Bulletin
Chicago Style with Ben Austen of Harper’s Magazine
Institute of Politics, 5707 S. Woodlawn Ave. Wednesday, April 13, 7pm–8pm. Free. (773) 834-4671. politics.uchicago.edu
The two decades since the Chicago Housing Authority began destroying its high-rise public housing have been marked by huge budget surpluses, staggering waiting lists, slow-to-nonexistent reconstruction, and rapid turnover at the top. Attendees of this event will hear from journalist and South Side native Ben Austen, who is currently working on a book about the Cabrini-Green complex. (Adam Thorp)
4th Ward Shred-a-Thon
Lake Meadows Shopping Plaza Parking Lot, 35th St. and Rhodes Ave. Saturday, April 16, 9am–1pm. (773) 536-8103. aldwillburns.org
If you need to shred “unwanted” or “sensitive” documents, you’ll have your opportunity this upcoming Saturday, in the parking lot at Lake Meadows. The event runs until the afternoon, but get there early to avoid drowning in strips of shredded paper. (Christian Belanger)
3rd Ward Housing Fair
Wendell Phillips Academy High School, 244 E. Pershing Rd. Saturday, April 16, 11am–2pm. (773) 373-9273. dowellforthirdward.com
Are you looking for home sweet home? Look no further than the 3rd Ward Housing Fair. Panelists and vendors convene to offer information for anyone seeking to buy or rent. (Anne Li)
Clean and Green Day of Service
Urban Juncture, 4245 S. King Dr. and 10th Ward office, 10500 S. Ewing Ave. Saturday, April 16, 10am. Free. (773) 882-4011 for Bronzeville, (773) 768-8138 for 10th Ward.
bit.ly/1N5aTy9
Take part in a citywide annual tradition; these cleanups in Bronzeville and the 10th Ward are just a few of the sites for the Clean and Green Day of Service in Chicago. Beautify your neighborhood with city-provided tools, but bring your own gloves. Spring cleaning has never been so fulfilling. (Anne Li)
Visual Arts
Freedom Dreams: in an age of mass incarceration
Pop Up Just Art Gallery, 729 Maxwell St. Thursday, April 14, 5:30pm–8pm. Free. p-nap.org
In response to the writings of men incarcerated at Statesville Prison, Chicago-based artists made an exhibition of artwork of varying media and styles. This collaboration between the Prison + Neighborhood Arts Project and the Social Justice Initiative shows with incredible strength the emotional aspect of the often impersonal topic of mass incarceration. (Sam Royall)
Nathaly Bonilla: Kids from Latino-America
1329 E. 50th St. Friday, April 15 through Thursday, May 5; open from 3pm–4pm. iuplr.uic.edu
Works from the Kids from Latino-America collection of Venezuelan illustrator and tattoo artist Nathaly Bonilla will be displayed in Hyde Park for the next month. These illustrations capture the beauty and wonder of childhood with vibrant colors. (Sam Royall)
Julie Rafalski: Dear Mondrian
Logan Center for the Arts, 915 E. 60th St. Closing event Friday, April 15, 5pm–7pm; exhibition runs Monday–Saturday, 8am–10pm; Sunday, 11am–8pm. Open through April 22. Free. (773) 702-2787. arts.uchicago.edu
They say that imitation is the sincerest form of flattery—but tribute is something else altogether. With acetate, paper, and a healthy appreciation for De Stijl, artist Julie Rafalski has created a compelling collage-homage to Piet Mondrian. The installation’s closing reception will feature performances by Jaroslaw Kapuscinski, Marek Choloniewski, and Grazyna Auguscik. (Christopher Good)
HybridSalon2: an Interdisciplinary Salon
Co-Prosperity Sphere, 3219 S. Morgan St., Sunday, April 17, and Monday, April 18, doors 7pm, salon 8pm. $15 suggested donation. (773) 837-0145. coprosperity.org
Production duo Genesis has invited ten local artists, including some special guests, in the disciplines of theatre, visual art, performance art, music and sound, movement and dance, and even puppetry, to collaborate on five different pieces that will be sure to inspire and amaze. (Troy Ordonez)
Music
Kweku Collins
Reggies, 2105 S. State St. Friday, April 15, doors 7pm. $10 in advance; $12 at the door. (312) 949-0120. reggieslive.com
Evanston native Kweku Collins has made a name for himself as part of the Chicago collective Closed Sessions and is now taking the stage to support his new album Nat Love, described by Passion of the Weiss as being perfect for “humid, rainy, lonely July nights.” Ric Wilson, another up-and-coming hip-hop act, will be opening. (Jake Bittle)
The Darcy and Lisa Show with the Muzak Sisters
The Learning Machine, 3145 S. Morgan St. Friday, April 22, 7pm–10pm. $5 requested donation. learningmachine.chi@gmail.com
This “reunion” show will bring together Dame Darcy and Rachel Carver, two members of the storied punk-musical-act-turned-performance-art-troupe Suckdog. They will be preceded by a “tortured new age puppet show” entitled Forced to Lap Menstrual Blood out of a Metal Bowl. Don’t miss this. Or do. It’s up to you, really. (Jake Bittle)
Supa Bwe & Friends
Reggies, 2105 S. State St. Thursday, April 14, doors 7pm. All ages. $10 in advance; $15 at door. (312) 949-0120. reggieslive.com
“I’m self-taught, that’s self-discipline unlimited,” chants producer and rapper Supa Bwe on “I’ll Hurt Alone.” But whether he raps about self-fortitude or cooking breakfast, Bwe will keep it real with a lineup of friends that reads like a who’s who of up-and-coming artists—notably, Taylor Bennett and Zelooperz of Detroit’s Bruiser Brigade. (Christopher Good)
Freddie Gibbs and Chris $pencer
Thalia Hall, 1807 S. Allport St. Wednesday, April 20, doors 7:30pm, show 8:30pm. $22 standing room; $28 seats. 17+. (312) 526-3851. thaliahallchicago.com
Gary, Indiana, born hip-hop veteran Freddie Gibbs will take up the mic alongside underground Chicago rappers (and Weekly featurees) Vic Spencer and Chris Crack at Thalia Hall for a night of lyrical and hard-hitting rap that’ll almost certainly serve as the most “lit” place to be this 4/20. Bring a lighter—you know, to wave around during the show. (Troy Ordonez)
Stage & Screen
Trapped
Logan Center for the Arts, 915 E 60th St., Screening Room 201. Thursday, April 14, 7pm–9pm. Free. (773) 702-9936. bit.ly/1ScosvP
This week’s feature in the collaborative, four-part documentary screening series Consent, Choice, Agency documents the fight for legal, safe, and accessible reproductive health services in America. Jenna Prochaska, Staff Attorney at ACLU-IL, will lead discussion following the film, which premiered this year. (Sara Cohen)
Jackie Robinson
DuSable Museum, 740 E. 56th Pl. Thursday, April 14, doors 7:30pm, screening 8pm. RSVP by Wednesday by phone or online. Free. (773) 487-1358. wycc.org/jackierobinson
In partnership with WYCC PBS Chicago, the DuSable will premiere a new documentary by Ken and Sarah Burns and David McMahon about the life and legacy of Jackie Robinson: one of the most storied and significant figures not just in American baseball, but also in American history. Q&A to follow. (Jake Bittle)
The Silver Room Presents Dave Helem
The Silver Room, 1506 E. 53rd St. Friday, April 15, 9pm–11pm. $5 suggested donation. (773) 947-0024. bit.ly/1NlFD6Y
An evening with up-and-coming standup comedian Dave Helem and Comedy Central and TouchVision TV’s Felonious Munk is sure to entertain. The duo, who call themselves “Blipster Life,” promise material that is “unapologetically dope”—so BYOB and prepare for hilarity. (Sara Cohen)
Rebuild Knights: Brooklyn Castle
Dorchester Art + Housing Collaborative, 1456 E. 70th St. Friday, April 15, 7pm–9pm. Free. (773) 324-2270. rebuild-foundation.org
Join the Rebuild Knights youth chess club for a screening of Brooklyn Castle, a critically acclaimed (and family-friendly) documentary about the junior high school “Yankees of chess.” The free popcorn and juice should only sweeten the deal. Check it out with your mates, talk about checkmates, have a good time. (Christopher Good)
Study The Light of a Black Star
The Silver Room, 1506 E. 53rd St. Sunday, April 17, 2pm–5pm. (773) 947-0024. thesilverroom.com
Arts + Public Life artist-in-residence Aquil Charlton will put his “teaching artist” title to good use in this multimedia interactive teach-in about singer-songwriter Gene McDaniels. A session encompassing decades of music, video, and photography will culminate in a performance of Charlton’s own, inspired by his research on McDaniels. (Julia Aizuss)
Lit
Understanding Time Travel at 57th Street Books
57th Street Books, 1301 E. 57th St. Thursday, April 14, 6:30pm–8pm. Free. (773) 684-1300. semcoop.com/57th-street-books
Join members of the Society of Children’s Book Writers & Illustrators and University of Chicago math professor Danny Calegari for an evening of rudimentary time travel discussion—yes, such a thing exists! This could be the impetus for your fantasy or science fiction novel sensation. (Sara Cohen)
Better Living Through Criticism
Seminary Co-op, 5751 S. Woodlawn Ave. Saturday, April 16, 2pm. Free. (773) 752-4381. semcoop.com
Join New York Times film critic A. O. Scott for a talk on his recent book Better Living Through Criticism: How to Think About Art, Pleasure, Beauty, and Truth. Examine the roles criticism and critical thinking play in our lives, including their ability to enhance our engagement with art. (Anne Li)
Story Club South Side
Co-Prosperity Sphere, 3219-21 S. Morgan St. Tuesday, April 19, 7:30-9:30pm. Free. storyclubchicago.com
Light up literature by sharing it live at this monthly open mic. Each of the three performance slots is eight minutes, or enough time for the recommended 1,300 words. The event will be hosted by Andrew Marikis. (Anne Li)
Bernadette Mayer Reading
Joseph Regenstein Library, 1100 E. 57th St., Room 122. Wednesday, April 20, 6pm–7:30pm. Free. (773) 702–8740. lib.uchicago.edu
Bernadette Mayer is the author of more than two dozen collections of poetry and the recipient of more awards than the entire faculty of many universities. Part of the influential New York School, her experiments in poetic form (not to mention her innovative multimedia works) have changed the landscape of American art. Mayer is a national treasure. Do not miss this reading. (Jake Bittle)
The Frunchroom
O’Rourke’s Office, 11064 S. Western Ave. Thursday, April 21, 7:30pm. Free. thefrunchroom.com
Enjoy the power and potential of Chicago stories with The Frunchroom’s quarterly reading series, in which five local writers give their thoughts on the South Side. Come early or stay late to celebrate the start of the series’ second year. (Sarah Claypoole)