After you finish reading this issue, turn back to the cover. Pick up a pen, or markers, or crayons—whatever you have at hand. Draw on the cover.
In this, our annual Arts Issue, the Weekly explores the various ways in which people and communities engage with their realities through artistic creation. Murals, comics, music, film, performance, and architecture—all of these mediums have and have had dedicated practitioners on the South Side. All are given space in this issue.
The cover is your space—the black and white illustration done by Kriss Stress is yours to color in and alter. This is our small way of capturing the spirit of creativity you’ll find throughout the issue and throughout your communities every day. Feel free to photograph and share your versions of the cover on Twitter and be sure to include the hashtag #SSWArtsIssue.
We look forward to seeing your work and hope you enjoy reading ours.