Happy New Year to all of our members and readers. We hope you had a lovely holiday season, and that 2019 will be a good one for all of us. This is a time of year to reflect on where we've been and where we are going.
Here at Skyline Village Chicago we are proud of the programs we offered last year. Our Friday Forums included State Sen. Heather Steans discussed why passing the ERA in Illinois was important. Louise Hawkley, PhD, shared her ground-breaking research on loneliness. Jack Engel introduced us to Chicago birds. We learned from Jack Jennings why school funding is so critical for our future. Brad Winick explained Livable Chicago for all Ages and why we should hold our mayor and aldermen accountable. Police Sgt. Chris Schenk gave us important tips on staying safe in our neighborhood.
Our own members also shared their brilliance and passions: Kathlyn McGuire made us aware of the devastating effects of noise pollution. Anna Rappaport shared her in-depth and ground breaking research on retirees 85+. Martha Holstein gave a challenging talk on the impact of ageism on all of us. Our last Forum of 2018 was an open session to plan for 2019, and we have lots of new ideas that will keep us informed, challenged and activated.
Looking back, in addition to our monthly Salons we partnered with CLL to provide falls prevention information and our popular annual "Don't Fall in Love With Your Medicare D Plan," which over the past five years has saved participants thousands of dollars.
Skyline Village Chicago is here for you. We look forward to seeing you at our events and hearing your ideas, favorite things, tips and issues.
All our best for a healthy, peaceful, and prosperous 2019.
PS-
If you haven't joined or renewed your membership yet, please do. Skyline Village Chicago needs your support to keep doing what we do.
Editor's Note:
If you can't see this newsletter all the way down to the Skyline Mission Statement, that means that your email server doesn't automatically download longer emails. When you read to the bottom, you should see a message to 'Download all'. Click on it to get all the information about the latest in SVC, news from our members and goings on in our vibrant neighborhood. We don't want you to miss anything!
Support Skyline Village Chicago with Your Amazon Purchases
SVC is registered as a supportable charity on Amazon Smiles
Go to
www.smile.amazon.com, log in, and select Skyline Village Chicago Inc as your charity. All of your Amazon info will carry over. That's all you have to do. A portion of any Amazon purchase you make will benefit SVC.
Good Times with Skyline Village Chicago
SVC Visits The Arts Club of Chicago and Discovers a "Hidden" Secret
By Nancie Thompson
The Playhead of Dawn:
Have you ever wandered by The Arts Club at the corner of Ontario Street and St. Clair and heard what sounds like hundreds of birds and wondered what could be attracting so many birds to the trees above that garden? Members of Skyline Village were recently invited to tour The Arts Club. While the exhibits in The Club are truly quite wonderful, what many of us couldn't stop talking about were the sounds coming from the garden
Actually, what we were hearing is a 24-hour sound piece that loops in time with the rotation of the earth. Electronic boards near the top of the building identify the regions and times that you are hearing. Visitors are encouraged to take note of the schedule and return at a time to hear the birds of a meaningful region, a special trip, a loved one's city, or childhood memories. The exhibit closes March 16.
The Arts Club of Chicago is at 201 East Ontario. The Gallery is free and open to the public weekdays and Saturdays. Have you ever discovered a "secret place" in the city? Tell us about it!
November Friday Forum
Darby J. Morhardt, Research Associate Professor of Mesulam Center for Cognitive Neurology and Alzheimer's Disease and Preventive Medicine, was the speaker for our November Friday Forum and drew one of largest turnouts of the year. She talked about the research being conducted and the programs and services available at the Center, and its focus on the impact of cognitive impairment on the individual, family and their social networks. Darby is newly named Director of the Miller Quality of Life Enrichment Programs. She reminded us that Alzheimers' Day event, held every May in the Feinberg auditorium, gives all of us an opportunity to learn about the latest research into Alzheimer's and memory loss, to explore the resources available to us.
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If you want to help plan events or have an idea for programs, please contact info@skylinevillagechicago.org, or better yet -- join the Events Committee, which meets the first Monday of every month.
Did you enjoy one of SVC's events and want to tell us about it? Do you have some pictures to share? We'd love to have your reviews and your photos for the newsletter and website.
Be sure to include the event you attended and the names of the folks in the photos.
Skyliner Expeditions
Did you take a trip this fall? Are you planing one this winter? Tell us about it!
Where did you go? Did you have a favorite place? Favorite experience? Favorite piece of art? Memorable meal? Did something surprise you? Best experience? Or even the worst - because sometimes those make the best stories, don't they?
We are eager to share your adventure and photos!
Send them to Judy Karlov, judy.karlov@gmail.comby mid-February for our March/April newsletter.
At last, Michigan Avenue gets outdoor art! On the Erie Street side of Dylan's Candy shop there is a large colorful mural. It depicts five or six men climbing a ladder to an idyllic utopia. At the bottom of the ladder is a sign, Enter Here. At the top of the ladder just as it enters Utopia, a sign says, No Entry. It's a metaphor for the hoax of the American Dream. The men are stuck on the ladder to a blocked utopia. Perhaps it's a salute to the new book, Broken Ladders, How Inequality Affects the Way We Think, Live and Die By Keith Payne
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2 Faves from Gail Zugerman
Poetry Center : unusual space and one of a kind destination.
Columbe Coffee: unusually good coffee and specialty drinks. Makes Starbucks look anemic.
Please Note: The favorite things are the personal favorite things of the contributors. They are not endorsed or recommended by Skyline Village Chicago in any way.
Skyline Thoughts From Our Members
Photos
Submitted by Bella Vist
Lakefront Sunrise
Helpful Mavis
Submitted by Colby Krouse
After bringing me a sock filched from the laundry, Mavis decided to help me shop for used cars. Looks like she wants to make some notes on my file.
Do you have something you'd like to share with your Skyline Village friends in the next newsletter? A news story, a poem, blog, piece of art, photo, a Favorite thing, a quote? We'd love to include you in upcoming newsletter and the website.
Skyline Village has a nice write-up in the Streeterville News this month. Phyllis Mitzen addresses ageism and how Villages give us a voice in making our neighborhoods more livable for all.
Park customers will enjoy Dancing,Crafts and treats. There will be a special photo area so bring a camera and take a picture with your favorite sweetheart.
For further information call Lake Shore Park at 312-742-7891.
Meets Second Wednesday of the Month January 9 February 13
6:00pm - 7:30pm
Newberry Library, Room B-91
60 W. Walton, Elm Street entrance
Events
Celebrate Spring Annual Fundraiser
Thursday February 21
5:30pm - 8:00pm
Mity Nice Grill
835 North Michigan Avenue
Washington Square Park will hold its annual fundraiser. If you can't make the event you can still support the park by purchasing raffle tickets for fantastic prizes. Take a look at the list so far.
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Chicago Park District
Millennium Park
201 E. Randolph Street
Millennium Park McCormick Tribune Ice Skating Rink November 16 - March 6 Monday-Thursday 12:00pm - 8:00pm
In the heart of downtown Chicago, with the City's skyline as a backdrop, a ribbon of ice winds through a rolling landscape providing an ice skating experience unlike any other. The skating ribbon is dramatically different from typical civic ice rinks, creating a multi-sensory activity that is integrated into the landscape. Skaters can experience "alpine in the city" as they lace up their ice skates and follow a path twice the length of a lap around a traditional skating rink. Complementing the ribbon are places to enjoy a cup of hot chocolate and rent skates. In the summertime, the Ribbon can be used to watch climbers on the climbing wall. Admission is free. Skates available for rental.
You can take an active role in helping the Chicago Police Department prevent crime in your neighborhood by attending your police district's Chicago Alternative Policing Strategy (CAPS) meetings. If you need assistance from the Police Department, Fire Department, or an ambulance please call 911 immediately.
The 18th District serves residents east of the River and south of Fullerton Lincoln Park, Old Town, River North, Gold Coast and Streeterville.
Beats 1834 and 1833 meetings are held on the first Thursday of every odd-numbered month. Beat 1834, serving Streeterville south of Superior, and Beat 1833, serving Streeterville north of Superior, meet at 6:00 pm on the first Thursday of every odd-numbered month at Access Living, 115 W. Chicago.
To confirm/identify your District and Beat,
use this map.
For a full list of 18th District Events,
click here.
Encore Illinois
Encore Choirs gave NINE performances of "Season of LIght" in the Chicago area, including the combined chorales at 4th Presbyterian Church.
Now is the time to register for Spring, 2019. Show tunes will be the theme and rehearsals start the week of January 28th. Rehearsals take place on Mondays from 12:00pm - 1:30pm at The Clare
The Washington Post and Memory Well websites featured the Good Memories Choir including video of their inaugural performance December 11. The choir all donned purple scarves for Alzheimers Awareness and performed to a packed house at Fourth Presbyterian Church.
Good Memories is comprised of people with early-stage memory loss and their care partners along with supportive volunteers, many whom are members of Encore Chorale.
Winter Fitness Sessions are beginning at Northwestern. Please check the schedule for the wellness classes. Participants who register late will be prorated for missed classes for fitness classes.
In Streeterville, we have a full line of fitness classes appropriate for Mature Adults including:
Gentle Yoga, Yoga for Osteoporosis, Zumba Gold {R}, Pilates, Line Dancing, Low-Impact Aerobics, Nia, Tai Chi, and Strength and Balance. Our classes are small and our instructors are well trained. We are able to offer individual modifications for a variety of physical and medical conditions as needed.
We also offer Wellness Classes on a rotating basis, including Fasting Diets, What's It All about; Detox, Cleansing and Rejuvenation; Food as Medicine; Going Gluten Free; Guided Mindful Meditation; and Meditation: Through Mindful Movement.
Call and ask about registering for a free trial fitness class today.
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Chicago Memory Cafe
3rd Tuesday of the month
January 22
February 19
1:00pm - 3:00pm
Loyola University Chicago
Schreiber Center
16 E. Pearson, 9th Floor, Wintrust Hall
The Chicago Memory Café is a free monthly gathering for people living with dementia and their family, friends and care partners, providing support and social connection to those at any stage of the disease. People with dementia and their care partners often experience social disengagement and disconnection as they navigate disease progression, which can cause depression, health decline and other challenges. Social connection can help people maintain mental, emotional ad physical health.
The café has met monthly since January with an average attendance of 45. Structured programming has included chair yoga, scrapbooking, live performances and dance. Program evaluations indicated that participants enjoy meeting others, sharing similar experiences, trying something new and spending time together.
The cafe is free but registration is needed. Call 312.908 9023 or email
SOAR: Streeterville Organization of Active Residents
New Year's Kickoff Party
January 16
6:00pm - 7:30pm
Copper Fox Gastro Pub
155 E. Ontario
Celebrate the start of a new year with SOAR at the New Year's Kickoff Party! Join us at
Copper Fox Gastro Pub for an evening of friends, drinks, and community. Guests will receive a drink ticket good for house wine, beer, or a soft drink, and there will be appetizers provided by the venue. We will also take this time to thank all the volunteers who helped make 2018 successful. Members will also have the opportunity to sign up to be a volunteer in 2019!
SOAR's mission is to work on behalf of Streeterville residents by preserving, promoting, and enhancing the quality of life and community in Streeterville.
Streeterville Neighborhood Advocates
New 311 System
The new 311 website and system is up and running. Craig Kaiser of Streeterville Neighborhood Advocates attended one of the introduction sessions and reported on some of the features.
Platform technology:
Since the system was introduced in 1998 there have only been two Platform updates. The new platform will be updated quarterly so that should keep it current with technology.
Although there have been other third party applications like SeeClickFix, this will be the first city managed platform, available on smart phone, computer and dial in 311.
Resident input: Focus groups were conducted last spring to get user input. These current review sessions are intended to get feedback on the changes and the new system will provide ongoing user feedback.
Issues addressed:
Duplicate reports will be managed in the background and instead of you getting a dead end "Duplication" response, you will get your own tracking number.
GPS location system will pinpoint issue location like SeeClickFix does now.
"Completed" work response when in fact the work was not done, should be eliminated. The system will require the city service department to provide proof of completion.
"Closed" will no longer be a dead end. If a request is transferred to another service department the system will tell you which department it was transferred to.
"Estimated Completion Date", this is new.
Visibility to other requests in your service area so you are aware of what has already been reported.
City service information, FAQ pages will be updated regularly and allow resident feedback like social media sites.
Major work alerts, like street repaving, will be pushed to registered users.
Perhaps you have seen recent news articles about the Historic buildings on Superior that are threatened with demolition. They recently received a temporary reprieve thanks to the efforts of Preservation Chicago.
If you think buildings like this add value to the fabric of our community, please follow the link to the Preservation website and sign the petition to Alderman Reilly to save them. A minute of your time could preserve a hundred and forty years of our city's history.
For more information on upcoming walks and how we are working to bring more Public Art to Streeterville, write us, Streeterville Public Art Project at sna60611@gmail.com
Join us for the third annual Villages Dining together event.
$31 person includes Walnut Room Salad and choice of entree, coffee, tea and soft drinks, tax and gratuity.
Entree choices are:
Mrs. Herring's 1890 Original Chicken Pot Pie
Butternut Squash Tortellacci Pasta
Caramelized Salmon
Alcoholic beverages and dessert may be ordered and paid separately at the event.
Our evening will begin with a presentation from Sam Guard, of Chicago Hyde Park Village. A long time Hyde Parker, Sam is passionate about the history of Chicago landmark buildings.
This is Villages Dining Together is open to Village members, non-members, friends, and/or relatives.
At our final Forum of 2018, we had a lively discussion about topics to be addressed in 2019. They include Homelessness in Streeterville; medical and recreational marijuana, the opioid epidemic and how it affects older adults; creatures in Chicago (is there really a beaver in the South Pond?), and inviting our member Anna Rappaport back to discuss her research on retirement income after age 85. We welcome your suggestions of both topics and speakers.
Lunch is Dutch Treat, plus $5 to cover the cost of our private room.
Save the Dates
Dying To Know
Mark your calendars for a series you won't want to miss. Skyline Village Chicago, in collaboration with Journey Care, National Council of Jewish Women and the Replogle Center for Counseling and Well-Being will host Dying to Know, a three part series, at 4th Presbyterian Church.
Mark your calendars. We will let you know when registration is available.
April 3
2:30pm - 4:30pm
Being Mortal
May 22
2:30pm - 4:30pm
Resources we need to know about
June 19
2:30pm - 4:30pm
Conversations over Tea
Sponsored by Skyline Village Chicago, Journey Care, National Council of Jewish Women and the Replogle Center for Counseling and Well-Being
Skyline Village Chicago
Social Groups
Skyline Village Women's Salon
Normally meets 2nd Tuesday of the month
Join fellow members for a lively discussion about what it means and how it feels to be an Aging Woman -- our hair, our outspokenness, our invisibility, our wisdom, our ...
Tuesday, January 15 (Note this is the 3rd Tuesday of January)
Note: Please register by February 11 so Giulia can give names to the doorman
Click links above or register by email at RSVP@skylinevillage.org with Women's Salon in the subject line.
SVC members and their guests only
SVC's Sticks & Strings
Sticks & Strings currently has no events scheduled. If you would like to join or host a gathering, please contact Mary Schulatz at
schulatz@aol.com or
773.935.9204.
Last Call for Donations
If anyone has hand knit caps or scarves, or new socks, or hotel toiletries they would like to donate, drop them off with the doorman, 200 E. Delaware Place on or before Friday, January 11th. Beth Najberg will be coordinating a time with Between Friends to bring our collection of donated items that will brighten the lives of families who are in crisis. Thank everyone who has already generously donated.
Skyline Diners
Do you miss Skyline Diners? Would you like Dining Group to start up again and explore restaurants in our neighborhood?
Contact Charlene Conarty to let her know if you are interested in getting together with old and new friends over a good meal.
Do you have a need or request to make of your fellow Skyliners? Do you need help with something and think an SVC member might have the answer? Or maybe you have a skill or talent you'd like to share with others. Could be computer skills, knitting or crafting, business knowledge....you name it. Just let us know and we'll connect you . Send to editor@skylinevillagechicago.org for inclusion in the next newsletter!
Skyline Village Chicago, Inc is not responsible for the information contained in any bulletin announcements nor is SVC, Inc. in any way responsible for the accuracy of such announcements.
What Groups or Bulletin Boards Would You Like
to Have?
Do you miss Skyline Diners and Skyline BG? Maybe you would like to start a Bridge group -- or maybe your bridge game needs a substitute. Looking for fellow aficionados of movies, poetry, board games, walking or other activities?
Tell us what groups or bulletin boards you would like to see and if you would like to manage one.
Hey Apple Owners
Apple stores have events every day to teach you how to do all kinds of things with your Apple devices and software. Take advantage of the free classes and learn what your device can do for you.
Different classes and events daily
Beginner through advanced
Painting the Floating World: Ukiyo-e Masterpieces from the Weston Collection
Shown for the first time in the United States, this comprehensive collection of ukiyo-e paintings brings the "floating world" and its metropolitan amusements to life.
Artist Talks: Dawoud Bey
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Join photographer Dawoud Bey as he discusses his new series, Night Coming Tenderly, Black, which reimagines sites in and around Cleveland along the last stages of the Underground Railroad, with Richard and Ellen Sandor Chair and Curator of Photography Matthew Witkovsky. Following the program, enjoy a reception celebrating the artist.
Bethany Collins (American, born 1984) is a multidisciplinary artist whose conceptually driven work is fueled by a critical exploration of how race and language interact.
This beautifully detailed production combines Japanese traditional puppetry, live video projection of miniature sets, and a haunting score on hammered dulcimer and Japanese shamisen and flute to tell the story of two wandering travelers whose paths intersect in time and space.
Find your way through the past and honor the legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. on this special day. Visit the exhibition Night Coming Tenderly, Black featuring photographs by Chicago artist Dawoud Bey. Take a journey through the museum and explore the idea of freedom through creative art making and collaborative activities with artists, musicians, poets, and families from across Chicago.
Special Event: Chinese New Year Celebration
特别活动: 庆祝中国新年
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Free Admission Thursday Evenings
The Art Institute is pleased to offer free admission Thursday evenings from 5:00pm - 8:00pm
Click here for a full calendar of events at the Art Institute of Chicago
Center for Life & Learning
Fourth Presbyterian Church
126 E. Chestnut
Fitness Membership
Mondays
10:30am - 11:15am - Toning Balls
2:30pm - 3:30pm - Yoga
T
uesdays
10:30am - 11:15am - Pilates Resistance Band
2:45pm - 3:30pm - Intermediate Tai Chi
Wednesdays
10:30am - 11:15am -
Zing! Total Fitness
Thursdays
10:30am - 11:15am - Range of Motion
2:45pm - 3:30pm - Intermediate Tai Chi
Classes are $55
Call 312.878.4570 to register or click here to register online
Please note there will be no viewing on Monday, January 21
in observance of Martin Luther King, Jr. Day
The award-winning January Series of Calvin College is coming to downtown Chicago. From January 3 through January 23, 2019, Fourth Presbyterian Church will be one of 50 remote webcast locations worldwide to broadcast one of the nation's leading lecture and cultural arts series.
The January Series lectures will be video streamed live at Fourth Presbyterian Church from 11:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. CST Monday through Friday. The lectures are free and open to the public.
Wednesdays, January 9-February 13 1:45pm - 3:45pm Free and open to all 60 and older; no RSVP necessary
Wednesday, January 9 BlackKkKlansman (2018)
In this film based on actual events, Ron Stallworth, an African American police officer from Colorado Springs, CO, successfully manages to infiltrate the local Ku Klux Klan branch with the help of a Jewish surrogate who eventually becomes its leader. Directed by Spike Lee, who, in this blend of satire, realism and in-your-face political commentary, once again grapples with American racial terrorism. (2 hours, 15 min)
Wednesday, January 16 First Reformed (2017)
A priest of a small congregation in upstate New York grapples with mounting despair brought on by tragedy, worldly concerns and a tormented past. Directed by Paul Schrader, starring Ethan Hawke, and hailed as an "epiphany" by the New York Times, which found it "rigorously conceived and meticulously executed." (1 hour, 53 min)
Wednesday, January 23 The Wife (2017)
Adapted from Meg Wolitzer's 2003 novel, the film pivots on the marriage between a celebrated author (played by Jonathan Pryce) and his wife (played by Glenn Close), whose symbiotic relationship has had profound implications for his success. The Wife turns a fundamentally literary premise into an intelligent screen drama that unfolds with juice and suspense. (1 hour, 40 min)
Wednesday, January 30 The Old Man & the Gun (2018)
Billed as Robert Redford's final film, and also starring Sissy Spacek, Casey Affleck and Danny Glover, this "based on a true story" film tells the story of a 70-year-old man who escaped from San Quentin and proceeded to commit a string of heists that confounded authorities and enchanted the public in the 1980s. (1 hour, 33 min)
Wednesday, February 6 Can You Ever Forgive Me? (2018)
Melissa McCarthy received glowing reviews for her role as best-selling celebrity biographer Lee Israel, who turned to literary forgery of letters and notes from the likes of Dorothy Parker, Lillian Hellman and Noël Coward when she fell out of step with then-current tastes and was no longer able to get her own work published. (1 hour, 46 min)
Wednesday, February 13 Beautiful Boy (2018)
Based on the best-selling pair of memoirs from father and son David and Nic Sheff, this film, starring Steve Carell and Timothée Chalamet, chronicles the heartbreaking and inspiring experience of survival, relapse, and recovery in a family coping with addiction over many years. (2 hours)
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Lectures
Midday Lecture Series
These lectures are open to all 60 and older to enjoy, but registration for each is required.
Each lecture costs $5.00 for members and $10.00 for guests.
Click here f
or information or to register for noon-time lectures or contact
Today, the detention and deportation of immigrants is a multi-billion-dollar growth industry. This talk will explore the long history of the business of deportation and the devastating impact it has had on non-citizens over the course of the last century.
Adam Goodman is an assistant professor of History and Latin American and Latino Studies at the University of Illinois at Chicago.
Autism and Music: One Young Man's Journey
Thursday, February 7
11:30am - 12:30pm
Have you ever been obsessed with an interest? For Autistic people, that interest can take over their lives. This lecture examines the life of such a young man, including some of the top moments when music improved his life as Autistic--listening to it, studying it, and performing it.
Joshua Friedberg is a Chicago-based music historian, essayist, scholar, and singer-songwriter who has published multiple music history articles. He considers his Autism to be a strength, especially with his memory for music history.
The State of Higher Education: Challenges and Opportunities
Monday, March 25
2:30pm -3:30pm
In an educational environment increasingly geared toward technology and career success, what is the role of a university education? Are the liberal arts a luxury our culture can no longer afford? Should a college experience prepare students pragmatically or holistically, or can these two strains exist in healthy tension?
Dr. David J. Livingston currently serves as Lewis University's 10th President. He has more than 20 years of academic and leadership experience and previously served as President of Lourdes University in Toledo Ohio and as a tenured professor of Religious Studies at Mercyhurst University.
In addition to writing, Carol LaChapelle has conducted writing and journal writing workshops for the past thirty years. Her newest offering,
The Purpose of Aging: Aging with Purpose, encourages people to continue creating their lives as they age.
Inspired by the positive response to the workshop, Carol is focusing her second book on the topic of aging with purpose. She envisions it as both resource and guide to this most challenging and rewarding life transition.
What's the AARP Purpose Prize?
Tuesday, February 19 1:30pm - 2:30pm
The AARP Purpose Prize honors extraordinary individuals who use their life experience to make a better future for all. Come hear the powerful stories of Purpose Prize honorees and to learn how to nominate a 50+ changemaker for the 2019 Prize.
Exhibition: African American Designers in Chicago: Art, Commerce and the Politics of Race
through March 3, 2019
Exhibit Hall, 4th Floor North
Featuring work from a wide range of practices including cartooning, sign painting, architectural signage, illustration, graphic design, exhibit design and product design, this exhibition is the first to demonstrate how African American designers remade the image of the black consumer and the work of the black artist in this major hub of American advertising/consumer culture.
Exhibit: Furtive
February 2 - April 7, 2019
Chicago Cultural Center * Michigan Avenue Galleries, 1st Floor East
Furtive is a photography-based exhibition that explores the complexity of memory, both personal and collective. Through an examination of place, archive and the intersection of perception and knowing, artists Daniel Hojnacki, Karolis Usonis, and Krista Wortendyke ask us to reconsider what we think we know based on our past experiences, communal knowledge and memory. By using photography as a conceptual tool rather than an objective medium for documentation these artists are able to examine and question our collective use of photography in the making of both memories and histories.
Exhibition: Forgotten Forms
February 2 - April 7
Chicago Cultural Center * Michigan Avenue Galleries,
1st Floor East
Forgotten Forms is a collaborative exhibition between members of the Chicago Cultural Alliance, the National Museum of Puerto Rican Arts & Culture and the Ukrainian Institute of Modern Art. Investigating seemingly everyday objects to reveal a much greater story about neighborhood identity, placemaking and city life, the exhibition highlights the work of two emerging artists, both of whom explore structural elements of urban landscapes. Edra Soto revisits Puerto Rico's vernacular architecture through her GRAFT installations and architectural interventions, and Yhelena Hall touches on the history of Chicago and explores a marginal state of detritus becoming artifacts through her series Polished Remnants.
4th Annual Arts & Culture Docs Fest (ACDF)
Sunday, February 17
2:00pm - 5:00pm
Cultural Center, Claudia Cassidy Theater
At the upcoming 4th edition of "Arts & Culture Docs Fest" Asian Pop-Up Cinema is proud to premiere select episodes from "This is China" documentary series recently produced by the China Broad View Cultural Communication Center (CBVCCC) in Beijing. "This is China" consists of six episodes that reflects the mainstream of development and progress of contemporary China, but also displays the essence of traditional Chinese culture with the objectives of cultural exchange and mutual learning.
The Chicago Children's Choir will offer a preview of their annual Black History Month Concert Series taking place February 25, 26 and 27 at Orchestra Hall
First concert is free. After that $40 for the full series is appreciated.
Lookingglass Theatre
The Steadfast Tin Soldier
until January 13
Conceived and Directed by Ensemble Member
Mary Zimmerman From the Story by
Hans Christian Andersen
Inspired by Hans Christian Andersen's The Steadfast Tin Soldier, Ensemble Member Mary Zimmerman (Metamorphoses, Treasure Island) fashions an extravagant and exhilarating spectacle. The unlikely adventure of a little tin soldier, brimming with love and unblinking bravery, is infused with Zimmerman's dazzling blend of storytelling through image and movement, accompanied by live musicians. Unsuspecting travelers make unexpected discoveries in this luminous tale, destined to enchant any and all of us not made of tin.
Act(s) of God
February 13 - April 7
Three siblings, two parents, and one very unexpected dinner guest.
As a family gathers for an overdue dinner, a mysterious envelope arrives with astonishing news. They soon find themselves scrambling to welcome a visitor of cosmic proportion. Absurdity reigns as ancient fissures open wide, long-held certainties crumble, and sh*t gets real. Will this nuclear family explode?
Lookingglass Ensemble Member Kareem Bandealy unleashes this existential dark comedy, directed by Artistic Director Heidi Stillman (Cascabel, Hard Times).
LUMA is pleased to offer free admission every day Sketching in the galleries every Tuesday from 4:30pm - 7:30pm
Art & Faith of the Crèche The Collection of James and Emilia Govan; The Art of the Season: David Lee Csicsko.
until January 12
This perennial favorite returns. The story of Mary, Joseph and Jesus has great appeal throughout the world. See how artists across the globe depict the Nativity with clothes, architecture, and figures from their native lands.
Presented by Navy Pier and Expo Chicago,
Supported by The Chicago Free For All Fund at The Chicago Community Trust, the Navy Pier Associate Board and Hilton Worldwide, Created by New York- based designers, Snarkitecture,
The Beach Chicago is an immersive art installation, which consists of a large, open room filled with more than a million antimicrobial and recyclable plastic balls, along with deck chairs, lifeguard chairs, umbrellas and signage that mimic the sensation of a day at the beach.
Fittingly, The Beach Chicago also includes a pier hovering over the 'sea' of balls from which onlookers can watch and revel in the installation below.
The Chicago International Puppet Theater's Festival Neighborhood Tour fosters an appreciation of puppetry in every corner of the city by presenting two Festival artists in six neighborhood locations, for a total of 12 performances.
This year the Neighborhood Tour is all international, with free performances in every corner of the city by amazing puppeteers from Italy and Puerto Rico. Shows include The Beginning of Nothing by Poncili Creación and Pulcinella by Gaspare Nasuto. Poncili Creación is an interactive sculpture collective based in Puerto Rico. Italy's Gaspare Nasuto is one of the masters of Commedia dell'Arte performing comic lazzi to the delight of all ages.
Free and open to the public! Join us in the Aon Grand Ballroom for an afternoon celebration of Chinese New Year, featuring live dance, music, and other performances, plus traditional food, crafts and more!
Click here for a full schedule of Navy Pier events and tickets as needed
Newberry Library
60 West Walton
The Newberry organizes and hosts programs illuminating topics in the humanities, through a variety of formats tailored to the subject at hand: lectures, staged readings, music and dance performances, panel discussions, workshops, and more.
For a full list of events, programs and exhibitions at the Newberry Library go to www.newberry.org
Free and Open to the Public
Wednesday, January 9
Old Sailors Invade the Newberry
A Newberry Colloquium
Time TBD
Towner Fellowes Hall
Christopher's book, Ungentle Goodnights: Life in a Home for Elderly and Disabled Naval Sailors and Marines and the Perilous Seafaring Careers that Brought Them There is at last published.
Saturday, January 12
Center for American Indian Studies Programs
FNFVF: "Reel Injun - Search for the Hollywood Indian" and "More Than a Word"
1:00pm - 4:00pm
Rettinger Hall
Reel Injun - Search for the Hollywood Indian
, Directed by: Neil Diamond, Catherine Bainbridge, and Jeremiah Hayes The history of the depiction of Native Americans in Hollywood films. More Than a Word, directed by Kenn Little and John Little Directors: Kenn Little and John Little
Saturday, January 12
Center for Renaissance Studies Programs
Titus Andronicus
Shakespeare Project of Chicago
10:00am - 12:30pm
Ruggles Hall
"O, why should nature build so foul a den, Unless the gods delight in tragedies?"
Friday, January 18 - Saturday, April 6
Melville: Finding America at Sea
The Life, Writings, and Influence of Herman Melville, Author of Moby-Dick
Roger J. Thienens Galleries
Plan your visit to the Newberry to see the exhibition
. For the 200th anniversary of Herman Melville's birth, this exhibition will highlight the many facets of his work, illustrating how he has been perceived and repurposed over the past 200 years.
Saturday, January 19
The Enduring Power of Moby-Dick
A Keynote Address by Nathaniel Philbrick
11:00am
Ruggles Hall
Nathaniel Philbrick, author of
In the Heart of the Sea and Why Read Moby-Dick?, explores the timeless relevance of Herman Melville's masterpiece. In addition to dipping into the novel itself, Philbrick will talk about the circumstances of the book's creation and the subsequent course of Melville's literary career.
Saturday, January 19
Center for American Indian Studies Programs
McNickle Center Winter Storytelling
10:00am - 5:00pm
Baskes Hall
Join the McNickle Center as these authors and storytellers share traditional, historical, and true contemporary tales for all ages. LeAnne Howe Choctaw Nation of Oklahoma
Saturday, January 19 - Sunday, January 20
Moby-Dick Read-a-Thon
Live Marathon Reading of Herman Melville's Masterpiece
Saturday 11:00am - Sunday 1:00pm
Ruggles Hall
Join us for an hour, an afternoon or morning, or all night long! To celebrate the 200th anniversary of Herman Melville's birth, the Newberry Library will host a Moby-DickRead-a-Thon lasting 25 continuous hours. By the end of the marathon reading, a series of readers-performers will have collectively read Moby-Dick (aloud) cover to cover!
Saturday, February 2
Center for American Indian Studies Programs
Before Jamestown: The Real Origins of America
Colonial History Lecture Series: Peter C. Mancall
10:00am - 11:30am
Ruggles Hall
In the sixteenth-century Atlantic world, nature and culture swirled in people's minds to produce fantastic images.
Wednesday, February 6
The Scarlet Ibis: An Expanding Operatic Tradition
Panel Discussion with Illustrative Arias, Chicago Opera Theater
5:30pm Reception, 6:00pm - 7:30pm program
Ruggles Hall
Hear from the artists behind this new opera, which had its world premiere just three years ago at Beth Morrison Project's PROTOTYPE Festival.
Saturday, February 9
Center for American Indian Studies Programs
FNFVF: "Kissed by Lightning" and "She Is Water"
1:00pm - 4:00pm
Rettinger Hall
Directed by Shelley Niro "Kissed by Lightning" is a story of woman trying to keep the stories of her late husband alive while also working through her grief and learning to love again. Run time: 1 hour 29 minutes She is Water, Directed by Darlene Naponse
Wednesday, February 13
Two Books on Black Childhood and Criminalization in America
Meet the Author: Tera Agyepong and Elliott Gorn
6:00pm - Author talk, 7:00pm - Signing
Ruggles Hall
Join us as authors Tera Eva Agyepong and Elliott Gorn explore the tangled history of black children and America's criminal justice system.
Saturday, February 16
Center for Renaissance Studies Programs
A Midsummer Night's Dream
Shakespeare Project of Chicago
10:00am - 12:30pm
This performance will be held at Fourth Presbyterian Church
Love looks not with the eyes, but with the mind, And therefore is winged Cupid painted blind. Nor hath love's mind of any judgement taste; Wings and no eyes figure unheedy haste. And therefore is love said to be a child Because in choice he is so oft beguiled.
Tuesday, February 19
Ben Hecht: Fighting Words, Moving Pictures
Meet the Author: Adina Hoffman
6:00pm - Author talk, 7:00pm - Signing
Ruggles Hall
In Adina Hoffman's Ben Hecht: Fighting Words, Moving Pictures, Chicago becomes its own character. Hoffman writes in detail about Hecht's years here and his involvement both with the city's newspapers and with the Chicago Renaissance.
Saturday, February 23
Back of the Yards, A Play in One Act by Kenneth Sawyer Goodman
10:00am
Ruggles Hall
A gritty realist drama about Irish Americans in one of Chicago's toughest early 20th-century neighborhoods, in which a cop and a priest collaborate to save a young man at risk.
For more information or to register for one of the events above, click here.
Replogle Center for Counseling and Well-Being
126 E. Chestnut
Mondays,
Grief Support Group
Free and open to all
Those undergoing significant loss after the death of a loved one are invited to take part in a grief support group, which is designed to enable participants to help one another deal with grief. Two experienced counselors- Maureen Garvey, L.C.P.C., and Mary Jo Hubick, L.C.P.C.- lead the group. There is no fee.
Preregistration is required. To register, call the Replogle Center at 312.787.8425.
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Tuesdays Sacred Pause
7:45-8:15 a.m.
Stone Chapel Free and open to all
In the midst of your busy life, take a few minutes on Tuesday mornings to find some stillness and experience silence. Take a break from the relentless pace and stress of daily life.
You don't have to be an experienced meditator to attend, and you're free to use the silence of our Sacred Pause in any way you like. We have resources to help you practice if you need help--poetry, readings, inspirational photography--but the format is simple and open: a greeting, a candle, a bell, twenty minutes of silence.
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The Replogle Center for Counseling and Well-Being is Fourth Presbyterian Church's response to the mental health needs of its congregation and community. The Center's unique blend of staff from a variety of disciplines enables it to respond to individuals concerns. This response is enhanced by the Center's role as a ministry of Fourth Church, which means that spiritual issues are valued and all religious orientations respected.
For more information, call the Replogle Center at 312.787.8425 or visit www.fourthchurch.org/rc
For more information or to express interest in adding your name to the list for the next group, please call 312.787.8425.
More Great Cultural, Education and Social Opportunities?
We know we didn't get them all in our calendar and newsletter!
Choose Chicago has an excellent event calendar in which you can search by the date, date range, category of event and location.
The Skyline Village Chicago community of older adults engages in cultural, educational and social programs. We are active, informed and connected advocates within our unique, vibrant high-rise neighborhoods.
