Today in the Culture, August 16, 2021: Ta-Nehisi Coates Headlines Printers Row Lit Fest | Caroline Kent Gets MCA Show | CTA and Parks Get Amazon Lockers
Photo: Evan Jenkins, “Chicago Works,” Installation view, Caroline Kent
ART
Caroline Kent Gets First Solo Museum Exhibition At MCA
The Museum of Contemporary Art Chicago has announced “Chicago Works,” the first solo museum exhibition of multidisciplinary Chicago-based artist Caroline Kent [Newcity Breakout Artist 2020], featuring a site-specific installation that transforms the MCA galleries into an immersive domestic environment with Kent’s large paintings as the centerpiece, and colorful walls, architectural features and everyday objects such as furniture and houseplants. “The exhibition takes as its starting point a fictional set of identical twins who communicate telepathically across the two distinct rooms using a secret language of repeating geometric shapes and abstract forms,” the MCA says in a release. “The twins are united by the language they share, with traces of their conversation traveling across the surfaces of paintings and walls and into three-dimensional space. Kent’s invented language encourages visitors to explore their own codes and conventions for describing the world around them.” “Chicago Works: Caroline Kent” is on view from August 3 to April 3, 2022. More here.
Stockholm’s Moderna Museet Hires Hendrik Folkerts
Hendrik Folkerts will join Stockholm’s Moderna Museet as curator of international art, reports e-flux. “Our museum has a long-standing history of hosting international artists for groundbreaking exhibitions, performances, and other presentations, as well as through its world-renowned collection. In his role, Folkerts will be important in bringing this legacy into the future,” director Gitte Ørskou says. Folkerts has curated solo and international group exhibitions as well as collection presentations, new commissions, and public programs, anchored in the expanded field of performance and building on feminist, queer, and anti-colonial histories of art. His most recent position is as Dittmer Curator of Modern and Contemporary Art at the Art Institute of Chicago (2017-present). “I am not exaggerating when I say that Moderna Museet has always been a beacon for me, integral to my practice as an art historian and a curator,” Folkerts says. “As I join the incredible team of this museum and the rich and diverse communities of Stockholm, I consider the great work ahead of us—at a time when artists and museums are uniquely positioned to address and give form to the questions that will define our future. It is humbling and invigorating at the same time.”
DESIGN
U of C Study: Cities Can Make Us Happier
“Researchers at the University of Chicago have released a study examining the impact of cities on human wellbeing, concluding that the socioeconomic networks and active environments of large urban areas in the U.S. can result in lower rates of psychological depression,” reports Archinect. “The findings are part of a broader research project that aims to quantify and map what it feels like to live in a city, building on previous research that showed how people’s use of a city’s infrastructure networks can lead to increases in social interaction, innovation, and wealth production.” Andrew Stier, one of the study’s authors, says “We wondered if those same principles and mathematical models could be applied to psychological phenomena, such as depression, to see if the actual social and infrastructure networks of cities—and how they change as cities get larger—could affect people’s psychology in a consistent way.” The report is here.
“Proud Boys” Increase Attendance At Protests, Including At Columbus Statue Site In Little Italy
“A year after the Christopher Columbus statue in Arrigo Park was yanked down amid mounting protests, hundreds rallied at the same spot in the heart of Little Italy last month to demand the city restore that monument to the explorer and two others,” Tom Schuba and Manny Ramos report at the Sun-Times. “Billed as Italian Unity Day, the July 25 event included many with deep ties to the neighborhood. But it was also filled with members of a controversial western chauvinist group with a long track record of sowing division: the Proud Boys. Members of the group — which figured prominently in the deadly ‘Unite the Right’ rally in 2017 and at the January 6 attack on the U.S. Capitol — attended and confronted counter-protesters. They also marched down the middle of a quiet residential street waving flags, flashing far-right hand-gestures and screaming obscenities… Now, weeks after the event, a neighborhood that was already torn over the fate of the Columbus sculpture… and other controversial monuments in the city… Ald. Jason Ervin, whose 28th Ward includes the park, said late last week the [group’s] presence, combined with their role in the Capitol insurrection, was concerning. ‘Hate has no place in our community and anyone fomenting it will face the consequences,’ Ervin said in a statement. ‘There’s a difference between open debate about whom we honor in our public spaces and fighting against the very government that protects those rights.’ The event also signaled yet another example of far-right groups increasing their activism in the Chicago area, experts said.”
Ground Breaks Today On Four Years Of Obama Center Construction
Construction on the Obama Center begins Monday in Jackson Park after the Obama Foundation officially took possession of the property on Friday, reports WGN-TV. “The complex will consist of an athletic center, event center, forum with a restaurant, an auditorium, recording studio and a Chicago Public Library branch.”
City Design Committee Dissects Fulton Market Towers Plan
Chicago’s Committee on Design shows it will be “an independent critic of proposed real-estate developments, with changes suggested to a two-tower project planned for Fulton Market,” reports the Sun-Times. Committee members suggested alterations to “a site plan from development firm Trammell Crow that calls for a 650,000-square-foot office building at 315 North May and a neighboring 377-unit residential building at 1112 West Carroll… The committee of architects, artists, academics and real estate professionals suggested that the development could better relate to the Fulton Market landmark district immediately south of it. Architect Jeanne Gang, a member of the committee, urged the developers to consider using parking decks to buffer the residential building from commuter train tracks just north… Trammell Crow Principal John Carlson thanked Gang for the idea and promised to consider it.”
Chicago Plan Commission To Consider “Halsted Point” This Week
Canadian builder Onni Group heads to the Chicago Plan Commission this week to ask permission to transform the Greyhound bus yard at the southern tip of Goose Island into a mixed-use skyscraper community called Halsted Point, reports the Chicago Architecture blog. “The design by Hartshorne Plunkard Architecture includes over 2,600 new residences, a twenty-eight-story hotel, a supermarket, a pedestrian bridge over the North Branch and 1,400 parking spaces in five buildings… HPA has demonstrated that it can design all kinds of buildings in all kinds of styles. But this project is very Vancouver in its look, reflecting the sensibilities of its developer. We’ve long complained about the Vancouverization of Chicago. But it’s hard to grind gears over replacing a bus barn.”
Amazon Warehouse Permitted In Bridgeport
The controversial Amazon warehouse along the Chicago River in Bridgeport has been permitted, reports Chicago Cityscape. “Amazon delivery drivers can reach about 648,342 people within a five-mile drive from this location.”
Amazon Lockers Drop Into CTA Stations, With Sixty-Eight Destined For City Parks
“It just looks crazy. I don’t even understand how someone could’ve thought that was an okay place to put it,” Ald. Rossana Rodriguez tells Block Club Chicago after a huge, monolithic black Amazon locker was dropped onto a Brands Park sidewalk. Rodriguez said a Park District supervisor told her the lockers… were installed there by mistake. Chicago Park District spokeswoman Irene Tostado wouldn’t confirm, saying only, “The locker was installed in the correct park.” … Many have broader concerns about Amazon’s presence in public parks. About one hundred people have signed an online petition calling on city officials to “keep our parks community spaces free from predatory businesses like Amazon.” The company has long been criticized for its poor treatment of its workers and grueling workplace conditions. “To go to a place that is a public good, a place of recreation, and then see the branding of one of the most anti-worker companies in the world… it’s so disturbing,” Rodriguez said. Sixty-eight Amazon lockers are being installed at Chicago parks; full list here. In a pilot program extended until June 2022, the CTA is renting space in stations to Amazon for the hulking storage units at $25 a month, the CTA says on its site. “Amazon is responsible for all costs related to the purchase, installation, maintenance and operation of the lockers. Amazon will also pay CTA a monthly flat fee of $25 per machine, per month, to cover operating expenses, including the cost of electricity. Amazon will maintain insurance coverage for installing and operating the lockers on CTA property. ‘We are always looking for new ways to improve the CTA travel experience through practical, useful amenities, like Amazon package pick-up for our customers,’ CTA President Dorval R. Carter, Jr. says on the site. ‘We believe a pilot effort like this—partnering the second largest transit agency in the country with the world’s largest retailer—is exactly the kind of unique addition that our riders will appreciate and we look forward to seeing how successful it is in the year to come.’”
Chicago Fashion Incubator Announces Designer-in-Residence
The Chicago Fashion Incubator at the State Street Macy’s announces their newest designer-in-residence, Alissa Bertrand. “Alissa Bertrand is the designer and force behind Jabella Fleur, a clothing brand that focuses on a well-dressed child, through pattern play and layering, with an emphasis on the details and silhouette of a time and aesthetic. Inspired by the designer’s nostalgia, these one-of-a-kind garments incorporate vintage and floral prints in each design. ‘Fashion has been a part of my life and now I have the opportunity to share that with my three youngest girls, from whom all of my designs stem from,” says Bertrand, who believes Jabella Fleur is not just a fashion brand, it’s a lifestyle.”
DINING & DRINKING
Inaugural Chicago Brew Fest Showcases More than Thirty Craft Breweries and Cider Houses
Chicago Brew Fest, featuring more than thirty Chicago-area craft breweries and cider houses, will benefit The Trotter Project, a 501(c)(3) charitable nonprofit organization that creates and invests in programs to advance education opportunities, sustainable agriculture and food security. Its people and programs reflect a generosity of spirit and pursuit of excellence within the culinary, hospitality and agricultural industries. The event will be at Rockwell on The River, 3057 North Rockwell, Sunday, October 3, 1:30-5:30 pm; More here.
Doordash Grant Sparks Multi-Business Development Via Back Of The Yards Coffeehouse
Back of the Yards Coffeehouse owner Jesse Iniguez is proposing a multi-business development through the mayor’s Invest South/West initiative after taking a $20,000 grant from DoorDash, reports the Sun-Times. “His plan is to involve Black, brown, women and LGBTQ entrepreneurs from the neighborhood in the development.”
After Serial Loan Rejections, Roscoe Village’s Loba Coffee + Pastry Is Crowdfunding
“Valeria Taylor didn’t think she’d be asking her community to help move Loba Pastry + Coffee, her five-year-old Roscoe Village bakery and coffee shop,” reports Eater Chicago. “But after financial institutions rejected her applications for a small business loan for the third time,” she launched a GoFundMe campaign. “Loba’s customers have already helped keep the tiny independent business bakery stay in business through the pandemic. Loba has grown its menu through the years. Taylor takes inspiration from her Mexican roots with specials like a croissant made with mole butter.”
What Happens When Those Opposing Vaccination Find A Restaurant With Rules?
Eater Chicago reports on the online abuse that comes for restaurants with pro-mask, pro-vaccination polices. “Restaurant owners across the country are experiencing similar waves of backlash after announcing vaccination requirements for anyone who wants to dine indoors. Their Yelp pages get overrun with one-star reviews from people who have never eaten there; their Instagram posts get spammed with vitriolic comments; their inboxes and voicemails get flooded with messages. Many of the comments are eerily similar: angry [commenters] accuse restaurateurs of medical segregation, comparing vaccine requirements to racial discrimination.”
FILM & TELEVISION
The Trib’s Michael Phillips On Moviegoing And The Delta Variant
“Here’s why I’m writing this. Right now, in many cases, in order to see a preview screening of a new film, I have to enter a movie theater with a small group of fellow Chicago film writers and see what’s what. How does that set-up feel to the civilian in me, in the time of the delta variant? I do not like typing these words, but here’s how it feels. Reckless. Selfish. Wrong,” Tribune film critic Michael Phillips writes. “I cherish the theatrical exhibition tradition and the pleasure of seeing a film on a screen bigger than the ones at home. But it’s how it is now. That’s how it feels to me. With the delta variant in our lives now, studios and film distributors who have the nerve to require in-person screenings for review are being reckless. Selfish. Wrong. [As] Los Angeles Times film critic Justin Chang [has said about some studios’] no-links-sorry-you’re-fine reviewing policy: ‘I always felt this would be the most dangerous moment. It’s that point where the false sense of security arises.'”
LIT
Printers Row Lit Fest Announces Authors And 9/11 Commemoration
Printers Row Lit Fest, the largest free outdoor literary showcase in the Midwest, returns for its thirty-sixth year with free programming for book lovers the weekend after Labor Day, Saturday, September 11 and Sunday, September 12 from 10am-6pm in the Printers Row neighborhood. Printers Row Lit Fest will be headlined by New York Times-bestselling author Ta-Nehisi Coates. Other nationally acclaimed authors include Pulitzer Prize winner Marcia Chatelain (“Franchise: The Golden Arches in Black America”) and National Book Critics Circle Award winner Amy Stanley (“Stranger in the Shogun’s City: A Japanese Woman and Her World”). Special programs include a BookTok panel, exploring the influence of book reviewers and content creators on TikTok; a commemorative 9/11 event with John Bodnar (“Divided by Terror: American Patriotism after 9/11”) in conversation with University of Illinois Chicago professor Nadine Naber (“Arab America: Gender, Cultural Politics, and Activism”); and a commemoration of the 150th anniversary of the Great Chicago Fire with Northwestern University professor Carl Smith (“Chicago’s Great Fire: The Destruction and Resurrection of an Iconic American City”). Diverse Chicago stories and events feature Michelle Duster, the great-granddaughter of crusading journalist Ida B. Wells who honors her life in a celebratory biography (“Ida B. the Queen: The Extraordinary Life and Legacy of Ida B. Wells”); and Elly Fishman, with a book based on her immersive reporting at Chicago’s Sullivan High School, where half of the student population are refugees or new immigrants (“Refugee High: Coming of Age In America”). More here.
U of C Literature Professor And Dragon Expert Michael J. Murrin Was 83
“Michael J. Murrin had so many books that he rented a second apartment to hold them all,” writes Maureen O’Donnell at the Sun-Times. “A literature professor for half a century at the University of Chicago, he taught great epics and allegories from ancient times to the Renaissance,” including “The Iliad” and “The Odyssey,” “Beowulf,” “Divine Comedy” and “Paradise Lost.” “Most of the time, he and his students discussed how literature illuminated history, human nature and the cosmos,” O’Donnell reports. “But Mr. Murrin also was the university’s resident dracologist — an expert on dragons. At one point, the school even included him on its list of specialists under ‘Dragons,’ right between ‘DNA’ and ‘Drama.’ He once told the Chicago Daily News his favorite beast was Siegfried’s dragon. ‘That’s the great mythic dragon, standard in old Norse stories,’ he told the newspaper. ‘It was a bit more primitive than more developed dragons. It didn’t have wings. It looked like a big worm.'”
MEDIA
NBC5 Morning Meteorologist Andy Avalos To Retire
Andy Avalos, 66, announced “he’s retiring as primary morning meteorologist at NBC-owned WMAQ-Channel 5,” reports Rob Feder. His last day will be August 27. “I’m looking forward to retirement and spending more quality time with my family and friends,” Avalos told colleagues in an email. “But to be honest with you, I think I am looking forward to never setting my alarm clock to wake me up at midnight ever again!”
MUSIC
Exit Chicago Believes It Could Reopen
After being slapped on August 6 with citations for posing a public health hazard, Exit Chicago believes that it could remodel and reopen, according to postings on their Facebook page. “Exit is not shutting down they’re just remodeling at this time… The owner will have a more detailed statement later until then wait to hear from the owner himself before he makes any judgment calls.”
PorchFest Hits Roscoe Village With Local Musicians
The Lakeview Roscoe Village Chamber of Commerce announces PorchFest for August 29, featuring forty local musicians performing across fifteen front porches within the Roscoe Village neighborhood boundaries. “This summer event is a community favorite that people of all ages can enjoy,” Carisa Marconet says on behalf of the Lakeview Roscoe Village Chamber of Commerce. “The unique talent of Chicago musicians are highlighted along with the connection our residents have created with one another and their community. Events such as this one are what make Roscoe Village a great place to live.” Visitors register on Eventbrite to receive an event map that includes the porch locations—between Addison to Diversey and Ashland to Western—and showtimes will be sent via email the day before. A limited number of early-bird tickets available for $10-$15. The chamber is partnering with local businesses to offer discounts on the day of the program. More here.
Lake County Symphony Orchestra Finds New Home at Buffalo Creek Brewing
“Buffalo Creek Brewing and the Lake County Symphony Orchestra are part of ongoing concerts in historic downtown Long Grove,” BCB reports in a release. “On the heels of the incredible success of July 3rd, ‘American Salute,’ where the spacious BCB beer garden was packed, LCSO will open its regular season September 17 at 7m. with ‘Broadway & Hollywood Blockbusters,’ featuring the music of ‘West Side Story,’ ‘South Pacific,’ ‘Wicked,’ ‘Porgy and Bess,’ ‘The Sound of Music’ and John Williams’ premiere orchestral suite from ‘Star Wars.’ Musical theater singers Chris and Donna Engelhardt will be featured in the Broadway medleys. Guests can enjoy food from Smokin’ T’s, freshly hand-crafted BCB beer, and Lake County’s only professional orchestra.” Tickets here.
Minnesota Orchestra Selects Cellist Esther Seitz and Bass Trombone Player Lovrick Gary As Good Fellows
The Minnesota Orchestra has announced cellist Esther Seitz and bass trombone player Lovrick Gary as the Minnesota Orchestra’s next Rosemary and David Good Fellows and will begin their two-year appointments with the Orchestra in September. The fellowship, founded in 2017, is designed to encourage greater diversity in the orchestral field by supporting the career development of outstanding young musicians of African American, Latin American and Native American descent as they embark on professional orchestral careers. More here.
STAGE
Steppenwolf Commissions Chicago Youth To Create Art For Arts And Education Center
Steppenwolf Theatre Company has announced the artists selected for its Loft Teen Arts Project. The visual art competition provides commissions of $1,500-$2,500 to young artists from the Chicago area for original new artworks to be displayed in The Loft—Steppenwolf’s newly dedicated education space that encompasses the entire fourth floor of its Arts and Education Center, designed by architect Gordon Gill of Adrian Smith + Gordon Gill Architecture. The Loft Teen Arts Project commission winners include five individuals and two groups: Elizabeth Cervantes, eighteen, from Mount Greenwood with an oil painting project; Alyha Khalil, sixteen, of Irving Park with an oil painting project; Liz Olivarez Lyles, twenty-one, from Lakeview with a mixed media project; Kaleia Maxey, seventeen, from Beverly with a photography and collage project; Stevia Ndoe, eighteen, from West Ridge-North Park with a photography project; Tia and Tyra Smith, twenty, from Chatham with a textile project; and BUILD, a violence prevention and youth development organization based on the West Side of Chicago, with a group artwork, medium to be announced. More here.
ARTS & CULTURE
Winners Of The First Malcolm X and Dr. Betty Shabazz Scholarships Announced
After receiving more than 5,000 applications, The Shabazz Center announced the recipients of the 2021 Malcolm X and Dr. Betty Shabazz Scholarship. The three winners of the 2021 Malcolm X and Betty Shabazz Scholarship include Belmaris Garcia-Gomez of Camden, New Jersey, who is a junior at Columbia College Chicago. “The scholarship offers the Shabazz Center the opportunity to invest in youth leadership within the greater New York City region by inviting young people to intern at the Shabazz Center,” the group writes in a release. “My father, Malcolm X, once said that, ‘Education is the passport to the future, for tomorrow belongs to those who prepare for it today,'” Ilyasah Shabazz says. “The opportunity to support young developing leaders and change-makers through the Scholly Scholarship in partnership with The Shabazz Center is such a rewarding investment that equally honors the lasting legacy of Malcolm X and Dr. Betty Shabazz.” More here.
