Art Institute of Chicago to return looted Holocaust-era painting to family of persecuted art collector

<p>The Art Institute of Chicago is returning the Cubist painting “Woman with a Fan” by French artist Jean Metzinger to the Lewenstein family, the institution announced Tuesday.</p><p>The oil painting from 1913 was lost during a forced Nazi-era sale in the Netherlands. However, there were significant gaps in the painting’s historical record, said Jacques Schuhmacher, the museum’s executive director of provenance.</p><p>The work resurfaced on the Dutch art market in the 1950s, moved through galleries in Paris and New York City, and was later acquired by the Art Institute of Chicago in 1959, when Mr. and Mrs. Sigmund Kunstadter donated the work to the Chicago museum.</p><div class="Enhancement" data-align-center> <div class="Enhancement-item" data-crop=""> <figure class="Figure"><a class="AnchorLink" id="image-2c0000" name="image-2c0000"></a> <picture data-crop="medium"> <source type="image/webp" width="490" height="275" srcset="https://cst.brightspotcdn.com/dims4/default/a15c769/2147483647/strip/true/crop/2102x1180+0+910/resize/490x275!/format/webp/quality/90/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fchorus-production-cst-web.s3.us-east-1.amazonaws.com%2Fbrightspot%2Fef%2F37%2F4c1a2a354c54b04fed0818e1518b%2Fj24267-int-press-300ppi-3000px-srgb-jpeg.jpg 1x,https://cst.brightspotcdn.com/dims4/default/95f15e9/2147483647/strip/true/crop/2102x1180+0+910/resize/980x550!/format/webp/quality/90/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fchorus-production-cst-web.s3.us-east-1.amazonaws.com%2Fbrightspot%2Fef%2F37%2F4c1a2a354c54b04fed0818e1518b%2Fj24267-int-press-300ppi-3000px-srgb-jpeg.jpg 2x" loading="lazy" /> <source width="490" height="275" srcset="https://cst.brightspotcdn.com/dims4/default/7a765cc/2147483647/strip/true/crop/2102x1180+0+910/resize/490x275!/quality/90/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fchorus-production-cst-web.s3.us-east-1.amazonaws.com%2Fbrightspot%2Fef%2F37%2F4c1a2a354c54b04fed0818e1518b%2Fj24267-int-press-300ppi-3000px-srgb-jpeg.jpg" loading="lazy" /> <img class="Image" alt="Jean Metzinger's 1913 painting, "Woman with a Fan," was gifted to the Art Institute of Chicago by Mr. and Mrs. Sigmund Kunstadter in 1959." srcset="https://cst.brightspotcdn.com/dims4/default/7a765cc/2147483647/strip/true/crop/2102x1180+0+910/resize/490x275!/quality/90/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fchorus-production-cst-web.s3.us-east-1.amazonaws.com%2Fbrightspot%2Fef%2F37%2F4c1a2a354c54b04fed0818e1518b%2Fj24267-int-press-300ppi-3000px-srgb-jpeg.jpg 1x,https://cst.brightspotcdn.com/dims4/default/a03b8ee/2147483647/strip/true/crop/2102x1180+0+910/resize/980x550!/quality/90/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fchorus-production-cst-web.s3.us-east-1.amazonaws.com%2Fbrightspot%2Fef%2F37%2F4c1a2a354c54b04fed0818e1518b%2Fj24267-int-press-300ppi-3000px-srgb-jpeg.jpg 2x" width="490" height="275" src="https://cst.brightspotcdn.com/dims4/default/7a765cc/2147483647/strip/true/crop/2102x1180+0+910/resize/490x275!/quality/90/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fchorus-production-cst-web.s3.us-east-1.amazonaws.com%2Fbrightspot%2Fef%2F37%2F4c1a2a354c54b04fed0818e1518b%2Fj24267-int-press-300ppi-3000px-srgb-jpeg.jpg" loading="lazy" > </picture> <div class="Figure-content"><figcaption class="Figure-caption"><p>Jean Metzinger’s 1913 painting, “Woman with a Fan,” was gifted to the Art Institute of Chicago by Mr. and Mrs. Sigmund Kunstadter in 1959.</p></figcaption><span class="line"></span><div class="Figure-credit"><p>© 2026 Artists Rights Society (ARS), New York / ADAGP, Paris</p></div></div> </figure> </div> </div><p>But through modern infrared imaging technology, Schuhmacher said, researchers discovered a name written in faint pencil on the back of the piece: Paul Citroen. Citroen was a Dutch art dealer in Berlin and the Netherlands who sold the work to art collector Emmanuel Lewenstein.</p><p>“This allowed us to make a connection between our painting and the Lewenstein family for the first time,” Schuhmacher said. “With the evidence written on the painting itself, we carried out additional research in collaboration with the Mondex Corporation.”</p><p>Industrywide, artistic provenance has become a key focus of museum leaders and has been the subject of complex court cases and legal disputes. In 2024, the Art Institute <a class="Link" href="https://chicago.suntimes.com/art/2024/12/02/art-institute-chicago-provenance-team-jacques-schuhmacher-nazi-matisse-daisies-egon-schiele-gustave-courbet" target="_blank" >announced the appointment</a> of Schuhmacher as its first executive director of provenance research and has one of the largest such departments in the country. </p><p>Last week, a New York City appellate court ruled that a different World War II-era painting, a 1916 watercolor and pencil drawing by Egon Schiele titled “Russian War Prisoner,” <a class="Link" href="https://www.nytimes.com/2026/09/18/arts/egon-schiele-chicago-museum-appellate-court-ruling.html" target="_blank" ><u>could remain at the Art Institute of Chicago</u></a> while ownership disputes are handled in civil court.</p><p>Investigators for the Manhattan district attorney’s office cited a penal law that governs the disposal of stolen property. And in 2025, a New York Supreme Court judge <a class="Link" href="https://www.wbez.org/museums/2025/04/24/art-institute-of-chicago-egon-schiele-russian-war-prisoner-nazi-stolen-art" target="_blank" ><u>determined that the Schiele had been stolen by Nazis from Fritz Grünbaum before the start of World War II</u></a>. Two years prior, authorities officially approved the seizure of the artwork from the Art Institute in 2023, but let it stay at the museum.</p><p>The Art Institute maintains that it purchased “Russian War Prisoner” legally in 1966, and in a statement said that the Metzinger and Schiele works are two very different cases.</p><p>“We are confident in our extensive research, which indicates very different facts for each of the two works,” the museum statement reads. “Evidence indicates the Metzinger painting was seized from the family and forcibly sold, while evidence related to the Schiele drawing indicates it was never seized, stayed within the family, and was ultimately sold by the family more than ten years after the war.”</p><p>In the case of “Woman with a Fan,” Lewenstein’s heirs are represented by the Toronto-based firm, which specializes in the recovery of art and cultural artifacts that were looted or stolen during the Holocaust.</p><p>“In provenance research you often triangulate different kinds of sources,” he said. “Taken together, [we] confirmed that our painting was sold as a result of Nazi persecution in 1940 in the Netherlands.”But with the new discovery, this case required a close look at archives from the Netherlands. “We found documents from Paul Citroen, which showed that he sold this painting to Emanuel Lewenstein in 1928,” Schuhmacher said.</p><p>Years later, in 1933, Adolf Hitler became the chancellor of Germany, which marked the effective seizure of power by the Nazi Party. By 1940, World War II was in full effect and the Nazis had occupied the Netherlands, where the Lewenstein family lived.</p><p>“The Lewensteins were Jewish. They were persecuted because they were Jewish,” Schuhmacher said.</p><p>With the uncovered documents, which included an auction catalog from 1940 and a Dutch newspaper article from the same year, researchers were able to verify the exact dimensions of the Metzinger painting and match it with the one in the Art Institute’s collection. They determined then that the painting should go back to the Lewenstein family.</p><p>“The decision was made to restitute [the painting] to the Lewenstein heirs, and I think what's really important here is that in restituting a piece, it's not just about transferring ownership back to a family,” Schumacher said. “It's also about restoring the agency [to the family] to do with this painting what they think is appropriate.”</p><p>Megan Michienzi, spokesperson for the Art Institute of Chicago, confirmed that the Metzinger painting is no longer on view at the museum. The museum is working with art handlers to arrange for the work to be sent back to the living heirs of the late art collector, Michienzi said.</p><p>Michienzi said the Art Institute has “prioritized provenance research, and we are happy to return items when we learn new information that suggests that they should go back.”</p>

wbez.org

‘Starved Rock killer’ died last year, now his family seeks a rare posthumous pardon from Gov. JB Pritzker

<p>The decades-long fight to clear Chester Weger’s name as the notorious "Starved Rock killer" isn’t ending with his death.</p><p>Weger’s family will get a chance next month to argue that the man who spent nearly six decades behind bars was wrongly convicted in one of Illinois’ most infamous murder cases.</p><p>The Illinois Prisoner Review Board has scheduled a rare Oct. 6 hearing in Chicago on the family’s request for a posthumous pardon from Gov. JB Pritzker.</p><p>The board rarely has considered posthumous clemency petitions, holding such hearings for only two other people in the past seven years.</p><p>Weger was sentenced to life in prison in 1961 for killing one of the three women whose battered bodies were found near a cave at Starved Rock State Park, a popular getaway spot for Chicagoans.</p><p>He confessed to the killings but quickly recanted — then spent the rest of his life insisting he was innocent.</p><p>Weger was paroled in 2020 for good behavior in prison after spending about 60 years behind bars, but his conviction remained on his record.</p><p>After his release, his lawyers launched a fresh effort to overturn the conviction, citing DNA evidence, new witness testimony and alternative theories about who killed Mildred Linquist, 50, Lillian Oetting, 50, and Frances Murphy, 47. They had gone to Starved Rock to hike and bird watch in March 1960.</p><div class="Enhancement" data-align-center> <div class="Enhancement-item" data-crop=""> <figure class="Figure"><a class="AnchorLink" id="image-5f0000" name="image-5f0000"></a> <picture data-crop="medium"> <source type="image/webp" width="490" height="275" srcset="https://cst.brightspotcdn.com/dims4/default/ca108a6/2147483647/strip/true/crop/2135x1198+19+0/resize/490x275!/format/webp/quality/90/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fchorus-production-cst-web.s3.us-east-1.amazonaws.com%2Fbrightspot%2Fc7%2Fbe%2F2bc1c86277e55b6f4563e54549c6%2Fscreen-shot-2023-05-24-at-10-47-41-am.png 1x,https://cst.brightspotcdn.com/dims4/default/34568ca/2147483647/strip/true/crop/2135x1198+19+0/resize/980x550!/format/webp/quality/90/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fchorus-production-cst-web.s3.us-east-1.amazonaws.com%2Fbrightspot%2Fc7%2Fbe%2F2bc1c86277e55b6f4563e54549c6%2Fscreen-shot-2023-05-24-at-10-47-41-am.png 2x" loading="lazy" /> <source width="490" height="275" srcset="https://cst.brightspotcdn.com/dims4/default/cfe9e32/2147483647/strip/true/crop/2135x1198+19+0/resize/490x275!/quality/90/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fchorus-production-cst-web.s3.us-east-1.amazonaws.com%2Fbrightspot%2Fc7%2Fbe%2F2bc1c86277e55b6f4563e54549c6%2Fscreen-shot-2023-05-24-at-10-47-41-am.png" loading="lazy" /> <img class="Image" alt="Chester Weger, then 80, in 2020 as he left Pinckneyville Correctional Center in southern Illinois." srcset="https://cst.brightspotcdn.com/dims4/default/cfe9e32/2147483647/strip/true/crop/2135x1198+19+0/resize/490x275!/quality/90/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fchorus-production-cst-web.s3.us-east-1.amazonaws.com%2Fbrightspot%2Fc7%2Fbe%2F2bc1c86277e55b6f4563e54549c6%2Fscreen-shot-2023-05-24-at-10-47-41-am.png 1x,https://cst.brightspotcdn.com/dims4/default/6ada6a2/2147483647/strip/true/crop/2135x1198+19+0/resize/980x550!/quality/90/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fchorus-production-cst-web.s3.us-east-1.amazonaws.com%2Fbrightspot%2Fc7%2Fbe%2F2bc1c86277e55b6f4563e54549c6%2Fscreen-shot-2023-05-24-at-10-47-41-am.png 2x" width="490" height="275" src="https://cst.brightspotcdn.com/dims4/default/cfe9e32/2147483647/strip/true/crop/2135x1198+19+0/resize/490x275!/quality/90/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fchorus-production-cst-web.s3.us-east-1.amazonaws.com%2Fbrightspot%2Fc7%2Fbe%2F2bc1c86277e55b6f4563e54549c6%2Fscreen-shot-2023-05-24-at-10-47-41-am.png" loading="lazy" > </picture> <div class="Figure-content"><figcaption class="Figure-caption"><p>Chester Weger, then 80, as he left Pinckneyville Correctional Center in southern Illinois in 2020.</p></figcaption><span class="line"></span><div class="Figure-credit"><p>Sun-Times file</p></div></div> </figure> </div> </div><p>Weger's lawyers have theorized that a relative of one victim hired mobsters to kill her and that the other two women were slain because they witnessed the crime. </p><p>The lawyers also pointed to a hair found on the finger of one of the victims. Tests found the hair didn't match the women or Weger and most likely came from another local man.</p><p>But a LaSalle County judge rejected Weger’s post-conviction petition last year. <a class="Link" href="https://chicago.suntimes.com/the-watchdogs/2025/06/24/starved-rock-killer-chester-weger-1961-conviction-obituary" target="_blank" >Weger died less than a week later.</a> He was 86.</p><p>His family filed a petition in June asking Pritzker to grant executive clemency — a process separate from parole and one that could posthumously wipe away Weger's conviction.</p><p>The Prisoner Review Board will weigh the testimony given Oct. 6 before sending the governor a confidential recommendation. Pritzker will make the final call.</p><p>The board typically takes about two months to forward its recommendation. Another high-profile clemency request — from former Gangster Disciples boss Larry Hoover — remains pending after an <a class="Link" href="https://chicago.suntimes.com/the-watchdogs/2026/04/07/gangster-disciples-larry-hoover-gangs-trump-eileen-burke" target="_blank" >April hearing</a>.</p><p>“We didn't get a fair shot at the evidentiary hearing,” says Weger attorney Andrew Hale, who spent a decade reinvestigating the Starved Rock murders, hosted a podcast about the killings and appeared in an HBO documentary about them.</p><div class="Enhancement" data-align-center> <div class="Enhancement-item" data-crop=""> <figure class="Figure"><a class="AnchorLink" id="image-150000" name="image-150000"></a> <picture data-crop="medium"> <source type="image/webp" width="490" height="275" srcset="https://cst.brightspotcdn.com/dims4/default/a2668b1/2147483647/strip/true/crop/858x482+0+62/resize/490x275!/format/webp/quality/90/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fchorus-production-cst-web.s3.us-east-1.amazonaws.com%2Fbrightspot%2F04%2F48%2F9dfd96f5bbb99fc6101f1ac825f7%2Fap-img-andyhale-01-1.jpg 1x,https://cst.brightspotcdn.com/dims4/default/d764083/2147483647/strip/true/crop/858x482+0+62/resize/980x550!/format/webp/quality/90/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fchorus-production-cst-web.s3.us-east-1.amazonaws.com%2Fbrightspot%2F04%2F48%2F9dfd96f5bbb99fc6101f1ac825f7%2Fap-img-andyhale-01-1.jpg 2x" loading="lazy" /> <source width="490" height="275" srcset="https://cst.brightspotcdn.com/dims4/default/cad6040/2147483647/strip/true/crop/858x482+0+62/resize/490x275!/quality/90/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fchorus-production-cst-web.s3.us-east-1.amazonaws.com%2Fbrightspot%2F04%2F48%2F9dfd96f5bbb99fc6101f1ac825f7%2Fap-img-andyhale-01-1.jpg" loading="lazy" /> <img class="Image" alt="Attorney Andrew Hale." srcset="https://cst.brightspotcdn.com/dims4/default/cad6040/2147483647/strip/true/crop/858x482+0+62/resize/490x275!/quality/90/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fchorus-production-cst-web.s3.us-east-1.amazonaws.com%2Fbrightspot%2F04%2F48%2F9dfd96f5bbb99fc6101f1ac825f7%2Fap-img-andyhale-01-1.jpg 1x,https://cst.brightspotcdn.com/dims4/default/15b856a/2147483647/strip/true/crop/858x482+0+62/resize/980x550!/quality/90/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fchorus-production-cst-web.s3.us-east-1.amazonaws.com%2Fbrightspot%2F04%2F48%2F9dfd96f5bbb99fc6101f1ac825f7%2Fap-img-andyhale-01-1.jpg 2x" width="490" height="275" src="https://cst.brightspotcdn.com/dims4/default/cad6040/2147483647/strip/true/crop/858x482+0+62/resize/490x275!/quality/90/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fchorus-production-cst-web.s3.us-east-1.amazonaws.com%2Fbrightspot%2F04%2F48%2F9dfd96f5bbb99fc6101f1ac825f7%2Fap-img-andyhale-01-1.jpg" loading="lazy" > </picture> <div class="Figure-content"><figcaption class="Figure-caption"><p>Andrew Hale, the lawyer who filed the posthumous executive clemency petition on behalf of Chester Weger.</p></figcaption><span class="line"></span><div class="Figure-credit"><p>Provided</p></div></div> </figure> </div> </div><p>Hale says Weger's sister and her two daughters plan to attend the October hearing. He hopes the board members will closely review the family's nearly 100-page clemency petition.</p><p>"I am hopeful," he says. "I feel like this board and the governor's office, if they take a fresh look at this, I should win."</p><p>He acknowledges that wiping away Weger's conviction could potentially open the door to a lawsuit, but says that's not the family's focus.</p><p>Prosecutors and survivors of the women have opposed the efforts to parole Weger and overturn his conviction.</p><p>One of the few recent cases in Illinois in which a posthumous clemency hearing was held involved Grover Thompson, who was convicted of attempted murder after a trial in 1981.</p><p>Thompson was convicted of stabbing a 71-year-old woman during an attempted sexual assault in her Mount Vernon apartment. He died in prison in 1996.</p><div class="Enhancement" data-align-center> <div class="Enhancement-item" data-crop=""> <figure class="Figure"><a class="AnchorLink" id="image-5c0000" name="image-5c0000"></a> <picture data-crop="medium"> <source type="image/webp" width="490" height="275" srcset="https://cst.brightspotcdn.com/dims4/default/3983fee/2147483647/strip/true/crop/476x267+0+102/resize/490x275!/format/webp/quality/90/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fchorus-production-cst-web.s3.us-east-1.amazonaws.com%2Fbrightspot%2Fed%2F3c%2Fe253d16d4dd3911f79d753df7ad9%2Ftimothy-krajcir.jpg 1x,https://cst.brightspotcdn.com/dims4/default/e824971/2147483647/strip/true/crop/476x267+0+102/resize/980x550!/format/webp/quality/90/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fchorus-production-cst-web.s3.us-east-1.amazonaws.com%2Fbrightspot%2Fed%2F3c%2Fe253d16d4dd3911f79d753df7ad9%2Ftimothy-krajcir.jpg 2x" loading="lazy" /> <source width="490" height="275" srcset="https://cst.brightspotcdn.com/dims4/default/688e0f7/2147483647/strip/true/crop/476x267+0+102/resize/490x275!/quality/90/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fchorus-production-cst-web.s3.us-east-1.amazonaws.com%2Fbrightspot%2Fed%2F3c%2Fe253d16d4dd3911f79d753df7ad9%2Ftimothy-krajcir.jpg" loading="lazy" /> <img class="Image" alt="Timothy Krajcir " srcset="https://cst.brightspotcdn.com/dims4/default/688e0f7/2147483647/strip/true/crop/476x267+0+102/resize/490x275!/quality/90/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fchorus-production-cst-web.s3.us-east-1.amazonaws.com%2Fbrightspot%2Fed%2F3c%2Fe253d16d4dd3911f79d753df7ad9%2Ftimothy-krajcir.jpg 1x,https://cst.brightspotcdn.com/dims4/default/1dc037e/2147483647/strip/true/crop/476x267+0+102/resize/980x550!/quality/90/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fchorus-production-cst-web.s3.us-east-1.amazonaws.com%2Fbrightspot%2Fed%2F3c%2Fe253d16d4dd3911f79d753df7ad9%2Ftimothy-krajcir.jpg 2x" width="490" height="275" src="https://cst.brightspotcdn.com/dims4/default/688e0f7/2147483647/strip/true/crop/476x267+0+102/resize/490x275!/quality/90/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fchorus-production-cst-web.s3.us-east-1.amazonaws.com%2Fbrightspot%2Fed%2F3c%2Fe253d16d4dd3911f79d753df7ad9%2Ftimothy-krajcir.jpg" loading="lazy" > </picture> <div class="Figure-content"><figcaption class="Figure-caption"><p>Timothy Krajcir</p></figcaption><span class="line"></span><div class="Figure-credit"><p>Illinois Department of Corrections</p></div></div> </figure> </div> </div><p>Years later, serial killer Timothy Krajcir confessed to an attempted sexual assault matching the circumstances of the crime for which Thompson had been convicted.</p><p>Krajcir admitted to killing nine women and is serving an 80-year Illinois prison sentence.</p><p>Thompson’s nephew, the Illinois Innocence Project and police officer Paul Echols — who obtained Krajcir’s confession — pushed to clear Thompson’s name. </p><p>Then-Gov. Bruce Rauner granted Thompson a pardon in 2019.</p><p>The other recent case involves Joe James, a Black man executed in 1908 for killing a white man, Clergy Ballard, in Springfield.</p><p>Northwestern University’s Center on Wrongful Convictions and other advocates have argued James did not receive a fair trial. </p><p>An all-white jury convicted him just weeks after a white mob lynched two Black men and torched hundreds of Black homes and businesses during the Springfield race riot.</p><p>The Prisoner Review Board has sent Pritzker a confidential recommendation in James' case, and the governor has yet to act on it, according to a board spokesperson.</p><div class="RelatedList Enhancement" data-module data-align-center> <div class="RelatedList-title">Related</div> <ul class="RelatedList-items"> <li class="RelatedList-items-item"> <a class="Link" href="https://chicago.suntimes.com/the-watchdogs/2025/06/18/starved-rock-killer-chester-weger-conviction-1960-murders-three-women" >‘Starved Rock killer’ loses bid to overturn 1961 conviction</a> </li> <li class="RelatedList-items-item"> <a class="Link" href="https://chicago.suntimes.com/the-watchdogs/2025/06/24/starved-rock-killer-chester-weger-1961-conviction-obituary" >Starved Rock killer is dead, a week after losing bid to overturn 1961 conviction</a> </li> <li class="RelatedList-items-item"> <a class="Link" href="https://chicago.suntimes.com/2022/8/2/23288581/starved-rock-killer-chester-weger-dna-andrew-hale" >Convicted Starved Rock killer’s lawyer: DNA test casts doubt on Chester Weger’s conviction</a> </li> <li class="RelatedList-items-item"> <a class="Link" href="https://chicago.suntimes.com/2022/10/14/23393096/starved-rock-killer-chester-weger-chicago-outfit-andy-james-glasgow-wrongful-conviction" >Convicted ‘Starved Rock killer’s’ lawyer: Family member might have arranged for Chicago Outfit to kill 3 women in 1960</a> </li> </ul> </div> <p></p>

wbez.org

Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker discusses his use of GLP-1 and his 80-pound weight loss

<p><a class="Link" href="https://chicago.suntimes.com/2024-democratic-national-convention/2024/08/20/pritzker-jb-donald-trump-kamala-harris-democratic-national-convention-dnc-speech" >Gov. JB Pritzker delivered</a> one of the most high-profile political speeches of his life two years ago at Chicago’s Democratic National Convention.</p><p>But now, two years later, Pritzker, 61, said he’s astounded to see photographs and video of that moment.</p><p>Pritzker is for the first time revealing publicly that he’s lost 80 pounds with the help of a GLP-1 weight-loss medication, with plans to lose more. The governor laid bare his previously undisclosed medical history in an hourlong interview with the Chicago Sun-Times, saying the “food noise” is gone with daily exercise and the injections fueling weight loss he didn’t think was possible.</p><p>“I honestly didn’t think about the fact that just two years ago at the Democratic convention, that I was 80 pounds heavier. I didn’t notice that except that now I’ve seen pictures or video of myself and now that I’ve had some success, I look in the mirror and I think about the videos and I think, 'Wow, that’s quite a difference,’ ” Pritzker said. “And I guess other people see it, which is nice.”</p><div class="Enhancement" data-align-center> <div class="Enhancement-item" data-crop=""> <figure class="Figure"><a class="AnchorLink" id="image-600000" name="image-600000"></a> <picture data-crop="medium"> <source type="image/webp" width="490" height="275" srcset="https://cst.brightspotcdn.com/dims4/default/bd63a2d/2147483647/strip/true/crop/5537x3108+0+0/resize/490x275!/format/webp/quality/90/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fchorus-production-cst-web.s3.us-east-1.amazonaws.com%2Fbrightspot%2F17%2Ff9%2Fa99686e34451aeb792d9ea7eaaef%2F2167657011.jpg 1x,https://cst.brightspotcdn.com/dims4/default/c68beee/2147483647/strip/true/crop/5537x3108+0+0/resize/980x550!/format/webp/quality/90/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fchorus-production-cst-web.s3.us-east-1.amazonaws.com%2Fbrightspot%2F17%2Ff9%2Fa99686e34451aeb792d9ea7eaaef%2F2167657011.jpg 2x" loading="lazy" /> <source width="490" height="275" srcset="https://cst.brightspotcdn.com/dims4/default/fc4c28a/2147483647/strip/true/crop/5537x3108+0+0/resize/490x275!/quality/90/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fchorus-production-cst-web.s3.us-east-1.amazonaws.com%2Fbrightspot%2F17%2Ff9%2Fa99686e34451aeb792d9ea7eaaef%2F2167657011.jpg" loading="lazy" /> <img class="Image" alt="Illinois Gov. J.B. Pritzker speaks on stage during the second day of the Democratic National Convention at the United Center Aug. 20, 2024 in Chicago." srcset="https://cst.brightspotcdn.com/dims4/default/fc4c28a/2147483647/strip/true/crop/5537x3108+0+0/resize/490x275!/quality/90/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fchorus-production-cst-web.s3.us-east-1.amazonaws.com%2Fbrightspot%2F17%2Ff9%2Fa99686e34451aeb792d9ea7eaaef%2F2167657011.jpg 1x,https://cst.brightspotcdn.com/dims4/default/8f6dc93/2147483647/strip/true/crop/5537x3108+0+0/resize/980x550!/quality/90/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fchorus-production-cst-web.s3.us-east-1.amazonaws.com%2Fbrightspot%2F17%2Ff9%2Fa99686e34451aeb792d9ea7eaaef%2F2167657011.jpg 2x" width="490" height="275" src="https://cst.brightspotcdn.com/dims4/default/fc4c28a/2147483647/strip/true/crop/5537x3108+0+0/resize/490x275!/quality/90/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fchorus-production-cst-web.s3.us-east-1.amazonaws.com%2Fbrightspot%2F17%2Ff9%2Fa99686e34451aeb792d9ea7eaaef%2F2167657011.jpg" loading="lazy" > </picture> <div class="Figure-content"><figcaption class="Figure-caption"><p>Illinois Gov. J.B. Pritzker speaks on the second day of the Democratic National Convention at the United Center Aug. 20, 2024, in Chicago.</p></figcaption><span class="line"></span><div class="Figure-credit"><p>Joe Raedle/Getty Images</p></div></div> </figure> </div> </div><p>For people who think Pritzker, a billionaire, has little to complain about — he has always battled with his weight.</p><p>“There are people who have it very easy their whole lives, and they’ve never struggled at all,” Pritzker said. “And I’m just not that person.”</p><p>Pritzker blames that in part on “bad genes.” He’s also been the target of weight-related attacks and AI-generated memes shared by President Donald Trump — including fake images of him devouring pizza and a burger. Trump also has repeatedly called him a “fat slob,” a reference the governor certainly remembers.</p><p>“I think that it's funny to me now that the president still calls me a fat slob ... and I wasn’t before, by the way. But I’ve been overweight. Oh, by the way, he’s overweight,” Pritzker said. “But I don’t really talk about that publicly … and it’s because I think it’s more like the content of your character that matters more, and I’ve always believed that. And that’s why I haven’t listened to people who say nasty things about me being overweight.”</p><p>He said he’s been on “every diet you could imagine” with no long-term success. But it wasn’t until a doctor diagnosed him with prediabetes, and later Type 2 diabetes, at age 58, that he began taking insulin — and ultimately a GLP-1 medication to help regulate his blood sugar.</p><p>Pritzker said it's a “miracle” he didn’t have health problems before then.</p><p>“I’ve been testing myself regularly like people do when they go to the doctor. Maybe I would do it once a year and never have any problems. It’s almost a miracle, really,” Pritzker said. “If you think about the number of years being overweight — no glucose problem, no other problems.”</p><p>It was that diabetes diagnosis and insulin prescription that gave him a lifesaving wake-up call — and got him thinking about his own longevity.</p><p>Pritzker said the medication — combined with exercise and diet — has been so effective that he stopped taking insulin nine months ago, and his blood sugar levels have gone back to normal.</p><p>The Democratic governor’s weight loss has been gradual — but noticeable. In the early days, his suits sometimes looked like they were hanging off his body. He has since upgraded his smaller sized wardrobe.</p><p>He's also frequently spotted walking several miles along Lake Michigan in the mornings — and he’s taken hundreds of questions about his weight, each time crediting his weight loss to his new exercise routine and declining to answer whether it was also fueled by a GLP-1 medication. He repeatedly called it a “private health matter.”</p><p>But more than two years into his new weight loss journey, the governor said he wants to talk about it openly, largely in part because he knows millions of Americans are suffering from obesity-related health conditions. He said he didn’t talk about it sooner because he wanted to make sure the weight loss stuck. The disclosure also comes just months before Democrats are expected to announce their intentions to run for president.</p><p>For now, the governor won’t take the<a class="Link" href="https://chicago.suntimes.com/2026/07/09/pritzker-for-president-handicapping-the-illinois-governors-political-future" > presidential bait </a>and said he’s focusing on winning his third term for governor in November.</p><p>“People want to tag that, but I mean really, really honestly … I might not be on a GLP-1 had I not walked into that doctor’s office or gotten that call, and so that really is what put me on the GLP-1,” Pritzker said. “And the fact that I’m losing weight, frankly, I would like to be around to have my children have children. So I can have grandchildren.”</p><h3>The role his family health plays</h3><p>Pritzker’s childhood included the deaths of both parents — his mother <a class="Link" href="https://chicago.suntimes.com/2022/5/13/23069709/gov-jb-pritzker-mother-sue-abortion-rights-family-legacy-national-leadership-roe-v-wade-alcoholism" target="_blank" >Sue was killed in a car accident when he was 17,</a> and his father Donald died of a heart attack at 39, when Pritzker was just 7.</p><p>And that number — 39 — is something the Pritzker family, including the governor’s sister Penny and brother Tony, thinks about — especially since they’ve made it well past that young age.</p><p>Pritzker said his father had high cholesterol, high triglycerides and high blood pressure. He said the family was always aware there was a genetic possibility that one of them could suffer from alcoholism, as his mother did, though none did.</p><p>He said he paid attention “to not drinking too much" but wasn’t overly concerned about his heart health because his blood work results were consistently normal.</p><p>The governor was extremely candid about his relationship with food — describing himself as the guy who wants the whole cake, not just a piece.</p><p>“It’s still a struggle. It used to be that somebody would say, ‘We’ve got cake,’ or something, and, to me and I think to other people, but for me anyway, if you put a cake down and say, ‘Would you like some cake?’ Yeah, I want the whole cake or a box of cookies,” Pritzker said. “That was just how I would feel about it, and I don’t feel that way anymore. I still like — who doesn’t love cake and cookies? I love them, but I don’t feel like I need to have more than one, and most often I'm thinking, ‘I don't want to do that because I want to lose weight tomorrow.’ ”</p><p>The food noise is gone, he said, crediting the medication.</p><p>“I really don’t walk around thinking when is the next time I need to or that I get to eat,” Pritzker said. “Now, it’s much more normal.”</p><h3>State insurance covers Pritzker’s GLP-1 use </h3><p>Pritzker, who started his injections in the spring of 2024, said his weight-loss medication is covered by the state’s insurance plan — but it’s attributable to his previous diabetes diagnosis, not specifically for weight loss.</p><p><a class="Link" href="https://chicago.suntimes.com/politics/2024/04/30/weight-loss-drug-coverage-illinois-state-workers-taxpayers-price-tag" >Illinois expanded coverage</a> for eligible state workers for medications like Wegovy, Mounjaro and Ozempic, in July 2023 under the state’s group health insurance program. The state’s expanded coverage cost the state $147 million in fiscal year 2025.</p><p>GLP-1 coverage previously was available for state workers who had been diagnosed with diabetes — but the expansion covered the drug for weight loss, with more drugs available.</p><p>“I put that policy in place before I ever thought I’d be on a GLP-1. Just want to be clear. I’m not trying to, I wasn’t trying to do something for myself here,” Pritzker said. “It really was a policy decision.”</p><p>Pritzker has defended the inclusion of the weight-loss injections into the state’s insurance plan, calling it “good for the taxpayers” for its ability to get diabetics off insulin.</p><p>“We brought down the cost of insulin for people long before we ever got to GLP-1s, but this actually allows people to — well I’m living proof that you can come off of them,” Pritzker said.</p><p>Despite praise for the drug’s effectiveness, the governor said he can’t rule out future cuts to coverage of the medication for weight loss due to budgetary constraints, saying, “of course virtually everything these days is on the table.”</p><p>“There are lots of things I don't like having to do these days that we shouldn’t have to do, but they’re being forced upon us,” Pritzker said. ”And so, is that on some very long list of things we would have to consider? Possibly. But I really haven’t contemplated it until you just asked the question.”</p><p>The governor said expansion of the weight loss drugs to Medicaid recipients, however, is not currently feasible.</p><p>“We have so many other things that we need to do with dollars in the Medicaid system that I can’t imagine that this would be immediately something we could do, given all the circumstances of the federal government,” Pritzker said, “But I would love to do that. I mean, it’s not like people who are lower income don’t have exactly the same problems. It’s not like the Medicaid system couldn’t benefit.”</p><h3>‘I don’t think it’s cheating’ </h3><div class="Enhancement" data-align-center> <div class="Enhancement-item" data-crop=""> <figure class="Figure"><a class="AnchorLink" id="image-860000" name="image-860000"></a> <picture data-crop="medium"> <source type="image/webp" width="490" height="275" srcset="https://cst.brightspotcdn.com/dims4/default/dceefe3/2147483647/strip/true/crop/6196x3477+0+327/resize/490x275!/format/webp/quality/90/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fchorus-production-cst-web.s3.us-east-1.amazonaws.com%2Fbrightspot%2F44%2F39%2Fb9dc877c4969a5419d8241556507%2Fpritzkerinterview-260921-3.jpg 1x,https://cst.brightspotcdn.com/dims4/default/576c982/2147483647/strip/true/crop/6196x3477+0+327/resize/980x550!/format/webp/quality/90/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fchorus-production-cst-web.s3.us-east-1.amazonaws.com%2Fbrightspot%2F44%2F39%2Fb9dc877c4969a5419d8241556507%2Fpritzkerinterview-260921-3.jpg 2x" loading="lazy" /> <source width="490" height="275" srcset="https://cst.brightspotcdn.com/dims4/default/9d57c73/2147483647/strip/true/crop/6196x3477+0+327/resize/490x275!/quality/90/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fchorus-production-cst-web.s3.us-east-1.amazonaws.com%2Fbrightspot%2F44%2F39%2Fb9dc877c4969a5419d8241556507%2Fpritzkerinterview-260921-3.jpg" loading="lazy" /> <img class="Image" alt="Two female joggers talk to Gov. JB Pritzker on the Lakefront Trail at 31st Street Beach on Sept. 16, 2026. " srcset="https://cst.brightspotcdn.com/dims4/default/9d57c73/2147483647/strip/true/crop/6196x3477+0+327/resize/490x275!/quality/90/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fchorus-production-cst-web.s3.us-east-1.amazonaws.com%2Fbrightspot%2F44%2F39%2Fb9dc877c4969a5419d8241556507%2Fpritzkerinterview-260921-3.jpg 1x,https://cst.brightspotcdn.com/dims4/default/ce32392/2147483647/strip/true/crop/6196x3477+0+327/resize/980x550!/quality/90/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fchorus-production-cst-web.s3.us-east-1.amazonaws.com%2Fbrightspot%2F44%2F39%2Fb9dc877c4969a5419d8241556507%2Fpritzkerinterview-260921-3.jpg 2x" width="490" height="275" src="https://cst.brightspotcdn.com/dims4/default/9d57c73/2147483647/strip/true/crop/6196x3477+0+327/resize/490x275!/quality/90/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fchorus-production-cst-web.s3.us-east-1.amazonaws.com%2Fbrightspot%2F44%2F39%2Fb9dc877c4969a5419d8241556507%2Fpritzkerinterview-260921-3.jpg" loading="lazy" > </picture> <div class="Figure-content"><figcaption class="Figure-caption"><p>Joggers chat with Gov. JB Pritzker last week at 31st Street Beach.</p></figcaption><span class="line"></span><div class="Figure-credit"><p>Pat Nabong/Sun-Times</p></div></div> </figure> </div> </div><p>On a drizzly September morning, Pritzker took a morning walk near 31st Street Beach. He was immediately spotted and chatted with two runners and later with two bird watchers from the the Nature Conservancy and Windy City Bird Lab.</p><p>Beyond the Lake Michigan walks, Pritzker said he’s using a recumbent bike in his office on rainy days, and also a treadmill, elliptical machines and whatever is available at hotel gyms. He hikes with his son and plays tennis with his daughter.</p><p>Pritzker defended his use of a GLP-1 drug and said it isn’t a shortcut or “like steroids for sports figures.” He is crediting it as the biggest difference maker in his lifelong quest to lose weight.</p><p>“I feel so much better than I have in a long time. I’m able to do things I haven’t done in a long time. So if there is this new opportunity to get healthy and in my case, it was driven by a true medical condition diagnosis … I don’t think it’s cheating,” Pritzker said. “I think it’s what I need to succeed.”</p><div class="RelatedList Enhancement" data-module data-align-center> <div class="RelatedList-title">Related</div> <ul class="RelatedList-items"> <li class="RelatedList-items-item"> <a class="Link" href="https://chicago.suntimes.com/politics/2024/04/30/weight-loss-drug-coverage-illinois-state-workers-taxpayers-price-tag" >Weight-loss drug coverage for Illinois state workers could cost hundreds of millions of dollars</a> </li> </ul> </div> <p></p>

wbez.org

In Gary, Indiana, a month after historic NIPSCO power outage, families still wait for relief

<p>Inside Melissa Dixon’s home in Gary, the lights are back on. Her refrigerator is working. And she’s playing music as she does yard work. The generator that she had on her front steps is gone now. </p><p>It's more than a month since Dixon and hundreds of thousands of others in Gary and across northwest Indiana were left without power, some for at least <a class="Link" href="https://chicago.suntimes.com/graphics/weather/powerless/12-nights-without-power-in-Gary-Indiana/" target="_blank" ><u>two weeks</u></a>, and she's still feeling anxious.</p><p>It wasn’t until recently that she finally did a big grocery haul. Until then, she'd been buying only enough food for a day or two.</p><p>“I don’t want to put food in here or buy food for a couple days,” Dixon says, “because I don’t want to lose my food again.”</p><p>She was among nearly 375,000 of the Northern Indiana Public Service Company's customers — of the 500,000 it serves — who were without electricity for days after an Aug. 11 derecho. </p><p>Gusts of 99 miles an hour were recorded at the Gary/Chicago International Airport. But Gary was one of the last communities to have power fully restored, U.S. Rep. Frank Mrvan, D-Indiana, whose congressional district includes Gary, said in a letter to the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission asking for a federal <a class="Link" href="https://chicago.suntimes.com/2026/08/31/indianas-governor-demands-probe-of-power-utility-during-tour-of-storm-ravaged-gary" target="_blank" ><u>investigation</u></a> of NIPSCO’s response.</p><div class="Enhancement" data-align-center> <div class="Enhancement-item" data-crop=""> <figure class="Figure"><a class="AnchorLink" id="image-0e0000" name="image-0e0000"></a> <picture data-crop="medium"> <source type="image/webp" width="490" height="275" srcset="https://cst.brightspotcdn.com/dims4/default/5a65631/2147483647/strip/true/crop/7420x4164+0+392/resize/490x275!/format/webp/quality/90/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fchorus-production-cst-web.s3.us-east-1.amazonaws.com%2Fbrightspot%2F95%2Fd7%2Fb047358b4eba97a95e2c3c7f235d%2Fgaryupdate-260920-08.jpg 1x,https://cst.brightspotcdn.com/dims4/default/18508ea/2147483647/strip/true/crop/7420x4164+0+392/resize/980x550!/format/webp/quality/90/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fchorus-production-cst-web.s3.us-east-1.amazonaws.com%2Fbrightspot%2F95%2Fd7%2Fb047358b4eba97a95e2c3c7f235d%2Fgaryupdate-260920-08.jpg 2x" loading="lazy" /> <source width="490" height="275" srcset="https://cst.brightspotcdn.com/dims4/default/57e2daf/2147483647/strip/true/crop/7420x4164+0+392/resize/490x275!/quality/90/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fchorus-production-cst-web.s3.us-east-1.amazonaws.com%2Fbrightspot%2F95%2Fd7%2Fb047358b4eba97a95e2c3c7f235d%2Fgaryupdate-260920-08.jpg" loading="lazy" /> <img class="Image" alt="Melissa Dixon shows off wood she has started stockpiling outside her home in Gary. Dixon is worried about another natural disaster after she and her family faced about two weeks with no lights during a historic power outage." srcset="https://cst.brightspotcdn.com/dims4/default/57e2daf/2147483647/strip/true/crop/7420x4164+0+392/resize/490x275!/quality/90/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fchorus-production-cst-web.s3.us-east-1.amazonaws.com%2Fbrightspot%2F95%2Fd7%2Fb047358b4eba97a95e2c3c7f235d%2Fgaryupdate-260920-08.jpg 1x,https://cst.brightspotcdn.com/dims4/default/7436e81/2147483647/strip/true/crop/7420x4164+0+392/resize/980x550!/quality/90/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fchorus-production-cst-web.s3.us-east-1.amazonaws.com%2Fbrightspot%2F95%2Fd7%2Fb047358b4eba97a95e2c3c7f235d%2Fgaryupdate-260920-08.jpg 2x" width="490" height="275" src="https://cst.brightspotcdn.com/dims4/default/57e2daf/2147483647/strip/true/crop/7420x4164+0+392/resize/490x275!/quality/90/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fchorus-production-cst-web.s3.us-east-1.amazonaws.com%2Fbrightspot%2F95%2Fd7%2Fb047358b4eba97a95e2c3c7f235d%2Fgaryupdate-260920-08.jpg" loading="lazy" > </picture> <div class="Figure-content"><figcaption class="Figure-caption"><p>Melissa Dixon has started stockpiling wood outside her home in Gary in case of another natural disaster after she and her family faced about two weeks with no lights during a historic power outage.</p></figcaption><span class="line"></span><div class="Figure-credit"><p>Ashlee Rezin / Sun-Times</p></div></div> </figure> </div> </div><p>The calls for help haven’t stopped at Tree of Life Missionary Baptist Church. The church organized food giveaways and opened to neighbors who were without power. Now, the Rev. Eric Boone, Tree of Life's senior pastor, says families in Gary are staying afloat, but things aren’t completely back to normal. Some people regained power only to find out their refrigerators no longer worked, he says.</p><p>“Even though lights came on, people’s bank accounts didn’t bounce back,” Boone says. “People’s food, refrigerators and freezers didn’t bounce back. Some people got mold. Some people’s houses are wrecked. Some people lost their cars.”</p><h3>Health worries</h3><p>Outside Dixon’s home, a large tree branch that had fallen on a neighbor’s property has been cut into smaller pieces. That's for firewood she plans to keep in case another storm knocks out the power again.</p><p>Inside, Dixon has stocked her refrigerator with staples like milk and eggs. She gets waffles to satisfy her four daughters, who range in age from 12 to 22 years old. Her younger daughters are all back in school. The house is mostly quiet with them in class. But steps from the kitchen, Dixon says she's worried about dark spots along the walls in her basement. Maybe those are mold. She keeps two dehumidifiers running in the basement, where she typically sleeps.</p><p>“We’re sick because of the mold,” Dixon says. “I started feeling really weird, like my vision … a lot of pain in my face and my neck area and going down my arm and my shoulder.”</p><div class="Enhancement" data-align-center> <div class="Enhancement-item" data-crop=""> <figure class="Figure"><a class="AnchorLink" id="image-3b0000" name="image-3b0000"></a> <picture data-crop="medium"> <source type="image/webp" width="490" height="275" srcset="https://cst.brightspotcdn.com/dims4/default/96f1a72/2147483647/strip/true/crop/4739x2660+0+251/resize/490x275!/format/webp/quality/90/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fchorus-production-cst-web.s3.us-east-1.amazonaws.com%2Fbrightspot%2F26%2Fe1%2F38b175a74cf98dded411f8ac09d8%2Fgaryupdate-260920-03.jpg 1x,https://cst.brightspotcdn.com/dims4/default/6425ae7/2147483647/strip/true/crop/4739x2660+0+251/resize/980x550!/format/webp/quality/90/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fchorus-production-cst-web.s3.us-east-1.amazonaws.com%2Fbrightspot%2F26%2Fe1%2F38b175a74cf98dded411f8ac09d8%2Fgaryupdate-260920-03.jpg 2x" loading="lazy" /> <source width="490" height="275" srcset="https://cst.brightspotcdn.com/dims4/default/91c8c67/2147483647/strip/true/crop/4739x2660+0+251/resize/490x275!/quality/90/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fchorus-production-cst-web.s3.us-east-1.amazonaws.com%2Fbrightspot%2F26%2Fe1%2F38b175a74cf98dded411f8ac09d8%2Fgaryupdate-260920-03.jpg" loading="lazy" /> <img class="Image" alt="Melissa Dixon points to spots she worries are mold." srcset="https://cst.brightspotcdn.com/dims4/default/91c8c67/2147483647/strip/true/crop/4739x2660+0+251/resize/490x275!/quality/90/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fchorus-production-cst-web.s3.us-east-1.amazonaws.com%2Fbrightspot%2F26%2Fe1%2F38b175a74cf98dded411f8ac09d8%2Fgaryupdate-260920-03.jpg 1x,https://cst.brightspotcdn.com/dims4/default/dc7c3be/2147483647/strip/true/crop/4739x2660+0+251/resize/980x550!/quality/90/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fchorus-production-cst-web.s3.us-east-1.amazonaws.com%2Fbrightspot%2F26%2Fe1%2F38b175a74cf98dded411f8ac09d8%2Fgaryupdate-260920-03.jpg 2x" width="490" height="275" src="https://cst.brightspotcdn.com/dims4/default/91c8c67/2147483647/strip/true/crop/4739x2660+0+251/resize/490x275!/quality/90/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fchorus-production-cst-web.s3.us-east-1.amazonaws.com%2Fbrightspot%2F26%2Fe1%2F38b175a74cf98dded411f8ac09d8%2Fgaryupdate-260920-03.jpg" loading="lazy" > </picture> <div class="Figure-content"><figcaption class="Figure-caption"><p>Melissa Dixon points to spots she worries are mold.</p></figcaption><span class="line"></span><div class="Figure-credit"><p>Ashlee Rezin / Sun-Times</p></div></div> </figure> </div> </div><p>Dixon says she started to feel sick soon after the power was restored. She was taking medicine to try to treat inflammation that has led to facial nerve problems.</p><p>She'd like to move her family out of her home temporarily — until she’s able to get it checked for mold and any necessary remediation. </p><p>But first she needs some support. She applied for disaster relief through the Federal Emergency Management Agency, but her application is still pending.</p><p>The only financial help she has gotten is a $150 voucher from her township. Calling hotline after hotline has been like trying to win a contest rather than just get relief after a natural disaster.</p><p>“It’s like calling a radio station,” she says. “‘Ooh, am I going to win these tickets?’”</p><h3></h3><p>Dixon is among more than 33,000 people in Lake County, Indiana, who have applied for relief money from FEMA. The federal agency says $48.19 million has been allocated for Lake County but didn't say how many applications have been approved.</p><p>Gary officials distributed an additional $500,000 in disaster relief to about 1,200 households. In a city of about 67,000 people, that’s also only a fraction of the possible need.</p><p>Shanequa Cauley is among those in Gary who have struck out on getting help. She lost power for about nine days. It took much longer for her employer's power to be restored. That meant she lost out on about three weeks of pay.</p><p>Cauley says she borrowed from a friend to pay her rent on time. Some of the meals she and her 7-year-old daughter ate during the first weeks after the storm came from the City Life Center, which provided free hot meals to families in Gary. The center later gave out vouchers for $300 to use at a grocery store.</p><p>But those meals have since ended. Cauley is hopeful she can get her finances in better shape before the end of the month.</p><p>“I’m praying by next week everything should be good,” says Cauley, who <a class="Link" href="https://chicago.suntimes.com/news/2026/08/25/nipsco-filed-application-for-customer-rate-increases-amid-storm-that-ravaged-northwest-indiana" target="_blank" ><u>owes NIPSCO</u></a> about $89. “The first thing I’m going to do is get my NIPSCO caught up.”</p><h3>‘Refuse to be knocked out’</h3><p>Britney Rice, community adaptation program manager for the American Red Cross in Indiana, says caseworkers have been trying to connect Gary residents with the resources they need. Twenty-eight people are still living in temporary shelter, according to Rice, who says the Red Cross also assisted others in getting vouchers from a state program to stay at a hotel for 30 days.</p><p>Some people haven’t been able to replace the food they lost during the outage. For others, the Red Cross is helping get them into a better situation than they were before the storms, which could include connecting them to other resources to help them find a better job, Rice says.</p><p>“When people have been impacted by disasters and the trauma that goes along with it, and they kind of kick into survival mode, sometimes all they can see is what’s in front of them,” Rice says. “And they make decisions that, if they could have seen something much bigger, then they would have made bigger decisions.”</p><p>Boone says his Tree of Life congregation has been scrambling to get relief information out. There still are people trying to figure out how to get by, he says. But Boone says he’s been heartened by how people in Gary have come together.</p><p>“We are strong," Boone says. "We are some that don’t give in or give up easily. We might get knocked down, but we refuse to be knocked out.”</p><div class="Enhancement" data-align-center> <div class="Enhancement-item" data-crop=""> <figure class="Figure"><a class="AnchorLink" id="image-d40000" name="image-d40000"></a> <picture data-crop="medium"> <source type="image/webp" width="490" height="275" srcset="https://cst.brightspotcdn.com/dims4/default/3ebe81d/2147483647/strip/true/crop/6313x3543+0+334/resize/490x275!/format/webp/quality/90/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fchorus-production-cst-web.s3.us-east-1.amazonaws.com%2Fbrightspot%2Ff0%2F4a%2Fc73f88564d73b521ba913da2056d%2Fgaryupdate-260920-07.JPG 1x,https://cst.brightspotcdn.com/dims4/default/c138c50/2147483647/strip/true/crop/6313x3543+0+334/resize/980x550!/format/webp/quality/90/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fchorus-production-cst-web.s3.us-east-1.amazonaws.com%2Fbrightspot%2Ff0%2F4a%2Fc73f88564d73b521ba913da2056d%2Fgaryupdate-260920-07.JPG 2x" loading="lazy" /> <source width="490" height="275" srcset="https://cst.brightspotcdn.com/dims4/default/9473b45/2147483647/strip/true/crop/6313x3543+0+334/resize/490x275!/quality/90/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fchorus-production-cst-web.s3.us-east-1.amazonaws.com%2Fbrightspot%2Ff0%2F4a%2Fc73f88564d73b521ba913da2056d%2Fgaryupdate-260920-07.JPG" loading="lazy" /> <img class="Image" alt="Melissa Dixon still got a NIPSCO bill for $374. She wants the utility company to take responsibility for what she and her neighbors have been through." srcset="https://cst.brightspotcdn.com/dims4/default/9473b45/2147483647/strip/true/crop/6313x3543+0+334/resize/490x275!/quality/90/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fchorus-production-cst-web.s3.us-east-1.amazonaws.com%2Fbrightspot%2Ff0%2F4a%2Fc73f88564d73b521ba913da2056d%2Fgaryupdate-260920-07.JPG 1x,https://cst.brightspotcdn.com/dims4/default/82e53dc/2147483647/strip/true/crop/6313x3543+0+334/resize/980x550!/quality/90/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fchorus-production-cst-web.s3.us-east-1.amazonaws.com%2Fbrightspot%2Ff0%2F4a%2Fc73f88564d73b521ba913da2056d%2Fgaryupdate-260920-07.JPG 2x" width="490" height="275" src="https://cst.brightspotcdn.com/dims4/default/9473b45/2147483647/strip/true/crop/6313x3543+0+334/resize/490x275!/quality/90/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fchorus-production-cst-web.s3.us-east-1.amazonaws.com%2Fbrightspot%2Ff0%2F4a%2Fc73f88564d73b521ba913da2056d%2Fgaryupdate-260920-07.JPG" loading="lazy" > </picture> <div class="Figure-content"><figcaption class="Figure-caption"><p>Melissa Dixon still got a NIPSCO bill for $374. She wants the utility company to take responsibility for what she and her neighbors have been through.</p></figcaption><span class="line"></span><div class="Figure-credit"><p>Ashlee Rezin / Sun-Times</p></div></div> </figure> </div> </div><p>Dixon says she and her neighbors need more help, and she wants NIPSCO to take responsibility for what they’ve been through. Despite the disaster, she still got a NIPSCO bill for $374.</p><p>“It’s too much going on behind this power outage that we had to go through for two weeks,” she says. “It’s too much behind it. And the little that I’m going through, I could just imagine what other people are going through. I thought my home was safe. And now look: Me and my kids are truly sick.”</p><div class="RelatedList Enhancement" data-module data-align-center> <div class="RelatedList-title">Related</div> <ul class="RelatedList-items"> <li class="RelatedList-items-item"> <a class="Link" href="https://chicago.suntimes.com/graphics/weather/powerless/12-nights-without-power-in-Gary-Indiana/" target="_blank" >12 nights without power in Gary</a> </li> <li class="RelatedList-items-item"> <a class="Link" href="https://chicago.suntimes.com/photography/2026/08/29/how-we-photographed-historic-power-outage-gary" >How we photographed a historic power outage in Gary</a> </li> </ul> </div> <p></p><div class="RichTextSidebarModule Enhancement" data-module data-align-center><a class="AnchorLink" id="module-bb0000" name="module-bb0000"></a> <div class="RichTextModule-items RichTextBody"><h4><b>Resources for Gary residents: </b></h4><ul id="rte-8e577230-b2e0-11f1-b4e7-c913838dcc8d"><li>FEMA is accepting applications until Oct. 25, which can be filled out online at <a class="Link" href="https://www.disasterassistance.gov/" target="_blank" >www.disasterassistance.gov</a>. The federal agency provides funds to cover emergency needs, like medical equipment and food, and to make home repairs.</li><li>The Indiana State Disaster Relief Fund can help residents replace or repair essential furniture, appliances or pay for needed inspections. Residents can <a class="Link" href=" https://app.brightharbor.com/signup/indiana-sdrf-june-august-2026" target="_blank" >apply online</a>.</li><li>To get help in person applying for FEMA and the state’s relief fund, residents can visit United Steelworkers Local 1014, located at 1301 Texas St., Gary, Indiana, from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. from Sept. 23 to Sept. 25th. Residents can also stop by from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. on Sept. 28 through Oct. 2. The site will be part of the state’s “One-Stop Shops” to get state and federal disaster relief assistance.</li><li>To talk to a caseworker at the Red Cross, residents can call 1 (800) 733-2767.</li></ul><br><h4><b>How to help Gary residents: </b></h4><ul id="rte-8e577231-b2e0-11f1-b4e7-c913838dcc8d"><li>Tree of Life Missionary Baptist Church welcomes volunteers who want to help with relief efforts or their food pantry. They are located at 2323 W. 11th Ave., Gary, Indiana.</li><li>People interested in becoming a disaster volunteer with the Red Cross can visit, <a class="Link" href="https://redcross.org/volunteers" target="_blank" >redcross.org/volunteers</a>.</li><li>Hope Alliance of Northwest Indiana continues to distribute cleaning supplies and pays for residents to do loads of laundry. Volunteers interested in helping can call, (219) 316-0099.</li></ul></div> </div><p></p>

wbez.org

Book profiles Gay sisters, an overlooked Chicago gospel trio who played with Mahalia Jackson, Sam Cooke

<p>If you name any gospel music star of the mid-20th century, Gregory Donald Gay probably has a story about them.</p><p>His family was visited by singer Clara Ward, who would pull her 1957 Chrysler limousine into the driveway of their Woodlawn home.</p><p>As a starstruck teenager, he sang before the “father of gospel music,” Thomas A. Dorsey.</p><p>At 5 years old, he witnessed icon Mahalia Jackson having a fit<b> </b>backstage at Carnegie Hall after Ward’s group – particularly Marion Williams<b> –</b> brought the house down.</p><p>“She didn't want anybody to outsing her,” said Gay, now 81 and the longtime pastor of the Prayer Center Church of God in Christ in Woodlawn.</p><div class="Enhancement" data-align-center> <div class="Enhancement-item" data-crop=""> <figure class="Figure"><a class="AnchorLink" id="image-a30000" name="image-a30000"></a> <picture data-crop="medium"> <source type="image/webp" width="490" height="275" srcset="https://cst.brightspotcdn.com/dims4/default/575967e/2147483647/strip/true/crop/8192x4598+0+433/resize/490x275!/format/webp/quality/90/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fchorus-production-cst-web.s3.us-east-1.amazonaws.com%2Fbrightspot%2F4b%2Fa4%2Fa0993c5b4a81bcc82dcea973f400%2Fgospelbook-260907-009.jpg 1x,https://cst.brightspotcdn.com/dims4/default/658a32e/2147483647/strip/true/crop/8192x4598+0+433/resize/980x550!/format/webp/quality/90/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fchorus-production-cst-web.s3.us-east-1.amazonaws.com%2Fbrightspot%2F4b%2Fa4%2Fa0993c5b4a81bcc82dcea973f400%2Fgospelbook-260907-009.jpg 2x" loading="lazy" /> <source width="490" height="275" srcset="https://cst.brightspotcdn.com/dims4/default/6c7503b/2147483647/strip/true/crop/8192x4598+0+433/resize/490x275!/quality/90/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fchorus-production-cst-web.s3.us-east-1.amazonaws.com%2Fbrightspot%2F4b%2Fa4%2Fa0993c5b4a81bcc82dcea973f400%2Fgospelbook-260907-009.jpg" loading="lazy" /> <img class="Image" alt="Pastor Gregory Donald Gay smiles for a portrait at the Prayer Center Church of God in Christ in Woodlawn." srcset="https://cst.brightspotcdn.com/dims4/default/6c7503b/2147483647/strip/true/crop/8192x4598+0+433/resize/490x275!/quality/90/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fchorus-production-cst-web.s3.us-east-1.amazonaws.com%2Fbrightspot%2F4b%2Fa4%2Fa0993c5b4a81bcc82dcea973f400%2Fgospelbook-260907-009.jpg 1x,https://cst.brightspotcdn.com/dims4/default/1e60f5e/2147483647/strip/true/crop/8192x4598+0+433/resize/980x550!/quality/90/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fchorus-production-cst-web.s3.us-east-1.amazonaws.com%2Fbrightspot%2F4b%2Fa4%2Fa0993c5b4a81bcc82dcea973f400%2Fgospelbook-260907-009.jpg 2x" width="490" height="275" src="https://cst.brightspotcdn.com/dims4/default/6c7503b/2147483647/strip/true/crop/8192x4598+0+433/resize/490x275!/quality/90/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fchorus-production-cst-web.s3.us-east-1.amazonaws.com%2Fbrightspot%2F4b%2Fa4%2Fa0993c5b4a81bcc82dcea973f400%2Fgospelbook-260907-009.jpg" loading="lazy" > </picture> <div class="Figure-content"><figcaption class="Figure-caption"><p>Gregory Donald Gay, 81, is the longtime pastor of the Prayer Center Church of God in Christ in Woodlawn. He co-wrote a new book, “Can I Get a Witness! Faith, Family and Chicago Gospel Music,” about his sisters’ influential singing group. </p></figcaption><span class="line"></span><div class="Figure-credit"><p>Candace Dane Chambers/Sun-Times</p></div></div> </figure> </div> </div><p>As the younger brother of the Gay Sisters gospel group, he had a front row seat for the action<b> </b>during gospel’s golden age. Now, he is sharing his tales in a recently released book, “Can I Get a Witness! Faith, Family and Chicago Gospel Music” (The University of Chicago Press). The text was co-written with Steven B. Dolins, 69-year-old founder and president of The Sirens Records music label in Highland Park.</p><p>Gay said his sisters would have been forgotten without Dolins.</p><p>“I'm grateful for him opening up a window and letting the general public look in,” Gay said. “They were great, talented people, but I don't think they got a fair break.”</p><p>Gay’s late siblings — Evelyn, Geraldine and Mildred — performed, recorded or rubbed elbows with Ward, Jackson, Sam Cooke, the Staple Singers, James Cleveland, Sister Rosetta Tharpe, Dizzy Gillespie and Sonny Rollins. They released music on the legendary Savoy, Decca and Chess labels; toured the country and helped bring gospel to a televised audience. Their 1951 hit record, “God Will Take Care of You,” was later covered by Aretha Franklin.</p><p>But their accomplishments have been overlooked, and their records are difficult to find beyond streaming sites or YouTube.</p><div class="Enhancement" data-align-center> <div class="Enhancement-item" data-crop=""> <figure class="Figure"><a class="AnchorLink" id="image-fc0000" name="image-fc0000"></a> <picture data-crop="medium"> <source type="image/webp" width="490" height="275" srcset="https://cst.brightspotcdn.com/dims4/default/439cef1/2147483647/strip/true/crop/8192x4598+0+433/resize/490x275!/format/webp/quality/90/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fchorus-production-cst-web.s3.us-east-1.amazonaws.com%2Fbrightspot%2F87%2Ff8%2F189e82ad4e9b8407d1b22f9c0f7d%2Fgospelbook-260907-018.jpg 1x,https://cst.brightspotcdn.com/dims4/default/012bc3b/2147483647/strip/true/crop/8192x4598+0+433/resize/980x550!/format/webp/quality/90/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fchorus-production-cst-web.s3.us-east-1.amazonaws.com%2Fbrightspot%2F87%2Ff8%2F189e82ad4e9b8407d1b22f9c0f7d%2Fgospelbook-260907-018.jpg 2x" loading="lazy" /> <source width="490" height="275" srcset="https://cst.brightspotcdn.com/dims4/default/6149c15/2147483647/strip/true/crop/8192x4598+0+433/resize/490x275!/quality/90/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fchorus-production-cst-web.s3.us-east-1.amazonaws.com%2Fbrightspot%2F87%2Ff8%2F189e82ad4e9b8407d1b22f9c0f7d%2Fgospelbook-260907-018.jpg" loading="lazy" /> <img class="Image" alt="Copies of Steven B. Dolins and Gregory Donald Gay’s new book, “Can I Get a Witness! Faith, Family and Chicago Gospel Music,” lie on a table at Prayer Center Church of God In Christ in Woodlawn on the South Side." srcset="https://cst.brightspotcdn.com/dims4/default/6149c15/2147483647/strip/true/crop/8192x4598+0+433/resize/490x275!/quality/90/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fchorus-production-cst-web.s3.us-east-1.amazonaws.com%2Fbrightspot%2F87%2Ff8%2F189e82ad4e9b8407d1b22f9c0f7d%2Fgospelbook-260907-018.jpg 1x,https://cst.brightspotcdn.com/dims4/default/6d439e2/2147483647/strip/true/crop/8192x4598+0+433/resize/980x550!/quality/90/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fchorus-production-cst-web.s3.us-east-1.amazonaws.com%2Fbrightspot%2F87%2Ff8%2F189e82ad4e9b8407d1b22f9c0f7d%2Fgospelbook-260907-018.jpg 2x" width="490" height="275" src="https://cst.brightspotcdn.com/dims4/default/6149c15/2147483647/strip/true/crop/8192x4598+0+433/resize/490x275!/quality/90/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fchorus-production-cst-web.s3.us-east-1.amazonaws.com%2Fbrightspot%2F87%2Ff8%2F189e82ad4e9b8407d1b22f9c0f7d%2Fgospelbook-260907-018.jpg" loading="lazy" > </picture> <div class="Figure-content"><figcaption class="Figure-caption"><p>Copies of Steven B. Dolins and Gregory Donald Gay’s new book, “Can I Get a Witness! Faith, Family and Chicago Gospel Music,” lie on a table at Prayer Center Church of God In Christ in Woodlawn on the South Side.</p></figcaption><span class="line"></span><div class="Figure-credit"><p>Candace Dane Chambers/Sun-Times</p></div></div> </figure> </div> </div><p>The sisters faced both racism and sexism in the music industry. At times, they were not paid or properly credited for their work. Their career was also impacted by personal problems. “Can I Get a Witness!” details their setbacks and triumphs, while recounting music history in Chicago, where scholars say modern gospel music was born.</p><p>Dolins said he was inspired to write the book after recording CDs featuring both Geraldine Gay, who died in 2010, and Gregory Donald Gay, who would regale him with stories. Week after week, Dolins documented Gay’s accounts over lunch – bagels and lox from Once Upon a Bagel in Highland Park – at the pastor’s church.</p><p>“These stories became hallowed ground for me,” said Dolins, also a computer scientist and professor at Bradley University. “It just brought to life his sisters and his mom.”</p><div class="Enhancement" data-align-center> <div class="Enhancement-item" data-crop=""> <figure class="Figure"><a class="AnchorLink" id="image-ca0000" name="image-ca0000"></a> <picture data-crop="medium"> <source type="image/webp" width="490" height="275" srcset="https://cst.brightspotcdn.com/dims4/default/8e8b350/2147483647/strip/true/crop/7845x4403+0+415/resize/490x275!/format/webp/quality/90/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fchorus-production-cst-web.s3.us-east-1.amazonaws.com%2Fbrightspot%2Fbc%2F13%2Fc34cac094055bd4b8654085176f3%2Fgospelbook-260907-004.jpg 1x,https://cst.brightspotcdn.com/dims4/default/a5d4e11/2147483647/strip/true/crop/7845x4403+0+415/resize/980x550!/format/webp/quality/90/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fchorus-production-cst-web.s3.us-east-1.amazonaws.com%2Fbrightspot%2Fbc%2F13%2Fc34cac094055bd4b8654085176f3%2Fgospelbook-260907-004.jpg 2x" loading="lazy" /> <source width="490" height="275" srcset="https://cst.brightspotcdn.com/dims4/default/d05c966/2147483647/strip/true/crop/7845x4403+0+415/resize/490x275!/quality/90/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fchorus-production-cst-web.s3.us-east-1.amazonaws.com%2Fbrightspot%2Fbc%2F13%2Fc34cac094055bd4b8654085176f3%2Fgospelbook-260907-004.jpg" loading="lazy" /> <img class="Image" alt="Steven B. Dolins sits inside the Prayer Center Church of God in Christ in Woodlawn." srcset="https://cst.brightspotcdn.com/dims4/default/d05c966/2147483647/strip/true/crop/7845x4403+0+415/resize/490x275!/quality/90/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fchorus-production-cst-web.s3.us-east-1.amazonaws.com%2Fbrightspot%2Fbc%2F13%2Fc34cac094055bd4b8654085176f3%2Fgospelbook-260907-004.jpg 1x,https://cst.brightspotcdn.com/dims4/default/79d96ac/2147483647/strip/true/crop/7845x4403+0+415/resize/980x550!/quality/90/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fchorus-production-cst-web.s3.us-east-1.amazonaws.com%2Fbrightspot%2Fbc%2F13%2Fc34cac094055bd4b8654085176f3%2Fgospelbook-260907-004.jpg 2x" width="490" height="275" src="https://cst.brightspotcdn.com/dims4/default/d05c966/2147483647/strip/true/crop/7845x4403+0+415/resize/490x275!/quality/90/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fchorus-production-cst-web.s3.us-east-1.amazonaws.com%2Fbrightspot%2Fbc%2F13%2Fc34cac094055bd4b8654085176f3%2Fgospelbook-260907-004.jpg" loading="lazy" > </picture> <div class="Figure-content"><figcaption class="Figure-caption"><p>Steven B. Dolins is founder and president of The Sirens Records music label and co-author of “Can I Get a Witness! Faith, Family and Chicago Gospel Music.” </p></figcaption><span class="line"></span><div class="Figure-credit"><p>Candace Dane Chambers/Sun-Times</p></div></div> </figure> </div> </div><p>A prominent figure in “Can I Get a Witness!,” matriarch Fannie Gay was known by many gospel, pop and jazz artists at the time. They often came to her house for a home-cooked meal and prayer. Saxophonist Sonny Rollins, who wrote the book’s foreword before his death this year, even lived with the Gay family following his stint at a drug rehabilitation facility. (Fannie Gay is memorialized with an honorary street sign in front of her son’s church at East 67th Street and South Rhodes Avenue.)</p><p>Fannie Gay also supported the musical talents of her daughters, paying for their music lessons and tagging along on their gigs.<b> </b>After forming in the 1940s, the Gay sisters quickly built a reputation in Chicago and made key connections in the New York scene.</p><div class="Enhancement" data-align-center> <div class="Enhancement-item" data-crop=""> <figure class="Figure"><a class="AnchorLink" id="image-540000" name="image-540000"></a> <picture data-crop="medium"> <source type="image/webp" width="490" height="275" srcset="https://cst.brightspotcdn.com/dims4/default/e2e3aef/2147483647/strip/true/crop/8192x4598+0+433/resize/490x275!/format/webp/quality/90/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fchorus-production-cst-web.s3.us-east-1.amazonaws.com%2Fbrightspot%2F79%2F0b%2F14119e7440939c980af5cd61caee%2Fgospelbook-260907-029.jpg 1x,https://cst.brightspotcdn.com/dims4/default/55625f4/2147483647/strip/true/crop/8192x4598+0+433/resize/980x550!/format/webp/quality/90/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fchorus-production-cst-web.s3.us-east-1.amazonaws.com%2Fbrightspot%2F79%2F0b%2F14119e7440939c980af5cd61caee%2Fgospelbook-260907-029.jpg 2x" loading="lazy" /> <source width="490" height="275" srcset="https://cst.brightspotcdn.com/dims4/default/dfdd9bf/2147483647/strip/true/crop/8192x4598+0+433/resize/490x275!/quality/90/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fchorus-production-cst-web.s3.us-east-1.amazonaws.com%2Fbrightspot%2F79%2F0b%2F14119e7440939c980af5cd61caee%2Fgospelbook-260907-029.jpg" loading="lazy" /> <img class="Image" alt="The Fannie Gay honorary street sign is pictured at East 67th Street and South Rhodes Avenue." srcset="https://cst.brightspotcdn.com/dims4/default/dfdd9bf/2147483647/strip/true/crop/8192x4598+0+433/resize/490x275!/quality/90/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fchorus-production-cst-web.s3.us-east-1.amazonaws.com%2Fbrightspot%2F79%2F0b%2F14119e7440939c980af5cd61caee%2Fgospelbook-260907-029.jpg 1x,https://cst.brightspotcdn.com/dims4/default/eec3b34/2147483647/strip/true/crop/8192x4598+0+433/resize/980x550!/quality/90/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fchorus-production-cst-web.s3.us-east-1.amazonaws.com%2Fbrightspot%2F79%2F0b%2F14119e7440939c980af5cd61caee%2Fgospelbook-260907-029.jpg 2x" width="490" height="275" src="https://cst.brightspotcdn.com/dims4/default/dfdd9bf/2147483647/strip/true/crop/8192x4598+0+433/resize/490x275!/quality/90/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fchorus-production-cst-web.s3.us-east-1.amazonaws.com%2Fbrightspot%2F79%2F0b%2F14119e7440939c980af5cd61caee%2Fgospelbook-260907-029.jpg" loading="lazy" > </picture> <div class="Figure-content"><figcaption class="Figure-caption"><p>Fannie Gay is memorialized with an honorary street sign in front of the Prayer Center Church of God in Christ at East 67th Street and South Rhodes Avenue.</p></figcaption><span class="line"></span><div class="Figure-credit"><p>Candace Dane Chambers/Sun-Times</p></div></div> </figure> </div> </div><p>Talented piano players, Evelyn and Geraldine helped usher in a new era of gospel music. Now, the focus was on piano-driven tunes rather than a cappella spirituals by vocal groups. Evelyn was one of Mahalia Jackson’s first accompanists, and they both mentored gospel star James Cleveland.</p><p>“Evelyn’s style was bluesier,” Gregory Donald Gay said. “She was a songwriter. If she could hear you talk, she knew what key you sang in.<b>”</b></p><p>Geraldine, an aficionado of pianist Erroll Garner, leaned more toward jazz, Gay said.</p><p>“And then there was my middle sister, Mildred, who was a great singer,” he said. “I really think that Mildred could’ve sang with the Metropolitan Opera because she had a tremendous range.”</p><div class="Enhancement" data-align-center> <div class="Enhancement-item" data-crop=""> <figure class="Figure"><a class="AnchorLink" id="image-f00000" name="image-f00000"></a> <picture data-crop="medium"> <source type="image/webp" width="490" height="275" srcset="https://cst.brightspotcdn.com/dims4/default/0918d4d/2147483647/strip/true/crop/1084x608+0+343/resize/490x275!/format/webp/quality/90/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fchorus-production-cst-web.s3.us-east-1.amazonaws.com%2Fbrightspot%2F2f%2F22%2F8857ef9847ad97d2a76266714037%2Fchi-dolins-fig05002.jpg 1x,https://cst.brightspotcdn.com/dims4/default/a9f9b62/2147483647/strip/true/crop/1084x608+0+343/resize/980x550!/format/webp/quality/90/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fchorus-production-cst-web.s3.us-east-1.amazonaws.com%2Fbrightspot%2F2f%2F22%2F8857ef9847ad97d2a76266714037%2Fchi-dolins-fig05002.jpg 2x" loading="lazy" /> <source width="490" height="275" srcset="https://cst.brightspotcdn.com/dims4/default/16c32f8/2147483647/strip/true/crop/1084x608+0+343/resize/490x275!/quality/90/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fchorus-production-cst-web.s3.us-east-1.amazonaws.com%2Fbrightspot%2F2f%2F22%2F8857ef9847ad97d2a76266714037%2Fchi-dolins-fig05002.jpg" loading="lazy" /> <img class="Image" alt="The Gay Sisters pose in a publicity photograph from 1951." srcset="https://cst.brightspotcdn.com/dims4/default/16c32f8/2147483647/strip/true/crop/1084x608+0+343/resize/490x275!/quality/90/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fchorus-production-cst-web.s3.us-east-1.amazonaws.com%2Fbrightspot%2F2f%2F22%2F8857ef9847ad97d2a76266714037%2Fchi-dolins-fig05002.jpg 1x,https://cst.brightspotcdn.com/dims4/default/18e8758/2147483647/strip/true/crop/1084x608+0+343/resize/980x550!/quality/90/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fchorus-production-cst-web.s3.us-east-1.amazonaws.com%2Fbrightspot%2F2f%2F22%2F8857ef9847ad97d2a76266714037%2Fchi-dolins-fig05002.jpg 2x" width="490" height="275" src="https://cst.brightspotcdn.com/dims4/default/16c32f8/2147483647/strip/true/crop/1084x608+0+343/resize/490x275!/quality/90/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fchorus-production-cst-web.s3.us-east-1.amazonaws.com%2Fbrightspot%2F2f%2F22%2F8857ef9847ad97d2a76266714037%2Fchi-dolins-fig05002.jpg" loading="lazy" > </picture> <div class="Figure-content"><figcaption class="Figure-caption"><p>The Gay Sisters (left to right, Mildred, Geraldine and Evelyn) in a publicity photograph from 1951.</p></figcaption><span class="line"></span><div class="Figure-credit"><p>Gay family collection</p></div></div> </figure> </div> </div><p>The rest of the family was also musically inclined. Gay’s older brother, Robert, was a trumpeter who played with Dizzy Gillespie, and Gay himself was a talented singer and orator, who delivered sermons as “the Boy Preacher.” And he was the first Black child to appear on the “Quiz Kids” TV show, which originated in Chicago.</p><p>Gay often performed with his sisters, appearing with them at Carnegie Hall in 1950 for the first exclusively gospel concert at the venue. He also played with them at the Apollo Theater in 1956.</p><p>“This was an exceptional American family,” Dolins writes in the book. “The level of success they achieved in the music industry is rare, especially considering all of the odds stacked against them.”</p><div class="Enhancement" data-align-center> <div class="Enhancement-item" data-crop=""> <figure class="Figure"><a class="AnchorLink" id="image-050000" name="image-050000"></a> <picture data-crop="medium"> <source type="image/webp" width="490" height="275" srcset="https://cst.brightspotcdn.com/dims4/default/b305754/2147483647/strip/true/crop/1849x1038+0+848/resize/490x275!/format/webp/quality/90/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fchorus-production-cst-web.s3.us-east-1.amazonaws.com%2Fbrightspot%2F18%2F27%2F92f3d7d24dbd8856e6d230abf844%2Fchi-dolins-fig05004.jpg 1x,https://cst.brightspotcdn.com/dims4/default/51aac8e/2147483647/strip/true/crop/1849x1038+0+848/resize/980x550!/format/webp/quality/90/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fchorus-production-cst-web.s3.us-east-1.amazonaws.com%2Fbrightspot%2F18%2F27%2F92f3d7d24dbd8856e6d230abf844%2Fchi-dolins-fig05004.jpg 2x" loading="lazy" /> <source width="490" height="275" srcset="https://cst.brightspotcdn.com/dims4/default/59d9d19/2147483647/strip/true/crop/1849x1038+0+848/resize/490x275!/quality/90/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fchorus-production-cst-web.s3.us-east-1.amazonaws.com%2Fbrightspot%2F18%2F27%2F92f3d7d24dbd8856e6d230abf844%2Fchi-dolins-fig05004.jpg" loading="lazy" /> <img class="Image" alt="A 1950 concert placard advertises the Gay Sisters featuring their 4-year-old brother, Gregory Donald Gay, the "Boy Preacher."" srcset="https://cst.brightspotcdn.com/dims4/default/59d9d19/2147483647/strip/true/crop/1849x1038+0+848/resize/490x275!/quality/90/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fchorus-production-cst-web.s3.us-east-1.amazonaws.com%2Fbrightspot%2F18%2F27%2F92f3d7d24dbd8856e6d230abf844%2Fchi-dolins-fig05004.jpg 1x,https://cst.brightspotcdn.com/dims4/default/fab00ad/2147483647/strip/true/crop/1849x1038+0+848/resize/980x550!/quality/90/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fchorus-production-cst-web.s3.us-east-1.amazonaws.com%2Fbrightspot%2F18%2F27%2F92f3d7d24dbd8856e6d230abf844%2Fchi-dolins-fig05004.jpg 2x" width="490" height="275" src="https://cst.brightspotcdn.com/dims4/default/59d9d19/2147483647/strip/true/crop/1849x1038+0+848/resize/490x275!/quality/90/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fchorus-production-cst-web.s3.us-east-1.amazonaws.com%2Fbrightspot%2F18%2F27%2F92f3d7d24dbd8856e6d230abf844%2Fchi-dolins-fig05004.jpg" loading="lazy" > </picture> <div class="Figure-content"><figcaption class="Figure-caption"><p>A 1950 concert placard advertises the Gay Sisters featuring their 4-year-old brother, Gregory Donald Gay, the “Boy Preacher.”</p></figcaption><span class="line"></span><div class="Figure-credit"><p>Provided</p></div></div> </figure> </div> </div><p>Gay said he learned to brush off their many hardships, from not getting paid to being barred from hotels and the front entrance of restaurants due to the color of their skin.</p><p>“You realized that that was a part of life, and you just had to overcome it,” he said of the racism they experienced. “You didn't let it bother you. If you did, it would mess your whole life up. You just said, ‘It's got to get better.’”</p><p>He views “Can I Get a Witness!” as a testament to his family’s perseverance.</p><p>“It’s a good story to tell, because it's a story of a challenge that we overcame,” he said. “Sometimes we got knocked back, but we had the resiliency to come up and keep going.”</p><div class="Enhancement" data-align-center> <div class="Enhancement-item" data-crop=""> <figure class="Figure"><a class="AnchorLink" id="image-e30000" name="image-e30000"></a> <picture data-crop="medium"> <source type="image/webp" width="490" height="275" srcset="https://cst.brightspotcdn.com/dims4/default/f8d8fd7/2147483647/strip/true/crop/1250x702+0+266/resize/490x275!/format/webp/quality/90/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fchorus-production-cst-web.s3.us-east-1.amazonaws.com%2Fbrightspot%2F31%2Fad%2Ff18b362a4cb189c31fc3e79641bf%2Fchi-dolins-fig05003.jpg 1x,https://cst.brightspotcdn.com/dims4/default/6886e23/2147483647/strip/true/crop/1250x702+0+266/resize/980x550!/format/webp/quality/90/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fchorus-production-cst-web.s3.us-east-1.amazonaws.com%2Fbrightspot%2F31%2Fad%2Ff18b362a4cb189c31fc3e79641bf%2Fchi-dolins-fig05003.jpg 2x" loading="lazy" /> <source width="490" height="275" srcset="https://cst.brightspotcdn.com/dims4/default/0b7b15a/2147483647/strip/true/crop/1250x702+0+266/resize/490x275!/quality/90/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fchorus-production-cst-web.s3.us-east-1.amazonaws.com%2Fbrightspot%2F31%2Fad%2Ff18b362a4cb189c31fc3e79641bf%2Fchi-dolins-fig05003.jpg" loading="lazy" /> <img class="Image" alt="From left: Mildred Gay, Gregory Donald Gay, Geraldine Gay and Evelyn Gay at Elder Lucy Smith’s All Nations Pentecostal church in 1948." srcset="https://cst.brightspotcdn.com/dims4/default/0b7b15a/2147483647/strip/true/crop/1250x702+0+266/resize/490x275!/quality/90/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fchorus-production-cst-web.s3.us-east-1.amazonaws.com%2Fbrightspot%2F31%2Fad%2Ff18b362a4cb189c31fc3e79641bf%2Fchi-dolins-fig05003.jpg 1x,https://cst.brightspotcdn.com/dims4/default/59015a2/2147483647/strip/true/crop/1250x702+0+266/resize/980x550!/quality/90/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fchorus-production-cst-web.s3.us-east-1.amazonaws.com%2Fbrightspot%2F31%2Fad%2Ff18b362a4cb189c31fc3e79641bf%2Fchi-dolins-fig05003.jpg 2x" width="490" height="275" src="https://cst.brightspotcdn.com/dims4/default/0b7b15a/2147483647/strip/true/crop/1250x702+0+266/resize/490x275!/quality/90/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fchorus-production-cst-web.s3.us-east-1.amazonaws.com%2Fbrightspot%2F31%2Fad%2Ff18b362a4cb189c31fc3e79641bf%2Fchi-dolins-fig05003.jpg" loading="lazy" > </picture> <div class="Figure-content"><figcaption class="Figure-caption"><p>From left: Mildred Gay, Gregory Donald Gay, Geraldine Gay and Evelyn Gay at Elder Lucy Smith’s All Nations Pentecostal church in 1948.</p></figcaption><span class="line"></span><div class="Figure-credit"><p>Gay family collection</p></div></div> </figure> </div> </div><div class="RichTextSidebarModule Enhancement" data-module data-align-center><a class="AnchorLink" id="module-ae0000" name="module-ae0000"></a> <div class="RichTextModule-items RichTextBody"><b>“Can I Get a Witness! Faith, Family and Chicago Gospel Music” events</b><br><br>Pastor Gay in Concert. Oct. 26, 7 p.m. Wayfarer Theater, 1850 2nd St., Highland Park. Free.<br><br>Book Talk. Nov. 5, 4 p.m. The Seminary Co-op Bookstore, 5751 S. Woodlawn Ave. Free.</div> </div><p></p>

wbez.org

Cleanup begins in Douglass Park after rain-soaked Riot Fest left it a mud pit

<p>It’s a wrap on Riot Fest 2026. But one big reminder of the weekend lingers in Douglass Park: all the mud, after heavy rains over the weekend turned the grounds into a quagmire by the end of the final set.</p><p>One Little Village community group, Únete La Villita, <a class="Link" href="https://www.instagram.com/reels/Ddjo1-txkDV/" target="_blank" ><u>posted on Instagram</u></a> Monday that the park is “completely destroyed,” adding concerns about the “long-term effects of the fest that’s ‘just three days’” and adding they will document the restoration over the next year.</p><p>Riot Fest founder Mike Petryshyn said in a statement Monday afternoon that his team’s “responsibility does not end when the festival does. We are committed to restoring the park, working alongside the Park District and the community, and seeing that work through.” </p><p>Besides tackling the immediate repairs, that also includes working with the 24th Ward and Chicago Park District on "other underlying conditions within Douglass Park" such as drainage and plumbing for "longer-term improvements," according to the statement.</p><div class="Enhancement" data-align-center> <div class="Enhancement-item" data-crop=""> <figure class="Figure"><a class="AnchorLink" id="image-270000" name="image-270000"></a> <picture data-crop="medium"> <source type="image/webp" width="490" height="275" srcset="https://cst.brightspotcdn.com/dims4/default/32e3e1d/2147483647/strip/true/crop/7348x4124+0+389/resize/490x275!/format/webp/quality/90/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fchorus-production-cst-web.s3.us-east-1.amazonaws.com%2Fbrightspot%2Ff3%2F07%2Ff52abea043fa8339f9a7398f1879%2Friotfestday3photos-260921-91.JPG 1x,https://cst.brightspotcdn.com/dims4/default/82e338a/2147483647/strip/true/crop/7348x4124+0+389/resize/980x550!/format/webp/quality/90/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fchorus-production-cst-web.s3.us-east-1.amazonaws.com%2Fbrightspot%2Ff3%2F07%2Ff52abea043fa8339f9a7398f1879%2Friotfestday3photos-260921-91.JPG 2x" loading="lazy" /> <source width="490" height="275" srcset="https://cst.brightspotcdn.com/dims4/default/98f6d6e/2147483647/strip/true/crop/7348x4124+0+389/resize/490x275!/quality/90/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fchorus-production-cst-web.s3.us-east-1.amazonaws.com%2Fbrightspot%2Ff3%2F07%2Ff52abea043fa8339f9a7398f1879%2Friotfestday3photos-260921-91.JPG" loading="lazy" /> <img class="Image" alt="A pair of abandoned shoes remain stuck in deep mud as it rains in Douglass Park on Day 3 of Riot Fest, Sunday, Sept. 20, 2026." srcset="https://cst.brightspotcdn.com/dims4/default/98f6d6e/2147483647/strip/true/crop/7348x4124+0+389/resize/490x275!/quality/90/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fchorus-production-cst-web.s3.us-east-1.amazonaws.com%2Fbrightspot%2Ff3%2F07%2Ff52abea043fa8339f9a7398f1879%2Friotfestday3photos-260921-91.JPG 1x,https://cst.brightspotcdn.com/dims4/default/d3a0d2a/2147483647/strip/true/crop/7348x4124+0+389/resize/980x550!/quality/90/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fchorus-production-cst-web.s3.us-east-1.amazonaws.com%2Fbrightspot%2Ff3%2F07%2Ff52abea043fa8339f9a7398f1879%2Friotfestday3photos-260921-91.JPG 2x" width="490" height="275" src="https://cst.brightspotcdn.com/dims4/default/98f6d6e/2147483647/strip/true/crop/7348x4124+0+389/resize/490x275!/quality/90/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fchorus-production-cst-web.s3.us-east-1.amazonaws.com%2Fbrightspot%2Ff3%2F07%2Ff52abea043fa8339f9a7398f1879%2Friotfestday3photos-260921-91.JPG" loading="lazy" > </picture> <div class="Figure-content"><figcaption class="Figure-caption"><p>Attendees on Sunday were seen struggling to get through the muddy fields at Douglass Park, with some shoes lost to the sludge.</p></figcaption><span class="line"></span><div class="Figure-credit"><p>Ashlee Rezin/Sun-Times</p></div></div> </figure> </div> </div><p>A weekend of ongoing rain and heavy foot traffic from an estimated 50,000 daily attendees made it difficult to get around the park by Sunday evening, when the most anticipated acts, including Alanis Morissette and William Shatner, took the stage. As fans were leaving for the final time, some lost their shoes to the sludge, while others got stuck in it and were helped by strangers in a communal effort to make their way through the swamp.</p><p>A large part of the focus now is on what repairs will look like for Douglass Park in the days to come. The schedule to restore and fully reopen the park already has been altered.</p><p>Before and after the three-day event, Riot Fest organizers are given time to build and then break down the site. On the <a class="Link" href="https://riotfest.org/park-impact/#access" target="_blank" ><u>Riot Fest website,</u></a> the 2026 timeline had designated Sept. 21-24 for production load-out, cleaning and restoration. Sept. 25 had been listed as the date the park would be fully open to the public. But completing the load-out has since been pushed to Sept. 29, "weather and ground conditions permitting," according to the festival. “Immediately following load-out, Riot Fest, its restoration team, and the Chicago Park District will assess the affected areas and begin implementing the restoration plan,” organizers said in a statement.</p><p>As of publication time, the office of 24th Ward Ald. Monique Scott had not responded to a request to comment on the projected timeline, what repairs will include or what they might cost.</p><div class="Enhancement" data-align-center> <div class="Enhancement-item" data-crop=""> <figure class="Figure"><a class="AnchorLink" id="image-f50000" name="image-f50000"></a> <picture data-crop="medium"> <source type="image/webp" width="490" height="275" srcset="https://cst.brightspotcdn.com/dims4/default/3f6da45/2147483647/strip/true/crop/6860x3850+0+363/resize/490x275!/format/webp/quality/90/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fchorus-production-cst-web.s3.us-east-1.amazonaws.com%2Fbrightspot%2F7f%2F6c%2Fbb3bf2f94137baa388bfa62c2537%2Friotfestday3photos-260921-83.JPG 1x,https://cst.brightspotcdn.com/dims4/default/1eca3fb/2147483647/strip/true/crop/6860x3850+0+363/resize/980x550!/format/webp/quality/90/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fchorus-production-cst-web.s3.us-east-1.amazonaws.com%2Fbrightspot%2F7f%2F6c%2Fbb3bf2f94137baa388bfa62c2537%2Friotfestday3photos-260921-83.JPG 2x" loading="lazy" /> <source width="490" height="275" srcset="https://cst.brightspotcdn.com/dims4/default/0fca28b/2147483647/strip/true/crop/6860x3850+0+363/resize/490x275!/quality/90/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fchorus-production-cst-web.s3.us-east-1.amazonaws.com%2Fbrightspot%2F7f%2F6c%2Fbb3bf2f94137baa388bfa62c2537%2Friotfestday3photos-260921-83.JPG" loading="lazy" /> <img class="Image" alt="Attendees push a stroller through deep mud as it rains in Douglass Park on Day 3 of Riot Fest, Sunday, Sept. 20, 2026. " srcset="https://cst.brightspotcdn.com/dims4/default/0fca28b/2147483647/strip/true/crop/6860x3850+0+363/resize/490x275!/quality/90/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fchorus-production-cst-web.s3.us-east-1.amazonaws.com%2Fbrightspot%2F7f%2F6c%2Fbb3bf2f94137baa388bfa62c2537%2Friotfestday3photos-260921-83.JPG 1x,https://cst.brightspotcdn.com/dims4/default/924670e/2147483647/strip/true/crop/6860x3850+0+363/resize/980x550!/quality/90/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fchorus-production-cst-web.s3.us-east-1.amazonaws.com%2Fbrightspot%2F7f%2F6c%2Fbb3bf2f94137baa388bfa62c2537%2Friotfestday3photos-260921-83.JPG 2x" width="490" height="275" src="https://cst.brightspotcdn.com/dims4/default/0fca28b/2147483647/strip/true/crop/6860x3850+0+363/resize/490x275!/quality/90/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fchorus-production-cst-web.s3.us-east-1.amazonaws.com%2Fbrightspot%2F7f%2F6c%2Fbb3bf2f94137baa388bfa62c2537%2Friotfestday3photos-260921-83.JPG" loading="lazy" > </picture> <div class="Figure-content"><figcaption class="Figure-caption"><p>Riot Fest attendees push a stroller through deep mud as it rains in Douglass Park on Day 3.</p></figcaption><span class="line"></span><div class="Figure-credit"><p>Ashlee Rezin/Sun-Times</p></div></div> </figure> </div> </div><p>Fans had mixed feelings about the mess. </p><p>“As long as you’re counting one foot in front of the other, you’ll be OK. … It’s punk rock, it’s Riot Fest. Everyone is having a good time,” said Alex Ramos of Rogers Park, a repeat attendee who came out Sunday for Pierce the Veil and Pennywise. “We’ve still been seeing everybody but just battling the elements, as you can imagine.”</p><p> Joe Theis, 52, who traveled from Denver, agreed attendees seemed to take the mud in stride.</p><p>“I never made it to Woodstock ‘99 with the mud people and everything, but this is as close as I've ever been,” he said. “Everybody seems to be managing it OK.” </p><p>Grace Elliott, 35, of Cleveland, uses a walker and described difficulties navigating the park as conditions worsened. </p><p>“The wheels ... were getting gummed up with mud and grass, and even going over the wood chips, it was more like dragging my mobility aid through and … my feet were stuck in the ground.”</p><p> Elliott visited an on-site accessibility tent and called the crew there “very empathetic,” though she felt out of options and eventually decided to leave.</p><p>“They didn't straight up tell us you have to go home, but there weren't really options for many people, especially people like me who use a mobility aid,” she added, suggesting future accommodations like more metal ramps and pathways and using golf carts or ATVs to help those with limited mobility get around the park during inclement weather. </p><p>Riot Fest’s current <a class="Link" href="https://chicago.suntimes.com/entertainment-and-culture/2025/04/10/3-year-riot-fest-deal-draws-mixed-reviews-from-residents-around-douglass-park" target="_blank" ><u>three-year contract</u></a> in Douglass Park runs through 2027. Lauren Quinn, the Chicago Park District’s deputy director of revenue, said the department will generate roughly $3 million to $4.5 million from the deal via annual permit fees.</p><p>In 2026, the deal requires Riot Fest organizers to pay $5.375 per ticket. For 2027, it increases to $5.50 per ticket, estimated at 150,000 tickets sold for all three days.</p><p>From the money raised, the park district has a 30% “give back” policy in place specifically for Douglass Park, meaning $900,000 to $1.2 million is allocated solely for improvements to the North Lawndale grounds. The contract also stipulates Riot Fest will give an additional 10% toward “capital improvements in Douglass Park.”</p><div class="Enhancement" data-align-center> <div class="Enhancement-item" data-crop=""> <figure class="Figure"><a class="AnchorLink" id="image-b10000" name="image-b10000"></a> <picture data-crop="medium"> <source type="image/webp" width="490" height="275" srcset="https://cst.brightspotcdn.com/dims4/default/31ce10c/2147483647/strip/true/crop/5341x2998+0+280/resize/490x275!/format/webp/quality/90/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fchorus-production-cst-web.s3.us-east-1.amazonaws.com%2Fbrightspot%2Ff6%2F99%2F0d14747c4b3f84212165fd5806ee%2Friotmudreact-260922-16.jpg 1x,https://cst.brightspotcdn.com/dims4/default/302acd9/2147483647/strip/true/crop/5341x2998+0+280/resize/980x550!/format/webp/quality/90/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fchorus-production-cst-web.s3.us-east-1.amazonaws.com%2Fbrightspot%2Ff6%2F99%2F0d14747c4b3f84212165fd5806ee%2Friotmudreact-260922-16.jpg 2x" loading="lazy" /> <source width="490" height="275" srcset="https://cst.brightspotcdn.com/dims4/default/789f655/2147483647/strip/true/crop/5341x2998+0+280/resize/490x275!/quality/90/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fchorus-production-cst-web.s3.us-east-1.amazonaws.com%2Fbrightspot%2Ff6%2F99%2F0d14747c4b3f84212165fd5806ee%2Friotmudreact-260922-16.jpg" loading="lazy" /> <img class="Image" alt="Douglass Park after Riot Fest weekend in North Lawndale, Monday, Sept. 21, 2026. " srcset="https://cst.brightspotcdn.com/dims4/default/789f655/2147483647/strip/true/crop/5341x2998+0+280/resize/490x275!/quality/90/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fchorus-production-cst-web.s3.us-east-1.amazonaws.com%2Fbrightspot%2Ff6%2F99%2F0d14747c4b3f84212165fd5806ee%2Friotmudreact-260922-16.jpg 1x,https://cst.brightspotcdn.com/dims4/default/a8ec7b3/2147483647/strip/true/crop/5341x2998+0+280/resize/980x550!/quality/90/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fchorus-production-cst-web.s3.us-east-1.amazonaws.com%2Fbrightspot%2Ff6%2F99%2F0d14747c4b3f84212165fd5806ee%2Friotmudreact-260922-16.jpg 2x" width="490" height="275" src="https://cst.brightspotcdn.com/dims4/default/789f655/2147483647/strip/true/crop/5341x2998+0+280/resize/490x275!/quality/90/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fchorus-production-cst-web.s3.us-east-1.amazonaws.com%2Fbrightspot%2Ff6%2F99%2F0d14747c4b3f84212165fd5806ee%2Friotmudreact-260922-16.jpg" loading="lazy" > </picture> <div class="Figure-content"><figcaption class="Figure-caption"><p>Douglass Park Monday after Riot Fest weekend in North Lawndale.</p></figcaption><span class="line"></span><div class="Figure-credit"><p>Anthony Vazquez/Sun-Times</p></div></div> </figure> </div> </div><p>Park district staff typically does a pre- and post-event walk-through with event organizers to identify areas needing restoration after the event, according to a spokesperson. The cost for repairing and restoring the park will be determined after assessing the grounds, the park district spokesperson said, and Riot Fest organizers are responsible for all related costs.</p><p>Event organizers stated that "immediately following load-out, Riot Fest, its restoration team, and the Chicago Park District will assess the affected areas and begin implementing the restoration plan." </p><p>They have noted the repairs are "expected to include soil preparation, aeration, seeding, grading, and sod replacement where appropriate" and may require nearly 3 acres of sod.</p><p>It's similar to Lollapalooza negotiations between the park district and organizer C3 Presents, which also pays to rebeautify Grant Park each year. Though official numbers have not been released for 2026 repairs (after a similarly soggy event), C3 Presents paid the department $1 million in 2025.</p><p>Jorge Angel, a 10-year resident of the neighborhood, said he has previously filed complaints with the city about the festival because of the interruptions to youth programs at the park, but all have gone unanswered. Local schools that host events there are pushed off for up to a month, in addition to his kids’ sports league.</p><p>“My kids can’t play soccer because of Riot Fest,” Angel, 40, said in Spanish. “But Riot Fest pays too much money for the city to care.”</p><p>Some local community organizations already help clean up the park after Riot Fest. Alyssa Espinosa, a lifelong Chicago resident now living in Lawndale, said the city could step up and connect those groups with others around the city to see if they can aid help, as well.</p><div class="Enhancement" data-align-center> <div class="Enhancement-item" data-crop=""> <figure class="Figure"><a class="AnchorLink" id="image-a30000" name="image-a30000"></a> <picture data-crop="medium"> <source type="image/webp" width="490" height="275" srcset="https://cst.brightspotcdn.com/dims4/default/d2117b4/2147483647/strip/true/crop/6080x3412+0+321/resize/490x275!/format/webp/quality/90/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fchorus-production-cst-web.s3.us-east-1.amazonaws.com%2Fbrightspot%2Fd4%2F4b%2F1ef75d5448489c9302a04d31b7e4%2Friotmudreact-260922-17.jpg 1x,https://cst.brightspotcdn.com/dims4/default/96d8a9d/2147483647/strip/true/crop/6080x3412+0+321/resize/980x550!/format/webp/quality/90/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fchorus-production-cst-web.s3.us-east-1.amazonaws.com%2Fbrightspot%2Fd4%2F4b%2F1ef75d5448489c9302a04d31b7e4%2Friotmudreact-260922-17.jpg 2x" loading="lazy" /> <source width="490" height="275" srcset="https://cst.brightspotcdn.com/dims4/default/7864ea1/2147483647/strip/true/crop/6080x3412+0+321/resize/490x275!/quality/90/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fchorus-production-cst-web.s3.us-east-1.amazonaws.com%2Fbrightspot%2Fd4%2F4b%2F1ef75d5448489c9302a04d31b7e4%2Friotmudreact-260922-17.jpg" loading="lazy" /> <img class="Image" alt="Alyssa Espinosa, a North Lawndale resident, shows off her boot outside Douglass Park on Monday, the day after Riot Fest wrapped up." srcset="https://cst.brightspotcdn.com/dims4/default/7864ea1/2147483647/strip/true/crop/6080x3412+0+321/resize/490x275!/quality/90/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fchorus-production-cst-web.s3.us-east-1.amazonaws.com%2Fbrightspot%2Fd4%2F4b%2F1ef75d5448489c9302a04d31b7e4%2Friotmudreact-260922-17.jpg 1x,https://cst.brightspotcdn.com/dims4/default/cdaf822/2147483647/strip/true/crop/6080x3412+0+321/resize/980x550!/quality/90/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fchorus-production-cst-web.s3.us-east-1.amazonaws.com%2Fbrightspot%2Fd4%2F4b%2F1ef75d5448489c9302a04d31b7e4%2Friotmudreact-260922-17.jpg 2x" width="490" height="275" src="https://cst.brightspotcdn.com/dims4/default/7864ea1/2147483647/strip/true/crop/6080x3412+0+321/resize/490x275!/quality/90/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fchorus-production-cst-web.s3.us-east-1.amazonaws.com%2Fbrightspot%2Fd4%2F4b%2F1ef75d5448489c9302a04d31b7e4%2Friotmudreact-260922-17.jpg" loading="lazy" > </picture> <div class="Figure-content"><figcaption class="Figure-caption"><p>Alyssa Espinosa, a North Lawndale resident, shows off her boot outside Douglass Park Monday, the day after Riot Fest wrapped up. “It would be great to connect those organizations to others and create this huge initiative of caring and supporting our community after and not just because they’re making a mud ocean,” Espinosa said.</p></figcaption><span class="line"></span><div class="Figure-credit"><p>Anthony Vazquez/Sun-Times</p></div></div> </figure> </div> </div><p>It could also be a way to help introduce more residents from other parts of the city to North Lawndale and encourage them to visit outside the festival weekend, she said.</p><p>“It would be great to connect those organizations to others and create this huge initiative of caring and supporting our community after and not just because they’re making a mud ocean,” Espinosa said. “Because nobody’s working together, they’re all fighting this uphill battle separately when they could just work together.”</p><p>It wasn’t just Riot Fest that was hit hard by weather — as reported in The Festive Owl, a festival news website, other large-scale events across the country, including Atlanta’s Shaky Knees and Ohio’s Lost Lands, among others, had evacuations or shortened hours as well due to weather.</p><div class="Enhancement" data-align-center> <div class="HtmlModule"><a class="AnchorLink" id="html-embed-module-ee0000" name="html-embed-module-ee0000"></a><div class="contribly-contribute-v2" data-client="b20193c8-5c0c-4a5b-a770-64305c544c4e" data-assignment="df3f155f-b341-42ec-9016-329f286f505e" data-display="inline" data-language="en-gb"></div><script type="text/javascript" src="https://s3-eu-west-1.amazonaws.com/contribly-widgets/contribute/contribute-v2.5.js"></script> </div> </div><p></p>

wbez.org

The Rundown: Our guide to the 2026 school board elections

<p><i>Good afternoon! It’s Monday, and I love seeing more phone-free concerts like the </i><a class="Link" href="https://chicago.suntimes.com/music/2026/09/20/review-phoebe-bridgers-the-lost-tour-united-center" target="_blank" ><i><u>Phoebe Bridgers show</u></i></a><i> my colleague attended over the weekend. Here’s what you need to know today.</i></p><p><a class="Link" href="https://chicago.suntimes.com/elections/2026/graphics/chicago-school-board-education-voter-guide/" target="_blank" ><b><u>1. CPS Elected School Board 2026: Find your candidates and understand the races</u></b></a></p><p>For the first time, Chicagoans will elect the entire Board of Education — 20 members plus an at-large president. My colleagues built a handy tool that lets you find which district you vote in and compare candidates before Election Day on Nov. 3, 2026. [<a class="Link" href="https://chicago.suntimes.com/elections/2026/graphics/chicago-school-board-education-voter-guide/" target="_blank" ><u>WBEZ/Chicago Sun-Times</u></a>]</p><p>Every eligible Chicagoan can cast two votes (yes, two!) — one for a candidate in your school board district, based on your home address, and a second time for school board president. Early voting starts Oct. 1.</p><p>Chicagoans are probably most familiar with one of the board’s core functions: making financial decisions. The school board can raise local property taxes and decide how to spend state and federal funding. Another key board power is hiring a CEO/superintendent and later evaluating their performance.</p><p>The board also votes to close and open schools, the academic calendar and on which buildings get upgrades. It also approves contracts, including collective bargaining agreements, and contracts with charter school operators. [<a class="Link" href="https://www.wbez.org/education/2026/09/21/what-you-need-to-know-about-chicagos-historic-school-board-election" target="_blank" ><u>Chalkbeat Chicago/Chicago Sun-Times</u></a>]</p><p>Here’s a list of organizations that do education-related work that made endorsements in the 2026 Chicago School Board election. My colleagues also list education-focused political action committees that don’t endorse but are providing financial support to specific candidates. [<a class="Link" href="https://www.wbez.org/education/chicago-school-board/2026/09/21/key-education-endorsements-for-cps-school-board-candidates" target="_blank" ><u>WBEZ/Chicago Sun-Times</u></a>]</p><p><a class="Link" href="https://chicago.suntimes.com/illinois-governor/2026/09/21/illinois-governor-jb-pritzker-interview-glp-1-diabetes-weight-loss" target="_blank" ><b><u>2. Gov. Pritzker opened up about his 80 lb. weight loss and use of GLP-1</u></b></a></p><p>Gov. JB Pritzker publicly revealed for the first time that he has lost 80 pounds with the help of a GLP-1 weight loss medication, with plans to lose more, my colleague Tina Sfondeles reports.</p><p>Pritzker has always battled with his weight, crediting the struggle in part to “bad genes.” He’s also been the target of weight-related attacks and AI-generated memes shared by President Donald Trump — including fake images of him devouring pizza and a burger. Trump has also repeatedly called him a “fat slob,” a reference Pritzker certainly remembers.</p><p>He said he’s been on “every diet you could imagine” with no long-term success. But it wasn’t until a doctor diagnosed him with prediabetes, and later Type II diabetes, at age 58 that he began taking insulin and ultimately a GLP-1 medication to help regulate his blood sugar. Pritzker said the medication — combined with exercise and diet — has been so efficient that he stopped taking insulin nine months ago, and his blood sugar levels have gone back to normal.</p><p>More than two years into his weight loss journey, the governor said he wants to talk about it openly, largely in part because he knows millions of Americans are suffering from obesity-related health conditions. He added he didn’t talk about it sooner because he wanted to make sure the weight loss stuck. The disclosure also comes just months before Democrats are expected to announce their intentions to run for president.</p><p>For now, the governor won’t take the presidential bait and said he’s focusing on winning his third term for governor in November. [<a class="Link" href="https://chicago.suntimes.com/illinois-governor/2026/09/21/illinois-governor-jb-pritzker-interview-glp-1-diabetes-weight-loss" target="_blank" ><u>Chicago Sun-Times</u></a>]</p><p><a class="Link" href="https://www.wbez.org/education/2026/09/18/evanston-skokie-parents-fear-impact-hope-for-stability-as-district-looks-to-cut-20-million-close-2-schools" target="_blank" ><b><u>3. Evanston-Skokie School District 65 is looking to cut $20 million and close 2 schools</u></b></a></p><p>As Cindy Hernandez reports for the Chicago Sun-Times, the district has had a structural deficit for years, with expenses outpacing revenue. Officials said the district is also dealing with declining enrollment, lost revenue and rising costs all contributing to ongoing financial challenges.</p><p>The announcement comes after last year’s prolonged debate over school closures that ultimately led to the shutdown of Kingsley Elementary School and a $6 million cut in operational expenses. In 2024, the school board voted to close the Dr. Bessie Rhodes School of Global Studies, which shuttered in June.</p><p>Parents and community members worry school closures and programming cuts could disproportionately affect families in marginalized communities or students enrolled in specialized programs.</p><p>Many of the district’s current challenges were expected, but parents say a lack of community trust made it difficult for district officials to address them.</p><p>“Hope is not a strategy, and that sort of feels like what we’ve been trying to do,” said Kelly Farley, a parent and member of the district’s finance committee. “Now we’re all paying for it, and it’s going to really affect our students.” [<a class="Link" href="https://www.wbez.org/education/2026/09/18/evanston-skokie-parents-fear-impact-hope-for-stability-as-district-looks-to-cut-20-million-close-2-schools" target="_blank" ><u>Chicago Sun-Times</u></a>]</p><p><a class="Link" href="https://www.wbez.org/criminal-justice/2026/09/21/cook-county-jail-deaths-commissioners-board" target="_blank" ><b><u>4. A push for an independent review of Cook County Jail comes amid concerns over deaths and inadequate supervision</u></b></a></p><p>As WBEZ’s Anna Savchenko reports, a resolution calling for a review is scheduled for a vote tomorrow in the Health and Hospitals Committee of the Cook County Board of Commissioners. Advocates, elected officials and faith leaders say a historic 2023 death toll underscores the need for third-party oversight.</p><p>Eighteen people died at the jail that year, many from drug overdoses tied to delays in medical care, according to an Injustice Watch investigation.</p><p>Michele Deitch, director of the Prison and Jail Innovation Lab at the University of Texas at Austin, said such a review is standard in many large U.S. cities.</p><p>“New York, Los Angeles, Philadelphia, Denver, San Diego, just to name a few, have some form of independent oversight over the jail facilities in that jurisdiction. So Chicago is unusual in not having it,” Deitch said. [<a class="Link" href="https://www.wbez.org/criminal-justice/2026/09/21/cook-county-jail-deaths-commissioners-board" target="_blank" ><u>WBEZ</u></a>]</p><p><a class="Link" href="https://www.wbez.org/arts/2026/09/19/chicago-exhibition-week-gertie-west-town-galleries-collectors-art-free" target="_blank" ><b><u>5. Young art collectors converged on Chicago Exhibition Week in search of the next big talent</u></b></a></p><p>Among the collectors taking advantage of the Chicago Exhibition Week opening parties was Little Village-raised Sara Toussaint, 48, who now lives in Gainesville, Florida. Toussaint told the Chicago Sun-Times developing relationships with artists and gallerists is key to building a great collection.</p><p>She and her husband have on display in their home a 2021 Jiménez piece titled “Ghetto Wizard.” Toussaint said the piece, which incorporates the colors of the Puerto Rican flag, reminds her of the vibrant South Side neighborhood where she grew up.</p><p>Toussaint said her advice for new collectors is to inquire about layaway plans and staggered payments and to ask artists about selling prints or other work within their price range, whether it’s $200 or $20,000.</p><p>“I would say check out some of the art school events,” Toussaint added. “If you see something you love, the next thing you know, that could be someone who grows in their career professionally.” [<a class="Link" href="https://www.wbez.org/arts/2026/09/19/chicago-exhibition-week-gertie-west-town-galleries-collectors-art-free" target="_blank" ><u>Chicago Sun-Times</u></a>]</p><p><b>Here’s what else is happening</b></p><ul class="rte2-style-ul" style="margin-top:0;margin-bottom:0;padding-inline-start:48px;" id="rte-a70fbc31-b5f4-11f1-8bf2-9b42021ae9b4"><li>CNN, MS NOW and Politico sued the Trump administration after being barred from the White House. [<a class="Link" href="https://www.npr.org/2026/09/21/nx-s1-5975451/reporters-say-they-were-blocked-from-entering-white-house-after-trump-banned-outlets" target="_blank" ><u>NPR</u></a>]</li><li>The Griffin Museum of Science and Industry’s planned two-story, 458-foot-long entry pavilion threatens to visually overpower the historic entrance and great lawn, architecture critic Lee Bey writes. [<a class="Link" href="https://chicago.suntimes.com/architecture-design/2026/09/21/griffin-museum-science-industry-design-ramsa-drawing-board" target="_blank" ><u>Chicago Sun-Times</u></a>]</li><li>Chicago-style giardiniera can trace its origins to 130-year-old company Marconi Foods. [<a class="Link" href="https://blockclubchicago.org/2026/09/21/the-origins-of-chicago-style-giardiniera/" target="_blank" ><u>Block Club Chicago</u></a>]</li><li>Review: The Joffrey Ballet’s cinematic “Liliom” enthralls, even if its complexities tangle audiences. [<a class="Link" href="https://chicago.suntimes.com/dance/2026/09/21/review-joffrey-liliom-john-neumeier-michel-legrand" target="_blank" ><u>Chicago Sun-Times</u></a>]</li></ul><p><b>Oh, and one more thing …</b></p><p>A slender building decorated with heads carved out of stone on South Federal Street went up for sale last month for just under $5 million. If it sells soon, that will be the third sale since 2022.</p><p>This structure sandwiched between the Union League Club and a parking garage has been out of use at least 18 years and possibly much longer, but it was quite a place when it was up and running, WBEZ contributor Dennis Rodkin writes.</p><p>Seven stories high and just 22 feet wide, the red brick building at 316 S. Federal St. served as the home of St. Hubert’s Old English Grill, famed for its thick lamb chops and other hearty fare brought to the table by waiters in pink hunting jackets.</p><p>St. Hubert’s lived on the first three floors, while the four above housed a social club for engineers. Engineers Club’s founders included one who oversaw the reversal of the Chicago River and another who designed the carillon structure at Rockefeller Chapel at the University of Chicago. [<a class="Link" href="https://www.wbez.org/architecture/2026/09/21/whats-that-building-explorers-club-and-st-huberts-old-english-grill" target="_blank" ><u>WBEZ</u></a>]</p><p><b>Tell me something good …</b></p><p>This year has had so many good book releases (with more coming), which has me checking out new-to-me bookstores and library branches. That has me wondering, what is your favorite place to buy books in the Chicago area?</p><p>Feel free to email me, and your response may be included in the newsletter this week.</p>

wbez.org

What you need to know about Chicago’s historic school board election

<p>This fall, Chicagoans will vote for members of the city’s first fully elected school board. Every eligible Chicagoan can cast two votes (yes, two!) — one for a candidate in your school board district, <a class="Link" href="https://chicago.suntimes.com/elections/2026/graphics/chicago-school-board-education-voter-guide/" target="_blank" >based on your home address</a>, and a second time for school board president.</p><h3><b>How can I vote in school board elections?</b></h3><p>All voters, whether they have students in Chicago Public Schools or not, can cast ballots in the school board elections.</p><p>They are on the ballot in the Nov. 3 general election. <a class="Link" href="https://ova.elections.il.gov/" target="_blank" ><u>Online voter registration</u></a> is available until Oct. 18 and same-day registration is allowed at the polls. <a class="Link" href="https://chicagoelections.gov/voting/your-voter-information" target="_blank" ><u>Check your voter registration status here</u></a>. You must be 18 on election day, a U.S. citizen, and have lived at your current address for 30 days.</p><p><a class="Link" href="https://chicagoelections.gov/voting/early-votingvote-centers" target="_blank" ><u>Early voting</u></a> begins Oct. 1 at the Downtown Voting Supersite at 137 S. State St. and the Chicago Board of Elections Offices at 69 W. Washington St., Sixth Floor.</p><p>Additional <a class="Link" href="https://chicagoelections.gov/voting/early-votingvote-centers" target="_blank" ><u>early voting sites in all 50 wards</u></a> open Oct. 19. On Election Day Nov. 3, polls are open from 6 a.m. to 7 p.m. Find your <a class="Link" href="https://chicagoelections.gov/voting/your-voter-information" target="_blank" >assigned precinct polling place here</a>.</p><h3><b>How many school board seats are up for election?</b></h3><p>All 21 seats on the Chicago Board of Education are on the ballot. Each voter can pick their local representative on the board and the person they want to be school board president.</p><p>There are 43 candidates, plus three write-ins. Four people are running for school board president.</p><p>The city is divided into 20 electoral districts — 1a, 1b, etc.. You can look up which one you live in here. The president is elected citywide and will serve a four-year term until 2030.</p><p>When the new school board is seated in January, it will replace a board that is partially elected and partially appointed. That hybrid board, launched after elections in November 2024, was the first step toward the fully elected school board.</p><p>Half of the board members will serve four-year terms and the other half will serve two years. <a class="Link" href="https://www.ilga.gov/documents/legislation/ilcs/documents/010500050K34-3.htm" target="_blank" ><u>Per state law</u></a>, members elected to replace mayoral appointees will serve two years, while those in districts that had elections in 2024 will serve four years. The term lengths will swap starting in 2028.</p><h3><b>What does the school board do? </b></h3><p>School board members are responsible for the education of about 315,000 children at more than 600 schools and set priorities for Chicago Public Schools.</p><p>Chicagoans are probably most familiar with one of the board’s core functions: making financial decisions. The school board can raise local property taxes and decide how to spend state and federal funding.</p><p>In the last year, the board stepped into new territory when it amended the budget prepared by CPS leaders, bucking their warnings. A narrow majority of members <a class="Link" href="https://www.chalkbeat.org/chicago/2026/08/12/cps-says-it-cannot-reverse-all-layoffs/" target="_blank" ><u>voted to rescind hundreds of staff layoffs</u></a> and instead build in a revenue assumption that Illinois lawmakers would provide <a class="Link" href="https://www.wbez.org/education/chicago-school-board/2026/07/30/chicago-school-board-approves-budget-that-reverses-layoffs-but-counts-on-shaky-state-funds" >$150 million more</a> than they had already allocated.</p><p>Another key board power is <a class="Link" href="https://www.chalkbeat.org/chicago/2026/03/30/chicago-board-of-education-hires-macquline-king/" target="_blank" ><u>hiring a CEO/superintendent</u></a> and later evaluating their performance.</p><p>The board also votes to close and open schools, the academic calendar, and on which buildings get upgrades. It also approves contracts, including collective bargaining agreements, and contracts with charter school operators.</p><p>In Chicago, the board now has power to gather <a class="Link" href="https://www.chalkbeat.org/chicago/2026/08/13/chicago-public-schools-board-backs-revenue-referendums/" target="_blank" ><u>community input through referendums</u></a>.</p><p>Board members are not paid.</p><h3><b>Why didn’t Chicago always vote for school board members?</b></h3><p>Since 1995, the mayor has appointed Chicago’s school board members. Before that, there was typically a nomination process to place members on the board.</p><p>Outside Chicago, most <a class="Link" href="https://www.npr.org/2026/02/17/nx-s1-5717076/americas-school-boards-in-2026" target="_blank" ><u>school boards in Illinois and across the U.S.</u></a> are elected.</p><p>But over the last two decades in Chicago, demand for an elected board grew with prominent organizations such as <a class="Link" href="https://www.chalkbeat.org/chicago/2021/7/30/22602068/illinois-governor-approves-elected-chicago-school-board/" target="_blank" ><u>the Chicago Teachers Union championing the change</u></a> to hold the board accountable to families and educators. Several decisions by the appointed board had soured public perceptions of the governing body, including its unanimous vote approving <a class="Link" href="https://www.chalkbeat.org/chicago/2025/06/13/chicago-public-schools-declining-enrollment-causes-small-schools-high-costs/" target="_blank" ><u>former Mayor Rahm Emanuel’s plan to close about 50 schools</u></a>.</p><p>The bill creating the elected school board <a class="Link" href="https://www.chalkbeat.org/chicago/2021/6/16/22537184/chicago-elected-school-board-bill-clears-hurdle-but-questions-remain/" target="_blank" ><u>passed in 2021</u></a>.</p><p>The implementation was rocky in Springfield, and it faced <a class="Link" href="https://www.chalkbeat.org/chicago/2021/3/25/22351382/chicago-elected-school-board-bill-gains-momentum-calls-grow-for-another-option/" target="_blank" ><u>pushback from some local groups and former Chicago Mayor Lori Lightfoot</u></a> as it slowly got off the ground. As part of the path to a fully elected board, lawmakers required <a class="Link" href="https://www.chalkbeat.org/chicago/2024/09/25/cps-school-board-november-election-voter-guide-meet-the-candidates/" target="_blank" ><u>half the board to be elected</u></a> in 2024. The other half remained mayoral appointees, with the mayor retaining a majority.</p><p><i>Becky Vevea is the bureau chief for Chalkbeat Chicago. Makiya Seminera is a Chalkbeat reporter covering how the state and federal government affect education in Chicago and across Illinois. Emmanuel Camarillo is an education reporter for the Chicago Sun-Times.</i></p>

wbez.org

Young art collectors converge on Chicago Exhibition Week in search of the next big talent

<p>“She’s a genius.”</p><p>“She’s gonna be famous one day.”</p><p>This was the chatter among audiences who gathered inside the theater this week at the <a class="Link" href="https://www.gertie.co/" target="_blank" ><u>Gertie Hub</u></a>, 400 N. Peoria, to see <a class="Link" href="https://www.instagram.com/trophysophie/?hl=en" target="_blank" ><u>Sophie Becker</u></a> perform with her ventriloquist dummy, Ronnie Woods.</p><p>Throughout the act, the pair were singing, swapping voices, creating sound effects and more.</p><p>The production, part of a show called “82 Nights Only,” was one of several events happening around the kickoff week for <a class="Link" href="https://www.chicagoexhibitionweek.com/" target="_blank" ><u>Chicago Exhibition Week</u></a>. Happening through Sunday, the event — organized by Chicago contemporary art platform Gertie — spotlights more than 40 art galleries and creative institutions. </p><p>Many of the affiliated galleries have set up new shows that are visible through the fall, and others through next year. (Click here for our gallery guide of <a class="Link" href="https://chicago.suntimes.com/art/2026/09/14/art-gallery-guide-chicago-exhibition-week-galleries-west-loop-contemporary" target="_blank" ><u>10 local art shows</u></a> to see this fall.)</p><div class="Enhancement" data-align-center> <div class="Enhancement-item" data-crop=""> <figure class="Figure"><a class="AnchorLink" id="image-2a0000" name="image-2a0000"></a> <picture data-crop="medium"> <source type="image/webp" width="490" height="275" srcset="https://cst.brightspotcdn.com/dims4/default/ae12be4/2147483647/strip/true/crop/7309x4102+0+387/resize/490x275!/format/webp/quality/90/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fchorus-production-cst-web.s3.us-east-1.amazonaws.com%2Fbrightspot%2F9b%2F9f%2F620aa25540e5acd151352e115e4f%2F2026-09-16-gertie-performances-77.jpeg 1x,https://cst.brightspotcdn.com/dims4/default/102ed38/2147483647/strip/true/crop/7309x4102+0+387/resize/980x550!/format/webp/quality/90/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fchorus-production-cst-web.s3.us-east-1.amazonaws.com%2Fbrightspot%2F9b%2F9f%2F620aa25540e5acd151352e115e4f%2F2026-09-16-gertie-performances-77.jpeg 2x" loading="lazy" /> <source width="490" height="275" srcset="https://cst.brightspotcdn.com/dims4/default/3a8e9ee/2147483647/strip/true/crop/7309x4102+0+387/resize/490x275!/quality/90/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fchorus-production-cst-web.s3.us-east-1.amazonaws.com%2Fbrightspot%2F9b%2F9f%2F620aa25540e5acd151352e115e4f%2F2026-09-16-gertie-performances-77.jpeg" loading="lazy" /> <img class="Image" alt="Ventriloquist Sophie Becker performs at the Gertie Hub, 400 N. Peoria, during the opening reception of "82 Nights Only."" srcset="https://cst.brightspotcdn.com/dims4/default/3a8e9ee/2147483647/strip/true/crop/7309x4102+0+387/resize/490x275!/quality/90/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fchorus-production-cst-web.s3.us-east-1.amazonaws.com%2Fbrightspot%2F9b%2F9f%2F620aa25540e5acd151352e115e4f%2F2026-09-16-gertie-performances-77.jpeg 1x,https://cst.brightspotcdn.com/dims4/default/9ff8a48/2147483647/strip/true/crop/7309x4102+0+387/resize/980x550!/quality/90/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fchorus-production-cst-web.s3.us-east-1.amazonaws.com%2Fbrightspot%2F9b%2F9f%2F620aa25540e5acd151352e115e4f%2F2026-09-16-gertie-performances-77.jpeg 2x" width="490" height="275" src="https://cst.brightspotcdn.com/dims4/default/3a8e9ee/2147483647/strip/true/crop/7309x4102+0+387/resize/490x275!/quality/90/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fchorus-production-cst-web.s3.us-east-1.amazonaws.com%2Fbrightspot%2F9b%2F9f%2F620aa25540e5acd151352e115e4f%2F2026-09-16-gertie-performances-77.jpeg" loading="lazy" > </picture> <div class="Figure-content"><figcaption class="Figure-caption"><p>Ventriloquist Sophie Becker performs at the Gertie Hub, 400 N. Peoria, during the opening reception of “82 Nights Only.”</p></figcaption><span class="line"></span><div class="Figure-credit"><p>Evan Jenkins</p></div></div> </figure> </div> </div><p>The ventriloquist show is not wall art, but that was the point. The exhibition week is meant to attract old and new art lovers and collectors and poke fun at the often stuffy and unwelcoming gallery culture.</p><p>“What we're trying to do is offer a couple of different on-ramps to people,” said Abby Pucker, the founder of Gertie, who is incentivizing those who visit at least four galleries to collect stickers from each and get free admission to the Museum of Contemporary Art on Sunday. “My ask to people actually is to get up and go do stuff. Be in the world and use it as an opportunity to invite friends.”</p><p>Running through Dec. 13, “82 Nights Only” features a rotating array of artists' work and performances. No one night will be anything like the last. “We want people to keep coming back,” Pucker said.</p><div class="Enhancement" data-align-center> <div class="Enhancement-item" data-crop=""> <figure class="Figure"><a class="AnchorLink" id="image-bf0000" name="image-bf0000"></a> <picture data-crop="medium"> <source type="image/webp" width="490" height="275" srcset="https://cst.brightspotcdn.com/dims4/default/791eeec/2147483647/strip/true/crop/6048x3394+0+319/resize/490x275!/format/webp/quality/90/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fchorus-production-cst-web.s3.us-east-1.amazonaws.com%2Fbrightspot%2F29%2F1c%2Fd912cfd54763a58f2b65607ca835%2Fchiexweek-260919-37.jpg 1x,https://cst.brightspotcdn.com/dims4/default/fde6035/2147483647/strip/true/crop/6048x3394+0+319/resize/980x550!/format/webp/quality/90/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fchorus-production-cst-web.s3.us-east-1.amazonaws.com%2Fbrightspot%2F29%2F1c%2Fd912cfd54763a58f2b65607ca835%2Fchiexweek-260919-37.jpg 2x" loading="lazy" /> <source width="490" height="275" srcset="https://cst.brightspotcdn.com/dims4/default/7fd62eb/2147483647/strip/true/crop/6048x3394+0+319/resize/490x275!/quality/90/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fchorus-production-cst-web.s3.us-east-1.amazonaws.com%2Fbrightspot%2F29%2F1c%2Fd912cfd54763a58f2b65607ca835%2Fchiexweek-260919-37.jpg" loading="lazy" /> <img class="Image" alt="Gallery visitors converse during the Chicago Exhibition Week." srcset="https://cst.brightspotcdn.com/dims4/default/7fd62eb/2147483647/strip/true/crop/6048x3394+0+319/resize/490x275!/quality/90/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fchorus-production-cst-web.s3.us-east-1.amazonaws.com%2Fbrightspot%2F29%2F1c%2Fd912cfd54763a58f2b65607ca835%2Fchiexweek-260919-37.jpg 1x,https://cst.brightspotcdn.com/dims4/default/61012cc/2147483647/strip/true/crop/6048x3394+0+319/resize/980x550!/quality/90/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fchorus-production-cst-web.s3.us-east-1.amazonaws.com%2Fbrightspot%2F29%2F1c%2Fd912cfd54763a58f2b65607ca835%2Fchiexweek-260919-37.jpg 2x" width="490" height="275" src="https://cst.brightspotcdn.com/dims4/default/7fd62eb/2147483647/strip/true/crop/6048x3394+0+319/resize/490x275!/quality/90/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fchorus-production-cst-web.s3.us-east-1.amazonaws.com%2Fbrightspot%2F29%2F1c%2Fd912cfd54763a58f2b65607ca835%2Fchiexweek-260919-37.jpg" loading="lazy" > </picture> <div class="Figure-content"><figcaption class="Figure-caption"><p>Gallery visitors converse during the Chicago Exhibition Week.</p></figcaption><span class="line"></span><div class="Figure-credit"><p>Victor Hilitski/For the Sun-Times</p></div></div> </figure> </div> </div><p>“It's a little cheeky,” said Chanelle Lacy, Gertie’s head of programming, partnerships and memberships. “And we're in on the joke with you: We're going to bring you to this space and show you very serious, interesting contemporary art, but we're also going to laugh and have a good time and kind of poke fun at the fact that we get poked fun at.”</p><p>About a mile west of the Gertie Hub on Thursday, art lovers and collectors descended upon West Town galleries to go door-to-door and get first looks at works by a mix of local and international talents.</p><p>Dancer-artist <a class="Link" href="https://privateviews.artlogic.net/2/68ea5c6ecaa1824299da8b/" target="_blank" ><u>Brendan Fernandes</u></a> mingled with guests who came to see his work on view at Monique Meloche Gallery (451 N. Paulina St.), while over at DOCUMENT (1709 W. Chicago Ave.) Slovakian artist <a class="Link" href="https://privateviews.artlogic.net/2/23624780f62b3a68fed7e1/" target="_blank" ><u>Alexandra Barth</u></a>’s intricate awning paintings drew people in. Black Puerto Rican artist <a class="Link" href="https://marianeibrahim.com/exhibitions/122-clotilde-jimenez-eramos-silencios/overview/" target="_blank" ><u>Clotilde Jiménez</u></a>’s colorful collage works made Mariane Ibrahim (437 N. Paulina St.) a destination. And School of the Art Institute alum <a class="Link" href="https://privateviews.artlogic.net/2/a6f5b859111342cff89f51/" target="_blank" ><u>Arina Erdélyi</u></a> had a prominent showcase at Volume (1700 W. Hubbard St.)</p><div class="Enhancement" data-align-center> <div class="Enhancement-item" data-crop=""> <figure class="Figure"><a class="AnchorLink" id="image-fe0000" name="image-fe0000"></a> <picture data-crop="medium"> <source type="image/webp" width="490" height="275" srcset="https://cst.brightspotcdn.com/dims4/default/4c4c1e7/2147483647/strip/true/crop/6048x3394+0+319/resize/490x275!/format/webp/quality/90/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fchorus-production-cst-web.s3.us-east-1.amazonaws.com%2Fbrightspot%2Ff6%2F46%2F1f6925084e789158f745344556ee%2Fchiexweek-260919-36.jpg 1x,https://cst.brightspotcdn.com/dims4/default/b698b15/2147483647/strip/true/crop/6048x3394+0+319/resize/980x550!/format/webp/quality/90/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fchorus-production-cst-web.s3.us-east-1.amazonaws.com%2Fbrightspot%2Ff6%2F46%2F1f6925084e789158f745344556ee%2Fchiexweek-260919-36.jpg 2x" loading="lazy" /> <source width="490" height="275" srcset="https://cst.brightspotcdn.com/dims4/default/34798ed/2147483647/strip/true/crop/6048x3394+0+319/resize/490x275!/quality/90/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fchorus-production-cst-web.s3.us-east-1.amazonaws.com%2Fbrightspot%2Ff6%2F46%2F1f6925084e789158f745344556ee%2Fchiexweek-260919-36.jpg" loading="lazy" /> <img class="Image" alt="Lamp and furniture artist and art collector Arina Erdélyi poses for a portrait inside Volume Gallery during the Chicago Exhibition Week." srcset="https://cst.brightspotcdn.com/dims4/default/34798ed/2147483647/strip/true/crop/6048x3394+0+319/resize/490x275!/quality/90/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fchorus-production-cst-web.s3.us-east-1.amazonaws.com%2Fbrightspot%2Ff6%2F46%2F1f6925084e789158f745344556ee%2Fchiexweek-260919-36.jpg 1x,https://cst.brightspotcdn.com/dims4/default/dfa3464/2147483647/strip/true/crop/6048x3394+0+319/resize/980x550!/quality/90/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fchorus-production-cst-web.s3.us-east-1.amazonaws.com%2Fbrightspot%2Ff6%2F46%2F1f6925084e789158f745344556ee%2Fchiexweek-260919-36.jpg 2x" width="490" height="275" src="https://cst.brightspotcdn.com/dims4/default/34798ed/2147483647/strip/true/crop/6048x3394+0+319/resize/490x275!/quality/90/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fchorus-production-cst-web.s3.us-east-1.amazonaws.com%2Fbrightspot%2Ff6%2F46%2F1f6925084e789158f745344556ee%2Fchiexweek-260919-36.jpg" loading="lazy" > </picture> <div class="Figure-content"><figcaption class="Figure-caption"><p>Lamp and furniture artist and art collector Arina Erdélyi poses for a portrait inside Volume Gallery during the Chicago Exhibition Week.</p></figcaption><span class="line"></span><div class="Figure-credit"><p>Victor Hilitski/For the Sun-Times</p></div></div> </figure> </div> </div><p>Among the collectors taking advantage of the Chicago Exhibition Week opening parties was Little Village-raised Sara Toussaint, 48, who now lives in Gainesville, Florida. Toussaint agreed that developing relationships with artists and gallerists is key to building a great collection.</p><p>She and her husband have on display in their home a 2021 Jiménez piece titled <a class="Link" href="https://www.clotildejimenez.art/artworks/9487-ghetto-wizard-2021/" target="_blank" ><u>“Ghetto Wizard.”</u></a> Toussaint said the piece, which incorporates the colors of the Puerto Rican flag, reminds her of the vibrant South Side neighborhood she grew up in.</p><p>“I don’t consider Little Village a ghetto. But it was such a great place to grow up,” she said. “It really impacted the rest of my life and career.” Through gallerist Mariane Ibrahim, she visited Jiménez’s Mexico City studio in February 2020.</p><div class="Enhancement" data-align-center> <div class="Enhancement-item" data-crop=""> <figure class="Figure"><a class="AnchorLink" id="image-fa0000" name="image-fa0000"></a> <picture data-crop="medium"> <source type="image/webp" width="490" height="275" srcset="https://cst.brightspotcdn.com/dims4/default/4f4d5bd/2147483647/strip/true/crop/6048x3394+0+319/resize/490x275!/format/webp/quality/90/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fchorus-production-cst-web.s3.us-east-1.amazonaws.com%2Fbrightspot%2F5a%2F35%2F145832344c34bfbf76148c725511%2Fchiexweek-260919-33.jpg 1x,https://cst.brightspotcdn.com/dims4/default/b539a67/2147483647/strip/true/crop/6048x3394+0+319/resize/980x550!/format/webp/quality/90/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fchorus-production-cst-web.s3.us-east-1.amazonaws.com%2Fbrightspot%2F5a%2F35%2F145832344c34bfbf76148c725511%2Fchiexweek-260919-33.jpg 2x" loading="lazy" /> <source width="490" height="275" srcset="https://cst.brightspotcdn.com/dims4/default/4c60d1b/2147483647/strip/true/crop/6048x3394+0+319/resize/490x275!/quality/90/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fchorus-production-cst-web.s3.us-east-1.amazonaws.com%2Fbrightspot%2F5a%2F35%2F145832344c34bfbf76148c725511%2Fchiexweek-260919-33.jpg" loading="lazy" /> <img class="Image" alt="Art collector Sara Toussaint poses for a portrait alongside large ceramics during the Chicago Exhibition Week." srcset="https://cst.brightspotcdn.com/dims4/default/4c60d1b/2147483647/strip/true/crop/6048x3394+0+319/resize/490x275!/quality/90/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fchorus-production-cst-web.s3.us-east-1.amazonaws.com%2Fbrightspot%2F5a%2F35%2F145832344c34bfbf76148c725511%2Fchiexweek-260919-33.jpg 1x,https://cst.brightspotcdn.com/dims4/default/3bf5d43/2147483647/strip/true/crop/6048x3394+0+319/resize/980x550!/quality/90/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fchorus-production-cst-web.s3.us-east-1.amazonaws.com%2Fbrightspot%2F5a%2F35%2F145832344c34bfbf76148c725511%2Fchiexweek-260919-33.jpg 2x" width="490" height="275" src="https://cst.brightspotcdn.com/dims4/default/4c60d1b/2147483647/strip/true/crop/6048x3394+0+319/resize/490x275!/quality/90/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fchorus-production-cst-web.s3.us-east-1.amazonaws.com%2Fbrightspot%2F5a%2F35%2F145832344c34bfbf76148c725511%2Fchiexweek-260919-33.jpg" loading="lazy" > </picture> <div class="Figure-content"><figcaption class="Figure-caption"><p>Art collector Sara Toussaint poses for a portrait alongside large ceramics during the Chicago Exhibition Week.</p></figcaption><span class="line"></span><div class="Figure-credit"><p>Victor Hilitski/For the Sun-Times</p></div></div> </figure> </div> </div><p>“When I learned he was Puerto Rican, the work kind of gravitated towards me. At that moment I was like, ‘I do want to support artists that I feel like I can identify with and are typically underrepresented,’” she said.</p><p>Toussaint, who works in sports marketing, said her advice for new collectors is to inquire about layaway plans and staggered payments and to ask artists about selling prints or other work within their price range, whether it's $200 or $20,000.</p><p>“I would say check out some of the art school events,” Toussaint added. “If you see something you love, the next thing you know, that could be someone who grows in their career professionally.”</p><div class="Enhancement" data-align-center> <div class="Enhancement-item" data-crop=""> <figure class="Figure"><a class="AnchorLink" id="image-dc0000" name="image-dc0000"></a> <picture data-crop="medium"> <source type="image/webp" width="490" height="275" srcset="https://cst.brightspotcdn.com/dims4/default/82fd8ae/2147483647/strip/true/crop/5929x3328+0+313/resize/490x275!/format/webp/quality/90/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fchorus-production-cst-web.s3.us-east-1.amazonaws.com%2Fbrightspot%2Fdb%2Feb%2Fcdddf71248e69b53c3062ceeaa79%2Fchiexweek-260919-31.jpg 1x,https://cst.brightspotcdn.com/dims4/default/6defc71/2147483647/strip/true/crop/5929x3328+0+313/resize/980x550!/format/webp/quality/90/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fchorus-production-cst-web.s3.us-east-1.amazonaws.com%2Fbrightspot%2Fdb%2Feb%2Fcdddf71248e69b53c3062ceeaa79%2Fchiexweek-260919-31.jpg 2x" loading="lazy" /> <source width="490" height="275" srcset="https://cst.brightspotcdn.com/dims4/default/7e82efb/2147483647/strip/true/crop/5929x3328+0+313/resize/490x275!/quality/90/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fchorus-production-cst-web.s3.us-east-1.amazonaws.com%2Fbrightspot%2Fdb%2Feb%2Fcdddf71248e69b53c3062ceeaa79%2Fchiexweek-260919-31.jpg" loading="lazy" /> <img class="Image" alt="Visitors browse large-scale works by artist Clotilde Jiménez at Mariane Ibrahim Gallery during Chicago Exhibition Week." srcset="https://cst.brightspotcdn.com/dims4/default/7e82efb/2147483647/strip/true/crop/5929x3328+0+313/resize/490x275!/quality/90/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fchorus-production-cst-web.s3.us-east-1.amazonaws.com%2Fbrightspot%2Fdb%2Feb%2Fcdddf71248e69b53c3062ceeaa79%2Fchiexweek-260919-31.jpg 1x,https://cst.brightspotcdn.com/dims4/default/22efdf2/2147483647/strip/true/crop/5929x3328+0+313/resize/980x550!/quality/90/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fchorus-production-cst-web.s3.us-east-1.amazonaws.com%2Fbrightspot%2Fdb%2Feb%2Fcdddf71248e69b53c3062ceeaa79%2Fchiexweek-260919-31.jpg 2x" width="490" height="275" src="https://cst.brightspotcdn.com/dims4/default/7e82efb/2147483647/strip/true/crop/5929x3328+0+313/resize/490x275!/quality/90/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fchorus-production-cst-web.s3.us-east-1.amazonaws.com%2Fbrightspot%2Fdb%2Feb%2Fcdddf71248e69b53c3062ceeaa79%2Fchiexweek-260919-31.jpg" loading="lazy" > </picture> <div class="Figure-content"><figcaption class="Figure-caption"><p>Visitors browse large-scale works by artist Clotilde Jiménez at Mariane Ibrahim Gallery during Chicago Exhibition Week.</p></figcaption><span class="line"></span><div class="Figure-credit"><p>Victor Hilitski/For the Sun-Times</p></div></div> </figure> </div> </div><p>Chicago-based collector Erinne Brown said that she purchased <a class="Link" href="https://www.gertie.co/store/office-hours-erol-scott-harris" target="_blank" ><u>Erol Scott Harris</u></a>’ piece “Doorstop” for $2,000 this week. At 39, she’s been building her own inventory of work for the last two years.</p><p>“I started off super small and I mean that literally,” Brown said. She visited the Barely Fair during EXPO Chicago in 2024 and came across a miniature painting that “spoke to me,” she said.</p><p>Over time, she began thinking “more strategically” about creating her art budget and making sure she felt connected to her collection rather than making impulsive decisions.</p><p>Originally from Maryland, Brown lived in New York City before moving to Chicago for a job.</p><p>“I didn't always feel like these types of spaces and conversations were as accessible [in New York],” she said. “Coming to Chicago, I felt it to be a very welcoming environment to really ask questions, get to know artists and feel more connected to the work.”</p><div class="Enhancement" data-align-center> <div class="Enhancement-item" data-crop=""> <figure class="Figure"><a class="AnchorLink" id="image-bc0000" name="image-bc0000"></a> <picture data-crop="medium"> <source type="image/webp" width="490" height="275" srcset="https://cst.brightspotcdn.com/dims4/default/4ec9201/2147483647/strip/true/crop/5774x3241+0+306/resize/490x275!/format/webp/quality/90/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fchorus-production-cst-web.s3.us-east-1.amazonaws.com%2Fbrightspot%2F05%2F50%2Ff65590524f598ee8a36582e91f0b%2Fchiexweek-260919-21.jpg 1x,https://cst.brightspotcdn.com/dims4/default/2a2a7de/2147483647/strip/true/crop/5774x3241+0+306/resize/980x550!/format/webp/quality/90/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fchorus-production-cst-web.s3.us-east-1.amazonaws.com%2Fbrightspot%2F05%2F50%2Ff65590524f598ee8a36582e91f0b%2Fchiexweek-260919-21.jpg 2x" loading="lazy" /> <source width="490" height="275" srcset="https://cst.brightspotcdn.com/dims4/default/5eed55f/2147483647/strip/true/crop/5774x3241+0+306/resize/490x275!/quality/90/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fchorus-production-cst-web.s3.us-east-1.amazonaws.com%2Fbrightspot%2F05%2F50%2Ff65590524f598ee8a36582e91f0b%2Fchiexweek-260919-21.jpg" loading="lazy" /> <img class="Image" alt="Dancer-artist Brendan Fernandes discusses his artwork with collector Garrett Schwindt during the Chicago Exhibition Week at Monique Meloche Gallery." srcset="https://cst.brightspotcdn.com/dims4/default/5eed55f/2147483647/strip/true/crop/5774x3241+0+306/resize/490x275!/quality/90/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fchorus-production-cst-web.s3.us-east-1.amazonaws.com%2Fbrightspot%2F05%2F50%2Ff65590524f598ee8a36582e91f0b%2Fchiexweek-260919-21.jpg 1x,https://cst.brightspotcdn.com/dims4/default/208b688/2147483647/strip/true/crop/5774x3241+0+306/resize/980x550!/quality/90/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fchorus-production-cst-web.s3.us-east-1.amazonaws.com%2Fbrightspot%2F05%2F50%2Ff65590524f598ee8a36582e91f0b%2Fchiexweek-260919-21.jpg 2x" width="490" height="275" src="https://cst.brightspotcdn.com/dims4/default/5eed55f/2147483647/strip/true/crop/5774x3241+0+306/resize/490x275!/quality/90/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fchorus-production-cst-web.s3.us-east-1.amazonaws.com%2Fbrightspot%2F05%2F50%2Ff65590524f598ee8a36582e91f0b%2Fchiexweek-260919-21.jpg" loading="lazy" > </picture> <div class="Figure-content"><figcaption class="Figure-caption"><p>Dancer-artist Brendan Fernandes discusses his artwork with collector Garrett Schwindt during the Chicago Exhibition Week at Monique Meloche Gallery.</p></figcaption><span class="line"></span><div class="Figure-credit"><p>Victor Hilitski/For the Sun-Times</p></div></div> </figure> </div> </div><p>Garett Schwindt, a Chicago-based psychotherapist who was browsing the collection at Monique Meloche Gallery on Thursday, began collecting art about 10 years ago.</p><p>“I went to an auction and accidentally bought a few pieces,” he said. “I couldn't afford it at the time.” But once he started living with the art, Schwindt continued, he understood he could make it an intentional pursuit.</p><p>Schwindt, 33, who stopped to chat with artist Brendan Fernandes at the gallery opening Thursday, said young aspiring collectors should talk to everyone and learn as much as possible this weekend and beyond. “Everybody in Chicago is gonna be so generous with their information and time.”</p><p>See more from Chicago Exhibition Week:</p><div class="Enhancement" data-align-center> <div class="Enhancement-item" data-crop=""> <figure class="Figure"><a class="AnchorLink" id="image-cd0000" name="image-cd0000"></a> <picture data-crop="medium"> <source type="image/webp" width="490" height="275" srcset="https://cst.brightspotcdn.com/dims4/default/b6f5dba/2147483647/strip/true/crop/6048x3394+0+319/resize/490x275!/format/webp/quality/90/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fchorus-production-cst-web.s3.us-east-1.amazonaws.com%2Fbrightspot%2F98%2F6b%2F82d3cea540c5b779ff88a94250eb%2Fchiexweek-260919-15.jpg 1x,https://cst.brightspotcdn.com/dims4/default/910145a/2147483647/strip/true/crop/6048x3394+0+319/resize/980x550!/format/webp/quality/90/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fchorus-production-cst-web.s3.us-east-1.amazonaws.com%2Fbrightspot%2F98%2F6b%2F82d3cea540c5b779ff88a94250eb%2Fchiexweek-260919-15.jpg 2x" loading="lazy" /> <source width="490" height="275" srcset="https://cst.brightspotcdn.com/dims4/default/1d0f94d/2147483647/strip/true/crop/6048x3394+0+319/resize/490x275!/quality/90/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fchorus-production-cst-web.s3.us-east-1.amazonaws.com%2Fbrightspot%2F98%2F6b%2F82d3cea540c5b779ff88a94250eb%2Fchiexweek-260919-15.jpg" loading="lazy" /> <img class="Image" alt="Visitors view materials and guides during Chicago Exhibition Week." srcset="https://cst.brightspotcdn.com/dims4/default/1d0f94d/2147483647/strip/true/crop/6048x3394+0+319/resize/490x275!/quality/90/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fchorus-production-cst-web.s3.us-east-1.amazonaws.com%2Fbrightspot%2F98%2F6b%2F82d3cea540c5b779ff88a94250eb%2Fchiexweek-260919-15.jpg 1x,https://cst.brightspotcdn.com/dims4/default/1c41a55/2147483647/strip/true/crop/6048x3394+0+319/resize/980x550!/quality/90/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fchorus-production-cst-web.s3.us-east-1.amazonaws.com%2Fbrightspot%2F98%2F6b%2F82d3cea540c5b779ff88a94250eb%2Fchiexweek-260919-15.jpg 2x" width="490" height="275" src="https://cst.brightspotcdn.com/dims4/default/1d0f94d/2147483647/strip/true/crop/6048x3394+0+319/resize/490x275!/quality/90/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fchorus-production-cst-web.s3.us-east-1.amazonaws.com%2Fbrightspot%2F98%2F6b%2F82d3cea540c5b779ff88a94250eb%2Fchiexweek-260919-15.jpg" loading="lazy" > </picture> <div class="Figure-content"><figcaption class="Figure-caption"><p>Visitors view materials and guides during Chicago Exhibition Week.</p></figcaption><span class="line"></span><div class="Figure-credit"><p>Victor Hilitski/For the Sun-Times</p></div></div> </figure> </div> </div><div class="Enhancement" data-align-center> <div class="Enhancement-item" data-crop=""> <figure class="Figure"><a class="AnchorLink" id="image-9b0000" name="image-9b0000"></a> <picture data-crop="medium"> <source type="image/webp" width="490" height="275" srcset="https://cst.brightspotcdn.com/dims4/default/2b07c4e/2147483647/strip/true/crop/5653x3173+0+298/resize/490x275!/format/webp/quality/90/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fchorus-production-cst-web.s3.us-east-1.amazonaws.com%2Fbrightspot%2F24%2F41%2F9ec1ecb842fca1405296d8e784f0%2Fchiexweek-260919-23.jpg 1x,https://cst.brightspotcdn.com/dims4/default/84658e0/2147483647/strip/true/crop/5653x3173+0+298/resize/980x550!/format/webp/quality/90/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fchorus-production-cst-web.s3.us-east-1.amazonaws.com%2Fbrightspot%2F24%2F41%2F9ec1ecb842fca1405296d8e784f0%2Fchiexweek-260919-23.jpg 2x" loading="lazy" /> <source width="490" height="275" srcset="https://cst.brightspotcdn.com/dims4/default/100ccfc/2147483647/strip/true/crop/5653x3173+0+298/resize/490x275!/quality/90/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fchorus-production-cst-web.s3.us-east-1.amazonaws.com%2Fbrightspot%2F24%2F41%2F9ec1ecb842fca1405296d8e784f0%2Fchiexweek-260919-23.jpg" loading="lazy" /> <img class="Image" alt="Visitors come and go at Mariane Ibrahim Gallery during Chicago Exhibition Week." srcset="https://cst.brightspotcdn.com/dims4/default/100ccfc/2147483647/strip/true/crop/5653x3173+0+298/resize/490x275!/quality/90/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fchorus-production-cst-web.s3.us-east-1.amazonaws.com%2Fbrightspot%2F24%2F41%2F9ec1ecb842fca1405296d8e784f0%2Fchiexweek-260919-23.jpg 1x,https://cst.brightspotcdn.com/dims4/default/c1aa625/2147483647/strip/true/crop/5653x3173+0+298/resize/980x550!/quality/90/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fchorus-production-cst-web.s3.us-east-1.amazonaws.com%2Fbrightspot%2F24%2F41%2F9ec1ecb842fca1405296d8e784f0%2Fchiexweek-260919-23.jpg 2x" width="490" height="275" src="https://cst.brightspotcdn.com/dims4/default/100ccfc/2147483647/strip/true/crop/5653x3173+0+298/resize/490x275!/quality/90/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fchorus-production-cst-web.s3.us-east-1.amazonaws.com%2Fbrightspot%2F24%2F41%2F9ec1ecb842fca1405296d8e784f0%2Fchiexweek-260919-23.jpg" loading="lazy" > </picture> <div class="Figure-content"><figcaption class="Figure-caption"><p>Visitors come and go at Mariane Ibrahim Gallery during Chicago Exhibition Week.</p></figcaption><span class="line"></span><div class="Figure-credit"><p>Victor Hilitski/For the Sun-Times</p></div></div> </figure> </div> </div><div class="Enhancement" data-align-center> <div class="Enhancement-item" data-crop=""> <figure class="Figure"><a class="AnchorLink" id="image-e70000" name="image-e70000"></a> <picture data-crop="medium"> <source type="image/webp" width="490" height="275" srcset="https://cst.brightspotcdn.com/dims4/default/940a3c4/2147483647/strip/true/crop/6048x3394+0+319/resize/490x275!/format/webp/quality/90/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fchorus-production-cst-web.s3.us-east-1.amazonaws.com%2Fbrightspot%2F71%2F24%2Fc475b935435cad1aec7afe412586%2Fchiexweek-260919-7.jpg 1x,https://cst.brightspotcdn.com/dims4/default/7efb984/2147483647/strip/true/crop/6048x3394+0+319/resize/980x550!/format/webp/quality/90/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fchorus-production-cst-web.s3.us-east-1.amazonaws.com%2Fbrightspot%2F71%2F24%2Fc475b935435cad1aec7afe412586%2Fchiexweek-260919-7.jpg 2x" loading="lazy" /> <source width="490" height="275" srcset="https://cst.brightspotcdn.com/dims4/default/4858b91/2147483647/strip/true/crop/6048x3394+0+319/resize/490x275!/quality/90/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fchorus-production-cst-web.s3.us-east-1.amazonaws.com%2Fbrightspot%2F71%2F24%2Fc475b935435cad1aec7afe412586%2Fchiexweek-260919-7.jpg" loading="lazy" /> <img class="Image" alt="Slovakian artist Alexandra Barth poses for a portrait inside DOCUMENT during the opening reception of her exhibition, "The Awnings," for Chicago Exhibition Week." srcset="https://cst.brightspotcdn.com/dims4/default/4858b91/2147483647/strip/true/crop/6048x3394+0+319/resize/490x275!/quality/90/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fchorus-production-cst-web.s3.us-east-1.amazonaws.com%2Fbrightspot%2F71%2F24%2Fc475b935435cad1aec7afe412586%2Fchiexweek-260919-7.jpg 1x,https://cst.brightspotcdn.com/dims4/default/aa1fdc6/2147483647/strip/true/crop/6048x3394+0+319/resize/980x550!/quality/90/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fchorus-production-cst-web.s3.us-east-1.amazonaws.com%2Fbrightspot%2F71%2F24%2Fc475b935435cad1aec7afe412586%2Fchiexweek-260919-7.jpg 2x" width="490" height="275" src="https://cst.brightspotcdn.com/dims4/default/4858b91/2147483647/strip/true/crop/6048x3394+0+319/resize/490x275!/quality/90/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fchorus-production-cst-web.s3.us-east-1.amazonaws.com%2Fbrightspot%2F71%2F24%2Fc475b935435cad1aec7afe412586%2Fchiexweek-260919-7.jpg" loading="lazy" > </picture> <div class="Figure-content"><figcaption class="Figure-caption"><p>Slovakian artist Alexandra Barth poses for a portrait inside DOCUMENT during the opening reception of her exhibition, “The Awnings,” for Chicago Exhibition Week.</p></figcaption><span class="line"></span><div class="Figure-credit"><p>Victor Hilitski/For the Sun-Times</p></div></div> </figure> </div> </div><div class="Enhancement" data-align-center> <div class="Enhancement-item" data-crop=""> <figure class="Figure"><a class="AnchorLink" id="image-060000" name="image-060000"></a> <picture data-crop="medium"> <source type="image/webp" width="490" height="275" srcset="https://cst.brightspotcdn.com/dims4/default/f7ae694/2147483647/strip/true/crop/6048x3394+0+319/resize/490x275!/format/webp/quality/90/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fchorus-production-cst-web.s3.us-east-1.amazonaws.com%2Fbrightspot%2F31%2F19%2F3e62ef664caa97623c814ff823ba%2Fchiexweek-260919-24.jpg 1x,https://cst.brightspotcdn.com/dims4/default/28888d4/2147483647/strip/true/crop/6048x3394+0+319/resize/980x550!/format/webp/quality/90/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fchorus-production-cst-web.s3.us-east-1.amazonaws.com%2Fbrightspot%2F31%2F19%2F3e62ef664caa97623c814ff823ba%2Fchiexweek-260919-24.jpg 2x" loading="lazy" /> <source width="490" height="275" srcset="https://cst.brightspotcdn.com/dims4/default/dc08bf5/2147483647/strip/true/crop/6048x3394+0+319/resize/490x275!/quality/90/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fchorus-production-cst-web.s3.us-east-1.amazonaws.com%2Fbrightspot%2F31%2F19%2F3e62ef664caa97623c814ff823ba%2Fchiexweek-260919-24.jpg" loading="lazy" /> <img class="Image" alt="Visitors arrive at a multi-use building at 1700 W. Hubbard St., home of Volume Gallery, for Chicago Exhibition Week." srcset="https://cst.brightspotcdn.com/dims4/default/dc08bf5/2147483647/strip/true/crop/6048x3394+0+319/resize/490x275!/quality/90/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fchorus-production-cst-web.s3.us-east-1.amazonaws.com%2Fbrightspot%2F31%2F19%2F3e62ef664caa97623c814ff823ba%2Fchiexweek-260919-24.jpg 1x,https://cst.brightspotcdn.com/dims4/default/cfc5d9a/2147483647/strip/true/crop/6048x3394+0+319/resize/980x550!/quality/90/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fchorus-production-cst-web.s3.us-east-1.amazonaws.com%2Fbrightspot%2F31%2F19%2F3e62ef664caa97623c814ff823ba%2Fchiexweek-260919-24.jpg 2x" width="490" height="275" src="https://cst.brightspotcdn.com/dims4/default/dc08bf5/2147483647/strip/true/crop/6048x3394+0+319/resize/490x275!/quality/90/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fchorus-production-cst-web.s3.us-east-1.amazonaws.com%2Fbrightspot%2F31%2F19%2F3e62ef664caa97623c814ff823ba%2Fchiexweek-260919-24.jpg" loading="lazy" > </picture> <div class="Figure-content"><figcaption class="Figure-caption"><p>Visitors arrive at a multi-use building at 1700 W. Hubbard St., home of Volume Gallery, for Chicago Exhibition Week.</p></figcaption><span class="line"></span><div class="Figure-credit"><p>Victor Hilitski/For the Sun-Times</p></div></div> </figure> </div> </div><div class="Enhancement" data-align-center> <div class="Enhancement-item" data-crop=""> <figure class="Figure"><a class="AnchorLink" id="image-8d0000" name="image-8d0000"></a> <picture data-crop="medium"> <source type="image/webp" width="490" height="275" srcset="https://cst.brightspotcdn.com/dims4/default/d5b9e24/2147483647/strip/true/crop/6048x3394+0+319/resize/490x275!/format/webp/quality/90/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fchorus-production-cst-web.s3.us-east-1.amazonaws.com%2Fbrightspot%2Ff9%2F49%2F29c838d94f159cb46bef0e805864%2Fchiexweek-260919-27.jpg 1x,https://cst.brightspotcdn.com/dims4/default/158a82c/2147483647/strip/true/crop/6048x3394+0+319/resize/980x550!/format/webp/quality/90/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fchorus-production-cst-web.s3.us-east-1.amazonaws.com%2Fbrightspot%2Ff9%2F49%2F29c838d94f159cb46bef0e805864%2Fchiexweek-260919-27.jpg 2x" loading="lazy" /> <source width="490" height="275" srcset="https://cst.brightspotcdn.com/dims4/default/b45a763/2147483647/strip/true/crop/6048x3394+0+319/resize/490x275!/quality/90/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fchorus-production-cst-web.s3.us-east-1.amazonaws.com%2Fbrightspot%2Ff9%2F49%2F29c838d94f159cb46bef0e805864%2Fchiexweek-260919-27.jpg" loading="lazy" /> <img class="Image" alt="Art enthusiasts view textile paintings by Christy Matso at Volume Gallery during Chicago Exhibition Week." srcset="https://cst.brightspotcdn.com/dims4/default/b45a763/2147483647/strip/true/crop/6048x3394+0+319/resize/490x275!/quality/90/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fchorus-production-cst-web.s3.us-east-1.amazonaws.com%2Fbrightspot%2Ff9%2F49%2F29c838d94f159cb46bef0e805864%2Fchiexweek-260919-27.jpg 1x,https://cst.brightspotcdn.com/dims4/default/edacc18/2147483647/strip/true/crop/6048x3394+0+319/resize/980x550!/quality/90/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fchorus-production-cst-web.s3.us-east-1.amazonaws.com%2Fbrightspot%2Ff9%2F49%2F29c838d94f159cb46bef0e805864%2Fchiexweek-260919-27.jpg 2x" width="490" height="275" src="https://cst.brightspotcdn.com/dims4/default/b45a763/2147483647/strip/true/crop/6048x3394+0+319/resize/490x275!/quality/90/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fchorus-production-cst-web.s3.us-east-1.amazonaws.com%2Fbrightspot%2Ff9%2F49%2F29c838d94f159cb46bef0e805864%2Fchiexweek-260919-27.jpg" loading="lazy" > </picture> <div class="Figure-content"><figcaption class="Figure-caption"><p>Art enthusiasts view textile paintings by Christy Matso at Volume Gallery during Chicago Exhibition Week.</p></figcaption><span class="line"></span><div class="Figure-credit"><p>Victor Hilitski/For the Sun-Times</p></div></div> </figure> </div> </div><div class="Enhancement" data-align-center> <div class="Enhancement-item" data-crop=""> <figure class="Figure"><a class="AnchorLink" id="image-3b0000" name="image-3b0000"></a> <picture data-crop="medium"> <source type="image/webp" width="490" height="275" srcset="https://cst.brightspotcdn.com/dims4/default/0e051f7/2147483647/strip/true/crop/6048x3394+0+319/resize/490x275!/format/webp/quality/90/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fchorus-production-cst-web.s3.us-east-1.amazonaws.com%2Fbrightspot%2Fcd%2F3b%2Fa1d22fa34e8cb7eeae6e10597bfd%2Fchiexweek-260919-29.jpg 1x,https://cst.brightspotcdn.com/dims4/default/96cf310/2147483647/strip/true/crop/6048x3394+0+319/resize/980x550!/format/webp/quality/90/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fchorus-production-cst-web.s3.us-east-1.amazonaws.com%2Fbrightspot%2Fcd%2F3b%2Fa1d22fa34e8cb7eeae6e10597bfd%2Fchiexweek-260919-29.jpg 2x" loading="lazy" /> <source width="490" height="275" srcset="https://cst.brightspotcdn.com/dims4/default/a79a693/2147483647/strip/true/crop/6048x3394+0+319/resize/490x275!/quality/90/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fchorus-production-cst-web.s3.us-east-1.amazonaws.com%2Fbrightspot%2Fcd%2F3b%2Fa1d22fa34e8cb7eeae6e10597bfd%2Fchiexweek-260919-29.jpg" loading="lazy" /> <img class="Image" alt="Artist Clotilde Jiménez poses for a portrait in the back patio at Mariane Ibrahim Gallery during the Chicago Exhibition Week." srcset="https://cst.brightspotcdn.com/dims4/default/a79a693/2147483647/strip/true/crop/6048x3394+0+319/resize/490x275!/quality/90/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fchorus-production-cst-web.s3.us-east-1.amazonaws.com%2Fbrightspot%2Fcd%2F3b%2Fa1d22fa34e8cb7eeae6e10597bfd%2Fchiexweek-260919-29.jpg 1x,https://cst.brightspotcdn.com/dims4/default/0d4eebc/2147483647/strip/true/crop/6048x3394+0+319/resize/980x550!/quality/90/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fchorus-production-cst-web.s3.us-east-1.amazonaws.com%2Fbrightspot%2Fcd%2F3b%2Fa1d22fa34e8cb7eeae6e10597bfd%2Fchiexweek-260919-29.jpg 2x" width="490" height="275" src="https://cst.brightspotcdn.com/dims4/default/a79a693/2147483647/strip/true/crop/6048x3394+0+319/resize/490x275!/quality/90/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fchorus-production-cst-web.s3.us-east-1.amazonaws.com%2Fbrightspot%2Fcd%2F3b%2Fa1d22fa34e8cb7eeae6e10597bfd%2Fchiexweek-260919-29.jpg" loading="lazy" > </picture> <div class="Figure-content"><figcaption class="Figure-caption"><p>Artist Clotilde Jiménez poses for a portrait in the back patio at Mariane Ibrahim Gallery during the Chicago Exhibition Week.</p></figcaption><span class="line"></span><div class="Figure-credit"><p>Victor Hilitski/For the Sun-Times</p></div></div> </figure> </div> </div><div class="Enhancement" data-align-center> <div class="Enhancement-item" data-crop=""> <figure class="Figure"><a class="AnchorLink" id="image-ed0000" name="image-ed0000"></a> <picture data-crop="medium"> <source type="image/webp" width="490" height="275" srcset="https://cst.brightspotcdn.com/dims4/default/c976f73/2147483647/strip/true/crop/5191x2913+0+275/resize/490x275!/format/webp/quality/90/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fchorus-production-cst-web.s3.us-east-1.amazonaws.com%2Fbrightspot%2F68%2F19%2Fc86155bd471bb056463a81caf080%2Fchiexweek-260919-12.jpg 1x,https://cst.brightspotcdn.com/dims4/default/49117de/2147483647/strip/true/crop/5191x2913+0+275/resize/980x550!/format/webp/quality/90/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fchorus-production-cst-web.s3.us-east-1.amazonaws.com%2Fbrightspot%2F68%2F19%2Fc86155bd471bb056463a81caf080%2Fchiexweek-260919-12.jpg 2x" loading="lazy" /> <source width="490" height="275" srcset="https://cst.brightspotcdn.com/dims4/default/f8bf349/2147483647/strip/true/crop/5191x2913+0+275/resize/490x275!/quality/90/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fchorus-production-cst-web.s3.us-east-1.amazonaws.com%2Fbrightspot%2F68%2F19%2Fc86155bd471bb056463a81caf080%2Fchiexweek-260919-12.jpg" loading="lazy" /> <img class="Image" alt="A Chicago Exhibition Week attendee points to a location on an interactive map printed for Thursday night's gallery crawls." srcset="https://cst.brightspotcdn.com/dims4/default/f8bf349/2147483647/strip/true/crop/5191x2913+0+275/resize/490x275!/quality/90/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fchorus-production-cst-web.s3.us-east-1.amazonaws.com%2Fbrightspot%2F68%2F19%2Fc86155bd471bb056463a81caf080%2Fchiexweek-260919-12.jpg 1x,https://cst.brightspotcdn.com/dims4/default/7a3205c/2147483647/strip/true/crop/5191x2913+0+275/resize/980x550!/quality/90/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fchorus-production-cst-web.s3.us-east-1.amazonaws.com%2Fbrightspot%2F68%2F19%2Fc86155bd471bb056463a81caf080%2Fchiexweek-260919-12.jpg 2x" width="490" height="275" src="https://cst.brightspotcdn.com/dims4/default/f8bf349/2147483647/strip/true/crop/5191x2913+0+275/resize/490x275!/quality/90/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fchorus-production-cst-web.s3.us-east-1.amazonaws.com%2Fbrightspot%2F68%2F19%2Fc86155bd471bb056463a81caf080%2Fchiexweek-260919-12.jpg" loading="lazy" > </picture> <div class="Figure-content"><figcaption class="Figure-caption"><p>A Chicago Exhibition Week attendee points to a location on an interactive map printed for Thursday night’s gallery crawls.</p></figcaption><span class="line"></span><div class="Figure-credit"><p>Victor Hilitski/For the Sun-Times</p></div></div> </figure> </div> </div><div class="Enhancement" data-align-center> <div class="Enhancement-item" data-crop=""> <figure class="Figure"><a class="AnchorLink" id="image-290000" name="image-290000"></a> <picture data-crop="medium"> <source type="image/webp" width="490" height="275" srcset="https://cst.brightspotcdn.com/dims4/default/a2784d9/2147483647/strip/true/crop/6048x3394+0+319/resize/490x275!/format/webp/quality/90/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fchorus-production-cst-web.s3.us-east-1.amazonaws.com%2Fbrightspot%2F78%2F47%2F3b0e2e1d47beac9f8c4630f64839%2Fchiexweek-260919-9.jpg 1x,https://cst.brightspotcdn.com/dims4/default/6e70bca/2147483647/strip/true/crop/6048x3394+0+319/resize/980x550!/format/webp/quality/90/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fchorus-production-cst-web.s3.us-east-1.amazonaws.com%2Fbrightspot%2F78%2F47%2F3b0e2e1d47beac9f8c4630f64839%2Fchiexweek-260919-9.jpg 2x" loading="lazy" /> <source width="490" height="275" srcset="https://cst.brightspotcdn.com/dims4/default/8ce1d7e/2147483647/strip/true/crop/6048x3394+0+319/resize/490x275!/quality/90/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fchorus-production-cst-web.s3.us-east-1.amazonaws.com%2Fbrightspot%2F78%2F47%2F3b0e2e1d47beac9f8c4630f64839%2Fchiexweek-260919-9.jpg" loading="lazy" /> <img class="Image" alt="Slovakian artist Alexandra Barth (center) speaks with visitors during the opening reception for her exhibition, "The Awnings," at DOCUMENT during Chicago Exhibition Week." srcset="https://cst.brightspotcdn.com/dims4/default/8ce1d7e/2147483647/strip/true/crop/6048x3394+0+319/resize/490x275!/quality/90/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fchorus-production-cst-web.s3.us-east-1.amazonaws.com%2Fbrightspot%2F78%2F47%2F3b0e2e1d47beac9f8c4630f64839%2Fchiexweek-260919-9.jpg 1x,https://cst.brightspotcdn.com/dims4/default/58226c4/2147483647/strip/true/crop/6048x3394+0+319/resize/980x550!/quality/90/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fchorus-production-cst-web.s3.us-east-1.amazonaws.com%2Fbrightspot%2F78%2F47%2F3b0e2e1d47beac9f8c4630f64839%2Fchiexweek-260919-9.jpg 2x" width="490" height="275" src="https://cst.brightspotcdn.com/dims4/default/8ce1d7e/2147483647/strip/true/crop/6048x3394+0+319/resize/490x275!/quality/90/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fchorus-production-cst-web.s3.us-east-1.amazonaws.com%2Fbrightspot%2F78%2F47%2F3b0e2e1d47beac9f8c4630f64839%2Fchiexweek-260919-9.jpg" loading="lazy" > </picture> <div class="Figure-content"><figcaption class="Figure-caption"><p>Slovakian artist Alexandra Barth (center) speaks with visitors during the opening reception for her exhibition “The Awnings” at DOCUMENT during Chicago Exhibition Week.</p></figcaption><span class="line"></span><div class="Figure-credit"><p>Victor Hilitski/For the Sun-Times</p></div></div> </figure> </div> </div><div class="Enhancement" data-align-center> <div class="Enhancement-item" data-crop=""> <figure class="Figure"><a class="AnchorLink" id="image-5d0000" name="image-5d0000"></a> <picture data-crop="medium"> <source type="image/webp" width="490" height="275" srcset="https://cst.brightspotcdn.com/dims4/default/d9136de/2147483647/strip/true/crop/6048x3394+0+319/resize/490x275!/format/webp/quality/90/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fchorus-production-cst-web.s3.us-east-1.amazonaws.com%2Fbrightspot%2F93%2Ff7%2Ff18aed21476ebf804103942a4057%2Fchiexweek-260919-6.jpg 1x,https://cst.brightspotcdn.com/dims4/default/92ef246/2147483647/strip/true/crop/6048x3394+0+319/resize/980x550!/format/webp/quality/90/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fchorus-production-cst-web.s3.us-east-1.amazonaws.com%2Fbrightspot%2F93%2Ff7%2Ff18aed21476ebf804103942a4057%2Fchiexweek-260919-6.jpg 2x" loading="lazy" /> <source width="490" height="275" srcset="https://cst.brightspotcdn.com/dims4/default/e0c7354/2147483647/strip/true/crop/6048x3394+0+319/resize/490x275!/quality/90/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fchorus-production-cst-web.s3.us-east-1.amazonaws.com%2Fbrightspot%2F93%2Ff7%2Ff18aed21476ebf804103942a4057%2Fchiexweek-260919-6.jpg" loading="lazy" /> <img class="Image" alt="Visitors view sculptures and installations by Olivia Zubko at Western Exhibitions during Chicago Exhibition Week." srcset="https://cst.brightspotcdn.com/dims4/default/e0c7354/2147483647/strip/true/crop/6048x3394+0+319/resize/490x275!/quality/90/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fchorus-production-cst-web.s3.us-east-1.amazonaws.com%2Fbrightspot%2F93%2Ff7%2Ff18aed21476ebf804103942a4057%2Fchiexweek-260919-6.jpg 1x,https://cst.brightspotcdn.com/dims4/default/b3a27bd/2147483647/strip/true/crop/6048x3394+0+319/resize/980x550!/quality/90/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fchorus-production-cst-web.s3.us-east-1.amazonaws.com%2Fbrightspot%2F93%2Ff7%2Ff18aed21476ebf804103942a4057%2Fchiexweek-260919-6.jpg 2x" width="490" height="275" src="https://cst.brightspotcdn.com/dims4/default/e0c7354/2147483647/strip/true/crop/6048x3394+0+319/resize/490x275!/quality/90/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fchorus-production-cst-web.s3.us-east-1.amazonaws.com%2Fbrightspot%2F93%2Ff7%2Ff18aed21476ebf804103942a4057%2Fchiexweek-260919-6.jpg" loading="lazy" > </picture> <div class="Figure-content"><figcaption class="Figure-caption"><p>Visitors view sculptures and installations by Olivia Zubko at Western Exhibitions during Chicago Exhibition Week.</p></figcaption><span class="line"></span><div class="Figure-credit"><p>Victor Hilitski/For the Sun-Times</p></div></div> </figure> </div> </div><div class="Enhancement" data-align-center> <div class="Enhancement-item" data-crop=""> <figure class="Figure"><a class="AnchorLink" id="image-410000" name="image-410000"></a> <picture data-crop="medium"> <source type="image/webp" width="490" height="275" srcset="https://cst.brightspotcdn.com/dims4/default/fdde12f/2147483647/strip/true/crop/5873x3296+0+310/resize/490x275!/format/webp/quality/90/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fchorus-production-cst-web.s3.us-east-1.amazonaws.com%2Fbrightspot%2F79%2F72%2F8af7151c4eb6900f30982f640c51%2Fchiexweek-260919-28.jpg 1x,https://cst.brightspotcdn.com/dims4/default/b0fdd3f/2147483647/strip/true/crop/5873x3296+0+310/resize/980x550!/format/webp/quality/90/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fchorus-production-cst-web.s3.us-east-1.amazonaws.com%2Fbrightspot%2F79%2F72%2F8af7151c4eb6900f30982f640c51%2Fchiexweek-260919-28.jpg 2x" loading="lazy" /> <source width="490" height="275" srcset="https://cst.brightspotcdn.com/dims4/default/a242958/2147483647/strip/true/crop/5873x3296+0+310/resize/490x275!/quality/90/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fchorus-production-cst-web.s3.us-east-1.amazonaws.com%2Fbrightspot%2F79%2F72%2F8af7151c4eb6900f30982f640c51%2Fchiexweek-260919-28.jpg" loading="lazy" /> <img class="Image" alt="Ceramic table lamps and wall works by artist Arina Erdélyi are displayed for her exhibition, "Arrangements," during Chicago Exhibition Week at Volume Gallery." srcset="https://cst.brightspotcdn.com/dims4/default/a242958/2147483647/strip/true/crop/5873x3296+0+310/resize/490x275!/quality/90/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fchorus-production-cst-web.s3.us-east-1.amazonaws.com%2Fbrightspot%2F79%2F72%2F8af7151c4eb6900f30982f640c51%2Fchiexweek-260919-28.jpg 1x,https://cst.brightspotcdn.com/dims4/default/56f308a/2147483647/strip/true/crop/5873x3296+0+310/resize/980x550!/quality/90/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fchorus-production-cst-web.s3.us-east-1.amazonaws.com%2Fbrightspot%2F79%2F72%2F8af7151c4eb6900f30982f640c51%2Fchiexweek-260919-28.jpg 2x" width="490" height="275" src="https://cst.brightspotcdn.com/dims4/default/a242958/2147483647/strip/true/crop/5873x3296+0+310/resize/490x275!/quality/90/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fchorus-production-cst-web.s3.us-east-1.amazonaws.com%2Fbrightspot%2F79%2F72%2F8af7151c4eb6900f30982f640c51%2Fchiexweek-260919-28.jpg" loading="lazy" > </picture> <div class="Figure-content"><figcaption class="Figure-caption"><p>Ceramic table lamps and wall works by artist Arina Erdélyi are displayed for her exhibition, “Arrangements,” during Chicago Exhibition Week at Volume Gallery.</p></figcaption><span class="line"></span><div class="Figure-credit"><p>Victor Hilitski/For the Sun-Times</p></div></div> </figure> </div> </div><div class="Enhancement" data-align-center> <div class="Enhancement-item" data-crop=""> <figure class="Figure"><a class="AnchorLink" id="image-270000" name="image-270000"></a> <picture data-crop="medium"> <source type="image/webp" width="490" height="275" srcset="https://cst.brightspotcdn.com/dims4/default/8aa57cc/2147483647/strip/true/crop/5900x3311+0+312/resize/490x275!/format/webp/quality/90/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fchorus-production-cst-web.s3.us-east-1.amazonaws.com%2Fbrightspot%2F3e%2F47%2F76ce18f749e5984277052843b138%2Fchiexweek-260919-8-1.jpg 1x,https://cst.brightspotcdn.com/dims4/default/ee20279/2147483647/strip/true/crop/5900x3311+0+312/resize/980x550!/format/webp/quality/90/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fchorus-production-cst-web.s3.us-east-1.amazonaws.com%2Fbrightspot%2F3e%2F47%2F76ce18f749e5984277052843b138%2Fchiexweek-260919-8-1.jpg 2x" loading="lazy" /> <source width="490" height="275" srcset="https://cst.brightspotcdn.com/dims4/default/d5510b5/2147483647/strip/true/crop/5900x3311+0+312/resize/490x275!/quality/90/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fchorus-production-cst-web.s3.us-east-1.amazonaws.com%2Fbrightspot%2F3e%2F47%2F76ce18f749e5984277052843b138%2Fchiexweek-260919-8-1.jpg" loading="lazy" /> <img class="Image" alt="Visitors view black-and-white photography from artist Nolis Anderson’s exhibition, "No Such Thing," at Elise Seigenthaler Gallery during Chicago Exhibition Week." srcset="https://cst.brightspotcdn.com/dims4/default/d5510b5/2147483647/strip/true/crop/5900x3311+0+312/resize/490x275!/quality/90/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fchorus-production-cst-web.s3.us-east-1.amazonaws.com%2Fbrightspot%2F3e%2F47%2F76ce18f749e5984277052843b138%2Fchiexweek-260919-8-1.jpg 1x,https://cst.brightspotcdn.com/dims4/default/85eea43/2147483647/strip/true/crop/5900x3311+0+312/resize/980x550!/quality/90/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fchorus-production-cst-web.s3.us-east-1.amazonaws.com%2Fbrightspot%2F3e%2F47%2F76ce18f749e5984277052843b138%2Fchiexweek-260919-8-1.jpg 2x" width="490" height="275" src="https://cst.brightspotcdn.com/dims4/default/d5510b5/2147483647/strip/true/crop/5900x3311+0+312/resize/490x275!/quality/90/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fchorus-production-cst-web.s3.us-east-1.amazonaws.com%2Fbrightspot%2F3e%2F47%2F76ce18f749e5984277052843b138%2Fchiexweek-260919-8-1.jpg" loading="lazy" > </picture> <div class="Figure-content"><figcaption class="Figure-caption"><p>Visitors view black-and-white photography from artist Nolis Anderson’s exhibition, “No Such Thing,” at Elise Seigenthaler Gallery during Chicago Exhibition Week.</p></figcaption><span class="line"></span><div class="Figure-credit"><p>Victor Hilitski/For the Sun-Times</p></div></div> </figure> </div> </div><div class="RichTextSidebarModule Enhancement" data-module data-align-center><a class="AnchorLink" id="module-d20000" name="module-d20000"></a> <div class="RichTextModule-items RichTextBody"><h3><b>Your guide to fall culture in Chicago </b></h3><ul class="rte2-style-ul" id="rte-f6c56c02-ac5f-11f1-988e-bd5e5ce8e98f"><li>The next big thing is happening on Chicago’s small stages. <a class="Link" href="https://www.wbez.org/things-to-do/2026/09/04/theater-to-see-chicago-fall-storefront-tickets-new-plays-musicals" target="_blank" ><u>Here are 10 plays and musicals</u></a> not to miss this theater season.</li><li>The ultimate guide to <a class="Link" href="https://www.wbez.org/movies-tv/2026/09/10/chicago-fall-film-festivals-events-things-to-do-movies-ciff-cuff-reeling" target="_blank" ><u>Chicago’s fall film festivals</u></a>, from Oscar contenders to local standouts</li><li>Evanston’s $32 million <a class="Link" href="https://www.wbez.org/theater-stages/2026/09/03/evanston-northlight-theater-chicago-suburbs-arts-annex" target="_blank" ><u>new Northlight Theatre</u></a> wasn’t built for big crowds. It’s built for new plays.</li><li><a class="Link" href="https://www.wbez.org/arts/2026/09/08/mary-cassatt-after-impressionism-art-institute-chicago-paintings-impressionist-mural-worlds-fair-1893" target="_blank" ><u>“Mary Cassatt: After Impressionism”</u></a> is the Art Institute’s first deep-dive into Cassatt in more than 25 years and explores some of her historical Chicago ties.</li><li>There’s action in Chicago’s art galleries. Here are <a class="Link" href="https://chicago.suntimes.com/art/2026/09/14/art-gallery-guide-chicago-exhibition-week-galleries-west-loop-contemporary" >10 shows not to miss</a></li></ul></div> </div><p></p>

wbez.org

Evanston-Skokie parents fear impact as district looks to cut $20 million, close 2 schools

<p>Parents in Evanston/Skokie School District 65 say they feel a growing sense of fear and resignation over the district’s dire financial situation after officials announced plans this week to cut $20 million from the budget and close at least two of 16 schools.</p><p>For years, the district has had a structural deficit, with expenses outpacing revenue. Officials said the district is also dealing with declining enrollment, lost revenue and rising costs — all of which have contributed to ongoing financial challenges.</p><p>The announcement comes after last year’s prolonged debate over school closures that ultimately led to the <a class="Link" href="https://evanstonroundtable.com/2026/06/05/kingsley-elementary-school-closed/" target="_blank" >closure of Kingsley Elementary School</a> and a $6 million cut in operational expenses. In 2024, the school board voted to close the Dr. Bessie Rhodes School of Global Studies, <a class="Link" href="https://evanstonroundtable.com/2026/06/05/bessie-rhodes-closed-last-day/" target="_blank" >which shuttered in June</a>.</p><div class="Enhancement" data-align-center> <div class="Enhancement-item" data-crop=""> <figure class="Figure"><a class="AnchorLink" id="image-bf0000" name="image-bf0000"></a> <picture data-crop="medium"> <source type="image/webp" width="490" height="275" srcset="https://cst.brightspotcdn.com/dims4/default/25e796b/2147483647/strip/true/crop/6602x3705+0+0/resize/490x275!/format/webp/quality/90/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fchorus-production-cst-web.s3.us-east-1.amazonaws.com%2Fbrightspot%2Fb1%2Fe7%2F2842907f412dbb7497aacb0cd178%2Fevanstonschools-260919-5.jpg 1x,https://cst.brightspotcdn.com/dims4/default/5528788/2147483647/strip/true/crop/6602x3705+0+0/resize/980x550!/format/webp/quality/90/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fchorus-production-cst-web.s3.us-east-1.amazonaws.com%2Fbrightspot%2Fb1%2Fe7%2F2842907f412dbb7497aacb0cd178%2Fevanstonschools-260919-5.jpg 2x" loading="lazy" /> <source width="490" height="275" srcset="https://cst.brightspotcdn.com/dims4/default/3da808e/2147483647/strip/true/crop/6602x3705+0+0/resize/490x275!/quality/90/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fchorus-production-cst-web.s3.us-east-1.amazonaws.com%2Fbrightspot%2Fb1%2Fe7%2F2842907f412dbb7497aacb0cd178%2Fevanstonschools-260919-5.jpg" loading="lazy" /> <img class="Image" alt="The former Kingsley Elementary School in Evanston." srcset="https://cst.brightspotcdn.com/dims4/default/3da808e/2147483647/strip/true/crop/6602x3705+0+0/resize/490x275!/quality/90/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fchorus-production-cst-web.s3.us-east-1.amazonaws.com%2Fbrightspot%2Fb1%2Fe7%2F2842907f412dbb7497aacb0cd178%2Fevanstonschools-260919-5.jpg 1x,https://cst.brightspotcdn.com/dims4/default/809cc45/2147483647/strip/true/crop/6602x3705+0+0/resize/980x550!/quality/90/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fchorus-production-cst-web.s3.us-east-1.amazonaws.com%2Fbrightspot%2Fb1%2Fe7%2F2842907f412dbb7497aacb0cd178%2Fevanstonschools-260919-5.jpg 2x" width="490" height="275" src="https://cst.brightspotcdn.com/dims4/default/3da808e/2147483647/strip/true/crop/6602x3705+0+0/resize/490x275!/quality/90/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fchorus-production-cst-web.s3.us-east-1.amazonaws.com%2Fbrightspot%2Fb1%2Fe7%2F2842907f412dbb7497aacb0cd178%2Fevanstonschools-260919-5.jpg" loading="lazy" > </picture> <div class="Figure-content"><figcaption class="Figure-caption"><p>Evanston/Skokie School District 65 closed Kingsley Elementary School at the end of the 2025-26 school year.</p></figcaption><span class="line"></span><div class="Figure-credit"><p>Pat Nabong/Sun-Times</p></div></div> </figure> </div> </div><p>Last year, parents and community members expressed outrage over the proposed cuts and pushed the school board to scale them back. Their efforts helped prevent Lincolnwood Elementary from closing. Now, they find themselves back in a similar situation.</p><p>“I think parents are worn out from last year's fight, and perhaps there's not so much fight left,” said parent Erika Crowther “They feel a little bit resigned to the decision that’s going to be made, and I think that folks are a bit burned out.”</p><p>At a school board meeting Monday, interim Supt. Eric Witherspoon said incremental cuts won’t fix the problem and it’s time to “break the cycle” of deficits.</p><p>“We can end this annual crisis situation, and we can actually have real stability, and more future planning in this district,” Witherspoon said.</p><p>Officials said the district serves about 5,900 students, a 16% decline in enrollment over the last five years. The district is at about 66% capacity, meaning there is room for around 3,000 more students. But officials say staffing levels have not declined at the same pace.</p><p>To close the budget gap, officials plan to cut $20 million from the district’s budget — about 11% — and close more schools by the 2028 school year. The plan includes examining “non-mandated” programs, adjusting staffing ratios and pay, and pursuing more revenue sources.</p><p>Witherspoon said the district will release details Oct. 13 on how it plans to make those cuts.</p><p>Many of the district’s current challenges were expected, but parents say a lack of community trust made it difficult for district officials to address them.</p><p>“Hope is not a strategy, and that sort of feels like what we've been trying to do,” said Kelly Farley, a parent and member of the district’s finance committee. “Now we're all paying for it, and it's going to really affect our students.”</p><div class="Enhancement" data-align-center> <div class="Enhancement-item" data-crop=""> <figure class="Figure"><a class="AnchorLink" id="image-c90000" name="image-c90000"></a> <picture data-crop="medium"> <source type="image/webp" width="490" height="275" srcset="https://cst.brightspotcdn.com/dims4/default/0273248/2147483647/strip/true/crop/5599x3142+0+330/resize/490x275!/format/webp/quality/90/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fchorus-production-cst-web.s3.us-east-1.amazonaws.com%2Fbrightspot%2Ffb%2F8a%2F01a06dab45da96ce2d7befe8abe6%2Fevanstonschools-260919-9.jpg 1x,https://cst.brightspotcdn.com/dims4/default/fb35798/2147483647/strip/true/crop/5599x3142+0+330/resize/980x550!/format/webp/quality/90/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fchorus-production-cst-web.s3.us-east-1.amazonaws.com%2Fbrightspot%2Ffb%2F8a%2F01a06dab45da96ce2d7befe8abe6%2Fevanstonschools-260919-9.jpg 2x" loading="lazy" /> <source width="490" height="275" srcset="https://cst.brightspotcdn.com/dims4/default/5a3dfe9/2147483647/strip/true/crop/5599x3142+0+330/resize/490x275!/quality/90/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fchorus-production-cst-web.s3.us-east-1.amazonaws.com%2Fbrightspot%2Ffb%2F8a%2F01a06dab45da96ce2d7befe8abe6%2Fevanstonschools-260919-9.jpg" loading="lazy" /> <img class="Image" alt="Lincolnwood Elementary School in Evanston." srcset="https://cst.brightspotcdn.com/dims4/default/5a3dfe9/2147483647/strip/true/crop/5599x3142+0+330/resize/490x275!/quality/90/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fchorus-production-cst-web.s3.us-east-1.amazonaws.com%2Fbrightspot%2Ffb%2F8a%2F01a06dab45da96ce2d7befe8abe6%2Fevanstonschools-260919-9.jpg 1x,https://cst.brightspotcdn.com/dims4/default/d573187/2147483647/strip/true/crop/5599x3142+0+330/resize/980x550!/quality/90/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fchorus-production-cst-web.s3.us-east-1.amazonaws.com%2Fbrightspot%2Ffb%2F8a%2F01a06dab45da96ce2d7befe8abe6%2Fevanstonschools-260919-9.jpg 2x" width="490" height="275" src="https://cst.brightspotcdn.com/dims4/default/5a3dfe9/2147483647/strip/true/crop/5599x3142+0+330/resize/490x275!/quality/90/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fchorus-production-cst-web.s3.us-east-1.amazonaws.com%2Fbrightspot%2Ffb%2F8a%2F01a06dab45da96ce2d7befe8abe6%2Fevanstonschools-260919-9.jpg" loading="lazy" > </picture> <div class="Figure-content"><figcaption class="Figure-caption"><p>District 65 considered, but decided not to close Lincolnwood Elementary School in Evanston last year. Now the district plans to close at least two schools, but has yet to announce which ones are under consideration.</p></figcaption><span class="line"></span><div class="Figure-credit"><p>Pat Nabong/Sun-Times</p></div></div> </figure> </div> </div><p>Parents and community members are also concerned that school closures and programming cuts could disproportionately affect families in marginalized communities or students enrolled in specialized programs.</p><p>“I think that the administration has used equity as an argument when it benefits them, and then they tend to ignore it when it's not convenient,” said Crowther.</p><p>District 65 did not respond to an email seeking comment.</p><p>But some parents say they hope the changes will lead to a more stable future and positive outcomes for all students.</p><p>“I really hope that we as a community can align and come to agreement on the reality of what our situation is,” said Farley, who is also a member of the community coalition Thrive65. “Then come together and support each other, and figure out how to move forward in a way that doesn’t pit schools against each other. Instead, we think about it holistically and about what we can do to make this district amazing.”</p><p>Farley and others are working to keep families informed about how the proposed changes could affect their children.</p><p>Thrive65 is holding an <a class="Link" href="https://wethrive65.org/" target="_blank" >informational meeting Sunday</a> to explain the announcement and share opportunities for parents and community members to get involved.</p><p>The district <a class="Link" href="https://www.district65.net/post-details/~board/evanstonskokie/post/community-meetings-a-sustainable-path-forward" target="_blank" >is also hosting community meetings</a> next week to explain the decision to families, staff and residents.</p>

wbez.org

Violet Grohl, the Paradox kick off a Riot Fest 2026 that sees 5 a.m. lines for headliners Twenty One Pilots

<p>Riot Fest 2026 kicked off Friday in Chicago's Douglass Park with a big cross-generational mix, featuring flagship bands of elder Gen X and younger groups beloved by Gen Z fighting for prime time spots.</p><p>Even for the independent festival, <a class="Link" href="https://chicago.suntimes.com/music/2026/05/28/tool-twenty-one-pilots-pierce-the-veil-alanis-morissette-morrissey-riot-fest-lineup" >this year’s lineup</a> offered an interesting assortment — which is saying something. This year, Riot Fest is the only place you’ll see <a class="Link" href="https://chicago.suntimes.com/books/2026/03/10/patti-smith-memoir-bread-of-angels-jeff-tweedy-interview-chicago" >Patti Smith</a> and Insane Clown Posse in the same weekend. Friday's lineup featured punk legend Iggy Pop up against the night’s ultimate headliners, Twenty One Pilots. The latter’s Skeleton Clique fans were seen lining up as early as 5 a.m., many of them admittedly first-timers to the annual end-of-summer fest.</p><p>Organizers of Riot Fest prepared for this, with a <a class="Link" href="https://riotfest.org/first-timers-guide/" target="_blank" >“first-timers guide”</a> on its website, laying out the proverbial welcome mat for the newbies who were anticipated to make up a good portion of the estimated 50,000 attendees each day.</p><div class="Enhancement" data-align-center> <div class="Enhancement-item" data-crop=""> <figure class="Figure"><a class="AnchorLink" id="image-430000" name="image-430000"></a> <picture data-crop="medium"> <source type="image/webp" width="490" height="275" srcset="https://cst.brightspotcdn.com/dims4/default/8bd93a7/2147483647/strip/true/crop/8192x4598+0+433/resize/490x275!/format/webp/quality/90/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fchorus-production-cst-web.s3.us-east-1.amazonaws.com%2Fbrightspot%2Fd2%2Fd4%2F1383c5894f638f979f4580d95b8a%2F186a7162.jpg 1x,https://cst.brightspotcdn.com/dims4/default/df1c14b/2147483647/strip/true/crop/8192x4598+0+433/resize/980x550!/format/webp/quality/90/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fchorus-production-cst-web.s3.us-east-1.amazonaws.com%2Fbrightspot%2Fd2%2Fd4%2F1383c5894f638f979f4580d95b8a%2F186a7162.jpg 2x" loading="lazy" /> <source width="490" height="275" srcset="https://cst.brightspotcdn.com/dims4/default/9aacf5b/2147483647/strip/true/crop/8192x4598+0+433/resize/490x275!/quality/90/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fchorus-production-cst-web.s3.us-east-1.amazonaws.com%2Fbrightspot%2Fd2%2Fd4%2F1383c5894f638f979f4580d95b8a%2F186a7162.jpg" loading="lazy" /> <img class="Image" alt="186A7162.jpg" srcset="https://cst.brightspotcdn.com/dims4/default/9aacf5b/2147483647/strip/true/crop/8192x4598+0+433/resize/490x275!/quality/90/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fchorus-production-cst-web.s3.us-east-1.amazonaws.com%2Fbrightspot%2Fd2%2Fd4%2F1383c5894f638f979f4580d95b8a%2F186a7162.jpg 1x,https://cst.brightspotcdn.com/dims4/default/121ce7a/2147483647/strip/true/crop/8192x4598+0+433/resize/980x550!/quality/90/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fchorus-production-cst-web.s3.us-east-1.amazonaws.com%2Fbrightspot%2Fd2%2Fd4%2F1383c5894f638f979f4580d95b8a%2F186a7162.jpg 2x" width="490" height="275" src="https://cst.brightspotcdn.com/dims4/default/9aacf5b/2147483647/strip/true/crop/8192x4598+0+433/resize/490x275!/quality/90/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fchorus-production-cst-web.s3.us-east-1.amazonaws.com%2Fbrightspot%2Fd2%2Fd4%2F1383c5894f638f979f4580d95b8a%2F186a7162.jpg" loading="lazy" > </picture> <div class="Figure-content"><figcaption class="Figure-caption"><p>Riot Fest opened Friday in Douglass Park with some fans lining up at 5 a.m. </p></figcaption><span class="line"></span><div class="Figure-credit"><p>Anthony Vazquez/Sun-Times <br></p></div></div> </figure> </div> </div><div class="Enhancement" data-align-center> <div class="Enhancement-item" data-crop=""> <figure class="Figure"><a class="AnchorLink" id="image-bb0000" name="image-bb0000"></a> <picture data-crop="medium"> <source type="image/webp" width="490" height="275" srcset="https://cst.brightspotcdn.com/dims4/default/a4a5828/2147483647/strip/true/crop/8192x4598+0+433/resize/490x275!/format/webp/quality/90/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fchorus-production-cst-web.s3.us-east-1.amazonaws.com%2Fbrightspot%2Fb6%2Fbc%2F29ad79e04476ab159d4f12c81ade%2F561a7505.jpg 1x,https://cst.brightspotcdn.com/dims4/default/06383e7/2147483647/strip/true/crop/8192x4598+0+433/resize/980x550!/format/webp/quality/90/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fchorus-production-cst-web.s3.us-east-1.amazonaws.com%2Fbrightspot%2Fb6%2Fbc%2F29ad79e04476ab159d4f12c81ade%2F561a7505.jpg 2x" loading="lazy" /> <source width="490" height="275" srcset="https://cst.brightspotcdn.com/dims4/default/297202e/2147483647/strip/true/crop/8192x4598+0+433/resize/490x275!/quality/90/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fchorus-production-cst-web.s3.us-east-1.amazonaws.com%2Fbrightspot%2Fb6%2Fbc%2F29ad79e04476ab159d4f12c81ade%2F561a7505.jpg" loading="lazy" /> <img class="Image" alt="561A7505.jpg" srcset="https://cst.brightspotcdn.com/dims4/default/297202e/2147483647/strip/true/crop/8192x4598+0+433/resize/490x275!/quality/90/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fchorus-production-cst-web.s3.us-east-1.amazonaws.com%2Fbrightspot%2Fb6%2Fbc%2F29ad79e04476ab159d4f12c81ade%2F561a7505.jpg 1x,https://cst.brightspotcdn.com/dims4/default/c28f253/2147483647/strip/true/crop/8192x4598+0+433/resize/980x550!/quality/90/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fchorus-production-cst-web.s3.us-east-1.amazonaws.com%2Fbrightspot%2Fb6%2Fbc%2F29ad79e04476ab159d4f12c81ade%2F561a7505.jpg 2x" width="490" height="275" src="https://cst.brightspotcdn.com/dims4/default/297202e/2147483647/strip/true/crop/8192x4598+0+433/resize/490x275!/quality/90/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fchorus-production-cst-web.s3.us-east-1.amazonaws.com%2Fbrightspot%2Fb6%2Fbc%2F29ad79e04476ab159d4f12c81ade%2F561a7505.jpg" loading="lazy" > </picture> <div class="Figure-content"><figcaption class="Figure-caption"><p>Organizers prepared for a crowd of first-time fest goers this year with a special guide on its website. </p></figcaption><span class="line"></span><div class="Figure-credit"><p>Anthony Vazquez/Sun-Times <br></p></div></div> </figure> </div> </div><p>Some of the big draws were expected to be Violet Grohl (daughter of Riot Fest veteran <a class="Link" href="https://chicago.suntimes.com/2023/9/16/23876333/foo-fighters-nostalgic-atmosphere-at-riot-fest-2023" >Dave Grohl</a>) who brings a well-informed mix of ‘90s alternative lore as well as the Sex Pistols, who could stage a reunion with original singer Johnny Rotten ahead of his band Public Image Ltd. appearing Saturday.</p><p>Planned, too, was a solid showing of Chicago punk elites on Day 1 with sets from Alkaline Trio and <a class="Link" href="https://chicago.suntimes.com/music/2025/08/26/rise-against-chicago-punk-tour-album-ricochet-interview" >Rise Against.</a> Another local highlight will be beloved WGN weatherman Tom Skilling coming out of retirement to deliver live forecasts both Friday and Saturday night, ahead of some predicted heavy storms and rainfall the rest of the weekend.</p><p>With weather a potential factor in weekend activities, Riot Fest organizers encouraged fans to download the official Riot Fest app for up-to-the-minute updates. A spokesperson said the festival had identified the nearby Cinespace as a safe zone if the festival needs to evacuate due to weather. </p><p>Speaking to the crowd Friday as part of "live weather reports," former WGN weatherman Tom Skilling tried to keep spirits high for anyone who has seen actual forecasts for the weekend. “I am going to try to keep the rain away but I can’t control it. It’ll probably rain later tonight and tomorrow morning," Skilling said. "But who cares? We’ll deal with it. It’s Chicago.”</p><p></p><p>Read on for reviews of some of Friday's standout sets.</p><h3><b>VIOLET GROHL</b> </h3><div class="Enhancement" data-align-center> <div class="Enhancement-item" data-crop=""> <figure class="Figure"><a class="AnchorLink" id="image-dd0000" name="image-dd0000"></a> <picture data-crop="medium"> <source type="image/webp" width="490" height="275" srcset="https://cst.brightspotcdn.com/dims4/default/b96ac5e/2147483647/strip/true/crop/6122x3436+0+324/resize/490x275!/format/webp/quality/90/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fchorus-production-cst-web.s3.us-east-1.amazonaws.com%2Fbrightspot%2Ff0%2Fb3%2F1871b13749e38a4fb7d2a0dbd5b9%2Friotfestday1photos-260919-06.JPG 1x,https://cst.brightspotcdn.com/dims4/default/35f2cea/2147483647/strip/true/crop/6122x3436+0+324/resize/980x550!/format/webp/quality/90/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fchorus-production-cst-web.s3.us-east-1.amazonaws.com%2Fbrightspot%2Ff0%2Fb3%2F1871b13749e38a4fb7d2a0dbd5b9%2Friotfestday1photos-260919-06.JPG 2x" loading="lazy" /> <source width="490" height="275" srcset="https://cst.brightspotcdn.com/dims4/default/b507352/2147483647/strip/true/crop/6122x3436+0+324/resize/490x275!/quality/90/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fchorus-production-cst-web.s3.us-east-1.amazonaws.com%2Fbrightspot%2Ff0%2Fb3%2F1871b13749e38a4fb7d2a0dbd5b9%2Friotfestday1photos-260919-06.JPG" loading="lazy" /> <img class="Image" alt="RIOTFESTDAY1PHOTOS_260919-06.JPG" srcset="https://cst.brightspotcdn.com/dims4/default/b507352/2147483647/strip/true/crop/6122x3436+0+324/resize/490x275!/quality/90/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fchorus-production-cst-web.s3.us-east-1.amazonaws.com%2Fbrightspot%2Ff0%2Fb3%2F1871b13749e38a4fb7d2a0dbd5b9%2Friotfestday1photos-260919-06.JPG 1x,https://cst.brightspotcdn.com/dims4/default/4151b10/2147483647/strip/true/crop/6122x3436+0+324/resize/980x550!/quality/90/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fchorus-production-cst-web.s3.us-east-1.amazonaws.com%2Fbrightspot%2Ff0%2Fb3%2F1871b13749e38a4fb7d2a0dbd5b9%2Friotfestday1photos-260919-06.JPG 2x" width="490" height="275" src="https://cst.brightspotcdn.com/dims4/default/b507352/2147483647/strip/true/crop/6122x3436+0+324/resize/490x275!/quality/90/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fchorus-production-cst-web.s3.us-east-1.amazonaws.com%2Fbrightspot%2Ff0%2Fb3%2F1871b13749e38a4fb7d2a0dbd5b9%2Friotfestday1photos-260919-06.JPG" loading="lazy" > </picture> <div class="Figure-content"><figcaption class="Figure-caption"><p>At just 20 years old, Violet Grohl, who is the daughter of Dave Grohl, brought a total ‘90s mood board to Riot Fest.</p></figcaption><span class="line"></span><div class="Figure-credit"><p>Anthony Vazquez/Sun-Times<br></p></div></div> </figure> </div> </div><p>It wouldn’t be shocking to find out that Grohl is a time traveler. At just 20 years old, the singer (and daughter of Dave Grohl) brought a total ‘90s mood board to Riot Fest, owning her place in a lineup that also features the Pixies and Alanis Morissette. </p><p>It was the same Thursday opening up for Sugar at Metro. With familiar thrifted vintage fashion, the era’s pencil-thin eyebrows hallmark and a well-informed musical palette that harks back to the days of Mazzy Star, PJ Harvey, the Breeders and Juliana Hatfield, Grohl’s recreation of the epoch is uncanny. And not just because of her famous last name. Her short 25-minute set was full of enough intrepid songwriting material from her debut album, “Be Sweet to Me,” to silence any nepo baby conversation. </p><div class="Enhancement" data-align-center> <div class="Enhancement-item" data-crop=""> <figure class="Figure"><a class="AnchorLink" id="image-5a0000" name="image-5a0000"></a> <picture data-crop="medium"> <source type="image/webp" width="490" height="275" srcset="https://cst.brightspotcdn.com/dims4/default/6127ab6/2147483647/strip/true/crop/4642x2605+0+245/resize/490x275!/format/webp/quality/90/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fchorus-production-cst-web.s3.us-east-1.amazonaws.com%2Fbrightspot%2F19%2Fb5%2F53fd6c5a4321872e1c46bbc71ce9%2Friotfestday1photos-260919-08.JPG 1x,https://cst.brightspotcdn.com/dims4/default/2879d53/2147483647/strip/true/crop/4642x2605+0+245/resize/980x550!/format/webp/quality/90/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fchorus-production-cst-web.s3.us-east-1.amazonaws.com%2Fbrightspot%2F19%2Fb5%2F53fd6c5a4321872e1c46bbc71ce9%2Friotfestday1photos-260919-08.JPG 2x" loading="lazy" /> <source width="490" height="275" srcset="https://cst.brightspotcdn.com/dims4/default/d53fa49/2147483647/strip/true/crop/4642x2605+0+245/resize/490x275!/quality/90/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fchorus-production-cst-web.s3.us-east-1.amazonaws.com%2Fbrightspot%2F19%2Fb5%2F53fd6c5a4321872e1c46bbc71ce9%2Friotfestday1photos-260919-08.JPG" loading="lazy" /> <img class="Image" alt="RIOTFESTDAY1PHOTOS_260919-08.JPG" srcset="https://cst.brightspotcdn.com/dims4/default/d53fa49/2147483647/strip/true/crop/4642x2605+0+245/resize/490x275!/quality/90/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fchorus-production-cst-web.s3.us-east-1.amazonaws.com%2Fbrightspot%2F19%2Fb5%2F53fd6c5a4321872e1c46bbc71ce9%2Friotfestday1photos-260919-08.JPG 1x,https://cst.brightspotcdn.com/dims4/default/8d3e377/2147483647/strip/true/crop/4642x2605+0+245/resize/980x550!/quality/90/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fchorus-production-cst-web.s3.us-east-1.amazonaws.com%2Fbrightspot%2F19%2Fb5%2F53fd6c5a4321872e1c46bbc71ce9%2Friotfestday1photos-260919-08.JPG 2x" width="490" height="275" src="https://cst.brightspotcdn.com/dims4/default/d53fa49/2147483647/strip/true/crop/4642x2605+0+245/resize/490x275!/quality/90/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fchorus-production-cst-web.s3.us-east-1.amazonaws.com%2Fbrightspot%2F19%2Fb5%2F53fd6c5a4321872e1c46bbc71ce9%2Friotfestday1photos-260919-08.JPG" loading="lazy" > </picture> <div class="Figure-content"><figcaption class="Figure-caption"><p>Violet Grohl, daughter of Riot Fest veteran Dave Grohl, was among the draws for younger audiences at this year’s Riot Fest, which runs through Sunday at Douglass Park. </p></figcaption><span class="line"></span><div class="Figure-credit"><p>Anthony Vazquez/Sun-Times <br></p></div></div> </figure> </div> </div><p>In particular, Grohl shone on the moody “Applefish” and through the sonic assaults of “Often Others” and the unreleased “Sun Is Blind.” The only reminders of her famous roots are her guitarist Salar Rajabnik, who is also a guitar tech for the Foo Fighters, and the way the young talent comes off like she’s still stuck in Foos backup singer mode with a demure stage presence. Give her some time though, and Violet could be the Grohl the rock world starts talking about.</p><h3><b>THE PARADOX</b></h3><div class="Enhancement" data-align-center> <div class="Enhancement-item" data-crop=""> <figure class="Figure"><a class="AnchorLink" id="image-7d0000" name="image-7d0000"></a> <picture data-crop="medium"> <source type="image/webp" width="490" height="275" srcset="https://cst.brightspotcdn.com/dims4/default/0fc26da/2147483647/strip/true/crop/6122x3436+0+324/resize/490x275!/format/webp/quality/90/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fchorus-production-cst-web.s3.us-east-1.amazonaws.com%2Fbrightspot%2F87%2Fa9%2Feacbf7ea47d38ae5bc9196ede4f9%2Friotfestday1photos-260919-33-1.jpg 1x,https://cst.brightspotcdn.com/dims4/default/db84d39/2147483647/strip/true/crop/6122x3436+0+324/resize/980x550!/format/webp/quality/90/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fchorus-production-cst-web.s3.us-east-1.amazonaws.com%2Fbrightspot%2F87%2Fa9%2Feacbf7ea47d38ae5bc9196ede4f9%2Friotfestday1photos-260919-33-1.jpg 2x" loading="lazy" /> <source width="490" height="275" srcset="https://cst.brightspotcdn.com/dims4/default/08b93e7/2147483647/strip/true/crop/6122x3436+0+324/resize/490x275!/quality/90/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fchorus-production-cst-web.s3.us-east-1.amazonaws.com%2Fbrightspot%2F87%2Fa9%2Feacbf7ea47d38ae5bc9196ede4f9%2Friotfestday1photos-260919-33-1.jpg" loading="lazy" /> <img class="Image" alt="RIOTFESTDAY1PHOTOS_260919-33.jpg" srcset="https://cst.brightspotcdn.com/dims4/default/08b93e7/2147483647/strip/true/crop/6122x3436+0+324/resize/490x275!/quality/90/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fchorus-production-cst-web.s3.us-east-1.amazonaws.com%2Fbrightspot%2F87%2Fa9%2Feacbf7ea47d38ae5bc9196ede4f9%2Friotfestday1photos-260919-33-1.jpg 1x,https://cst.brightspotcdn.com/dims4/default/f10b8f8/2147483647/strip/true/crop/6122x3436+0+324/resize/980x550!/quality/90/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fchorus-production-cst-web.s3.us-east-1.amazonaws.com%2Fbrightspot%2F87%2Fa9%2Feacbf7ea47d38ae5bc9196ede4f9%2Friotfestday1photos-260919-33-1.jpg 2x" width="490" height="275" src="https://cst.brightspotcdn.com/dims4/default/08b93e7/2147483647/strip/true/crop/6122x3436+0+324/resize/490x275!/quality/90/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fchorus-production-cst-web.s3.us-east-1.amazonaws.com%2Fbrightspot%2F87%2Fa9%2Feacbf7ea47d38ae5bc9196ede4f9%2Friotfestday1photos-260919-33-1.jpg" loading="lazy" > </picture> <div class="Figure-content"><figcaption class="Figure-caption"><p>The Paradox perform Friday, the first day of Riot Fest in Douglass Park in North Lawndale.</p></figcaption><span class="line"></span><div class="Figure-credit"><p>Anthony Vazquez/Sun-Times</p></div></div> </figure> </div> </div><p>Billie Joe Armstrong and blink-182 were right about the Paradox. The young Atlanta band has been the talk of tastemakers the last couple of years, recognized for carrying the pop punk torch for a new generation. Within just a few minutes at Riot Fest, it was easy to see why. The four-piece came packing infectious energy in punchy songs like early hit “Get the Message” and the brand-new number “That’s Not Fair” (played live for just the second time).</p><p>The youthful banter between singers/guitarists Eric Dangerfield and Christopher "Xelan" Bernard also took on a familiar Mark Hoppus-Tom DeLonge rhythm. In between songs, the two traded barbs about getting drunk and partying, enjoying Illinois’ recreational marijuana laws and introducing their own songs about being hot for teacher (“Ms. Lauren”). Other times, they were leading the crowd into a loud sing-along of Fall Out Boy’s “Chicago Is So Two Years Ago.”</p><p>It’s been a wild two years for the Paradox, too — since forming in 2024, Green Day personally invited the four-piece to open a stadium show and contribute to its “Nimrods” film while Travis Barker guested on “Bender.” Just a year ago, the group had an opening slot at Riot Fest, but by Friday, they had graduated to a later set that brought in a larger crowd.</p><p>Dangerfield recognized fans wearing Paradox T-shirts and one attendee who appeared to be the spitting image of Bernard. </p><p>“You can do all my interviews today!” Bernard quipped. </p><p>Not that he’d actually give away the opportunity to talk about the band’s biggest testimonial of all. Earlier this year, the Paradox became the first all-Black band to reach No. 1 on Billboard’s alternative airplay chart, a turning point for the genre that will continue to keep the band on everyone’s radar.</p><h3>ALKALINE TRIO</h3><div class="Enhancement" data-align-center> <div class="Enhancement-item" data-crop=""> <figure class="Figure"><a class="AnchorLink" id="image-ce0000" name="image-ce0000"></a> <picture data-crop="medium"> <source type="image/webp" width="490" height="275" srcset="https://cst.brightspotcdn.com/dims4/default/5698b0a/2147483647/strip/true/crop/6122x3436+0+324/resize/490x275!/format/webp/quality/90/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fchorus-production-cst-web.s3.us-east-1.amazonaws.com%2Fbrightspot%2F6b%2Fa9%2F2f2c78bd4c9387914f0cc2781ffa%2Friotfestday1photos-260919-71.jpg 1x,https://cst.brightspotcdn.com/dims4/default/30aede8/2147483647/strip/true/crop/6122x3436+0+324/resize/980x550!/format/webp/quality/90/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fchorus-production-cst-web.s3.us-east-1.amazonaws.com%2Fbrightspot%2F6b%2Fa9%2F2f2c78bd4c9387914f0cc2781ffa%2Friotfestday1photos-260919-71.jpg 2x" loading="lazy" /> <source width="490" height="275" srcset="https://cst.brightspotcdn.com/dims4/default/a691f26/2147483647/strip/true/crop/6122x3436+0+324/resize/490x275!/quality/90/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fchorus-production-cst-web.s3.us-east-1.amazonaws.com%2Fbrightspot%2F6b%2Fa9%2F2f2c78bd4c9387914f0cc2781ffa%2Friotfestday1photos-260919-71.jpg" loading="lazy" /> <img class="Image" alt="RIOTFESTDAY1PHOTOS_260919-71.jpg" srcset="https://cst.brightspotcdn.com/dims4/default/a691f26/2147483647/strip/true/crop/6122x3436+0+324/resize/490x275!/quality/90/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fchorus-production-cst-web.s3.us-east-1.amazonaws.com%2Fbrightspot%2F6b%2Fa9%2F2f2c78bd4c9387914f0cc2781ffa%2Friotfestday1photos-260919-71.jpg 1x,https://cst.brightspotcdn.com/dims4/default/49df7b4/2147483647/strip/true/crop/6122x3436+0+324/resize/980x550!/quality/90/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fchorus-production-cst-web.s3.us-east-1.amazonaws.com%2Fbrightspot%2F6b%2Fa9%2F2f2c78bd4c9387914f0cc2781ffa%2Friotfestday1photos-260919-71.jpg 2x" width="490" height="275" src="https://cst.brightspotcdn.com/dims4/default/a691f26/2147483647/strip/true/crop/6122x3436+0+324/resize/490x275!/quality/90/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fchorus-production-cst-web.s3.us-east-1.amazonaws.com%2Fbrightspot%2F6b%2Fa9%2F2f2c78bd4c9387914f0cc2781ffa%2Friotfestday1photos-260919-71.jpg" loading="lazy" > </picture> <div class="Figure-content"><figcaption class="Figure-caption"><p>Alkaline Trio performs on the Roots stage Friday, the first day of Riot Fest in Douglass Park in North Lawndale.</p></figcaption><span class="line"></span><div class="Figure-credit"><p>Anthony Vazquez/Sun-Times</p></div></div> </figure> </div> </div><p>Alkaline Trio is getting close to GWAR’s record for the number of times the group has played Riot Fest (including 2025). But somehow Chicago’s venerable punk rockers always make it feel like the first time. </p><p>“This is the best time I’ve had in a very long time,” said bassist/vocalist Dan Andriano before the trio launched into staple song “Stupid Kid.” Matt Skiba agreed. “That makes three of us,” the singer/guitarist added, looping drummer Tosh Peterson into the conversation.</p><p>The crowd felt it, too. As the band riled up with songs like “We’ve Had Enough,” a flurry of people dressed as bananas and wizards crowd-surfed their way toward the stage with the same endless energy as the three guys on stage.</p><div class="Enhancement" data-align-center> <div class="Enhancement-item" data-crop=""> <figure class="Figure"><a class="AnchorLink" id="image-a60000" name="image-a60000"></a> <picture data-crop="medium"> <source type="image/webp" width="490" height="275" srcset="https://cst.brightspotcdn.com/dims4/default/c7d097f/2147483647/strip/true/crop/6122x3436+0+324/resize/490x275!/format/webp/quality/90/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fchorus-production-cst-web.s3.us-east-1.amazonaws.com%2Fbrightspot%2F53%2Faa%2F2debc66646fab391ee18d57d1396%2Friotfestday1photos-260919-63.jpg 1x,https://cst.brightspotcdn.com/dims4/default/2c5eaaf/2147483647/strip/true/crop/6122x3436+0+324/resize/980x550!/format/webp/quality/90/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fchorus-production-cst-web.s3.us-east-1.amazonaws.com%2Fbrightspot%2F53%2Faa%2F2debc66646fab391ee18d57d1396%2Friotfestday1photos-260919-63.jpg 2x" loading="lazy" /> <source width="490" height="275" srcset="https://cst.brightspotcdn.com/dims4/default/5e9b952/2147483647/strip/true/crop/6122x3436+0+324/resize/490x275!/quality/90/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fchorus-production-cst-web.s3.us-east-1.amazonaws.com%2Fbrightspot%2F53%2Faa%2F2debc66646fab391ee18d57d1396%2Friotfestday1photos-260919-63.jpg" loading="lazy" /> <img class="Image" alt="RIOTFESTDAY1PHOTOS_260919-63.jpg" srcset="https://cst.brightspotcdn.com/dims4/default/5e9b952/2147483647/strip/true/crop/6122x3436+0+324/resize/490x275!/quality/90/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fchorus-production-cst-web.s3.us-east-1.amazonaws.com%2Fbrightspot%2F53%2Faa%2F2debc66646fab391ee18d57d1396%2Friotfestday1photos-260919-63.jpg 1x,https://cst.brightspotcdn.com/dims4/default/372f6bb/2147483647/strip/true/crop/6122x3436+0+324/resize/980x550!/quality/90/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fchorus-production-cst-web.s3.us-east-1.amazonaws.com%2Fbrightspot%2F53%2Faa%2F2debc66646fab391ee18d57d1396%2Friotfestday1photos-260919-63.jpg 2x" width="490" height="275" src="https://cst.brightspotcdn.com/dims4/default/5e9b952/2147483647/strip/true/crop/6122x3436+0+324/resize/490x275!/quality/90/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fchorus-production-cst-web.s3.us-east-1.amazonaws.com%2Fbrightspot%2F53%2Faa%2F2debc66646fab391ee18d57d1396%2Friotfestday1photos-260919-63.jpg" loading="lazy" > </picture> <div class="Figure-content"><figcaption class="Figure-caption"><p>Alkaline Trio performs on the Roots stage Friday, the first day of Riot Fest in Douglass Park in North Lawndale.</p></figcaption><span class="line"></span><div class="Figure-credit"><p>Anthony Vazquez/Sun-Times</p></div></div> </figure> </div> </div><p>Formed in 1996, Alkaline Trio has come a long way from the Fireside Bowl nights the group used to play (a time immortalized on a split-single just released this week with local brethren Rise Against). But the trio has never forgotten its roots, even as Skiba was brought into the national fold with his gig in blink-182 from 2015 to 2022.</p><p>On Friday, the front man shouted out Travis Barker as Alkaline Trio played “Oblivion,” a song that the drummer produced. Skiba also teased a forthcoming album — one that Barker apparently had his hands on — that’s currently being mixed. But there was also equal attention given to their hometown. “This song’s for Chicago!” Skiba declared, introducing 2005’s “Mercy Me,” which namedrops the city. </p><p>The band dug even further back into the archive with 2000’s “Snake Oil Tanker,” a song they haven’t played much in the last two decades that hearkens back to a time Alkaline Trio was just getting its footing. The cross-career set was as nostalgic as they come, but it was no swan song. </p><p>“The good news is we’ll be back,” Skiba assured.</p><p>Of course they will.</p><p><i>This story will be updated.</i></p>

wbez.org

West Suburban, Weiss to be sold to Insight Health Systems

<p>West Suburban Medical Center and Weiss Memorial Hospital are expected to be sold to Insight Health Systems, bringing a monthslong, bitter legal fight over the safety-net hospitals to an end.</p><p>The hospitals’ landlord, Rathnakar Reddy Patlola, made a late-night deal Wednesday to buy Resilience Healthcare CEO Manoj Prasad's stake in the hospitals. Insight will then buy the hospitals from Patlola.</p><p>Prasad did not immediately respond to a request for comment. In a statement, Patlola celebrated the "formal and finalized settlement" and said he expects it will lead to the "completed sale" of the hospitals to Insight. He "looks forward" to the two hospitals reopening. </p><p>Atif Bawahab, an executive at Insight Health Systems and CEO of Insight Hospital in Chicago, said in a statement the company would assess both hospitals to "determine the appropriate path forward." He also emphasized that the agreement was the start of a "long, phased process."</p><p>"There are real hurdles ahead — restoring licenses and certifications, rebuilding systems and staffing, meeting regulatory requirements, and earning back the confidence of patients and providers — and none of that happens overnight," Bawahab said.</p><p>No specific dollar amounts for either sale were immediately made public. It was also not clear how — or if — the deal would reopen either hospital.</p><h3>An eleventh-hour deal</h3><p>Last Friday, Cook County Circuit Court Judge Patrick Stanton <a class="Link" href="https://chicago.suntimes.com/health/2026/09/11/west-suburban-weiss-memorial-hospitals-receivership-legal-battle" target="_blank" ><u>decided to put a receiver</u></a> in charge of the hospitals after presiding over months of bickering in his courtroom between the lawyers representing the business partners-turned-foes.</p><p>The legal battle centered around Prasad's decision to shut down West Suburban Medical Center in March. Patlola then sued him for control of the Oak Park hospital and Uptown's Weiss Memorial Hospital, which closed in August 2025 and recently lost its state hospital license.</p><p>Stanton originally said a receiver would be announced Tuesday. Instead, Stanton and lawyers met behind closed doors Tuesday and Wednesday, while advocates and reporters waited for hours in his courtroom.</p><p>Few details about the late-night deal were shared when Stanton and the lawyers returned to the courtroom at around 10:30 p.m., said Rev. Robin Hood, a West Side advocate who waited for hours on the 25th floor of the Daley Center Wednesday night. </p><p>"Was this strenuous? Yeah. Was we tired? Yes. But guess what? When you fighting a good fight to help save people's lives, you just keep fighting it," Hood told reporters Thursday at Greater Rock Missionary Baptist Church in West Garfield Park.</p><div class="Enhancement" data-align-center> <div class="Enhancement-item" data-crop=""> <figure class="Figure"><a class="AnchorLink" id="image-2b0000" name="image-2b0000"></a> <picture data-crop="medium"> <source type="image/webp" width="490" height="275" srcset="https://cst.brightspotcdn.com/dims4/default/991f6d8/2147483647/strip/true/crop/7008x3933+0+369/resize/490x275!/format/webp/quality/90/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fchorus-production-cst-web.s3.us-east-1.amazonaws.com%2Fbrightspot%2F79%2F73%2Fabfca2c0422bbc18ee44dbb76445%2Fwestsubrally-260729-8-jpeg.jpg 1x,https://cst.brightspotcdn.com/dims4/default/a63da52/2147483647/strip/true/crop/7008x3933+0+369/resize/980x550!/format/webp/quality/90/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fchorus-production-cst-web.s3.us-east-1.amazonaws.com%2Fbrightspot%2F79%2F73%2Fabfca2c0422bbc18ee44dbb76445%2Fwestsubrally-260729-8-jpeg.jpg 2x" loading="lazy" /> <source width="490" height="275" srcset="https://cst.brightspotcdn.com/dims4/default/4aa6f53/2147483647/strip/true/crop/7008x3933+0+369/resize/490x275!/quality/90/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fchorus-production-cst-web.s3.us-east-1.amazonaws.com%2Fbrightspot%2F79%2F73%2Fabfca2c0422bbc18ee44dbb76445%2Fwestsubrally-260729-8-jpeg.jpg" loading="lazy" /> <img class="Image" alt="Rev. Robin Hood speaks at a rally " srcset="https://cst.brightspotcdn.com/dims4/default/4aa6f53/2147483647/strip/true/crop/7008x3933+0+369/resize/490x275!/quality/90/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fchorus-production-cst-web.s3.us-east-1.amazonaws.com%2Fbrightspot%2F79%2F73%2Fabfca2c0422bbc18ee44dbb76445%2Fwestsubrally-260729-8-jpeg.jpg 1x,https://cst.brightspotcdn.com/dims4/default/92c4b8d/2147483647/strip/true/crop/7008x3933+0+369/resize/980x550!/quality/90/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fchorus-production-cst-web.s3.us-east-1.amazonaws.com%2Fbrightspot%2F79%2F73%2Fabfca2c0422bbc18ee44dbb76445%2Fwestsubrally-260729-8-jpeg.jpg 2x" width="490" height="275" src="https://cst.brightspotcdn.com/dims4/default/4aa6f53/2147483647/strip/true/crop/7008x3933+0+369/resize/490x275!/quality/90/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fchorus-production-cst-web.s3.us-east-1.amazonaws.com%2Fbrightspot%2F79%2F73%2Fabfca2c0422bbc18ee44dbb76445%2Fwestsubrally-260729-8-jpeg.jpg" loading="lazy" > </picture> <div class="Figure-content"><figcaption class="Figure-caption"><p>Rev. Robin Hood speaks at a rally in Daley Plaza for reopening West Suburban Medical Center and Weiss Memorial Hospital earlier this summer. </p></figcaption><span class="line"></span><div class="Figure-credit"><p>Pat Nabong/Sun-Times</p></div></div> </figure> </div> </div><p>From Tuesday afternoon to Wednesday night, Hood and Ieloit Jackson, another West Side advocate for reopening the hospital, waited 11 and a half hours in Stanton's courtroom. At one point, he said, the lights were turned off. </p><p>"It was so disturbing that [Stanton] said that this is a private matter, so that's why they've been in chambers so long. But it's a public issue," Jackson said. "It's the public that's affected."</p><p>Despite the delay, Jackson and Hood celebrated the result and called it a "small victory."</p><p>Dawn Anderson, who worked in West Suburban's medical record department for 32 years until she was laid off in May, said she was thankful Prasad was out.</p><p>"I'm praying for a change. I'm praying for transparency," Anderson said. "There was so much taken away from not only patients but the employees. ... This was a traumatic experience for everyone." </p><h3>A long road for Insight</h3><p>Rev. Henry Barlow, an Insight board member and the pastor of the Morning Star Baptist Church, said at Thursday's news conference he hopes the hospitals can be reopened "as soon as possible." But he said it's a long road ahead. He estimated it will take at least four months to get West Suburban back open. Weiss will take even longer he said, without saying a time frame. </p><p>"This was the easy part. The hard part is about to start," Barlow said. </p><p>But not everyone from the hospital has faith in Insight. Vishnu Chundi, an infectious disease doctor who spent more than 15 years at West Suburban, said he doesn't trust the health system. </p><p>“We’ve been through so many owners,” Chundi said. “It's just we have fatigue. … Unless they give concrete steps and they're willing to sign on and talk to the physicians and the people that provide service, how many times are you going to get slapped in the face over and over again until you understand the game that it’s basically been asset stripping and taking things away from the community?”</p><p>Patlola’s legal team <a class="Link" href="https://chicago.suntimes.com/health/2026/08/04/ownership-change-west-suburban-weiss-potential-settlement" target="_blank" ><u>had been pushing for months</u></a> to enforce a settlement agreement that includes selling the hospitals for $1 to Insight Health Systems. Prasad, who would have to step down as CEO and take on a temporary consulting position, had resisted that deal.</p><p>Insight runs Insight Hospital and Medical Center, formerly Mercy Hospital. The company bought the Bronzeville hospital for $1 in 2021, <a class="Link" href="https://www.wbez.org/environment-public-health/2021/10/25/inside-the-fight-to-save-chicagos-historic-mercy-hospital" target="_blank" ><u>preventing it from closing</u></a>.</p><p>But Insight appears to have <a class="Link" href="https://chicago.suntimes.com/health/2026/08/08/insight-health-systems-west-suburban-medical-center-weiss-memorial-hospital" target="_blank" ><u>its own financial troubles</u></a>, raising questions about how it can afford to take on two more hospitals. Insight Hospital has consistently lost money since buying Mercy. In 2024, the hospital lost nearly $30 million, the most recent records show.</p><p>Insight Hospital has received about $50 million in advances from the Illinois Department of Healthcare and Family Services to help keep the doors open since it bought Mercy. Last month, a HFS spokesperson said Insight had paid back just over $1 million so far, and that the department “has no plans to provide additional support at this time.”</p><p>Insight, West Suburban and Weiss are all safety-net hospitals, which are often the fabric of low-income and immigrant communities. They typically don’t make much money and struggle to make ends meet.</p>

wbez.org

A fight over Chicago’s sidewalk cafe lights: The Rundown

<p><i>Good afternoon! It’s Friday, and today I learned electronic dance music duo </i><a class="Link" href="https://www.wbez.org/music/2026/09/18/northbrook-edm-sister-duo-krewella-new-album-peak-sound-bar-chicago" target="_blank" ><i><u>Krewella</u></i></a><i> has Chicago-area ties. Here’s what else you need to know today.</i></p><p><a class="Link" href="https://chicago.suntimes.com/the-watchdogs/2026/09/18/illinois-restaurant-association-toia-uneven-enforcement-sidewalk-cafe-lights-rule" target="_blank" ><b><u>1. The head of the Illinois Restaurant Association called out uneven enforcement of the city’s sidewalk cafe lights rule</u></b></a></p><p>Association President Sam Toia said punishing some owners for strings of sparkling lights in outdoor dining areas is unfair. The comments came after the city’s crackdown on one Roscoe Village eatery — even as scores of other restaurants hang them over sidewalks and parkways.</p><p>Lush Wine & Spirits was ordered in March to remove its decorative white lights after an inspector from the Department of Business Affairs and Consumer Protection said they received a complaint. Until then, Lush owner Mitch Einhorn said he had never heard of any law against hanging lights, my colleagues Fran Spielman and Stephanie Zimmermann report.</p><p>This summer, the Chicago Sun-Times spotted at least 40 eateries with outdoor lights on about 12 blocks along Lincoln Avenue and West Fulton Market and Randolph streets.</p><p>Spokespersons for the Chicago Department of Buildings and the Department of Transportation said the law banning lights is Chapter 10-29 of the Municipal Code of Chicago, which governs “wires, pipes, cables and conduits on, under or over public property” — with public property in this case being city sidewalks and parkways.</p><p>But the ordinance seems to allow for some wiggle room, saying wires or cables aren’t allowed “without first having obtained a permit issued by the department of transportation after consultation with the office of emergency management and communications.” Einhorn said he asked BACP how to apply for a permit to make his lights legal and was told there is no application process. [<a class="Link" href="https://chicago.suntimes.com/the-watchdogs/2026/09/18/illinois-restaurant-association-toia-uneven-enforcement-sidewalk-cafe-lights-rule" target="_blank" ><u>Chicago Sun-Times</u></a>]</p><p><a class="Link" href="https://www.wbez.org/education/2026/09/17/should-chicago-close-more-schools-candidates-for-school-board-president-diverge-on-key-issue" target="_blank" ><b><u>2. Candidates for school board president diverge on whether Chicago should close more schools</u></b></a></p><p>Closing public schools in Chicago became a political hot potato after former Mayor Rahm Emanuel shuttered 50 elementary schools at once in 2013, creating upheaval in communities and leaving neighborhoods with decaying empty buildings. But as student enrollment continues to drop, a growing chorus says it’s time to do another round.</p><p>As WBEZ’s Sarah Karp writes, a moratorium on school closings will lift in January, just as the city’s first fully elected school board is sworn into office. At a forum hosted by WTTW earlier this week, the four board president candidates laid out differing views on how they would approach the issue.</p><p>Hilario Dominguez, a former political director for the Chicago Teachers Union, is the only candidate pledging not to support school closings. Former principal Jessica Biggs and prominent defense attorney Victor Henderson said they would consider closing schools — but only after hearing from affected communities.</p><p>Sendhil Revuluri, a former Chicago board member and math teacher, made the case for closing underenrolled high schools in particular because they typically can’t support a wide array of classes and programs.</p><p>Chicago Public Schools only closed one small high school in 2013, mostly because closing high schools creates safety concerns. The school district has lost about a quarter of its enrollment in the last decade, and more than a dozen high schools are at 20% or less of their building’s student capacity. As of earlier this year, Chicago Public Schools data showed one-third of all district-run schools were at less than half their capacity. [<a class="Link" href="https://www.wbez.org/education/2026/09/17/should-chicago-close-more-schools-candidates-for-school-board-president-diverge-on-key-issue" target="_blank" ><u>WBEZ</u></a>]</p><p><a class="Link" href="https://chicago.suntimes.com/environment/2026/09/18/metropolitan-water-reclamation-district-artificial-intelligence-hawthorne-race-course-stickney-cicero" target="_blank" ><b><u>3. Hatred for data centers is sky-high, but the Metropolitan Water Reclamation District sees dollar signs</u></b></a></p><p>As my colleague Brett Chase reports, treated sewer water is not suitable for drinking. However, district officials have for years explored whether it could be sold to industrial users, many of which use fresh Lake Michigan water. Earlier this year, district officials discussed possibly locating a data center next to one of its water treatment plants, according to internal emails reviewed by the Chicago Sun-Times.</p><p>Though no deals with data centers are in the works, MWRD is open to serving them. The agency owns thousands of acres of riverfront land that is leased to industrial companies and has explored building pipes that would pump water directly to businesses.</p><p>“We see the potential for industrial reuse of our high-quality reclaimed water to protect our fresh drinking water supply and potentially generate additional revenue,” the district said in a separate statement.</p><p>That plan could eliminate the need to use fresh Lake Michigan water to cool the massive structures, which can exceed 1 million square feet. Drinking water depletion is a major concern related to these high-tech facilities, which also use enormous amounts of energy. There are more than 200 data centers in the Chicago area. [<a class="Link" href="https://chicago.suntimes.com/environment/2026/09/18/metropolitan-water-reclamation-district-artificial-intelligence-hawthorne-race-course-stickney-cicero" target="_blank" ><u>Chicago Sun-Times</u></a>]</p><p><a class="Link" href="https://www.wbez.org/classical-music/2026/09/18/liliom-joffrey-ballet-michel-legrand-score-john-neumeier-dance-music-orchestra-jazz" target="_blank" ><b><u>4. In ‘Liliom,’ making its Chicago premiere at the Joffrey Ballet, the soundtrack is as ambitious as the steps</u></b></a></p><p>As WBEZ contributor Graham Meyer writes, “Liliom” isn’t an easy ballet. The dance steps are technically demanding, with the role of Liliom, played opening night by José Pablo Castro Cuevas, required onstage for nearly the entire run time. Then there is the music, which draws more attention to itself than many ballet scores, and not just because the big band is positioned right smack in the audience’s line of sight.</p><p>It’s assertive, showing lots of accents and timbres that jump out of the musical texture — the orchestra has four percussionists, in addition to the drum kit in the big band. It’s mercurial, shifting tempos and swing as the two ensembles play in alternation and together. And it’s stylistically eclectic, the jazz weaving its way in and out of the classical-tradition music, which itself careens from lush strings to circusy waltzes to accordion-led French street music. There’s nothing else quite like it in the ballet canon.</p><p>For the Joffrey’s production this fall, the work pairs the Lyric Opera Orchestra with Chicago jazz staple Rob Parton Big Band to perform the Michel Legrand score. (If listeners know one thing about Legrand, it’s his work on film scores. His through-composition of the 1964 movie “The Umbrellas of Cherbourg” made for an ambitious experiment beloved by cinephiles. He won Academy Awards for his music for “Summer of ’42,” “Yentl” and a song from the original “The Thomas Crown Affair.”) [<a class="Link" href="https://www.wbez.org/classical-music/2026/09/18/liliom-joffrey-ballet-michel-legrand-score-john-neumeier-dance-music-orchestra-jazz" target="_blank" ><u>WBEZ</u></a>]</p><p><a class="Link" href="https://www.wbez.org/theater-stages/2026/09/18/a-trapeze-artist-views-her-life-and-death-from-an-unexpected-vantage-point-the-ground" target="_blank" ><b><u>5. A trapeze artist views her life — and death — from an unexpected vantage point: the ground</u></b></a></p><p>Shana Carroll’s “The Attic: Things I’ve Seen While Lying on My Back” premiered this week at the Goodman Theater.</p><p>The audience witnesses a memoir set free from its binding in a mesmerizing display of acrobatic dance, music and stage projections, my colleague Stefano Esposito writes. Bodies — belonging to the Montreal-based circus-theater collective The 7 Fingers, which Carroll co-founded — twirl, leap, fly and occasionally writhe across the stage. She chose French composer Erik Satie’s haunting piano piece Gnossienne No. 1 as a recurring theme, long a favorite of hers and music that feels like someone tiptoeing around the edge of a great sadness.</p><p>Carroll, who has active metastatic breast cancer, said she hoped the very personal would reveal the universal.</p><p>“I can tell stories about my life, but what you want is that it’s actually connecting people to certain themes or understandings or realizations, or just connecting to humanity in general in a lifetime,” she said. [<a class="Link" href="https://www.wbez.org/theater-stages/2026/09/18/a-trapeze-artist-views-her-life-and-death-from-an-unexpected-vantage-point-the-ground" target="_blank" ><u>Chicago Sun-Times</u></a>]</p><p><b>Here’s what else is happening</b></p><ul class="rte2-style-ul" style="margin-top:0;margin-bottom:0;padding-inline-start:48px;" id="rte-ba9bdc10-b39d-11f1-9a9a-03d4edc34377"><li>Merriam-Webster added 1,400 new words to its online dictionary. [<a class="Link" href="https://www.nytimes.com/2026/09/16/us/merriam-webster-new-words-looksmaxxing-yacht-rock.html?unlocked_article_code=1.CFE.vJUP.Vuc2E9OwuqAS&smid=url-share" target="_blank" ><u>New York Times</u></a>]</li><li>A beluga whale at a Spanish aquarium died today, bringing to three the total number of belugas that have died since being shipped out of Marineland Canada this summer — including two at Chicago’s Shedd Aquarium. [<a class="Link" href="https://chicago.suntimes.com/2026/09/18/3rd-beluga-dies-marineland-canada-shedd-aquarium" target="_blank" ><u>Chicago Sun-Times</u></a>]</li><li>The oldest existing house in Chicago could close if the Norwood Park Historical Society doesn’t raise enough funds. [<a class="Link" href="https://blockclubchicago.org/2026/09/18/chicagos-oldest-house-faces-uncertain-future-as-historical-society-funds-dry-up/" target="_blank" ><u>Block Club Chicago</u></a>]</li><li>Riot Fest starts today at Douglass Park. [<a class="Link" href="https://chicagoreader.com/music/concert-preview/riot-fest-douglass-park/" target="_blank" ><u>Chicago Reader</u></a>]</li></ul><p><b>Oh, and one more thing …</b></p><p>A new documentary captures the discipline, creativity and heart behind the Joffrey Ballet’s trailblazing “Winning Works” program for emerging artists historically excluded from ballet, Erica Thompson reports for the Chicago Sun-Times.</p><p>“Joffrey Ballet: The Next Movement” premieres at 8 p.m. tonight on PBS, PBS.org and the PBS app. The film was produced by Chicago-based Kartemquin Films and directed by South Sider Cam Be. It follows five choreographers over two weeks as they prepare new works featuring students from Joffrey’s Grainger Academy.</p><p>The piece not only highlights the intensity of staging performances but also the personal stories of the BIPOC artists, many of whom paved their way in an art form that has traditionally mostly featured white dancers and choreographers.</p><p>“I want you to understand the level of dedication it takes and the work these choreographers went through to get to the spaces they’re in,” Be said. “But also, I want you to understand that they’re just human beings and that they have life experiences and trauma that they’ve had to deal with, and they continue to push through.” [<a class="Link" href="https://www.wbez.org/dance/2026/09/17/joffrey-ballet-pbs-documentary-winning-works-competition-dance-film" target="_blank" ><u>Chicago Sun-Times</u></a>]</p><p><b>Tell me something good …</b></p><p>Thanks for sharing your favorite dessert recipes this week! I hope many of you found a new dish to make soon.</p>

wbez.org

At Goodman Theater, a trapeze artist views her life and death from an unexpected vantage point: the ground

<p>Lying motionless inside a CT scanner searching for signs of cancer, Shana Carroll’s brain began to fidget.</p><p>“I’ve had so many procedures where you’re inside machines, and you just feel like: What science fiction weird thing is going on here?” said Carroll, a writer, director and choreographer.</p><p>What if, the former trapeze artist thought, a show could be fashioned, knitted together, from the moments in life when a person is lying flat and looking up at the world?</p><div class="Enhancement" data-align-center> <div class="Enhancement-item" data-crop=""> <figure class="Figure"><a class="AnchorLink" id="image-600000" name="image-600000"></a> <picture data-crop="medium"> <source type="image/webp" width="490" height="275" srcset="https://cst.brightspotcdn.com/dims4/default/f36749c/2147483647/strip/true/crop/7681x4311+0+324/resize/490x275!/format/webp/quality/90/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fchorus-production-cst-web.s3.us-east-1.amazonaws.com%2Fbrightspot%2F30%2Fbc%2F47597d034b06acaee69b99881ce3%2Fshana-carroll-attic-rehearsal-by-todd-rosenberg.jpg 1x,https://cst.brightspotcdn.com/dims4/default/b0022d2/2147483647/strip/true/crop/7681x4311+0+324/resize/980x550!/format/webp/quality/90/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fchorus-production-cst-web.s3.us-east-1.amazonaws.com%2Fbrightspot%2F30%2Fbc%2F47597d034b06acaee69b99881ce3%2Fshana-carroll-attic-rehearsal-by-todd-rosenberg.jpg 2x" loading="lazy" /> <source width="490" height="275" srcset="https://cst.brightspotcdn.com/dims4/default/a876d14/2147483647/strip/true/crop/7681x4311+0+324/resize/490x275!/quality/90/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fchorus-production-cst-web.s3.us-east-1.amazonaws.com%2Fbrightspot%2F30%2Fbc%2F47597d034b06acaee69b99881ce3%2Fshana-carroll-attic-rehearsal-by-todd-rosenberg.jpg" loading="lazy" /> <img class="Image" alt="Shana Carroll ATTIC Rehearsal (by Todd Rosenberg).jpg" srcset="https://cst.brightspotcdn.com/dims4/default/a876d14/2147483647/strip/true/crop/7681x4311+0+324/resize/490x275!/quality/90/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fchorus-production-cst-web.s3.us-east-1.amazonaws.com%2Fbrightspot%2F30%2Fbc%2F47597d034b06acaee69b99881ce3%2Fshana-carroll-attic-rehearsal-by-todd-rosenberg.jpg 1x,https://cst.brightspotcdn.com/dims4/default/95280d7/2147483647/strip/true/crop/7681x4311+0+324/resize/980x550!/quality/90/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fchorus-production-cst-web.s3.us-east-1.amazonaws.com%2Fbrightspot%2F30%2Fbc%2F47597d034b06acaee69b99881ce3%2Fshana-carroll-attic-rehearsal-by-todd-rosenberg.jpg 2x" width="490" height="275" src="https://cst.brightspotcdn.com/dims4/default/a876d14/2147483647/strip/true/crop/7681x4311+0+324/resize/490x275!/quality/90/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fchorus-production-cst-web.s3.us-east-1.amazonaws.com%2Fbrightspot%2F30%2Fbc%2F47597d034b06acaee69b99881ce3%2Fshana-carroll-attic-rehearsal-by-todd-rosenberg.jpg" loading="lazy" > </picture> <div class="Figure-content"><figcaption class="Figure-caption"><p>Shana Carroll, a writer, director and choreographer, in rehearsal for “The Attic: Things I’ve Seen While Lying on My Back,” which opened September 15, 2026 at The Goodman Theatre.</p></figcaption><span class="line"></span><div class="Figure-credit"><p>Todd Rosenberg</p></div></div> </figure> </div> </div><p>And so, in the cold sterility of that hospital room about two years ago, the idea for “The Attic: Things I’ve Seen While Lying on My Back” was born. The show is now playing at The Goodman Theatre.</p><p>What the audience witnesses in Carroll’s show is memoir set free from its binding in a mesmerizing display of acrobatic dance, music and stage projections. Bodies — belonging to the Montreal-based circus-theater collective The 7 Fingers, which Carroll co-founded — twirl, leap, fly and occasionally writhe across the stage. Carroll chose French composer Erik Satie’s haunting piano piece Gnossienne No. 1 as a recurring theme, long a favorite of hers and music that feels like someone tiptoeing around the edge of a great sadness.</p><div class="RichTextSidebarModule Enhancement" data-module data-align-center><a class="AnchorLink" id="module-3c0000" name="module-3c0000"></a> <div class="RichTextModule-items RichTextBody"><b>Where:</b> Goodman Theatre, 170. N. Dearborn St.<br><b>When:</b> Through Oct. 4 <br><b>Tickets</b>: From $34<br><b>Info:</b> <a class="Link" href="https://www.goodmantheatre.org/show/the-attic/" target="_blank" >goodmantheatre.org</a><br><br></div> </div><p>“It was a [piece] I listened to a lot in my attic, so I wanted it to be a touchstone through the show,” Carroll said.</p><p>Carroll, who has active metastatic breast cancer, said she hoped the very personal would reveal the universal.</p><p>“I can tell stories about my life, but what you want is that it’s actually connecting people to certain themes or understandings or realizations or just connecting to humanity in general in a lifetime,” Carroll said.</p><div class="Enhancement" data-align-center> <div class="Enhancement-item" data-crop=""> <figure class="Figure"><a class="AnchorLink" id="image-810000" name="image-810000"></a> <picture data-crop="medium"> <source type="image/webp" width="490" height="275" srcset="https://cst.brightspotcdn.com/dims4/default/6e0a9d7/2147483647/strip/true/crop/4493x2522+0+189/resize/490x275!/format/webp/quality/90/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fchorus-production-cst-web.s3.us-east-1.amazonaws.com%2Fbrightspot%2Fb5%2F25%2F867d241144d0aa306fe06ca14788%2F1-the-attic-production-photos.jpg 1x,https://cst.brightspotcdn.com/dims4/default/64ee3f3/2147483647/strip/true/crop/4493x2522+0+189/resize/980x550!/format/webp/quality/90/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fchorus-production-cst-web.s3.us-east-1.amazonaws.com%2Fbrightspot%2Fb5%2F25%2F867d241144d0aa306fe06ca14788%2F1-the-attic-production-photos.jpg 2x" loading="lazy" /> <source width="490" height="275" srcset="https://cst.brightspotcdn.com/dims4/default/6e580fa/2147483647/strip/true/crop/4493x2522+0+189/resize/490x275!/quality/90/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fchorus-production-cst-web.s3.us-east-1.amazonaws.com%2Fbrightspot%2Fb5%2F25%2F867d241144d0aa306fe06ca14788%2F1-the-attic-production-photos.jpg" loading="lazy" /> <img class="Image" alt="1_The Attic Production Photos.jpg" srcset="https://cst.brightspotcdn.com/dims4/default/6e580fa/2147483647/strip/true/crop/4493x2522+0+189/resize/490x275!/quality/90/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fchorus-production-cst-web.s3.us-east-1.amazonaws.com%2Fbrightspot%2Fb5%2F25%2F867d241144d0aa306fe06ca14788%2F1-the-attic-production-photos.jpg 1x,https://cst.brightspotcdn.com/dims4/default/1a3fcb1/2147483647/strip/true/crop/4493x2522+0+189/resize/980x550!/quality/90/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fchorus-production-cst-web.s3.us-east-1.amazonaws.com%2Fbrightspot%2Fb5%2F25%2F867d241144d0aa306fe06ca14788%2F1-the-attic-production-photos.jpg 2x" width="490" height="275" src="https://cst.brightspotcdn.com/dims4/default/6e580fa/2147483647/strip/true/crop/4493x2522+0+189/resize/490x275!/quality/90/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fchorus-production-cst-web.s3.us-east-1.amazonaws.com%2Fbrightspot%2Fb5%2F25%2F867d241144d0aa306fe06ca14788%2F1-the-attic-production-photos.jpg" loading="lazy" > </picture> <div class="Figure-content"><figcaption class="Figure-caption"><p>From left: Eduardo De Azevedo Grillo, Lucy Tan, Nancy Luna and Fran Alvarez perform in “The Attic: Things I’ve Seen While Lying On My Back,” at the The Goodman Theatre, September 5 – October 4, 2026.</p></figcaption><span class="line"></span><div class="Figure-credit"><p>Todd Rosenberg</p></div></div> </figure> </div> </div><p>Carroll, a self-described theater kid who grew up in Berkeley, Calif., attended Montreal’s National Circus School, launching a 20-year acrobatic career. She’s been a Cirque du Soleil soloist and has been nominated for a Tony award for her choreography and circus design on “Water for Elephants,” the 2024 Broadway musical based on Sara Gruen’s 2006 best-selling novel of the same name.</p><p>As someone who spent decades in the circus, Carroll has led a life worthy of memoir, but she said she consciously avoided weaving in the more sensational moments from her past.</p><p>Her father, Jon Carroll, was a writer and editor who moved the family from the West Coast to Chicago for a stint so he could work for Hugh Hefner. “I spent the night at the Playboy mansion when I was 2 years old,” she said.</p><p>So, instead of one-of-a-kind, oddball experiences, we watch Tyler Meredith, the veteran Chicago actress playing Carroll, narrate from beneath the beams of her childhood attic, the place of the show’s title. We see her marvel at dust motes glittering in the air, the awkwardness of a middle-school dance. We see her giving birth, even considering her own death. </p><div class="Enhancement" data-align-center> <div class="Enhancement-item" data-crop=""> <figure class="Figure"><a class="AnchorLink" id="image-880000" name="image-880000"></a> <picture data-crop="medium"> <source type="image/webp" width="490" height="275" srcset="https://cst.brightspotcdn.com/dims4/default/f671080/2147483647/strip/true/crop/6885x3864+0+363/resize/490x275!/format/webp/quality/90/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fchorus-production-cst-web.s3.us-east-1.amazonaws.com%2Fbrightspot%2F05%2F83%2F32fe2f354cdaaf92c28c5ada68cd%2F10-the-attic-production-photos.jpg 1x,https://cst.brightspotcdn.com/dims4/default/b0fe46d/2147483647/strip/true/crop/6885x3864+0+363/resize/980x550!/format/webp/quality/90/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fchorus-production-cst-web.s3.us-east-1.amazonaws.com%2Fbrightspot%2F05%2F83%2F32fe2f354cdaaf92c28c5ada68cd%2F10-the-attic-production-photos.jpg 2x" loading="lazy" /> <source width="490" height="275" srcset="https://cst.brightspotcdn.com/dims4/default/cf26aca/2147483647/strip/true/crop/6885x3864+0+363/resize/490x275!/quality/90/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fchorus-production-cst-web.s3.us-east-1.amazonaws.com%2Fbrightspot%2F05%2F83%2F32fe2f354cdaaf92c28c5ada68cd%2F10-the-attic-production-photos.jpg" loading="lazy" /> <img class="Image" alt="The Attic Dress Rehearsal" srcset="https://cst.brightspotcdn.com/dims4/default/cf26aca/2147483647/strip/true/crop/6885x3864+0+363/resize/490x275!/quality/90/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fchorus-production-cst-web.s3.us-east-1.amazonaws.com%2Fbrightspot%2F05%2F83%2F32fe2f354cdaaf92c28c5ada68cd%2F10-the-attic-production-photos.jpg 1x,https://cst.brightspotcdn.com/dims4/default/0369f32/2147483647/strip/true/crop/6885x3864+0+363/resize/980x550!/quality/90/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fchorus-production-cst-web.s3.us-east-1.amazonaws.com%2Fbrightspot%2F05%2F83%2F32fe2f354cdaaf92c28c5ada68cd%2F10-the-attic-production-photos.jpg 2x" width="490" height="275" src="https://cst.brightspotcdn.com/dims4/default/cf26aca/2147483647/strip/true/crop/6885x3864+0+363/resize/490x275!/quality/90/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fchorus-production-cst-web.s3.us-east-1.amazonaws.com%2Fbrightspot%2F05%2F83%2F32fe2f354cdaaf92c28c5ada68cd%2F10-the-attic-production-photos.jpg" loading="lazy" > </picture> <div class="Figure-content"><figcaption class="Figure-caption"><p>Tyler Meredith (center) stars in “The Attic: Things I’ve Seen While Lying On My Back.”</p></figcaption><span class="line"></span><div class="Figure-credit"><p>Todd Rosenberg Photography</p></div></div> </figure> </div> </div><p>Her experiences are amplified through nine acrobats’ extraordinary feats of grace, physical strength and dexterity: three-story human towers on the move, bodies flung in the air and (seemingly) effortlessly caught. In one sequence that made the audience gasp, acrobat Melvin Diggs plummets head-first down a 20-foot steel pole, stopping inches from the stage floor.</p><p>One of the show’s most innovative and memorable scenes is toward the end, when Carroll’s character is in a hospital bed that gently rises from the horizontal to the vertical. Hands poke through the mattress from below, grabbing at Meredith’s writhing body. It’s less B-movie horror than a clever way to illustrate her ambivalence toward hospitals.</p><p>“When you’re alone in a hospital bed, it both feels like they won’t stop fussing with me — and the creepiness of it — but it also feels like you have accompaniment and comfort even though you’re so alone,” Carroll said.</p><p>In the show, the bed then swings, trapeze-like, high above the stage with Meredith lying still on it.</p><p>Though Carroll now directs others to fly through the air, she said she is able to use the lessons of a life on the trapeze in her cancer battle.</p><p>“There is a lot of pain," she said. "You burn your skin. You get bruises everywhere."</p><p>And there are similarities between the fear she faced during every performance and the fear of confronting her mortality.</p><p>“With cancer, you don’t choose it, but it feels familiar: ‘Oh, I’ve been here, I know how to navigate fear,’ ” she said. “You feel like you’ve confronted death before.”</p>

wbez.org

The Rundown: Medical aid in dying in Illinois

<p><i>Good afternoon! It’s Thursday, and my friends are outraged I’ve been drinking pumpkin spice coffee creamer for two weeks now. Here’s what you need to know today.</i></p><p><a class="Link" href="https://www.wbez.org/health-medicine/2026/09/17/illinois-residents-who-are-terminally-ill-can-now-end-their-lives-medical-aid-in-dying" target="_blank" ><b><u>1. Illinois residents who are terminally ill can now end their lives. Here’s how it works</u></b></a></p><p>Illinoisans with fewer than six months to live can now request a prescription for medication to end their lives, joining 12 other states and Washington, D.C., in legalizing medical aid in dying. As WBEZ’s Kristen Schorsch reports, the measure has become a lightning rod for some religious and disability rights groups that worry it could lead to abuse. Despite court challenges, the law still stands.</p><p>Using a new state form, a patient makes a written request to their doctor to get a prescription for medication that would end their life. They must also make two verbal requests at least five days apart, according to the state. Patients could hand their doctor a letter and make their first verbal request at the same time. A second physician must approve the request.</p><p>Patients must be able to swallow medication, typically a mixture of several drugs specially prepared into a powder that can be mixed into water or juice, on their own or through a feeding tube. Insurers are not required to cover the medicine, which can cost as much as $1,000 out of pocket.</p><p>People largely have to navigate finding a participating medical provider on their own, as there is no directory of doctors or pharmacies in Illinois offering medical aid in dying. Doctors are not required to participate, but they must help patients get a referral to a physician who would say yes. (Doctors are shielded from prosecution whether they participate or refuse to).</p><p>A lack of guidance from the state, which has had about nine months to prepare for the law to take effect, frustrates people who work with dying patients. Some in hospice care are already asking about the new law, and there’s no physician or pharmacy to refer them to, said Sara Dado, executive director of the Illinois Hospice and Palliative Care Organization. [<a class="Link" href="https://www.wbez.org/health-medicine/2026/09/17/illinois-residents-who-are-terminally-ill-can-now-end-their-lives-medical-aid-in-dying" target="_blank" ><u>WBEZ</u></a>]</p><p><a class="Link" href="https://www.wbez.org/bearing-the-blitz/2026/09/17/operation-midway-blitz-ice-arrests-little-village-fears-of-displacement-gentrification" target="_blank" ><b><u>2. A year after Midway Blitz, some vow to stay in Little Village, while others worry they can’t afford to</u></b></a></p><p>Little Village faced displacement and gentrification pressures long before Operation Midway Blitz, my colleague Alma Campos reports. The area is part of South Lawndale, where nearly half of renters spent more than 30% of their income on housing in 2024. The neighborhood’s proximity to Downtown and rapidly gentrifying Pilsen also fueled concerns that development could push out longtime residents and businesses.</p><p>The COVID-19 pandemic brought another period of upheaval, forcing some businesses to close and leaving others struggling.</p><p>Then came President Donald Trump’s mass deportation campaign. During the height of Operation Midway Blitz, federal immigration agents detained 3,841 people, according to federal data analyzed by WBEZ and the Chicago Sun-Times. Little Village became one of the most visible targets. Federal agents made arrests in the neighborhood on the first full day of Midway Blitz and returned repeatedly in the following months.</p><p>On Oct. 22 and 23 and again on Nov. 8, large groups of federal agents descended on Little Village, carrying out arrests and confronting residents and protesters. The Illinois Accountability Commission later singled out those three days for an investigation of what it described as an occupation of the neighborhood.</p><p>Beyond arrests, fear of immigration agents kept people home. Shops and restaurants emptied, battering Little Village’s commercial corridors. Many people continue to stay home, and some business owners are spending money accumulated over generations to remain open. Some question whether they can afford to stay. [<a class="Link" href="https://www.wbez.org/bearing-the-blitz/2026/09/17/operation-midway-blitz-ice-arrests-little-village-fears-of-displacement-gentrification" target="_blank" ><u>Chicago Sun-Times</u></a>]</p><p><a class="Link" href="https://www.wbez.org/education/2026/09/17/teaach-act-faq-illinois-aapi-asian-american-history-public-schools" target="_blank" ><b><u>3. A law requires Illinois schools to teach Asian American history. Is it happening?</u></b></a></p><p>In 2021, Illinois passed a law requiring every public elementary and high school to teach a unit of Asian American and Pacific Islander history. Five years later, many schools throughout the state have yet to fully implement the Teaching Equitable Asian American Community History Act and a standardized statewide curriculum still hasn’t been established, WBEZ’s Minju Park reports.</p><p>“Roughly 25% of teachers and students in the state of Illinois have had some participation with the Asian American curricular resources that have been made available since the bill passed,” said state Rep. Jennifer Gong-Gershowitz, D-Glenview, a sponsor of the bill. [<a class="Link" href="https://www.wbez.org/education/2026/09/17/teaach-act-faq-illinois-aapi-asian-american-history-public-schools" target="_blank" ><u>WBEZ</u></a>]</p><p>The Illinois State Board of Education said in a statement that individual school districts determine how schools meet the requirements of the TEAACH Act within their local curriculum. [<a class="Link" href="https://www.wbez.org/wbez-news/2026/09/17/are-schools-meaningfully-teaching-aapi-history" target="_blank" ><u>WBEZ</u></a>]</p><p>Education researchers report students who participate in ethnic studies are more academically engaged, develop a stronger sense of personal empowerment, perform better academically and graduate at higher rates. They also found ethnic studies curricula that teach directly about racism produce higher levels of critical thinking. [<a class="Link" href="https://www.wbez.org/wbez-news/2026/09/17/why-is-it-important-to-teach-aapi-history" target="_blank" ><u>WBEZ</u></a>]</p><p><a class="Link" href="https://www.wbez.org/housing/2026/09/16/evanston-harley-clarke-mansion-celadon-community-hub" target="_blank" ><b><u>4. Evanston’s Harley Clarke Mansion could soon become a community hub</u></b></a></p><p>The Evanston Historic Preservation Commission approved Celadon Partners’ plans to turn the 100-year-old lakefront landmark into an event space with amenities, including a coffee shop and restaurant, Abby Miller reports for the Chicago Sun-Times.</p><p>About two years ago, Celadon responded to Evanston’s Request for Proposals for the mansion with an adaptive reuse project that would include a boutique hotel. Some of the initial proposal, including the hotel, have been axed due to market conditions, but Celadon CEO Scott Henry said the team remains committed to keeping the mansion a public asset while honoring its history.</p><p>The event space will be open for public uses when it isn’t booked, such as fitness classes and co-working spaces. In addition to the restaurant and coffee shop, an ice cream parlor operated by an Evanston business is planned. Meanwhile, the mansion’s billiards room will become a jazz club-style speakeasy, Henry said. [<a class="Link" href="https://www.wbez.org/housing/2026/09/16/evanston-harley-clarke-mansion-celadon-community-hub" target="_blank" ><u>Chicago Sun-Times</u></a>]</p><p><a class="Link" href="https://www.wbez.org/movies-tv/2026/09/17/chicago-international-film-festival-2026-lineup-carrie-coon-marlon-wayans" target="_blank" ><b><u>5. Carrie Coon and Marlon Wayans will appear at the Chicago International Film Festival</u></b></a></p><p>About 45,000 cinephiles will descend on local theaters next month for the 62nd Chicago International Film Festival, which released its full lineup of 113 feature films and 57 shorts yesterday, my colleague Erica Thompson reports.</p><p>The festival opens Oct. 14 with a screening of Jordan Firstman’s acclaimed debut feature film, “Club Kid” (A24). It will close Oct. 25 with Tony Gilroy’s “Behemoth!” (Searchlight Pictures), starring Pedro Pascal and a “brilliantly unhinged” Olivia Wilde, according to Mimi Plauché, the event’s artistic director.</p><p>There will be appearances by director Tim Blake Nelson, actor and Illinois native Bob Odenkirk, and comedian and actor Marlon Wayans, who will receive a Career Achievement Award and discuss his work. Actress Aunjanue Ellis-Taylor will be given the Tour de Force Award at the world premiere of “Liz Here Now,” and actress Carrie Coon will pick up the Artistic Achievement Award at the screening of her new film, “The Liberation.”</p><p>Veterans and up-and-comers from more than 60 countries directed the slate of films. Audiences can watch everything from Oscar contenders (“Wild Horse Nine”) and timely documentaries (the unsanctioned “Musk” about Elon Musk) to gripping foreign dramas (“Fatherland” and “Sad Girlz”).</p><p>The fest will also program Chicago stories. Among the local tales are “No Hands: The Wild Ride of the Schwinn Bicycle Company” and the “Ever After” profile of Chef Curtis Duffy. “Mouse,” a film by Chicago-based directors Kelly O’Sullivan and Alex Thompson, is featured in the “centerpiece” presentation. [<a class="Link" href="https://www.wbez.org/movies-tv/2026/09/17/chicago-international-film-festival-2026-lineup-carrie-coon-marlon-wayans" target="_blank" ><u>Chicago Sun-Times</u></a>]</p><p><b>Here’s what else is happening</b></p><ul class="rte2-style-ul" style="margin-top:0;margin-bottom:0;padding-inline-start:48px;" id="rte-7449d550-b2d5-11f1-ab24-ab28ee6ae067"><li>Five public universities in Illinois use Flock surveillance cameras on campus, records show. [<a class="Link" href="https://www.wbez.org/education/2026/09/17/five-public-universities-in-illinois-use-controversial-flock-cameras-to-surveil-campus" target="_blank" ><u>WBEZ</u></a>]</li><li>Pope Leo XIV appointed a new bishop of the Diocese of Joliet. [<a class="Link" href="https://chicago.suntimes.com/religion/2026/09/17/pope-leo-xiv-appoints-new-bishop-of-the-diocese-of-joliet" target="_blank" ><u>Chicago Sun-Times</u></a>]</li><li>Sleep Out Chicago will allow participants to sleep in Soldier Field this November to raise money for homeless youth. [<a class="Link" href="https://blockclubchicago.org/2026/09/17/you-can-spend-the-night-at-soldier-field-to-raise-money-for-homeless-youth/" target="_blank" ><u>Block Club Chicago</u></a>]</li><li>An immersive live show starring Oprah Winfrey is coming to the Sphere in Las Vegas. [<a class="Link" href="https://www.wbez.org/movies-tv/2026/09/17/oprah-winfrey-aha-immersive-live-show-sphere-in-las-vegas-2027" target="_blank" ><u>Chicago Sun-Times</u></a>]</li></ul><p><b>Oh, and one more thing …</b></p><p>This fall sees some scarcity creeping back into the classical sphere, WBEZ contributor Graham Meyer reports.</p><p>Haymarket Opera Company’s September production of Monteverdi’s “L’Orfeo”: sold out. Yo-Yo Ma’s one-night-only gig at the Chicago Symphony Orchestra on Nov. 11: also no dice. Music of the Baroque’s Mozart concert in Skokie, the first two recitals in Northwestern’s Skyline Piano Series: nope and double nope. Get your calendars out — the time to book is now.</p><p>Be on the lookout for Klaus Mäkelä’s fall residency at the Chicago Symphony Orchestra, the return of Mozart’s “Don Giovanni” to the Lyric Opera of Chicago and Third Coast Percussion’s collaboration with Gary, Indiana-based electronic music artist Jlin.</p><p>You can see the full list of performances to look forward to in the link. [<a class="Link" href="https://www.wbez.org/things-to-do/2026/09/17/classical-music-performances-chicago-tickets-concerts" target="_blank" ><u>WBEZ</u></a>]</p><p><b>Tell me something good …</b></p><p>What’s a dessert recipe you recently tried for the first time and loved?</p><p>Emily writes:</p><p>“I recently tried <a class="Link" href="https://curlygirlkitchen.com/brownie-shortbread-bars-ganache/#recipe" target="_blank" ><u>this recipe</u></a> for layered shortbread brownies that my internet friend has been talking about for months, and it was FABULOUS. No modifications needed for altitude in this case, and it tasted amazing with some extra sea salt on top. Next time I’ll add some dulce de leche!”</p><p>Feel free to email me, and your response may be included in the newsletter this week.</p>

wbez.org

Should Chicago close more schools? Candidates for school board president diverge on key issue

<p>Closing public schools in Chicago became a political hot potato after former Mayor Rahm Emanuel shuttered 50 at once in 2013, creating upheaval in communities and leaving neighborhoods with decaying empty buildings.</p><p>But as <a class="Link" href="https://chicago.suntimes.com/education/2025/09/25/chicago-public-schools-enrollment-drops-restarts-decrease-migrant-students-latino-immigration" target="_blank" ><u>student enrollment continues to drop</u></a>, a growing chorus of people say it’s time to do another round.</p><p>A <a class="Link" href="https://www.chalkbeat.org/chicago/2025/06/13/chicago-public-schools-declining-enrollment-causes-small-schools-high-costs/" target="_blank" ><u>moratorium on school closings</u></a> will lift in January, just as the city’s first fully elected school board is sworn into office. For decades, the mayor controlled the school board and drove decisions about school closures.</p><p>But now, the school board president will set the agenda — and whether any school closures or consolidations should come up for a vote.</p><p>And at a <a class="Link" href="https://news.wttw.com/2026/09/15/chicago-school-board-president-forum-wttw-news-town-hall" target="_blank" ><u>forum hosted by WTTW</u></a> earlier this week, the four candidates laid out differing views on how they would approach the issue.</p><div class="Enhancement" data-align-center> <div class="HtmlModule"><a class="AnchorLink" id="html-embed-module-9e0000" name="html-embed-module-9e0000"></a><iframe width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/dvmq8g5UfAg?si=qoCfY3nPMgFHh07B&start=1707" title="YouTube video player" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" referrerpolicy="strict-origin-when-cross-origin" allowfullscreen></iframe> </div> </div><p>Hilario Dominguez, a former political director for the Chicago Teachers Union, is the only candidate who is pledging not to support school closings. Jessica Biggs, a former principal, and Victor Henderson, a prominent defense attorney, said they would consider closing schools, but only after hearing from communities that would be affected.</p><p>Sendhil Revuluri, a former Chicago board member and math teacher, made the case for closing under-enrolled high schools, in particular, because they typically can’t support a wide array of classes and programs.</p><p>Chicago Public Schools only closed one small high school in 2013, mostly because closing high schools creates safety concerns. The school district has lost about a quarter of its enrollment in the last decade, and <a class="Link" href="https://wgntv.com/news/wgn-investigates/cps-data-shows-13-high-schools-are-80-empty/" target="_blank" ><u>more than a dozen high schools are at 20% or less</u></a> of their building’s student capacity.</p><p>As of earlier this year, Chicago Public Schools data showed one-third of all district-run schools were at less than half their capacity.</p><p>Revuluri was on the school board in 2019, serving under former Mayor Lori Lightfoot when <a class="Link" href="https://chicago.suntimes.com/2019/9/1/20842132/englewood-high-school-cps-chicago-public-schools" target="_blank" ><u>Englewood STEM High School opened</u></a>. The school district was trying something new by phasing out four struggling high schools and assigning students who lived in the area to a new school.</p><p>Revuluri said the Englewood STEM principal told him about a student from one of the soon-to-be-closed schools who started crying as she toured the new building.</p><p>She told the principal: “I didn't know school could be like this,” Revuluri said.</p><p>Her school didn’t have a yearbook club or sports, and all the students attended the same classes located in one hallway, he said.</p><p>“It's not about politics,” Revuluri said. “It's not about budgets. It's about giving our students a quality educational experience.”</p><p>Biggs acknowledged that communities were harmed in the 2013 closings. At the time, she was the principal of a South Side elementary school that took in students from closed schools. She said the process created distrust in the community because “nobody ever came to them and asked what it was they wanted.”</p><p>Despite new investments in schools tapped to take in students, <a class="Link" href="https://consortium.uchicago.edu/sites/default/files/2018-10/School%20Closings%20in%20Chicago-May2018-Consortium.pdf" target="_blank" ><u>a 2018 study found</u></a> many staff felt unprepared and many children did not feel welcome at their new school.</p><p>“I can certainly say that we cannot repeat a top-down mass closure experience,” Biggs said.</p><p>But other CPS leaders have tried to get buy-in through community engagement, and it has not worked. Chicago parents, teachers and others have vigorously fought school closures, even after numerous town halls and meetings asking for their input.</p><p>Henderson also said he wanted to ask community members what they think should be done with under-enrolled schools.</p><p>“There may be a neighborhood that says, ‘We only have 10 or 15 kids in the school, and we would rather have a Boys & Girls Club so people can have some place to go after school to decrease violence,’” he said.</p><p>This also may be unrealistic. While CPS and the city promised to convert vacant schools into community assets, <a class="Link" href="https://graphics.suntimes.com/education/2023/chicagos-50-closed-schools/buildings/" target="_blank" ><u>actually delivering on that has proven difficult</u></a>. Many buildings have fallen into disrepair, making conversion even more expensive. Several neighborhoods are still grappling with empty buildings more than a decade after the 2013 school closings.</p><div class="Enhancement" data-align-center> <div class="Enhancement-item" data-crop=""> <figure class="Figure"><a class="AnchorLink" id="image-f60000" name="image-f60000"></a> <picture data-crop="medium"> <source type="image/webp" width="490" height="275" srcset="https://cst.brightspotcdn.com/dims4/default/3cfb86c/2147483647/strip/true/crop/6122x3436+0+334/resize/490x275!/format/webp/quality/90/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fchorus-production-cst-web.s3.us-east-1.amazonaws.com%2Fbrightspot%2F41%2F6a%2F4fe55a304a50a5ba887a2144d992%2F50closedschools-18.JPG 1x,https://cst.brightspotcdn.com/dims4/default/ee53d2c/2147483647/strip/true/crop/6122x3436+0+334/resize/980x550!/format/webp/quality/90/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fchorus-production-cst-web.s3.us-east-1.amazonaws.com%2Fbrightspot%2F41%2F6a%2F4fe55a304a50a5ba887a2144d992%2F50closedschools-18.JPG 2x" loading="lazy" /> <source width="490" height="275" srcset="https://cst.brightspotcdn.com/dims4/default/91ea18a/2147483647/strip/true/crop/6122x3436+0+334/resize/490x275!/quality/90/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fchorus-production-cst-web.s3.us-east-1.amazonaws.com%2Fbrightspot%2F41%2F6a%2F4fe55a304a50a5ba887a2144d992%2F50closedschools-18.JPG" loading="lazy" /> <img class="Image" alt="The former Burnham Elementary School." srcset="https://cst.brightspotcdn.com/dims4/default/91ea18a/2147483647/strip/true/crop/6122x3436+0+334/resize/490x275!/quality/90/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fchorus-production-cst-web.s3.us-east-1.amazonaws.com%2Fbrightspot%2F41%2F6a%2F4fe55a304a50a5ba887a2144d992%2F50closedschools-18.JPG 1x,https://cst.brightspotcdn.com/dims4/default/431a66a/2147483647/strip/true/crop/6122x3436+0+334/resize/980x550!/quality/90/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fchorus-production-cst-web.s3.us-east-1.amazonaws.com%2Fbrightspot%2F41%2F6a%2F4fe55a304a50a5ba887a2144d992%2F50closedschools-18.JPG 2x" width="490" height="275" src="https://cst.brightspotcdn.com/dims4/default/91ea18a/2147483647/strip/true/crop/6122x3436+0+334/resize/490x275!/quality/90/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fchorus-production-cst-web.s3.us-east-1.amazonaws.com%2Fbrightspot%2F41%2F6a%2F4fe55a304a50a5ba887a2144d992%2F50closedschools-18.JPG" loading="lazy" > </picture> <div class="Figure-content"><figcaption class="Figure-caption"><p>The former Burnham Elementary School in South Deering has remained vacant since Chicago Public Schools closed it in 2013.</p></figcaption><span class="line"></span><div class="Figure-credit"><p>Anthony Vazquez/Sun-Times file</p></div></div> </figure> </div> </div><p>Dominguez said that CPS should focus on strengthening under-enrolled schools and bringing services for the community into schools with extra space. He pointed out that some under-utilized schools already have health care clinics.</p><p>“In Atlanta, they have grocery stores inside of their schools to address food insecurity,” he said. “Imagine a world where our schools can serve both the needs of the community and our students.”</p><p>Mayor Brandon Johnson and the Chicago Teachers Union have promoted a similar program in which schools get extra money to provide wraparound services and programs.</p><p>The Sustainable Community Schools initiative is now in 51 schools, but its outcomes have been mixed so far. <a class="Link" href="https://www.chalkbeat.org/chicago/2025/12/19/chicago-public-schools-sustainable-community-schools-initiative-problems/" target="_blank" ><u>A Chalkbeat Chicago analysis</u></a> published last year found that schools in the program have higher graduation rates than those not in it. But absenteeism rose and enrollment dropped.</p><p>Dominguez called attention to the detrimental effects of past school closings.</p><p>“They don't save money,” he said. “They don’t improve academics. But what they do do is destroy our neighborhoods by increasing gun violence in the areas around those closed schools.”</p><p>Research backs up most of Dominguez’s assertions. It has proven expensive to transition students to new schools and long-term savings are hard to quantify.</p><p>When students were displaced in 2013, on average, their test scores dropped, and though they rebounded eventually, they generally didn’t outpace their peers, according to a <a class="Link" href="https://consortium.uchicago.edu/publications/school-closings-chicago-staff-and-student-experiences-and-academic-outcomes" target="_blank" ><u>2018 study by UChicago’s Consortium on School Research</u></a>.</p><p>And a recently released study from the University of Chicago and Johns Hopkins School of Public Health found <a class="Link" href="https://chicago.suntimes.com/education/2026/06/15/shootings-increased-near-chicagos-closed-schools-that-sat-empty-study-finds" target="_blank" ><u>shootings increased near schools that closed in 2013</u></a> and sat empty.</p><div class="RelatedList Enhancement" data-module data-align-center> <div class="RelatedList-title">Related</div> <ul class="RelatedList-items"> <li class="RelatedList-items-item"> <a class="Link" href="https://www.chalkbeat.org/chicago/2026/09/16/school-board-president-candidates-meet-at-wttw-forum/" target="_blank" >Chalkbeat’s 4 takeaways from the WTTW Chicago school board president candidate forum</a> </li> <li class="RelatedList-items-item"> <a class="Link" href="https://graphics.suntimes.com/education/2023/chicagos-50-closed-schools/buildings/" >Ten years later, more than half of Chicago’s closed schools remain unused</a> </li> <li class="RelatedList-items-item"> <a class="Link" href="https://www.wbez.org/education/2023/06/08/what-can-be-done-after-cps-school-closings-10-years-later" >10 years after mass CPS school closings, enrollment is even worse. What can be done?</a> </li> <li class="RelatedList-items-item"> <a class="Link" href="https://www.wbez.org/education/2023/05/25/chicagos-50-closed-schools-students-not-doing-better" >Chicago promised students would do better after closing 50 schools. That didn’t happen.</a> </li> </ul> </div> <p></p>

wbez.org

Oprah Winfrey returns with an 'immersive' live show at the Sphere in Las Vegas

<p>Fifteen years after ending “<a class="Link" href="https://chicago.suntimes.com/movies-and-tv/2024/11/27/oprah-wildest-dreams-winfrey-car-pontiac-g6-paolo-presta" >The Oprah Winfrey Show</a>” in Chicago, the media mogul is returning to deliver more engaging conversations and “aha” moments in front of an audience outside of the Midwest.</p><p>She will bring “Oprah Winfrey’s Aha” to Sphere in Las Vegas April 2-4, 2027. The venture is not a televised talk show but an “immersive” live experience, featuring music, storytelling and more, according to <a class="Link" href="https://www.sphereentertainmentco.com/oprah-winfreys-aha-a-first-of-its-kind-immersive-experience-debuts-live-at-sphere-for-one-weekend-april-2-4-2027/" target="_blank" >an announcement</a> on Sphere’s website. The two-hour event promises a unique presentation of light and sound, taking advantage of the venue’s globe-shaped space, 580,000-square-foot LED exterior, and the 160,000-square-foot, wraparound LED display inside.</p><p>Special guests include singer-songwriter Jacob Collier, poet and author Ocean Vuong, musician Ajeet and gospel singer Wintley Phipps.</p><p>“‘Aha’ is a dream that came to me as I sat in awe at the opening night of U2 at the Sphere, mesmerized by the possibilities of how the space could be used as a tool for creating greater awareness and understanding of ourselves and our connection to each other,” Winfrey said in a news release.</p><div class="Enhancement" data-align-center><div class="Enhancement-item"> <div class="ExternalContent-wrapper" data-embed> <iframe width="200" height="113" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/UuFiWC0uIac?feature=oembed" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" referrerpolicy="strict-origin-when-cross-origin" allowfullscreen title="Introducing Oprah Winfrey's AHA"></iframe> </div> </div></div><p>The show’s musical direction will be guided by composer Max Richter, musician and vocal director Jason White, and electronic artist and producer Jon Hopkins. Oscar-winning “Moonlight” screenwriter <a class="Link" href="https://chicago.suntimes.com/theater/2026/04/10/windfall-steppenwolf-play-tarell-alvin-mccraney-moonlight-writer" >Tarell Alvin McCraney</a>, who has premiered work at Chicago's Steppenwolf, will help write the show, while artist Es Devlin and the Plum Village Monks will contribute original works.</p><p>Tickets start at $145 and go on sale Sept. 25 at 10 a.m. Pacific Time. Prospective attendees can sign up for a presale and view travel packages at <a class="Link" href="http://ahalive.com" target="_blank" ><u>ahalive.com</u></a>.</p><p>Oprah began her career in Chicago in 1984 on WLS-Channel 7's morning talk show, “A.M. Chicago.” It was renamed “The Oprah Winfrey Show” in 1985 and taped at <a class="Link" href="https://chicago.suntimes.com/business/2015/3/3/18575251/oprah-s-harpo-studios-to-close-in-december" >Harpo Studios</a> on the Near West Side from 1990 to 2011.</p>

wbez.org

Evanston's Harley Clarke Mansion could soon become community hub

<p>The transformation of Evanston’s Harley Clarke Mansion — a nearly 100-year-old landmark along the lakefront — took a major step forward last week.</p><p>The Evanston Historic Preservation Commission approved Celadon Partners’ plans to turn the Harley Clarke Mansion into an event space with amenities like a coffee shop and restaurant. </p><p>“This project has been an evolution, and it's been because we've listened to the community,” Celadon Partners CEO Scott Henry said. “I think it's good, [with] time invested up front, to make sure we've got a really great project.”</p><p>About two years ago, Celadon responded to Evanston's Request for Proposals for the mansion with an <a class="Link" href="https://chicago.suntimes.com/real-estate/2024/09/27/developer-celadon-plan-commercial-uses-evanstons-landmark-harley-clarke-mansion" >adaptive reuse project</a> that would include a boutique hotel. </p><p>Some portions of the initial proposal, including the hotel, have been axed due to market conditions, but Henry said the team remains committed to keeping the mansion as a public asset while honoring its history. The redevelopment cost remains at $30 million, and the developer's seeking $12 million in federal and state historic tax credits.</p><p>When the event space isn't booked, it will be open for public uses such as fitness classes and co-working spaces. In addition to the restaurant and coffee shop, an ice cream parlor operated by an Evanston business will also open. And the mansion’s billiards room will become a jazz club-style speakeasy, Henry said.</p><p>Celadon will also launch Harley Clarke Beer Co. with more than a dozen beers brewed through a partner brewery in the North Side. Some of the beers, along with some cocktails, are based on recipes Celadon found in the mansion’s walls during demolition and due diligence work on the building. Henry said some of the beers will be brewed in French oak or gin barrels, giving them a taste “you just can’t get anywhere else.”</p><p>“Harley Clarke's going to be different and special, even above the amazing things we’re doing with the mansion,” Henry said. “We really want people to come back again and again because we're always going to be introducing these new, fun things that you just can't find anywhere else.”</p><div class="Enhancement" data-align-center> <div class="Enhancement-item" data-crop=""> <figure class="Figure"><a class="AnchorLink" id="image-190000" name="image-190000"></a> <picture data-crop="medium"> <source type="image/webp" width="490" height="275" srcset="https://cst.brightspotcdn.com/dims4/default/3eea997/2147483647/strip/true/crop/1932x1084+0+72/resize/490x275!/format/webp/quality/90/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fchorus-production-cst-web.s3.us-east-1.amazonaws.com%2Fbrightspot%2F02%2Fbb%2F5320c58441008d5e435e0d282d88%2Fharleyclarke-2.jpg 1x,https://cst.brightspotcdn.com/dims4/default/f77cb4b/2147483647/strip/true/crop/1932x1084+0+72/resize/980x550!/format/webp/quality/90/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fchorus-production-cst-web.s3.us-east-1.amazonaws.com%2Fbrightspot%2F02%2Fbb%2F5320c58441008d5e435e0d282d88%2Fharleyclarke-2.jpg 2x" loading="lazy" /> <source width="490" height="275" srcset="https://cst.brightspotcdn.com/dims4/default/0aa2ef7/2147483647/strip/true/crop/1932x1084+0+72/resize/490x275!/quality/90/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fchorus-production-cst-web.s3.us-east-1.amazonaws.com%2Fbrightspot%2F02%2Fbb%2F5320c58441008d5e435e0d282d88%2Fharleyclarke-2.jpg" loading="lazy" /> <img class="Image" alt="Rendering of Harley Clarke Mansion in Evanston." srcset="https://cst.brightspotcdn.com/dims4/default/0aa2ef7/2147483647/strip/true/crop/1932x1084+0+72/resize/490x275!/quality/90/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fchorus-production-cst-web.s3.us-east-1.amazonaws.com%2Fbrightspot%2F02%2Fbb%2F5320c58441008d5e435e0d282d88%2Fharleyclarke-2.jpg 1x,https://cst.brightspotcdn.com/dims4/default/6127fd7/2147483647/strip/true/crop/1932x1084+0+72/resize/980x550!/quality/90/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fchorus-production-cst-web.s3.us-east-1.amazonaws.com%2Fbrightspot%2F02%2Fbb%2F5320c58441008d5e435e0d282d88%2Fharleyclarke-2.jpg 2x" width="490" height="275" src="https://cst.brightspotcdn.com/dims4/default/0aa2ef7/2147483647/strip/true/crop/1932x1084+0+72/resize/490x275!/quality/90/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fchorus-production-cst-web.s3.us-east-1.amazonaws.com%2Fbrightspot%2F02%2Fbb%2F5320c58441008d5e435e0d282d88%2Fharleyclarke-2.jpg" loading="lazy" > </picture> <div class="Figure-content"><figcaption class="Figure-caption"><p>Rendering of the Harley Clarke Mansion in Evanston.</p></figcaption><span class="line"></span><div class="Figure-credit"><p>Provided by Assemble Design Workshop</p></div></div> </figure> </div> </div><p>The project includes the entire Harley Clarke Mansion grounds at 2603 Sheridan Road. The mansion was built for utility magnate Harley Clarke in 1926, and the grounds, designed by renowned landscape architect Jens Jensen, were completed in 1928. Evanston landmarked the property in 1982.</p><p>Celadon is giving the nonprofit Jens Jensen Gardens in Evanston $3.5 million to restore the property’s gardens to reflect Jensen’s original vision. The nonprofit will be a lifetime partner of property to help maintain the gardens, according to Henry.</p><p>Celadon will restore the property’s coach house into a hub for the nonprofit, including offices, equipment storage and a learning center for the public. Henry said it's also mulling a program where members of the public who volunteer with the Jens Jensen Gardens, or another nonprofit, can receive food and drink discounts at the mansion.</p><p>Henry’s firm is no stranger to adaptive reuse. It’s set to begin construction on Pullman’s historic <a class="Link" href="https://chicago.suntimes.com/real-estate/2026/02/24/gov-jb-pritzker-100-million-redevelopment-pullman-hotel-florence" >Hotel Florence</a> in March 2027, turning the site into a “mind-blowing entertainment experience.” His firm also converted the former West Pullman Elementary School into senior housing.</p><p>Henry said the Harley Clarke Mansion is in great shape compared to other historic properties his firm has worked on. </p><p>“This is a dream,” he said. “We're going to do our best to look at historic photos to try and bring back what [the mansion] was, but really … the mansion is super intact and a really nice starting point for us.”</p><p>There are “so many hidden treasures” Celadon plans to honor in the mansion’s future, Henry said. Clarke’s daughter’s bathroom is one of the most complete rooms, with original tiling depicting fairy-tales and children’s stories. The tiles are serving as the inspiration behind the ice cream parlor’s flavors, he said.</p><p>Other elements being preserved are an original copper Juliet balcony and ornate copper gutters.</p><p>Celadon still needs approvals from the Evanston Land Use Commission and the City Council. </p><p>The firm hopes to start work in March 2027 and kick off operations in the first quarter of 2028.</p><p>In the meantime, Celadon has hosted pop-ups ranging from a weekend coffee stand to ice cream and beer garden events on the mansion’s east lawn. Watch parties for Northwestern University and the Bears games are also taking place in the beer garden.</p><p>The attendance at its events has affirmed to Celadon how much the community values the mansion, Nick Jefferson, director of community development and engagement at Celadon, said.</p><p>“There's so many different people that are just using the space like a public park,” Jefferson said. “When you turn around in the back and see the beer garden, it literally feels like a hidden treasure. Folks are super excited about what's to come.”</p><div class="RelatedList Enhancement" data-module data-align-center> <div class="RelatedList-title">Related</div> <ul class="RelatedList-items"> <li class="RelatedList-items-item"> <a class="Link" href="https://chicago.suntimes.com/real-estate/2024/09/27/developer-celadon-plan-commercial-uses-evanstons-landmark-harley-clarke-mansion" >Developer’s plan would usher commercial uses into Evanston’s landmark Harley Clarke Mansion</a> </li> </ul> </div> <p></p>

wbez.org

The Rundown: Google’s plans for its Loop headquarters

<p><i>Good afternoon! It’s Wednesday, and two Chicago-area restaurants made </i><a class="Link" href="https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2026/dining/best-restaurants-america.html?unlocked_article_code=1.BlE.XYqF.EcLc71WlTgbA&smid=url-share" target="_blank" ><i><u>this list</u></i></a><i> of the country’s best eateries. Here’s what else you need to know today.</i></p><p><a class="Link" href="https://www.wbez.org/architecture/2026/09/16/google-artist-sanford-biggers-sculpture-loop-thompson-center-headquarters" target="_blank" ><b><u>1. Google linked with artist Sanford Biggers to create a major outdoor sculpture for its Loop headquarters</u></b></a></p><p>Called Vector, the winding, angular piece will be composed of glazed terra cotta panels — a contrast to the glassy and rounded headquarters and its now-muted exterior colors brought about by the building’s current renovation, my colleague Lee Bey writes. The sculpture will be 30 feet tall and inspired by 19th-century quilt patterns.</p><p>“The quilt is interesting to me because it is sort of the repository of American culture, in a lot of ways,” said Biggers, 56, a Los Angeles artist who lived in Chicago while earning his master’s at the School of the Art Institute of Chicago in the 1990s. “There’s also rumored stories of [quilts] being used along the Underground Railroad as a coded symbol, but I’m also very interested in the geometry and the pattern and the craftsmanship of the objects themselves. Vector is actually handmade tiles that I’ve made with existing quilts in mind.”</p><p>The sculpture, expected to be completed next year, will be set in place on the plaza near where Jean Dubuffet’s 29-foot tall Monument with Standing Beast stood during the building’s previous life as the state-owned James R. Thompson Center.</p><p>The state put the Dubuffet in storage in 2024 after selling the building. There were plans to ultimately place the work at the Art Institute of Chicago on permanent loan, but the deal never happened. So for now, Standing Beast sits and waits.</p><p>Yesterday, Google also released a few new images depicting its headquarters’ renovated atrium. Renderings show the ground floor — where the food court used to be — will have a circular terraced seating area with retail space. And Google said it’s restoring, rather than replacing, the original rosette at the center of the floor. [<a class="Link" href="https://www.wbez.org/architecture/2026/09/16/google-artist-sanford-biggers-sculpture-loop-thompson-center-headquarters" target="_blank" ><u>Chicago Sun-Times</u></a>]</p><p><a class="Link" href="https://www.wbez.org/health-medicine/2026/09/16/chicago-heatwave-cooling-ordinance-violation-air-conditioning-heat-related-death" target="_blank" ><b><u>2. A historic South Side building was the first to violate Chicago’s cooling ordinance this year</u></b></a></p><p>Records show the failed inspection at the Yale Building in Englewood happened on Aug. 31, my colleague Eunice Lee reports. Landlords and building owners can be fined up to $1,000 per day per violation.</p><p>“Following our inspection of 6565 S. Yale Ave., inspectors cited the property for an inoperable chiller and noncompliance with the City’s Cooling Ordinance,” wrote Nefsa’Hyatt Brown, director of public affairs for the city’s Department of Buildings, in a Sept. 3 email. "[The Department of Buildings] has escalated our enforcement action to the Department of Law for Circuit Court.”</p><p>The Yale Building was constructed in the 1890s and converted into low-income senior housing in 2003. Owner John Luce said the 20-year-old, 100-ton chiller has been fixed and will be replaced this fall.</p><p>Chicago’s cooling ordinance was established after three elderly women died at the James Sneider Apartments in Rogers Park in summer 2022. The ordinance requires certain buildings — including nursing homes, housing for older persons, high-rises over 80 feet and residential buildings with 100 or more units — to “provide air conditioning in every unit, or maintain a designated air-conditioned common area available to residents when the heat index exceeds 80 degrees,” Brown wrote. “We have had 8 violations of the Chicago Cooling Ordinance referred to the City’s Department of Law, including the most recent at 6565 S. Yale.”</p><p>So far this year, 14 people have died from heat-related causes in Cook County, the most in any year since at least 2015. Eleven of the deaths have occurred in Chicago. [<a class="Link" href="https://www.wbez.org/health-medicine/2026/09/16/chicago-heatwave-cooling-ordinance-violation-air-conditioning-heat-related-death" target="_blank" ><u>WBEZ/Chicago Sun-Times</u></a>]</p><p><a class="Link" href="https://chicago.suntimes.com/crime/2026/09/16/broadview-six-boutros-abughazaleh-perry" target="_blank" ><b><u>3. The ‘Broadview 6’ want a special counsel to investigate their case</u></b></a></p><p>Defense attorneys argue “significant failings” by Chicago U.S. Attorney Andrew Boutros demonstrate the need for an independent special counsel to determine what went wrong with the tainted prosecution, Jon Seidel reports for the Chicago Sun-Times.</p><p>At “bare minimum,” they said, answers are needed about Boutros’ recent admission that he’s been in possession since last fall of an October 2025 grand jury transcript documenting apparent misconduct by one of his prosecutors.</p><p>That misconduct occurred while the feds were seeking an indictment against six individuals who pushed back against the Trump administration’s Operation Midway Blitz deportation campaign. They were indicted last October for an alleged conspiracy to impede a federal agent, but the charges have since been dropped.</p><p>Boutros has said he doesn’t remember reading the transcript after he received it. He told U.S. District Judge April Perry in May he only learned of the misconduct in April. [<a class="Link" href="https://chicago.suntimes.com/crime/2026/09/16/broadview-six-boutros-abughazaleh-perry" target="_blank" ><u>Chicago Sun-Times</u></a>]</p><p><a class="Link" href="https://www.wbez.org/music/2026/09/16/ravinia-renovations-martin-theatre-arts-crafts-architecture-music" target="_blank" ><b><u>4. Ravinia will kick off $38 million more in renovations, this time to its 122-year-old Martin Theatre</u></b></a></p><p>As Ambar Colón reports for the Chicago Sun-Times, the building is the last original structure from when the 36-acre wooded park in Highland Park opened in 1904. The Northbrook-based Negaunee Foundation gifted Ravinia the funds to complete the modernization project.</p><p>The first phase of construction will begin next month, with the Martin closing after English singer-songwriter Jacob Collier performs on Sept. 23, according to a press release. Renovations will pause for performances slated during the 2027 season, but work will resume shortly after it ends. The building will officially reopen to the public in 2028.</p><p>The Martin Theatre, with its stained glass windows and thoughtfully crafted wood details, is a prime example of the Arts and Crafts architectural movement. Notably, the historic structure’s stained glass windows inspired the design of the new acoustics shell Ravinia opened this summer, the result of a $70 million round of renovations. [<a class="Link" href="https://www.wbez.org/music/2026/09/16/ravinia-renovations-martin-theatre-arts-crafts-architecture-music" target="_blank" ><u>Chicago Sun-Times</u></a>]</p><p><a class="Link" href="https://www.wbez.org/music/2026/09/16/jazz-chicago-free-festivals-music-englewood-hyde-park-coltrane-miles-davis" target="_blank" ><b><u>5. Here are 10 jazz sets to see this month at Chicago’s free festivals, from up-and-comers to John Coltrane tributes</u></b></a></p><p>Chicago has had an especially big year for jazz, beginning when the city hosted the UNESCO International Jazz Day in April. But local fans of the genre know September is the city’s true jazz month, when three free festivals unfold across town. While Downtown’s city-run Chicago Jazz Festival has come and gone, there are still plenty of world-class jazz performances on deck.</p><p>This weekend, the 27th annual Englewood Jazz Festival, founded by the esteemed saxophonist Ernest Dawkins, will uplift up-and-coming musicians, including members of the longstanding training ensemble the Young Masters. The event also will celebrate all-time greats like John Coltrane and Miles Davis, who were both born 100 years ago.</p><p>Later this month, the Hyde Park Jazz Festival will ring in its 20th year.</p><p>With so much free music to be heard, my colleague Courtney Kueppers compiled a roundup of sets you won’t want to miss at these South Side festivals, which you can see in the link. [<a class="Link" href="https://www.wbez.org/music/2026/09/16/jazz-chicago-free-festivals-music-englewood-hyde-park-coltrane-miles-davis" target="_blank" ><u>WBEZ</u></a>]</p><p><b>Here’s what else is happening</b></p><ul class="rte2-style-ul" style="margin-top:0;margin-bottom:0;padding-inline-start:48px;" id="rte-44799bb3-b20f-11f1-bc7d-c71dafbb3c17"><li>The Federal Reserve hiked interest rates for the first time in three years, defying President Donald Trump. [<a class="Link" href="https://apnews.com/live/trump-iran-war-kennedy-center-midterms-news-updates-09-16-2026" target="_blank" ><u>AP</u></a>]</li><li>The Obamas’ pet dog Sunny has died. [<a class="Link" href="https://apnews.com/article/obama-pet-dog-sunny-dies-ba038e3e6112ee430a2fa1568d9bad77" target="_blank" ><u>AP</u></a>]</li><li>More people than ever are trying to get into college classes in Illinois prisons, but demand far outpaces available spots. [<a class="Link" href="https://www.wbez.org/2026/09/16/more-people-than-ever-are-trying-to-get-into-college-classes-in-illinois-prisons-it-hasnt-gotten-easier" target="_blank" ><u>WBEZ/Open Campus</u></a>]</li><li>Divvy ridership in Chicago hit a record-high 3.5 million trips this summer. [<a class="Link" href="https://blockclubchicago.org/2026/09/15/chicagos-divvy-ridership-hits-record-high-with-3-5-million-trips-this-summer/" target="_blank" ><u>Block Club Chicago</u></a>]</li></ul><p><b>Oh, and one more thing …</b></p><p>Chicago native Chaka Khan has been getting her flowers and booking gigs all year. Friday’s release of her new album, “Chakzilla,” finds her finally steering her career on her own terms, my colleague Erica Thompson reports.</p><p>The first few singles from the record have been upbeat, pop tunes flavored with disco, funk and jazz elements. Khan sings about being confident, having fun, spreading joy and embracing a promising romance.</p><p>Fans won’t hear any slow jams on the album, which Khan will release on her label, EarthSong. She said ballads just didn’t fit the “vibe.”</p><p>“It’s uplifting,” she said of the project, which also includes a song with Lenny Kravitz. “It’s positive. It’s not, ‘Oh my God, you don’t love me.’ None of that crap. It’s just about being out in the world, living your life, having fun, feeling good and being a good person.” [<a class="Link" href="https://www.wbez.org/music/2026/09/16/chaka-khan-chakzilla-sia-west-end-musical-chicago-music" target="_blank" ><u>Chicago Sun-Times</u></a>]</p><p><b>Tell me something good …</b></p><p>What’s a dessert recipe you recently tried for the first time and loved?</p><p>Sarah writes:</p><p>“Last Thanksgiving, I auditioned a new <a class="Link" href="https://altonbrown.com/recipes/the-apple-pie/" target="_blank" ><u>apple pie recipe</u></a>. Tired of apple pies that overwhelmingly taste like fall spices, I tried Alton Brown’s recipe that features grains of paradise instead of the familiar cinnamon, nutmeg and allspice. Taking a note from our neighbors to the north, I also grated a little cheddar into the crust for a bit of sharpness. It was the most apple-y apple pie I’ve ever tasted, and the recipe definitely landed the starring role for holidays to come!”</p><p>Feel free to email me, and your response may be included in the newsletter this week.</p>

wbez.org

Ravinia will kick off $38 million more in renovations, this time to 122-year-old Martin Theatre

<p>Ravinia Festival announced another series of renovations on Wednesday, this time to the Martin Theatre, the last original structure standing from when the 36-acre wooded park in Highland Park opened in 1904.</p><p>The Martin Theatre refresh will cost an estimated $38 million. The Northbrook-based Negaunee Foundation gifted Ravinia the funds to complete the modernization project.</p><p>The building will close down after English singer-songwriter Jacob Collier performs on Sept. 23, and the first phase of construction will begin on the Martin in October, according to a press release. Next summer, the renovations will pause for performances slated during the 2027 season, but work will resume shortly after it ends, then officially reopen to the public during the 2028 season.</p><div class="Enhancement" data-align-center> <div class="Enhancement-item" data-crop=""> <figure class="Figure"><a class="AnchorLink" id="image-6f0000" name="image-6f0000"></a> <picture data-crop="medium"> <source type="image/webp" width="490" height="275" srcset="https://cst.brightspotcdn.com/dims4/default/7f8efa7/2147483647/strip/true/crop/5400x3031+0+310/resize/490x275!/format/webp/quality/90/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fchorus-production-cst-web.s3.us-east-1.amazonaws.com%2Fbrightspot%2Fbf%2F49%2F9e79b5794ed69ef1e557937460dd%2Fb8n2f01-182.tif 1x,https://cst.brightspotcdn.com/dims4/default/8b6c3ab/2147483647/strip/true/crop/5400x3031+0+310/resize/980x550!/format/webp/quality/90/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fchorus-production-cst-web.s3.us-east-1.amazonaws.com%2Fbrightspot%2Fbf%2F49%2F9e79b5794ed69ef1e557937460dd%2Fb8n2f01-182.tif 2x" loading="lazy" /> <source width="490" height="275" srcset="https://cst.brightspotcdn.com/dims4/default/74c4efb/2147483647/strip/true/crop/5400x3031+0+310/resize/490x275!/quality/90/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fchorus-production-cst-web.s3.us-east-1.amazonaws.com%2Fbrightspot%2Fbf%2F49%2F9e79b5794ed69ef1e557937460dd%2Fb8n2f01-182.tif" loading="lazy" /> <img class="Image" alt="The Martin Theatre sits just past the park's main gate. This photo is from when the music hall was renamed the Murray Theatre, from 1960 to 1995." srcset="https://cst.brightspotcdn.com/dims4/default/74c4efb/2147483647/strip/true/crop/5400x3031+0+310/resize/490x275!/quality/90/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fchorus-production-cst-web.s3.us-east-1.amazonaws.com%2Fbrightspot%2Fbf%2F49%2F9e79b5794ed69ef1e557937460dd%2Fb8n2f01-182.tif 1x,https://cst.brightspotcdn.com/dims4/default/3df45ec/2147483647/strip/true/crop/5400x3031+0+310/resize/980x550!/quality/90/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fchorus-production-cst-web.s3.us-east-1.amazonaws.com%2Fbrightspot%2Fbf%2F49%2F9e79b5794ed69ef1e557937460dd%2Fb8n2f01-182.tif 2x" width="490" height="275" src="https://cst.brightspotcdn.com/dims4/default/74c4efb/2147483647/strip/true/crop/5400x3031+0+310/resize/490x275!/quality/90/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fchorus-production-cst-web.s3.us-east-1.amazonaws.com%2Fbrightspot%2Fbf%2F49%2F9e79b5794ed69ef1e557937460dd%2Fb8n2f01-182.tif" loading="lazy" > </picture> <div class="Figure-content"><figcaption class="Figure-caption"><p>The Martin Theatre sits just past the park’s main gate. This photo is from when the music hall was renamed the Murray Theatre, from 1960 to 1995.</p></figcaption><span class="line"></span><div class="Figure-credit"><p>Courtesy of Ravinia Festival</p></div></div> </figure> </div> </div><p>“The Martin Theater has always been the soul or the heart of Ravinia,” said CEO Jeffrey P. Haydon. “It's a very rare living example of a true Arts and Crafts theater.”</p><p>He’s referring to an architectural style made popular by the likes of Frank Lloyd Wright and other 19th- and 20th-century architects. The Martin Theater, with its stained glass windows and thoughtfully crafted wood details, is a prime example of the Arts and Crafts movement.</p><p>Notably, the historic structure’s stained glass windows <a class="Link" href="https://chicago.suntimes.com/music/2026/07/10/ravinia-renovation-hunter-pavilion-cso-lizzo-acoustics-architect-history-concert-tickets" target="_blank" ><u>inspired the design of the new acoustics shell</u></a> that Ravinia opened this summer, the result of a $70 million round of renovations.</p><div class="Enhancement" data-align-center> <div class="Enhancement-item" data-crop=""> <figure class="Figure"><a class="AnchorLink" id="image-fc0000" name="image-fc0000"></a> <picture data-crop="medium"> <source type="image/webp" width="490" height="275" srcset="https://cst.brightspotcdn.com/dims4/default/f1ac9f1/2147483647/strip/true/crop/7127x4000+0+377/resize/490x275!/format/webp/quality/90/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fchorus-production-cst-web.s3.us-east-1.amazonaws.com%2Fbrightspot%2Ff9%2F66%2Ffa7265304ce6a41a80e89cd5129f%2Fraviniareno-260711-25.JPG 1x,https://cst.brightspotcdn.com/dims4/default/2a3b02d/2147483647/strip/true/crop/7127x4000+0+377/resize/980x550!/format/webp/quality/90/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fchorus-production-cst-web.s3.us-east-1.amazonaws.com%2Fbrightspot%2Ff9%2F66%2Ffa7265304ce6a41a80e89cd5129f%2Fraviniareno-260711-25.JPG 2x" loading="lazy" /> <source width="490" height="275" srcset="https://cst.brightspotcdn.com/dims4/default/f3fd339/2147483647/strip/true/crop/7127x4000+0+377/resize/490x275!/quality/90/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fchorus-production-cst-web.s3.us-east-1.amazonaws.com%2Fbrightspot%2Ff9%2F66%2Ffa7265304ce6a41a80e89cd5129f%2Fraviniareno-260711-25.JPG" loading="lazy" /> <img class="Image" alt="The windows at the Martin Theatre at Ravinia Festival in Highland Park." srcset="https://cst.brightspotcdn.com/dims4/default/f3fd339/2147483647/strip/true/crop/7127x4000+0+377/resize/490x275!/quality/90/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fchorus-production-cst-web.s3.us-east-1.amazonaws.com%2Fbrightspot%2Ff9%2F66%2Ffa7265304ce6a41a80e89cd5129f%2Fraviniareno-260711-25.JPG 1x,https://cst.brightspotcdn.com/dims4/default/f9aa184/2147483647/strip/true/crop/7127x4000+0+377/resize/980x550!/quality/90/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fchorus-production-cst-web.s3.us-east-1.amazonaws.com%2Fbrightspot%2Ff9%2F66%2Ffa7265304ce6a41a80e89cd5129f%2Fraviniareno-260711-25.JPG 2x" width="490" height="275" src="https://cst.brightspotcdn.com/dims4/default/f3fd339/2147483647/strip/true/crop/7127x4000+0+377/resize/490x275!/quality/90/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fchorus-production-cst-web.s3.us-east-1.amazonaws.com%2Fbrightspot%2Ff9%2F66%2Ffa7265304ce6a41a80e89cd5129f%2Fraviniareno-260711-25.JPG" loading="lazy" > </picture> <div class="Figure-content"><figcaption class="Figure-caption"><p>The windows at the Martin Theatre at Ravinia Festival in Highland Park.</p></figcaption><span class="line"></span><div class="Figure-credit"><p>Ashlee Rezin/Sun-Times</p></div></div> </figure> </div> </div><p>“We feel this is a really important project for us to preserve,” Haydon said. But a lot of basic infrastructure work needs to be completed. Ravinia is once again working with Lohan Architecture’s principal architect Michael Barnes and his team for the updates.</p><p>From rotting wooden beams to corroded electrical lines and rain damage, the Martin Theatre has been due for a restoration for some time, Haydon said. New light and sound systems will be installed, along with upgraded dressing rooms and better bathrooms.</p><p>That includes making it comfortable for music lovers of the 21st century, too.</p><p>“We're all bigger than we were 120 years ago, and so the seats need to be a little bit further apart and we need to have more expanded bathrooms,” Haydon said. “Artists are just as important as the people in the audience.”</p><p>When the Martin Theater opened in 1904, it primarily served as a cinema and a vaudeville house — meaning the building housed a variety of performances and genres.</p><div class="Enhancement" data-align-center> <div class="Enhancement-item" data-crop=""> <figure class="Figure"><a class="AnchorLink" id="image-c40000" name="image-c40000"></a> <picture data-crop="medium"> <source type="image/webp" width="490" height="275" srcset="https://cst.brightspotcdn.com/dims4/default/77d9887/2147483647/strip/true/crop/2780x1560+0+235/resize/490x275!/format/webp/quality/90/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fchorus-production-cst-web.s3.us-east-1.amazonaws.com%2Fbrightspot%2Fca%2F9d%2F00c65cf94e558278f4f34647d220%2F05-054a-018a-stock-cso-raviniaca1906.jpg 1x,https://cst.brightspotcdn.com/dims4/default/478ca85/2147483647/strip/true/crop/2780x1560+0+235/resize/980x550!/format/webp/quality/90/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fchorus-production-cst-web.s3.us-east-1.amazonaws.com%2Fbrightspot%2Fca%2F9d%2F00c65cf94e558278f4f34647d220%2F05-054a-018a-stock-cso-raviniaca1906.jpg 2x" loading="lazy" /> <source width="490" height="275" srcset="https://cst.brightspotcdn.com/dims4/default/e339056/2147483647/strip/true/crop/2780x1560+0+235/resize/490x275!/quality/90/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fchorus-production-cst-web.s3.us-east-1.amazonaws.com%2Fbrightspot%2Fca%2F9d%2F00c65cf94e558278f4f34647d220%2F05-054a-018a-stock-cso-raviniaca1906.jpg" loading="lazy" /> <img class="Image" alt="Frederick Stock and members of the Chicago Symphony Orchestra on the steps of the Ravinia Theatre (circa 1905)." srcset="https://cst.brightspotcdn.com/dims4/default/e339056/2147483647/strip/true/crop/2780x1560+0+235/resize/490x275!/quality/90/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fchorus-production-cst-web.s3.us-east-1.amazonaws.com%2Fbrightspot%2Fca%2F9d%2F00c65cf94e558278f4f34647d220%2F05-054a-018a-stock-cso-raviniaca1906.jpg 1x,https://cst.brightspotcdn.com/dims4/default/ece3c74/2147483647/strip/true/crop/2780x1560+0+235/resize/980x550!/quality/90/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fchorus-production-cst-web.s3.us-east-1.amazonaws.com%2Fbrightspot%2Fca%2F9d%2F00c65cf94e558278f4f34647d220%2F05-054a-018a-stock-cso-raviniaca1906.jpg 2x" width="490" height="275" src="https://cst.brightspotcdn.com/dims4/default/e339056/2147483647/strip/true/crop/2780x1560+0+235/resize/490x275!/quality/90/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fchorus-production-cst-web.s3.us-east-1.amazonaws.com%2Fbrightspot%2Fca%2F9d%2F00c65cf94e558278f4f34647d220%2F05-054a-018a-stock-cso-raviniaca1906.jpg" loading="lazy" > </picture> <div class="Figure-content"><figcaption class="Figure-caption"><p>Frederick Stock and members of the Chicago Symphony Orchestra on the steps of the Ravinia Theatre, circa 1905-1906.</p></figcaption><span class="line"></span><div class="Figure-credit"><p> Courtesy of Ravinia Festival</p></div></div> </figure> </div> </div><p>The desire to keep programming diversified at the Martin remains a goal of the updates, Haydon said.</p><p>“Our intention is to continue building on the classical music tradition with chamber music recitals and operas, but also add more versatility and functionality so that it can better also support jazz, folk, Americana, and some pop,” he said.</p><p>Haydon said that the new design for the theater will also support Ravinia’s youth music education programs, which have expanded over the last two decades. The multimillion-dollar gift from The Negaunee Foundation is the largest in Ravinia’s history, according to the press release.</p><div class="Enhancement" data-align-center> <div class="Enhancement-item" data-crop=""> <figure class="Figure"><a class="AnchorLink" id="image-160000" name="image-160000"></a> <picture data-crop="medium"> <source type="image/webp" width="490" height="275" srcset="https://cst.brightspotcdn.com/dims4/default/ce17a9a/2147483647/strip/true/crop/5400x3031+0+243/resize/490x275!/format/webp/quality/90/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fchorus-production-cst-web.s3.us-east-1.amazonaws.com%2Fbrightspot%2F9e%2Fa6%2F3e176d7e43f6b6e74fcc6474c211%2Fb3n3f03-008.tif 1x,https://cst.brightspotcdn.com/dims4/default/1306ef1/2147483647/strip/true/crop/5400x3031+0+243/resize/980x550!/format/webp/quality/90/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fchorus-production-cst-web.s3.us-east-1.amazonaws.com%2Fbrightspot%2F9e%2Fa6%2F3e176d7e43f6b6e74fcc6474c211%2Fb3n3f03-008.tif 2x" loading="lazy" /> <source width="490" height="275" srcset="https://cst.brightspotcdn.com/dims4/default/e91bd1b/2147483647/strip/true/crop/5400x3031+0+243/resize/490x275!/quality/90/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fchorus-production-cst-web.s3.us-east-1.amazonaws.com%2Fbrightspot%2F9e%2Fa6%2F3e176d7e43f6b6e74fcc6474c211%2Fb3n3f03-008.tif" loading="lazy" /> <img class="Image" alt="Concertgoers walk in and out of the present-day Martin Theatre. The building was renamed to the Murray Theatre from 1960 to 1995." srcset="https://cst.brightspotcdn.com/dims4/default/e91bd1b/2147483647/strip/true/crop/5400x3031+0+243/resize/490x275!/quality/90/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fchorus-production-cst-web.s3.us-east-1.amazonaws.com%2Fbrightspot%2F9e%2Fa6%2F3e176d7e43f6b6e74fcc6474c211%2Fb3n3f03-008.tif 1x,https://cst.brightspotcdn.com/dims4/default/b611972/2147483647/strip/true/crop/5400x3031+0+243/resize/980x550!/quality/90/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fchorus-production-cst-web.s3.us-east-1.amazonaws.com%2Fbrightspot%2F9e%2Fa6%2F3e176d7e43f6b6e74fcc6474c211%2Fb3n3f03-008.tif 2x" width="490" height="275" src="https://cst.brightspotcdn.com/dims4/default/e91bd1b/2147483647/strip/true/crop/5400x3031+0+243/resize/490x275!/quality/90/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fchorus-production-cst-web.s3.us-east-1.amazonaws.com%2Fbrightspot%2F9e%2Fa6%2F3e176d7e43f6b6e74fcc6474c211%2Fb3n3f03-008.tif" loading="lazy" > </picture> <div class="Figure-content"><figcaption class="Figure-caption"><p>Concertgoers walk in and out of the present-day Martin Theatre. The building was renamed to the Murray Theatre from 1960 to 1995.</p></figcaption><span class="line"></span><div class="Figure-credit"><p>Courtesy of Ravinia Festival</p></div></div> </figure> </div> </div><p>The updates are part of a major revamp effort in preparation for the park’s 125th anniversary in 2029. Last year, Ravinia <a class="Link" href="https://chicago.suntimes.com/music/2025/08/09/ravinia-renovations-the-audrey-grand-reopening-2026" target="_blank" ><u>unveiled the first of its renovated venues</u></a>, the Sandra K. Crown Theater inside The Audrey, ahead of its grand reopening this past July.</p><p>Concertgoers bought tickets to see the Chicago Symphony Orchestra perform with pop artist Lizzo and classical pianist Yunchan Lim, and <a class="Link" href="https://chicago.suntimes.com/music/2026/07/10/ravinia-renovation-hunter-pavilion-cso-lizzo-acoustics-architect-history-concert-tickets" target="_blank" ><u>were among the first to experience the $70 million makeover</u></a> of the park’s signature stage, the Hunter Pavilion. That update included a bigger stage, wider chairs and better acoustics — but fewer seats.</p><p>Future phases of renovations include updates to the Carousel Stage and Bennett Gordon Hall.</p>

wbez.org

More people than ever are trying to get into college classes in Illinois prisons. It hasn't gotten easier.

<p>Access to college classes in Illinois prisons is falling further behind demand, even as the state makes progress getting people into GED and literacy programs. That’s according to <a class="Link" href="https://idoc.illinois.gov/reportsandstatistics/annual-report-for-higher-education.html" target="_blank" ><u>data published</u></a> by the Illinois Department of Corrections at the beginning of September.</p><p>The number of people on educational waitlists significantly exceeds the number taking classes. Since last year, the number of people on the waitlist for college classes has increased by 80%.</p><p>Around 2,600 out of the approximately 30,000 people incarcerated in Illinois are enrolled in higher education, while another 3,700 are on a waitlist, according to IDOC.</p><p>"That's a pretty powerful indication that the challenge isn't a lack of interest in education — it's our capacity to meet that interest," said Ashton Klekamp, policy and research director at the Education Justice Project at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, which offers college classes at Danville Correctional Center.</p><p>Research shows that <a class="Link" href="https://www.mackinac.org/pressroom/2023/research-finds-prison-education-programs-reduce-recidivism" target="_blank" ><u>participating in education</u></a> while incarcerated helps people find employment after release and reduces the likelihood they'll return to prison. In Illinois, some people who complete educational programs can also <a class="Link" href="https://www.opencampus.org/2026/01/05/no-good-time-for-you-the-recordkeeping-problem-keeping-people-locked-up-longer/" target="_blank" ><u>earn credit</u></a> toward an earlier release.</p><p>The state’s enrollment figures include both college classes and career and technical education, as well as around 750 people on supervised release — Illinois' version of parole. It’s unclear if those on supervised release are studying at outside colleges, or if they are enrolled in programs behind bars.</p><p>This is the second year Illinois has published this data. In 2023, lawmakers passed legislation requiring the Illinois Department of Corrections to publish detailed data each yearabout enrollment, waitlists and spending on educational programs. It’s one of the few states that require corrections departments to publicly report such data.</p><h3><b>Who’s studying behind bars in Illinois</b></h3><p>White people are significantly overrepresented in higher education relative to the overall prison population, while Black and Hispanic people are underrepresented. White people make up over a third of the prison population but nearly half of those studying. Black people, by contrast, make up more than half of the prison population but only 43% of higher education participants. Hispanic people make up 13% of the prison population but only 10% of participants.</p><div class="Enhancement" data-align-center><div class="Enhancement-item"> <div class="ExternalContent-wrapper" data-embed> <iframe title="Illinois Department of Corrections Population Data" aria-label="Grouped column chart" id="datawrapper-chart-VcRrw" src="https://datawrapper.dwcdn.net/VcRrw/2/" scrolling="no" frameborder="0" style="width: 0; min-width: 100% !important; border: none;" height="533" data-external="1"></iframe><script type="text/javascript">(function(){function e(){window.addEventListener(`message`,function(e){if(e.data[`datawrapper-height`]!==void 0){var t=document.querySelectorAll(`iframe`);for(var n in e.data[`datawrapper-height`])for(var r=0,i;i=t[r];r++)if(i.contentWindow===e.source){var a=e.data[`datawrapper-height`][n]+`px`;i.style.height=a}}})}e()})();</script> </div> </div></div><p>About 160 women are enrolled in prison higher education programs here, and their enrollment is roughly the same as their share of Illinois’ prison population. However, the number of women participating in education declined by about a quarter since last year.</p><p>The average person enrolled in higher education is 39 years old with about 4.4 years left on their sentence — consistent with the state's practice of <a class="Link" href="https://www.wbez.org/criminal-justice/2025/06/19/mans-18-year-journey-to-get-his-ged-while-locked-up-illinois-prisons" target="_blank" ><u>prioritizing people closest to release</u></a> for educational programming.</p><p>"For a long time … we didn't have a sense of where that access existed and who didn't have access," Klekamp said. "The demographic data is something that is really important…People are telling us very clearly that they want an education. The question for Illinois is whether we're willing to build the capacity to meet that demand."</p><h3><b>Geography matters</b></h3><p>Whether someone has access to higher education depends largely on geography.</p><p>“One of the things that jumps out immediately is how uneven access is across facilities,” Klecamp said. “It tells us that the experience of trying to access education can depend considerably on where someone is incarcerated."</p><p>The average wait for a spot has dropped since last year, from about 1.3 years to roughly 324 days, a shift possibly driven by a surge of new applicants on lists. IDOC spokesperson Naomi Puzzello attributed the growth in applicants to more people successfully completing the academic placement test required for programs and therefore being eligible for higher education.</p><p>Danville Correctional Center now has the longest average wait in the system, at nearly 5.5 years. Logan, Illinois’ largest women’s prison which offers a bachelor's degree through Northwestern University, follows closely at just under 4.9 years.</p><p>Several people in prison have been waiting years to get enrolled in prison higher education programs.</p><p>At Big Muddy River prison, one person has been on the waitlist since October 2006 — the longest wait Open Campus found in the data, at nearly 19 years. Several other facilities — including Dixon, Pinckneyville, Taylorville, and Western Illinois — have people who were put on waitlists between 2016 and 2019.</p><p>Many of the people with the longest waits remain at the bottom of the lists under the system's release-based approach. The individual who has waited longest of all, at Big Muddy River, has no listed sentence length in the data — which typically indicates a life sentence or similarly indefinite term.</p><p>Some facilities have especially large waitlists because they host several college programs at once. Sheridan Correctional Center is the clearest example, where 78% of the population is either studying or waiting for a spot. Its waitlist has grown since the facility absorbed Northwestern's bachelor's program and other college offerings after <a class="Link" href="https://www.opencampus.org/2024/08/20/what-will-the-stateville-shutdown-mean-for-higher-education-programs-behind-bars/" target="_blank" ><u>Stateville’s 2024 closure</u></a>.</p><p>Other facilities have no waitlists because they offer little to no higher education programming in the first place. Menard, in southern Illinois, has just 8 people enrolled and 8 on the waitlist; its only offerings are <a class="Link" href="https://idoc.illinois.gov/facilities/allfacilities/facility.menard-correctional-center.html" target="_blank" ><u>two career and technical tracks</u></a>, in building and construction maintenance and small engine repair. Pontiac, in central Illinois, has <a class="Link" href="https://idoc.illinois.gov/facilities/allfacilities/facility.pontiac-correctional-center.html" target="_blank" ><u>no higher education programming at all</u></a> and almost no one on its waitlist.</p><p>Puzzello said IDOC is "consistently working to expand academic opportunities" and remains open to partnering with higher education providers interested in offering programs at facilities like these.</p><h3><b>Progress on GED and literacy programs and more funding for state colleges</b></h3><p>The state appears to be making progress getting people into GED and literacy programs. The waitlist for these programs shrank slightly this year compared to 2025, even as participation held roughly steady. Puzzello said the decline is due to increased staffing, improved movement between facilities, and a higher GED pass rate.</p><p>Illinois lawmakers have begun <a class="Link" href="https://www.ilga.gov/Legislation/BillStatus?DocNum=111&GAID=18&DocTypeID=HB&LegId=155787&SessionID=114" target="_blank" ><u>directing state money</u></a> toward public colleges and universities offering higher education in prison. The state's 2027 budget included $250,000 for the Illinois Board of Higher Education to help fund bachelor's degree programs in prisons, and another $250,000 for the Illinois Community College Board to help fund associate degree programs.</p><p>Currently, the majority of bachelor's degree programs in Illinois prisons come through private universities — Northwestern, Lewis, Adler and Augustana all offer bachelor's degrees. North Park Theological Seminary offers a master’s degree in restorative justice ministries.</p><p>The only four-year public institutions offering credit-bearing academic courses are University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, which offers college credit but not a full degree, and Eastern Illinois University. Both operate at Danville Correctional Center. Community college programming, meanwhile, is <a class="Link" href="https://www.iccb.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/01/Annual_IDOC_Enroll_Comp_2025.pdf" target="_blank" ><u>overwhelmingly concentrated in career and technical education</u></a> rather than academic coursework and offered by just three colleges.</p><p>Puzzello wrote that the department is "requesting that colleges reinstate academic courses using the appropriated funds." She added that IDOC expects higher education staffing to increase as community colleges reinstate academic courses, though she did not specify which courses or facilities that refers to.</p><p><i>This story was produced in partnership with </i><a class="Link" href="https://www.opencampus.org/college-inside/" target="_blank" ><i><u>Open Campus</u></i></a><i>, a nonprofit newsroom covering higher education. It's published in partnership with WBEZ's </i><a class="Link" href="https://www.wbez.org/prisoncast-illinois" target="_blank" >Prisoncast!</a><i>, an audio journalism project made with and for incarcerated people and their loved ones.</i></p>

wbez.org

Chaka Khan's very good 2026 includes a new album with Sia

<p>To see Chaka Khan perform is to be both enthralled by her icon status and charmed by her approachability.</p><p>In June, she took the stage at First Avenue in Minneapolis as part of “Prince Celebration: 2026,” a week-long tribute to her late friend and collaborator. Sporting her signature, glowing smile and voluminous tresses, she would hit an otherworldly note, then turn around and crack a joke, tell a story or ask for a moment to blow her nose.</p><p>“I’m actually a real person,” said the 73-year-old Chicago native as she giddily previewed tracks from her new album, “Chakzilla,” co-written with Sia and due out Friday.</p><p>“What do you think?’ she asked the audience, as a DJ played “Boogie’s in My Soul,” her single with Snoop Dogg, and “Curious Subject,” featuring lyrics about her enduring appeal.</p><p><i>Don't you wanna get to know me? I bet you do.</i></p><div class="Enhancement" data-align-center> <div class="Enhancement-item" data-crop=""> <figure class="Figure"><a class="AnchorLink" id="image-900000" name="image-900000"></a> <picture data-crop="medium"> <source type="image/webp" width="490" height="275" srcset="https://cst.brightspotcdn.com/dims4/default/99953c3/2147483647/strip/true/crop/1616x907+0+87/resize/490x275!/format/webp/quality/90/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fchorus-production-cst-web.s3.us-east-1.amazonaws.com%2Fbrightspot%2Ff4%2F71%2Fa26bf1e34b8c88bec70a760f84fe%2Fdsc04357.JPG 1x,https://cst.brightspotcdn.com/dims4/default/c140b2d/2147483647/strip/true/crop/1616x907+0+87/resize/980x550!/format/webp/quality/90/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fchorus-production-cst-web.s3.us-east-1.amazonaws.com%2Fbrightspot%2Ff4%2F71%2Fa26bf1e34b8c88bec70a760f84fe%2Fdsc04357.JPG 2x" loading="lazy" /> <source width="490" height="275" srcset="https://cst.brightspotcdn.com/dims4/default/cd34921/2147483647/strip/true/crop/1616x907+0+87/resize/490x275!/quality/90/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fchorus-production-cst-web.s3.us-east-1.amazonaws.com%2Fbrightspot%2Ff4%2F71%2Fa26bf1e34b8c88bec70a760f84fe%2Fdsc04357.JPG" loading="lazy" /> <img class="Image" alt="DSC04357.JPG" srcset="https://cst.brightspotcdn.com/dims4/default/cd34921/2147483647/strip/true/crop/1616x907+0+87/resize/490x275!/quality/90/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fchorus-production-cst-web.s3.us-east-1.amazonaws.com%2Fbrightspot%2Ff4%2F71%2Fa26bf1e34b8c88bec70a760f84fe%2Fdsc04357.JPG 1x,https://cst.brightspotcdn.com/dims4/default/1db6194/2147483647/strip/true/crop/1616x907+0+87/resize/980x550!/quality/90/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fchorus-production-cst-web.s3.us-east-1.amazonaws.com%2Fbrightspot%2Ff4%2F71%2Fa26bf1e34b8c88bec70a760f84fe%2Fdsc04357.JPG 2x" width="490" height="275" src="https://cst.brightspotcdn.com/dims4/default/cd34921/2147483647/strip/true/crop/1616x907+0+87/resize/490x275!/quality/90/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fchorus-production-cst-web.s3.us-east-1.amazonaws.com%2Fbrightspot%2Ff4%2F71%2Fa26bf1e34b8c88bec70a760f84fe%2Fdsc04357.JPG" loading="lazy" > </picture> <div class="Figure-content"><figcaption class="Figure-caption"><p>Chaka Khan performs at First Avenue on in Minneapolis on June 3 as part of “Prince Celebration: 2026.” The attendees were among the first to hear new tracks from her album, “Chakzilla.” </p></figcaption><span class="line"></span><div class="Figure-credit"><p>Paisley Park Enterprises</p></div></div> </figure> </div> </div><p>Indeed, Khan has been the talk of the industry — and social media — in 2026. Highlights of her busy year include her <a class="Link" href="https://youtu.be/HiEz8agZmnM?si=0WqO5qeEvZC-HTtz" target="_blank" ><u>viral performance</u></a> of “Through the Fire” for the popular music platform COLORSx STUDIOS; the West End debut of “I’m Every Woman: The Chaka Khan Musical;” her lifetime achievement Grammy award; and the new project with Sia. </p><p>There’s also the induction of her 1984 hit, “I Feel For You,” into the Library of Congress’ National Recording Registry. The honor acknowledges songs that helped define the sound of America.</p><p>Her schedule has been full of song drops, video premieres, shows and other commitments, including monthly “<a class="Link" href="https://youtu.be/nB3aIDMM92Q?si=BbKCnkbC-5_hgRpn" target="_blank" ><u>New Moon Meditation</u></a>” videos online in which she guides viewers to breathe and set positive intentions. But Chaka Khan, née Yvette Marie Stevens, is doing it all on her own terms, and at a pace that keeps her happy and at ease after years in a grueling industry.</p><p>“It's been nice and peaceful, and I am able to do what I really want to do with the music,” said Khan, who lives on her own farm in Georgia. “I always wanted to feel this free with my music.”</p><h2>Finding chemistry with ‘goddaughter’ Sia </h2><p>From Quincy Jones to Miles Davis to Stevie Wonder, Chaka Khan has worked with some of the most prominent figures in American music. But she still gets inspired by younger artists, including pop songstress Sia, whom she calls her goddaughter.</p><p>“She can write her ass off,” Khan told the crowd of people at First Avenue, who were among the first to hear the unreleased material. “You don’t often meet people like her.”</p><p>Khan and Sia sang together onstage during Khan’s induction into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2023. Then, the two collaborated on Sia’s song<b> </b>“Immortal Queen,” in 2024.</p><p>Next came Sia’s big pitch: Could she write a dance album for the funk legend?</p><p>“I said, ‘Well, shoot. You gotta be poppin’,’” Khan said. “She popped.”</p><div class="Enhancement" data-align-center> <div class="Enhancement-item" data-crop=""> <figure class="Figure"><a class="AnchorLink" id="image-ab0000" name="image-ab0000"></a> <picture data-crop="medium"> <source type="image/webp" width="490" height="275" srcset="https://cst.brightspotcdn.com/dims4/default/11c5fc5/2147483647/strip/true/crop/2304x1293+0+853/resize/490x275!/format/webp/quality/90/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fchorus-production-cst-web.s3.us-east-1.amazonaws.com%2Fbrightspot%2F85%2F4a%2Fe229b393456fb85a7eb052f99eeb%2F2020-billboard-music-awards.jpg 1x,https://cst.brightspotcdn.com/dims4/default/aa88f69/2147483647/strip/true/crop/2304x1293+0+853/resize/980x550!/format/webp/quality/90/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fchorus-production-cst-web.s3.us-east-1.amazonaws.com%2Fbrightspot%2F85%2F4a%2Fe229b393456fb85a7eb052f99eeb%2F2020-billboard-music-awards.jpg 2x" loading="lazy" /> <source width="490" height="275" srcset="https://cst.brightspotcdn.com/dims4/default/b0377a0/2147483647/strip/true/crop/2304x1293+0+853/resize/490x275!/quality/90/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fchorus-production-cst-web.s3.us-east-1.amazonaws.com%2Fbrightspot%2F85%2F4a%2Fe229b393456fb85a7eb052f99eeb%2F2020-billboard-music-awards.jpg" loading="lazy" /> <img class="Image" alt="2020 Billboard Music Awards" srcset="https://cst.brightspotcdn.com/dims4/default/b0377a0/2147483647/strip/true/crop/2304x1293+0+853/resize/490x275!/quality/90/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fchorus-production-cst-web.s3.us-east-1.amazonaws.com%2Fbrightspot%2F85%2F4a%2Fe229b393456fb85a7eb052f99eeb%2F2020-billboard-music-awards.jpg 1x,https://cst.brightspotcdn.com/dims4/default/4139a05/2147483647/strip/true/crop/2304x1293+0+853/resize/980x550!/quality/90/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fchorus-production-cst-web.s3.us-east-1.amazonaws.com%2Fbrightspot%2F85%2F4a%2Fe229b393456fb85a7eb052f99eeb%2F2020-billboard-music-awards.jpg 2x" width="490" height="275" src="https://cst.brightspotcdn.com/dims4/default/b0377a0/2147483647/strip/true/crop/2304x1293+0+853/resize/490x275!/quality/90/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fchorus-production-cst-web.s3.us-east-1.amazonaws.com%2Fbrightspot%2F85%2F4a%2Fe229b393456fb85a7eb052f99eeb%2F2020-billboard-music-awards.jpg" loading="lazy" > </picture> <div class="Figure-content"><figcaption class="Figure-caption"><p>Sia collaborated with Chaka Khan on the new album “Chakzilla.” Here Sia performs onstage at the Billboard Music Awards on October 14, 2020, at the Dolby Theatre in Los Angeles. </p></figcaption><span class="line"></span><div class="Figure-credit"><p>Rich Polk/AP Photos</p></div></div> </figure> </div> </div><p>What followed was a brief working process during which Sia and producer Greg Kurstin would submit ideas. Khan felt as if <i>she</i> had written the lyrics Sia penned, and asked the Australian singer how she pulled it off.</p><p>“She said, ‘Well, perhaps because I've been watching you and listening to you since I was a baby,’” Khan recounted. “I shut up right there.”</p><p>The first few singles from “Chakzilla” have been upbeat, pop tunes flavored with disco, funk and jazz elements. Khan sings about being confident, having fun, spreading joy and embracing a promising romance.</p><p>Fans won’t hear any slow jams on the album, which Khan will release on her own label, EarthSong. She said ballads just didn’t fit the “vibe.”</p><p>“It’s uplifting,” she said of the project, which also includes a song with Lenny Kravitz.<b> “</b>It's positive. It's not, ‘Oh my God, you don't love me.’ None of that crap. It’s just about being out in the world, living your life, having fun, feeling good and being a good person.”</p><p>Altruism is the main theme of the video for the album’s title track, which shows a supersized Khan walking among the city, restoring buildings instead of destroying them.</p><p>A <a class="Link" href="https://www.instagram.com/p/DYPwfLSjbl2/" target="_blank" ><u>promotional image</u></a> for the song shows a giant Khan leaning against a building near “Chaka Khan Way.” It’s a tribute to her hometown, as the same sign exists in real life at the intersection of Blackstone Avenue and Hyde Park Boulevard in Hyde Park.</p><p>“Chicago is a special city,” Khan said. “Everything about me, fundamentally, is because I'm from Chicago.”</p><div class="Enhancement" data-align-center> <div class="Enhancement-item" data-crop=""> <figure class="Figure"><a class="AnchorLink" id="image-4b0000" name="image-4b0000"></a> <picture data-crop="medium"> <source type="image/webp" width="490" height="275" srcset="https://cst.brightspotcdn.com/dims4/default/77a2167/2147483647/strip/true/crop/3500x1964+0+447/resize/490x275!/format/webp/quality/90/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fchorus-production-cst-web.s3.us-east-1.amazonaws.com%2Fbrightspot%2F83%2F32%2F88515e5c48f497ac928547b6798c%2Frenfest-090725-033-1.jpg 1x,https://cst.brightspotcdn.com/dims4/default/489211d/2147483647/strip/true/crop/3500x1964+0+447/resize/980x550!/format/webp/quality/90/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fchorus-production-cst-web.s3.us-east-1.amazonaws.com%2Fbrightspot%2F83%2F32%2F88515e5c48f497ac928547b6798c%2Frenfest-090725-033-1.jpg 2x" loading="lazy" /> <source width="490" height="275" srcset="https://cst.brightspotcdn.com/dims4/default/3a2b884/2147483647/strip/true/crop/3500x1964+0+447/resize/490x275!/quality/90/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fchorus-production-cst-web.s3.us-east-1.amazonaws.com%2Fbrightspot%2F83%2F32%2F88515e5c48f497ac928547b6798c%2Frenfest-090725-033-1.jpg" loading="lazy" /> <img class="Image" alt="RENFEST-090725_033.jpg" srcset="https://cst.brightspotcdn.com/dims4/default/3a2b884/2147483647/strip/true/crop/3500x1964+0+447/resize/490x275!/quality/90/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fchorus-production-cst-web.s3.us-east-1.amazonaws.com%2Fbrightspot%2F83%2F32%2F88515e5c48f497ac928547b6798c%2Frenfest-090725-033-1.jpg 1x,https://cst.brightspotcdn.com/dims4/default/1fea958/2147483647/strip/true/crop/3500x1964+0+447/resize/980x550!/quality/90/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fchorus-production-cst-web.s3.us-east-1.amazonaws.com%2Fbrightspot%2F83%2F32%2F88515e5c48f497ac928547b6798c%2Frenfest-090725-033-1.jpg 2x" width="490" height="275" src="https://cst.brightspotcdn.com/dims4/default/3a2b884/2147483647/strip/true/crop/3500x1964+0+447/resize/490x275!/quality/90/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fchorus-production-cst-web.s3.us-east-1.amazonaws.com%2Fbrightspot%2F83%2F32%2F88515e5c48f497ac928547b6798c%2Frenfest-090725-033-1.jpg" loading="lazy" > </picture> <div class="Figure-content"><figcaption class="Figure-caption"><p>Chaka Khan, Carlos Nelson (left), chief executive of the Greater Auburn Gresham Development Corporation, and Illinois state Sen. Willie Preston appear on stage together during the 20th Annual 79th Street Renaissance Festival in Auburn Gresham, Saturday, Sept. 6, 2025. </p></figcaption><span class="line"></span><div class="Figure-credit"><p>Barry Brecheisen/For the Sun-Times</p></div></div> </figure> </div> </div><p></p><h2>Joining Rufus – and the Black Panthers – in Chicago </h2><p>Growing up in Hyde Park and Auburn Gresham in the 1950s and ‘60s, Khan and her siblings were surrounded by art and music. Her father did charcoal sketches and her mother painted. And virtually all of the adults in her family played recordings of everything from opera to jazz to soul.</p><p>“We never thought once that we didn't have enough money,” Khan said. “I thought I lived in a castle. They made it beautiful for us. Whatever we came against on the outside, we were able to handle it because we had some strength of character on the inside.”</p><div class="Enhancement" data-align-center> <div class="Enhancement-item" data-crop=""> <figure class="Figure"><a class="AnchorLink" id="image-d50000" name="image-d50000"></a> <picture data-crop="medium"> <source type="image/webp" width="490" height="275" srcset="https://cst.brightspotcdn.com/dims4/default/e514f66/2147483647/strip/true/crop/2800x1571+0+1134/resize/490x275!/format/webp/quality/90/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fchorus-production-cst-web.s3.us-east-1.amazonaws.com%2Fbrightspot%2Fcd%2F84%2Fa2e7a6d04c9fb94db1167ea72ee8%2Fchaka-khan-2-photographer-nick-nelson-1.jpeg 1x,https://cst.brightspotcdn.com/dims4/default/27e1741/2147483647/strip/true/crop/2800x1571+0+1134/resize/980x550!/format/webp/quality/90/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fchorus-production-cst-web.s3.us-east-1.amazonaws.com%2Fbrightspot%2Fcd%2F84%2Fa2e7a6d04c9fb94db1167ea72ee8%2Fchaka-khan-2-photographer-nick-nelson-1.jpeg 2x" loading="lazy" /> <source width="490" height="275" srcset="https://cst.brightspotcdn.com/dims4/default/491ffc4/2147483647/strip/true/crop/2800x1571+0+1134/resize/490x275!/quality/90/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fchorus-production-cst-web.s3.us-east-1.amazonaws.com%2Fbrightspot%2Fcd%2F84%2Fa2e7a6d04c9fb94db1167ea72ee8%2Fchaka-khan-2-photographer-nick-nelson-1.jpeg" loading="lazy" /> <img class="Image" alt="Chaka Khan 2 (Photographer- Nick Nelson) (1).jpeg" srcset="https://cst.brightspotcdn.com/dims4/default/491ffc4/2147483647/strip/true/crop/2800x1571+0+1134/resize/490x275!/quality/90/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fchorus-production-cst-web.s3.us-east-1.amazonaws.com%2Fbrightspot%2Fcd%2F84%2Fa2e7a6d04c9fb94db1167ea72ee8%2Fchaka-khan-2-photographer-nick-nelson-1.jpeg 1x,https://cst.brightspotcdn.com/dims4/default/29f1da1/2147483647/strip/true/crop/2800x1571+0+1134/resize/980x550!/quality/90/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fchorus-production-cst-web.s3.us-east-1.amazonaws.com%2Fbrightspot%2Fcd%2F84%2Fa2e7a6d04c9fb94db1167ea72ee8%2Fchaka-khan-2-photographer-nick-nelson-1.jpeg 2x" width="490" height="275" src="https://cst.brightspotcdn.com/dims4/default/491ffc4/2147483647/strip/true/crop/2800x1571+0+1134/resize/490x275!/quality/90/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fchorus-production-cst-web.s3.us-east-1.amazonaws.com%2Fbrightspot%2Fcd%2F84%2Fa2e7a6d04c9fb94db1167ea72ee8%2Fchaka-khan-2-photographer-nick-nelson-1.jpeg" loading="lazy" > </picture> <div class="Figure-content"><figcaption class="Figure-caption"><p>“Racism and things that are negative, that also made me stronger,” said Chaka Khan. “I learned a lot of lessons.”</p></figcaption><span class="line"></span><div class="Figure-credit"><p>Nick Nelson</p></div></div> </figure> </div> </div><p>Khan also developed a deep interest in spirituality, thanks to her great-grandmother, Naomi Bagby, who was a spiritualist. She made Khan learn Psalm 23 in the Bible, and she read the young girl’s palms, proclaiming that, “One day, many, many people will know your name.”</p><p>It wasn’t Bagby, but a Yoruba priest who would give Khan her famous moniker — Chaka, “woman of fire” — as a teenager. “We are moved by everything around us, from a plant to a planet,” Khan said of her spiritual beliefs. “We need to be more connected to the universe.”</p><p>But life in Chicago wasn't always rosy. Khan’s parents’ relationship soured and ended in divorce. Her father disappeared from her life, though they would later reconcile.</p><p>During stints at Calumet High School and Kenwood Academy High School,<b> </b>she was an activist, advocating for Black liberation while enduring assassinations and other turbulent events of the time. She eventually joined the Black Panther Party, working with Fred Hampton Sr. until the young leader was killed during a police raid.</p><p>Khan said she has been profoundly shaped by the “hard” part of Chicago, or<b> </b>“the terrible things that the city and most cities in America do, especially to a Black person.”</p><p>“Racism and things that are negative, that also made me stronger,” she said. “I learned a lot of lessons.”</p><p>By the 1970s, Khan was more focused on singing. She’d previously competed in talent shows around town as a pre-teen and later graduated to performing with different bands at clubs on the North Side. Once she joined local funk group Rufus, her career took off, as they scored early hits with “Tell Me Something Good,” “You Got the Love” and “Sweet Thing.”</p><p>Khan’s talent eventually propelled her to solo stardom, as she recorded classics such as “I’m Every Woman” and the Prince-penned “I Feel For You.”</p><div class="Enhancement" data-align-center> <div class="Enhancement-item" data-crop=""> <figure class="Figure"><a class="AnchorLink" id="image-320000" name="image-320000"></a> <picture data-crop="medium"> <source type="image/webp" width="490" height="275" srcset="https://cst.brightspotcdn.com/dims4/default/817c57b/2147483647/strip/true/crop/3316x1861+0+159/resize/490x275!/format/webp/quality/90/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fchorus-production-cst-web.s3.us-east-1.amazonaws.com%2Fbrightspot%2F97%2F38%2F803a0b2d4090bd08753ac52bf1fc%2Fbet-awards-performances-1.JPG 1x,https://cst.brightspotcdn.com/dims4/default/0d51e17/2147483647/strip/true/crop/3316x1861+0+159/resize/980x550!/format/webp/quality/90/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fchorus-production-cst-web.s3.us-east-1.amazonaws.com%2Fbrightspot%2F97%2F38%2F803a0b2d4090bd08753ac52bf1fc%2Fbet-awards-performances-1.JPG 2x" loading="lazy" /> <source width="490" height="275" srcset="https://cst.brightspotcdn.com/dims4/default/5924141/2147483647/strip/true/crop/3316x1861+0+159/resize/490x275!/quality/90/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fchorus-production-cst-web.s3.us-east-1.amazonaws.com%2Fbrightspot%2F97%2F38%2F803a0b2d4090bd08753ac52bf1fc%2Fbet-awards-performances-1.JPG" loading="lazy" /> <img class="Image" alt="Prince, Chaka Khan" srcset="https://cst.brightspotcdn.com/dims4/default/5924141/2147483647/strip/true/crop/3316x1861+0+159/resize/490x275!/quality/90/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fchorus-production-cst-web.s3.us-east-1.amazonaws.com%2Fbrightspot%2F97%2F38%2F803a0b2d4090bd08753ac52bf1fc%2Fbet-awards-performances-1.JPG 1x,https://cst.brightspotcdn.com/dims4/default/c1d5e68/2147483647/strip/true/crop/3316x1861+0+159/resize/980x550!/quality/90/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fchorus-production-cst-web.s3.us-east-1.amazonaws.com%2Fbrightspot%2F97%2F38%2F803a0b2d4090bd08753ac52bf1fc%2Fbet-awards-performances-1.JPG 2x" width="490" height="275" src="https://cst.brightspotcdn.com/dims4/default/5924141/2147483647/strip/true/crop/3316x1861+0+159/resize/490x275!/quality/90/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fchorus-production-cst-web.s3.us-east-1.amazonaws.com%2Fbrightspot%2F97%2F38%2F803a0b2d4090bd08753ac52bf1fc%2Fbet-awards-performances-1.JPG" loading="lazy" > </picture> <div class="Figure-content"><figcaption class="Figure-caption"><p>Prince, left, performs with Chaka Khan during the 6th annual BET Awards on Tuesday, June 27, 2006, in Los Angeles.</p></figcaption><span class="line"></span><div class="Figure-credit"><p>CHRIS CARLSON/AP</p></div></div> </figure> </div> </div><p>Though she built an illustrious career, the 11-time Grammy-winner had her share of low points. She battled addiction. At another, in the mid-1990s, she felt she didn’t have control over the direction of her music and left her record label, Warner Bros.</p><p>Khan said she was galvanized<b> </b>by Prince’s own fight for ownership of his music at the label, during which he changed his name and wore the word “Slave” on his face. Following her departure, she recorded the “Come 2 My House” album with Prince on his label, NPG Records, before forming her own, EarthSong, in 1998.</p><p>“I didn't want to sing anymore,” she said of her last years at Warner Bros. “That scared the hell out of me. And that's one of the main things that changed my whole life. I will not be with a label anymore.”</p><p>“She influenced many women of all races to be independent, resilient, tenacious, bodacious, beautiful and defiant,” said Londell McMillan, co-manager of Prince’s estate.</p><p>“And she has a voice that shifts across multiple genres. When you have thousands, if not millions, of people not only knowing you on a first name basis, but wanting to be you and sing like you, you really are a superwoman.”</p><p>At the June Prince celebration in Minneapolis, there was plenty of love for Khan among attendees, including some who had traveled from Chicago. Darius McKinney, 55, of Woodlawn, praised her discography for being “energetic and funky,” but also motivational.</p><p>“I like music that's uplifting and helps you realize your goals and duties in life,” he said. “It’s just inspiring.”</p><div class="Enhancement" data-align-center><div class="Enhancement-item"> <div class="ExternalContent-wrapper" data-embed> <iframe style="border-radius: 12px" width="100%" height="352" title="Spotify Embed: The WBEZ/Sun-Times Essential Chaka Khan Playlist" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen allow="autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; fullscreen; picture-in-picture" loading="lazy" src="https://open.spotify.com/embed/playlist/5m4r4bM0OO8arqBKRVDSrb?si=-YuT7cuHRoCVOz9hXQn6Uw&utm_source=oembed"></iframe> </div> </div></div><p></p><h2>Going viral for going the distance … from the microphone </h2><p>More than<b> </b>50 years into her career, Khan’s prowess is still mesmerizing audiences. In July, her rendition of “Through the Fire” on the COLORSx STUDIOS performance platform racked up nearly 9 million views on <a class="Link" href="https://www.instagram.com/reel/DbBUcz8ooMB/" target="_blank" ><u>Instagram</u></a>, 3.5 million views on <a class="Link" href="https://www.tiktok.com/@colorsxstudios/video/7664644066247724320?lang=en" target="_blank" ><u>TikTok</u></a> and 2 million views on <a class="Link" href="https://youtu.be/HiEz8agZmnM?si=XFIZWuRQRi79Cjm3" target="_blank" ><u>YouTube</u></a>.</p><p>She reflected on the moment with her trademark candor.</p><p>“I turn on my phone and the first thing I see is my mouth open really wide,” she recalled. “I said, ‘Oh, Lord, really? Do I look like that when I sing?’”</p><p>But the viewers were paying attention to her voice and ability to belt while standing far away from the microphone. The video inspired a number of memes and <a class="Link" href="https://www.instagram.com/p/DbqXft-FPuD/?img_index=1" target="_blank" ><u>re-enactments</u></a>.</p><p>“You have to be able to work the mic if you're singing really loud and high,” she said. “You need to back up off that sucker. But I really can put out a great deal of noise from my mouth for some reason. That's a gift from God, I’m sure.”</p><div class="Enhancement" data-align-center> <div class="Enhancement-item" data-crop=""> <figure class="Figure"><a class="AnchorLink" id="image-ee0000" name="image-ee0000"></a> <picture data-crop="medium"> <source type="image/webp" width="490" height="275" srcset="https://cst.brightspotcdn.com/dims4/default/825b607/2147483647/strip/true/crop/1680x943+0+119/resize/490x275!/format/webp/quality/90/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fchorus-production-cst-web.s3.us-east-1.amazonaws.com%2Fbrightspot%2F6d%2F9c%2Ffeb361aa4cdd8bc26d216efb3989%2Fnew-chaka.jpeg 1x,https://cst.brightspotcdn.com/dims4/default/4d030b4/2147483647/strip/true/crop/1680x943+0+119/resize/980x550!/format/webp/quality/90/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fchorus-production-cst-web.s3.us-east-1.amazonaws.com%2Fbrightspot%2F6d%2F9c%2Ffeb361aa4cdd8bc26d216efb3989%2Fnew-chaka.jpeg 2x" loading="lazy" /> <source width="490" height="275" srcset="https://cst.brightspotcdn.com/dims4/default/239e370/2147483647/strip/true/crop/1680x943+0+119/resize/490x275!/quality/90/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fchorus-production-cst-web.s3.us-east-1.amazonaws.com%2Fbrightspot%2F6d%2F9c%2Ffeb361aa4cdd8bc26d216efb3989%2Fnew-chaka.jpeg" loading="lazy" /> <img class="Image" alt="New chaka.jpeg" srcset="https://cst.brightspotcdn.com/dims4/default/239e370/2147483647/strip/true/crop/1680x943+0+119/resize/490x275!/quality/90/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fchorus-production-cst-web.s3.us-east-1.amazonaws.com%2Fbrightspot%2F6d%2F9c%2Ffeb361aa4cdd8bc26d216efb3989%2Fnew-chaka.jpeg 1x,https://cst.brightspotcdn.com/dims4/default/a4cb444/2147483647/strip/true/crop/1680x943+0+119/resize/980x550!/quality/90/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fchorus-production-cst-web.s3.us-east-1.amazonaws.com%2Fbrightspot%2F6d%2F9c%2Ffeb361aa4cdd8bc26d216efb3989%2Fnew-chaka.jpeg 2x" width="490" height="275" src="https://cst.brightspotcdn.com/dims4/default/239e370/2147483647/strip/true/crop/1680x943+0+119/resize/490x275!/quality/90/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fchorus-production-cst-web.s3.us-east-1.amazonaws.com%2Fbrightspot%2F6d%2F9c%2Ffeb361aa4cdd8bc26d216efb3989%2Fnew-chaka.jpeg" loading="lazy" > </picture> <div class="Figure-content"><figcaption class="Figure-caption"><p>Dua Lipa performed with Chaka Khan during Lipa’s Radical Optimism Tour show at United Center in Chicago, Friday, September 5, 2025.</p></figcaption><span class="line"></span><div class="Figure-credit"><p>Madison Phipps</p></div></div> </figure> </div> </div><p>Khan has no plans for a major tour in support of “Chakzilla,” but she continues to perform. As for when Chicagoans can see her, there’s nothing for the public on the books, though throughout the years, she has performed at many birthday parties and weddings in the city.</p><p>“I’ve seen some interesting couples,” she said. “I wondered, ‘Is this going to be a good one? Are they going to make it?’”</p><p>British fans can get their fill of Khan’s music with her new jukebox musical. “I’m Every Woman: The Chaka Khan Musical” runs through Sept. 27 at Troubadour Wembley Park Theatre. Khan saw the production in August.</p><p>“They kicked behind, I’m telling you,” she said. “I was moved by my life story.”</p><p>But she said it wasn’t difficult for her to relive the tough parts because she doesn’t dwell on them.</p><p>“I really am a ‘next’ girl,” she said. “I don't live in the past. I'm so future-bound.”</p>

wbez.org

How Ella Jenkins’ Chicago childhood shaped her iconic children’s music

<p><i>Editor's note: This story first published on February 11, 2026,</i></p><p>From school assemblies to “Mr. Rogers Neighborhood,” Ella Jenkins was a rhythm specialist and children’s music pioneer. Her childhood in Chicago was her launching pad.</p><p>Jenkins forged a path in the music industry during a time when children’s musicians didn’t really exist. She persevered through the civil rights era, took ownership of her music in an industry that often took advantage of women and made the focus about children.</p><p>Professor of American studies at George Washington University Gayle Wald sat down with Curious City Editor Susie An at the 2025 Evanston Folk Festival to talk about Jenkins’ life. Wald is the author of “<a class="Link" href="https://press.uchicago.edu/ucp/books/book/chicago/T/bo244497299.html" target="_blank" ><u>This is Rhythm: Ella Jenkins, Children’s Music and the Long Civil Rights Movement</u></a>.”</p><p>Press play to listen to the conversation about this music icon, who harnessed curiosity, life experience and charisma to create some of the most unique and prolific art of the 20th century.</p><div class="Enhancement" data-align-center> <div class="HtmlModule"><a class="AnchorLink" id="html-embed-module-750000" name="html-embed-module-750000"></a><script async src="https://modules.wearehearken.com/wbez/embed/4190.js"></script> </div> </div><p></p>

wbez.org

Google links with artist Sanford Biggers to create a major outdoor sculpture for Loop headquarters

<p>The internationally acclaimed artist Sanford Biggers will create a 30-foot tall sculpture inspired by 19th century quilt patterns for Google's Chicago headquarters, the tech giant announced Wednesday.</p><p>Called Vector, the angular, winding sculpture will be composed of glazed terra cotta panels — a contrast to the glassy and rounded headquarters and its now-muted exterior colors brought about by the building's current renovation.</p><p>"The quilt is interesting to me because it is sort of the repository of American culture, in a lot of ways," said Biggers, 56, a Los Angeles artist who lived in Chicago while earning his master's at the School of the Art Institute of Chicago in the 1990s.</p><div class="Enhancement" data-align-center> <div class="Enhancement-item" data-crop=""> <figure class="Figure"><a class="AnchorLink" id="image-ec0000" name="image-ec0000"></a> <picture data-crop="medium"> <source type="image/webp" width="490" height="275" srcset="https://cst.brightspotcdn.com/dims4/default/f693dd9/2147483647/strip/true/crop/2100x1179+0+111/resize/490x275!/format/webp/quality/90/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fchorus-production-cst-web.s3.us-east-1.amazonaws.com%2Fbrightspot%2F19%2F6f%2Fa2260d5743f79e06f7c083f7d739%2Fbey-2.jpg 1x,https://cst.brightspotcdn.com/dims4/default/8bcbbdb/2147483647/strip/true/crop/2100x1179+0+111/resize/980x550!/format/webp/quality/90/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fchorus-production-cst-web.s3.us-east-1.amazonaws.com%2Fbrightspot%2F19%2F6f%2Fa2260d5743f79e06f7c083f7d739%2Fbey-2.jpg 2x" loading="lazy" /> <source width="490" height="275" srcset="https://cst.brightspotcdn.com/dims4/default/484ba55/2147483647/strip/true/crop/2100x1179+0+111/resize/490x275!/quality/90/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fchorus-production-cst-web.s3.us-east-1.amazonaws.com%2Fbrightspot%2F19%2F6f%2Fa2260d5743f79e06f7c083f7d739%2Fbey-2.jpg" loading="lazy" /> <img class="Image" alt="Black-and-white portrait of Los Angeles-based artist Sanford Biggers" srcset="https://cst.brightspotcdn.com/dims4/default/484ba55/2147483647/strip/true/crop/2100x1179+0+111/resize/490x275!/quality/90/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fchorus-production-cst-web.s3.us-east-1.amazonaws.com%2Fbrightspot%2F19%2F6f%2Fa2260d5743f79e06f7c083f7d739%2Fbey-2.jpg 1x,https://cst.brightspotcdn.com/dims4/default/740e124/2147483647/strip/true/crop/2100x1179+0+111/resize/980x550!/quality/90/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fchorus-production-cst-web.s3.us-east-1.amazonaws.com%2Fbrightspot%2F19%2F6f%2Fa2260d5743f79e06f7c083f7d739%2Fbey-2.jpg 2x" width="490" height="275" src="https://cst.brightspotcdn.com/dims4/default/484ba55/2147483647/strip/true/crop/2100x1179+0+111/resize/490x275!/quality/90/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fchorus-production-cst-web.s3.us-east-1.amazonaws.com%2Fbrightspot%2F19%2F6f%2Fa2260d5743f79e06f7c083f7d739%2Fbey-2.jpg" loading="lazy" > </picture> <div class="Figure-content"><figcaption class="Figure-caption"><p>Los Angeles-based artist Sanford Biggers</p></figcaption><span class="line"></span><div class="Figure-credit"><p>Courtesy of Alex Freund</p></div></div> </figure> </div> </div><p>"There's also rumored stories of [quilts] being used along the Underground Railroad as a coded symbol, but I'm also very interested in the geometry and the pattern and the craftsmanship of the objects themselves," Biggers said. "Vector is actually handmade tiles that I've made with existing quilts in mind."</p><p>Google Vice President and Chicago Site Lead Mike Miller said the sculpture "will be a continuation of the artist’s celebrated <a class="Link" href="https://www.heinzawards.org/pages/sanford-biggers" target="_blank" >Codex series</a>, in which Biggers explores the hidden meanings and sacred geometries found within antique quilts."</p><p>Miller said the artist worked with the 19th century quilt collections of local institutions such as the Illinois State Museum and the Chicago History Museum, in a bid to make sure the patterns of Vector's glazed terra cotta panels reflect the state's history.</p><p>The sculpture, expected to be completed next year, will be set in place on the plaza near where Jean Dubuffet's 29-foot tall Monument with Standing Beast stood during the building's previous life as the state-owned James R. Thompson Center.</p><div class="Enhancement" data-align-center> <div class="Enhancement-item" data-crop=""> <figure class="Figure"><a class="AnchorLink" id="image-8c0000" name="image-8c0000"></a> <picture data-crop="medium"> <source type="image/webp" width="490" height="275" srcset="https://cst.brightspotcdn.com/dims4/default/15ce6b8/2147483647/strip/true/crop/5846x3281+0+571/resize/490x275!/format/webp/quality/90/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fchorus-production-cst-web.s3.us-east-1.amazonaws.com%2Fbrightspot%2F70%2Fe7%2F5b0ff0a641b6877fefc24a784000%2Fsculpture-6.jpg 1x,https://cst.brightspotcdn.com/dims4/default/644067e/2147483647/strip/true/crop/5846x3281+0+571/resize/980x550!/format/webp/quality/90/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fchorus-production-cst-web.s3.us-east-1.amazonaws.com%2Fbrightspot%2F70%2Fe7%2F5b0ff0a641b6877fefc24a784000%2Fsculpture-6.jpg 2x" loading="lazy" /> <source width="490" height="275" srcset="https://cst.brightspotcdn.com/dims4/default/8e1d2b4/2147483647/strip/true/crop/5846x3281+0+571/resize/490x275!/quality/90/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fchorus-production-cst-web.s3.us-east-1.amazonaws.com%2Fbrightspot%2F70%2Fe7%2F5b0ff0a641b6877fefc24a784000%2Fsculpture-6.jpg" loading="lazy" /> <img class="Image" alt="Monument with Standing Beast by artist Jean Dubuffet in front of the James R. Thompson Center in 2022." srcset="https://cst.brightspotcdn.com/dims4/default/8e1d2b4/2147483647/strip/true/crop/5846x3281+0+571/resize/490x275!/quality/90/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fchorus-production-cst-web.s3.us-east-1.amazonaws.com%2Fbrightspot%2F70%2Fe7%2F5b0ff0a641b6877fefc24a784000%2Fsculpture-6.jpg 1x,https://cst.brightspotcdn.com/dims4/default/cedc68b/2147483647/strip/true/crop/5846x3281+0+571/resize/980x550!/quality/90/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fchorus-production-cst-web.s3.us-east-1.amazonaws.com%2Fbrightspot%2F70%2Fe7%2F5b0ff0a641b6877fefc24a784000%2Fsculpture-6.jpg 2x" width="490" height="275" src="https://cst.brightspotcdn.com/dims4/default/8e1d2b4/2147483647/strip/true/crop/5846x3281+0+571/resize/490x275!/quality/90/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fchorus-production-cst-web.s3.us-east-1.amazonaws.com%2Fbrightspot%2F70%2Fe7%2F5b0ff0a641b6877fefc24a784000%2Fsculpture-6.jpg" loading="lazy" > </picture> <div class="Figure-content"><figcaption class="Figure-caption"><p>Monument with Standing Beast by artist Jean Dubuffet in front of the James R. Thompson Center in 2022.</p></figcaption><span class="line"></span><div class="Figure-credit"><p>Brian Rich/Sun-Times file</p></div></div> </figure> </div> </div><p>"I walked past that Dubuffet many, many, many times [to go into] the building," Biggers said. "Used the train there many times. So to be asked back into the city to do a very large, significant, permanent piece is a huge honor just in general ... but also to try to fill-in the shoes of one of my favorite pieces is sort of daunting, but at the same time, a challenge that I am very lucky to embark on."</p><p>The work also joins Downtown's globally-known public art Dream Team that includes the Picasso at Daley Plaza, Alexander Calder's Flamingo in Federal Plaza and The Sun, the Moon and One Star by artist<i> </i>Joan Miró at 69 W. Washington St.</p><p>Vector would be the group's first sculpture designed by a Black artist.</p><p>"I don't think it's too much of a stretch," — Biggers laughs a little here — "to be in that corridor with those other artists who I have looked up to and learned from."</p><div class="Enhancement" data-align-center> <div class="Enhancement-item" data-crop=""> <figure class="Figure"><a class="AnchorLink" id="image-eb0000" name="image-eb0000"></a> <picture data-crop="medium"> <source type="image/webp" width="490" height="275" srcset="https://cst.brightspotcdn.com/dims4/default/3e41df0/2147483647/strip/true/crop/2100x1179+0+111/resize/490x275!/format/webp/quality/90/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fchorus-production-cst-web.s3.us-east-1.amazonaws.com%2Fbrightspot%2F20%2Fd2%2Fa663985f4dd78e82a814667891a3%2Fbey-3.jpg 1x,https://cst.brightspotcdn.com/dims4/default/793946f/2147483647/strip/true/crop/2100x1179+0+111/resize/980x550!/format/webp/quality/90/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fchorus-production-cst-web.s3.us-east-1.amazonaws.com%2Fbrightspot%2F20%2Fd2%2Fa663985f4dd78e82a814667891a3%2Fbey-3.jpg 2x" loading="lazy" /> <source width="490" height="275" srcset="https://cst.brightspotcdn.com/dims4/default/969d9ea/2147483647/strip/true/crop/2100x1179+0+111/resize/490x275!/quality/90/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fchorus-production-cst-web.s3.us-east-1.amazonaws.com%2Fbrightspot%2F20%2Fd2%2Fa663985f4dd78e82a814667891a3%2Fbey-3.jpg" loading="lazy" /> <img class="Image" alt="Rendering of the Thompson Center showing artist Sanford Biggers' Vector sculpture in front of the building's main entrance." srcset="https://cst.brightspotcdn.com/dims4/default/969d9ea/2147483647/strip/true/crop/2100x1179+0+111/resize/490x275!/quality/90/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fchorus-production-cst-web.s3.us-east-1.amazonaws.com%2Fbrightspot%2F20%2Fd2%2Fa663985f4dd78e82a814667891a3%2Fbey-3.jpg 1x,https://cst.brightspotcdn.com/dims4/default/84305fe/2147483647/strip/true/crop/2100x1179+0+111/resize/980x550!/quality/90/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fchorus-production-cst-web.s3.us-east-1.amazonaws.com%2Fbrightspot%2F20%2Fd2%2Fa663985f4dd78e82a814667891a3%2Fbey-3.jpg 2x" width="490" height="275" src="https://cst.brightspotcdn.com/dims4/default/969d9ea/2147483647/strip/true/crop/2100x1179+0+111/resize/490x275!/quality/90/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fchorus-production-cst-web.s3.us-east-1.amazonaws.com%2Fbrightspot%2F20%2Fd2%2Fa663985f4dd78e82a814667891a3%2Fbey-3.jpg" loading="lazy" > </picture> <div class="Figure-content"><figcaption class="Figure-caption"><p>Rendering of the Thompson Center showing artist Sanford Biggers’ Vector sculpture in front of the building’s main entrance.</p></figcaption><span class="line"></span><div class="Figure-credit"><p>Provided by Google</p></div></div> </figure> </div> </div><p>Google also released a few new images depicting its headquarters' renovated atrium.</p><p>Renderings show the atrium's ground floor — where the food court used to be — will have a circular terraced seating area with retail space.</p><p>And Google said it's restoring the original rosette at the center of the floor. The company had planned to replace the design element.</p><p>"A new terrazzo will be poured and highlight the craftsmanship of the original design," a Google spokesperson said.</p><p>The atrium's original elevator glass wall and cabs will be restored, with additional artwork to come, the spokesperson added.</p><div class="Enhancement" data-align-center> <div class="Enhancement-item" data-crop=""> <figure class="Figure"><a class="AnchorLink" id="image-c60000" name="image-c60000"></a> <picture data-crop="medium"> <source type="image/webp" width="490" height="275" srcset="https://cst.brightspotcdn.com/dims4/default/30dd242/2147483647/strip/true/crop/6000x3367+0+460/resize/490x275!/format/webp/quality/90/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fchorus-production-cst-web.s3.us-east-1.amazonaws.com%2Fbrightspot%2Fba%2Fb7%2Fc9301f69469987d551af6b767a25%2F23055-105-grand-stairsrendering-illustrative-only-pixelflakes-for-goooge.jpeg 1x,https://cst.brightspotcdn.com/dims4/default/01499f1/2147483647/strip/true/crop/6000x3367+0+460/resize/980x550!/format/webp/quality/90/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fchorus-production-cst-web.s3.us-east-1.amazonaws.com%2Fbrightspot%2Fba%2Fb7%2Fc9301f69469987d551af6b767a25%2F23055-105-grand-stairsrendering-illustrative-only-pixelflakes-for-goooge.jpeg 2x" loading="lazy" /> <source width="490" height="275" srcset="https://cst.brightspotcdn.com/dims4/default/58e3d77/2147483647/strip/true/crop/6000x3367+0+460/resize/490x275!/quality/90/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fchorus-production-cst-web.s3.us-east-1.amazonaws.com%2Fbrightspot%2Fba%2Fb7%2Fc9301f69469987d551af6b767a25%2F23055-105-grand-stairsrendering-illustrative-only-pixelflakes-for-goooge.jpeg" loading="lazy" /> <img class="Image" alt="A rendering depicts Google's Grand Stairs area, at the base of the building's atrium." srcset="https://cst.brightspotcdn.com/dims4/default/58e3d77/2147483647/strip/true/crop/6000x3367+0+460/resize/490x275!/quality/90/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fchorus-production-cst-web.s3.us-east-1.amazonaws.com%2Fbrightspot%2Fba%2Fb7%2Fc9301f69469987d551af6b767a25%2F23055-105-grand-stairsrendering-illustrative-only-pixelflakes-for-goooge.jpeg 1x,https://cst.brightspotcdn.com/dims4/default/9934d7e/2147483647/strip/true/crop/6000x3367+0+460/resize/980x550!/quality/90/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fchorus-production-cst-web.s3.us-east-1.amazonaws.com%2Fbrightspot%2Fba%2Fb7%2Fc9301f69469987d551af6b767a25%2F23055-105-grand-stairsrendering-illustrative-only-pixelflakes-for-goooge.jpeg 2x" width="490" height="275" src="https://cst.brightspotcdn.com/dims4/default/58e3d77/2147483647/strip/true/crop/6000x3367+0+460/resize/490x275!/quality/90/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fchorus-production-cst-web.s3.us-east-1.amazonaws.com%2Fbrightspot%2Fba%2Fb7%2Fc9301f69469987d551af6b767a25%2F23055-105-grand-stairsrendering-illustrative-only-pixelflakes-for-goooge.jpeg" loading="lazy" > </picture> <div class="Figure-content"><figcaption class="Figure-caption"><p>A rendering depicts Google’s Grand Stairs area, at the base of the building’s atrium.</p></figcaption><span class="line"></span><div class="Figure-credit"><p>Provided by Google</p></div></div> </figure> </div> </div><p>A previous plan would have created a new terrazzo atrium floor and placed an artistic decorative skin — maybe made of vinyl and stained glass — over the atrium’s exposed 17-story elevator system.</p><p>But the project hit the skids in January when the artists hired for the commission, Judy Chicago and her husband Donald Woodman, walked away due to <a class="Link" href="https://chicago.suntimes.com/architecture-design/2026/02/16/judy-chicago-google-thompson-center-renovation-artistic-differences" target="_blank" >creative differences</a> with Google.</p><p>The atrium space has been but one point of concern and interest for preservationists and building-watchers because Google ditched the Helmut Jahn-designed building's Thompson Center-era glazing and Flash Gordon-like color scheme and design flourishes for design that — in the renderings, at least — feels more corporate by comparison.</p><p>The $280 million renovation is expected to finish in 2027.</p><div class="RelatedList Enhancement" data-module data-align-center> <div class="RelatedList-title">Related</div> <ul class="RelatedList-items"> <li class="RelatedList-items-item"> <a class="Link" href="https://chicago.suntimes.com/architecture-design/2026/02/16/judy-chicago-google-thompson-center-renovation-artistic-differences" >Artist Judy Chicago logs out of Google renovation project over artistic differences</a> </li> <li class="RelatedList-items-item"> <a class="Link" href="https://chicago.suntimes.com/real-estate/2024/05/06/thompson-center-google-prime-capri-redevelopment-loop-headquarters" >Google it! Thompson Center’s $280M redevelopment to become Google’s Chicago HQ kicks off</a> </li> </ul> </div> <p></p>

wbez.org

Plans for more Chicago green spaces: The Rundown

<p><i>Good afternoon! It’s Tuesday, and the one-year anniversary of WBEZ’s new talk shows, “In the Loop” and “Say More.” Here’s what you need to know today.</i></p><p><a class="Link" href="https://www.wbez.org/design/2026/09/15/garden-city-chicago-wbc-horizons-lines-design-competition" target="_blank" ><b><u>1. A design competition picked proposals that would significantly green up Chicago</u></b></a></p><p>Imagine Chicago’s commercial strips, schoolyards and vacant lots transformed into a green network of community arboreta, while the city’s 28-mile-long boulevard system becomes a series of lush gathering places. Could this be Chicago in 34 years?</p><p>Maybe, under two separate but complementary proposals that jointly won Horizon Lines: Visions for 2050, a design competition sponsored by the influential economic development organization World Business Chicago. The arboreta plan, called Green City Rising, was created by the Morton Arboretum. Chicago design firm MKSK created the boulevard proposal, dubbed Wonderways.</p><p>As my colleague Lee Bey reports, the Morton Arboretum and MKSK landscapes would also help absorb stormwater runoff and keep the city cooler in the summer by reducing heat islands caused by heat radiating off pavement.</p><p>Green City Rising shows street medians and public spaces that are significantly verdant, parklike and shaded. As depicted in renderings, the greenery cuts wide roads down to size and absorbs the stormwater that currently overloads the sewer systems and floods city streets and basements.</p><p>Meanwhile, Wonderways seeks to elevate the city’s historic boulevard ring by giving the green spaces more trees, rolling landforms, restored prairies and a mix of quiet and active places. [<a class="Link" href="https://www.wbez.org/design/2026/09/15/garden-city-chicago-wbc-horizons-lines-design-competition" target="_blank" ><u>Chicago Sun-Times</u></a>]</p><p><a class="Link" href="https://www.wbez.org/transportation/2026/09/14/cta-bus-stop-bench-ukrainian-village" target="_blank" ><b><u>2. This group is building benches at bus stops that don’t have one. Will the city let them?</u></b></a></p><p>A pair of homemade wooden benches painted bright yellow and blue appeared last week at CTA bus stops in Ukrainian Village. As David Struett reports for the Chicago Sun-Times, the benches were built and installed by a neighborhood group tired of seeing bus stops without them.</p><p>The Chicago Transit Authority has nearly 11,000 bus stops in Chicago. Over the last decade, the city has removed benches from some locations to deter loitering, according to news reports.</p><p>Several people posting on Reddit praised the Northwest Neighborhood Alliance for building the benches. The group wants to build more but is waiting to see what the city does because the benches are technically illegal.</p><p>“A lot of public transit agencies fall short on quality-of-life issues,” said Sam Kovnar, 25, founder of the Northwest Neighborhood Alliance. “If there’s no bench at the bus stop, that makes a difference whenever an older person chooses to use the stop. It makes the 5-, 10- or 15-minute wait possible or not.” [<a class="Link" href="https://www.wbez.org/transportation/2026/09/14/cta-bus-stop-bench-ukrainian-village" target="_blank" ><u>Chicago Sun-Times</u></a>]</p><p><a class="Link" href="https://chicago.suntimes.com/city-hall/2026/09/15/parking-meters-deal-stonepeak-partners-chicago-city-council-brandon-johnson-pat-dowell" target="_blank" ><b><u>3. City Council leaders brokered a deal that could pave the way for an investment firm to acquire Chicago’s parking meters for $2.5 billion</u></b></a></p><p>As Fran Spielman writes for the Chicago Sun-Times, the agreement includes tangible benefits that could help chip away at the city’s $882 million budget gap and create a new revenue stream that would benefit the city for years to come.</p><p>Included is a proposed profit-sharing arrangement equal to 5% of net income received by New York-based Stonepeak Partners and its operating entity, Chicago Parking Meters LLC. That is expected to produce $376.2 million for the city over the course of the deal, which expires in 2083. That larger payment will also be earmarked for underfunded city pensions.</p><p>The proposal also includes changes to the portion of the lopsided parking meter deal that requires the city to compensate Chicago Parking Meters LLC for every parking space taken out of service either for a special event or construction project. Chicago Parking Meters LLC is the private investment consortium formed by Morgan Stanley, Allianz and Sovereign Wealth Fund of Abu Dhabi.</p><p>Mayor Brandon Johnson played no role in the negotiations. He was briefed on the compromise last week. [<a class="Link" href="https://chicago.suntimes.com/city-hall/2026/09/15/parking-meters-deal-stonepeak-partners-chicago-city-council-brandon-johnson-pat-dowell" target="_blank" ><u>Chicago Sun-Times</u></a>]</p><p><a class="Link" href="https://www.wbez.org/sports/2026/09/14/what-to-know-about-the-chicago-white-sox-stadium-proposal" target="_blank" ><b><u>4. Here’s what to know about the Chicago White Sox stadium plan</u></b></a></p><p>White Sox minority owner Justin Ishbia’s company, Canal Edge LLC, proposed a mixed-use development called the Railyards as the site for a new stadium, which would be built where an Amtrak railyard now operates. The team is under lease at the state-owned Rate Field only through 2029, with the option to extend through 2030 before a new lease is signed.</p><p>The stadium would be situated within a parcel of land alongside the Chicago River, stretching from Roosevelt Road to the north to 18th Street to the south, and bordered by the Chicago River on its east side and Canal Street to its west.</p><p>The ballpark itself would be privately financed, a source with direct knowledge of the planning told the Chicago Sun-Times. But there would be an ask for public funding for local infrastructure, including for nearby roads, bridges and potentially a new Metra station, though details haven’t been finalized.</p><p>Ald. Nicole Lee (11th), whose ward encompasses Bridgeport and Rate Field, said the Sox’s move out and Amtrak’s move in would be “devastating” for the area and called it a “betrayal.” [<a class="Link" href="https://www.wbez.org/sports/2026/09/14/what-to-know-about-the-chicago-white-sox-stadium-proposal" target="_blank" ><u>Chicago Sun-Times</u></a>]</p><p><a class="Link" href="https://www.wbez.org/theater-stages/2026/09/14/equity-jeff-awards-winners-2026-chicago-theater-writers-leopoldstadt" target="_blank" ><b><u>5. The 2026 Equity Jeff Awards honored ‘Leopoldstadt,’ ‘Octet’ and actor Brendan Hunt in a celebratory night for Chicago theater</u></b></a></p><p>Writers Theatre’s family drama “Leopoldstadt” took home the most prizes at last night’s 58th annual Equity Jeff Awards, WBEZ’s Mike Davis reports. The Glencoe theater won five awards, all for its Midwest premiere of the Tom Stoppard epic.</p><p>The ambitious production, about multiple generations of a Jewish family in the decades leading up to the Holocaust, featured nearly 30 actors and 475 costumes and cost Writers more than $1 million to produce. It was recognized in categories including best production, ensemble and director.</p><p>A Red Orchid Theatre’s “Birds of North America” tied for second most awards for an individual show, earning four honors for midsize play, director (Kirsten Fitzgerald), and sound design and original music (both by Ethan Korvne). The two-hander explores generational differences between a father and daughter.</p><p>Raven Theatre’s hit acapella musical “Octet,” which graduated to a bigger stage this summer at the Goodman (and will soon become a film by Lin-Manuel Miranda), also took home four awards, for midsize musical, ensemble, director (Keira Fromm) and music director (Nick Sula).</p><p>The short-run production “The Movement You Need: An Evening with Brendan Hunt,” produced by Tiwary Entertainment Group, also received four awards. [<a class="Link" href="https://www.wbez.org/theater-stages/2026/09/14/equity-jeff-awards-winners-2026-chicago-theater-writers-leopoldstadt" target="_blank" ><u>WBEZ</u></a>]</p><p><b>Here’s what else is happening</b></p><ul class="rte2-style-ul" style="margin-top:0;margin-bottom:0;padding-inline-start:48px;" id="rte-d2b330c0-b143-11f1-8b76-27c654a8d308"><li>The U.S. Supreme Court rejected President Donald Trump’s mail voting restrictions for this year’s midterm elections. [<a class="Link" href="https://www.npr.org/2026/09/14/nx-s1-5962190/supreme-court-mail-in-voting-trump" target="_blank" ><u>NPR</u></a>]</li><li>The Kennedy Center will close over financial issues and a dispute over putting Trump’s name on the Washington, D.C., performing arts venue. [<a class="Link" href="https://apnews.com/article/kennedy-center-closure-board-trump-ruling-1dfbfaac695f6817719477101b971a54" target="_blank" ><u>AP</u></a>]</li><li>Chicago-set TV show “The Bear” did not receive any honors at last night’s Emmy Awards. [<a class="Link" href="https://blockclubchicago.org/2026/09/15/the-bear-gets-shut-out-at-mondays-emmys-for-season-4/" target="_blank" ><u>Block Club Chicago</u></a>]</li><li>Local businesses have mixed reactions to international bubble tea chains taking up more space in Chicago’s Chinatown neighborhood. [<a class="Link" href="https://www.wttw.com/playlist/2026/09/03/chinatown-international-chains" target="_blank" ><u>WTTW</u></a>]</li></ul><p><b>Oh, and one more thing …</b></p><p>The anticipated new Broadway musical “The Princess Bride” is swashbuckling its way to Chicago with a premiere at the James M. Nederlander Theatre next July, WBEZ theater reporter Mike Davis reports.</p><p>The remake of William Goldman’s novel and the 1980s fantasy film by Rob Reiner promises to maintain the sword fighting and romance with a fresh cast and an all-star creative team.</p><p>“The Princess Bride” is aiming to be Broadway’s next must-see musical, with a book by Tony Award winner Bob Martin (“The Drowsy Chaperone”) and Tony nominee Rick Elice (“Jersey Boys”), music and lyrics by Oscar-winning composers Kristen Anderson-Lopez (“Frozen”) and EGOT winner Robert Lopez (“Frozen,” “The Book of Mormon”), direction by Tony Award winner Alex Timbers (“Moulin Rouge!”) and choreography by Tony Award winner Andy Blankenbuehler (“Hamilton,” “In the Heights”). [<a class="Link" href="https://www.wbez.org/theater-stages/2026/09/15/the-princess-bride-musical-chicago-broadway-2027-nederlander-creative-team-jeffrey-seller" target="_blank" ><u>WBEZ</u></a>]</p><p><b>Tell me something good …</b></p><p>What’s a dessert recipe you recently tried for the first time and loved?</p><p>Kelly writes:</p><p>“Baking for the people in my life is something that I will always do to show my love, and people have really enjoyed what I have baked. Maybe it’s genetic because my grandfather owned a bakery in St. Louis, and I’m slowly working my way through the things that I know he made. He died when I was 10, before I found this interest, and it makes me feel connected to him.</p><p>One thing I’m SURE he didn’t make that I recently added to my repertoire at the request of a co-worker was Oatmeal Scotchies. They are basically oatmeal cookies with butterscotch chips and they are DELIGHTFUL.</p><p>I made the ones at <a class="Link" href="https://sallysbakingaddiction.com/oatmeal-scotchies/" target="_blank" ><u>this link</u></a> and 10/10 highly recommend it.”</p><p>Feel free to email me, and your response may be included in the newsletter this week.</p>

wbez.org

Urbs in horto in toto? Design contest picks proposals that would significantly green up Chicago

<p>Imagine Chicago's commercial strips, schoolyards and vacant lots transformed into a green network of community arboreta, while the city's 28-mile long boulevard system becomes a series of lush gathering places.</p><p>Could this be Chicago in 34 years? </p><p>Maybe, under two separate but complementary proposals that have jointly won <a class="Link" href="https://chicago.suntimes.com/architecture-design/2026/03/05/world-business-chicago-horizon-lines-design-chicago-competition" >Horizon Lines: Visions for 2050</a>, a design competition sponsored by the influential economic development organization World Business Chicago. </p><p>The group <a class="Link" href="https://worldbusinesschicago.com/horizon-lines/" target="_blank" >announced the winners</a> — the Morton Arboretum and MKSK — at a luncheon Tuesday. Conceived and submitted separately, the proposals were among the six finalists selected by the competition's jury in July.</p><p>In addition to bringing the city attractive new greenery, the proposed landscapes would also help absorb stormwater runoff and keep the city cooler in the summer by reducing heat islands caused by heat radiating off the pavement.</p><p>"These kinds of land management and resource management and sustainability theories are not just beautification," World Business Chicago President and CEO Phil Clement said. "And I think that's what really won everybody over."</p><p>The arboreta plan, called Green City Rising, was created by the Morton Arboretum. Chicago design firm MKSK created the boulevard proposal, dubbed Wonderways.</p><p>With a $5,000 honorarium and WBC's imprimatur, the arboretum and the architects will now work together to combine the two ecologically sustainable and community-centered public plans.</p><p>And the two visions are compelling. </p><p>Green City Rising shows street medians and public spaces that are significantly verdant, parklike and shaded.</p><p>As depicted in renderings, the greenery cuts wide roads down to size and absorbs the stormwater that overloads the sewer systems and floods city streets and basements.</p><p>"When the six finalists were announced, we were honestly delighted to see that so many of the entries squarely leaned into the idea of green and climate resilience and community and economic development principles that we all share — and with MKSK specifically," Morton Arboretum President and CEO Jill Koski said. "Both of our visions really emphasize that built infrastructure and nature aren't mutually exclusive. That was really exciting to see."</p><p>Wonderways seeks to elevate the city's historic boulevard ring by giving the green spaces more trees, rolling landforms, restored prairies and a mix of quiet and active places.</p><div class="Enhancement" data-align-center> <div class="Enhancement-item" data-crop=""> <figure class="Figure"><a class="AnchorLink" id="image-100000" name="image-100000"></a> <picture data-crop="medium"> <source type="image/webp" width="490" height="275" srcset="https://cst.brightspotcdn.com/dims4/default/2471f5d/2147483647/strip/true/crop/2100x1179+0+111/resize/490x275!/format/webp/quality/90/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fchorus-production-cst-web.s3.us-east-1.amazonaws.com%2Fbrightspot%2Fb7%2Ffa%2F693dc8884ec790b9f8747769317e%2Fbey.jpg 1x,https://cst.brightspotcdn.com/dims4/default/07416d8/2147483647/strip/true/crop/2100x1179+0+111/resize/980x550!/format/webp/quality/90/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fchorus-production-cst-web.s3.us-east-1.amazonaws.com%2Fbrightspot%2Fb7%2Ffa%2F693dc8884ec790b9f8747769317e%2Fbey.jpg 2x" loading="lazy" /> <source width="490" height="275" srcset="https://cst.brightspotcdn.com/dims4/default/7c32104/2147483647/strip/true/crop/2100x1179+0+111/resize/490x275!/quality/90/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fchorus-production-cst-web.s3.us-east-1.amazonaws.com%2Fbrightspot%2Fb7%2Ffa%2F693dc8884ec790b9f8747769317e%2Fbey.jpg" loading="lazy" /> <img class="Image" alt="Architecture firm MKSK's Wonderways proposal seeks to enhance the historic boulevard system medians medians with streams, paths and colorful plantings." srcset="https://cst.brightspotcdn.com/dims4/default/7c32104/2147483647/strip/true/crop/2100x1179+0+111/resize/490x275!/quality/90/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fchorus-production-cst-web.s3.us-east-1.amazonaws.com%2Fbrightspot%2Fb7%2Ffa%2F693dc8884ec790b9f8747769317e%2Fbey.jpg 1x,https://cst.brightspotcdn.com/dims4/default/50c8623/2147483647/strip/true/crop/2100x1179+0+111/resize/980x550!/quality/90/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fchorus-production-cst-web.s3.us-east-1.amazonaws.com%2Fbrightspot%2Fb7%2Ffa%2F693dc8884ec790b9f8747769317e%2Fbey.jpg 2x" width="490" height="275" src="https://cst.brightspotcdn.com/dims4/default/7c32104/2147483647/strip/true/crop/2100x1179+0+111/resize/490x275!/quality/90/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fchorus-production-cst-web.s3.us-east-1.amazonaws.com%2Fbrightspot%2Fb7%2Ffa%2F693dc8884ec790b9f8747769317e%2Fbey.jpg" loading="lazy" > </picture> <div class="Figure-content"><figcaption class="Figure-caption"><p>Architecture firm MKSK’s Wonderways proposal seeks to enhance the historic boulevard system medians with streams, paths and colorful plantings.</p></figcaption><span class="line"></span><div class="Figure-credit"><p>Provided by MKSK </p></div></div> </figure> </div> </div><p>And while Chicago's boulevards should be equal, in reality some are more equal than others when it comes to greenery, access and design. Wonderways and Green City Rising could help address that.</p><p>"There is a disparity ... [around] which community members have easy, safe access to these places — and access that feels accommodating to community gathering — and which of these spaces feels like a giant highway, and it's inaccessible and doesn't feel safe for your child across the street to access it," MKSK Principal Brett Weidl said.</p><p>"A huge part of this is really trying to hone in on how to create equitable spaces," said Weidl, a landscape architect who developed Wonderways with MKSK associates Donny Donoghue and Donny Zellefrow.</p><p>Nearly 200 design proposals were submitted for the competition. The four remaining finalists — and there are some <a class="Link" href="https://worldbusinesschicago.com/horizon-lines/" target="_blank" >thought-provoking ideas</a> there — will get $1,000 a piece.</p><p>Will any of Green City Rising or Wonderways get built? There's no timetable, nor even the promise of public or private funding, beyond the honoraria awarded by WBC.</p><p>It's almost the architectural equivalent of lying on your back, staring up at the sky and wondering: "What if?" </p><p>WBC did say it will introduce the design team to public, private and community partners "to explore how the concepts could work together and identify potential next steps."</p><p>So why go through the trouble? Because that's what Chicago does. </p><p>The Commercial Club of Chicago sponsored the 1909 Plan of Chicago, a book of wishes that, over the following 50 years, led to the creation of Wacker Drive, the construction of lakefront parks and the formation of major museums and cultural spaces.</p><p>By the way, the 1909 plan was strengthened by the inclusion of Jules Guerin's <a class="Link" href="https://www.artic.edu/artworks/128382/view-looking-west-over-the-city-1909-plan-of-chicago" target="_blank" >mesmerizing renderings</a>. Here's hoping the Morton Arboretum uses its share of the $5,000 honorarium to help hire a human professional to do Green City Rising renderings from this point on. </p><p>It doesn't have to be a modern day Guerin, but the public needs to see the concepts depicted in actual Chicago places rather than the distracting, AI-generated nowheresville seen in the image accompanying this column.</p><p>Other originally unfunded proposals that became real include the early 1990s renovation of Navy Pier and the creation of Dearborn Park and Printers Row.</p><p>But bringing the projects to fruition doesn't happen by chance. Next comes the hard work of seeking buy-in, working with communities to revise the plan and waiting for the financial and political stars to align in City Hall and Springfield.</p><p>Could take years; could take decades. A 1975 proposal called for decking over 20 acres of Grant Park surface parking and a rail line to create Lakefront Gardens for the Arts.</p><p>It opened in 2004 — 29 years later — as Millennium Park.</p><div class="RelatedList Enhancement" data-module data-align-center> <div class="RelatedList-title">Related</div> <ul class="RelatedList-items"> <li class="RelatedList-items-item"> <a class="Link" href="https://chicago.suntimes.com/architecture-design/2026/03/05/world-business-chicago-horizon-lines-design-chicago-competition" >What’s the big idea? If you’ve got it, World Business Chicago wants to know</a> </li> </ul> </div> <p><i>Correction: Sept. 15, 2026. A previous version of this article misstated the name of World Business Chicago's Horizon Lines initiative. We regret the error.</i></p>

wbez.org

Swashbuckling ‘The Princess Bride’ musical will stage pre-Broadway tryout in Chicago next July

<p>The anticipated new Broadway musical “The Princess Bride” is swashbuckling its way to Chicago, with a premiere at the James M. Nederlander Theatre next July.</p><p>The highly anticipated remake of William Goldman’s novel and the 1980s fantasy film by Rob Reiner promises to maintain the sword fighting and romance from the past with a fresh cast and an all-star creative team.</p><p>“The Princess Bride" is aiming to be Broadway’s next must-see musical, with a book by Tony Award winner Bob Martin (“The Drowsy Chaperone”) and Tony-nominee Rick Elice (“Jersey Boys”), music and lyrics by Oscar-winning composers Kristen Anderson-Lopez (“Frozen”) and EGOT winner Robert Lopez (“Frozen,” “The Book of Mormon”), direction by Tony Award winner Alex Timbers (Moulin Rouge!) and choreography by Tony Award winner Andy Blankenbuehler (“Hamilton,” “In the Heights”).</p><div class="Enhancement" data-align-center> <div class="Enhancement-item" data-crop=""> <figure class="Figure"><a class="AnchorLink" id="image-7d0000" name="image-7d0000"></a> <picture data-crop="medium"> <source type="image/webp" width="490" height="275" srcset="https://cst.brightspotcdn.com/dims4/default/0445d19/2147483647/strip/true/crop/622x349+0+136/resize/490x275!/format/webp/quality/90/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fchorus-production-cst-web.s3.us-east-1.amazonaws.com%2Fbrightspot%2F44%2F5e%2F4c26eb694a11931bda19a81144a7%2Funnamed.jpg 1x,https://cst.brightspotcdn.com/dims4/default/d3c4c16/2147483647/strip/true/crop/622x349+0+136/resize/980x550!/format/webp/quality/90/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fchorus-production-cst-web.s3.us-east-1.amazonaws.com%2Fbrightspot%2F44%2F5e%2F4c26eb694a11931bda19a81144a7%2Funnamed.jpg 2x" loading="lazy" /> <source width="490" height="275" srcset="https://cst.brightspotcdn.com/dims4/default/4077e9a/2147483647/strip/true/crop/622x349+0+136/resize/490x275!/quality/90/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fchorus-production-cst-web.s3.us-east-1.amazonaws.com%2Fbrightspot%2F44%2F5e%2F4c26eb694a11931bda19a81144a7%2Funnamed.jpg" loading="lazy" /> <img class="Image" alt="unnamed.jpg" srcset="https://cst.brightspotcdn.com/dims4/default/4077e9a/2147483647/strip/true/crop/622x349+0+136/resize/490x275!/quality/90/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fchorus-production-cst-web.s3.us-east-1.amazonaws.com%2Fbrightspot%2F44%2F5e%2F4c26eb694a11931bda19a81144a7%2Funnamed.jpg 1x,https://cst.brightspotcdn.com/dims4/default/6063481/2147483647/strip/true/crop/622x349+0+136/resize/980x550!/quality/90/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fchorus-production-cst-web.s3.us-east-1.amazonaws.com%2Fbrightspot%2F44%2F5e%2F4c26eb694a11931bda19a81144a7%2Funnamed.jpg 2x" width="490" height="275" src="https://cst.brightspotcdn.com/dims4/default/4077e9a/2147483647/strip/true/crop/622x349+0+136/resize/490x275!/quality/90/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fchorus-production-cst-web.s3.us-east-1.amazonaws.com%2Fbrightspot%2F44%2F5e%2F4c26eb694a11931bda19a81144a7%2Funnamed.jpg" loading="lazy" > </picture> <div class="Figure-content"><figcaption class="Figure-caption"><p>Tickets for “The Princess Bride” go on sale next month.</p></figcaption><span class="line"></span><div class="Figure-credit"><p>Courtesy of Broadway in Chicago</p></div></div> </figure> </div> </div><p>The enchanting story follows young lovers trying to make it to happily-ever-after, in a journey that includes a sweet-natured giant, a Spanish swordsman, a six-fingured scoundrel and a cast of funny and fantastical characters in the fictional world of Florin.</p><p>Broadway in Chicago partnered with producer Jeffrey Seller for the production. Seller, who has a catalog of successful shows that includes “Rent,” “In the Heights" and “Hamilton,” and is the only producer to mount two Pulitzer Prize winning musicals (“Hamilton” and “Rent”). His shows have also earned 22 Tony Awards.</p><p>“The Princess Bride” is slated to run July 19-Aug. 22, 2027. Tickets go on sale next month. Group tickets of 10 or more are on sale now.</p>

wbez.org

Equity Jeff Awards 2026 winners: full list

<p>Writers Theatre’s epic family drama <a class="Link" href="https://www.wbez.org/theater-stages/2026/06/09/leopoldstadt-writers-theatre-tom-stoppard-carey-perloff" target="_blank" ><u>Leopoldstadt</u></a> took home the most prizes at Monday’s 58th annual Equity Jeff Awards. The Glencoe theater won five awards, all for its Midwest premiere of the Tom Stoppard epic family drama.</p><p>The ambitious production, about multiple generations of a Jewish family in the decades up to the Holocaust, featured nearly 30 actors and 475 costumes and cost Writers more than $1 million to produce. It was recognized in categories including best production, ensemble and director.</p><p>The 2026 Equity Jeff Awards celebrated excellence in theater on Chicago’s biggest stages at the Harris Theater in Millennium Park. The prestigious awards honor productions staged at the area’s biggest playhouses and under actors’ union contracts in the 2025-26 season.</p><div class="Enhancement FormEnhancement" data-align-center> <div id="Form-newsletter-wrapper" class="Form-newsletter-wrapper" data-module data-has-background ><a class="AnchorLink" id="custom-form-c10000" name="custom-form-c10000"></a><bsp-form class="Form-newsletter" data-form-container data-has-background style="--color-form-background: #e8dbed;; --color-form-link: var(--link-color); --color-form-link-hover: var(--color-link-text-hover); " data-ajax-submit="true"> <div class="Form-newsletter-logo"> <picture data-crop=""> <source type="image/webp" width="840" height="555" srcset="https://cst.brightspotcdn.com/dims4/default/8d5b965/2147483647/strip/true/crop/985x651+33+0/resize/840x555!/format/webp/quality/90/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fchorus-production-cst-web.s3.us-east-1.amazonaws.com%2Fbrightspot%2F71%2Ff5%2F2243263a48c7a1d6e81fedce4f15%2Fgr-wordmark-rgb-dkgreen-newsletter.png 1x,https://cst.brightspotcdn.com/dims4/default/a4ff6fd/2147483647/strip/true/crop/985x651+33+0/resize/1680x1110!/format/webp/quality/90/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fchorus-production-cst-web.s3.us-east-1.amazonaws.com%2Fbrightspot%2F71%2Ff5%2F2243263a48c7a1d6e81fedce4f15%2Fgr-wordmark-rgb-dkgreen-newsletter.png 2x" loading="lazy" /> <source width="840" height="555" srcset="https://cst.brightspotcdn.com/dims4/default/d21ec76/2147483647/strip/true/crop/985x651+33+0/resize/840x555!/quality/90/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fchorus-production-cst-web.s3.us-east-1.amazonaws.com%2Fbrightspot%2F71%2Ff5%2F2243263a48c7a1d6e81fedce4f15%2Fgr-wordmark-rgb-dkgreen-newsletter.png" loading="lazy" /> <img class="Image" alt="GR-wordmark-RGB-DKgreen-Newsletter.png" srcset="https://cst.brightspotcdn.com/dims4/default/d21ec76/2147483647/strip/true/crop/985x651+33+0/resize/840x555!/quality/90/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fchorus-production-cst-web.s3.us-east-1.amazonaws.com%2Fbrightspot%2F71%2Ff5%2F2243263a48c7a1d6e81fedce4f15%2Fgr-wordmark-rgb-dkgreen-newsletter.png 1x,https://cst.brightspotcdn.com/dims4/default/aaee62a/2147483647/strip/true/crop/985x651+33+0/resize/1680x1110!/quality/90/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fchorus-production-cst-web.s3.us-east-1.amazonaws.com%2Fbrightspot%2F71%2Ff5%2F2243263a48c7a1d6e81fedce4f15%2Fgr-wordmark-rgb-dkgreen-newsletter.png 2x" width="840" height="555" src="https://cst.brightspotcdn.com/dims4/default/d21ec76/2147483647/strip/true/crop/985x651+33+0/resize/840x555!/quality/90/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fchorus-production-cst-web.s3.us-east-1.amazonaws.com%2Fbrightspot%2F71%2Ff5%2F2243263a48c7a1d6e81fedce4f15%2Fgr-wordmark-rgb-dkgreen-newsletter.png" loading="lazy" > </picture> </div> <div class="Form-newsletter-text-wrapper"> <div class="Form-newsletter-title"> Green Room Newsletter </div> <div class="Form-newsletter-submissionSuccess"> <p><b>You’re subscribed!</b></p><p></p><p>Please check your inbox for your confirmation.</p> </div> <div class="Form-newsletter-description">Stay ahead of what’s hitting Chicago stages, galleries, museums and more with Green Room, WBEZ’s weekly arts & culture newsletter!</div> <div class="Form-newsletter-errorMessage"><p>Sorry, there was an error registering your email.</p></div> </div> <form data-ajax-endpoint="https://sfmc-subscribe.wbez.org/v1/subscription" class="Form-newsletter-form" method="POST" > <div class="Form-newsletter-item"> <div class="EmailInput"><label class="EmailInput-label"><span>Email</span> <input class="EmailInput-input" type="email" name="email" placeholder="name@email.com" required aria-required="true"> </label> </div> <button class="Button" type="submit">Submit </button> </div> <div class="Form-items-item"> <input type="hidden" name="acquisition_campaign" value="ARTS_Affordance"> </div> <div class="Form-newsletter-disclaimer"> <p>By subscribing, you agree with WBEZ’s <a class="Link" href="https://www.wbez.org/terms-of-use" target="_blank" >Terms of Use</a> and <a class="Link" href="https://www.wbez.org/privacy-policy" target="_blank" >Privacy Policy</a></p> </div> </form> </bsp-form> </div> </div><p>A Red Orchid Theatre’s “<a class="Link" href="https://www.wbez.org/theater-stages/2026/01/27/birds-of-north-america-a-red-orchid-theatre-review" target="_blank" ><u>Birds of North America</u></a>” tied for second most awards for an individual show, earning four honors for midsize play, director (Kirsten Fitzgerald), and sound design and original music (both by Ethan Korvne). The gripping two-hander, which has returned for a limited run through Oct. 4, explores generational differences between a father and daughter. </p><p>Raven Theatre’s hit acapella musical “<a class="Link" href="https://www.wbez.org/theater-stages/2026/07/14/octet-musical-lin-manuel-miranda-raven-goodman-dave-malloy-chicago-theater-summer" target="_blank" ><u>Octet</u></a>,” which graduated to a bigger stage this summer at the Goodman (and will soon become a film by Lin-Manuel Miranda), also took home four awards, for midsize musical, ensemble, director (Keira Fromm) and music director (Nick Sula). </p><p>The shortrun production <a class="Link" href="https://chicago.suntimes.com/theater/2026/04/07/brendan-hunt-ted-lasso-steppenwolf-chicago-the-movement-you-need" >“The Movement You Need: An Evening with Brendan Hunt,”</a> produced by Tiwary Entertainment Group, also received four awards.</p><div class="Enhancement" data-align-center> <div class="Enhancement-item" data-crop=""> <figure class="Figure"><a class="AnchorLink" id="image-bb0000" name="image-bb0000"></a> <picture data-crop="medium"> <source type="image/webp" width="490" height="275" srcset="https://cst.brightspotcdn.com/dims4/default/a308615/2147483647/strip/true/crop/7433x4172+0+393/resize/490x275!/format/webp/quality/90/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fchorus-production-cst-web.s3.us-east-1.amazonaws.com%2Fbrightspot%2F3f%2F2e%2Fc88f90e0444dbda1eff3fe5859ce%2Fequityjeffceremony-260916-423.jpg 1x,https://cst.brightspotcdn.com/dims4/default/9739a80/2147483647/strip/true/crop/7433x4172+0+393/resize/980x550!/format/webp/quality/90/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fchorus-production-cst-web.s3.us-east-1.amazonaws.com%2Fbrightspot%2F3f%2F2e%2Fc88f90e0444dbda1eff3fe5859ce%2Fequityjeffceremony-260916-423.jpg 2x" loading="lazy" /> <source width="490" height="275" srcset="https://cst.brightspotcdn.com/dims4/default/78a4881/2147483647/strip/true/crop/7433x4172+0+393/resize/490x275!/quality/90/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fchorus-production-cst-web.s3.us-east-1.amazonaws.com%2Fbrightspot%2F3f%2F2e%2Fc88f90e0444dbda1eff3fe5859ce%2Fequityjeffceremony-260916-423.jpg" loading="lazy" /> <img class="Image" alt="EQUITYJEFFCEREMONY_260916-423.jpg" srcset="https://cst.brightspotcdn.com/dims4/default/78a4881/2147483647/strip/true/crop/7433x4172+0+393/resize/490x275!/quality/90/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fchorus-production-cst-web.s3.us-east-1.amazonaws.com%2Fbrightspot%2F3f%2F2e%2Fc88f90e0444dbda1eff3fe5859ce%2Fequityjeffceremony-260916-423.jpg 1x,https://cst.brightspotcdn.com/dims4/default/d0148c7/2147483647/strip/true/crop/7433x4172+0+393/resize/980x550!/quality/90/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fchorus-production-cst-web.s3.us-east-1.amazonaws.com%2Fbrightspot%2F3f%2F2e%2Fc88f90e0444dbda1eff3fe5859ce%2Fequityjeffceremony-260916-423.jpg 2x" width="490" height="275" src="https://cst.brightspotcdn.com/dims4/default/78a4881/2147483647/strip/true/crop/7433x4172+0+393/resize/490x275!/quality/90/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fchorus-production-cst-web.s3.us-east-1.amazonaws.com%2Fbrightspot%2F3f%2F2e%2Fc88f90e0444dbda1eff3fe5859ce%2Fequityjeffceremony-260916-423.jpg" loading="lazy" > </picture> <div class="Figure-content"><figcaption class="Figure-caption"><p>Raven Theatre’s hit acapella musical “Octet,” which received four Equity Jeff Awards, graduated to a bigger stage this summer at the Goodman Theatre.</p></figcaption><span class="line"></span><div class="Figure-credit"><p>Candace Dane Chambers/Sun-Times</p></div></div> </figure> </div> </div><p>The Goodman Theatre nabbed four wins. The theater's support of new work was recognized for “The Brief Wondrous Life of Oscar Wao.” Al’Jaleel McGhee won best actor for his unforgettable portrayal of the ambitious trumpeter Levee in Goodman’s production of “<a class="Link" href="https://www.wbez.org/theater-stages/2026/04/08/review-ma-raineys-black-bottom-goodman-theatre" target="_blank" ><u>Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom</u></a>.” </p><p>Paramount Theatre also won four awards, with Trent Stork taking best director for "Come From Away."</p><p>The Jeffs recognized 41 winners from 37 categories and 209 nominees from a list of 30 producing companies.</p><p>Black Ensemble Theatre, which won three awards, received a special honor for its 50th season and legacy of arts leadership. The company, founded and led by theater legend<a class="Link" href="https://www.wbez.org/theater-stages/2025/03/11/black-ensemble-theater-jackie-taylor-uptown-clark-new-development" target="_blank" ><u> Jackie Taylor</u></a>, is a nationally celebrated institution with a mission of eradicating racism through the arts.</p><div class="Enhancement" data-align-center> <div class="Enhancement-item" data-crop=""> <figure class="Figure"><a class="AnchorLink" id="image-f60000" name="image-f60000"></a> <picture data-crop="medium"> <source type="image/webp" width="490" height="275" srcset="https://cst.brightspotcdn.com/dims4/default/d61aff8/2147483647/strip/true/crop/8192x4598+0+433/resize/490x275!/format/webp/quality/90/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fchorus-production-cst-web.s3.us-east-1.amazonaws.com%2Fbrightspot%2Fdc%2F6d%2Fe5c28a02476fb50a95bad6d77da4%2Fequityjeffceremony-260916-388.jpg 1x,https://cst.brightspotcdn.com/dims4/default/f3903ea/2147483647/strip/true/crop/8192x4598+0+433/resize/980x550!/format/webp/quality/90/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fchorus-production-cst-web.s3.us-east-1.amazonaws.com%2Fbrightspot%2Fdc%2F6d%2Fe5c28a02476fb50a95bad6d77da4%2Fequityjeffceremony-260916-388.jpg 2x" loading="lazy" /> <source width="490" height="275" srcset="https://cst.brightspotcdn.com/dims4/default/be985d7/2147483647/strip/true/crop/8192x4598+0+433/resize/490x275!/quality/90/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fchorus-production-cst-web.s3.us-east-1.amazonaws.com%2Fbrightspot%2Fdc%2F6d%2Fe5c28a02476fb50a95bad6d77da4%2Fequityjeffceremony-260916-388.jpg" loading="lazy" /> <img class="Image" alt="EQUITYJEFFCEREMONY_260916-388.jpg" srcset="https://cst.brightspotcdn.com/dims4/default/be985d7/2147483647/strip/true/crop/8192x4598+0+433/resize/490x275!/quality/90/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fchorus-production-cst-web.s3.us-east-1.amazonaws.com%2Fbrightspot%2Fdc%2F6d%2Fe5c28a02476fb50a95bad6d77da4%2Fequityjeffceremony-260916-388.jpg 1x,https://cst.brightspotcdn.com/dims4/default/91ea0e7/2147483647/strip/true/crop/8192x4598+0+433/resize/980x550!/quality/90/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fchorus-production-cst-web.s3.us-east-1.amazonaws.com%2Fbrightspot%2Fdc%2F6d%2Fe5c28a02476fb50a95bad6d77da4%2Fequityjeffceremony-260916-388.jpg 2x" width="490" height="275" src="https://cst.brightspotcdn.com/dims4/default/be985d7/2147483647/strip/true/crop/8192x4598+0+433/resize/490x275!/quality/90/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fchorus-production-cst-web.s3.us-east-1.amazonaws.com%2Fbrightspot%2Fdc%2F6d%2Fe5c28a02476fb50a95bad6d77da4%2Fequityjeffceremony-260916-388.jpg" loading="lazy" > </picture> <div class="Figure-content"><figcaption class="Figure-caption"><p>Black Ensemble Theatre was honored Monday night at the Equity Jeff Awards with a special honor for arts leadership.</p></figcaption><span class="line"></span><div class="Figure-credit"><p>Candace Dane Chambers/Sun-Times</p></div></div> </figure> </div> </div><p></p><h2>Here’s a complete list of 2026 Equity Jeff Award winners:</h2><p></p><h4>Production – Play (Large)</h4><p>“Leopoldstadt” - Writers Theatre</p><h4>Production – Play (Midsize)</h4><p>“Birds of North America” - A Red Orchid Theatre</p><h4>Production – Musical (Large) - The Susan and Harlan Haimes Award</h4><p>“A Little Night Music” - Marriott Theatre</p><h4>Production – Musical (Midsize)</h4><p>“Octet” - Raven Theatre</p><h4>Production - Revue</h4><p>“Men of Soul”- Black Ensemble Theater</p><h4>Director – Play (Large) - The Michael Maggio Award</h4><p>Carey Perloff - “Leopoldstadt” - Writers Theatre</p><h4>Director – Play (Midsize)</h4><p>Kirsten Fitzgerald - “Birds of North America” - A Red Orchid Theatre</p><h4>Director – Musical (Large)</h4><p>Trent Stork - “Come From Away” - Paramount Theatre</p><h4>Director – Musical (Midsize)</h4><p>Keira Fromm - “Octet” - Raven Theatre</p><h4>Director – Revue</h4><p>Daryl D. Brooks - “Men of Soul”- Black Ensemble Theater</p><h4>Ensemble – Play</h4><p>“Leopoldstadt” - Writers Theatre</p><h4>Ensemble – Musical</h4><p>"Octet" - Raven Theatre</p><div class="Enhancement" data-align-center> <div class="Enhancement-item" data-crop=""> <figure class="Figure"><a class="AnchorLink" id="image-5b0000" name="image-5b0000"></a> <picture data-crop="medium"> <source type="image/webp" width="490" height="275" srcset="https://cst.brightspotcdn.com/dims4/default/360649d/2147483647/strip/true/crop/7939x4456+0+420/resize/490x275!/format/webp/quality/90/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fchorus-production-cst-web.s3.us-east-1.amazonaws.com%2Fbrightspot%2Fa0%2F93%2F2ea0d0c7497598b0482aaa98cf8f%2F6-ma-raineys-black-bottom-production-photos.jpg 1x,https://cst.brightspotcdn.com/dims4/default/eb9e262/2147483647/strip/true/crop/7939x4456+0+420/resize/980x550!/format/webp/quality/90/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fchorus-production-cst-web.s3.us-east-1.amazonaws.com%2Fbrightspot%2Fa0%2F93%2F2ea0d0c7497598b0482aaa98cf8f%2F6-ma-raineys-black-bottom-production-photos.jpg 2x" loading="lazy" /> <source width="490" height="275" srcset="https://cst.brightspotcdn.com/dims4/default/d50bd94/2147483647/strip/true/crop/7939x4456+0+420/resize/490x275!/quality/90/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fchorus-production-cst-web.s3.us-east-1.amazonaws.com%2Fbrightspot%2Fa0%2F93%2F2ea0d0c7497598b0482aaa98cf8f%2F6-ma-raineys-black-bottom-production-photos.jpg" loading="lazy" /> <img class="Image" alt="Cedric Young, Al’Jaleel McGhee in "Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom."" srcset="https://cst.brightspotcdn.com/dims4/default/d50bd94/2147483647/strip/true/crop/7939x4456+0+420/resize/490x275!/quality/90/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fchorus-production-cst-web.s3.us-east-1.amazonaws.com%2Fbrightspot%2Fa0%2F93%2F2ea0d0c7497598b0482aaa98cf8f%2F6-ma-raineys-black-bottom-production-photos.jpg 1x,https://cst.brightspotcdn.com/dims4/default/c32c484/2147483647/strip/true/crop/7939x4456+0+420/resize/980x550!/quality/90/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fchorus-production-cst-web.s3.us-east-1.amazonaws.com%2Fbrightspot%2Fa0%2F93%2F2ea0d0c7497598b0482aaa98cf8f%2F6-ma-raineys-black-bottom-production-photos.jpg 2x" width="490" height="275" src="https://cst.brightspotcdn.com/dims4/default/d50bd94/2147483647/strip/true/crop/7939x4456+0+420/resize/490x275!/quality/90/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fchorus-production-cst-web.s3.us-east-1.amazonaws.com%2Fbrightspot%2Fa0%2F93%2F2ea0d0c7497598b0482aaa98cf8f%2F6-ma-raineys-black-bottom-production-photos.jpg" loading="lazy" > </picture> <div class="Figure-content"><figcaption class="Figure-caption"><p>Al’Jaleel McGhee received a Jeff for his unforgettable portrayal of the ambitious trumpeter Levee in Goodman’s production of “Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom.”</p></figcaption><span class="line"></span><div class="Figure-credit"><p>Courtesy of Justin Barbin</p></div></div> </figure> </div> </div><p></p><h4>Performer In A Principal Role – Play</h4><p>Al’Jaleel McGhee - “Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom” - Goodman Theatre<br>Gwendolyn Whiteside - “Come Back, Little Sheba” - American Blues Theater</p><h4>Performer In A Principal Role – Musical</h4><p>Cody Combs - “Dear Evan Hansen” - Paramount Theatre<br>Allsun O'Malley - “South Pacific” - Paramount Theatre</p><h4>Performer In A Revue</h4><p>Maxel McLoud Schingen - “Men of Soul” - Black Ensemble Theater</p><h4>Solo Performance</h4><p>Kelvin Roston, Jr. - “Twisted Melodies” - Northlight Theatre</p><h4>Performer In A Supporting Role – Play</h4><p>Audrey Francis - “Catch As Catch Can” - Steppenwolf Theatre Company<br>Wesley Taylor - “Holiday” - Goodman Theatre</p><h4>Performer In A Supporting Role – Musical</h4><p>Veronica Garza - “A Little Night Music” - Marriott Theatre<br>Claudia Quesada - “On Your Feet!” - Drury Lane Productions</p><h4>New Work - The Libby Adler Mages Award</h4><p>Marco Antonio Rodriguez - “The Brief Wondrous Life of Oscar Wao” - Goodman Theatre<br>James Sherman - “The First Lady of Television” - Northlight Theatre</p><h4>Choreography</h4><p>Luis Salgado - “On Your Feet!” - Drury Lane Productions</p><div class="Enhancement" data-align-center> <div class="Enhancement-item" data-crop=""> <figure class="Figure"><a class="AnchorLink" id="image-cb0000" name="image-cb0000"></a> <picture data-crop="medium"> <source type="image/webp" width="490" height="275" srcset="https://cst.brightspotcdn.com/dims4/default/f0dd27d/2147483647/strip/true/crop/1800x1010+0+95/resize/490x275!/format/webp/quality/90/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fchorus-production-cst-web.s3.us-east-1.amazonaws.com%2Fbrightspot%2F1b%2F60%2F77b374dd4737957d0c0f52db8ab3%2Fbirds-of-north-america-5-photo-by-evan-hanover.jpg 1x,https://cst.brightspotcdn.com/dims4/default/48e08da/2147483647/strip/true/crop/1800x1010+0+95/resize/980x550!/format/webp/quality/90/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fchorus-production-cst-web.s3.us-east-1.amazonaws.com%2Fbrightspot%2F1b%2F60%2F77b374dd4737957d0c0f52db8ab3%2Fbirds-of-north-america-5-photo-by-evan-hanover.jpg 2x" loading="lazy" /> <source width="490" height="275" srcset="https://cst.brightspotcdn.com/dims4/default/ee553dc/2147483647/strip/true/crop/1800x1010+0+95/resize/490x275!/quality/90/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fchorus-production-cst-web.s3.us-east-1.amazonaws.com%2Fbrightspot%2F1b%2F60%2F77b374dd4737957d0c0f52db8ab3%2Fbirds-of-north-america-5-photo-by-evan-hanover.jpg" loading="lazy" /> <img class="Image" alt="Ensemble Member John Judd and Cassidy Slaughter-Mason in A Red Orchid Theatre’s Chicago premiere of Birds of North America." srcset="https://cst.brightspotcdn.com/dims4/default/ee553dc/2147483647/strip/true/crop/1800x1010+0+95/resize/490x275!/quality/90/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fchorus-production-cst-web.s3.us-east-1.amazonaws.com%2Fbrightspot%2F1b%2F60%2F77b374dd4737957d0c0f52db8ab3%2Fbirds-of-north-america-5-photo-by-evan-hanover.jpg 1x,https://cst.brightspotcdn.com/dims4/default/9d36b55/2147483647/strip/true/crop/1800x1010+0+95/resize/980x550!/quality/90/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fchorus-production-cst-web.s3.us-east-1.amazonaws.com%2Fbrightspot%2F1b%2F60%2F77b374dd4737957d0c0f52db8ab3%2Fbirds-of-north-america-5-photo-by-evan-hanover.jpg 2x" width="490" height="275" src="https://cst.brightspotcdn.com/dims4/default/ee553dc/2147483647/strip/true/crop/1800x1010+0+95/resize/490x275!/quality/90/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fchorus-production-cst-web.s3.us-east-1.amazonaws.com%2Fbrightspot%2F1b%2F60%2F77b374dd4737957d0c0f52db8ab3%2Fbirds-of-north-america-5-photo-by-evan-hanover.jpg" loading="lazy" > </picture> <div class="Figure-content"><figcaption class="Figure-caption"><p>A Red Orchid Theatre’s “Birds of North America” tied for second-most awards for an individual show.</p></figcaption><span class="line"></span><div class="Figure-credit"><p>Courtesy of Evan Hanover</p></div></div> </figure> </div> </div><p></p><h4>Original Music In A Play</h4><p>Ethan Korvne - “Birds of North America” - A Red Orchid Theatre</p><h4>Music Direction</h4><p>Nick Sula - “Octet” - Raven Theatre</p><h4>Scenic Design (Large)</h4><p>Walt Spangler - “Holiday” - Goodman Theatre</p><h4>Scenic Design (Midsize)</h4><p>Grant Sabin - “Things With Friends” - American Blues Theater</p><h4>Lighting Design (Large)</h4><p>Anna Watson - “Paranormal Activity” - Chicago Shakespeare Theater in co-production with Center Theatre Group, American Conservatory Theater and Shakespeare Theatre Company</p><h4>Lighting Design (Midsize)</h4><p>Eric Watkins - “Oak” - Raven Theatre</p><h4>Costume Design (Large)</h4><p>Alex Jaeger - “Leopoldstadt” - Writers Theatre</p><h4>Costume Design (Midsize)</h4><p>Aly Greaves Amidei - “Georgiana and Kitty: Christmas at Pemberley” - Buffalo Theatre Ensemble</p><h4>Sound Design (Large)</h4><p>Gareth Fry - “Paranormal Activity” - Chicago Shakespeare Theater in co-production with Center Theatre Group, American Conservatory Theater, and Shakespeare Theatre Company</p><h4>Sound Design (Midsize)</h4><p>Ethan Korvne - “Birds of North America” - A Red Orchid Theatre</p><h4>Projection Design</h4><p>Anthony Churchill - “Dear Evan Hansen” - Paramount Theatre</p><h4>Artistic Specialization</h4><p>Chris Fisher - Illusion Design - “Paranormal Activity” - Chicago Shakespeare Theater in co-production with Center Theatre Group, American Conservatory Theater, and Shakespeare Theatre Company<br>Tom Watson - Hair, Wig and Makeup Design - “Leopoldstadt” - Writers Theatre</p><div class="Enhancement" data-align-center> <div class="Enhancement-item" data-crop=""> <figure class="Figure"><a class="AnchorLink" id="image-e60000" name="image-e60000"></a> <picture data-crop="medium"> <source type="image/webp" width="490" height="275" srcset="https://cst.brightspotcdn.com/dims4/default/afd3aa2/2147483647/strip/true/crop/6122x3436+0+324/resize/490x275!/format/webp/quality/90/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fchorus-production-cst-web.s3.us-east-1.amazonaws.com%2Fbrightspot%2F57%2Fb5%2F86987a954f1b9c95671e2f676d06%2Fbrendanhunt-260418-08.jpg 1x,https://cst.brightspotcdn.com/dims4/default/c9d7d3f/2147483647/strip/true/crop/6122x3436+0+324/resize/980x550!/format/webp/quality/90/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fchorus-production-cst-web.s3.us-east-1.amazonaws.com%2Fbrightspot%2F57%2Fb5%2F86987a954f1b9c95671e2f676d06%2Fbrendanhunt-260418-08.jpg 2x" loading="lazy" /> <source width="490" height="275" srcset="https://cst.brightspotcdn.com/dims4/default/8a2f7a7/2147483647/strip/true/crop/6122x3436+0+324/resize/490x275!/quality/90/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fchorus-production-cst-web.s3.us-east-1.amazonaws.com%2Fbrightspot%2F57%2Fb5%2F86987a954f1b9c95671e2f676d06%2Fbrendanhunt-260418-08.jpg" loading="lazy" /> <img class="Image" alt="Brendan Hunt at the Chicago Public Media offices at 848 E Grand Ave at Navy Pier, Monday, April 6, 2026. Brendan Hunt is performing his autobiographical one-man show, "The Movement You Need," at Chicago's Steppenwolf Theatre from April 19 to May 10, 2026. " srcset="https://cst.brightspotcdn.com/dims4/default/8a2f7a7/2147483647/strip/true/crop/6122x3436+0+324/resize/490x275!/quality/90/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fchorus-production-cst-web.s3.us-east-1.amazonaws.com%2Fbrightspot%2F57%2Fb5%2F86987a954f1b9c95671e2f676d06%2Fbrendanhunt-260418-08.jpg 1x,https://cst.brightspotcdn.com/dims4/default/d667664/2147483647/strip/true/crop/6122x3436+0+324/resize/980x550!/quality/90/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fchorus-production-cst-web.s3.us-east-1.amazonaws.com%2Fbrightspot%2F57%2Fb5%2F86987a954f1b9c95671e2f676d06%2Fbrendanhunt-260418-08.jpg 2x" width="490" height="275" src="https://cst.brightspotcdn.com/dims4/default/8a2f7a7/2147483647/strip/true/crop/6122x3436+0+324/resize/490x275!/quality/90/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fchorus-production-cst-web.s3.us-east-1.amazonaws.com%2Fbrightspot%2F57%2Fb5%2F86987a954f1b9c95671e2f676d06%2Fbrendanhunt-260418-08.jpg" loading="lazy" > </picture> <div class="Figure-content"><figcaption class="Figure-caption"><p>The short-run production “The Movement You Need: An Evening with Brendan Hunt” received four Jeffs.</p></figcaption><span class="line"></span><div class="Figure-credit"><p>Anthony Vazquez/Sun-Times</p></div></div> </figure> </div> </div><p></p><h4>Short Run Production</h4><p>“The Movement You Need: An Evening with Brendan Hunt” - Tiwary Entertainment Group</p><h4>Short Run Production – Performer</h4><p>Brendan Hunt - “The Movement You Need: An Evening with Brendan Hunt” - Tiwary Entertainment Group</p><h4>Short Run Production – New Work</h4><p>Brendan Hunt - “The Movement You Need: An Evening with Brendan Hunt” - Tiwary Entertainment Group</p><h4>Short Run Production – Design</h4><p>Nick Solyom - Lighting Design - “The Movement You Need: An Evening with Brendan Hunt” - Tiwary Entertainment Group</p><h4>Special Award</h4><p>Black Ensemble Theater</p><h4>Impresario Award, Honoring Excellence in Stage Management</h4><p>Caitlin I. Quinn, Buffalo Theatre Ensemble</p>

wbez.org

This group is building benches at bus stops that don’t have one. Will the city let them?

<p>A pair of homemade wooden benches painted bright yellow and blue appeared last week at CTA bus stops in <a class="Link" href="https://chicago.suntimes.com/ukrainian-village" >Ukrainian Village</a>.</p><p>The benches were built and installed by a neighborhood group tired of seeing bus stops without them. </p><p>Several people posting online praised the Northwest Neighborhood Alliance for building the benches.</p><p>The group wants to build more, but is waiting to see what the city does.</p><p>Technically, the benches are illegal.</p><p>They were placed without seeking permission from the city, said Sam Kovnar, 25, founder of the Northwest Neighborhood Alliance.</p><p>"A lot of public transit agencies fall short on quality-of-life issues," Kovnar said. "If there's no bench at the bus stop, that makes a difference whenever an older person chooses to use the stop. It makes the 5-, 10- or 15-minute wait possible or not."</p><p>One bench is at Damen Avenue and Thomas Street, the other at Division Street and Oakley Boulevard.</p><p>People roundly praised the benches in <a class="Link" href="https://www.reddit.com/r/chicago/comments/1wb3317/we_built_some_bus_stop_benches_this_week_what/" target="_blank" >posts</a> on <a class="Link" href="https://www.reddit.com/r/chicago/comments/1waqquy/a_huge_thank_you_to_whoever_placed_this_bench_at/" target="_blank" >Reddit</a>.</p><p>One commenter said, "As a person who needs to be able to sit while waiting I thank you for the work you are doing."</p><p>Kovnar, reflecting on the positive feedback, said, "It was also distressing to read how much difference a bench could make."</p><div class="Enhancement" data-align-center> <div class="Enhancement-item" data-crop=""> <figure class="Figure"><a class="AnchorLink" id="image-af0000" name="image-af0000"></a> <picture data-crop="medium"> <source type="image/webp" width="490" height="275" srcset="https://cst.brightspotcdn.com/dims4/default/d0bed48/2147483647/strip/true/crop/6122x3436+0+324/resize/490x275!/format/webp/quality/90/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fchorus-production-cst-web.s3.us-east-1.amazonaws.com%2Fbrightspot%2F34%2F27%2F5703295f40a78ce0165feb0c06c4%2Fbusstopbenches-260915-09.jpg 1x,https://cst.brightspotcdn.com/dims4/default/c711a83/2147483647/strip/true/crop/6122x3436+0+324/resize/980x550!/format/webp/quality/90/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fchorus-production-cst-web.s3.us-east-1.amazonaws.com%2Fbrightspot%2F34%2F27%2F5703295f40a78ce0165feb0c06c4%2Fbusstopbenches-260915-09.jpg 2x" loading="lazy" /> <source width="490" height="275" srcset="https://cst.brightspotcdn.com/dims4/default/ccd0e08/2147483647/strip/true/crop/6122x3436+0+324/resize/490x275!/quality/90/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fchorus-production-cst-web.s3.us-east-1.amazonaws.com%2Fbrightspot%2F34%2F27%2F5703295f40a78ce0165feb0c06c4%2Fbusstopbenches-260915-09.jpg" loading="lazy" /> <img class="Image" alt="A blue and yellow bench at a stop for the No. 70 bus near Division Street and Oakley Boulevard, photographed on Monday, Sept. 14, 2026." srcset="https://cst.brightspotcdn.com/dims4/default/ccd0e08/2147483647/strip/true/crop/6122x3436+0+324/resize/490x275!/quality/90/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fchorus-production-cst-web.s3.us-east-1.amazonaws.com%2Fbrightspot%2F34%2F27%2F5703295f40a78ce0165feb0c06c4%2Fbusstopbenches-260915-09.jpg 1x,https://cst.brightspotcdn.com/dims4/default/90ec001/2147483647/strip/true/crop/6122x3436+0+324/resize/980x550!/quality/90/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fchorus-production-cst-web.s3.us-east-1.amazonaws.com%2Fbrightspot%2F34%2F27%2F5703295f40a78ce0165feb0c06c4%2Fbusstopbenches-260915-09.jpg 2x" width="490" height="275" src="https://cst.brightspotcdn.com/dims4/default/ccd0e08/2147483647/strip/true/crop/6122x3436+0+324/resize/490x275!/quality/90/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fchorus-production-cst-web.s3.us-east-1.amazonaws.com%2Fbrightspot%2F34%2F27%2F5703295f40a78ce0165feb0c06c4%2Fbusstopbenches-260915-09.jpg" loading="lazy" > </picture> <div class="Figure-content"><figcaption class="Figure-caption"><p>A blue and yellow bench at a stop for the No. 70 bus near Division Street and Oakley Boulevard.</p></figcaption><span class="line"></span><div class="Figure-credit"><p>Anthony Vazquez/Sun-Times</p></div></div> </figure> </div> </div><p>The Chicago Transit Authority has nearly 11,000 bus stops in Chicago. Many of them don't have benches. Over last decade, the city has removed benches from bus stops to deter loitering, according to news reports.</p><p>It's unclear whether the city will allow the new benches, which aren't bolted down, to stay. The CTA and city Transportation Department did not immediately respond to a request for comment on the benches.</p><p>"We're waiting to see what happens," said Kovnar, who works in software. "Obviously if the city sends us an angry letter, we will stop. ... But I think it's hard to argue that the benches are not wanted."</p><p>Kovnar said he was inspired to build the benches from his time living in Milwaukee, where he helped other advocates build and place homemade benches at bus stops.</p><p>Eddie Lehwald, a member of the Northwest Neighborhood Alliance, said he built one of the two benches a couple of years ago but hesitated to place it at a bus stop.</p><p>"It stayed in my yard," said Lehwald, 43, of Logan Square.</p><div class="Enhancement" data-align-center> <div class="Enhancement-item" data-crop=""> <figure class="Figure"><a class="AnchorLink" id="image-940000" name="image-940000"></a> <picture data-crop="medium"> <source type="image/webp" width="490" height="275" srcset="https://cst.brightspotcdn.com/dims4/default/86557ae/2147483647/strip/true/crop/8192x4598+0+433/resize/490x275!/format/webp/quality/90/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fchorus-production-cst-web.s3.us-east-1.amazonaws.com%2Fbrightspot%2F9d%2Fcb%2Fbff0d42a4278927a9f5ad7e5cc07%2Fbusstopbenches-260911-001.jpg 1x,https://cst.brightspotcdn.com/dims4/default/5158841/2147483647/strip/true/crop/8192x4598+0+433/resize/980x550!/format/webp/quality/90/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fchorus-production-cst-web.s3.us-east-1.amazonaws.com%2Fbrightspot%2F9d%2Fcb%2Fbff0d42a4278927a9f5ad7e5cc07%2Fbusstopbenches-260911-001.jpg 2x" loading="lazy" /> <source width="490" height="275" srcset="https://cst.brightspotcdn.com/dims4/default/adb6112/2147483647/strip/true/crop/8192x4598+0+433/resize/490x275!/quality/90/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fchorus-production-cst-web.s3.us-east-1.amazonaws.com%2Fbrightspot%2F9d%2Fcb%2Fbff0d42a4278927a9f5ad7e5cc07%2Fbusstopbenches-260911-001.jpg" loading="lazy" /> <img class="Image" alt="A handmade bench sits at the North Damen Avenue and West Thomas Street bus stop in Ukrainian Village." srcset="https://cst.brightspotcdn.com/dims4/default/adb6112/2147483647/strip/true/crop/8192x4598+0+433/resize/490x275!/quality/90/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fchorus-production-cst-web.s3.us-east-1.amazonaws.com%2Fbrightspot%2F9d%2Fcb%2Fbff0d42a4278927a9f5ad7e5cc07%2Fbusstopbenches-260911-001.jpg 1x,https://cst.brightspotcdn.com/dims4/default/dadc051/2147483647/strip/true/crop/8192x4598+0+433/resize/980x550!/quality/90/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fchorus-production-cst-web.s3.us-east-1.amazonaws.com%2Fbrightspot%2F9d%2Fcb%2Fbff0d42a4278927a9f5ad7e5cc07%2Fbusstopbenches-260911-001.jpg 2x" width="490" height="275" src="https://cst.brightspotcdn.com/dims4/default/adb6112/2147483647/strip/true/crop/8192x4598+0+433/resize/490x275!/quality/90/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fchorus-production-cst-web.s3.us-east-1.amazonaws.com%2Fbrightspot%2F9d%2Fcb%2Fbff0d42a4278927a9f5ad7e5cc07%2Fbusstopbenches-260911-001.jpg" loading="lazy" > </picture> <div class="Figure-content"><figcaption class="Figure-caption"><p>A handmade bench sits at a bus stop at North Damen Avenue and West Thomas Street in Ukrainian Village.</p></figcaption><span class="line"></span><div class="Figure-credit"><p>Candace Dane Chambers/Sun-Times</p></div></div> </figure> </div> </div><p>It took a critical mass of support, and the several dozen members of the Northwest Neighborhood Alliance, to inspire Lehwald to finally place it in public.</p><p>"I was glad to make this bench useful," he said.</p><p>It's a matter of dignity to have a place to sit while waiting for the bus, Lehwald said.</p><p>"Anyone who's waited for a bus has experienced the inconvenience of not having a place to sit down," Lehwald said. "If you're a parent and have little kids, or you have a body that's not functioning at 100%, a place to sit is a basic amenity for human dignity."</p><p>So what's next?</p><p>"What I'd love is for the city to say, 'A-ha! We do need to do this and we hear you. This isn't hurting anybody. It's helping people. We tacitly agree not to remove these,'" Lehwald said.</p><p>The city could even go a step further and bolt down the benches, he said.</p><p>"The worst thing the city could do is remove them. I think they would be missing an opportunity to positively engage their communities," he said.</p>

wbez.org

The Rundown: How some Chicago small businesses use AI

<p><i>Good afternoon! It’s Monday, and while I would never totally abandon my beloved pumpkin spice, these </i><a class="Link" href="https://cooking.nytimes.com/recipes/788450326-london-fog-cookies?unlocked_article_code=1.BFE.0F2-.vj8MivRqkyXB&smid=share-url" target="_blank" ><i><u>London Fog cookies</u></i></a><i> sound perfect for a moody fall day. Here’s what you need to know today.</i></p><p><a class="Link" href="https://www.wbez.org/business/2026/09/12/ai-artificial-intelligence-small-businesses-chicago" target="_blank" ><b><u>1. Some Chicago small businesses are ramping up their use of AI</u></b></a></p><p>Many business owners are still trying to understand how to apply artificial intelligence and are in the early stages of adoption, according to a report by the U.S. Chamber of Commerce. Yet the AI momentum appears to be growing as people look for ways to hold down costs in the face of inflation and labor shortages, my colleague Amy Yee reports.</p><p>Nationwide, AI usage has ramped up sharply. In the United States, 87% of small and medium-sized businesses in a survey are using AI in marketing, according to an analysis released in June by online marketing firm Constant Contact. That’s a big jump from the 26% that reported using these tools in 2023.</p><p>Many small businesses are using AI for routine tasks, such as drafting emails and marketing content, summarizing documents and managing schedules, according to the Chamber. Businesses are using AI scheduling assistants to reduce missed appointments and increase weekly service calls. Companies are also using AI for billing, invoicing, inventory tracking and basic customer service.</p><p>Mary Nguyen Aregoni, owner of West Loop restaurant Saigon Sisters, started using Google’s Gemini this year for email campaigns, social media, taking notes at meetings and responding to reviews and emails. She also uses AI to help answer questions that arise while running a busy restaurant, such as whether 100 catering trays would fit into her car. [<a class="Link" href="https://www.wbez.org/business/2026/09/12/ai-artificial-intelligence-small-businesses-chicago" target="_blank" ><u>Chicago Sun-Times</u></a>]</p><p>Over the weekend, senior executives at major AI companies called for slowing down the technology’s development until better safety controls are put in place. [<a class="Link" href="https://www.nytimes.com/2026/09/12/technology/anthropic-dario-amodei-ai-slowdown.html?unlocked_article_code=1.BFE.I40V.tgsrdlO-Eswi&smid=url-share" target="_blank" ><u>New York Times</u></a>]</p><p><a class="Link" href="https://www.wbez.org/elections/2026/09/13/chicago-mayor-brandon-johnson-announcement-reelection-bid-2027" target="_blank" ><b><u>2. Mayor Johnson embarked on his reelection bid, saying he’s the best choice in a race between ‘real progressives and posers’</u></b></a></p><p>After months of deliberation, Mayor Brandon Johnson spoke to an energized crowd of hundreds of supporters yesterday in a cloud-covered courtyard at the DuSable Black History Museum and Education Center in Washington Park. The block party-style event — with a sign-making station, tacos and campaign merchandise — was a “who’s who” of Chicago’s progressive activist community.</p><p>“The ultra-rich and elected officials who protect the ultra-rich have gone through great lengths to distort our record. But to get to the people, to convince the people, they’re going to have to come through me and our movement,” Johnson said.</p><p>The mayor told the crowd Chicago voters have a stark choice to make: Either they renew his four-year contract and give him a second chance to tax the rich and deliver for working-class residents and African Americans pushing for investment in their long-neglected neighborhoods — or return to the days of school closings, shuttered mental health clinics, special interest decision-making and outsize influence of big business on city government.</p><p>As my colleagues Fran Spielman and Mariah Woelfel write, Johnson has put himself behind the eight ball by waiting until after Labor Day to announce his decision to run again. He has less than $650,000 in his campaign fund, compared to the $22 million held by frontrunner and Illinois Secretary of State Alexi Giannoulias. Johnson has the power of incumbency and has been making the most of that, but he still needs money to defend his record. [<a class="Link" href="https://www.wbez.org/elections/2026/09/13/chicago-mayor-brandon-johnson-announcement-reelection-bid-2027" target="_blank" ><u>Chicago Sun-Times/WBEZ</u></a>]</p><p>Here’s the roster of other candidates so far. [<a class="Link" href="https://www.wbez.org/government-politics/elections/2026/09/14/who-is-running-for-chicago-mayor-2027-election" target="_blank" ><u>Chicago Sun-Times</u></a>]</p><p><a class="Link" href="https://www.wbez.org/health-medicine/2026/09/14/new-report-finds-35-of-chicago-households-dont-have-sufficient-food" target="_blank" ><b><u>3. A new report found 35% of Chicago households don’t have sufficient food</u></b></a></p><p>The Greater Chicago Food Depository, which supplies food to hundreds of food pantries across Cook County, partnered for the first time with NORC at the University of Chicago to release “The 2026 Hunger in Chicago Report,” detailing which communities and types of households face some level of food insecurity, defined as lacking consistent access to enough food.</p><p>Chicago residents who participated in the survey this summer were asked a series of questions, such as if household members in the past 30 days had either skipped meals or reduced portions because there wasn’t enough money to buy food.</p><p>The report released today indicates food insecurity is more widespread than previous reports had indicated. In 2024, about 13% of households in Illinois were experiencing food insecurity and about 24% were marginally food insecure, according to an analysis of data from the University of Kentucky Center for Poverty Research.</p><p>Kate Maehr, chief executive officer for the Greater Chicago Food Depository, told the Chicago Sun-Times food insecurity is driven by inflation driving up grocery prices and families still recovering from changes to the economy since the COVID-19 pandemic. [<a class="Link" href="https://www.wbez.org/health-medicine/2026/09/14/new-report-finds-35-of-chicago-households-dont-have-sufficient-food" target="_blank" ><u>Chicago Sun-Times</u></a>]</p><p><a class="Link" href="https://www.wbez.org/arts-culture/2026/09/14/keke-palmer-pilates-class-salt-shed-chicago-robbins-actor-fitness-influencer" target="_blank" ><b><u>4. Keke Palmer added fitness guru to her resume, drawing hundreds to a Pilates class in Chicago</u></b></a></p><p>A mat Pilates class taught by Keke Palmer is just what you would imagine, my colleague Erica Thompson reports: a friendly environment, instruction delivered in a conversational tone and lots of laughter. Nearly 250 fans experienced it firsthand yesterday at the Salt Shed during the second annual exercise festival Move at the Shed.</p><p>The Pilates class was part of the Robbins native’s latest venture, Practice by Palmer, a digital wellness platform that provides workouts, recorded audio messages and live chats. In a cultural moment defined by the promotion of GLP-1s for weight loss, Palmer’s brand is about building community and promoting mental and physical well-being, rather than being thin.</p><p>“Everybody’s body is beautiful,” Palmer said during a fireside chat with ABC7 anchor Val Warner. “Pilates is really just about being able to be mobile. It’s not about having a six-pack. When you really get deep into your practice, the last thing you’re worried about is how you look. You’re really worried about how you feel.” [<a class="Link" href="https://www.wbez.org/arts-culture/2026/09/14/keke-palmer-pilates-class-salt-shed-chicago-robbins-actor-fitness-influencer" target="_blank" ><u>Chicago Sun-Times</u></a>]</p><p><a class="Link" href="https://www.wbez.org/arts/2026/09/14/art-gallery-guide-chicago-exhibition-week-galleries-west-loop-contemporary" target="_blank" ><b><u>5. This fall, the action is in Chicago’s art galleries. Here are 10 shows to not miss</u></b></a></p><p>The fourth annual Chicago Exhibition Week kicks off today with more than 50 participating galleries opening their doors for art through the weekend, my colleague Ambar Colón reports.</p><p>Produced by contemporary art platform Gertie, the week’s highlight is a series of opening receptions on Wednesday and Thursday, when major blue-chip, mid-sized and nontraditional spaces invite the public to exhibitions by the likes of Jaume Plensa, Clotilde Jiménez and Brendan Fernandes.</p><p>But not all the action is in and around the West Loop. A new exhibition space called Te-Qu is creating space for artists with nontraditional routes into the art world in Little Village, while the Latinx Festival of the Arts, produced by Zhou B. Art Center during Hispanic Heritage Month, runs through Nov. 15. Even the School of the Art Institute of Chicago is hosting a fall exhibition celebration on Wednesday.</p><p>Don’t worry if you’re out of town or otherwise busy this week, because many participating galleries are keeping the exhibitions that open this week through the fall, some well into the new year. You can see a list of our recommendations in the link. [<a class="Link" href="https://www.wbez.org/arts/2026/09/14/art-gallery-guide-chicago-exhibition-week-galleries-west-loop-contemporary" target="_blank" ><u>Chicago Sun-Times</u></a>]</p><p><b>Here’s what else is happening</b></p><ul class="rte2-style-ul" style="margin-top:0;margin-bottom:0;padding-inline-start:48px;" id="rte-2f69af33-b07a-11f1-862f-6344e9bee0b3"><li>The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency eliminated a rule that limits planet-warming greenhouse gas emissions from power plants. [<a class="Link" href="https://apnews.com/article/epa-power-plants-trump-coal-gas-climate-cac1c2c75f8656d8eaf5f0a240edae15" target="_blank" ><u>AP</u></a>]</li><li>The 78th Emmy Awards air tonight on NBC and Peacock. [<a class="Link" href="https://www.npr.org/2026/09/14/nx-s1-5967571/emmys-2026-when-are-the-emmys-how-to-watch" target="_blank" ><u>NPR</u></a>]</li><li>President Donald Trump endorsed Darren Bailey in Illinois’ governor race. [<a class="Link" href="https://chicago.suntimes.com/elections/2026/09/14/trump-endorses-bailey-pritzker-illinois-governor-race" target="_blank" ><u>Chicago Sun-Times</u></a>]</li><li>Review: Now playing in Chicago, hip-hop play “How We Got On” deftly tackles coming-of-age themes but needs a little remixing. [<a class="Link" href="https://www.wbez.org/theater-stages/2026/09/14/review-hip-hop-play-how-we-got-on-deftly-tackles-coming-of-age-themes-but-needs-a-little-remixing" target="_blank" ><u>WBEZ</u></a>]</li></ul><p><b>Oh, and one more thing …</b></p><p>New exhibition space and cultural hub Te-Qu is diving into the busy fall art season with a variety of planned pop-ups and collaborations with neighboring businesses and street vendors along 26th Street in Little Village.</p><p>As my colleague Ambar Colón reports, the Te-Qu team launched a rotating mural series and plans to host exhibitions featuring local artists in the near future as they gear up for a full opening next month.</p><p>Te-Qu has faced setbacks on its way to launching. Right before a planned grand opening in July, the Department of Business Affairs and Consumer Protection said it could not issue a business license because the property is in a residential zone.</p><p>“We had to go back to the drawing board,” said one of the project’s leaders, Julio Anaya of Little Village Local. “That’s actually where it clicked for a moment where it’s like: ‘Okay, well, we don’t have the piece of paper, but we have our community here.’” [<a class="Link" href="https://www.wbez.org/arts/2026/09/14/te-qu-little-village-art-gallery-exhibition-space-events-arts-education" target="_blank" ><u>Chicago Sun-Times</u></a>]</p><p><b>Tell me something good …</b></p><p>London Fog cookies remind me of the amazing <a class="Link" href="https://teakandthyme.com/matcha-crinkle-cookies/" target="_blank" ><u>matcha crinkle cookies</u></a> I made this spring. That has me wondering, what’s a dessert recipe you recently tried for the first time and loved?</p><p>Feel free to email me, and your response may be included in the newsletter this week.</p>

wbez.org