A comprehensive presentation of the life and works of the world-renowned artist Frida Kahlo will feature twenty-six original artworks from a Mexico City collection, as well as an immersive historical exhibit at the McAninch Arts Center with Kahlo’s favorite plants and more than 100 photographs.
Standing twenty-eight feet tall and weighing 24,000 pounds, Hank Willis Thomas's sculpture All Power to All People combines the Afro pick and the Black Power salute, two potent symbols of Black identity and social justice. The work is part of the Monumental Tour, a national touring exhibition intended to foster social change through the arts, presented by Kindred Arts. It's on display through August 30.
Another piece of the Monumental Tour, Arthur Jafa's Big Wheel is made of four seven-foot tires—gargantuan things, made for monster trucks by a Colorado manufacturer—each laced with a mesh of iron chain; in lieu of hubcaps are abstract medallion sculptures that are 3-D printed from melted chains. It's on display through August 30.
More than forty cartoonists with Chicago ties are represented in an exhibition that explores the ways that comics are used not only to entertain readers, but to engage them in the relevant social and political issues of their time. The exhibit is divided into four sections spanning Chicago comics history, including 1960-1970s: The Underground; 1980-1990s: Alternative Weeklies, Comic Books, and Zines; 1990-2000s: Graphic Novels and Community; and 2010-Now: Chicago Rising.
Volunteer fixers from Community Glue Workshop and the Chicago Tool Library will be on hand to repair your broken household goods, toys, furniture, jewelry, and more—all with the goal of keeping otherwise functional items out of landfills. This event is in partnership with Creative Chicago Reuse Exchange; please, no computers or printers. A second repair clinic is slated for September 16 at this site.
Aloft Circus Arts presents a free performance of the company's 2019 show Brave Space, in which an all-female ensemble of aerialists and acrobats explore trust and safety. Inspired by the challenge to create community in trying times, the intimate show, adapted for COVID restrictions and outdoor performance, features juggling, cyr wheel, duo trapeze, and more. BYO chair or blanket; masks required for audience members. Some audience participation may be requested. Additional performances August 5 and 6 in other Chicago parks.