Ukrainian Village ghost lettering on brick/Photo: Ray Pride
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ART
How Expo’s Slimmer Footprint Fared
An ARTnews report on this year’s edition of Expo notes that part of Navy Pier’s hall was walled off to create a smaller sales floor. “Dealers were thrilled with the change. ‘It feels fucking great,’ John Corbett, co-principal at Chicago gallery Corbett vs. Dempsey, told ARTnews. ‘The scaling down in size allowed for a raising of the bar in terms of the overall quality of presentations. It’s a more manageable size.’”
The report notes several significant day-one sales at the fair, like Night Gallery’s sale of several paintings by East Chicago native Robert Nava and Secrist Beach’s sale of a Luftwerk piece to the Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art in Kansas City, each in the six-figure range. “By late afternoon, Chicago’s Patron gallery had sold almost everything on the walls, said principal Emanuel Aguilar, including paintings by Lindsay Adams at prices ranging as high as $32,000.” The Art Newspaper and Observer offered reports on this year’s Expo as well.
Which Artworks Were Gifted To Museums At Expo This Year
Each year at Expo, the Northern Trust Purchase Prize awards works from the fair’s Focus section, which features galleries twelve years or younger, to museums around the country. This year’s Purchase Prizes include works by “Caroline Ricca Lee (Verve) and Jovencio de la Paz (Chris Sharp Gallery) awarded to the Denver Art Museum; works by Lindsay Merrill (Enari) and LaKela Brown (56 Henry) awarded to the Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art; works by LaKela Brown (56 Henry) and Jovencio de la Paz (Chris Sharp Gallery) awarded to the Peabody Essex Museum; and works by Paul Gardére (Magenta Plains) and Diego Mouro (Mitre Galeria) awarded to The Phillips Collection.” View the full list of artworks awarded to museums here.
The Illinois Arts Council Announces Public Art Projects
The Illinois Arts Council, in partnership with the office of Governor Pritzker and Illinois Humanities, “have awarded more than $325,000 to twenty-two public art projects throughout Illinois to commemorate the 250th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence. These grants are part of a broader statewide effort led by the Illinois America 250 Commission to celebrate the nation’s historic anniversary.” The list of awardees, which includes cities and towns across the state, can be viewed here.
Guggenheim Appoints Next Director
Melissa Chiu, director of the Smithsonian’s Hirshhorn Museum and Sculpture Garden for twelve years, is taking over at the Guggenheim Museum, relays the Guardian. Since joining the Hirshhorn in 2014, “Attendance increased; she was able to commission major works by artists like Mark Bradford; and the final piece of her legacy, a redesign of the museum’s sculpture garden, is expected to open in October,” adds the New York Times. “She also experimented with new revenue streams, including a reality show competition called ‘The Exhibit’ that aired on MTV and the Smithsonian Channel.”
UIC’s Gallery 400 Awarded Grant For Printmaking Exhibition
UIC’s Gallery 400 has received a Teiger Foundation hosting grant for this fall’s “Press & Pull: Two Decades at the Robert Blackburn Printmaking Workshop.” The exhibition features “over thirty-five original prints, archival ephemera, and video drawn from the New York City-based printshop’s historic collection and archive. Founded in 1947, the Workshop arose in the aftermath of the dismantling of the Works Progress Administration Federal Art Project (1935–43), which had supported community art centers across the country, including the founding of Chicago’s South Side Community Art Center.” More here.
Coastal: The Getty Gets Renovated And LACMA Finishes $724 Million Building
In the run-up to the 2028 Los Angeles Summer Olympics, the Getty Center will close for a year for its first renovations since its 1997 opening, reports the New York Times (gift link). “A cultural anchor of Los Angeles that offers both artistic masterworks and panoramic views of the city, [it] will close for roughly a year as the campus undergoes what officials are calling the most significant modernization in its almost thirty-year history… Many people think of the Getty Center as more or less brand-new, said Katherine E. Fleming, the president and chief executive of the J. Paul Getty Trust. But the museum… is ‘starting to get a little long in the tooth.’”
Meanwhile, “An Audacious $724 Million Building Reinvents LACMA,” headlines the New York Times (gift link). “The Los Angeles County Museum of Art is about to open its new David Geffen Galleries, two decades after its director, Michael Govan, began talking to the Swiss architect Peter Zumthor about creating a museum for the twenty-first century. Whatever the public and critics ultimately think of the 347,500-square-foot amoeba that audaciously crosses Wilshire Boulevard—and will soon anchor a new subway stop—leaders in the art world consider it a major milestone for the cultural life of the country.”
DESIGN
Hitting The Bricks
Will Quam’s “Fire and Clay: How Bricks Reveal the Hidden History of Chicago” tells a lot about the history of Chicago’s basic building block, writes Robert Loerzel at Chicago magazine. “Over the years, the lime mortar in many Chicago buildings has been replaced with a cement-based version to try to stabilize them. But that has caused its own issues: ‘The mortar is just too strong and too fine for moisture to move through it, so it instead goes out through the bricks, pulling out salts and expanding into ice along the way, eating the brick apart,’ writes Quam. Minnekirken, a Logan Square church, reverted to lime mortar to head off disaster, using an Avondale masonry company’s century-old family formulas.”
Peek Inside The Revamp Of The Former Signature Room Space
Crews are replacing the nearly sixty-year-old windows as the space atop the former John Hancock “is turned into a two-story observation deck scheduled to open in 2027,” pictures Block Club. “More than 200 windowpanes—each weighing about 350 pounds—are being installed as the former restaurant and bar space, now gutted, becomes part of an expanded observation deck and 14,000-square-foot private event space. The attraction will be the city’s only multistory observation deck and will include a three-story atrium when it opens.”
Hollander Redevelopment Begins In Logan Square
“A new rendering shows a five-story structure attached to the revamped Hollander building on Milwaukee [at Fullerton], with space for five retail tenants,” sights Block Club. “The project will redevelop the old moving and storage building, creating sixty-two loft-style apartments—with twelve priced below market rate—and featuring three or four retail tenants.” The design of the project is by local firm Space Architects + Planners.
Designs Released For D.C.’s Immense Arc De Trump
The Trump administration has released designs for the president’s 250-foot arch. The arch is supposedly meant “to commemorate the United States’ 250th anniversary. Military veterans have sued to halt the project, saying it would alter key views of Arlington National Cemetery,” reports the Washington Post (gift link). “The renderings prepared by Harrison Design feature a golden inscription reading ‘One Nation Under God’ on the arch, which is topped with a winged Lady Liberty statue and flanked at its base by statues of four golden lions. The project is slated for Memorial Circle, a traffic roundabout near Arlington National Cemetery [across from the Lincoln Monument], which city planners have eyed for more than a century as the site of a potential monument.”
DINING & DRINKING
Twisted Spoke Is Now Soccer House
Soccer House opens April 18 at 501 North Ogden, the former home of Twisted Spoke, which closed last summer, reports Block Club. Soccer House will “showcase matches in two separate viewing areas: the main bar and a back room, with its rooftop beer garden coming” this summer. The new owners have made “small tweaks to the former Twisted Spoke space, including updating its draft beer system and bringing in kitchen equipment. While the bar and restaurant is… sleeker than its biker-themed predecessor, it’s still meant to be a relaxed space where friends can gather, [owner Garret] Drexler said.”
Pita Inn Opening At Six Corners
“Chicago’s first Pita Inn is opening at Six Corners this winter. The family-owned, fast-casual Middle Eastern restaurant is part of the redevelopment of the former Sears Auto Center” on Cicero, reports Block Club. The restaurant’s vice president “said the restaurant will seat more than 130 people and will feature an outdoor terrace, a specialty coffee bar, shakes and desserts. He said the Six Corners location will feature some specialty items like wagyu steak shawarma and shrimp kabob. He also said Pita Inn is currently developing new Chicago-specific dishes.”
Clandestino Collaborates With Two Mexico City Bars
Clandestino, the cocktail bar below Matilda in River North, is hosting two nights of guest bartenders for “CDMX en Chicago.” Piba Bertoli of Las Brujas and Jimena Alva and Mapo Molano of Café de Nadie will pour, and there will be vinyl sets with cumbia, tropical and underground Latin sounds. One of the featured drinks is “Shooting Love”: “Tequila Blanco with house apple vermouth, limonata and a touch of hibiscus oil. Crisp green apple, bright citrus, and delicate spice create a refreshing yet structured cocktail.” The collaboration is Sunday, May 3, and drinks will be offered at Matilda upstairs and Clandestino on Tuesday May 5.
Food & Wine Goes Top Ten Mad, Including Chicago Picks
Food & Wine published a Top Ten U.S. Cities for Food and Drink, placing Chicago behind New York at number two in food and tipple towns. The mag also asks, “Is Chicago Overtaking New York as America’s Best Food City?” Among the lists beyond the city rankings are Top Ten U.S. Airports For Food And Drink, with O’Hare at number ten; Top Ten Bars In The U.S., which finds Best Intentions at number three; and Top Ten U.S. Hotel Bars, with Z Bar at the Peninsula at number eight.
“Uplifted” Starbucks Debuts In Chicago
“Starbucks unveiled one of the first Chicago stores to be ‘uplifted’ under its ‘Back to Starbucks’ restructuring plan, a campaign to improve performance and the in-store experience across the chain,” cups the Trib. “The standalone store at 4155 North Cicero in the Old Irving Park neighborhood features leather couches, cushy chairs, throw rugs, drapes, coffee-themed art on the walls and a decidedly cozier feel than many of the 17,000 Starbucks locations across the U.S.”
Chloe Coming To The Loop
Chloe, a 5,200-square-foot restaurant, is setting up in the Loop at 1 South Wacker, in the space vacated in 2019 by Lloyd’s, notes B Talent at X.
Barba Yianni Confirms Reopening In Lincoln Square
Owner Anas Ihmoud resolved an eviction issue with Lincoln Square’s Barba Yianni and is “repairing water damage that happened while he didn’t have access to the restaurant,” reports Block Club. Ihmoud “was able to refinance his mortgage and regain access to the business earlier this month and removed the metal doors last week.” He hopes to reopen as soon as mid-May. Says Ihmoud, “Greek cuisine is trending more than ever now, but we’ll be adding a fusion flair. We’ll still have traditional Greek menu items but we’ll also have options that are more modern.”
FILM & TELEVISION
Chicago Film Critics Slate Twelfth Fest
The Chicago Film Critics Association, composed of Chicago-area print, online and broadcast critics, has announced its schedule of twenty features and guests for the twelfth annual Chicago Critics Film Festival. Opening night brings Olivia Wilde’s A24-Annapurna comedy “The Invite,” with Wilde present, while closing night brings Joe Swanberg’s “The Sun Never Sets,” with Swanberg and lead Cory Michael Smith in attendance. Other Chicago premieres include John Carney’s “Power Ballad”; John Early’s “Maddie’s Secret”; and Sara Dosa’s “Time And Water.” Revival items (on 35mm) include fortieth anniversary outings of David Cronenberg’s “The Fly” and Jonathan Demme’s “Something Wild” as well as a twenty-fifth anniversary screening of Steven Spielberg’s “A.I.: Artificial Intelligence.” Music Box, May 1-7. More here.
Sam Bailey Joins OTV
“Emmy-nominated director, writer and producer Sam Bailey [Newcity Film 50] is the new board officer of film and TV for Chicago’s Open Television (OTV),” reports The TRiiBE, the “media incubator and streaming platform for Black, brown, differently abled and queer storytellers. The news comes months after Bailey’s move from Hollywood back to Chicago.”
Movie Theater Owners Look To The Future At Vegas Confab
“Hollywood keeps prophesying about the industry’s long-awaited recovery, only for domestic box-office grosses to remain frustratingly behind pre-pandemic levels,” reports Variety in a state of the industry “as Hollywood heads to Las Vegas for CinemaCon,” a trade show for theater owners. “Already, 2026 has started strong—and cinema operators believe this year’s slate has the goods… to get the business back on track. More importantly… Hollywood is releasing 113 films, the most of the post-pandemic era.” But “exhibitors need to rethink ticket and concession prices, make their bathrooms cleaner and find ways to improve the overall customer experience.” A survey of what individual exhibitors are thinking is included here.
LIT
“Maus” Man Art Spiegelman Coming To The Ramova
The Chicago Humanities Festival will present comics pioneer and tireless advocate Art Spiegelman on Saturday, April 18 at the Ramova. Tickets ($56) and more here.
MUSIC
The Silver Room Block Party Returns, Moving To The Salt Shed
“The Silver Room’s annual block party is back from a three-year hiatus and will return to the North Side, where it first was held more than two decades ago,” reports Block Club. The Silver Room Sound System Block Party will take place on July 18 at the Salt Shed. “The event will feature about forty performers in genres from house music to Afrobeat and hip-hop, while local vendors, fashion shows and activities similar to past parties will be featured, said Eric Williams, founder and owner of the Silver Room.”
STAGE
Lyric Opera Names Sondra Radvanovsky Artistic Advisor
Soprano Sondra Radvanovsky has been hired as Lyric’s artistic advisor for the next five seasons, reports the Trib. Radvanovsky “will work closely with The Patrick G. and Shirley W. Ryan Opera Center through masterclasses, mentorship and career guidance,” adds OperaWire. Says Radvanovsky, “Lyric is my artistic home, and I am honored to deepen that bond in this very special new role. Supporting the next generation of singers through the Ryan Opera Center is one of the most meaningful things I can imagine doing.”
Shattered Globe Theatre Adds Ensemble Members, Artistic Associates
“Shattered Globe Theatre has added three ensemble members—Ellie Fey, Kotryna Hilko and Jeff Rodriguez—and five artistic associates—Elliot Esquivel, Ronald Hale, Lydia Moss, Cage Sebastian Pierre and Hershey Suri,” reports Broadway World Chicago.
PBS News Hour Checks Out Steppenwolf At Fifty
“Steppenwolf Theatre Company has long been one of the nation’s most influential ensemble companies, known for the actors it has launched and the groundbreaking work it’s produced. Now it’s marking its fiftieth season at a moment of real uncertainty for theaters across the country,” introduces PBS News for a seven-minute report by Jeffrey Brown.
It’ll Cost $100 Million To Turn Studio 54 Into A Proper Broadway Theater
“The Roundabout Theater Company stages shows in Studio 54, once a famous disco,” reports the New York Times. Studio 54 “was famous as the trendsetter’s haunt for those who were trendy enough to be allowed in. Andy Warhol, who was one of them, famously said there was ‘a dictatorship at the door and a democracy on the dance floor.'” Roundabout “has a $100 million plan for the first full-scale renovation of the building. The project would bring back a permanent stage, which the building hasn’t had since its disco days, and an orchestra pit… Roundabout, which wants the construction work to start in 2029, hired the architect and designer David Rockwell and the firm Ennead Architects.” The space was also once home to “Captain Kangaroo,” gameshow “To Tell The Truth,” and the soap “Love Of Life.”
ARTS & CULTURE & ETC.
Mayor Johnson’s Cultural Affairs Choice Advances
The city council “advanced Mayor Johnson’s pick to lead Chicago’s cultural efforts over objections tied to a whistleblower lawsuit against her,” reports the Trib. “Kenya Merritt, Johnson’s nominee, has served as interim commissioner at the Department of Cultural Affairs and Special Events since her predecessor, Clinee Hedspeth, resigned six months ago amid formal complaints alleging she created a hostile workplace.”
Pritzker Joins Other Governors In Call For Data Center Power Limits
“Data centers should have to pay their fair share—and take every step possible to protect working families,” posts Governor Pritzker on Bluesky. “As electricity demand and costs rise across Illinois and the region, I’m joining governors in urging PJM Interconnection [grid manager for thirteen states] to keep consumers at the center of every decision it makes.” The two-page letter from seven governors and the mayor of Washington, D.C., posted by journalist Shawn Mulcahy, is here.
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