Home About News & Reporting Arts & Culture SEO Contact

Art Writing

KCUR •

The best artist-run spaces in Kansas City

This story was first published in KCUR's Adventure newsletter. You can sign up to receive stories like this in your inbox every Tuesday.

While the Crossroads remains the central art hub of Kansas City, artists across the metro have established their own spaces to create, collaborate and showcase their work.

With spots in the West Bottoms, North Hyde Park, and Kansas City, Kansas, among others, these artist-run spaces allow an affordable and accessible alternative to traditional galleries or mu
Chicago Artist Writers •

The Paglees: Between Reason and Madness at South Asia Institute – Chicago Artist Writers

History associates women with madness too casually, especially those whose voices were uncommon in the public sphere. Different, disturbing, difficult — such are the mad women in men’s eyes. Such are the mad women in women’s eyes. Lower-income women, women of color, and immigrant women are habitually marginalized even within the feminist world as “the dominance of a white, middle-class positionality within feminism that often failed to acknowledge the existence of intersectional oppressions” (Pa
Medium •

A Revitalized Classic and Painfully Relevant Performance

The Glass Menagerie is a “memory play,” and one that propelled Tennessee William into fame. The plot was simple: young, ambitious Tom (R.H. Wilhoit) and his burning adventurer’s spirit cannot stand withering away in the warehouse and returning to a suffocating apartment to his overly-energetic mother (Manon Halliburton) and malfunctioning sister (Erdin Schultz-Bever). In exchange, or in compensation for his decision to pursue the supposed freedom, Tom agreed to his mother’s demand to help his si
Bridge •

REVIEW: The Perspective of Nothingness; Chicago Works: Maryam Taghavi مریم تقوی at the MCA Chicago

Where one stands determines what/how one sees. What was considered sacrosanct and rigid gains fluidity under a different light. Taghavi refers to her cultural heritage and comfortably removes it from its original context to assign them refreshed meanings and functionalities. “I do have this thread to this language, to this culture, but it’s really hard to preserve it . . . with the distance that I have from it [and] with the time that we are living in,” Taghavi said in her interview with the MCA
Sixty Inches From Center •

Empowering Dancers with Accessible Information: An Interview with Mariah Eastman on the Chicago Dancer Pay Transparency Project

An interview with Mariah Eastman, founder of the Chicago Dancer Pay Transparency Project, on the burgeoning movement for equitable pay and fair treatment within Chicago’s dance community.

In the last few years, dancers from New York City Ballet to The School of America Ballet have spoken up to fight for livable wages and fair compensation. Similar voices can now be heard in Chicago’s dance community echoing calls for equitable treatment.

In 2023, Chicago dance company Darvin Dances started a s
Chicago Reader •

Review: Indus Blues

Imagine sitting in your hometown’s square. You’re playing a traditional musical instrument you’ve spent your whole life learning.

Officials far younger than you show up and tell you to stop and leave.

And when you try to tell them you’re playing the music that’s an essential part of your country’s culture, they scoff and say: “This is not even a part of our culture.”

This is the opening scene of the 2019 documentary Indus Blues, the first film scheduled for the South Asia Institute’s new bimo
Time Out •

The best theaters in Chicago

This 1,325-seat proscenium theater was designed by Chicago architects Marshall & Fox in 1910. Under its original name, the Blackstone Theatre, it served as a home for the Federal Theatre Project in the 1930s and hosted the premiere of Lorraine Hansberry's A Raisin in the Sun in 1959, in addition to scads of touring shows. In 1988, it was sold to DePaul University, which renamed the theater in honor of donor Reskin in 1992. The Theatre School at DePaul now uses the Reskin for its kid-oriented Chi
Block Club Chicago •

National Public Housing Museum Confronts Housing Crisis in New Exhibit, 'Evicted'

RIVER NORTH — “Home” is a vital concept for everyone — a place where people feel safe and secure, where they can always return to and be surrounded by belongings and perhaps family, friends and pets.

“Evicted” at the National Public Housing Museum, 625 N. Kingsbury St., explores the trauma that occurs when people are ejected from their homes.

Produced by Brooklyn-based firms MATTER, MGMT and Unfurl Productions, the exhibit was held at the National Building Museum in Washington, D.C., and has t
Fandom Fanatics •

Another Failed Male Attempt to Dipict Intricate Female Psychology

I recently read an essay on The Atlantics about how the small towns in America’s rural areas are slowly killing girls’ futures before their lives ever begin. When Eileen came to the theaters, I was much anticipating the film to explore this suffocating despair when the movie synopsis revealed that the story was about a young woman in a small Massachusetts town. And, of course, I was not about to miss the golden opportunity to see my goddess Anne Hathaway on the big screen.

I had high hopes befo
Time Out •

The best gaming lounges, cafes and shops in Chicago

Located steps from Logan Square, Midlane is an easy ride down the Blue Line. Healthy gamers also have the option to take their bikes since there is a bike rack right across the street, and the nearest 606 trail exit is only eleven minutes away.

Midlane Esports offers a sweet first-timer discount, granting you an hour of free play. The standard rates are $8 for one hour and $21 for three hours, but the best deal is the $22 Wombo Combo, which includes two hours of play, one specialty cocktail (or
Chicago Reader •

Small wonders

Artists often use their eyes to absorb the surrounding world before recreating it. Doctors use their eyes to identify symptoms, provide diagnoses, or perform surgeries. With approximately 125 million photoreceptors in each human eye, these small organs hold magnificent power—no wonder we call our eyes the “windows to our soul.”

On view at the International Museum of Surgical Science (IMSS), “Vitreous bodies” is artist Jenny Åkerlund’s intersectional exploration of the human eye, weaving togethe
Bridge •

Bridge

Do you remember your childhood home? The small kitchen table everyone gathered around, the vintage oak cupboard with Victorian moldings your grandma bought when she got married, or the giant flower quilt you wrapped yourself in every night? What about the first apartment you rented as you hunted for a job after college? The historic brick walls and marble decors left from decades ago, the tiny stairwell with marks left by people moving furniture in and out, or the cozy book nook you built yourse
Sixty Inches From Center •

Sister’s Whispers: Writing Nüshu in China, Writing Chinese in America

Departing from a 2022 documentary, “Hidden Letters,” that shines light upon an obscure writing system, Nüshu, practiced historically among certain groups of women in China, Xiao savors the complexity of being a Chinese woman in the Midwest and explores bonds that can be formed through the exclusivity of language.

A good girl can fight her way through a thousand troops;

A good horse can gallop into a myriad-man battle!

—Wilt Idema, Heroines of Jiangyong: Chinese Narrative Ballads in Women’s Sc
Chicago Reader •

Discover five new Chicagoland artists

Chicago’s art scene wouldn’t be as vibrant if we didn’t have so much new talent entering the flow each year. After all, art is about growth, change, and discovery. In its past editions, the Cleve Carney Museum of Art’s Emerging Artist Exhibit has highlighted some of the most iconic Chicagoland artists, including 2021 Joan Mitchell Fellowship award recipient Mie Kongo, who exhibited at EXPO Chicago 2022, and Juliann Wang, DCASE Individual Artists Program Grantee for 2021 and 2022, and a 2022 arti
Chicago Reader •

Finding a connection through art and poetry

Americans continue to live through a silent epidemic of loneliness where over half of minority and low-income populations feel isolated and alone. “Threads,” on view at the Ukrainian Institute of Modern Art (UIMA) through October 22, invites visitors to reconsider how humans develop emotional ties and find new ways to emphasize compassion and connectivity. “Threads” is a communication experiment between art and poetry where textile artists create new work based on selected poems written by Ukrai
Time Out •

The best buildings to see during Open House Chicago

If this is your first year going around during Open House Chicago weekend, the Central Standard Building needs to be at the top of your list. Plus, this place never gets old for architecture lovers, and you’ll always discover something new.

Standing across the Federal Reserve Bank of Chicago, the Central Standard Building is an icon for neoclassical and Gothic Revival architecture, with a touch of Art Deco. The building recently restored the massive 88,000-square-foot grand banking hall on the
Chicago Reader •

From Le Perroquet to STREET

Living in Chicago, we hear these amazing restaurant success stories that sound like unimaginable adventures. Too often, these tales have undergone massive editing and polishing to the point where even the worst struggle sounds like a finely crafted Shakespearean sonnet. We rarely see the raw truth. We look at successful restaurants and chefs with their list of awards, and the first thing we think is that they are different from people like us. Then an independent documentary like Susan Feniger.
Bridge •

REVIEW: What Else Do You Want from Me? Questioning Unrealistic Expectations on Female Resilience with Rebecca Drolen’s “Unstable Entity” at Filter Space

The exhibition is composed of three types of photographs. Images of female bodybuilders were the archetypes, representing the human body’s maximized strength and physicality. The artist’s performances of dance and yoga movements require more delicate displays of strength, such as intricate muscle control, balancing, and tender elegance, yet demand just as much stamina for proper delivery. Finally, the assemblages of planks, wood blocks, cinder blocks, and other found construction materials put t
Block Club Chicago •

In 'Gravity,' Artist Tom Torluemke Explores Climate Crisis Through Riveting Landscapes

UKRAINIAN VILLAGE — A new exhibition of landscapes at the Ukrainian Institute of Modern Art originated from a series of selfies the artist Tom Torluemke asked family and friends to take during the pandemic.

“Gravity,” Torluemke’s solo exhibition, features landscapes and portraits the Indiana-based painter created over the past three years, bringing humanity and nature together to depict the current environmental crisis.

“Gravity” is on view through Oct. 15 at the museum, 2320 W. Chicago Ave. T
Erato Magazine •

Back in Time, to the Beginning: A Tribute to Taylor Swift and a New Age

Xiao da Cunha creative essay and tribute to Taylor Swift, her re-recording of 1989 (and others), and her presence in girlhoods around the world.

Taylor Swift's appeal is unparalleled. No, really.

For Swifties, she is everything: an inspiration, a tap on the shoulder, a push in the back, and a patient girlfriend. Born in the early 90s, Taylor and I (and about every other girl back then) took place in every step of each others lives; I watched her music career skyrocket and in turn, her music go
Time Out Chicago •

Tiger Strikes Asteroid Chicago | Art in Lower West Side, Chicago

Thanks for subscribing! Look out for your first newsletter in your inbox soon! The best of Chicago for free. Sign up for our email to enjoy Chicago without spending a thing (as well as some options when you’re feeling flush). Déjà vu! We already have this email. Try another? No thanks By entering your email address you agree to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy and consent to receive emails from Time Out about news, events, offers and partner promotions.

Thanks for subscribing! Look out for y
Time Out Chicago •

The Martin | Art in Ukrainian Village, Chicago

Thanks for subscribing! Look out for your first newsletter in your inbox soon! The best of Chicago for free. Sign up for our email to enjoy Chicago without spending a thing (as well as some options when you’re feeling flush). Déjà vu! We already have this email. Try another? No thanks By entering your email address you agree to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy and consent to receive emails from Time Out about news, events, offers and partner promotions.

Thanks for subscribing! Look out for y
Time Out Chicago •

[ salonlb. ] | Art in Bridgeport, Chicago

A salon, a gallery, and an open community forum. Salonlb. has been redefining what an art gallery should look like since day one. Aiming to break down social norms and stimulate necessary conversations, Salonlb. focuses on sculpture, mixed-media and contemporary craft and highlights emerging and mid-career artists. Engaging the digital space as an extension of its physical location, Salonlb. is also one of the few hybrid galleries in Chicago.
Time Out Chicago •

Wrightwood 659 | Art in Lincoln Park, Chicago

Thanks for subscribing! Look out for your first newsletter in your inbox soon! The best of Chicago for free. Sign up for our email to enjoy Chicago without spending a thing (as well as some options when you’re feeling flush). Déjà vu! We already have this email. Try another? No thanks By entering your email address you agree to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy and consent to receive emails from Time Out about news, events, offers and partner promotions.

Thanks for subscribing! Look out for y
Load More