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ART
Raising The B.A.R.: Theaster Gates’ “Black Artist Retreat: Reflections On 10 Years Of Convening” To Venice
“Black Artist Retreat: Reflections on 10 Years of Convening”—Theaster Gates’ feature-length documentary—”chronicles a decade of Gates’ celebrated convening of Black artists. Started in 2013, the Black Artist Retreat brings together artists from all over the world to create space for a community of Black artists to engage with each other outside of the institutional environment. The documentary assembles footage and performances from past Retreats and testimonials documenting the generative possibilities of gathering,” relays GRAY. “Since its inception, the gatherings have taken many forms, occurring first in Chicago and later at the Park Avenue Armory New York and at his Serpentine Pavilion in London. Presented as part of the Eighteenth International Architecture Exhibition, Gates’ documentary celebrates holding space, Black futures and the architecture of self-convening. The exhibition, ‘The Laboratory of the Future,’ curated by Lesley Lokko, and organized by La Biennale di Venezia, includes eighty-nine participants, over half of whom are from Africa or the African Diaspora.” More on the Venice Architecture Biennial, “Laboratory Of the Future,” which runs through November 26, here.
DESIGN
NASCAR Construction Crews Begin Scaffolding Around Landmarks; Street Closures Listed; Route Mapped
Construction crews have been preparing for the July 4 weekend NASCAR street race, reports Block Club, “erecting scaffolding and redirecting walkways around downtown landmarks. Scaffolding is up across the street from Buckingham Fountain—the main ‘Fan Plaza’ for the race. It will be used to build the event’s VIP suites and the President’s Paddock Club, which will be ‘elevated above the tree line’ with panoramic views of the course.'” The Sun-Times lists street closures before, during and after the street race, with charts, here; NBC 5 provides a list-only version here; Block Club has both here. NASCAR has its course layout and more here.
Chicago Botanic Garden Receives $21 Million Donation
“The Chicago Botanic Garden has received its largest financial gift in its history, with plans to use the funds for plant conservation science research and restoration,” reports Pioneer Press (via the Chicago Tribune). “The Garden announced it has received a $21 million donation from the Northbrook-based Negaunee Foundation. Garden officials believe the donation is one of the largest for any botanic garden.”
Skyline Cruiseline Offers $2.50 Tickets To Mercury Today In Honor Of Captain Bob Agra Jr.’s Fifty Years
The admission price of Mercury, Chicago Skyline Cruiseline’s Urban Adventure Cruise will roll back today only to $2.50 per person, the price of tickets fifty years ago on June 12, 1973, to commemorate Captain Bob Agra Jr.’s fiftieth anniversary with the fourth-generation family-owned-and-operated boat company. Captain Bob Agra Jr. began his employment in the family business on June 12, 1973, at the age of fifteen. He took the helm of Mercury Cruises at eighteen, following the death of his father, Captain Bob Agra Sr. Tickets are available for the cruises departing at 10am, 12:15pm and 2:30pm; up to 111 tickets are available for each cruise (four-ticket limit). Each cruise departs from 112 E. Wacker on Chicago’s Riverwalk, near the corner of Michigan Avenue and Wacker Drive. The tickets are online-only, here.
Is The Water Taxi Feasible In Today’s Downtown?
“The Chicago Water Taxi, once a mainstay of the city’s downtown commuting options, is working to figure out a new schedule for the third summer in a row as the number of office workers remains low,” writes Sarah Freishtat at the Trib. “Behind the taxi’s schedule dilemma is the post-pandemic reality for downtown Chicago: Tourists have returned in force, but office workers haven’t… The taxi company has also faced lingering labor challenges after losing and furloughing employees during the pandemic. While many crew members are in training, it can take years to get the certifications needed to drive a boat.”
City May Be Ready To Expand Coachhouse And Basement Dwelling Plan
“City officials and multiple alderpersons agree the Additional Dwelling Unit program deserves a boost. But amid political and logistical hurdles, they warn it will take time,” reports the Sun-Times. “Support is gathering in City Hall for lifting the limits on where ‘granny flats’ can be built, potentially opening up the entire city to built-out basement, attic and garage-top living units.” Reports Crain’s: “In late May, Ald. Bennett Lawson (44th) introduced an ordinance that would replace the city’s 2020 ordinance on Additional Dwelling Units, which is limited to five pilot zones.”
Bill For Restoration Of Historic Pullman Hotel To Governor’s Desk
Last-minute Illinois General Assembly bills include one that “would fund the restoration of a once-bustling Pullman hotel,” reports Crain’s. “The act provides $21 million for the restoration of the historic building.” More on the Hotel Florence here.
Washington Park Arts Lawn Nears Completion
“The Arts Lawn is an upcoming park project by Arts + Public Life aiming to provide a space for new events and gathering in the Washington Park neighborhood. The one-acre property, which was formerly an empty grass lot, is now in the final stages of completion,” writes Chicago YIMBY.
DINING & DRINKING
Stock Journal Supper Series Opens In Bridgeport Tonight
“Stock Journal, a new print-only publication from Erin Drain and Ed Marszewski of Marz Community Brewing,” has published its first issue, and a supper series starts tonight, reports Eater Chicago. “Through interviews, essays, poetry, art, and now its own dinner series, Stock…is a reminder that the Midwest has always served as a place of exchange and ingenuity, with Chicago near (arguably, at) the heart of it… ‘When the city burned down, so much of it, from an infrastructure standpoint, was built around food—the transportation of food, the transformation of raw materials—including animals—to be sent to the rest of the country, so much of that was here,’ Drain says. ‘We probably should’ve had a much higher degree of national attention for a lot longer, but that’s not always how it works.'”
Tonight’s dinner at Marz’s Bridgeport taproom features chef Lance Watson, who tells Eater, “Being a Black chef, a lot of people have a certain idea or expectation of what you’re going to produce; of what Black food is, what Black food touches. I’ve had that experience being from Chicago where it’s so segregated, while so diverse… That was the beginning of me being a storyteller with my food, to change that narrative. I started appreciating the food that was my background more and realized I shouldn’t be ashamed of it. I should be doing it and do it in a way that feels good to me. That feels innovative.”
Illinois Hospitality Hopes To Expedite Migrant Work Permits
“Leaders of Illinois’ hotel, restaurant, retail and manufacturing associations say they’re strapped for workers,” reports Monica Eng at Axios. “We’re working with the governor and with leaders across the U.S. trying to get immigrants visas so we can put them to work,” Illinois Restaurant Association president Sam Toia told the website. “Chicago hotels have 1,600 open positions, ‘yet, our federal government is telling [migrants], “You have to wait six months until we allow you to work,”‘ Illinois Hotel & Lodging Association CEO Michael Jacobson [said] last week after returning from D.C., where he advocated for expedited work visas.”
Bill Could Address Illinois “Food Deserts”
“Senate Bill 850 would direct the Illinois Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity to establish a ‘grocery initiative,’ studying urban and rural food deserts to help identify areas at risk of losing their access to fresh food,” reports St. Louis-Southern Illinois Labor Tribune. “State Sen. Christopher Belt sponsored the bill after East St. Louis lost its Save-a-Lot in April… Cahokia Heights lost its Walmart, leaving one Schnucks and Aldi for that area. ‘By supporting the establishment and expansion of grocery stores in underserved areas, the bill aims to bridge the gap in food accessibility, ensuring that all Illinois residents have access to fresh, affordable and nutritious options,’ he told FarmWeek.”
Colectivo Coffee Workers Have Collective Bargaining Agreement
Last Wednesday, “a historic deal was announced for hundreds of newly unionized Colectivo Coffee workers. Colectivo and the union announced their first-ever collective bargaining agreement,” reports CBS 58 Milwaukee. “Three markets are represented: Milwaukee, Madison and Chicago. And nearly 600 employees are covered by the new contract.”
FILM & TELEVISION
Florida Man: John McNaughton Projects “Wild Things”
The Chicago Film Society presents timelessly tawdry, swamp-sexed neo-noir “Wild Things” tonight, from director John McNaughton’s own 35mm print. For $15, add the Music Box’s Mango-Habanero Margarita. Post-screening conversation with director McNaughton and painter Dmitry Samarov. Music Box Theatre, 7pm, tickets here.
“The Bear” Thinks Locally Starting June 22
“The series second season will see Carmy (Jeremy Allen White) and Sydney (Ayo Edibiri) ‘strip the restaurant down to its bones,’ according to Hulu’s official synopsis, as they ‘work to transform their grimy sandwich joint into a next-level spot.’ Bob Odenkirk and Molly Gordon join in recurring roles. Time for the gang to find out what’s more stressful—running a sandwich shop or trying to make it a fancy restaurant. They’ll have ten new episodes to find out,” synopsizes Esquire.
MEDIA
Another CNN Dilemma
“CNN is trying to fact-check just enough to maintain some level of credibility but not so much that it ticks off the politicians,” writes former Tribune and Sun-Times editor Mark Jacob at Courier Newsroom. “When you depend on politicians to help you produce your show, they have you over a barrel… What’s the difference between platforming and journalism? Platforming is when you give someone a voice on your media outlet. Journalism is when you try to discover and deliver facts. Platforming and journalism are different things. CNN does not seem to understand this.”
Backpage Defendants May Not Be Able To Invoke First Amendment
A bizarre quandary in a long-running press case that could prevent putting up a defense: “The founders and several former executives of Backpage are set to stand trial this August, more than five years after being arrested for allegedly facilitating prostitution and nearly two years since a judge declared a mistrial over biased testimony and prosecutorial overreach. Throughout the prosecution, the government has engaged in questionable tactics that seek to limit the ability of those accused to defend themselves. And it seems federal prosecutors don’t intend to stop attempting to abuse their power now,” writes Elizabeth Nolan Brown at Reason.
In motions filed at the end of last week, “the government seeks to prevent the Backpage defendants’ legal team from making basically any reasonable attempt to defend against the charges against them. Most egregiously, prosecutors want to bar them from mentioning the First Amendment. But the First Amendment is at the center of this case, which revolves around user-generated ads posted to a digital classified-advertising platform. The very crux of the matter is online content and speech… The government is moving ‘to preclude defense counsel, Defendants, and their witnesses from referencing the First Amendment and “free speech” at any time in the presence of the jury.'”
“Backpage founders Michael Lacey and James Larkin, along with several former executives at the company, are charged with facilitating prostitution in violation of the Travel Act. The government alleges that they knowingly allowed people to post prostitution ads to Backpage, and prostitution is illegal in most of the country. The defendants argue that the ads in question were for escorting and other forms of legal sex work, which makes them legal speech protected by the First Amendment. And if people posting the ads went on to privately engage in illegal conduct, it was without the knowledge of anyone running Backpage.”
MUSIC
Warehouse Gets Final Landmark Recommendation
“The Warehouse, the birthplace of house music, received a final landmark recommendation from the landmarks commission,” records the Department of Planning and Development. “The West Loop building at 206 South Jefferson was a dance club in the 70s and 80s where DJ Frankie Knuckles created a genre that gained global popularity.”
Park District Tells Re:SET Fest To Curtail Promotion
“Chicago Park District officials have not decided whether to allow a controversial music festival at Riis Park in two weeks, and want the promoter to stop telling fans that shows are going forward,” reports Block Club. “AEG Presents plans to host the Chicago leg of The Re:SET concert series June 23-25 [with] headliners Steve Lacy, Boygenius and LCD Soundsystem [and] supporting acts like Jamie xx, Big Freedia, Clairo and James Blake.”
STAGE
Chicago Stage Stalwart Lia Mortensen Was Fifty-Seven
Lia Mortensen “worked constantly in leading roles in the booming 1990s and 2000s world of nonprofit theater in Chicago,” writes Chris Jones at the Trib. “Mortensen was a zesty, restless actress, ideally cast as an urbane sophisticate but fully capable of the deepest of dives into a character’s heart.” She was “raised in Evanston as the daughter of two prominent academics at Northwestern University. Her late father, Dale T. Mortensen, won a Nobel Prize in economics in 2010. After graduating from Indiana University in 1987, Lia moved back to the Chicago area to act, occasionally on screen but mostly in the Chicago theater. ‘She got her Equity card at age twenty-four and never looked back,’ said Si Osborne, her former husband.”
Cabaret Zazou Ends Chicago Run July 2
Randolph Entertainment, producers of Cabaret Zazou, have seen a closing date of Sunday, July 2 for the production at the Cambria Hotel at 32 West Randolph. “The critically hailed cabaret-style, immersive variety dining experience opened on September 8, 2022 in the opulent Spiegeltent ZaZou located on the boutique hotel’s fourteenth floor. The show, directed by Dreya Weber, known for her work with superstars Madonna and Pink, stars longstanding audience favorites Frank Ferrante and LiV Warfield as they lead an exceptional international cast of multitalented dancers, acrobats, circus artists, singers and musicians performing in an intimate setting. By the time the final curtain comes down, producers expect to have performed before 40,000 audience members at more than 200 performances.” More here.
Drunk Shakespeare Recognizes Union
For “the actors, stage managers, bartenders and servers of the local company of ‘Drunk Shakespeare,’ which has been running downtown Chicago since spring 2019,” reports the Reader, “the process of organizing through the Actors’ Equity Association as Drunk Shakespeare United and seeking union recognition from their employer, Meme Juice Productions (a for-profit corporation), has been surprisingly fast. Within days of filing their petition with the NLRB, Meme Juice voluntarily recognized the unit.”
ARTS & CULTURE & ETC.
Times Features Logan Arcade And Chicago’s Fifty-Member Belles & Chimes Pinball Chapter
“In Chicago, one of the hubs of pinball’s resurgence was a onetime record store in the Logan Square neighborhood,” now called Logan Arcade. In 2017, a Chicago chapter of the Belles & Chimes was established. “Founded in 2013 in Oakland, Calif., Belles & Chimes bills itself as ‘an international network of inclusive women’s pinball leagues run by women, for women.’ The Chicago chapter has about fifty members and hosts two seasons of league play every year,” reports Peter Kujawinski at the New York Times.
American Cancer Medication Rationing Extends To Chicago
“Chicago-area hospitals are struggling with a nationwide shortage of cancer medications, leading local doctors to sometimes ration the life-saving drugs,” reports the Tribune. “Two of the drugs in short supply are carboplatin and cisplatin. The medications are often used together to treat a range of cancers, including lung, breast, and prostate cancers, as well as many leukemias and lymphomas… The drugs are in short supply because of manufacturing delays and increased demand… The problem is that one company made about half of the cisplatin used in the U.S., and an inspection late last year uncovered quality problems at the company’s plant in India that produced the drug… Carboplatin is now in short supply as well largely because it’s a substitute for cisplatin.”
Senator Dick Durbin has said remedies considered include a national stockpile of these generic drugs. “The low cost of generic front-line cancer drugs has actually played a role in recurrent chemotherapy drug shortages,” reports BBC News. “While the medications are cheap to manufacture, pharmaceutical companies are not incentivized to do so because they don’t bring in large profits… The drug shortage issue has also worsened as U.S. life expectancy has [decreased], meaning more people are becoming ill with cancer.”
Allstate Joins State Farm In No Longer Writing California Homeowner Policies
“Allstate, one of the nation’s largest insurance companies, has joined State Farm in deciding to halt sales of property and casualty coverage to new customers in California, saying it’s too pricey to underwrite policies in the state which has seen thousands of natural disasters in recent years,” reports CBS News.
