BULLETIN
Ahlan Wa Sahlan Refugee Fundraiser
Lutheran School of Theology at Chicago Refectory, 1100 E. 55th St. Thursday, February 9, 5:30pm–7:30pm. $35. (773) 256-0702. bit.ly/LutheranRefugeeFundraiser
The Lutheran School of Theology at Chicago is taking part in the Hyde Park Refugee Project, whose associate groups co-sponsor two refugee families who have resettled in the neighborhood. Help make up the welcoming squad for Hyde Park’s newest residents, and stick around for delicious Syrian cuisine at this fundraiser meal for RefugeeOne. (Sara Cohen)
Know Your Rights Open Mic
Englewood Enterprise Gallery, 7039 S. Wentworth Ave. Friday, February 10, 6pm–8pm. (773) 354-8581. first-defense.org
At this open mic night, hosted by First Defense Legal Aid, hear some local youth performers and learn about what your rights are when you come in contact with law enforcement. If you want to perform, contact hugo@first-defense.org; if you want to pass on your knowledge to others, join one of FDLA’s “Know Your Rights” clubs. (Hafsa Razi)
Generation One: The Search for Black Wealth (Screening)
Chicago Urban League, 4510 S. Michigan Ave. Friday, February 10, 6:30pm–9pm. RSVP online. Free. (312) 945-6570. bit.ly/GenOneScreening
Generation One documents the inter-generational poverty gap gripping Black America after the 2007 recession and features expert advice for financial advancement. Join for a screening and discussion. (Sara Cohen)
Block Club Workshop
007 District Police Station, 1438 W. 63rd St. Saturday, February 11, 10am–noon. (872) 205-9710. fedenglewood@gmail.com
At this workshop, participants will learn about what a block club is, how to form one, and the benefits one can have for a community. Attendees will also engage more broadly on the ongoing revitalization of Englewood. (Michael Wasney)
Rest In Power: The Enduring Life of Trayvon Martin
Day 1: First United Methodist Church at the Chicago Temple, 77 W. Washington St.; Day 2: DuSable Museum of African American History. February 16–February 17, 6pm–7:15pm both days. $15 for members, $20 general admission, $10 students and teachers. Online RSVP required. chicagohumanities.org
For a two-night event co-presented by the Chicago Humanities Festival, DuSable Museum of African American History, and Chicago Urban League, Trayvon Martin’s parents, Sybrina Fulton and Tracy Martin, will discuss their journey of grief and seeking justice for their son’s life. There will be a book signing of their newly released book Rest in Power following the program (Njeri Parker)
Community Members Standing Together Against Violence
AKArama Foundation Community Center, 6220 S. Ingleside Ave. Thursday, February 23, 6pm–8pm. RSVP online. Free. Dinner served. (773) 834-4244. communitygrandroundsfeb2017.eventbrite.com
The University of Chicago’s Center for Community Health and Vitality’s latest installment of Community Grand Rounds will be a discussion on efforts to lessen community violence. Community members are invited to engage on the issue with researchers and other attendees over a complimentary dinner. (Sara Cohen)
VISUAL ARTS
Everyday Rituals
Rootwork Gallery, 645 W. 18th St. Opening reception Friday, February 10, 6pm-10pm. Through March 19. Free. (917) 821-3050.
Documentary photographer Tonika Lewis Johnson and painter Adrienne Powers come together in this joint exhibition to explore and unpack the concepts of sacredness and divinity in regular people and in Black existence. The exhibition works from the heart of radical self-love and self-care to develop a body of artwork and images that challenge assumptions and personally empower their audience. (Corinne Butta)
Robert Grosvenor
Renaissance Society, 5811 S. Ellis Avenue, 4th floor. Opening reception Saturday, February 11, 5pm–8pm. Through Sunday, April 9. Free. (773) 702-8670. renaissancesociety.org
Robert Grosvenor has made large abstract sculptures out of industrial materials by hand over the last fifty years. The Renaissance Society will display his work, including an untitled centerpiece from 1989-90, in a spare architectural installation in the hope of encouraging more scholarship about his note-worthy contributions to American sculpture. (Joseph S. Pete)
Not on Paper
Hokin Gallery, 623 S. Wabash Ave. Opening reception Thursday, February 16, 5pm-8pm. Through Thursday, March 16. Monday–Friday, 9am–10pm; Saturday, 8am–6pm. Free.
Join a group of senior students and recent alumni of the Loop’s Columbia College for a large exhibi-tion featuring an equally large exploration of the many diverse illustration practices that exist and in-form our visual environment. Not On Paper is just that: work on canvases, walls, and even screens all take center stage. (Corinne Butta)
Lovey Town
MANA Contemporary, 2233 S. Throop St, 5th floor café. Saturday, February 18, 5:30pm–7pm. Free. (312) 850-0555. manacontemporarychicago.com
In Lovey Town, artist Michael Velliquette’s miniature project space in Pilsen, gallery-goers become the art in “a sudden and peculiar pleasure, a feeling of protection.” You strike a pose, get your picture taken, and are turned into a paper doll cutout that’s put on display, all in about twenty minutes. (Joseph S. Pete)
MUSIC
theWHOevers
Reggies, 2105 S. State St. Friday, February 10. Doors 8pm, show 9pm. $10. 21+. (312) 949-0120. reggieslive.com
Chicago-based theWHOevers, consisting of MCs J. Arthur and DotKom, will bring their vibe-heavy hip hop and stage presence to Reggies this Friday. Opening acts include Valparaiso University student Solo Sam, Sage, the 64th Wonder, and golden era hip hop-influenced The Highest Low, a duo of Just Wise and Snotty Pippen. (Joseph Pete)
Fulcrum Point New Music Project
Promontory Chicago, 5311 S. Lake Park Ave. Friday, February 10. Roundtable discussion 5:45pm, show 7:30pm. $25 seats, $35 table. All ages. (312) 801-2100. promontorychicago.com
Jazz musicians, minimalists and composers of all stripes meet up at Promontory this Friday to perform and discuss their various traditions: there’s a discussion, led by WBEZ world music reporter Steve Bynum, on diaspora and its influence on the avant-garde, and later, a debut of composer Tomeka Reid’s latest jazz-classical project. (Austin Brown)
Thaddeus Tukes’ Valentine Vibes
Room 43, 1043 E. 43rd St. Sunday, February 12, first set 7:30pm, second set 9:30pm. $10; $5 for children and students. hydeparkjazzsociety.com
A frequent collaborator with the SAVEMONEY crew, the sometime student and all-around jazz pro Thaddeus Tukes will be bringing his vibes (and vibraphone) to Room 43 on the twelfth. It’s anyone’s guess what the musical polymath will bring to this classic jazz club, but it’s bound to be exciting. (Austin Brown)
DJ Rude One
606 Records, 1808 S. Allport St. Friday, February 17. 6pm–8pm. Free. All ages. (312) 585-6106. 606records.com
Recent Closed Sessions signee DJ Rude One debuts tracks from his new project, ONEderful, at 606 Records next Friday. Check it out for a set of instrumental, downcast hip-hop that could only have come from the producers out of the Chi. (Austin Brown)
STAGE & SCREEN
“Flower Girl” at Stony Island Arts Bank
Stony Island Arts Bank, 6760 S. Stony Island Ave. Friday, February 10, 7pm–9pm. Free. (312) 857-5561. rebuild-foundation.org
Flower Girl, a critically and commercially acclaimed “Nollywood” (Nigeria’s Hollywood) film, follows the story of a “frumpy flower girl” in the Nigerian capital of Lagos. The screening will be followed by a discussion led by Mary Adekoya, a doctoral student at the UofC who studies African cinema. (Jake Bittle)
“Man Law”
Frederick Douglass Academy Auditorium, 543 N. Waller Ave. Sunday, February 12, 2pm–5pm. $10 general admission, $5 students. bit.ly/2ldDAyi
Man Law returns to Chicago for what will surely be a powerful performance about shootings between police and civilians. The show will address the realities of normalized gun violence in our communities and put forth possible solutions. There will likely be a discussion after the performance between law enforcement officials and community members. (Bridget Newsham)
The Moth: Chicago StorySLAM
The Promontory, 5311 S. Lake Park Ave. Wednesday, February 15, 7pm. Tickets on sale online February 8. $10. 17+ unless accompanied by an adult. (312) 801-2100. promontorychicago.com
Every month at the Promontory, The Moth showcases the diversity of human experience by presenting real people and their stories. This month’s theme: “Love HURTS.” Watch, participate in, and enjoy a series of five-minute stories about real experiences of love gone bad. (Drew Holt)
Grown Folks Stories
The Silver Room, 1506 E. 53rd St. Thursday, February 16, 8pm–10pm. Free. (773) 947-0024. thesilverroom.com
Show up early to grab a seat and hear stories from people all over the city. Those who feel adventurous can grab a five-minute time slot and tell a story of their own. No themes required—just real life and real talk from real adults. (Rachel Henry)
Acting for Adults
South Shore Cultural Center, 7059 S. Shore Dr. Every Saturday, January 14 through March 18, 1:30pm–3:30pm. $53 for residents, $106 for non-residents. 18+. (773) 256-0149. amp.activecommunities.com
Have you wanted to pursue that long-forgotten acting career (or hobby)? Then this workshop at the South Shore Cultural Center is made for you! The class will introduce participants to the basics of acting and performance through exercises and games designed to make everyone feel confident and comfortable onstage. (Bridget Newsham)
“Gentrified” at Harold Washington Cultural Center
Harold Washington Cultural Center, 4701 S. King Dr. Saturday, February 18, 7pm. $20. (773) 373-1900. gentrifiedmovie.com/tickets
This “explosive” documentary film from Black Channel Films promises to explore the process of gentrification or, as the film calls it, “ethnic cleansing American-style…the most devastating socioeconomic movement in America today.” Watch the film at Bronzeville’s Harold Washington Cultural Center and reflect on Chicago’s own complicated history of gentrification. (Jake Bittle)
Blues for an Alabama Sky
Court Theater, 5535 S. Ellis Ave. Extended through February 19. Ticket prices $38–$68. (773) 753-4472. courttheater.org
Pearl Cleage’s 1999 play explores the effects of the Great Depression on a set of characters living in the wake of New York’s Harlem Renaissance, the interwar cultural movement among the black community in the famous New York neighborhood. The play is part of a larger celebration of the Harlem Renaissance around the South Side, including jazz concerts with poetry readings and an exhibition at the Beverly Arts Center. (Christian Belanger)