In a new exhibition, longtime collaborators Dutes Miller and Stan Shellabarger created an immersive multimedia installation that explores intimacy, distance, and the fluctuations between. The above comic captures their reflections on making together and materials in play. Text from the comic is transcribed here to ease readability. Our collaboration developed organically. We were both ceramic […]
Tag: art
Posted inArts & Culture
Deeper research and a politics of care
In the summer of 2020, the people of Chicago rose up in support of Black life, with thousands taking part in dozens of actions across the city. That season of uprisings had curator and cultural producer Ciera Alyse McKissick thinking about Black people moving through space: about how Black migration and travel has been a […]
Posted inCity Life
Photos: opening reception for Brandon Breaux at Blanc
Our contributor Isa Giallorenzo attended an opening reception in April for artist Brandon Breaux’s solo exhibition “BIG WORDS,” which is on view at Blanc Gallery in Bronzeville through May 27. She reports, “A beautiful, stylish, and lively crowd attended . . . the gallery has a cozy outdoor space that could accommodate a large number of guests. […]
Posted inArts & Culture
No Robert Mitchum, but stay for the squirrels
Heather McAdams needs no introduction for longtime Reader readers, but I’ll try anyway. McAdams contributed cartoons and illustrations to the Reader for over 20 years, self-published and distributed an annual country music-themed calendar (filled with her original artwork and writing about country and rockabilly musicians) for approximately 30 years, ran the store Record Roundup in […]
Posted inCity Life
Bunnies, Rollins, and poetry
Looking for some action? We can’t promise that, but we do think you’ll have a great time at the following events! Reader, read on. FRI 4/15 Barbara Burdick opened Cuddle Bunny in Lakeview (2901 N. Clark) in June of 2020, inspired by the animal cafes of Japan. At the shop, visitors can enjoy hanging out […]
Posted inCity Life
April showers us with events
It may be a little damp and dreary outside, but there are loads of ways to warm up with some cultural events this week. FRI 4/8 At 5:30 PM tonight, catch a free performance by Xochitl-Quetzal, the dance troupe founded by Henry Cervantes that’s keeping the Concheros dance tradition alive. As the event host—the International […]
Posted inArts & Culture
What’s fair about art fairs?
What’s fair about art fairs? That’s the question at the heart of Barely Fair, a show organized by Garfield Park gallery Julius Caesar that’s designed to run in tandem with the international art fair EXPO Chicago. Founded in 2019, this is the second iteration of the Barely Fair, which quietly marks EXPO’s return to in-person […]
Posted inArts & Culture
Two stories of diasporic movement
Azadeh Gholizadeh & Elnaz Javani on their two-person exhibition “Phonetic Fragments” at Roots & Culture Gallery: March 11th – April 9th, 2022
Posted inArts & Culture
Subverting the dominant paradigm, one stitch at a time
The Bayeux Tapestry dates back to the 11th century, so you can’t really say that high art appreciation of fiber work is new. There’s a big difference, though, between validating a giant record of European military conquest and the recent explosion of curatorial interest in quilting, knitting, embroidery, and clothing. Mrinalini Mukherjee’s monumental draped fabric […]
Posted inBest of Chicago
Best local conservationist rocking it out on YouTube
Julian Baumgartner may be the sole owner of Chicago’s oldest conservation studio, but that doesn’t keep him from being simultaneously the master of old masters and social media. He’s a man with a fan base in the millions—many of whom claim they know or care nothing about art but are faithful viewers of his videos. […]
Posted inBest of Chicago
Best new artist-run project space
In August 2021, the new art gallery Ruschwoman announced its arrival with the group exhibition “Speculative Magenta Hauntology.” The lead image in the exhibition was by the late artist Chiara Fumai. In the photo, titled Annie Jones Reads Valerie Solanas, Fumai was dressed as the famed bearded woman Annie Jones; behind her, large, bold letters […]
Posted inBest of Chicago
Best boutique that started on the back of a truck
The cat sign on the shop window says everything. “I have two cats [Sweet Pea and Naomi] that I bring to the shop when I’m in,” says Adrianne Hawthorne, 36, the owner of Ponnopozz Studio and Store in Ravenswood (4839 N. Damen). “The shop has a sign in the window indicating if a kitty is […]
Posted inArts & Culture
Thinking of us
Barbara Kruger, collagist, conceptual artist, and Futura Bold Oblique font savant, will turn 77 two days after her exhibition “THINKING OF YOU. I MEAN ME. I MEAN YOU.” closes at the Art Institute of Chicago on January 24. The expansive exhibition, which opened in September after being delayed almost a year by COVID-19 concerns, is […]
Posted inCity Life
More comedy, movies, and art, please
Upcoming events and recommendations for the next seven days
Posted inCity Life
Get tested and enjoy sweater weather with confidence
Upcoming events and distractions from our listings coordinator