“Violets and Daisies”At M. LeBlanc through 10/29: Wed-Sat noon-6 PM, 3514 W. Fullerton, 773-360-7178, mleblancchicago.com Fall is prime gallery season, and I’m looking forward to “Violets and Daisies,” the second solo show by artist Cameron Spratley at M. LeBlanc (3514 W. Fullerton). Spratley is a rising figure in Chicago’s contemporary Black painting community and was […]
Category: City Life
Posted inCity Life
Celebrating the drag makers and nightlife impresarios
Update as of 4:00 PM on Tuesday, September 26, 2023: Abhijeet’s name was previously misspelled in several places in this article and has since been corrected. And the Vanguard Awards were previously categorized as posthumously awarded; this is not entirely the case as several awards will be given to living people. The Reader regrets the […]
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Help end Alzheimer’s with your purchase of a Wild Tripler Win ticket from the Illinois Lottery
Alzheimer’s disease and related dementias (ADRD) impact people of every walk of life. In 2020, Illinois Lottery launched a new specialty Instant Lottery ticket called The End of Alzheimer’s Begins With Me, designating 100 percent of its profits to the Alzheimer’s Association, Illinois Chapter. To date, the Illinois Lottery has raised more than $3 million […]
Posted inThe To-Do
Hecho En Arts & Craft Fair, Mothers of Murdered Transpeople annual picnic, and more
Bounce the CitySat-Sun through 9/3 (individual timed entry from 10 AM-5:30 PM depending on day), 5 Woodfield Mall, Schaumburg, $24, all-ages, bouncethecity.com As someone without a car, I do not make a habit of leaving the city, but Bounce the City at Schaumburg’s Woodfield Mall has me reviewing my transit options. Through Sunday, September 3, […]
Posted inCity Life
First pitch: a journey through ceremony and baseball
I threw the worst pitch of my life on a Saturday afternoon in Gary, Indiana. My brain lagged behind my body as it went through the motions that should result in a clean throw; everything went sour once my torso began to twist in the direction of home plate and I became fully conscious of […]
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Bright Endeavors provides a guiding light for young mothers in Chicago
As the proverb goes, it takes a village to raise a child. The folks at Bright Endeavors know that one of the best ways the village can accomplish that mission is by empowering and uplifting mothers. The Chicago based candle company is a social enterprise of New Moms, a nonprofit organization established in 1983 to […]
Posted inThe To-Do
‘A Dreamhouse,’ streetwear, justice for ‘comfort women,’ and more
You can’t beat Chicago’s heat right now, but here’s some more hot stuff for you to enjoy! “A Dreamhouse of Our Own: an Examination of Dolls, Play, and Queer Identity”Ongoing: Wed-Thu 6-9 PM, Fri noon-4 PM, Sat 10 AM-4 PM, Gerber/Hart Library and Archives, 6500 N. Clark, second floor, gerberhart.org Exhibit opening cocktail reception and […]
Posted inFeature
Alex Nall’s comics are building a small-town world
Writers idealize themselves, spending hours at the computer, polishing their prose to make themselves sound better than they are. Cartoonists spend as much time, or more, to make themselves look, well, cartoonish. Lynda Barry erases her chin and hides her eyes behind opaque spectacles. Art Spiegelman turns himself into a neurotic mouse. In his self-portrait […]
Posted inCity Life
The Malibu Barbie Cafe opens in Chicago
I confess: I was not excited about the opening of the Malibu Barbie Cafe Chicago. Don’t get me wrong, I have nothing against Barbie. I feel like Mattel has done a great job of expanding the Barbie line to include a wide variety of ridiculously stylish characters (yes, their outfits are fabulous). I was delighted […]
Posted inStreet View
Fashion show celebrates Chicago’s diverse style
A welcome jolt of enthusiasm was infused into the local fashion scene during “A Celebration of Chicago Style,” a fashion show presented by The Curio and 21c Museum Hotel Chicago at the end of May. The celebration, hosted by Barrington-born fashion designer Cynthia Rowley and British photographer Nigel Barker (previously a panel judge on the […]
Posted inThe To-Do
Disco for abortion access, soul yoga, and more
Summertime in Chicago really reveals the city’s range. When there’s so much to choose from, how to pick any one thing? Well . . . The Gospel of the Hold Steady: How a Resurrection Really Feels by Michael Hann and the Hold SteadyAkashic Books, hardcover, $40, 208 pp., akashicbooks.com Do you eat, sleep, and read […]
Posted inFeature
NASCAR’s DuPage County connection
When Chicago’s NASCAR events take over downtown streets in July, people may either leave town to avoid the spectacle or stay and curiously catch sight of something never seen in the city. One person watching with great interest will be Fred Lorenzen, who will see the NASCAR events through the eyes of a guy who […]
Posted inStreet View
Style invades Navy Pier
In April, a peculiar crowd descended upon Navy Pier, not quite blending in with the spot’s usual and more conventionally dressed clientele. Tourists and local visitors sporting accidental normcore shared the looong path to Festival Hall with EXPO Chicago attendees, who never disappoint in serving the latest fashions. Celebrating its tenth anniversary, it is fair […]
Posted inCity Life
‘The prisoner is me’
Although her shop is closing its doors, the mark that Faith Phillips and Wish Me Luck Tattoo left on Chicago will always remain.