CenterstageChicago.com Presents: Arts + Words

Peabe

Mon, 15 Jun 2009 12:00:00 CST

Not being as hip to the local art scene as I would like to be, I have followed the work of artists who have the ability to speak volumes outside the intimidating settings of your traditional art gallery. I first met Bryan Odiamar aka Peabe (a surname he adopted through his love for peanut butter) three years ago while spinning at the Elbo Room, and I was immediately drawn to his unconventional take on character representation. Whether it's walking down the street or riding the L, Peabe has managed to display the beauty that surrounds urban life, and show how oblivious we all can be while it fades into the background of our day-to-day grind (an idea expressed in the vacant eyes of his characters). Looking at his work is the same as peering into a comic-book interpretation of someone about to undergo a life-changing experience. It's transformation on canvas, but done in a way that's not nearly as serious as I'm making it seem. To clarify the matter Centerstage caught up with Peabe for a brief 101 on how things got started for him and his take on the current artistic trends.

How long have you been painting?
Been painting on and off since high school. Didn't really get focused until about 4 or 5 years ago. My grandfather was an artist and as a kid drawing time was the fun time. I'd have to get all my homework done and then I'd get to sketch with my lolo [grandfather]. Been drawing since I can remember.

Where there any mentors along the way?
Definitely my grandfather was a big influence on me as a kid. I mean, he got me into drawing and art so he was huge. Other than that, no real mentors.

Did you ever get into traditional graffiti?
Yeah but I fuckin' sucked. I used to write with a couple crews back in the day, but I only did throw-ups and fill-ins. I was, still kinda am, garbagio with a can.

I'm wondering if you can clarify the relationship that modern-day urban art has with the traditional train tagging styles of yesteryear.
There's definitely an influence. I mean I did graff 'cause I never thought characters were a cool thing to do on a wall. Then I quit graff and stuck to canvas. Even then I thought doing characters on canvas was weird but I said whatever and took a stab at it. The color, lines, flow, imagery is an influence and I wanna say it's vice versa now. With any art the main purpose, in my eyes, is to evolve and I get upset when I see an artist I dig becoming complacent with their style and not evolving. I think that's what differentiates the old with the new. Old-school artists not evolving, but making bank off their style from the past, that is just...blah.

Do you have a personal philosophy with your art?
I think it's more of an organic process. I sometimes have a loose idea of what I want to feel from the piece, but I can never definitively sketch what I'm going to do. That's why I have a hard time with commission pieces. People always want to know what they're paying for, but I try to make everything come out of the moment. Luckily people have dug what I've done, but I think it's pretty nerve-wracking for them until it's done and they see it.

Do you see your art as part of any particular type of movement?
So many weird names for it. Pop surrealism. Low brow. Character art. Post pop. I like new brow. There are so many influences in this movement, it's so hard to pinpoint one, so why not just name it something new?

Why the vacant eyes on your characters?
My characters were originally influenced by riding the L every day from when I was 13 until I moved last August. Everyone generally looks sad/empty on the way to and from work. You even see the same people once you get into a routine. It always upset me because there was always such beautiful scenery all around. I used to love staring out the train throughout the '90s, and look out for new pieces on the walls. The CTA competitions were awesome. I always wondered how people could be so melancholy when there's all this beautiful scenery flying past them. So the vacant eyes came from watching people staring out aimlessly while all this beauty flew by. Almost like they were hollow, and in the stage right before they discovered the colors surrounding them.

Now I know you relocated, but I can tell your heart is still in Chicago. Where do you remember finding sources of inspiration?
Dude, everywhere. The lake, my old neighborhood growing up, the neighborhoods I lived in, my family, my friends, the artists there, the people, the haters, the L-I miss everything about Chicago. I always have random details from back home pop in my head to make me miss it all the more. I used to love when I was on the L and it would rain. It would be dark outside while the inside would be lit. Outside looked gloomy, but you still felt good. The rain beading on the glass, looking at buildings with graff whizz by with the reflection of the passengers looking like they're flying through the air. Lightning striking in the background illuminating the rooftops of the buildings close to it. The smell of rain in the city. I still know how Chicago feels, if that makes sense. I feel it right now as I type this and it makes me miss home so bad.

Check out Centerstage Chicago food and drink deals!

Must-See Art Exhibits

Sun, 14 Jun 2009 12:00:00 CST

Artists Run Chicago
Through July 5 at Hyde Park Art Center
Ever wonder about that apartment on your street that always has strange installations in its windows? Chances are it could be an artist-run space; there are tons of independent, informal galleries throughout the city, but unless you're really on top of things, you might never know where to look for them, because these spaces often exist with little to no publicity (not to mention meager budgets). But though these spaces may be small, their ideas are anything but - and that's why the Hyde Park Art Center has seen fit to shine a light on some of the best artist-run spaces for an exhibit this month. Visitors will be able to view works from a variety of spaces, including Roots & Culture, Swimming Pool Projects, Modest Contemporary Art Projects, Suitable, Second Bedroom, Green Lantern and more, all without traipsing across the city. Check out more here.

Check out Centerstage Chicago food and drink deals!

Word Up!

Sun, 31 May 2009 12:00:00 CST

Spoken word may not be quite the draw it was a decade ago, when poetry slams were all the rage. But we set out to find some places in Chicago were the wordplay still packs a wallop. Rather than heading to the expected spots (read: coffee shops and bookstores) we went straight for the local pubs, where the performers (and their work) are expectedly less inhibited and far more intoxicating. Here's what we found.

Green Mill
Jazz may be the typical forte of this Uptown haunt, but when the bands need a break, Chicago's local wordsmiths take the stage. And they've been taking it with fury since its weekly poetry slam's inception at the Green Mill in 1986. Over the years, the slam, hosted by Marc Smith, has featured a plethora of performing poets. The events take place every Sunday around 7 p.m. beginning with an open mic. After that, a number of featured spoken-word artists awe the crowd with rhyme and reason until the evening ends with a serious competition.

Tweet
This unassuming diner, located just down the street from the Green Mill, has its own take on spoken word, one that revolves entirely around the city's GLBT community. The aptly named Homolatte reading series, hosted by Scott Free, features gay and lesbian spoken-word artists on the first and third Tuesday of each month, beginning at 7:30 p.m. You can check out work by past performers on Homolatte's website.

2nd Story
OK, so we're straying a bit from poetry for a minute here, but the stories told by this literary troupe are just too good to pass up. Produced by the Serendipity Theater Collective, 2nd Story is a strange and pleasing mix of storytelling, wine and music (you're bound to love at least one, if not all, of the above). The reading series is held monthly at two of our favorite vino-fueled spots; Webster's Wine Bar (second Sunday of every month) and Red Kiva Lounge (last Wednesday of every month). For just $10, you get to hear four to five different storytellers backed by a live band (for theatrical purposes like creating atmospheres, acting as a love interest, serving as dialogue and so on). For more information on storytellers, bands, schedules, or to purchase tickets in advance on 2nd Story's website.

Funky Buddha Lounge
This River West club's bold moniker sets high expectations, and its Supa Soul Sundays (9-11 p.m.) sure deliver. Expect a lineup of poets, vocalists and comedians, followed by local musicians and MCs. Afterward (11 p.m.-2 a.m.), you can dance to a mix just as eclectic as the poets (think hip-hop, rock, salsa, soul, pop, reggae and underground).

Inner Town Pub
Considering the crowd of hipsters and starving artists that stake claim to this Bucktown dive, it isn't surprising to find the same cats taking a poetical stance on open-mic night (Thursdays and Sundays, 10 p.m.). In fact, if you're at a loss for inspiration, this is the ideal spot to ignite your literary libido. Just take a look at the eclectic (and extremely dark) interior, which is something akin to the aftermath of a shipwreck; you're bound to find something on these cluttered walls to write about.

Check out Centerstage Chicago food and drink deals!

Public Art in the Park

Sat, 09 May 2009 12:00:00 CST

As "front lawn" to the city of Chicago, Grant Park hosts more than its share of summertime festivities. Add to that the jam-packed social calendar of the adjacent Millennium Park, and most Chicagoans will be spending the duration of festival season in this enormous downtown green space. So how does one keep entertained between sets? How can visitors to our fair city sneak in a little tourism en route to the festivities? By taking a self-guided public art tour, of course! Start at the northern end of Millennium Park and wander south to catch these al fresco exhibits.

Jay Pritzker Pavilion
"What the hell is that thing?" That's the question that gaggles of tourists are wondering aloud as they stand in front of Frank Gehry's revolutionary concert venue. At 120-feet high, the proscenium of this brushed stainless steel structure boasts Gehry's signature waves, and the design continues with an elaborate trellis that encompasses the entire 95,000-square-foot lawn. The only venue of its kind in the United States, this pavilion offers an egalitarian approach to the live music experience; clear sightlines reign supreme, and the state-of-the-art sound system is designed to assure that every member of the crowd gets a good listen.

Cloud Gate
That gigantic mirrored bean-shaped sculpture on the northern end of Millennium Park isn't just for giggles?it happens to be a masterwork by Indo-British provocateur, Anish Kapoor. So why does it look like a legume? For maximum reflections of the cityscape and prairie skies (and all those funny faces you're making into it). Sixty-six feet long, 42 feet wide and 33 feet high, Cloud Gate's fortified steel frame was constructed on this spot before a stainless steel shell was applied and buffed smooth. This hollow structure is actually among the priciest pieces of public art Chicago has ever commissioned; meant to cost $9 million, the final costs totaled upwards of $23 million. That's one pricey bean.

Crown Fountain
What at first glance seems to simply be a water-themed play park for the little ones, the twin glass-block towers that make up Jaume Plensa's Crown Fountain are a visionary example of interactive, multimedia art with a civic duty. Located in the southwest corner of Millennium Park, both 50-foot-tall structures contain massive LED screens, which the artist fills with images of Chicago residents; Plensa filmed 1,000 Chicagoans to represent the multi-cultural face of the city. So why do they spit? He intended the faces to pay homage to gargoyles of yore, whose open mouths could often be found streaming aqua (a symbol of life) in historic fountains.

Buckingham Fountain
It's hard to resist humming "Love and Marriage" while watching the majestic eruptions of Buckingham Fountain, but this stately display has a history that goes back a little further than "Married With Children." It was commissioned by Kate Buckingham as a memorial for her brother and designed by Edward H. Bennet (who, along with Daniel Burnham, co-authored the Plan of Chicago). The architect constructed the fountain, still one of the largest in the world, of Georgia pink marble and modeled it after the much smaller Latona Basin in the gardens of Versailles. The four seahorses (by Marcel Loyau) are intended to represent Lake Michigan's neighboring states (Illinois, Wisconsin, Indiana and Michigan). Opened in 1927, the fountain contains 820 lights and 134 jets that circulate over 14,000 gallons of water per minute.

Agora
No, those terrifying headless sculptures hanging out at the southern end of Grant Park aren't zombies; they are just Magdalena Abakanowicz's gift to Chicago. One-hundred-six iron-cast figures congregate in a crowd, with enough space for flesh-folks to wander between. Each of the reddish-brown figures is over nine-feet tall, which gives visitors the distinct impression of walking in a forest. Abakanowicz and her team carefully molded individual details on each model before casting the sculptures, nuances which can be detected upon close inspection, despite that they all look very similar from far away. What a treat to traverse a crowd of immobile figures after elbowing your way through festival swarms all day.

Check out Centerstage Chicago food and drink deals!

A Vote for Art

Wed, 22 Apr 2009 12:00:00 CST

photo: courtesy of Max Protetch Gallery

Buckminster Fuller's fly's-eye dome is just one of many new exhibits at this year's Art Chicago show.

After such a politically charged year, Art Chicago 2009's Partisan exhibit is sure to spark a citywide reaction. The annual international fair of contemporary and modern art (held at Chicago's Merchandise Mart April 30-May 4) will use this year as a platform to explore a visual myriad of social and political issues. "We've taken a dramatic turn as a country," says Art Chicago Director of Public Relations Kasey Madden, "and this [exhibit] is reflective of things that people think need change."

If there's one thing that we can all agree needs change, it's the frail economy. But Madden and Art Chicago Vice President Tony Karmen don't think that money woes will pose a problem for potential attendees, especially fellow artists and enthusiasts. "We expect another great year," says Karmen. "Art Chicago is still a major attraction, especially for those in the art world." And as Madden points out, "Chicago offers the perfect contextual backdrop for an art fair." We do, after all, have entire city blocks devoted to some of the nation's best architecture and recreational parks. Heck, even our street art is inspiring, not to mention totally free.

You'll have to pay ($20) to get into Art Chicago, and you'd better bring a checkbook if you plan on shopping, as prices range from $500 into the millions. Those numbers might not mean much to serious art enthusiasts, but as Madden puts it, "Every purchase will be more considered and thoughtful this year."

In addition to the Partisan exhibit, Art Chicago will feature New Insight, a collection of work from graduate art programs around the country, and The Hairy Who and Imagist Legacy in Contemporary Art, which will honor the legendary, subversive Chicago movement of the 1960s. Those looking for further intellectual stimulation should explore the provocative series of panels and presentations called Art Chicago Speaks, featuring a vibrant palette of experts discussing everything from museum cutbacks to collecting outsider art. "Our speaker series has about 100 of the brightest minds in art participating in one way or another," says Madden. The full schedule is available on the Art Chicago website.

Continuing the theme of change, ARTropolis (Art Chicago's umbrella art fair) has undergone a few transformations. First, the fair is hosting fewer galleries in more open spaces, along with fewer shows. Typically, Artropolis features five different shows, but with so much art to see and so little time, that got to be a little overwhelming. This year, there will be more focus with just three shows running concurrently, including Art Chicago, NEXT (an invitational exhibit of cutting-edge art) and the 12th annual International Antiques Fair, where long-time antiques enthusiast and collector Martha Stewart will serve as keynote speaker.

Another big (and we mean big) change is the recent Buckminster Fuller installation. Both Karmen and Madden are particularly excited about the 24-foot fly's eye dome (courtesy of Max Protetch Gallery, New York), which will serve as a focal point for the fair. Madden points out that "it will be the first thing people see when they walk in." The modern structure, constructed from fiberglass sections and stainless steel bolts, will be displayed in Merchandise Mart's grand South Lobby through late June.

Fuller's work will also be represented at Art Chicago by Carl Solway Gallery from Cincinnati. The booth's exhibition, titled, "Buckminster Fuller and his Friends at Black Mountain," will feature the work of Fuller, John Cage, Merce Cunningham, Joseph Albers and Robert Rauschenberg. In all, Art Chicago will showcase work from 110 leading galleries, 42 cities and 9 different countries (Spain, Germany, England, Canada, Japan, China, Korea, India and France). It will also include pieces from world-renowned artists like Pablo Picasso, Wassily Kandinsky, David Hockney and Andy Warhol.

If you've got $150 to spare, we suggest heading over to the Merchandise Mart on Thursday, April 30 (noon-3 p.m.) for a special sneak preview during Art Chicago's First Focus, benefiting the Museum of Contemporary Art. There will also be a nighttime preview (6-9 p.m.) for $40. The general and more affordable ($20 gets you into all three shows) run of the fair will take place from Friday, May 1-Monday, May 4.

Check out Centerstage Chicago food and drink deals!

Revise

Sun, 15 Feb 2009 12:00:00 CST

When Won Kim (aka Revise) puts brush to canvas, people take notice. As a longtime member of the famed Chicago's Most Wanted crew (aka CMW), he has played a key role in hip-hop's emergence in the contemporary art world, thanks to work often described as controlled chaos molded by a kaleidoscope of colors, letters, and shapes. Kim has been featured in a number of art shows including Hello My Name Is Chicago, Urban Garden Walk, Impaired Visions: Chicago and most recently the Winter Block Party at the Victory Gardens Biograph Theater.

Before he got caught up in something new, Centerstage sat down with him to conjure up his perspectives on the scene.

Tell me a little bit about where you grew up and the impact it had on your development as an artist.
I was raised in West Rogers Park. It really didn't impact me that much as an artist growing up around that area. If anything, it taught me how to accept a lot of different cultures and people. It was a pretty diverse area where Pakistanis, Jews, blacks and Assyrians just sort of got smashed together.

You mention in your bio that you decided to take on a demanding art form when you entered junior high. What went into that decision and what was your experience like as a budding artist?
I initially wanted to do graff because my locker partner in grammar school did it. His style and letters were something out of this world to me at the time. That grew into curiosity which grew into research and then obsession. It was the only thing that made me feel like I was progressing at a rapid rate. It was almost liberating to do something self-taught and not have boundaries or a set of rules.

What local artists helped your progression?
I think a lot of local artists influenced my style as well as opened up my eyes to technicalities that I to this day try to perfect. Underground artists like Chris Silva, Antck, UFG crew, CMW crew of course, Raven SB, DC5 crew, ASC, Arem and all of the heavy hitters at the time who adorned the train lines with color and cleanliness.

How did you link up with the CMW crew?
I linked up with ERIE from CMW at a b-boy event in, of all places, Northbrook. He was wearing a winter hat with CMW embroidered on it and I, like a groupie, went up to him and asked about the letters on his hat. I happened to have my sketch book on me and showed him some stuff and he seemed impressed enough to ask if I wanted to join because they were trying to recruit some younger members with newer styles to advance. There are only a few crews in Chicago that have made the kind of mark that CMW has as far as stature, work and progression. CMW has more of an impact on the graffiti world more than anything. We don't consider ourselves as artists-some cross over but the majority remains bombing and doing what real graffiti is supposed to be-illegal. CMW is a crew that will always come up in any graffiti conversation regarding Chicago so I can say that I am a proud member and will continue to be.

Some idealists really make a fuss about putting graffiti on canvas, what's your response to that?
Well that's funny because these "idealists" always end up painting on canvasses anyways. I don't really care for idealists because situations and opportunities change. I know a lot of hardcore bombers that will shun the art community, yet attend all of the openings to see if their names are recognized. There are rules that are self-implicated so they always change and are up for debate according to each individual. I know that I struggle with it sometimes, but in the end, I'm losing sleep over how I'm going to pay bills rather than whether or not I'm keeping it "real."

What's your feeling on graffiti becoming more of a commodity; does that alter or fuel your creative process?
I think like any other art form where something is seen as an investment, you have to think about the audience and what is relevant. The commodity portion doesn't alter it as much as opinions - the likes and dislikes. I take everything to heart and always try to switch things up. I don't ever go into a piece thinking about the possibility of a sale because that would make me feel like more of a sellout than I might be! I just paint what comes to me - as clich� as that is.

How do you price your pieces?
A lot of people tell me that I underprice things, but I price things realistically. I take into consideration the time it took, the size, materials used, blah blah blah. I am by no means famous enough yet to price things in the thousands. I guess I need to document crazy things I do to look more unstable, maybe that'll get me famous a la "Jackass."

Compare Chicago's style of graffiti to other major metropolitan areas.
I think that Chicago style has a certain edge and bite to it. It's very sharp and angled - the blue-collarness really comes through in my opinion. It's clean and dirty at the same time. It's not as free flowing and large as the West Coast and it's not as grimy as the East Coast, where bubble letters are prized. I think we have the best of both worlds here with influences from all over.

How has your work been received overseas?
I've only had direct contact in Seoul and they loved it. They loved the fact that I was from the U.S. and had a completely different style from them and my methods were so backwards. Graffiti is one of those unexplained things where you don't have to have any kind of history with someone that does it, yet this one commonality is enough to fuel a comradery that is universal.

Are there any favorite spots in Chicago you use as sources of inspiration?
I like to walk a lot so I get to see a lot of details about this city that you miss when driving or on a bike. I think everything about the city inspire me. The limited intentional nature everywhere, all of the construction, the segregated lines of neighborhoods, pot holes, shoddy construction, dirty alleys, fire escapes, tin ceilings - the city is its own organism.

You DJ as well. Does one part of your art bleed over to the other?
I haven't really noticed but if I had to guess, it may be impatience. I never hear a song to the end, it's mixed out after the second chorus or breakdown, of a song...I started [doing it] as a stress-reliever to graffiti and now it's vice versa.

What are your upcoming projects for 2009?
I am always doing my Sketch Monday over at Corosh, Sketch Monday is something I started to get some work done outside of my home with other artists who may have the same kind of cabin fever. It's also a chance to connect with other styles, methods and personalities. I also have a show with the fellas over at Oh No Doom at the end of February, I'm going to New York for a live art gig, a project with Whole Foods...all over the place.

Check out Centerstage Chicago food and drink deals!

Books and Belgian Brews

Tue, 10 Feb 2009 12:00:00 CST

If you've never been to a Bookslut reading, well, you probably need to get out more. Or, perhaps, you just need to read more. The online resource for literary junkies launched in 2002, when editor-in-chief Jessa Crispin was bored at work in Austin, Texas. The following year, she moved to Chicago and her little hobby turned into a full-time gig; the site now reels in 8,000-9,000 unique readers each day. For the past three years Crispin has hosted a monthly Reading Series in an effort to expose authors to their Chicago audience.

This month, in honor of The Association of Writers and Writing Programs Annual Conference, Bookslut is featuring a notable trio of nationally recognized poets. The bookish bash is scheduled to take place at 7:30 p.m. on Wednesday, February 11 on the second floor of Andersonville's Hopleaf, where an estimated 50 guests will rub shoulders with a roomful of authors and fellow book-fiends. A private bar will offer a selection of Belgium brews and wines to take the edge off, but reservation has never been much of a problem for the Bookslut crew. Especially when authors like Jonathan Ames take the stage.

During a recent Bookslut reading, Ames encouraged audience participation during a handful of magic tricks. Other surprises are more subtle, like the one Aleksandar Hemon (author of The Lazarus Project) made back in October, when he showed up for a reading from Dubravka Ugresic. Bookslut Assistant Caroline Eick was just as shocked as the audience members to see the famous author: "My jaw almost hit the floor," she said. Other author's, like local poet Queeney offer VIP readings with a special sneak preview into unpublished work. Eick likens the previews to hearing a band's new album before they've even set foot into the recording studio.

February's lineup promises to blow those past events out of the water. "This particular event is exciting because it's taking place the week of AWP, but before AWP really gets swinging," says Eick. "This city will be chock full of great authors and we selected three standout poets to participate in this reading."

Idra Novey

That standout lineup includes Idra Novey, whose chapbook was selected by Carolyn Forch for a 2005 Poetry Society of America Chapbook Fellowship. She also received a PEN Translation Fund Award for her translation of Brazilian poet Paulo Henriques Britto. Novey's poems have appeared on popular websites like Slate, writing magazines like the Paris Review and literary journals such as Ploughshares. The award-winning poet currently teaches at Columbia University and in the Bard College Prison Initiative. During the Hopleaf reading, Novey will delve into works from her latest collection, The Next Country.

Brandi Homan

Next on the list is author of Hard Reds and Two Kinds of Arson (Dancing Girl Press), Brandi Homan. Originally from Marshalltown, Iowa, Homan now resides in Chicago, where she earned her MFA at Columbia College and her MA at the University of Illinois. She is the editor-in-chief of Switchback Books.

Hilda Raz

And if that's not enough, just wait for Hilda Raz's new collection of poems, titled All Odd and Splendid. The well-crafted pieces are an exploration of lives and selves, transformed by choice and chance. Both formally and thematically diverse, Raz's poems are a testament to the will to redefine oneself in a world of constant, and often painful, change. If you're up for a good non-fiction read, check out the author's latest book, What Becomes You, a memoir co-written with her transgendered son Aaron. And don't worry if you forget to bring along your own copy, as the featured books will be offered on site (and yes, the authors would be happy to sign your books).

"It's [Bookslut] such a unique opportunity to hear the best voices in literature," says Eick. "Since we feature three to four authors per reading, attendees often find themselves coming for one author, but being swept away by another author's work."

Check out Centerstage Chicago food and drink deals!

Kevin Coval

Thu, 05 Feb 2009 12:00:00 CST

Kevin Coval is an author/spoken-word poet who has penned two critically acclaimed books: Slingshots (EM Press 2005), which was named a "Book of the Year" finalist by The American Library Association, and Everyday People (EM Press 2008). His poems have graced the pages of the Chicago Tribune, The Spoken Word Revolution, Rattle, Cross Currents and The Huffington Post, to name a few. He's appeared in four seasons of Def Poetry Jam (for which he also serves as artistic consultant), makes regular appearances on NPR and started the world's largest teen poetry festival, called Louder than a Bomb: The Chicago Teen Poetry Festival.

And as if his resume wasn't impressive enough, Coval has served as an ambassador for hip-hop by making countless pilgrimages to locations all across the globe including The Parliament of the World's Religions in Cape Town, South Africa, The African Hip-Hop Festival: Battle Cry, Poetry Society of London, University of the West Indies in Jamaica and St. Xavier's College in Mumbai, India. Centerstage was lucky enough to catch up with Coval while he was in Chicago to talk about everything from his new book to the late, great Studs Terkel.

Tell me a little about where you grew up and how you got interested in hip-hop?
I grew up in Northbrook. I started listening to hip-hop around 1982. "Flashdance," "Beat Street" and "Breakin'" were important movies for me as a kid. I tried to break early on, I danced on cardboard in front of the convenience store for change. I was kinda wack, but stayed listening to the music. Herbie Hancock's "Rockit," a bit later heard Run DMC's "King of Rock" and was entranced by the fun and brilliance of their wordplay; the circus-like language and juggling they engaged in.

When did poetry begin to creep into your creative development?
Hip-Hop is poetry. KRS-ONE called himself a poet. Chuck D would send me to the library to look up references he was making in his rhymes. These emcees were consciously participating in and exposing me to an alternative canon of verse in American letters, verse that felt more inclusive of the American experience; a working class narrative, not just dead white dudes getting lost in the woods.

Why take on the role of a poet/author rather than a straight-up MC?
I love rhyming and choose at times to use various rhyme schemes and forms in my poems, but for me poetry broadens the possibility of my poetic. I sometimes, while writing rhymes, feel trapped by 4/4 time, and there are amazing emcees who break that time, but for me, the freedom on the verse, of the blank page, of recording a story for my life and the lives around me, seems best suited for a poem. I do, however, feel my responsibility is to still move the crowd. Like Rakim said, this is what it means to MC, to reach people where they are at.

There seems to be a fine line between spoken-word and rap. Draw the line for me.
There is and isn't a line. Both are the same ancient forms of oral story-telling, all indigenous traditions tell and retell their histories. Rappers are poets, poets are spoken-word artists, spoken-word artists are emcees and backwards from there. And in all these forms, including traditional canonical poets, there are writers who take their craft seriously and excel, and there is a whole lot of wackness everywhere. And this is true in all forms. There are a billion wack dance recitals, but then there is Wakka from the Brickheadz or other amazing dancers. The idea of movement, of what is possible with the body is transformed. Language is common, but to hear how Lil' Wayne pulls apart the sounds of words, or how Ang 13 splits styles and elevates rhyme to a new-school blues, the idea of wordplay and the musicality of language is altered and advanced.

You're an ambassador for hip-hop, with your visits to universities and different countries. How has academia accepted your work as a whole?
Academia is always late to the party. That's part of its role, to preserve, but the new is often happening outside its walls. I teach colleges that the freshest culture happens by and large outside the institutions when people create for the sake of creation, not degrees.

Tell me a little about your relationship with Def Poetry Jam, and how that came to fruition.
In 2000 or 2001, before the HBO show, there was a 12-city tour. In each city there was a poetry slam and a showcase. When the folks from Def Jam came to Chicago, I read in the showcase at the MCA, and after the show HBO producers whispered in my ear that there would be this show on HBO and to stay in touch. I never really believed them, but every now and again I'd drop Deb Pointer, one of the producers, a line just saying "what's up." She said it was all coming together and eventually they got the go-ahead to film four episodes for the first season. I appeared on that season and four of the six seasons in all.

I see that you have a wonderful quote from Studs Terkel on your bio page. Were you able to develop a friendship with him before he passed? Any words on Studs himself?
I am humbled what Studs said about me and the book, he was very generous. I have been radically shaped by his belief in the elevation of the personal narrative and his radically egalitarian views of people's stories. Whether the mayor or a nurse or custodian or bartender, he thought all folks were equally relevant and interesting. I met him a couple of times and we shared a stage at the Steppenwolf, but he read my work because Rick Kogan, himself a Chicago institution and Studs' heir, gave Studs my book. I received a beautiful letter from Studs upon his reading it and am honored to pick up a pen in the same city he recorded in.

Tell me about Everyday People?
Realist portraits of people I see often, or have met once; a meditation on Chicago and American History. In the tradition of Carl Sandburg and Gwendolyn Brooks, trying to record the stories in front of my nose and capture the beauty and brutality of the city, to hold in the same moments this paradox and seeming contradiction that is Chicago/America. In this city, in the same moment we have a governor to evict and a President-elect, now President. This is typical of our city, our country.

How did you bring together the Louder Than a Bomb series? And what has been your strongest tool for battling apathy within the youth?
Nine years ago an amazing poet and educator, Anna West, and I along with Young Chicago Authors, created LTAB. We were finding in classrooms all over the city young people who responded well when asked what they thought about the world(s) they inhabit. Chicago has a failing public school system, and part of the reason for this is that students are not engaged in the classroom because they are not asked to connect the learning to their everyday lives. Our pedagogy is to invert the teacher-student model, and simply ask students to become reporters and recorders of the neighborhoods they live in. They become, in the words of Mos Def and Talib Kweli, "real-life documentarians."

It's a loaded question, but what about Chicago inspires you?
The people. We are a proud and great and segregated city filled with contradictions and tradition and hope. We are the great American city, NY really being cosmopolitan and LA being plastic. As goes Chicago so goes the rest of the country, we are the heart center, and as of Nov. 4 the rest of the world got hip to that.

You seem to wear many different creative hats, is there any place you like to go just to relax and settle the mind?
Montrose Harbor, I got aunts in Michigan City and the local drive south and 41 through Gary are always chill. I recently became an artist in residence at the U of C and Hyde Park is a kind of oasis. I like film so the art houses in Chicago are pretty great, the Gene Siskel Center, the Landmark and Music Box. But for real though riding the train is kind of relaxing to me, comforting for some reason: the loops and the trains make the bodies huddled and quiet, the public intimacy of napping commuters, all these places.Who are some of your favorite Chicago personalities?
Dr. Haki Madhubuti, Rick Kogan, Ang 13, Marc Smith, Rami Nashashibi, my aunt Joyce and cousins Jackie and Charlotte.

Check out Centerstage Chicago food and drink deals!

StreetWise Goes Glossy

Wed, 21 Jan 2009 12:00:00 CST

This past November, Chicago's notorious street newspaper became a full-color glossy. The news was somewhat shocking, considering the downward spiral of the city's print publications, but that didn't seem to be a concern for the not-for-profit organization, which hopes to see a positive change with its new format and slogan: "A better StreetWise, A better life."

Currently, StreetWise has just over 200 vendors who pay out of their own pockets in the hope of gaining enough income to keep them afloat. Each one buys the publication wholesale and then sells it at retail value. These vendors are the men and women you often see standing outside of Starbucks, CVS, White Hen and other local quick-stops. Most of them are homeless or near-homeless and have no opportunity to work outside of StreetWise. Next to the financial assistance provided by the publication, many vendors hope to gain invaluable learning and entrepreneurial skills through hands-on classes, which the publication can offer more of with the possibility of increased revenue.

Vendor Don Smith is currently honing in on computer and basic construction skills at a local trade school and spends three days out of the week selling StreetWise. Smith has been a vendor since 1995 and credits the publication for getting him back on the right track: "I used to drink, and do some other wrong things. Now I've put myself together. I got more pride in myself, take care of myself, and I've got more confidence in myself. It's like a self pick-me up. It's not just a step up, but a couple steps up." Other long-time vendors, like Lonnie Lloyd, use their earnings to support their families. Lloyd works hard to provide for his sixth-grade son Isaiah, and in turn, Isaiah keeps Lloyd company while he sells StreetWise each morning.

On any given day, you can find vendors greeting shoppers at a number of Jewel locations (Lloyd can usually be found at Jewel in Wilmette on Green Bay Road); the local chain is, after all, one of StreetWise's biggest sponsors. Other vendors, like Ray Thomas, target commuters in need of caffeine by selling StreetWise outside of the Lincoln Square Starbucks (located on the corner of Lincoln and Wilson). "I'm always right here on this corner, no matter how cold it is," says Thomas. And lately that means standing outside in below-freezing temperatures. But the longer Thomas waits, the higher his chances of selling. Now think about it: how many times have you forked over a buck or two for your neighborhood StreetWise guy? Probably just about as often as you've doled out a dollar for a beggar on the street, because, unfortunately, this is how we're wired to respond. But the publication's new format seeks to change all that by not only gaining corporate support from local sponsors, but also developing a solid foundation of readers in the process.

From a reader's standpoint, the new format is more of a value, even with the increase in price (up from $1 to $2). Visually, a full-color glossy is far more appealing, and editorially, it allows for more freedom by making room for lengthier features and a number of shorter, timely pieces. Articles like "Non-Toxic Solutions" offer non-alcoholic drink recipes and savvy tips on how to present them, while more city-focused pieces like "Chicago 25 Years Ago" provide a little history. For many, it's quite an improvement from the old StreetWise, which portrayed a gritty, "from the streets" perspective. But you've got to see the magazine to believe it, and Thomas says that not as many people are willing to give it a good look with the price hike: "They just don't want to pay that extra dollar, especially when times are tough for everybody."

Looking ahead, the new magazine plans to publish even more human interest and lifestyle stories-still keeping focus on the issues at hand, with a more approachable tone. But the glossy images and professional photos are more than just an added perk for readers; they're also a selling point for advertisers. Another motivating factor in the change-urged by the country's economic woes-is the expectation for an increase in Chicago's homeless population. StreetWise board members plan to alleviate that by increasing its advertising pages.

Other efforts are being made to assist vendors in their magazine-selling venture. For one, individual and bulk subscriptions-specifically for those in surrounding suburban areas and corporations-are available for the first time since StreetWise's launch in 1992. A certain percentage of each paid subscription will go directly to the vendors, while remaining revenue will fund new programs at area colleges. The organization plans to collaborate with local institutions to offer structured learning programs for its vendors, such as career skills training. It's the combination of these financial and community factors that will ultimately push the StreetWise-sellers into the mainstream marketplace.

Check out Centerstage Chicago food and drink deals!

Ye Olde Chicago Comic Artists Feature

Sun, 11 Jan 2009 12:00:00 CST

photo: Benjamin Andrew Moore

Unless you're psychic or (cross my fingers) stalking me, you probably have no idea that I used to draw and write my own thrice-weekly webcomic. It was so long ago?four years to be exact?that I can hardly remember a single thing about it (except that it was consistently fantastic). Thus, when I say "I love comics," I say it not only as an avid peruser across a wide range of genres?from superhero to independent, from underground to mainstream, from hilarious to drop-dead dramatic?but also as an active participant in the all-too-underrated medium.

That said, color me surprised to the point of painful arousal when I learned that there's actually a rather robust Chicago comic scene for me (and you and your brother and his science teacher, Jethro) to explore and experience, with more than its fair share of awesome comic creators to pad the potent ranks. The following are just a few of my favorites, soon to be a few of your favorites as well. So go out and buy their comics at Chicago Comics.

Or else.

Daniel Clowes
Do you know who Daniel Clowes is? I really doubt it. Though he's not a household name among the "normals" of the world, he's downright famous when it comes to underground comic book nerds. Even if you haven't read his long-running Eightball comic (1989-present, which is practically my entire life), you've probably heard of either Ghost World or Art School Confidential, both of which were adapted from his Eightball comic into critically acclaimed, Terry Zwigoff-helmed feature films. (Clowes was even nominated for an Academy Award for Ghost World's screenplay).

Ghost World is a sad, sad book, and if I had a human heart?one that regularly pumped blood and wasn't black and shriveled?I'd probably be heartbroken by the oppressively depressing (if somewhat comedic) nature of the story. I've heard that some people call this the Catcher in the Rye of comic books, and sure, I can see that?if I squint really hard. Catcher in the Rye, for all the sadness it embodies, is entertaining as hell. It's hard not to love Holden Caulfield, and it's even harder to like Enid Coleslaw, the nasty, self-loathing and mean-spirited main character in Ghost World. That's probably why I like her so much.

Alex Ross
Alex Ross is, without a shred of doubt, the most famous comic book artist working today. His beautiful, picturesque paintings are at once life-like and dream-like and lurid and lucid, as if the images themselves transcend the page and come to life in front of your very eyes. Typically, it's hard to see a full-grown man with muscles bigger than your head, underwear over a pair of blue tights and laser beams for eyes and not think, "There's something unrealistic about all of this," but somehow Ross pulls it off. He became famous in the comics community for his work on Marvels, a comic miniseries that retells the major Marvel characters' origin stories?Spider-Man, the Fantastic Four and the like?from the everyman's perspective.

His most famous work, however, is Kingdom Come (co-written by Mark Waid in 1996), a dark and twisted, but ultimately very entertaining, glimpse into a "potential" future of the DC Comics universe. Have you ever wanted to see old-man Batman belittle old-man Superman, or Joker get shot through the chest and killed? Or what about Superman and Wonder Woman making a super, wonder, half-clay, half-alien baby? Probably not, but here's your chance anyway.

Chris Ware
Ahh, more sadness in the form of comic books; indeed, if there's a reoccurring theme in the world of Chicago comic books (except Alex Ross), it's the overwhelming and pervasive sense of melancholy to the point of nihilism. Take Chris Ware's award-winning Acme Novelty Library, for example. First, you read that title and then you see the art?drawn like old cartoons from the early 20th century, only far more bizarre?and the last thing you're thinking about is how pointless and painful everything in life is. Then you read the words and...my God, it's the only thing you'll think of ever again.

That doesn't mean the Acme Novelty Library series isn't beautifully crafted in the most incredibly minute and impeccable detail possible. After all, there's a reason it has, since 1993, won numerous Harvey Awards, Eisner Awards, Ignatz Awards and Good Taste Awards, and it probably has nothing to do with everyone feeling so sorry for Chris Ware and how sad he is?probably.

Jeffrey Brown
If you didn't know who Daniel Clowes was, there's no chance in hell you've heard of Jeffrey Brown. Hands down my favorite book of his is Clumsy, a badly drawn graphic novel (it looks like a monkey?that was terrible at drawing?drew it really quickly) about how powerful and perplexing and sometimes paralyzing "new love" can be for the lovers. The emotions are intense, heightened tenfold or higher, and all you ever want to do is touch her (or him), see her (or him), think about her (or him) and most of all be with her (or him). This book captures all of that (and the aftermath) effortlessly, and it barely looks better than stick figures whilst doing it. Bravo, Brown, you terrible artist you. Bravo.

Check out Centerstage Chicago food and drink deals!

Sculptures in Suburbia

Thu, 01 Jan 2009 12:00:00 CST

photo: Stacy Warden; Votive Head 2000 at the Sculpture Park

If there's one thing Chicago has going for it, it's art. The city is an ever-expanding canvas, stringing together world-renowned architecture, contemporary street murals and art-filled institutions. With such an abundance of inspiration already at our fingertips, it's no wonder why we overlook the scene in the suburbs. Yes?there's a scene in the suburbs. And lately it's thriving in a little place called Skokie. These exhibits in the village might not convince you to give up city life, but they'll certainly change any bleak perception you have of the 'burbs.

North Branch Gallery
Owner and curator Sonya Baysinger opened this spot last January, when she finally had enough of Skokie's dour art scene. "I wanted to bring back the celebration of art," says Baysinger, who teaches at Columbia College. She brings in controversial, cutting-edge pieces from seasoned artists all over the states; a mere glance through the windows of this gallery and you'll see there's nothing suburban about the work featured here.

Baysinger is also involved with IMODS (Independent Merchants of Downtown Skokie) in an ongoing redevelopment project that jazzes up abandoned storefronts with local artwork. Unlike the professional pieces housed in her gallery, Baysinger uses the street-level exhibition to showcase works by upcoming artists, including high school students.

Skokie Public Library
As Manager of Public Information and Programs, Christie Robinson scouts the map for an eclectic range of artwork to feature in the library. Past works have included traditional Korean paintings by Young Ro Lee and photos from the local Skokie Photographic Society and illustrations by Alan Magee, who has had work featured in Playboy, Time and New York Magazine.

Library exhibitions change frequently, but there are a few pieces that have become aesthetic extensions of the building. Sculptures like "Swans" and "The Zen Bench," as well as an intricate painting titled "Piece in Vietnam" can all be found inside the library, while the more monumental sculptures, including a nine-foot tall, bronze Holocaust memorial, have a permanent home just outside the building.

photo: Stacy Warden; Refuge's "I'm Sorry" exhibit

Refuge: Center for Artists in Recovery
Talk about inspiration. Bill Current, a graphic designer and photographer, started this gallery in 2006 as a creative outlet for visual artists recovering from alcohol and drug addiction. The Refuge website states that most of the featured artists have "survived a living hell," and it shows in their captivating pieces.

Past exhibits included the aptly-titled "I'm Sorry." The exhibit showcased three-by-five images filled with heartfelt words and images that'll leave you standing awestruck in the middle of Current's small space.

Northshore Sculpture Park
In the late 1980s, the Village of Skokie and the Metropolitan Water Reclamation District built an artful recreation area along the Chicago River. The bike path and sculpture park, an impressive combination of fitness and culture, run north along McCormick Boulevard. The path, running two miles long from Dempster Street to Touhy Avenue, is peppered with more than 60 sculptures from artists all over the world, including some of Chicago's finest.

Free guided tours are given monthly from May through October, covering a different section of the park each time. But if you want to see it all in one shot, you'd better go DIY. Download the self-guided tour from the park's website and bring it with you for directions and details on each piece. Cram your picnic basket full of goodies and make a day of it.

Check out Centerstage Chicago food and drink deals!

Get It Write

Thu, 01 Jan 2009 12:00:00 CST

Not going back to school this fall? That doesn't mean you can't learn a thing or two. Exercise your brain with these writing courses, and someday, it could be your words those eager young minds are reading (or at least buying the Cliffnotes for).

Get real (or fake it) at StoryStudio Chicago
Whether you're looking to write the great American novel, chronicle a real-life event or write the screenplay that could get you to Hollywood, the StoryStudio has got you covered. Students can choose from a variety of ongoing courses, encompassing everything from short stories and comic essays to how to handle your first public reading (hint: laughing at your own jokes is no-no). If you're too busy to take an extended course, jump in for a single-session class.

Sketch away at the Second City Training Center
Aspiring comedians can get a taste of writing sketch comedy in this four-level program covering everything from basic scene structure and character development to how to establish actions. Using weekly writing assignments and in-class exercises, the Second City staff will help you get your skills off the ground. After a while, you might even be able to move up to the Advanced Writing Program, which includes tutorials on using sources such as current events and personal history to create new sketches.

Get personal at The Writers' Loft
Jerry Cleaver promises to get you writing if it's the last thing he does?and he's done a lot of things, including creating the online course Write Your Novel Now. Cleaver created The Writers' Loft more than 20 years ago (it's the longest-running writing workshop in Chicago), and he's still as committed as ever. He offers unlimited personal conferences to all his students, and if that doesn't do the trick, you can call the Story Help Line anytime for assistance with your plot. Each workshop meets once a week for six weeks.

Go virtual with MediaBistro
You can do everything else online; why not take a writing class? This nifty website does offer some in-person courses (fewer in Chicago than in New York or Los Angeles), but its online offerings are far more diverse. Learn everything from how to write for documentary TV to how to create good chick lit, all while sitting in your underwear?which means you're also getting a pretty good idea of what it's like to be a full-time writer.

Inspire kids to write at 826CHI
If you want to be involved in writing but don't necessarily want to do it yourself, check out 826CHI, a non-profit organization that helps kids ages 6?18 with their creative and expository writing skills (you may have seen the center's "Boring Store" facade on Milwaukee Avenue in Wicker Park). Volunteers can donate their time in a variety of ways: drop-in tutoring programs, field trips, in-school projects and workshops on journalism, comic book production, radio broadcasting and more. 826CHI is the local branch of an organization created by author Dave Eggers).

Check out Centerstage Chicago food and drink deals!

Text Support

Thu, 01 Jan 2009 12:00:00 CST

photo: Clifton Henri

North Siders Ian Doll and Corey Byrnes made the trip to Hyde Park to check out Seminary Co-Op's large selection.

You've paid your tuition, signed up for a meal plan and found housing. You're ready to start partying, right? Not so fast. You've still gotta buy all those books your professor wants you to read far too quickly; there goes that drinkin' money. While there's no real way to avoid buying the things altogether (believe me, I've tried; the public libraries aren't too keen on repeat renewals), there is a solid way to save some pennies in the process: alternative bookshops. So pull on your argyle sweater, slip on your specs and scan the shelves at these money-saving spots.

Seminary Co-Op Bookstore
Sometime back in the early '60s a bunch of booklovers got together in Hyde Park and decided to open a shop of their own. Here's the kicker: Each of them invested no more than $10. The bookstore now houses over 100,000 titles on its aging shelves and is touted as one of the best academic bookish locales in the world. Seminary Co-Op has a selection of university-press publications as well as a nostalgic assortment of childhood classics. National authors often make appearances to read and promote their latest works. The shop also carries a wide range of indie bestsellers, national award winners and specialized, themed book lists like cartography titles in honor of the Chicago-wide Festival of Maps. Seminary Co-Op also owns 57th Street Books, where you will find a similar intellectual hodgepodge of sorts.

Books in the City
Dig out your student ID and throw all your old texts in a tote before heading over to Books in the City. Thanks to the shop's buyback policy, you can save even more money on new and used titles. You can also use the website's online search engine to browse by school, author or title. Books in the City also sells those pesky professor-written coursepacks (read: huge waste of paper) and cram-all-night study guides. In addition to the inescapables, the shop houses a small children's literature section and stocks plenty of stationery, gut-busting greeting cards and strange little baubles. Books in the City caters to DePaul University, Columbia College and Roosevelt University (the latter two in its South Loop location).

Women & Children First
Forget people; you won't need them anymore once you step into this popular Andersonville bookshop. There are enough titles here to keep you curled in the corner for days. Although Women and Children First doesn't specialize in textbooks, it has become a go-to source for a number of profs from Loyola, DePaul and Chicago's Art Institute. If you're signed up for any women's studies or social activism courses, chances are you'll be swinging by this spot. We recommend paying a visit, no matter what you're studying.

photo: courtesy of Prairie Avenue Bookshop

Prairie Avenue Bookshop
This is a must for anyone studying architecture and design. The independently owned and operated shop, tucked in Chicago's bustling downtown district, stocks all of the architectural essentials. Prairie Avenue's shelves hold over 20,000 new and used books and the shop's virtual nooks boast even more. Check out the store's website for a complete list of titles, but don't waste all your time online. The physical location is certainly worth a visit with its architectural artifacts and furniture scattered throughout. Prairie Avenue also publishes its own newsletter so you can stay up-to-date on the latest published and upcoming titles.

Beck's Book Store (Truman College)
Catering to the nearby Truman College, Beck's Book Store in Uptown offers more than just the stuff you need to study. Many, if not most, students come here on a budget and jump specs-first into the stacks of used texts. Only when those are picked over do they move on to the pristine plastic-wrapped newer editions. Before you take out another loan just for books, apply for the Arthur Beck Olsen Textbook Scholarship. The scholarship is awarded each semester and offers loyal patrons a chance to splurge on texts without digging themselves into debt (you must be a current Truman student to apply). Beck's has several other locations throughout the city, though they're not as textbook-heavy.

Check out Centerstage Chicago food and drink deals!

Living the Art Life, Literally

Thu, 01 Jan 2009 12:00:00 CST

photo: courtesy of 40000

The adage says you shouldn't combine work with pleasure, but sometimes it's best to buck the establishment and do your own thing; in this case, we're talking about opening an art gallery in the space where you live. Despite saving big bucks, this venture is risky business, sometimes making it impossible to find privacy or peace of mind. We tracked down five gallerists who "live their art" on a daily basis to find out if they'd do it all over again. Dubhe Carreno of Dubhe Carreno Gallery
When Dubhe Carreno came to Chicago in 1999 to complete an MFA in ceramics at the School of the Art Institute of Chicago, she never envisioned opening her own space dedicated exclusively to that art form. But after she found a great live-in/work space in Pilsen, everything just clicked. Large white platforms display hand-crafted ceramic vases, and Carreno greets patrons from behind a front desk. She says that the positives of her living situation heavily outweigh the negatives. "With sculpture, [most] people [don't really know] how to live with it," she says. "They have [this] assumption that you need a pedestal or something to elevate it. It really helps when they see my home space [in the back], which is full of sculptures."

photo: courtesy of All Rise

Lisa Flores of All Rise Gallery
It's not easy transforming a once-adolescent art co-op, aptly named High School, into the mature All Rise Gallery, especially when the entire loft building used to be hipster party central. Owner Lisa Flores admits the past two years have been hard. But visitors who climb three flights of rickety stairs to her Wicker Park space (that's easily twice the size of most galleries) could never tell she did a massive overhaul. Today, All Rise is finally gaining notoriety, thanks in part to Flores being uniquely connected to artists all over North America. Living at your workspace isn't easy, though. "It's hard being tied down to the space everyday?and it feels like I'm always working," she says. But on the up side: "It's great because there's always so much to do. And if I need to hang a show all night long, I can work until 3 a.m. without interruption."

Marco Logsdon of Logsdon 1909 Gallery & Studio
Marco Logsdon moved to Chicago from Kentucky a few years ago and opened a gallery and studio space for his own work. But in September 2006, after a few successful shows, he decided to start showing other artists' pieces, too; he now rotates exhibits (mostly mixed-media, drawings and paintings) in the front and shows his work in the back. In line with the nature of most Pilsen galleries, Logsdon's space is only open on Saturdays and the second Friday of every month. With slim to none walk-in traffic, he's able to have some privacy though, "[I've always] got to be ready for people, so I can't be a slob," he says. Though keeping tidy isn't very fun, drawing a curtain at the halfway point of the gallery ensures his privacy.

photo: courtesy of Polvo

Miguel Cortez of Polvo
For the past four years, Miguel Cortez has displayed challenging installation, new media and performance art in his gallery/home space, with white walls, wooden floors, TVs showing experimental video work and a kitchen right in the open. "The only downside is my loss of privacy; it's a minor inconvenience," says Cortez. But since living and working in the same space means only paying one rent, Cortez says it's "easier and cheaper to keep things going." It's been a while since he took a vacation, so after hosting a few more shows in 2007, he's going to take a well-deserved six-month break. Although Cortez juggles running Polvo on the weekends and working as a graphic designer during the week, he's received a tremendous amount of acclaim that many full-time gallerists could never live up to.

Check out Centerstage Chicago food and drink deals!

Novels and Noshes

Thu, 01 Jan 2009 12:00:00 CST

photo: Kate Rockwood

The only thing more satisfying than devouring a good book may be devouring it along with a delicious snack, but your appetite for both novels and noshes doesn't mean you're doomed to spend your day in a big-box chain bookstore. Check out these local and independent bookstores that are within a hop skip and a jump of a noteworthy cup of joe. Pair wine with Wilder at Book Cellar, Inc.
With a tightly edited selection of children's and general interest books, the Book Cellar is a one-stop haven for those who prefer to pair Merlot with a bit of James Joyce. The recommendations and reviews that dot the bookshelves make browsing a breeze, and with more than a dozen varieties of wine at $6.50 to $8 a glass, it's no mystery why the Book Cellar plays host to a number of local book groups. Make it a meal with lunchy items like a roast beef sandwich and carrot and ginger soup, many of which come from Southport Grocery. The wide counter is covered with baked treats, including richly iced chocolate and vanilla cupcakes, though the refined can opt for a cheese plate and glass of Pinot Noir. Stroll from 57th Street Books to Medici Bakery
One of the best bookstores in the city, 57th Street Books is a subterranean dream for any browsing bookworm. With five winding rooms filled with books and a squeal-worthy selection of magazines, you could easily spend hours meandering inside. But once you've selected your book, skip the skimpy seating area and head down the block to the Medici Bakery. At a high wooden table overlooking a spacious park, linger over your new read while munching on a croissant, cinnamon roll, fruit tart or "garbage" cookie, laden with peanut butter, chocolate chips, raisins, M&Ms and oatmeal. The famous Mexican hot chocolate, made with cinnamon and ground chocolate, can be served up hot or as a decadent milk shake. Take a trip at Kopi Cafe
Snag a guidebook or collection of travel essays from the bookshelves near the back of this traveler's cafe then curl up at a floor-level table surrounded by pillows in the cafe's window. The beverage menu alone is enough to make you linger, with fresh juice combos, loose leaf teas and a long list of ice cream/drink combos like the heady homemade chai milkshakes. Though the cafe offers a full (vegetarian-friendly) menu and table service, the atmosphere is decidedly unrushed. There are plenty of homemade scones and muffins on hand, but the counter's crowd of cake trays is worth some serious consideration, especially if you opt for the stomach-bursting carrot cake, which is heavy on the moist carrots and sweet buttercream icing.

Check out Centerstage Chicago food and drink deals!

A Hall Worth Wandering Down

Thu, 01 Jan 2009 12:00:00 CST

photo: Nola Akiwowo

Ravenswood is not just the name for a wonderfully waggish part of town in which to live. Its residents' vibrant zest for expression has turned the neighborhood's main stretch into a veritable platter of animated artistry. Rows of refurbished old factory buildings, in the area from Irving Park to Foster, are home to web design services, audio-visual providers and numerous other small businesses. More importantly, the last 30 years have seen these cavernous spaces flip into prime art gallery and studio spaces, tickling the innovative side of many Northwest Chicago residents who call the Ravenswood art corridor home.

Architectural Artifacts
Stuart Grannen has a penchant for shiny objects of great value, and this obsession has taken shape in the form of Architectural Artifacts, a museum and a store. Many of the statues, furniture pieces and fixtures at the 80,000-square-foot space hail from all corners of the world, like the rows of $1,800 to $6,800 Argentinean and European wall sconces from the turn of the 20th-century. Or, how about picking up a hypnotic, wooden Bolivian Primitive Santo statue?if you happen to have $695. But fans of homegrown relics will be happy to know that plenty of Grannen's pieces were acquired locally; nothing says "Cubs fan" like a $2,200 cast iron turn style from Wrigley Field.

Studio Rose
Public space artist Ginny Sykes (whose work includes a piece for the Cool Globes Project on the Field Museum Campus) retreats to Studio Rose when she feels like creating something smaller than, say, her average mural to display over the Chicago River. An amorphous painting, which is under perpetual construction and was initially created for 2007's Art Walk Ravenswood, covers the walls of the studio and gallery. It is within these broad strokes of translucent paint that she creates her home-friendly abstract paintings of unbridled feminine prowess. While Sykes spends most of her time in her studio creating these pieces, she opens up her space as a performance spot or gallery for other artists three to four times a year.

Lillstreet Art Center
Trying to break into the art scene? The Ravenswood Art Corridor has a simple solution for aspiring and experienced artists alike: The Lillstreet Art Center, which offers gallery and studio space, as well as various creative classes. Members and students of the center work toward fostering and stimulating artistic endeavors in a noncompetitive workspace. Classes run the gamut from chain mailing to bouquet design to glass workshops. Annoyed with the faint scent of Turpenoid in your house? Some membership benefits allow artists 24-7 access to studios, and locker spaces are available for on-site storage. Best yet, there's an on-premise cafe, First Slice, which slings out amazing pies while helping to feed the less fortunate through its meal subscription program.

The Enterprising Kitchen
The non-profit organization known as The Enterprising Kitchen crafts bath and beauty products, like lavender-scented soy candles and bath tea soaks made with tea tree oil to help you unwind after a hard day. Not only will your body benefit from these organic treats, but your chi will also prosper due to the fact the store directly benefits lower-income women trying to change their lives. The Enterprising Kitchen offers a six- to 12-month workforce preparation program to help the women understand their potential by taking part in many of the company's day-to-day functions, ranging from soap making to customer service.

Check out Centerstage Chicago food and drink deals!

Comic Books are Cool

Thu, 01 Jan 2009 12:00:00 CST

photo: Benjamin Andrew Moore

It's no secret among my friends and family that I'm a comic book freak. Truth be told, I'm addicted to the little bastards; I visit comic book stores weekly; I pay out the ass; and I sometimes skip meals to support my obsession. When I told my lady friend, through gritted teeth and bitter tears, that I had quit comics, "and quit them for good!," I started hiding them around the apartment?in the couch, under the floorboards, down my pants?like packs of cigarettes. But with its near endless supply of comic book stores, Chicago is a hard-to-ignore enabler of my habit, so I've given up and given in to my passion. Don't be ashamed, people; succumb to the dorky embrace of Batman, Green Lantern, the X-Men and countless more.

Chicago Comics
The aptly named Chicago Comics?because it's located in Chicago and sells comics?really should be called "Awesome Comic Shop in Chicago." But, unfortunately, that name was already taken. A hodgepodge of vibrant visual styles?from neo-cyberpunk to the gothic stylings of Tim Burton?makes up the decor. The shop stocks comic books, action figures, posters and more; not a single space is left unused here, like an American Indian version of a comic book store (which can be a problem when it's really busy). The coolest thing about Chicago Comics, though: You can sell your own comic on their shelves, if you so desire.

Graham Crackers Comics (Loop)
Graham Cracker has less to do with quasi-cookies and more to do with high-quality comic-book selling around Chicagoland. If my words don't convince you, the giant, cartoonish sign that reads "COMICS" above the door, coupled with the oversize-cardboard cutouts of The Hulk, Iron Man and the recently dead Captain America (he'll be back!), should more than suffice. As soon as you walk through the door, you'll enjoy a bright, colorful and utterly welcoming vibe. Comics are organized first by publisher (DC, Marvel, Image, etc.) and second by alphabet; the graphic novel section is as vast as they come. There's even an ATM inside the store and a revolving door, which is greatly appreciated come negative-20 degree days with wind chill. The only downside is that they close at 6 p.m. on weekdays.

Evil Squirrel Comics
At first glance, the moniker "Evil Squirrel Comics" seems to be a name without meaning?words that only sound cool. But take a closer look, and you'll realize that the name says everything. Tucked away in Rogers Park, this comic book shop is small but feisty, with the kind of atmospheric exuberance more often attributed to bigger, more blatant stores like Chicago Comics. Small though it is, it stocks pretty much everything, and if you're lusting for an item it doesn't have on offer, the friendly employees will hunt it down for you. The owner and staff are some of the nicest, most talkative fellas you'll ever come across in a comic book shop, a 180-degree difference from your typical "Comic Book Guy," a la "The Simpsons." Also, if you're interested, the store hosts Friday Night Magic (FNM) games at 7 p.m. for a $5 entry fee.

Brainstorm Movies, Comics and Gaming
Brainstorm Comics (painted yellow, red and blue on the inside like an old-fashioned comic book!) is a self-described "Geek Safe-Zone." Now, I'm not sure that this affirmation is unique to Brainstorm, as I'm pretty certain every comic book shop earns geek safe-zone status (except for maybe "No Geeks Comic Shop" on Michigan Avenue). What does make Brainstorm unique is its enormous collection of hard-to-find superhero movies, like the straight-to-video "Captain America" or the original, somehow even cheesier version of "Fantastic Four" (sans Jessica Alba). On the comic book side of things, Brainstorm goes to the trouble of bagging and boarding all issues before they're placed on the shelves, which ensures that you won't read them without paying and protects your comic books for nary a penny.

Comix Revolution
Comix Revolution in Evanston looks like a nihilist's dream, with all the sleek grays, pitch blacks and dim spotlights sporadically peppered amongst the colorful comic books and posters. The black-and-white checkered floors will even further convince you that you've stepped into a 1990s commercial for Calvin Klein's "Obsession." Thankfully, looks can be deceiving. Though it has been called "pretentious in all the right ways," Comix Revolution is anything but nihilistic. The truth is, the staff cares more about the quality of a book than they do about its mainstream appeal; they place an emphasis on graphic novels (over 2,000 in stock), superhero-themed and not, without skimping on the weekly comics.

Check out Centerstage Chicago food and drink deals!

Book Clubs Uncovered

Thu, 01 Jan 2009 12:00:00 CST

photo: courtesy of Book Cellar

We all know that reading a book is a solitary act. But analyzing a book is so much more fun (and challenging) when you're in a group setting. So grab your favorite novel, get up off that couch and head over to one of Chicago's many book clubs. Don't know which one to join? We've filtered through them all to provide you with a wide variety, regardless of whether you're a history fanatic or a chick-lit expert.

For mystery and history lovers
The city's aspiring-gumshoes gather at Centuries & Sleuths Bookstore on the third Saturday of every month at 2 p.m. to discuss mystery novels. Into Some Danger Involved, a Sherlock Holmes-esque novel set in Victorian London's Jewish ghetto, or how about A Cold Day for Murder by Kat Shugak, which the club read last year? It tends to attract a mixed crowd of men and women in their mid-30s, and the members lead their own discussions sans moderator. If your reading interests skew more history than mystery, this store's got you covered, too. Its history book club meets on the last Sunday of every month at 2 p.m.; the folks who swoon over historical events have delved into Joan of Arc by Mark Twain and Intimate Voices from the First World War by Svetlana Palmer and Sarah Wallis. Both clubs are free, but the store expects you to purchase the book onsite.

For gay and lesbian readers
Gay and lesbian bookworms have a few queer-focused book club options. Gay men are encouraged to visit the Gerber/Hart Gay and Lesbian Library & Archives every fourth Tuesday of the month from 7:30-9 p.m., while ladies should hit the library every second Tuesday of the month from 7:30-9 p.m. The groups primarily discuss gay and lesbian literature, like Rubyfruit Jungle by Rita Mae Brown (a coming-of-age lesbian novel) and the story of a woman who pretended to be a man, Self Made Man: One Woman's Journey into Manhood and Back by Norah Vincent. Gay men are also invited to join a book club organized by the Unabridged bookstore staff, which meets at the shop at 7 p.m. on the last Tuesday of the month, to talk about gay-themed literature and non-fiction.

For drinkers with a reading habit
Reading is great and all, but reading with the reward of drinking really motivates you to finish that book. Join the resident lushes who set up shop at the Book Cellar on the first Wednesday of the month at 7 p.m. for a discussion directed by the owner. The bookstore's cafe offers wines and pastries to perfectly accompany the discussion?whether you're reading Jeremy Mercer's Time Was Soft There: A Paris Sojourn at Shakespeare & Co or Naeem Murr's The Perfect Man. The club focuses on local fiction wordsmiths. It often has signed books available, and some authors even show up to engage in the discussion.

For world travelers
The next best thing to traveling the world with friends is reading about traveling the world with friends. At 826CHI's Globiblio club (run by 826CHI's community outreach coordinator, Patrick Shaffner), members gather on the third Thursday of every month at 7 p.m. to discuss books from around the globe, like Alicia Cossio's Bruna & Her Sisters in the Sleeping City (from Ecuador) and David Toscana's Tula Station (from Mexico). The non-profit writing/tutoring center, founded by Pulitzer Prize-nominated author Dave Eggers, features a different country each month, and participants often bring food from that country to share. The tutoring lab can get packed, so be sure to RSVP to (773) 772-8108 ahead of time.

Check out Centerstage Chicago food and drink deals!

Touring Chicago, Literati-Style

Thu, 01 Jan 2009 12:00:00 CST

Writers, whether born in Chicago or drawn to it, have been inspired to pick up their pens by everything from the muted beauty of the South Side to the grisly meat-packing district to the "raw-potato odor" of Lake Michigan, as Saul Bellow once wrote. If you're looking for a shot of literary inspiration, the city is full of it. From houses to hangouts, here's where to look. Check out Hyde Park, Saul Bellow-style
A Chicago resident for more than 60 years, Bellow attended and later taught at the University of Chicago. A large section of Harper Memorial Library's north reading room is devoted to books by and about the author, with sprawl-worthy chairs and plenty of sunlight just begging you to curl up with a good book. Head to the Social Sciences Tea Room in the building next door; long before penning The Adventures of Augie March, Bellow would hang out here and discuss literature with friends. Despite the name, there's no tea to be had, so head to the nearby Divinity School Coffee Shop where, as the slogan goes, even God drinks coffee. Grab a burger in Mike Royko's memory
A Pulitzer Prize-winning columnist for the Trib, Chicago native Mike Royko was just one of the many journalists that made the Billy Goat Tavern into an unofficial watering hole for writers, including Tribune and Chicago Sun-Times writers Dave Condon, Bill Granger and Irv Kupcinet. Grab a table amidst the blown-up newspaper clippings adorning the walls and sink your teeth into one of the famous "cheezborgers." Even today you're likely to overhear snatches of writers talking as they nosh on burgers and beers. Walk off your meal with a stroll past Royko's old workplace, the Tribune Tower, located just across the street. Wander Wicker Park while channeling Nelson Algren
Famous for both his realistic writing about Chicago, including Chicago, City on the Make, and his torrid, Chicago-based love affair with Simone de Beauvoir, Nelson Algren was a Chicago man through and through. If you want to channel some gritty Algren energy, head no further than the elaborate fountain named in his honor at the intersection of Ashland, Milwaukee and Division. Algren's old apartment is nearby, at 1958 W. Evergreen Ave., with a sign next to the first floor window letting you know you're in the right spot. If hitting a few landmarks leaves you parched, head north to Algren's favorite bar, Lottie's Pub. Learn the history of Ernest Hemingway in Oak Park
The man that brought us The Old Man and the Sea was just a boy when he lived in Oak Park, but that hasn't stopped this area from memorializing all things Hemingway. Born in a second-floor bedroom with his father's help, Hemingway lived in the house until the age of six and you can tour Hemingway's birthplace to take in more nitty-gritty details of his childhood; get your fill of Hemingway artifacts and stories at the Ernest Hemingway Museum. If all that time indoors leaves you antsy, head to Scoville Park, at Lake Street and Oak Park Avenue, where little Ernie would go sledding with his sister when they were kids. Retrace Carl Sandburg's love affair with the city
Carl Sandburg fell in love with Chicago's broad shoulders after moving from Milwaukee to a second-floor apartment on the North Side at 4046 N. Hermitage Ave., but you'll have to head south to scout out Sandburg's haunts. Many of his favorites are long gone, including the Dill Pickle Club, where Sandburg would play guitar, read poetry and hang out big shots like Sinclair Lewis and Robert Frost, and the former site of the Abraham Lincoln Book Shop, where, in an upstairs room, Sandburg worked on his epic ode to Abe. Live kinda like Sandburg with a stop at the Abraham Lincoln Book Shop's current 357 W. Chicago Ave. location.

Check out Centerstage Chicago food and drink deals!

Genre Bookstores

Thu, 01 Jan 2009 12:00:00 CST

Chicago definitely isn't short on great bookstores. But when you've got a particular literary itch to scratch, it can sometimes feel like no one carries what you're looking for. Next time you're craving a particular genre, make the trip beyond your neighborhood bookseller. Each of these shops specializes in a particular genre, so whether you're seeking a hard-to-find mystery or the best browsing selection of lesbian literature, you'll be sure to find a bevy of books and some like-minded readers.

For mystery or history, visit Centuries & Sleuths Bookstore
Though it resembles the reading room of a beloved grandparent (think rocking chairs, forest green walls and red Scottish rugs), this Forest Park bookstore lures history and mystery buffs to its small but well-stocked shelves. If you've come to browse, owner Augie Aleksy is knowledgeable in his recommendation; aside from manning the front counter of his bookstore, he regularly gives history and mystery lectures. If you're looking for the latest release in a well-loved series, odds are he has it stocked first, as he orders English titles directly rather than waiting for the American versions to be released. A mystery discussion group meets the third Saturday and a history discussion group meets the last Sunday of each month. Find alternative press treasures at Quimby's
To put your finger on Quimby's specialty, look no further than the sign near the entrance, which boasts of the sale of "unusual publications, aberrant periodicals, saucy comic booklets and assorted fancies as well as a comprehensive miscellany of the latest independent 'zines' that all the kids have been talking about." The store was opened in 1991 by Steve Symbersky, the creator of more than 50 zines, and his passion for self-published zines hasn't waned since. Quimby's is a book browsers dream, with a gaggle of zine-filled shelves near the front, an impressive wall of hard-to-find magazines, and shelves of graphic novels (including foreign language, pornographic and vintage), film criticism, fiction, and poetry. For gay and lesbian titles, head to Unabridged Books, Inc.
No surprise that the two authors of A Field Guide to Gay and Lesbian Chicago met while working at this Boystown bookstore, known for its vast selection of gay and lesbian titles and a staff that's as approachable as it is knowledgeable. This two-story shop doesn't stop at gay and lesbian books, though; it stocks particularly strong travel and fiction sections and has one of the biggest inventories of kids' books in the city. Unabridged makes browsing even easier by posting staff reviews of books and lists of each year's favorite books. For a real deal, make sure to look through the stacks of marked-down hardcovers throughout the store. Spells it out in a foreign language at Europa Books
Though this bookstore looks more like a university textbook purveyor than a charming European bookshop (we were hoping for rich tapestries and trays of mints, we got light wood and thin carpets), it's still the best shop in town to find foreign language books. Specializing in French, Italian, German, Polish and Spanish books, Europa also carries books for English speakers who are learning foreign languages and a slew of foreign-language children's titles. Check out the more than 250 foreign-language periodicals that line the back of the store, or ask for a recommendation...each staff member speaks at least one language other than English. School up on academic titles at Seminary Co-Op Bookstore
Though "academic" may not seem like a genre to some, brainy bookworms know that nothing can compare to a no-frills, labyrinth-like bookstore that skips such niceties as kid's books, magazines and, well, sunlight. Located in the basement of the Chicago Theological Seminary, this bookstore boasts more than 100,000 titles, mainly in the humanities and social sciences. No matter which academic subject you've got on the brain (gender studies, anthropology, religion, philosophy, economics), the Co-op will have you covered in spades. It's also got a fantastic fiction and poetry section, and some tables near the front registers that are always full of good suggestions.

Check out Centerstage Chicago food and drink deals!

Off the Couch and Into the Coffee Shop

Thu, 01 Jan 2009 12:00:00 CST

If you're the type who cuddles up under the duvet with the New York Times every Sunday, we hear you. Lazy rituals are lovely, but there's something to be said for expanding your horizons, and Chicago's independent cafes are our destination of choice. Paired with a great book, the local flavor served at these indie outposts will give your day an extra authentic jolt of energy. Get cozy at Cafe Avanti
An air of lighthearted whimsy wafts through this cafe, perched atop a stairway and modestly set back from the cutesy Southport Corridor. Readers with weak eyes will rejoice at the flood of light that matches Avanti's sunny disposition. Despite the floor-to-ceiling polka dot and stripe motif, the minimal chatter, unobtrusive soundtrack of artists like Astrud Gilberto and ample supply of wooden chairs make it a perfect place to settle for hours. If you're tackling a real page-turner, order a build-your-own sandwich, which comes with a side of animal crackers and a paper fortune. Early bird gets the table at Intelligentsia Coffee (Lakeview)
Heading to Lakeview's Intelligentsia Cafe on a late Sunday morning is not for the impatient at heart; you'll recognize the regulars by their unabashed territorial tendency to hawk over any table that's verging on vacant. So if you're going to read, make like an early bird or arrive at an off-hour mid-week for the ideal Intelligentsia experience. Its unbeatable lattes, thick slices of zucchini and pumpkin bread and airy atmosphere (before the crowds arrive) make it simply irresistible. Curl up one of the plump couches or stake a spot at generous-size wooden table and watch the hours come and go. It's a professor's paradise at the Bourgeois Pig
This Lincoln Park coffee shop exhibits more quirkiness than all of Lincoln Park combined. Featuring a menu of sandwiches and salads with names like "The Sun Also Rises," and "Catcher in the Rye," along with seemingly infinite jars of loose tea and a whopping dictionary set on a pedestal by the entrance, it's the quintessential English professor's paradise. Avoid the banter of DePaul students and profs by heading straight up upstairs to grab a couch or table in the unofficially designated "quiet room." Beware: soft light and comfy seating can turn any speed-reader into a sleepy head. Silent, sustained reading at Swim Cafe
Students working their way through dense school reading will savor the flavor at this daytime-only cafe, where near silence is golden (and not uncommon). There's nary a distraction, with a sparse but even flow of customers mid-day. But drenched in intense shades of aqua, with bright lighting and not the cushiest of seating (hard wood benches and chairs), it's easy to stay pert and alert for hours. When you need a boost, warm your paws around the bowl-size porcelain cups of coffee and order up a plate full of bite-size brownies or mini muffins baked earlier that morning.

Check out Centerstage Chicago food and drink deals!

The Windy City Blows Art All 'Round

Thu, 01 Jan 2009 12:00:00 CST

Tired of trekking to the West Loop or River North to look at art? Chicago is a big enough city that we don't have to head downtown to get our culture on. The near North Side's neighborhoods alone offer up more than 50 fine art galleries and centers devoted to painting, sculpture, mosaics, ceramics and photography. Our guide outlines some of the North Side's most accessible art galleries, not just for their location, but in terms of friendlier staffs and affordability. Lakeview welcomes lovers of art to The Leigh Gallery
It's not that this gallery wouldn't work in another neighborhood, but it really fits the bill in Boystown. In an area that expresses itself through sex shops, multi-culti dining, coffee hangs and daring nightclubs, some cultural expression by way of fine art makes sense. For decorating the homes of nearby residents, it makes cents too. Most of the oil, acrylic and watercolor paintings sell for less than $2,000; the ceramic works, jewelry, fiber works and sculptures are mostly priced below $300. With no special exhibits, you can visit any time to catch the work of all 40 artists on board, which ranges from traditional watercolors to wildly colorful paintings. Ann Powell is a favorite; her landscapes capture the feeling of twilight to the point that they bewitch. Arrive more inspired after visiting Andersonville's Estudiotres
In the heart of our city's Swedish neighborhood is a contemporary international art gallery. Estudio Tres' appearance in the spring of 2006 further affirmed Andersonville's identity as a home for artists, students and those living the creative life. The gallery's rotating monthly exhibits feature museum-quality artists, the conceptually and technically cutting-edge, shows devoted to community concerns, and openings with food supplied by local restaurants. A project space in the back room always features the artwork of local, emerging artists. A visit to Estudio Tres would perfectly punctuate a late morning brunch at Svea, or give you some food for thought before drinking it up at Hopleaf across the street. Cuba meets Lincoln Park at Havana Gallery
Who knew that steps from the DePaul University campus lay a window into Cuba? In 1999 this spacious and bright space was converted from a video store into a premiere art gallery, showing the work of more than 30 Cuban and Cuban-American artists. The focus is on painting, mostly for logistical reasons: Gallery personnel head to Cuba twice yearly to collect the art on consignment, and paintings fit in suitcases more easily than sculptures! The same vivid, colorful and dynamic feel that makes up Cuban music and architecture resonates in these paintings, which are both folksy and modernist in style. The gallery participates in Lincoln Park events, such as "Shop under the Stars" (which happens in July). Gallery director Allison Hill certainly made me feel at home last time I stopped in, by offering me a root beer and great some great conversation. Ravenswood rocks realistic painting at Gillock Gallery Chicago
Go figure. Along the Metra tracks in an industrial corridor lining one of Chicago's sleepier North Side sections, is one of the city's best stops for figurative painting. Gillock Gallery Chicago is a small, one-room space devoted to showing the fruits of hours and hours of intricate painting. While the fact that the gallery is only open on Saturdays might seem like a disadvantage, when else would residents get there? Synchronize a visit with one of this neighborhood's hot new food finds, maybe by brunching beforehand at Glenn's Diner or munching on pizza at Spacca Napoli. Roscoe Village gets righteously affordable at Sacred Art
For a seriously sweet deal on artwork, the North Side's gem of an art gallery is Sacred Art. Need an unconventional wedding gift or an edgy painting for your living room? Bring $200 to this Roscoe Village haven and you'll leave with a painting, a handmade glass vase and enough money a glass of champagne at Volo down the street. But seriously, Sacred Art contributes to the community feel of this adorable neighborhood with Friday night art openings that that are free, with free "adult" refreshments. Fun!

Check out Centerstage Chicago food and drink deals!

Growing Notes

Mon, 15 Dec 2008 12:00:00 CST

For most visitors?especially during the winter months?the Lincoln Park Conservatory offers a haven from Chicago's busy streets. They come here expecting a peaceful stroll through the expansive indoor park and little else. But from now through February, visitors to the Fern Room can experience something more: a concert.

Have no fear, plant lovers; your favorite flora won't be besieged by wailing guitars or clashing cymbals. The performance ?"The Osmosymbiotic Echo," by Jenny Graf Sheppard?is the most recent installation of the Florasonic sound series, presented by the Experimental Sound Studio.

The site-specific installations began eight years ago as the brainchild of Studio director Lou Mallozzi and sound artist M.W. Burns. Mallozzi, who curates the series, says he chooses artists "who are aware of how the space works and who concern themselves with the dichotomy of the natural and the artificial world, as the Conservatory is both a natural and an artificial space."

Sheppard, a Baltimore artist who formerly lived in Chicago (you may know her as a member of the noise band Metalux), attempts to recreate the experience of a natural environment by fusing sounds sampled from the plants' natural co-habitants. The piece, which she refers to as a "composition for ferns," is almost entirely composed of samples from Kentucky wildlife. Bird chirps, frog croaks and insect buzzes blend together in a 22-minute piece that plays over the speakers throughout the greenhouse. Sound effects repeat, amplify and vanish in a loop (with the exception of the mockingbird?s call, which plays only once).

Sheppard's installation was inspired by the studies found in the popular 1970s book, The Secret Life of Plants, an "account of the physical, emotional and spiritual relations between plants and man." The book contains a theory which notes that sound?particularly that produced by birds?has been shown to stimulate plant growth by inducing absorption of moisture and nutrients. With "Echo," Sheppard simulates these sound patterns, furthering the creation of a natural world within the Conservatory's artificial space.

And though there is no word yet on whether the plants have begun to grow in earnest, the piece has certainly made an impact on visitors. The most common response so far: "I can't see the birds."

"The Osmosybiotic Echo" continues daily (9 a.m.-5 p.m.) through February 2009 at the Lincoln Park Conservatory, 2391 N. Stockton. Admission is free.

Check out Centerstage Chicago food and drink deals!

Deck the Walls

Mon, 08 Dec 2008 12:00:00 CST

Naughty or nice, you'll want to check our list twice.
We have the goods on holiday giving and festive fun. �

If the grim economic forecast has you reassessing your holiday giving, know that the gift of art is a far more solid investment than any financial derivative or arcane real estate scheme. Whatever your budget, these ideas will help you keep the 'bang' in your 'buck.'

Chicago Printmakers 19th Annual International Small Print Show
The Chicago Printmakers Collaborative arts laboratory and storefront sits in the shadow of the Western Brown Line stop; its rich holiday show and sale is worth extending your commute. The affordable wares of more than 70 artists from across town and around the world, on sale through December 21, provide an education in print techniques like lithography, intaglio and photogravure. Their work spans medieval fantasies to modern realities, from the soothing to the severe, from the silly to the sublime.

ThreeWalls Crystal Ball and Holiday Auction
Sip absinthe in limited edition stemware, visit the fortune teller, show off that killer RenFair costume and, while you're at it, bid on dozens of boundary-busting art items at ThreeWalls' winter party. By taking artists under its proverbial wing, the West Loop gallery has built quite the fan club. Join it on Saturday, December 13 at 8 p.m. for a $30 admission fee?which includes a limited edition glass?or a $20 ticket?which does not, and bid on some pieces for everyone on your gift list. Proceeds support ThreeWalls' exhibitions and artist-in-residence programs.

The Palette & Chisel's New Year's Day Model Marathon
If that special someone prefers an outlet for his or her creative expression to tchotchkes destined for a storage closet, plan a visit to Palette & Chisel's Model Marathon, 12 hours of models posing for sketches in the school's stunning Gold Coast Italianate home, for only $25. The price includes a free first lunch of 2009. For the more committed artist, give the gift of Palette & Chisel's winter watercolor or sculpture classes ($250-300 for 8-10 weeks).

Shoot an Iraqi by Wafaa Bilal
AS the title suggests, this one may not exactly fill the recipient with holiday cheer. But sometimes the best gifts are the ones that make you think. The continuing violence in Bilal's Iraqi homeland and the average American's growing detachment from that conflict motivated "Domestic Tension," the author?s achingly brilliant 2007 exhibit (and worldwide sensation) at FLATFILEgalleries. The former Art Institute of Chicago professor confined himself to a single room, in the sight of a paintball gun controlled by his Internet audience. Their support and vitriol was beyond anything he could imagine, a repository for misplaced aggression and helplessness. His harrowing account of surviving Saddam's regime, and his month of staged violence in the West Loop, is available for $11.87 at City Lights Publishers.

Naughty or nice, you'll want to check our list twice.
We have the goods on holiday giving and festive fun. �

Check out Centerstage Chicago food and drink deals!

Shop Like You're One of a Kind

Tue, 02 Dec 2008 12:00:00 CST

Now that December has arrived, Chicagoans are as busy as ever with holiday festivities, party planning and Christmas shopping. Many of us spend half the weekend in our cars running all over town, accruing massive parking tickets just to find five things on our list. This year, we think you should do yourself a favor by spending an otherwise stressful shopping weekend at Chicago's eight annual One of a Kind Show.

With 60,000 square feet (there's a reason the Merchandise Mart has its own zip code) neatly sectioned into galleries (each showcasing a different medium), the One of a Kind Show will feature more than 500 juried artists and artisans from all across North America. Each artist will have his or her own station where you can browse leisurely and ask questions with guaranteed answers straight from the source. Exhibits include photography, painting, sculpture, glass, furniture, pottery, jewelry and wearable art, among others.

Last year, more than 35,000 shoppers attended the One of a Kind Show. In addition to a full lineup of national and local artists, 2007's event brought in local confectioners like Katherine Anne who provided complimentary samples of her handmade caramels and chocolates. The Wooden Spoon was also on site with plenty of tempting treats for purchase like chocolate-covered sunflower seeds, gourmet preserves and holiday gift baskets. This year should be just as tasty with its gourmet gallery featuring a range of specialty items including dips, sauces and baked goods from artisans like the Chocolate Gourmet, Heartland Herbs and Lehman's Orchard.

On Thursday, the show will open its doors at noon for an extra day of shopping and fun early-bird specials like the one-of-a-kind ornament sale. You can also feel good about your purchases, as 100 percent of Thursday's ticket sales will benefit the nationally recognized Children's Memorial Hospital. A number of exhibiting artists will also donate a percentage of their sales that day to support the hospital. One such artist, Thomas Mann, will share the love by selling his carefully designed Pocket Heart charms, hand-carved from cast pewter.

Style-savvy guests won't want to miss Friday night in the Fashion District, when the One of a Kind show kicks off the weekend with its trend show, special expert presentations and cocktails provided by DiVine (6 p.m.-9 p.m.). Beginning at noon on both Saturday and Sunday, Chicago fashion authority Julie Darling will act as personal stylist and shopper by sharing her favorite items from the show. Throughout the weekend, select artists will share their stories and inspiration and will provide 20-minute demonstrations on their respective skills and techniques.

In addition to its full schedule of activities, talks and demonstrations, Chicago's One of a Kind Show will also run concurrently with The Artist Project, located on floor 7 of the Merchandise Mart. The gallery-style exhibition will feature 100 emerging independent artists who will showcase work in 2D, mixed media, photography and sculpture.

Cost: Tickets are $10 for adults and $7 for seniors and students with a valid i.d. Children 12 and under are free. Tickets are available online at oneofakindshow.com and are also good for admission to The Artist Project.

Hours: Thursday, December 4, noon-9 p.m.; Friday, December 5, 11 a.m.-9 p.m.; Saturday, December 6, 10 a.m.-7 p.m.; and Sunday, December 7, 10 a.m.-5 p.m.

For more information on the One of A Kind Show and Sale Chicago, please call (800) 677-6278 or visit the event website.

Check out Centerstage Chicago food and drink deals!