Today In The Culture, April 14, 2022: MCA’s Huge Greek Gift | Film Tax Credit Expanded | Black Playwrights Festival

Alejandro Cerrudo’s “It Starts Now,” part of the Harris Theater Presents season

ART

Works From Greek Collector Daskalopoulos Will Be Shared By MCA, Guggenheim

MCA Chicago director Madeleine Grynsztejn calls a collector’s gift to be shared by the MCA and the Guggenheim a “milestone,” reports ARTnews. “‘This is something that I think is the inevitable future of a lot of museums. We are facing industry standards that are increasingly unsustainable, and an art market that continues its meteoric rise beyond the fiscal capacities of most museums… A partnership at this scale will model a direction for collection gifts in the future… You get twice the scholarship, twice the public,’ and the museums can share logistical expenses like storage costs. ‘It’s a win-win-win for the philanthropist, the public and the museums.'” The Art Newspaper: “The Greek collector Dimitris Daskalopoulos is donating more than 350 works from his vast contemporary art collection to four international museums in one of the largest-ever philanthropic gifts. The Greek National Museum of Contemporary Art in Athens will receive 140 pieces; Tate gets 110 works; while the Guggenheim in New York and the Museum of Contemporary Art Chicago (MCA Chicago) will assume joint ownership of around a hundred works.” Daskalopoulos “is a trustee of MCA Chicago and the vice-president of the board at the Solomon R. Guggenheim foundation… The collection gifts will also be accompanied by the creation of a network of curators, including… a new shared post at the Guggenheim and MCA Chicago… Some of the artists represented in the collection include Louise Bourgeois, Steve McQueen, Sarah Lucas and Kiki Smith.”

DESIGN

Mies van der Rohe’s MCA-Adjacent Apartment Going For Not Quite A Mill

“The Pearson Street co-op unit where the giant of modern architecture lived for most of his three decades in Chicago is coming on the market in a week,” writes Dennis Rodkin in a peek at the “not-Miesian” property at Crain’s.

Pritzker Chooses Rockford Airport Over Bell Bowl Prairie?

“Members of the Save Bell Bowl Prairie coalition have been inundating Governor J.B. Pritzker’s office with emails, petitions, texts, tweets, phone calls and old-fashioned letters, pleading with the governor to broker a deal that would save a patch of ancient prairie from demolition by the Greater Rockford Airport Authority, which plans to rip up the prairie as part of a major expansion of the airfield’s cargo operation,” reports WTTW News. “‘Two weeks ago, Pritzker’s reelection campaign dropped a thirty-second TV ad called ‘Cargo Load.’ ‘Do you know what city has the fastest growing cargo airport in the world? Rockford, Illinois!’ the ad boasts. ‘As governor, J.B. Pritzker made it happen.’ … Pritzker’s gubernatorial staff did not respond to a request for comment.”

South Side Traffic Tie-Ups Expected Through 2023 Near Obama Presidential Center Construction

An estimated $174 million in roadwork will tie up traffic on DuSable Lake Shore Drive, Hayes Drive and Stony Island Avenue near the construction site of the Obama Presidential Center. “Starting Thursday, one southbound lane of DuSable Lake Shore Drive will be closed between 57th Street and Hayes Drive… The biggest impact is expected to be felt during the afternoon rush,” reports Fran Spielman at the Sun-Times.

DINING & DRINKING

Michelin’s Chief Inspector Chats Chicago Stars

Michelin’s anonymous North American chief inspector floats above the Chicago dining scene in Time Out Chicago: The 2022 selection “shows the strength of the local talent in Chicago. Of the four [newly added] restaurants, we have Kasama, which is headed by married chefs Tim Flores and Genie Kwon who worked at Oriole with chef Noah Sandoval. We also have Claudia, which is headed by chef Trevor Teich, who worked at L2O and Acadia previously. And we have one-star Esmé headed by chef Jenner Tomaska, who worked with Grant Achatz at Next… And then additionally we have Galit, which is our first Middle Eastern star in Chicago and a phenomenal restaurant. We also have Filipino-inspired cuisine at Kasama. That goes to show that diversity adds another facet of value and excitement to the Chicago selection.”

Saint Emeric No Longer Secret, Underground

“For three years, the owners have kept the project a secret, only hosting private dinners & ticketed events and relying on word-of-mouth to get people in the door. Now, they’re pulling back the curtain on the covert operation,” reports Mina Bloom at Block Club Chicago of Logan Square’s restaurant in an 1880s church. “The owners opened up the restaurant—called Saint Emeric—to the general public for the first time last month. They’re still applying for city permits, but anyone can now book a reservation for the chef’s table dinner on Fridays and Saturdays via Tock. ‘We were just ready for more people to know about it,’ executive chef Eric Brown said. ‘It’s not hard to fill twelve seats. But we want to make sure those twelve seats have an opportunity to not be the same person every time.’ … They’re not planning to publish the address on their website anytime soon. It’s not in this story, either.” (Logan Squarist’s coverage from March 10 is here.)

Fertilizer Shortages Due To Putin War Jeopardize Worldwide Food Supply

“Higher fertilizer prices are making the world’s food supply more expensive and less abundant, as farmers skimp on nutrients for their crops and get lower yields,” reports the Associated Press (via the Sun-Times). “While the ripples will be felt by grocery shoppers in wealthy countries, the squeeze on food supplies will land hardest on families in poorer countries… The fertilizer crunch threatens to further limit world food supplies, already constrained by the disruption of grain shipments from Ukraine and Russia. The loss of those affordable supplies of wheat, barley and other grains has raised the prospect of food shortages and political instability in Middle Eastern, African and some Asian countries where millions rely on subsidized bread and cheap noodles.”

Black-Owned Wine Bar Arrives On South Side

“A husband-and-wife duo will soon bring Park Manor 75 to the border of Chatham and Grand Crossing,” reports Eater Chicago. “A rare Black-owned wine bar is coming this summer to the city’s South Side, aiming to tap into a larger movement toward racial diversity in the disproportionately white-dominated wine industry. Park Manor 75, the first hospitality venture from spouses Charlette Stanton and Jacare Thomas, is scheduled to open in August… near the border of Grand Crossing and Chatham with charcuterie, cocktails, and wine list that emphasizes Black vintners.”

FILM & TELEVISION

IFC Films Buys SXSW Prize-Winning “Bad Axe”

IFC Films has acquired worldwide rights to the SXSW award-winning documentary “Bad Axe,” for release this year, Variety reports. “The deeply personal film is directed by David Siev, and follows the director as he returns home to rural Michigan. There, he features his Asian-American family’s quest to keep their local restaurant alive, amidst the backdrop of pandemic and Trump-era political and racial tensions… ‘Bad Axe’ had its world premiere at the 2022 SXSW Film Festival, where it won the Audience Award and received Special Jury Recognition for Exceptional Intimacy in Storytelling in the Documentary Feature Competition.” Producers include Siev, Jude Harris, Katarina Vasquez and Diane Quon [Newcity Film 50].

Illinois Film Production Tax Credit Program Expanded 

Effective July 1, the Illinois Film Production Tax Credit program will officially be expanded, implementing new provisions in the Illinois Production+ legislation championed by the Illinois Production Alliance, reports Screen magazine. The IPA, the Chicagoland Chamber of Commerce and The Motion Picture Association advocated the legislation. “The Illinois film production program has been proven to be one of the most highly successful public-private partnerships for jobs and economic development in our state,” IPA executive director Christine Dudley told Screen. “In the past two years, over sixteen states such as New Jersey, New Mexico, and most recently Indiana have either established or expanded film incentive programs, accelerating the competition for market share. This update of our current program, coupled with our established workforce, vendors, actors, and diverse assets was necessary for even greater growth and to achieve our first annual $1 billion in production spending.”

MEDIA

Time Out London Leaving Print

It was a good fifty-four-year run for the pioneering listings, arts and culture publication: “Time Out is ending its London print edition [at the end of June], eighteen months after it returned to the streets following the first lockdown,” reports Britain’s PressGazette. “The company, which operates in fifty-nine countries, began as a one-page pamphlet about goings-on in London in 1968, founded by Tony Elliott who died aged seventy-three in 2020.” The group says it made “the strategic decision to move to a digital-first model… The Time Out London magazine is hugely popular, but the pandemic accelerated a transformation that was already underway. The most exciting growth, engagement and innovation is now from Time Out’s digital channels, live events and Time Out Market… Time Out needs to make sure it’s creating the right content, on the right channels and platforms where our consumers are now.”

MUSIC

Tweedy Takes Twenty For “Yankee Hotel Foxtrot”

“Released twenty years ago this month, Wilco’s groundbreaking ‘Yankee Hotel Foxtrot’ continues to transcend conventional definitions of an album,” writes Bob Gendron at the Trib. “The record put the locally based band on the international map.” Jeff Tweedy on playing the album live at its upcoming concerts: “In the past, we just concentrated on doing live versions of these songs and did not focus on a faithful reconstruction. Our instruments have changed since the record came out. We’ve streamlined things to keep the band versatile. We’ve never turned our back on any of our records but we designed the [stage instrumentation] for versatility and to be able to play comfortably. This is much more special—and a lovely challenge. We’re setting out to really capture the band’s sound and instrumentation as it relates to one record. We’re using some of the exact acoustic guitars, patches and synthesizers as we did on the album. Those different elements over time have fallen off the stage because they are not as versatile. We’ve tended to pick instruments that can handle, say, ‘War on War’ as well as songs from ‘Wilco (The Album).’ It’s nice to focus on this palette of sounds.”

Aldermen Want More Regulation Of Event Promoters

“Two aldermen are pushing for additional oversight for bars and promoters that host live events so it is easier for the city to crack down on businesses flouting regulations—but some venue owners are pushing back,” reports Block Club. Aldermen Scott Waguespack and Brendan Reilly “introduced an ordinance earlier this year that would require bar and venue owners at establishments serving alcohol to register their event promoters with the city’s Department of Business Affairs and Consumer Protection. Jerry Mickelson, co-founder of Jam Productions and a founding member of the Chicago Independent Venue League calls the proposition a ‘nightmare’ and ‘totally unnecessary… If there’s bad actors out there, having a safety plan is not going to change their behavior… I think that the city has ample means of controlling any bar or venue that is causing issues and it’s called license revocation.’”

Chicago Philharmonic Presents “Aretha Rising”

The Chicago Philharmonic Society will present “Aretha Rising,” the finale of its thirty-second season, on May 29, Memorial Day Weekend at Harris Theater for Music and Dance. Led by artistic director and principal conductor Scott Speck, the family friendly concert will feature Aretha Franklin’s greatest pop, soul and gospel songs, with work by Stevie Wonder, James Brown and Sam Cooke. Broadway star Capathia Jenkins and vocalist Darryl Williams will be part of the show. Single tickets are available here.

STAGE

Black Ensemble Theater Announces Black Playwrights Festival

Black Ensemble Theater founder-CEO Jackie Taylor has announced the 2022 Black Playwrights Festival, April 26-30, featuring works by Viola Bennett, Jill Ross, Lillian Mitchum, Reginald Williams and Dwight Neal, curated and directed by Black Ensemble producing managing director Daryl D. Brooks. The Black Playwrights Festival features scripts written by the members of the Black Playwrights Initiative and is sponsored in part by the National Endowment for the Arts. Tickets and more here.

“Harris Theater Presents” Season Announced

The Harris Theater for Music and Dance has announced its Harris Theater Presents season, comprised of twenty-eight performances featuring more than 220 artists from over twenty countries, “reinforcing the Theater’s approach as an ambitious global presenter and destination in Millennium Park,” the theater announces in a release. “The 2022-23 Harris Theater Presents season will welcome to the stage some of the most prolific artistic voices of our time and stellar new collaborations,” Lori Dimun [Newcity Players 50], president and CEO of the Harris says. “Over this past year, artists and audiences have shared what a moving and powerfully healing experience it has been to gather for live performance once again. My hope this coming season is that audiences continue to return to cultural homes like the Harris Theater, to experience the magnificent gifts these artists have to share.” Details and tickets here.

ARTS & CULTURE

CDC Extends Travel Mask Requirement Two Weeks

“The Biden administration will extend for two weeks the nationwide mask requirement for public transit as it monitors an uptick in COVID-19 cases,” reports Associated Press. “The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention was set to extend the order, which was to expire on April 18, by two weeks to monitor for any observable increase in severe virus outcomes as cases rise in parts of the country.” And, while Philadelphia reinstates its indoor mask mandate, Chicago hasn’t. Reports the Trib: “Dr. Rachel Rubin, senior medical officer and co-leader of the Cook County Department of Public Health said healthcare professionals are concerned but hopeful that COVID cases of the BA.2 subvariant—or ‘stealth omicron’—won’t rise to levels seen in recent days in Europe and Asia.”

“Angel” With $50 Million Sought To Save Lincoln College Today

Lincoln College, founded in 1865, was devastated by the pandemic and a ransomware attack. “If a hefty donation doesn’t come soon, its fate will be sealed,” reports the Trib.

Indiana University Graduate Students Strike For Union Recognition

IU grads want a union, the Indiana Grads Twitter account reports. The 97.8% vote to strike breaks down to 1008 yes, 23 no. The Chronicle of Higher Education: “As graduate students at Indiana University at Bloomington moved toward a strike over the past week, university leaders called on faculty members to hold the students accountable. ‘We cannot stay neutral in this moment,’ wrote Provost Rahul Shrivastav in an email to faculty members last week. The provost’s email spelled out the consequences that graduate students could face for refusing to teach, including being fired and losing their stipend, health insurance, and other benefits… Many professors have effectively refused to comply. More than 400 of the university’s 2,000 faculty members, as well as two dozen departments and programs, have signed a neutrality pledge, promising not to punish any graduate students who choose to participate in the strike. The strike comes as a last resort for the Indiana Graduate Workers Coalition, which is affiliated with the United Electrical Workers, after trying unsuccessfully for three years to get administrators to work with them.”

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