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.
A New Home Down the Block: The South Chicago Art Center is moving and becoming SkyArt | By Cooper Aspegren
From Prison Yard to Table: A10 buys locally, and purposefully, through the Cook County Prison | By Sammie Spector
All In a Day’s Work: Kartemquin Films’ new series follows the stories of low-income Americans | By Emiliano Burr Di Mauro
The Way Forward: A retrospective on Urban Renewal at Black Cinema House | By Emeline Posner
A Return To Wonder: The Secret Garden at Court Theatre enchants | By Miles Morgan
Restoring the South Side’s Movie Houses | By Robert Sorrell, Emiliano Burr Di Mauro, and Eleonora Edreva
Surf’s Out: A peek inside the new mixtape by Chance and friends | By Jake Bittle and Maha Ahmed
“I’m Still Mr. YOUmedia”: Digital studios at Chicago Public Libraries encourage young artists to create | By Olivia Myszkowski
No Longer Art, But No Longer Shelved: The Salvage Art Institute brings damaged artwork back into galleries and museums | By Sammie Spector
A City of DJs: “Windy City Breakdown” at the Arts Incubator | By Kanisha Williams
Father of the Black Age: Black Age of Comics founder Turtel Onli talks past, present, and future | By Alex Harrell
The Not-So-Distant Past: Considering reparations at Uri-Eichen Gallery | By Lewis Page
Restoring Color: Caryl Yasko restores her mural “Under City Stone” in Hyde Park | By Darren Wan
Young at 75 : The SSCAC’s 75th Anniversary exhibit highlights long histories, new practice | By Stephen Urchick
Between Two Chinatowns: Incorporating elements of feng shui, a new Chinatown library seeks to unite new and old | By Lauren Gurley
“A Prophet In Your Hometown” : The Renaissance Society celebrates one hundred years | By Adam Thorp