the pain of parental separation. This presentation will provide information to adults considering foster parenting about the special needs of foster children and the logistics and legal requirements. (Hafsa Razi)
Born Out of Struggle: Book Talk on the New Dyett School
The Seminary Co-op Bookstore, 5751 S. Woodlawn Ave. Sunday, January 29, 3pm–4:30pm. Free. (773) 752-4381. semcoop.com
David Omotoso Stovall’s book, Born Out of Struggle: Critical Race Theory, School Creation, and the Politics of Interruption, recounts lessons learned developing a Chicago neighborhood high school, and the benefits reaped from dropping the conceptual for hands-on community engagement in social justice. Head to the Co-op to join Stovall and writer Bill Ayers in discussion about the book. (Jonathan Hogeback)
VISUAL ARTS
White Seam
Zhou B Art Gallery, 1029 W. 35th St. Opening reception Friday, January 20, 7pm-10pm. Through Friday, February 10. Free. (773) 523-0200. zhoubartcenter.com
Polish designer Agnieszka Kulon brings a multimedia exhibition to the Zhou B Art Center, focusing on her “fascination with the color white.” The exhibit is conveyed through fashion design, video montage, and a set of collaborative projects with fellow Chicago artists in the fields of sculptural painting, video, and sound design. (Austin Brown)
Hecho en CaSa
National Museum of Mexican Art, 1852 W. 19th Street. Tuesday–Sunday, 10am–5pm. Through May 7. (312) 738-1503. nationalmuseumofmexicanart.org
Francisco Toledo has spent much of his life founding and developing artistic and cultural institutions in his native Oaxaca. This retrospective of his work not only celebrates his legacy as a champion of literacy and expression but also showcases his symbolic, politically conscious paintings. (Jake Bittle)
Riot Grrrls
Museum of Contemporary Art, 220 E. Chicago Ave. Through Sunday, June 18. Tuesday, 10am–8pm; Wednesday–Sunday, 10am–5pm. $12 adults, $7 students; free Tuesdays. (312) 280-2660. mcachicago.org
As one would expect judging by the name “Riot Grrrls,” this exhibit is a refreshingly direct challenge to the sexism that has long permeated the art world. This stunning collection features a series of abstract works by eight prolific, pioneering female painters including Mary Heilmann and Charline von Heyl, as well as works from the generation of female artists that followed. (Bridget Newsham)
Spencer Rogers: Modern Abstractions
S. Rog Gallery, 739 S. Clark St., 2nd floor. Through March 10. Open Wednesday, Friday, and Saturday, 10am–5pm, and by appointment. Free. (312) 884-1457. sroggallery.com
It takes a painter’s imagination to curate an exhibition as dazzling as “Modern Abstractions,” comprised of mind-blowing macro photographs selected for interesting detail and exploded in vibrant, dripping acrylic paint. 125 copies will be made of each of these images, which will be on sale to all attendees. Snacks also provided. (Neal Jochmann)
Onward! Movements, Activists, Politics, and Politicians
Uri-Eichen Gallery, 2101 S. Halsted St. Through Friday, February 3 by appointment only. Free. (312) 852-7717. uri-eichen.com
Photographer Michael Gaylord James’s exhibit spans fifty-four years of politics, from the Berkeley Free Speech Movement to Black Lives Matter, from JFK in Mexico to Obama at Chicago State. He hopes to show that there’s reason for hope in the long march toward progress. (Joseph S. Pete)
MUSIC
606 Records DJ Night
Punch House, 1227 W. 18th St. Friday, January 20, 9pm. (312) 526-3851. punchhousechicago.com
DJs from independent, new-and-used record store 606 Records in Pilsen will spin the night away with soul, hip-hop, world music, disco, and reggae selections. With this many danceable genres, maybe even the Punch House crowd will start moving. (Kylie Zane)
City of Caterpillar
Reggies Rock Club, 2105 S. State St. Saturday, January 21. Doors at 9pm. $15 or $20 dos. 17+. (312) 949-0121. reggieslive.com
It’s hard not to like City of Caterpillar. Their fusion of post-rock and hardcore will appeal to fans on both sides of the spectrum, and they have some seriously satisfying buildups and breakdowns. Also on the bill: Planes Mistaken for Stars, with recently released album Prey, and 90s-influenced punk rockers All Eyes West. (Kylie Zane)
Vinyl Strings & Elisa Latrice
The Promontory, 5311 S. Lake Park Ave. Monday, January 23. Doors at 7pm, show at 8pm. $5. (312) 801-2100. promontorychicago.com
The Promontory’s Monday series The Corner is known in the neighborhood for its collaborative and intimate feels. Elisa Latrice promises R&B and blues vibes paired with killer moves, and here’s hoping violinist Vinyl Strings will perform her cover of Twista’s “Overnight Celebrity.” (Kylie Zane)
STAGE & SCREEN
Moving Images, Making Cities: Las Marthas
Stony Island Arts Bank, 6760 Stony Island Ave. Wednesday, January 18, 7pm. Free. (312) 857-5561. rebuild-foundation.org
Acclaimed filmmaker Cristina Ibarra’s Las Marthas explores a one-of-a-kind pageant in the border town of Laredo, Texas, which has a month-long celebration of George Washington’s birthday along with its Mexican twin city, Nuevo Laredo. The Independent Lens documentary follows two debutantes as they prepare for an elite, invitation-only ball. (Joseph S. Pete).
Under the Sun
Logan Center for the Arts, 915 E. 60th St. January 19, 7pm (100 min). Free. (773) 702-8596. filmstudiescenter.uchicago.edu
The North Korean government invited Russian director Vitaly Mansky to document the story of a girl joining a youth group, and he filmed much more: the scrupulous orchestration of the documentary’s narrative, including the government’s selection of actors and control over the dialogue. Removed from a Museum of Modern Art film festival due to fears of reprisal, Under the Sun juxtaposes the intended image and reality of North Korean life. (Elaine Chen)
Reading Fluxus Film
Stony Island Arts Bank, 6760 Stony Island Ave. Friday, January 20, 4pm–6:30pm. Free. (312) 857-5561. rebuild-foundation.org
Fluxus was a radical, experimental art movement in the 1960s that prized concrete poetry, where typography and presentation express more than words. The Arts Bank will screen word-based films from the period in conjunction with UofC Special Collections’ “Concrete Poetry, Concrete Book” exhibit. There’s also a hands-on workshop preceding and a panel discussion following the screening. (Joseph S. Pete)
The Anti-Inauguration: An Emergency Cabaret
High Concept Labs at Mana Contemporary Chicago, 2233 S. Throop St. Friday, January 20. 7:30pm. $10. highconceptlaboratories.org
Celebrate the inauguration by learning how to survive the incoming administration. The cabaret-style show includes survival tips, a reinterpretation of the national anthem, emergency maneuvers, protestors’ legal rights, comedy, and more. The bar will be stocked, as always. (Kylie Zane)
Sonata for 4 Feet
Beverly Art Center, 2407 W. 111th St. Friday, January 20, 7pm; Saturday, January 21, 11am, 7pm; Sunday, January 22, 11am. $20, $12 with student ID. (773) 445-3838. beverlyartcenter.org
You’ve heard of finger puppets, now get introduced to foot puppets. The puppeteer-contortionists at Teatro dei Piedi, or the theatre of feet, will make you laugh and cry with puppets made of their hands, knees, and yes, feet. This family-friendly event is part of the ongoing Chicago Puppet Festival. (Kylie Zane)
The Queen + Lipstick City
Logan Center for the Arts, 915 E. 60th St. Friday, January 20, 7pm. Free. (773) 702-8596. filmstudiescenter.uchicago.edu
The Queen, an almost disappeared legend of queer counterculture film, chronicles the flourishing NYC drag community of the sixties. Lipstick City, a contemporary experimental documentary, follows the stories of Chicago’s leading drag queens of color. Paired together, the two investigate both various queer subcultures and the means of exploring and preserving subculture. (Elaine Chen)
The Inheritance Reading
eta Creative Arts, 7558 S. South Chicago Ave., Friday, January 21, 3pm and 7pm. Free. (773) 752-3955. etacreativearts.org
Author-playwright Monica Patton and composer Bobby Daye join forces to bring you The Inheritance, the musical tale of an estranged family reunited in the wake of its matriarch’s death. This latest installment in the eta Magic Box Series may explore the psychological costs of familial relationships, but with free admission, attending won’t cost you a thing. (Michael Wasney)