Friday, September 17 at 7:30pm is the debut of “Untitled (Questions), 1990/2021,” a projection by conceptual artist Barbara Kruger. The projection series, commissioned by Art on theMART and coordinated in partnership with DCASE, expands on the Art Institute of Chicago’s presentation of “Thinking of You. I Mean Me. I Mean You.,” an in-depth look at four decades of Kruger’s practice. “Untitled (Questions), 1990/2021” will show nightly at the Chicago Riverwalk, between North Wells and North Franklin Street at 7:30pm and 8pm from September 17-November 25. Register for the event here. More details here.
James Newberry, 84, Documented Life On Maxwell Street And Started Columbia College Photography Department
James Newberry founded Columbia College Chicago’s department of photography and taught at the college from 1967 until 1975, the Trib reports. “Newberry frequently shot photographs of Chicago’s legendary open-air Maxwell Street Market and his work became part of exhibitions at the Chicago History Museum and the Museum of Contemporary Photography. Former students recalled Newberry’s depth of knowledge as an instructor and as a practitioner.”
Volume Gallery Opens Show Of Objects By Jonathan Muecke
Volume Gallery will open an exhibition of new objects by Jonathan Muecke on Saturday, September 18 from 11am-6pm, running through October 30. “Free from any of the traditional obligations of functionality common to most design practices, Jonathan Muecke is interested in making unfamiliar and unknowable objects. Each piece deflects understanding, remaining open to ongoing interpretation. Attempting to go beyond design, idiosyncratic formal choices allow the user to think outside of familiar notions of use. Muecke’s elegant forms are hyperspecific in scale and material. Meticulously articulated, his projects subvert standards of scale and investigate notions of positive and negative space. Making liminal objects which often play with being too high or too low, too big or too small, Muecke draws from the concept of measurement and the scale of the human body,” the gallery reports. More here.
DESIGN
Harry Lennix III Plans South Side Performance Space
Harry Lennix III has teamed with local partners and submitted a zoning plan to convert an old Marshall Field’s warehouse into a performing-arts center for African American culture on the South Side, reports the Sun-Times. “Lennix has submitted a zoning proposal to take over a two-story warehouse at 4343 South Cottage Grove. In a partnership with Chicago developer Keith Giles and contractor Michael Wordlaw, Lennix would turn the old Marshall Field warehouse into a 350-seat theater with a smaller performance space of about a hundred seats. The venue would have a tie-in with the Chicago Public Schools. ‘I’m a former CPS teacher. I taught music there,’ said Lennix. The Northwestern University graduate attained notice here at the Goodman Theatre and elsewhere before moving on to work in New York and Los Angeles… The 15,000-square-foot building is a twin of the Briar Street Theater… The South Side venue would house a museum, Lennix said, while providing performances in ‘dance, theater, opera, spoken word, you name it.’ He’s tapped the Chicago firm Nia Architects to assist.”
Five-Bedroom Trump Tower Penthouse Listed At $30 Million
It’s the most expensive current listing in Chicago, reports the Trib. “The 14,260-square-foot full-floor penthouse on the eighty-ninth floor of Chicago’s Trump International Hotel & Tower was listed for $30 million… Sanjay Shah, the CEO of Hoffman Estates-based software maker Vistex, paid $17 million in cash for the condo as raw space in 2014. Shah never moved in… although he did complete the unit with walls and ceilings.”
DINING & DRINKING
2022 James Beard Foundation Awards See Changes
An audit of the troubled James Beard Foundation Awards has resulted in a report, which is here (pdf). From the report: “In August 2020, The James Beard Foundation announced that The Awards Committee and subcommittees, made up of volunteer members from within the broader food, restaurant, and media industries, would work with the Foundation and outside consultants to overhaul the policies and procedures for the Awards. The objectives were to remove systemic bias, increase the diversity of the pool of candidates, maintain relevance, and align the Awards more outwardly with the Foundation’s values of equity, equality, sustainability, and excellence for the restaurant industry. An audit was critical in order to identify areas that needed to be addressed and, ultimately, to inform updates and changes to policies and procedures surrounding the Awards. Specific needs were: creating a more transparent Awards process; creating more consistency among the Awards; creating a process to deal with candidates withdrawing their names; creating clearer and more stringent protocols around the final Awards results; fostering a more inclusive process with a focus on diverse representation. The audit recommendations detailed in this deck addressed each of these needs and have led to the overhaul of Awards policies and procedures that we committed to a year ago… The work does not end here—nor does our commitment to champion a more equitable and sustainable Awards program, Foundation and industry.”
“How Oooh Wee It Is Discovered The Pot Roast Cupcake”
“Diners at Oooh Wee It Is tend to stumble upon an unusual yet intriguing dish as they peruse the menu at [the] soul food restaurant in Chatham: pot roast cupcakes,” reports Madeline Kenney at the Sun-Times. “Seeing servers walk through the bustling venue with a piping-hot plate of a trio of these sweet-and-savory cupcakes usually tends to do the trick, co-owner Mark Walker said… The ingenuity of the dish and the balance of flavors makes it a perfect starter to set the tone for any meal at Oooh Wee It Is, which prides itself on serving ‘soul food with a twist.'” Mark’s wife, Shae Walker, tells Kenney, “It’s always trending; people love it.”
Tapping Oktoberfest Kegs At Tuman’s Tap & Grill
West Town mainstay Tuman’s Tap & Grill taps six Oktoberfest beers and a lineup of seasonal drafts through Halloween. The beers are served in traditional steins at $7 for a half-liter and $13 for a liter. From 4pm daily, the bar also offers a $14 Paulina Meat Market Smoked Thuringer Brat and Oktoberfest Pork Beer Brat Dinner. The brats are served with sauteed cabbage, crispy bacon, and roasted potatoes, plus a side of German mustard. The beers: Hofbrau Munchen’s Oktoberfestbier, 6.3% ABV; Privatbrauerei Ayinger’s Oktober Fest-Marzen, 5.8% ABV; Paulaner Brauerei München’s Oktoberfestbier, 6% ABV; Off Color Brewing’s Waddle Marzen, 6% ABV; Half Acre Beer’s Lager Town Octoberfest, 5.7% ABV; Hopewell Brewing’s Endgrain Marzen-Style Oktoberfest, 5.2% ABV. Visit here.
Flaming Saganaki, A Real Chicago Area Starter
“Pan-seared saganaki is traditional in Greece–and there’s evidence that European Greeks did, indeed, splash liquor on cheese before lighting it on fire. It was in Chicago, however, that flaming saganaki became a documented thing, with the flaming of the cheese and the accompanying ‘Opaa!’ helping market the menu item to a crowded restaurant of revelers,” writes David Hammond, after a visit to Papaspiros in Oak Park.
Owner Of Lakeview’s Town Hall Pub Dies Of COVID
“Town Hall Pub on the Northalsted strip is ‘closed indefinitely’ after its owner died of COVID-19,” reports Block Club Chicago. “Owner William Bucholtz, a lifelong Chicagoan from Uptown, died September 6 of coronavirus… Bucholtz was fully vaccinated when he caught the virus. ‘Bill was a very generous, private and caring man,’ an obituary reads. ‘Everyone who knew him still can’t believe he’s gone and feels great sorrow.'”
Striking Nabisco Workers To Vote On Contract Offer
“A tentative agreement between Mondelez International and members of the Bakery, Confectionery, Tobacco Workers and Grain Millers International Union could end a walkout involving a bakery at 7300 South Kedzie,” reports David Roeder at the Sun-Times. “Mondelez International and a union said they have reached a tentative agreement that could end a strike against the company’s Nabisco operations.” The strike started in August and affected six locations nationwide, including the Chicago bakery and a distribution site in Addison. “The union has said the strike involved about 1,000 workers in the U.S., about 345 of them in the Chicago area.”
LIT
Former Myopic Books Owners Open Bridgeport Book Store
Former Myopic Books owners Joe Judd and his family are returning to Chicago from Central Illinois and opening Tangible Books at 3324 South Halsted, reports Block Club Chicago. “It’s a large endeavor to move a bookstore,” Judd told Block Club. “We have about 50,000 or 60,000 books, and about 200 bookcases. So it takes a lot to do that and, you know, we just don’t have the money to be able to just do it all at once.” Judd and his wife, Lisa, “sold Myopic Books about ten years ago, and moved to Arkansas. From there, they went to downstate Charleston where they had a truck farm growing produce. ‘There were people down there who wanted us to buy their bookstore and, at first, we were talking about maybe being partners. And then it just became taking over their bookstore,” Judd tells Block Club. “Then at the last minute, they decided against it. And there we were with a lease and a bunch of books. So we opened a bookstore, and that’s what we’ve done for the past six years.”
MEDIA
What Is The Local Journalism Sustainability Act?
“Research tells us that our democracy relies on healthy local journalism, but we know the industry is ailing,” writes Sarah Scire at NiemanLab. “Closures, layoffs, and cutbacks in local news—common before the pandemic, thanks to collapsing ad revenue—have only accelerated. Some in Congress, it seems, would like to do something to help. The Local Journalism Sustainability Act was introduced this summer and has drawn bipartisan support in the House, along with a flurry of positive coverage from some of the news organizations that stand to benefit. Even many of its detractors in journalism… .would like to see it passed, with some modifications.” The intricate details of the proposed legislation are at the link.
MUSIC
Jim DeRogatis’ Latest From The R. Kelly Sex-Trafficking Trial
At the New Yorker, Jim DeRogatis reports on the process of the R. Kelly trial: “For the past four weeks, during the racketeering and sex-trafficking trial of R. Kelly, at the federal courthouse in Brooklyn, prosecutors have tried to make the case that Kelly sexually abused women and girls from across the country, during a period that stretched from the mid-1990s to his arrest in 2019… During this same period, Kelly became a dominant voice in popular music, selling a hundred million records, and emerging as one of the most successful singers, songwriters, and producers in the history of R & B. In 2002, he was indicted on child-pornography charges, but the case, brought by the state of Illinois, took six years to go to trial. It was narrowly focused on a fourteen-year-old girl in one videotape, and neither the girl nor her parents testified. Kelly was subsequently acquitted. How is it that he is only now facing extensive criminal charges for his alleged crimes? Part of the answer is that Kelly has silenced many of his accusers by paying them cash settlements in exchange for their signatures on nondisclosure agreements, a tactic used by wealthy and powerful predators such as Harvey Weinstein and Bill Cosby… Over the years, Loggans has become the go-to lawyer for complaints against Kelly, running what I’ve referred to in my past reporting as a ‘settlement factory.'” The piece continues here.
STAGE
Goodman Theatre Artistic Director Robert Falls To Exit In 2022
After more than three decades leading creative operations for one of America’s largest theaters, Tony Award-winner Robert Falls is ending his tenure as artistic director of Goodman Theatre, the organization reports in a release. Falls announced his intention to step down next summer at the completion of the 2021-2022 season. He will program the 2022-2023 season, in which he will direct two productions, to be announced in early 2022. Over the coming months, the Goodman will conduct a wide-ranging search for its next artistic director.
Board of Trustees Chairman Jeff W. Hesse: “Robert Falls is a true visionary as a theater director and as the artistic director of Goodman Theatre. He has assembled a brilliant community of artists, provided them with space and resources to create transformative theater experiences, connected them with diverse and multigenerational audiences, and built community through the illumination—on stage and off—of our shared humanity. As we begin to salute his 35 years of remarkable stewardship, we will celebrate Bob’s efforts to transform Goodman Theatre into a vibrant arts and community organization, where a wide range of voices find a creative home and where all in our community feel welcome. We are deeply grateful to Bob for his decades of service and establishing the values that Goodman Theatre will continue to embody in the future as we begin our search for a new Artistic Director.”
Goodman Theatre executive director Roche Schulfer: “When Robert Falls became artistic director in 1986, he brought a host of ideas that would transform our theater and our industry. Bob believed that the Goodman should be a place where all members of our community could see themselves and their experiences reflected on stage. He created an ‘Artistic Collective’— theater artists whose varied cultural and aesthetic identities ensured a variety of visions would be evident in every season. Bob’s artistic sensibility and commitment to producing powerful, provocative work have earned the Goodman unparalleled artistic distinction—from a Special Tony Award for Outstanding Regional Theatre to a Time magazine citation as ‘outstanding professional resident theater’ to, most recently, a ground-breaking LIVE theater series broadcast to audiences at home—and have made the Goodman one of the nation’s most respected theaters. As an artist, colleague, friend and leader, his vision and generosity are unrivaled; working in partnership with him has been an experience for which I will be forever grateful.”
Broadway Reopens With Its Big-Ticket Recent Hits
“Broadway’s Biggest Hits Reopen In Festive Night Of Theater,” reports the New York Times in a burst of multimedia. “Some of the biggest shows in musical theater, including ‘The Lion King,’ ‘Wicked’ and ‘Hamilton,’ resumed performances on Tuesday night, eighteen months after the coronavirus pandemic forced them to close. They were not the first shows to restart, nor the only ones, but they are enormous theatrical powerhouses that have come to symbolize the industry’s strength and reach, and their return to the stage is a signal that theater is back. ‘People are ready,’ said Julie Taymor, the director of ‘The Lion King,’ ‘and it’s time.’ Of course, this moment comes with substantial asterisks. The pandemic is not over. Tourists are not back. And no one knows how a long stretch without live theater might affect consumer behavior…”
Jackalope Theatre Announces Fourteenth Season With Live Performances
Jackalope Theatre Company has announced details for their season, featuring the world premiere of “Enough to Let the Light In” by Paloma Nozicka, directed by Kimberly Senior in the spring of 2022. This production will be the first indoor event to welcome audiences back to the company’s Broadway Armory stage in over two years. Jackalope will also present two festivals of short plays, beginning with the free, outdoor Neighborhood Narratives this fall in collaboration with Night Out In The Parks, and the return of the Thirteenth Annual Living Newspaper Festival, premiering summer 2022.“After a thrilling year of creating art online, the goal of Jackalope this season is to safely facilitate gatherings of community healing as we emerge from our social isolations.” Jackalope artistic director Kaiser Ahmed says in a release, “I believe that’s the job of theatre in this time, and Jackalope is responding with a series of firsts: We’re building upon our long relationship with the Chicago Park District to tour our work directly to communities across the city, bringing a play previously developed at Jackalope to mainstage with the top-caliber talent audiences have come to expect, and bringing our staple annual short play festival onto the mainstage.” All Jackalope programming is in partnership with the Chicago Park District. More here.
Navy Pier Sets Two-Day Blowout To Celebrate Return Of Live Performance, Ending With Fireworks
Navy Pier celebrates the return of live performance September 24-25 with a two-day, free outdoor festival. The “Chicago LIVE Again!” lineup will include performances from Broadway in Chicago, Chicago Children’s Choir, Chicago Shakespeare Theater, Puerto Rican Arts Alliance, Chicago Symphony Orchestra, The Joffrey Ballet and Black Ensemble Theatre, reports the Sun-Times. At a news conference, Navy Pier president and CEO Marilynn Gardner said, “Never before have so many of Chicago’s greatest institutions shared the stage.” The show, billed as a “first-of-its-kind” event, will run at the Lake and East End stages of the Pier.
Joffrey Welcomes New Dancers From South Korea, Spain And The U.S.
The Joffrey Ballet’s artistic director, Ashley Wheater MBE, and president and CEO, Greg Cameron, have announced the addition of four dancers to the Joffrey roster for the 2021-22 season: Brian Bennett (Lanham, Maryland), Blake Kessler (Jacksonville, Florida), Yuchan Kim (Seoul, South Korea) and Miranda Silveira (Barcelona, Spain). With these new company members, the Joffrey Ballet has expanded to forty-three dancers representing thirteen countries. “As we prepare to launch our first-ever season at the Lyric Opera House, we are thrilled to welcome Brian, Blake, Yuchan, and Miranda, who embody the exceptional level of artistry and creativity that makes the Joffrey unique,” said Wheater in a release. More here.
ARTS & CULTURE
Christkindlmarket Reborn
Christkindlmarket will return to Chicago, reports Time Out Chicago, hosting markets in Daley Plaza and Wrigleyville through the holiday season. Both Christkindlmarket locations will open on November 19, welcoming guests into villages of stalls stocked with handmade gifts, German food and beverages. More here.
Why Chicago Was Once A Locale For Political Conventions, But No More
Chicago magazine looks at the factors of why Chicago is no longer a place for national-scale power to be brokered, not limited to the notorious police violence of 1968.
