Calendar for May 20th, 2015

Bulletin

SBAC Hyde Park Happy Hour
This Wednesday, the Small Business Advocacy Council (SBAC) and Business Spotlight Networking (BSN) will host alliteratively-named Hyde Park Happy Hour at the Hyatt Place. The event will both be an opportunity to network and a chance for business owners from the South Side to answer questions about how to create better support for commercial ventures in the area, such as, “How do we work with the new Governor to ensure legislative fairness for business owners in the community?” The speaker will be Emile Cambry, well-known Chicago entrepreneur and founder of Blue1647, “an entrepreneurship and technology innovation center” that works to encourage tech-savvy economic development. There will be free food and, as the name suggests, a cash bar. Hyatt Place Hyde Park, 5225 S. Harper Ave. Wednesday, May 20, 6pm-8pm. Free. (630)728-2414. eventbrite.com (Christian Belanger)

Sending Kites: Letters and Poems to Incarcerated Youth
In his poem, Dear Humanity, writer and activist Bobby Biedrzycki writes “I wanna crush out on you humanity / the way I crushed out on Stacey Henderson in the 8th Grade. / I wanna wait all day just to see you standing in the hallway at school / and as kids stream by us in both directions, faces blurring in smears of pink flesh.” It is presumably in something like this spirit of connection that attendees will work with Biedrzycki to write messages to incarcerated children in poems, prose, and letters this Thursday. The evening’s letters will be packaged up into a zine and distributed through the Liberation Library project, which sends books and other reading material to children in prison. Project NIA, whose broad interest in criminal justice reform includes youth incarceration, will host the event. It is part of the National Week of Action Against Incarcerating Youth. Jane Addams Hull-House, 800 S. Halsted St. Thursday, May 21, 5:30pm-7:30pm. Free. (312) 413-5353. http://savethekidsgroup.org/2015noyouthinprison/ (Adam Thorp)

Englewood Youth Talent Competition
During the third week of every May, communities across the country rally to increase awareness of mental health issues and substance abuse. This coming Saturday, Englewood’s Children’s Home and Aid is hosting a youth talent competition as a means of encouraging dialogue on this heavy matter. Participants, who must be Englewood residents between the seventh and twelfth grades, will share stories about themselves, friends, family, and community, through mediums of song, rap, poetry, and spoken word. Submissions must be original and relate to the theme of the competition, “It Only Takes One.” St. John Evangelist Missionary Baptist Church, 1234 W. 63rd St. Saturday, May 23, 12pm-3pm. Free. (Emeline Posner)

Out of the Rubble: A Chicago Benefit for the Children of Gaza
On Tuesday, May 26, various Chicago groups come together to support an international cause. American Friends Service Committee-Chicago, along with various sponsors including Students for Justice in Palestine Chicago Network, Committee for a Just Peace in Israel and Palestine, and many more, is hosting a benefit in the assembly hall of the UofC’s International House to raise funds for children in Gaza. The event will include dinner from Haifa Café and will feature local speakers and performances in spoken word, singing, and oud, with proceeds going to the Middle East Children’s Alliance (MECA). MECA contributes funding and support to Gaza community organizations that provide for the enrichment, education, and health needs of children, and also works to provide university scholarships and clean water. The organizers hope to raise $5,000, and you can donate to the event even if you are unable to attend. International House at the University of Chicago, 1414 E. 59th St. Tuesday, May 26, 6pm-9pm. $30 general admission, $15 for students and low-income attendees. Purchase tickets online. gazakids.brownpapertickets.com (Mari Cohen)

Kick the Kickbacks
Back in 2000, Martha Wright, a Washington, D.C. grandmother, petitioned the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) to stop private prisons and telecommunications companies from conspiring to establish exorbitant rates for phone calls in and out of prisons—in certain cases, families had to pay a dollar an hour to speak with inmates. Nearly a decade-and-a-half later, in early 2014, the FCC capped interstate phone rates at $0.25 per minute; nevertheless, many people still struggle to pay rising in-state rates. On May 23, the Illinois Campaign for Prison Phone Justice will host a screening of Kick the Kickbacks, a new documentary on the issue. A panel featuring some of the people appearing in the documentary will take place after the screening, moderated by Mariame Kaba of Project NIA, an organization working to reform criminal justice and prison practices. Little Village Community Church, 2300 S. Millard Ave. Saturday, May 23, 2pm. Free. (773)277-2185. nationinside.org (Christian Belanger)

Sun Ra: Astro Black Mythology and Black Resistance
Celebrating the 101st birthday of Sun Ra—poet, composer, band leader, and self-professed member of the “Angel Race”—the Center for the Study of Race, Politics and Culture at the UofC will host a screening of the film Space is the Place and a symposium reflecting upon his life. A pioneer of the Afrofuturism movement, Sun Ra infused his art with traces of science fiction, Black nationalism, and religion. Space is the Place, a 1974 science-fiction film written by and starring Sun Ra as a fictional version of himself, exemplifies his unique vision and unorthodox style. The symposium will explore Sun Ra’s philosophy and mythology and reflect upon their influence on contemporary resistance movements. Logan Center for the Arts, 915 E. 60th St. Screening Thursday, May 21, 7pm; symposium Friday, May 22, 1pm-9pm. csrpc.uchicago.edu (Peter Gao)

Bars Against Bars
Sponsored by Chicago Save the Kids and Sugar Baybe Management and Promotion, this event during National Week of Action Against Incarcerating Youth brings awareness to incarceration of youth in Chicago and the problems that it causes for communities everywhere. Formerly incarcerated speakers as well as artists from Chicago and Milwaukee will be featured in the family-friendly Bronzeville community garden. If your first impulse when reading the name of the event was to think of martinis and daiquiris, the details for the night event are still TBD.Bronzeville Community Garden, Southeast corner of 51st St. and Calumet Ave. Saturday, May 23, 11am. Free. (Lucia Ahrensdorf)

The Baltimore Rebellion! Revolt Against an American Nightmare
Last month, Baltimore saw weeks of protest and much-reported rioting, sparked by the death of twenty-five-year-old Freddie Gray after he suffered fatal spinal cord injuries shackled in the back of a police van. Since the state’s attorney announced charges against six officers on May 1, the mayor has rescinded the city’s curfew, and the governor has lifted the local state of emergency. But all is not quiet in Baltimore. Revelations of widespread police misconduct continue, and coverage of and reaction to the city’s unrest have highlighted schisms in the way the country understands policing, race, and violence. Thursday at La Catrina, the Chicago Socialists will host an event with activists from the protests to argue the wider roots and implications of the protests in Baltimore. La Catrina Cafe, 1011 W. 18th St. Thursday, May 21, 7pm. Free. (312)473-0038. (Hannah Nyhart)

Music

House Priority at The Promontory
The Promontory will be showcasing Chicago’s beloved this Thursday. No, not deep dish and no, not dirty machine politics—but our own house music at their House Priority event this Thursday with DJ Brown Suga, DJ Vince Adams, and DJ Mickey Calvin. Brown Suga stands out for her ability to mix both the mainstream and the underground, while Vince Adams hits us with his jazz-infused, soulful hip-hop numbers. Mickey Calvin rounds out the group out with his ability to produce some of the funkiest house sets around. Come out and listen to some fun music and help celebrate House Priority’s own Timothy “Big Tim” Miller’s birthday in the process. The Promontory, 5311 S. Lake Park Ave. Thursday, May 21, 8pm. $5 until 9pm. (312)801-2100. promontorychicago.com (Patricia Nyaega)

The Ori Naftaly Band at Reggies
It isn’t often that an Israeli blues group makes it to the semi-finals of the famous International Blues Competition—in fact, the Ori Naftaly Band, based out of Memphis, is the first ever. Striving, as bandleader Ori Naftaly puts it, to “bring the blues from Israel to the world,” the unique blues band has done just that, playing in over thirty states and touring Europe twice while garnering international recognition. Comprised of Eleanor Tsaig on vocals, Eren Szendri on bass, Yam Regev on drums, and Naftaly on guitar, the band released A True Friend (Is Hard To Find) in 2012 and Happy for Good in 2013. Despite its members’ Israeli heritage, the band’s sound is unequivocally American, borrowing inspiration from icons like Muddy Waters while integrating funk, soul, and rock to powerful effect. In only a few years, the Ori Naftaly Band has gained acclaim and recognition, and they show no signs of stopping. Catch them this Friday at Reggies along with PJ & Soul, a jazz bassist and performer from Chicago’s West Side. Reggies Chicago, 2105 S. State St. Friday, May 22, 8pm. $10. 21+. (312)949-0120. reggieslive.com (Clyde Schwab)

Thundercat, Sicko Mobb, and Leather Corduroys at Thalia Hall
LA multi-instrumentalist Thundercat, exceedingly happy North Lawndale singer-rappers Sicko Mobb (notable, most recently, for “Fiesta Remix,” which features New York MC A$AP Ferg), and Leather Corduroys, two members of Vic Mensa and Chance the Rapper’s Savemoney Crew, will be appearing at Thalia Hall on May 23 as part of Red Bull Sound Select. Now that Chance and Vic have ascended to a whole new level of fame and Towkio’s made it onto the cover of RedEye, it looks like Joey Purp and Kami de Chukwu of Leather Corduroys are the latest Savemoney members to begin the launch into the big time. Thalia Hall, 1807 S. Allport S. Saturday, May 23. $3 with RSVP, $10 without. (312)526-3851. thaliahallchicago.com (Sam Stecklow)

Jody Watley at The Shrine
Hailing from Chicago, Grammy Award-winning Jody Watley was one of the first female African-American artists to bridge gaps and create ties between music, dance, fashion, and even exercise. Her signature was “waacking,” a freestyle dance style she describes as “showing the music.” Watley became a master at creating an all-encompassing experience of the senses, both as a sight on stage and a voice through the speakers. She may have made her debut in the ’80s, as a stage-stunner on Soul Train and the lead female in the breakout group Shalamar, but since then she has collaborated with numerous groups, including the French Horn Rebellion, and has also had a robust solo career. Even after thirty years in the industry, this self-described “not just a dreamer, but a girl always trying to do and be something” still has music and moves that make you want to jump up and dance—and you will have the chance to do so next Saturday. The Shrine, 2109 S. Wabash Ave. Saturday, May 30, 9:30pm. $30. 21+. (312)753-5681. theshrinechicago.com (Cristina Ochoa)

Beenie Man and Shawnna at The Shrine

Erstwhile dancehall king Beenie Man and famously filthy Chicago-bred rapper Shawnna will be playing The Shrine on May 31. Beenie Man, known best for both his rowdy dancehall and his violently anti-gay lyrics (as well as many back-and-forths in the press about whether or not he’s apologized for them), hasn’t released an album since 2006. Since becoming bogged down in the PR battle over his lyrics, his only notable semi-recent appearance was on Kanye’s “Send It Up.” Shawnna, similarly, hasn’t released anything since the 2012 mixtape She’s Alive. Here’s hoping they both try out some new material. The Shrine, 2109 S. Wabash Ave. Sunday, May 31, 10pm. $35. 21+. (312)753-5681. theshrinechicago.com (Sam Stecklow)

Sticks and Stones Debuts at the Promontory
This Thursday’s concert at the Promontory will see the debut of jazz combo Sticks and Stones, led not by a saxophonist or a drummer but by vibraphonist (and composer) Preyas Roy. What is a vibraphone, you may ask? (I certainly did.) The name may not be familiar (vibraphonist Jay Hoggard joked that he would ask his co-instrumentalists, “What is that thing called that you play?”), but the percussion instrument, similar in appearance to a xylophone but with a far more complex and sophisticated sound, has been around for over a century. Roy, for his part, has been playing the vibes for close to two decades. With Brent Griffin Jr on the alto sax, Scott Hesse on guitar, Andrew Vogt playing the bass, and Vince Davis at the drums, Sticks and Stones should be able to weave a rich musical tapestry out of Roy’s rhythmic innovations. The Promontory, 5311 S. Lake Park Ave. Thursday, May 14, 8pm, doors 7pm. $10. (312)801-2100. promontorychicago.com (Olivia Stovicek)

Stage and Screen

Sun Ra: Astro Black Mythologies & Black Resistance
One hundred-and-one years ago, a mortal boy named Herman Poole Blount was born in Birmingham, Alabama—this boy would eventually come to be known as the cosmic entity and jazz musician Sun Ra. A pianist, bandleader, and pioneer of the Afrofuturist movement, Ra is known for his heady, improvisational fusion jazz as well as his cosmological personal mythology (he claimed he was of the “Angel Race”). On the occasion of his birthday, a symposium organized by artist David Boykin in collaboration with the University of Chicago will explore the connections between Ra’s astral mythology and ideologies of Black resistance in the contemporary context of movements such as Black Lives Matter. After the symposium, stick around for a reception and concert to celebrate the memory of the influential musician and Man from Saturn. David and Reva Logan Center for the Arts, 915 E. 60th St. Friday, May 22. Symposium 1-6pm, Reception and Concert 6-9pm. Free. (773)702-8574. arts.uchicago.edu (Lewis Page)

The School Project Episode 6: Teaching
Roosevelt High School in Chicago has faced an uphill battle in improving its students’ test scores in mathematics. Thanks to a new, group-based math curriculum, however, students who found themselves below grade level in math are getting on the right track. Find out how Roosevelt High’s new curriculum has been helping its students at the world premiere of Gordon Quinn and Rachel Dickson’s ten-minute documentary Teaching, the last episode of The School Project. Conceived after the closing of fifty-four Chicago public schools in 2013, The School Project is a documentary series consisting of six individual episodes that focus on efforts to improve Chicago’s public education system. Following the screening of Teaching, education news organization Catalyst-Chicago will host a panel discussion until 7:30 p.m. Conference Chicago at University Center- Lake Room, 525 S. State St. Thursday, May 21, 5:30pm. Free. (773) 472-4366. www.kartemquin.com (Cooper Aspegren)

Stop Making Nonsense: Japanese Surrealist Films, 1960-1964
Surveying the experimental films during the wave of avant-garde cinema movement in Tokyo during the 1960s, the Center for East Asian Studies at the University of Chicago will sponsor a screening of four Japanese surrealist films. The series features films made by members of the famous “Group of Three,” including Obayashi and Limura, directors hailed for their eclectic productions made with the 8mm format. The first film is Obayashi’s Complexe, which focuses on a man whose mundane walk turns into a surreal dreamscape representative of the manic pace of modernity, a theme complemented by Obayashi’s use of stop motion animation. Second is Jonouchi’s Pou Pou, which documents a burial ritual performed by children. Next, Limura’s Ai, is comprised of close-up shots of fragmented body parts and features sound by Yoko Ono. Last is Obayashi and Fugino’s An Eater, a macabre comedy about cannibalism. Afterwards, programmer Harrison Sherrod and SAIC graduate student Kara Jefts will host post-screening discussion to help provide context for the Japanese avant-garde cinema movement. Co-Prosperity Sphere, 3219 S. Morgan St. Thursday, June 4, 7pm. Free.  southsideprojections.org (Clyde Schwab)

Sins of the Father at eta Creative
Successful blues singer Calieb “Tigereye” Hamilton suddenly returns home to his adult son and aging father after a nine-year absence. However, the joy of his homecoming is quickly clouded over by family secrets past and present. What dark truths must be revealed in order to save this family? And will they be able to forgive each other? Family drama and moody ballads prevail in Synthia Williams’s four-man production, Sins of the Father, a part of eta Creative’s 2015-2016 Season of Plays. eta Creative Arts Foundation, 7558 S. South Chicago Avenue. April 17 through June 7. Friday, 8pm; Saturday, 10am; Sunday, 3pm. $35 general, $25 for seniors, $15 for students. (773)752-3955. etacreativearts.org (Dagny Vaughn)

Secret Garden at Court
Coming off an acclaimed adaptation of another popular book, the Bible, Hyde Park’s dependable Court Theatre will continue its successful season with an adaptation of the famous children’s book The Secret Garden. Like the Bible, but aimed for a younger audience, The Secret Garden is a well-loved story that features a dynamic cast of characters, a mysterious old house, and a blooming garden. The precocious protagonist is a surly little girl named Mary who moves to a new home in Yorkshire with a magical secret. Come for the childhood memories, stay for the weirdly talented child actress. Court Theatre, 5535 S. Ellis Ave. May 21 through June 21. Fridays, 8pm; Saturdays, 8pm; Sundays, 2:30pm and 7:30 pm. $48 general, $43.50 for seniors, $23 for children, $18 for UofC students. Ages 4+. (773)753-4472. courttheatre.org (Jake Bittle)

The Thoughts That Once We Had
Thom Andersen has spent most of his life loving, creating, and teaching the art of filmmaking—from his days as a cabbie to his position at the California Institute of the Arts—in that famed haven of the movies, Los Angeles. He resolutely refuses to call it “LA.” His landmark 2003 film essay Los Angeles Plays Itself exhibits a knowledge of film and Los Angeles history that borders on the absurd: he splices together segments from hundreds of different films in order to discuss how Hollywood has portrayed or, in large part, failed to portray Los Angeles. In doing so he incorporates questions of politics, social issues, geography, and race in a way totally unlike most film criticism. His newest work The Thoughts That Once We Had, inspired by the film writings of Gilles Deleuze, presented with humor, and aimed at avid movie fans rather than academics, promises equal degrees of illumination and entertainment. Film Studies Center, 5811 S. Ellis Ave, Cobb Hall. Saturday, May 23. 7pm. Free. (773)702-8596. filmstudiescenter.uchicago.edu (Robert Sorrell)

Susan Giles: Scenic Overlook
In Susan Giles’ new exhibition, “Scenic Overlook,” one can view some of the world’s tallest buildings from above. Giles’ installation consists of large wooden sculptures modeled after the four highest observation towers in the world, the Tokyo Skytree, Canton Tower, CN Tower, and Ostankino Tower, all held up horizontally by steel structures. Giles takes advantage of the two-floor gallery space to allow observers to view these famous architectural wonders from above. Giles, a professor of art at DePaul University, got her MFA from Northwestern in 2009 and is known for her large-scale installations in venues across Chicago, including the Museum of Contemporary Art Chicago and the Elmhurst Art Museum. Visit the Hyde Park Art Center to witness Giles’s exploration of the power of perspective, tourism, and architecture. Hyde Park Art Center, 5020 S Cornell Avenue. Sunday, April 19 through Sunday, July 26. Monday-Thursday, 9am-8pm; Friday-Saturday, 9am-5pm; Sunday, 12pm-5pm. Free. (773)324-5520. hydeparkart.org (Clyde Schwab)

Project 1915
In 2012, artist Jackie Kazarian executed an intensely painful, personal exhibition in a hospital. Entitled “Breast Wallpaper,” her work drew on her own experiences with breast cancer, publicizing a personal trauma and offering an empathetic hand to others dealing with the disease. This year she is working to address another kind of trauma: the 1915 Armenian Genocide in which one-and-a-half million Armenians were massacred. One hundred years after the genocide, Kazarian, who has Armenian heritage, has created a massive mural to commemorate the event and to explore the intersections of memory and trauma, again in a deeply personal way. The comparisons to Picasso’s “Guernica” are apt, but the artist is taking on this difficult subject in her own style. The piece will premiere in Chicago at MANA before touring nationally and internationally. Mana Contemporary, 2233 S. Throop St. Through Friday, May 29. Monday-Friday, 9am-5pm; Sunday, noon-5pm. Free. (312) 850-8301 manacontemporarychicago.com  (Robert Sorrell)

Old Wicked Songs
First produced in 1996 by Jon Marans, Old Wicked Songs is the story of an aging Viennese music professor and his prodigal but burnt-out piano student. In a story that takes teacher and student to emotional extremes while discussing the ramifications of the Holocaust in Austria, Old Wicked Songs shines as a valuable lesson that reflects the importance of healing, music, and remembering one’s past. The play closely follows the “Dichterliebe” (A Poet’s Love), a collection of songs by Robert Schumann. The play is presented by Provision Theater, a Chicago company that broke into the scene in 2004 with an acclaimed production of Cotton Patch Gospel. Provision has since followed with productions including Smoke on the Mountain, the Boys Next Door, and Gospel. Provision Theater Company, 1001 W. Roosevelt Rd. April 29-June 7. Fridays, 8pm; Saturdays, 8pm; Sundays, 3pm. $10-$32. (312)455-0066. provisiontheater.org (Clyde Schwab)

Visual Arts

No Longer Art
What really is art? What isn’t? Can a piece of art ever stop being art? The exhibition “No Longer Art” is a collection of “salvaged art”: pieces of work removed from museum and gallery circulation due to accidental damage and complete loss of market value, but still culturally significant and relatively intact. Founded by the New York artist Elka Krajewska, the Salvage Art Institute (SAI) serves as a shelter for salvaged art and a stage for discussing the work’s cultural, visual, and—perhaps most importantly—fiscal value. “No Longer Art: Salvage Art Institute” is presented at the Neubauer Collegium Exhibitions in partnership with the Gray Center for Arts and Inquiry with support from the Chicago Center for Contemporary Theory. The Neubauer Collegium for Culture and Society, 5701 S. Woodlawn Ave. April 23 – June 26. Monday-Friday, 11:00am-5:00pm. (773)702-6030. http://neubauercollegium.uchicago.edu  (Alex Harrell)

Windy City Breakdown
Ayana Contreras—DJ, radio show host, record collector, producer, blogger—was one of the Arts Incubator’s Artists-in-Residence during 2014-15. Her culminating exhibition, “Windy City Breakdown,” features locally-sourced records from her own personal collection, and will explore Black Chicago at the height of the Black Power movement, alongside its intersections with art and entrepreneurship. Contreras hosts and produces a weekly show on Vocalo called “Reclaimed Soul” that is all about “taking old materials (records, buildings, ideas, et al) to push us all forward.” With Contreras being the all-around sound and audio Renaissance woman that she is, her exhibit is sure to be an unusual foray into Chicago, black resistance, and history. Not to mention, it’ll have a great soundtrack. Arts Incubator, 301 E. Garfield Blvd. Through May 29. Artist talk May 19, 6pm-7:30pm. Free. (773)702-9724. arts.uchicago.edu (Maha Ahmed)

The Ghost of Slavery in Corporate Chicago
Buried deep in Section 585 of Chicago’s Municipal Code is the “Slavery Era Business/Corporate Insurance Disclosure,” which mandates that contractors with the city disclose any and all profits gained from slavery. Yet after two hundred years, several major Chicago companies have yet to disclose their profits from slavery. “The Ghost of Slavery in Corporate Chicago” spotlights the skeletons in these companies’ closets. In an exhibition of photographs and documents regarding the businesses’ hidden histories, images of corporate success and human suffering collide. The exhibit is the first in a larger series at Pilsen’s URI-EICHEN Gallery, entitled “40 Acres and a Mule: A Series of Visual Arts Shows and Discussions about Reparations for Slavery,” which will run until September. URI-EICHEN Gallery, 2101 S. Halsted St. Through June 5, by appointment. (312)852-7717. Uri-eichen.com (Hafsa Razi)

Cosmosis
Though most visibly a muse for artistic creation in the last few years with feature films and literature, outer space has mystified and inspired humanity for centuries. In the new exhibit at the Hyde Park Art Center, artists attempt to visually represent the deeper resonances of the cosmos through its intersection with different fields such as philosophy, anthropology, and physics. The exhibition examines the significance of space travel to modern culture as well as the role Chicago-based artists have had in interpreting this significance. This event promises to be full of thought-provoking discussion and haunting images of another world. Hyde Park Art Center, 5020 S. Cornell Ave. Through August 23. Monday-Thursday, 9am-8pm; Friday-Saturday, 9am-5pm;Sunday, noon-5pm. Free. (773)324-5520. hydeparkart.org (Lucia Ahrensdorf)

.de.ma.rc.at.ed.
The main idea of this month-long showing in a new Hyde Park gallery is this: art does not exist in a vacuum, and neither does anything else. The work of Alberto Aguilar, presented at the 4th Ward Project Space with support from the UofC’s Arts + Public Life Initiative, explores the way different boundaries—art and artist, home and world, owner and object—work, both in themselves and in relationship to one another. This particular show, titled “.de.ma.rc.at.ed.,” decontextualizes functional household objects and presents them as “monuments” for the viewer to interpret. 4th Ward Project Space, 5338 S. Kimbark Ave. Enter on 54th St. Opening reception Sunday May 3, 4pm-7pm. Through May 31, 1pm-5pm on Saturdays and Sundays. (773)203-2991. 4wps.org (Jake Bittle)

Gabriel Sierra
Swing by the Renaissance Society right after breakfast to see Gabriel Sierra’s “Monday Impressions” at ten in the morning. Visit right before your midday nap around two to experience “In the Meantime, (This Place Will Be Empty after 5:00 pm),” or maybe take in “Few Will Leave Their Place to Come Here for Some Minutes” around four, right before the gallery closes. The title of the exhibit changes each hour, but the work of the architecturally-trained Colombian artist will be consistently compelling. An interactive exploration of the ways in which the human body relates to and experiences temporal and spatial environments, Sierra’s installation consists of a series of constructions made with natural materials that have been isolated, processed, and domesticated. The exhibit emphasizes the presence and experience of the visitor, begging to be walked over, stood in, and experienced firsthand, whatever the time of day. The Renaissance Society, 5811 S. Ellis Ave. May 3-June 28, Tuesday-Friday, 10am-5pm; Saturday-Sunday 12pm-5pm. Free. (773)702-8670. www.renaissancesociety.org (Lewis Page)

Mirrored Infinity
Inspired by Jorge Luis Borges’s short story “The Approach to Al-Mu’tasim,” visual artist John Whitlock inquires into existentialism, spirituality, and reproduction through black and white collages that are scanned and crafted into mixed media compositions. These are accompanied by a video feed of evolving geometric patterns on an infinite loop. The work uses simple shapes to create elaborate and semi-religious iconography, gold—with its connotations of preciousness and implication of age—and geometric distortions. Whitlock works primarily in collage and assemblage and is influenced by the surplus of stimuli in our culture and society, particularly in popular graphic images. Join Whitlock at the Chicago Urban Art Society’s debut in its new McKinley Park space in a show “about finding yourself in the search for another.” Chicago Urban Art Society, 3636 S. Iron St. Friday, May 1, 6:30pm-11:30pm through Saturday, June 27. Free. (773)951-8101. chicagourbanartsociety.com (Clyde Schwab)

ARC 40th Anniversary Exhibit
A 40th anniversary show in honor of ARC, one of the oldest female-run art galleries and exhibition spaces in the country, will begin this Friday at the Beverly Arts Center. The show features over 120 current and former artists from the co-operative gallery in Chicago. Founded in 1973, ARC provides exhibition opportunities for emerging artists based on “excellence of artwork” and without discrimination regarding gender, race, class, and other factors. While ARC is an internationally recognized exhibition space, it also serves as an educational foundation, providing opportunities for emerging artists. Beverly Arts Center, 2407 W. 111th St. Friday, May 31, 7pm-9pm through Friday, May 1. (773)445-3838. beverlyartcenter.org (Clyde Schwab)

Imaginary Landscape
Returning to a space of your past is the best way to wipe away the rose-colored nostalgia tint from your glasses. Through Imaginary Landscapes, Mana Contemporary presents an exploration of the relationship between space, time, and memory. Four Midwest-based artists delve into the uncertain space at the nexus of the three, and the result is a collection of sculptures and images gathered by Chicago-based curator Allison Glenn. Lisa Alvarado’s work features elements of shamanism as she critiques cultural appropriation and assimilation; Assaf Evron toes the line between photography and sculpture; deconstructing the mundane, Robert Burnier explores failed utopia; and, last but not least, Caroline Kent harnesses narrative and storytelling to ruminate on what it means to be an outsider in another country. Delve into the uncertainty that spans space and time. Mana Contemporary, 2233 S. Throop St., 4th floor. April 4-May 31. Monday-Friday, 9am-5pm. (312)850-0555. Free. manacontemporarychicago.com (Kristin Lin)

Nature’s Matrix
Like many of their fellow artists, Charles Heppner and Diane Jaderberg have turned to nature for inspiration. Instead of capturing the astonishing might of an ocean, or the tranquility of a peaceful sylvan landscape, they channel elements from nature and turn them into visual motifs, repeating and abstracting them to create pieces which are not just strange but nearly unrecognizable. Also important for their work and their new installation is the interaction between technology and nature, which is mirrored in Heppner’s use of digital media and computer software to create prints. Their joint exhibition, “Nature’s Matrix,” is taking place at the Hyde Park Art Center, where the two have been studying and creating since the mid-2000s. Hyde Park Art Center, 5020 S. Cornell Ave. April 5-July 5. (773)324-5520. hydeparkart.org (Robert Sorrell)

From the Hearth: A Home of Art, Education, and Community for 75 Years
In 1940, the Works Progress Administration’s Federal Art Project funded the creation of over one hundred centers for the arts nationwide. 75 years later, the South Side Community Art Center in Bronzeville is the only one that remains. Awarded Chicago Landmark status in 1994, the Art Center continually serves as a symbolic and historic site of the legacy of African-American art in Chicago. In collaboration with the Museum of Contemporary Art, the Center presents a retrospective of a 75-year history of art, activism, and community-building. Curated by Lamar Gayles and Kara Franco—two young artists under the mentorship of the MCA assistant curator and the former director of SSCAC—the show will include the works of artists such as Archibald Motley and Margaret Burroughs as well as discussions on past and future of the SSCAC as a place of constant reinvention and innovation. South Side Community Art Center, 3831 S. Michigan Ave. May 9-June 16. Wed-Fri 12pm-5pm, Sat 9am-5pm, Sun 1pm-5pm. Free. (773)373-1026. sscartcenter.org (Lewis Page)

The Break Age
Having received his M.F.A in sculpture at the School of the Art Institute of Chicago, Benjamin Zellmer Bellas makes art that is, according to Slow gallery, “Art and not art at the same time.” His upcoming show at Slow in Pilsen touches upon themes of faith, mystery, and the origins of life, but also science, domesticity, and technology. Though progressive in nature, the show draws upon traditional art-making processes. Bellas emphasizes that each of his works of art embodies its own transformation—who knows, maybe “The Break Age” will also change you. Slow, 2153 W. 21st St. May 23-June 13, 6pm-9pm. Free. (773)645-8803. paul-is-slow.info (Juan Toledo)