Calendar

May 2012

Monday

Tuesday

Wednesday

Thursday

Friday

Saturday

Sunday

1
* Journey of Hope in AmericaJourney of Hope in America

Though many of us use the quilts our grandmothers made to keep us warm during the brutal Chicago winters, few of us probably ever considered the patchy, mismatched things as art worth discussing. The DuSable Museum is challenging that notion through “Journey of Hope in America: Quilts Inspired by President Barack Obama.” The exhibit showcases the historic election of Barack Obama through the truly American art form of quilt making. The quilts go beyond simply displaying the beautiful work of famed artists such as Adrienne Cruz and Peggie Hartwell – it aims to educate a large audience about the significance of the 2008 election. DuSable Museum, 740 E. 56th Pl. Through May 9. Tuesday-Saturday, 10am–5pm; Sunday, noon-5pm. (773)947-0600. dusablemuseum.org (Amanya Maloba)
* TangledTangled

The latest play at eta Creative Arts takes a close look at the impact of gun violence in Chicago. Billed as a "dramedy," the play is one of this season's Mainstage shows, a series that takes previously or seldom produced plays and puts them on the stage. "Tangled" tells the story of a family of female African-American funeral directors who, in spite of their profession, may be no better equipped to understand or cope with the increasing fear of violence within their community. And all the while they must also contend with their own personal demons. As the Huffington Post has just reported that the murder rate in Chicago has gone up 35 percent this year, this production is (sadly) particularly timely. If you come for one of the Thursday night performances, eta hosts “Talk Back Thursdays,” where the audience and guest speakers discuss ways to curb violence. eta Creative Arts Foundation, 7558 S. South Chicago Ave. Through May 19. Thursday-Saturday, 8pm; Sunday, 3pm and 7pm. (773)752-3955 students; general; on Thursdays. etacreativearts.org (Lily Ye)
* Angels in AmericaAngels in America

The Court Theatre will end its season with Tony Kushner’s Pulitzer Prize–winning epic two-part play. The artistic team includes none other than Tony Kushner himself, here on an Exploratory Fellowship with the Gray Center for Arts and Inquiry. Joseph Jefferson Award–winning director Charles Newell puts every historical, supernatural, political, theological, and emotional aspect of the play together in the Court’s grand but intimate space. With tickets sold separately for Parts I & II, audiences will be able to experience this magnificent story of disease and life, feeling the effects of a seven-hour run time. Court Theatre, 5535 S. Ellis Ave. Through June 3. Wednesday and Thursday, 7:30pm; Friday, 8pm; Saturday, 2pm and 8pm; Sunday, 2pm. (773)753-4472. -. angelsinchicago.com (Meaghan Murphy)
* Hairy Blob Hairy Blob

The play of time in weighty and practical matters constitutes one of the thematic concerns of “Hairy Blob,” a group exhibition at the Hyde Park Art Center. Sculpture, video, drawing, sound, and "participatory events" allow visitors to explore the several contributing artists' contemplations of time. The exhibit plays with history and literature, with time both geographical and performative—transforming encyclopedias into a mirror and surreptitiously slipping exhibits into and out of their galleries. During the exhibition’s run, look for some of the artists walking the halls as mysteriously and fleetingly as this building-spanning exhibition’s subject matter, while the artwork evolves to include film installations and archive materials. The exhibition is curated by SAIC faculty member Adelheid Mers. Hyde Park Art Center, 5020 S. Cornell Ave. April 22-July 29. Reception April 22, 3pm-5pm. Monday-Thursday 10am-8pm; Friday-Saturday, 10am-5pm; Sunday noon-5pm. Free. (773)324-5520. hydeparkart.org (Autumn McConnico)
* Uppers and Downers Uppers and Downers

New year, new you, right? 2012 is here, and with it comes the expected glut of superficial, too-fat, too-bored, too-tired, under-read, over-worked, instant-ramen, "tell me how, Martha Stewart" New Year's resolutions. Well, for a timely jab at the shallow materialism of our times, look no further than the University of Chicago's Smart Museum, where artist Chris Voorhees and the installation gurus at SIMPARCH are putting on Upper and Downers, a plywood-wrought mess of social commentary, set in the form of a sparse and hermetic kitchen mock-up (faucet fixtures included!). Sarcasm, sass, and sinister beauty are to be found in the site-specific pieces, which spells fun for the whole, miserable family. Smart Museum of Art, 5550 S. Greenwood Ave. January 10-December 16. Tuesday-Wednesday, 10am-4pm; Thursday, 10am-8pm; Friday, 10am-4pm; Saturday-Sunday, 11am-5pm. Free. (773)702-0200. smartmuseum.uchicago.edu (Harunobu Coryne)
* Uppers and DownersUppers and Downers

New year, new you, right? 2012 is here, and with it comes the expected glut of superficial, too-fat, too-bored, too-tired, under-read, over-worked, instant-ramen, "tell me how, Martha Stewart" New Year's resolutions. Well, for a timely jab at the shallow materialism of our times, look no further than the University of Chicago's Smart Museum, where artist Chris Voorhees and the installation gurus at SIMPARCH are putting on Upper and Downers , a plywood-wrought mess of social commentary, set in the form of a sparse and hermetic kitchen mock-up (faucet fixtures included!). Sarcasm, sass, and sinister beauty are to be found in the site-specific pieces, which spells fun for the whole, miserable family. Smart Museum of Art, 5550 S. Greenwood Ave. Through December 16. Tuesday-Wednesday, 10am-4pm; Thursday, 10am-8pm; Friday, 10am-4pm; Saturday-Sunday, 11am-5pm. Free. (773)702-0200. smartmuseum.uchicago.edu (Harunobu Coryne)
* Journey of Hope in AmericaJourney of Hope in America

Though many of us use the quilts our grandmothers made to keep us warm during the brutal Chicago winters, few of us probably ever considered the patchy, mismatched things art worth discussing. The DuSable Museum is challenging that notion through “Journey of Hope in America: Quilts Inspired by President Barack Obama.” The exhibit showcases the historic election of Barack Obama through the truly American art form of quilt making. The quilts go beyond simply displaying the beautiful work of famed artists such as Adrienne Cruz, Peggie Hartwell, and aims to educate a large audience about the significance of the 2008 election. DuSable Museum, 740 E. 56th Pl. Through May 9. Tuesday-Saturday, 10am–5pm; Sunday, noon-5pm. Free-. (773)947-0600. dusablemuseum.org (Amanya Maloba)
* Mardonio Magaña: Circa 1938Mardonio Magaña: Circa 1938

The National Museum of Mexican Art is no stranger to housing the works of famous and talented artists. However, the artist featured in the latest exhibit at the NMMA has received praise greater than that of any other artist's review in some yuppie magazine. The exhibit features the work of Mardonio Magaña (1865-1947), dubbed “the greatest contemporary Mexican sculptor” by Diego Rivera. The NMMA holds the largest collection of the revered sculptor’s work outside of Mexico, and the exhibit—entitled “Mardonio Magaña: Circa 1938”—will showcase thirteen of Magaña’s direct carvings in wood in addition to presenting information on the artist’s life story and that of musicians Annette and Louis Kaufman, two of Magaña’s collectors. Blending both his work and the story of how it came about, “Mardonio Magaña: Circa 1938” promises to be an educational and stimulating exhibit. National Museum of Mexican Art, 1852 W. 19th St. Through October 7. Tuesday-Sunday, 10am-5pm. Free.(312)738-1503. nationalmuseumofmexicanart.org (Amanya Maloba)
* KeepersKeepers

A new event for your Mayan Calendar: a pre-apocalypse showing of artwork that sprang from a culture that long outlasted that Mesoamerican civilization and, barring apocalyptic disaster, might survive a while longer yet. One of a trio of new exhibitions at Pilsen’s National Museum of Mexican Art, “Keepers” debuts new additions—guardians of a Mexican culture sin fronteras —to the museum’s Permanent Collection. A poignant “show-and-tell” of pieces determined to outlast the twinkies and the cockroaches of American transience, the exhibit features over fifty participating artists from Chicago, the West Coast, and throughout Mexico. Some of the artists may be anonymous, but in the various forms of beauty of their Mexican heritage, all of them have found something worth keeping. National Museum of Mexican Art, 1825 W. 19th St. Through October 21. Tuesday-Sunday, 10am-5pm. Free. (312)738-1503. nationalmuseumofmexicanart.org (Bonnie Fan)
* Journey of Hope in AmericaJourney of Hope in America

Though many of us use the quilts our grandmothers made to keep us warm during the brutal Chicago winters, few of us probably ever considered the patchy, mismatched things art worth discussing. The DuSable Museum is challenging that notion through “Journey of Hope in America: Quilts Inspired by President Barack Obama.” The exhibit showcases the historic election of Barack Obama through the truly American art form of quilt making. The quilts go beyond simply displaying the beautiful work of famed artists such as Adrienne Cruz, Peggie Hartwell, and aims to educate a large audience about the significance of the 2008 election. DuSable Museum, 740 E. 56th Pl. Through May 9. Tuesday-Saturday, 10am–5pm; Sunday, noon-5pm. Free-. (773)947-0600. dusablemuseum.org (Amanya Maloba)
* Someone Else's DreamSomeone Else's Dream

Time: 11:29 pm

Ten local and international artists offer viewers a glimpse into their nighttime adventures with “Someone Else’s Dream.” Much like a dream, these artists walk the line between representational and abstract, real and surreal, logical and absurd—each choosing to veer to one side or the other. Some artists choose to represent the human form and depict a scene. Others bypass recognizable forms, instead choosing to use line and color to illuminate their dreams. All of the artists warp reality in some way with vibrant colors, cartoonish shapes, and distorted figures, and by displaying works done on paper, a basic medium, “Someone Else’s Dream” attempts to demystify the dream world. Hyde Park Art Center, 5020 S. Cornell Ave. Through May 6. Reception February 12, 3pm-5pm. Monday-Thursday, 9am-8pm; Friday-Saturday, 9am-5pm; Sunday noon-5pm. Free. (773)-324-5520. hydeparkart.org (Sasha Tycko)

2
* Journey of Hope in AmericaJourney of Hope in America

Though many of us use the quilts our grandmothers made to keep us warm during the brutal Chicago winters, few of us probably ever considered the patchy, mismatched things as art worth discussing. The DuSable Museum is challenging that notion through “Journey of Hope in America: Quilts Inspired by President Barack Obama.” The exhibit showcases the historic election of Barack Obama through the truly American art form of quilt making. The quilts go beyond simply displaying the beautiful work of famed artists such as Adrienne Cruz and Peggie Hartwell – it aims to educate a large audience about the significance of the 2008 election. DuSable Museum, 740 E. 56th Pl. Through May 9. Tuesday-Saturday, 10am–5pm; Sunday, noon-5pm. (773)947-0600. dusablemuseum.org (Amanya Maloba)
* TangledTangled

The latest play at eta Creative Arts takes a close look at the impact of gun violence in Chicago. Billed as a "dramedy," the play is one of this season's Mainstage shows, a series that takes previously or seldom produced plays and puts them on the stage. "Tangled" tells the story of a family of female African-American funeral directors who, in spite of their profession, may be no better equipped to understand or cope with the increasing fear of violence within their community. And all the while they must also contend with their own personal demons. As the Huffington Post has just reported that the murder rate in Chicago has gone up 35 percent this year, this production is (sadly) particularly timely. If you come for one of the Thursday night performances, eta hosts “Talk Back Thursdays,” where the audience and guest speakers discuss ways to curb violence. eta Creative Arts Foundation, 7558 S. South Chicago Ave. Through May 19. Thursday-Saturday, 8pm; Sunday, 3pm and 7pm. (773)752-3955 students; general; on Thursdays. etacreativearts.org (Lily Ye)
* Angels in AmericaAngels in America

The Court Theatre will end its season with Tony Kushner’s Pulitzer Prize–winning epic two-part play. The artistic team includes none other than Tony Kushner himself, here on an Exploratory Fellowship with the Gray Center for Arts and Inquiry. Joseph Jefferson Award–winning director Charles Newell puts every historical, supernatural, political, theological, and emotional aspect of the play together in the Court’s grand but intimate space. With tickets sold separately for Parts I & II, audiences will be able to experience this magnificent story of disease and life, feeling the effects of a seven-hour run time. Court Theatre, 5535 S. Ellis Ave. Through June 3. Wednesday and Thursday, 7:30pm; Friday, 8pm; Saturday, 2pm and 8pm; Sunday, 2pm. (773)753-4472. -. angelsinchicago.com (Meaghan Murphy)
* Hairy Blob Hairy Blob

The play of time in weighty and practical matters constitutes one of the thematic concerns of “Hairy Blob,” a group exhibition at the Hyde Park Art Center. Sculpture, video, drawing, sound, and "participatory events" allow visitors to explore the several contributing artists' contemplations of time. The exhibit plays with history and literature, with time both geographical and performative—transforming encyclopedias into a mirror and surreptitiously slipping exhibits into and out of their galleries. During the exhibition’s run, look for some of the artists walking the halls as mysteriously and fleetingly as this building-spanning exhibition’s subject matter, while the artwork evolves to include film installations and archive materials. The exhibition is curated by SAIC faculty member Adelheid Mers. Hyde Park Art Center, 5020 S. Cornell Ave. April 22-July 29. Reception April 22, 3pm-5pm. Monday-Thursday 10am-8pm; Friday-Saturday, 10am-5pm; Sunday noon-5pm. Free. (773)324-5520. hydeparkart.org (Autumn McConnico)
* Uppers and Downers Uppers and Downers

New year, new you, right? 2012 is here, and with it comes the expected glut of superficial, too-fat, too-bored, too-tired, under-read, over-worked, instant-ramen, "tell me how, Martha Stewart" New Year's resolutions. Well, for a timely jab at the shallow materialism of our times, look no further than the University of Chicago's Smart Museum, where artist Chris Voorhees and the installation gurus at SIMPARCH are putting on Upper and Downers, a plywood-wrought mess of social commentary, set in the form of a sparse and hermetic kitchen mock-up (faucet fixtures included!). Sarcasm, sass, and sinister beauty are to be found in the site-specific pieces, which spells fun for the whole, miserable family. Smart Museum of Art, 5550 S. Greenwood Ave. January 10-December 16. Tuesday-Wednesday, 10am-4pm; Thursday, 10am-8pm; Friday, 10am-4pm; Saturday-Sunday, 11am-5pm. Free. (773)702-0200. smartmuseum.uchicago.edu (Harunobu Coryne)
* Uppers and DownersUppers and Downers

New year, new you, right? 2012 is here, and with it comes the expected glut of superficial, too-fat, too-bored, too-tired, under-read, over-worked, instant-ramen, "tell me how, Martha Stewart" New Year's resolutions. Well, for a timely jab at the shallow materialism of our times, look no further than the University of Chicago's Smart Museum, where artist Chris Voorhees and the installation gurus at SIMPARCH are putting on Upper and Downers , a plywood-wrought mess of social commentary, set in the form of a sparse and hermetic kitchen mock-up (faucet fixtures included!). Sarcasm, sass, and sinister beauty are to be found in the site-specific pieces, which spells fun for the whole, miserable family. Smart Museum of Art, 5550 S. Greenwood Ave. Through December 16. Tuesday-Wednesday, 10am-4pm; Thursday, 10am-8pm; Friday, 10am-4pm; Saturday-Sunday, 11am-5pm. Free. (773)702-0200. smartmuseum.uchicago.edu (Harunobu Coryne)
* Journey of Hope in AmericaJourney of Hope in America

Though many of us use the quilts our grandmothers made to keep us warm during the brutal Chicago winters, few of us probably ever considered the patchy, mismatched things art worth discussing. The DuSable Museum is challenging that notion through “Journey of Hope in America: Quilts Inspired by President Barack Obama.” The exhibit showcases the historic election of Barack Obama through the truly American art form of quilt making. The quilts go beyond simply displaying the beautiful work of famed artists such as Adrienne Cruz, Peggie Hartwell, and aims to educate a large audience about the significance of the 2008 election. DuSable Museum, 740 E. 56th Pl. Through May 9. Tuesday-Saturday, 10am–5pm; Sunday, noon-5pm. Free-. (773)947-0600. dusablemuseum.org (Amanya Maloba)
* Mardonio Magaña: Circa 1938Mardonio Magaña: Circa 1938

The National Museum of Mexican Art is no stranger to housing the works of famous and talented artists. However, the artist featured in the latest exhibit at the NMMA has received praise greater than that of any other artist's review in some yuppie magazine. The exhibit features the work of Mardonio Magaña (1865-1947), dubbed “the greatest contemporary Mexican sculptor” by Diego Rivera. The NMMA holds the largest collection of the revered sculptor’s work outside of Mexico, and the exhibit—entitled “Mardonio Magaña: Circa 1938”—will showcase thirteen of Magaña’s direct carvings in wood in addition to presenting information on the artist’s life story and that of musicians Annette and Louis Kaufman, two of Magaña’s collectors. Blending both his work and the story of how it came about, “Mardonio Magaña: Circa 1938” promises to be an educational and stimulating exhibit. National Museum of Mexican Art, 1852 W. 19th St. Through October 7. Tuesday-Sunday, 10am-5pm. Free.(312)738-1503. nationalmuseumofmexicanart.org (Amanya Maloba)
* KeepersKeepers

A new event for your Mayan Calendar: a pre-apocalypse showing of artwork that sprang from a culture that long outlasted that Mesoamerican civilization and, barring apocalyptic disaster, might survive a while longer yet. One of a trio of new exhibitions at Pilsen’s National Museum of Mexican Art, “Keepers” debuts new additions—guardians of a Mexican culture sin fronteras —to the museum’s Permanent Collection. A poignant “show-and-tell” of pieces determined to outlast the twinkies and the cockroaches of American transience, the exhibit features over fifty participating artists from Chicago, the West Coast, and throughout Mexico. Some of the artists may be anonymous, but in the various forms of beauty of their Mexican heritage, all of them have found something worth keeping. National Museum of Mexican Art, 1825 W. 19th St. Through October 21. Tuesday-Sunday, 10am-5pm. Free. (312)738-1503. nationalmuseumofmexicanart.org (Bonnie Fan)
* Journey of Hope in AmericaJourney of Hope in America

Though many of us use the quilts our grandmothers made to keep us warm during the brutal Chicago winters, few of us probably ever considered the patchy, mismatched things art worth discussing. The DuSable Museum is challenging that notion through “Journey of Hope in America: Quilts Inspired by President Barack Obama.” The exhibit showcases the historic election of Barack Obama through the truly American art form of quilt making. The quilts go beyond simply displaying the beautiful work of famed artists such as Adrienne Cruz, Peggie Hartwell, and aims to educate a large audience about the significance of the 2008 election. DuSable Museum, 740 E. 56th Pl. Through May 9. Tuesday-Saturday, 10am–5pm; Sunday, noon-5pm. Free-. (773)947-0600. dusablemuseum.org (Amanya Maloba)
* Someone Else's DreamSomeone Else's Dream

Time: 11:29 pm

Ten local and international artists offer viewers a glimpse into their nighttime adventures with “Someone Else’s Dream.” Much like a dream, these artists walk the line between representational and abstract, real and surreal, logical and absurd—each choosing to veer to one side or the other. Some artists choose to represent the human form and depict a scene. Others bypass recognizable forms, instead choosing to use line and color to illuminate their dreams. All of the artists warp reality in some way with vibrant colors, cartoonish shapes, and distorted figures, and by displaying works done on paper, a basic medium, “Someone Else’s Dream” attempts to demystify the dream world. Hyde Park Art Center, 5020 S. Cornell Ave. Through May 6. Reception February 12, 3pm-5pm. Monday-Thursday, 9am-8pm; Friday-Saturday, 9am-5pm; Sunday noon-5pm. Free. (773)-324-5520. hydeparkart.org (Sasha Tycko)

3
* Journey of Hope in AmericaJourney of Hope in America

Though many of us use the quilts our grandmothers made to keep us warm during the brutal Chicago winters, few of us probably ever considered the patchy, mismatched things as art worth discussing. The DuSable Museum is challenging that notion through “Journey of Hope in America: Quilts Inspired by President Barack Obama.” The exhibit showcases the historic election of Barack Obama through the truly American art form of quilt making. The quilts go beyond simply displaying the beautiful work of famed artists such as Adrienne Cruz and Peggie Hartwell – it aims to educate a large audience about the significance of the 2008 election. DuSable Museum, 740 E. 56th Pl. Through May 9. Tuesday-Saturday, 10am–5pm; Sunday, noon-5pm. (773)947-0600. dusablemuseum.org (Amanya Maloba)
* TangledTangled

The latest play at eta Creative Arts takes a close look at the impact of gun violence in Chicago. Billed as a "dramedy," the play is one of this season's Mainstage shows, a series that takes previously or seldom produced plays and puts them on the stage. "Tangled" tells the story of a family of female African-American funeral directors who, in spite of their profession, may be no better equipped to understand or cope with the increasing fear of violence within their community. And all the while they must also contend with their own personal demons. As the Huffington Post has just reported that the murder rate in Chicago has gone up 35 percent this year, this production is (sadly) particularly timely. If you come for one of the Thursday night performances, eta hosts “Talk Back Thursdays,” where the audience and guest speakers discuss ways to curb violence. eta Creative Arts Foundation, 7558 S. South Chicago Ave. Through May 19. Thursday-Saturday, 8pm; Sunday, 3pm and 7pm. (773)752-3955 students; general; on Thursdays. etacreativearts.org (Lily Ye)
* Angels in AmericaAngels in America

The Court Theatre will end its season with Tony Kushner’s Pulitzer Prize–winning epic two-part play. The artistic team includes none other than Tony Kushner himself, here on an Exploratory Fellowship with the Gray Center for Arts and Inquiry. Joseph Jefferson Award–winning director Charles Newell puts every historical, supernatural, political, theological, and emotional aspect of the play together in the Court’s grand but intimate space. With tickets sold separately for Parts I & II, audiences will be able to experience this magnificent story of disease and life, feeling the effects of a seven-hour run time. Court Theatre, 5535 S. Ellis Ave. Through June 3. Wednesday and Thursday, 7:30pm; Friday, 8pm; Saturday, 2pm and 8pm; Sunday, 2pm. (773)753-4472. -. angelsinchicago.com (Meaghan Murphy)
* Hairy Blob Hairy Blob

The play of time in weighty and practical matters constitutes one of the thematic concerns of “Hairy Blob,” a group exhibition at the Hyde Park Art Center. Sculpture, video, drawing, sound, and "participatory events" allow visitors to explore the several contributing artists' contemplations of time. The exhibit plays with history and literature, with time both geographical and performative—transforming encyclopedias into a mirror and surreptitiously slipping exhibits into and out of their galleries. During the exhibition’s run, look for some of the artists walking the halls as mysteriously and fleetingly as this building-spanning exhibition’s subject matter, while the artwork evolves to include film installations and archive materials. The exhibition is curated by SAIC faculty member Adelheid Mers. Hyde Park Art Center, 5020 S. Cornell Ave. April 22-July 29. Reception April 22, 3pm-5pm. Monday-Thursday 10am-8pm; Friday-Saturday, 10am-5pm; Sunday noon-5pm. Free. (773)324-5520. hydeparkart.org (Autumn McConnico)
* Uppers and Downers Uppers and Downers

New year, new you, right? 2012 is here, and with it comes the expected glut of superficial, too-fat, too-bored, too-tired, under-read, over-worked, instant-ramen, "tell me how, Martha Stewart" New Year's resolutions. Well, for a timely jab at the shallow materialism of our times, look no further than the University of Chicago's Smart Museum, where artist Chris Voorhees and the installation gurus at SIMPARCH are putting on Upper and Downers, a plywood-wrought mess of social commentary, set in the form of a sparse and hermetic kitchen mock-up (faucet fixtures included!). Sarcasm, sass, and sinister beauty are to be found in the site-specific pieces, which spells fun for the whole, miserable family. Smart Museum of Art, 5550 S. Greenwood Ave. January 10-December 16. Tuesday-Wednesday, 10am-4pm; Thursday, 10am-8pm; Friday, 10am-4pm; Saturday-Sunday, 11am-5pm. Free. (773)702-0200. smartmuseum.uchicago.edu (Harunobu Coryne)
* Uppers and DownersUppers and Downers

New year, new you, right? 2012 is here, and with it comes the expected glut of superficial, too-fat, too-bored, too-tired, under-read, over-worked, instant-ramen, "tell me how, Martha Stewart" New Year's resolutions. Well, for a timely jab at the shallow materialism of our times, look no further than the University of Chicago's Smart Museum, where artist Chris Voorhees and the installation gurus at SIMPARCH are putting on Upper and Downers , a plywood-wrought mess of social commentary, set in the form of a sparse and hermetic kitchen mock-up (faucet fixtures included!). Sarcasm, sass, and sinister beauty are to be found in the site-specific pieces, which spells fun for the whole, miserable family. Smart Museum of Art, 5550 S. Greenwood Ave. Through December 16. Tuesday-Wednesday, 10am-4pm; Thursday, 10am-8pm; Friday, 10am-4pm; Saturday-Sunday, 11am-5pm. Free. (773)702-0200. smartmuseum.uchicago.edu (Harunobu Coryne)
* KeepersKeepers

A new event for your Mayan Calendar: a pre-apocalypse showing of artwork that sprang from a culture that long outlasted that Mesoamerican civilization and, barring apocalyptic disaster, might survive a while longer yet. One of a trio of new exhibitions at Pilsen’s National Museum of Mexican Art, “Keepers” debuts new additions—guardians of a Mexican culture sin fronteras —to the museum’s Permanent Collection. A poignant “show-and-tell” of pieces determined to outlast the twinkies and the cockroaches of American transience, the exhibit features over fifty participating artists from Chicago, the West Coast, and throughout Mexico. Some of the artists may be anonymous, but in the various forms of beauty of their Mexican heritage, all of them have found something worth keeping. National Museum of Mexican Art, 1825 W. 19th St. Through October 21. Tuesday-Sunday, 10am-5pm. Free. (312)738-1503. nationalmuseumofmexicanart.org (Bonnie Fan)
* Journey of Hope in AmericaJourney of Hope in America

Though many of us use the quilts our grandmothers made to keep us warm during the brutal Chicago winters, few of us probably ever considered the patchy, mismatched things art worth discussing. The DuSable Museum is challenging that notion through “Journey of Hope in America: Quilts Inspired by President Barack Obama.” The exhibit showcases the historic election of Barack Obama through the truly American art form of quilt making. The quilts go beyond simply displaying the beautiful work of famed artists such as Adrienne Cruz, Peggie Hartwell, and aims to educate a large audience about the significance of the 2008 election. DuSable Museum, 740 E. 56th Pl. Through May 9. Tuesday-Saturday, 10am–5pm; Sunday, noon-5pm. Free-. (773)947-0600. dusablemuseum.org (Amanya Maloba)
* Journey of Hope in AmericaJourney of Hope in America

Though many of us use the quilts our grandmothers made to keep us warm during the brutal Chicago winters, few of us probably ever considered the patchy, mismatched things art worth discussing. The DuSable Museum is challenging that notion through “Journey of Hope in America: Quilts Inspired by President Barack Obama.” The exhibit showcases the historic election of Barack Obama through the truly American art form of quilt making. The quilts go beyond simply displaying the beautiful work of famed artists such as Adrienne Cruz, Peggie Hartwell, and aims to educate a large audience about the significance of the 2008 election. DuSable Museum, 740 E. 56th Pl. Through May 9. Tuesday-Saturday, 10am–5pm; Sunday, noon-5pm. Free-. (773)947-0600. dusablemuseum.org (Amanya Maloba)
* Mardonio Magaña: Circa 1938Mardonio Magaña: Circa 1938

The National Museum of Mexican Art is no stranger to housing the works of famous and talented artists. However, the artist featured in the latest exhibit at the NMMA has received praise greater than that of any other artist's review in some yuppie magazine. The exhibit features the work of Mardonio Magaña (1865-1947), dubbed “the greatest contemporary Mexican sculptor” by Diego Rivera. The NMMA holds the largest collection of the revered sculptor’s work outside of Mexico, and the exhibit—entitled “Mardonio Magaña: Circa 1938”—will showcase thirteen of Magaña’s direct carvings in wood in addition to presenting information on the artist’s life story and that of musicians Annette and Louis Kaufman, two of Magaña’s collectors. Blending both his work and the story of how it came about, “Mardonio Magaña: Circa 1938” promises to be an educational and stimulating exhibit. National Museum of Mexican Art, 1852 W. 19th St. Through October 7. Tuesday-Sunday, 10am-5pm. Free.(312)738-1503. nationalmuseumofmexicanart.org (Amanya Maloba)
* The Act of Drinking Beer WithThe Act of Drinking Beer With

Time: 5:30 pm

Who can say no to free beer and good company? Put down your books and head over to the Smart Museum this Thursday to participate in the second of five installations of Tom Marioni's famous work "The Act of Drinking Beer With Friends is the Highest Form of Art." Marioni's informal beer salon, held since 1970 in various museums and galleries across the country, finally makes its way to the UofC campus at a time when we all could use a beer. Each salon will feature a set of guest bartenders including poets, museum-workers, theater collective "The Neo-Futurists," and the hip-hop group BBU, so take advantage of alcohol's magical social-lubricating properties to mingle with new people and have a good time. Don’t worry about bringing the booze, just bring your friends. (As long as they’re 21.) Smart Museum of Art, 5550 S. Greenwood Ave. March 1, April 5, May 3, and June 7. 5:30pm-7:30pm. Free. 21+. (773)702-0200. smartmuseum.uchicago.edu (Julia Silverman)
* Someone Else's DreamSomeone Else's Dream

Time: 11:29 pm

Ten local and international artists offer viewers a glimpse into their nighttime adventures with “Someone Else’s Dream.” Much like a dream, these artists walk the line between representational and abstract, real and surreal, logical and absurd—each choosing to veer to one side or the other. Some artists choose to represent the human form and depict a scene. Others bypass recognizable forms, instead choosing to use line and color to illuminate their dreams. All of the artists warp reality in some way with vibrant colors, cartoonish shapes, and distorted figures, and by displaying works done on paper, a basic medium, “Someone Else’s Dream” attempts to demystify the dream world. Hyde Park Art Center, 5020 S. Cornell Ave. Through May 6. Reception February 12, 3pm-5pm. Monday-Thursday, 9am-8pm; Friday-Saturday, 9am-5pm; Sunday noon-5pm. Free. (773)-324-5520. hydeparkart.org (Sasha Tycko)

4
* Journey of Hope in AmericaJourney of Hope in America

Though many of us use the quilts our grandmothers made to keep us warm during the brutal Chicago winters, few of us probably ever considered the patchy, mismatched things as art worth discussing. The DuSable Museum is challenging that notion through “Journey of Hope in America: Quilts Inspired by President Barack Obama.” The exhibit showcases the historic election of Barack Obama through the truly American art form of quilt making. The quilts go beyond simply displaying the beautiful work of famed artists such as Adrienne Cruz and Peggie Hartwell – it aims to educate a large audience about the significance of the 2008 election. DuSable Museum, 740 E. 56th Pl. Through May 9. Tuesday-Saturday, 10am–5pm; Sunday, noon-5pm. (773)947-0600. dusablemuseum.org (Amanya Maloba)
* TangledTangled

The latest play at eta Creative Arts takes a close look at the impact of gun violence in Chicago. Billed as a "dramedy," the play is one of this season's Mainstage shows, a series that takes previously or seldom produced plays and puts them on the stage. "Tangled" tells the story of a family of female African-American funeral directors who, in spite of their profession, may be no better equipped to understand or cope with the increasing fear of violence within their community. And all the while they must also contend with their own personal demons. As the Huffington Post has just reported that the murder rate in Chicago has gone up 35 percent this year, this production is (sadly) particularly timely. If you come for one of the Thursday night performances, eta hosts “Talk Back Thursdays,” where the audience and guest speakers discuss ways to curb violence. eta Creative Arts Foundation, 7558 S. South Chicago Ave. Through May 19. Thursday-Saturday, 8pm; Sunday, 3pm and 7pm. (773)752-3955 students; general; on Thursdays. etacreativearts.org (Lily Ye)
* Angels in AmericaAngels in America

The Court Theatre will end its season with Tony Kushner’s Pulitzer Prize–winning epic two-part play. The artistic team includes none other than Tony Kushner himself, here on an Exploratory Fellowship with the Gray Center for Arts and Inquiry. Joseph Jefferson Award–winning director Charles Newell puts every historical, supernatural, political, theological, and emotional aspect of the play together in the Court’s grand but intimate space. With tickets sold separately for Parts I & II, audiences will be able to experience this magnificent story of disease and life, feeling the effects of a seven-hour run time. Court Theatre, 5535 S. Ellis Ave. Through June 3. Wednesday and Thursday, 7:30pm; Friday, 8pm; Saturday, 2pm and 8pm; Sunday, 2pm. (773)753-4472. -. angelsinchicago.com (Meaghan Murphy)
* Hairy Blob Hairy Blob

The play of time in weighty and practical matters constitutes one of the thematic concerns of “Hairy Blob,” a group exhibition at the Hyde Park Art Center. Sculpture, video, drawing, sound, and "participatory events" allow visitors to explore the several contributing artists' contemplations of time. The exhibit plays with history and literature, with time both geographical and performative—transforming encyclopedias into a mirror and surreptitiously slipping exhibits into and out of their galleries. During the exhibition’s run, look for some of the artists walking the halls as mysteriously and fleetingly as this building-spanning exhibition’s subject matter, while the artwork evolves to include film installations and archive materials. The exhibition is curated by SAIC faculty member Adelheid Mers. Hyde Park Art Center, 5020 S. Cornell Ave. April 22-July 29. Reception April 22, 3pm-5pm. Monday-Thursday 10am-8pm; Friday-Saturday, 10am-5pm; Sunday noon-5pm. Free. (773)324-5520. hydeparkart.org (Autumn McConnico)
* Uppers and Downers Uppers and Downers

New year, new you, right? 2012 is here, and with it comes the expected glut of superficial, too-fat, too-bored, too-tired, under-read, over-worked, instant-ramen, "tell me how, Martha Stewart" New Year's resolutions. Well, for a timely jab at the shallow materialism of our times, look no further than the University of Chicago's Smart Museum, where artist Chris Voorhees and the installation gurus at SIMPARCH are putting on Upper and Downers, a plywood-wrought mess of social commentary, set in the form of a sparse and hermetic kitchen mock-up (faucet fixtures included!). Sarcasm, sass, and sinister beauty are to be found in the site-specific pieces, which spells fun for the whole, miserable family. Smart Museum of Art, 5550 S. Greenwood Ave. January 10-December 16. Tuesday-Wednesday, 10am-4pm; Thursday, 10am-8pm; Friday, 10am-4pm; Saturday-Sunday, 11am-5pm. Free. (773)702-0200. smartmuseum.uchicago.edu (Harunobu Coryne)
* Uppers and DownersUppers and Downers

New year, new you, right? 2012 is here, and with it comes the expected glut of superficial, too-fat, too-bored, too-tired, under-read, over-worked, instant-ramen, "tell me how, Martha Stewart" New Year's resolutions. Well, for a timely jab at the shallow materialism of our times, look no further than the University of Chicago's Smart Museum, where artist Chris Voorhees and the installation gurus at SIMPARCH are putting on Upper and Downers , a plywood-wrought mess of social commentary, set in the form of a sparse and hermetic kitchen mock-up (faucet fixtures included!). Sarcasm, sass, and sinister beauty are to be found in the site-specific pieces, which spells fun for the whole, miserable family. Smart Museum of Art, 5550 S. Greenwood Ave. Through December 16. Tuesday-Wednesday, 10am-4pm; Thursday, 10am-8pm; Friday, 10am-4pm; Saturday-Sunday, 11am-5pm. Free. (773)702-0200. smartmuseum.uchicago.edu (Harunobu Coryne)
* Journey of Hope in AmericaJourney of Hope in America

Though many of us use the quilts our grandmothers made to keep us warm during the brutal Chicago winters, few of us probably ever considered the patchy, mismatched things art worth discussing. The DuSable Museum is challenging that notion through “Journey of Hope in America: Quilts Inspired by President Barack Obama.” The exhibit showcases the historic election of Barack Obama through the truly American art form of quilt making. The quilts go beyond simply displaying the beautiful work of famed artists such as Adrienne Cruz, Peggie Hartwell, and aims to educate a large audience about the significance of the 2008 election. DuSable Museum, 740 E. 56th Pl. Through May 9. Tuesday-Saturday, 10am–5pm; Sunday, noon-5pm. Free-. (773)947-0600. dusablemuseum.org (Amanya Maloba)
* Mardonio Magaña: Circa 1938Mardonio Magaña: Circa 1938

The National Museum of Mexican Art is no stranger to housing the works of famous and talented artists. However, the artist featured in the latest exhibit at the NMMA has received praise greater than that of any other artist's review in some yuppie magazine. The exhibit features the work of Mardonio Magaña (1865-1947), dubbed “the greatest contemporary Mexican sculptor” by Diego Rivera. The NMMA holds the largest collection of the revered sculptor’s work outside of Mexico, and the exhibit—entitled “Mardonio Magaña: Circa 1938”—will showcase thirteen of Magaña’s direct carvings in wood in addition to presenting information on the artist’s life story and that of musicians Annette and Louis Kaufman, two of Magaña’s collectors. Blending both his work and the story of how it came about, “Mardonio Magaña: Circa 1938” promises to be an educational and stimulating exhibit. National Museum of Mexican Art, 1852 W. 19th St. Through October 7. Tuesday-Sunday, 10am-5pm. Free.(312)738-1503. nationalmuseumofmexicanart.org (Amanya Maloba)
* KeepersKeepers

A new event for your Mayan Calendar: a pre-apocalypse showing of artwork that sprang from a culture that long outlasted that Mesoamerican civilization and, barring apocalyptic disaster, might survive a while longer yet. One of a trio of new exhibitions at Pilsen’s National Museum of Mexican Art, “Keepers” debuts new additions—guardians of a Mexican culture sin fronteras —to the museum’s Permanent Collection. A poignant “show-and-tell” of pieces determined to outlast the twinkies and the cockroaches of American transience, the exhibit features over fifty participating artists from Chicago, the West Coast, and throughout Mexico. Some of the artists may be anonymous, but in the various forms of beauty of their Mexican heritage, all of them have found something worth keeping. National Museum of Mexican Art, 1825 W. 19th St. Through October 21. Tuesday-Sunday, 10am-5pm. Free. (312)738-1503. nationalmuseumofmexicanart.org (Bonnie Fan)
* Journey of Hope in AmericaJourney of Hope in America

Though many of us use the quilts our grandmothers made to keep us warm during the brutal Chicago winters, few of us probably ever considered the patchy, mismatched things art worth discussing. The DuSable Museum is challenging that notion through “Journey of Hope in America: Quilts Inspired by President Barack Obama.” The exhibit showcases the historic election of Barack Obama through the truly American art form of quilt making. The quilts go beyond simply displaying the beautiful work of famed artists such as Adrienne Cruz, Peggie Hartwell, and aims to educate a large audience about the significance of the 2008 election. DuSable Museum, 740 E. 56th Pl. Through May 9. Tuesday-Saturday, 10am–5pm; Sunday, noon-5pm. Free-. (773)947-0600. dusablemuseum.org (Amanya Maloba)
* Someone Else's DreamSomeone Else's Dream

Time: 11:29 pm

Ten local and international artists offer viewers a glimpse into their nighttime adventures with “Someone Else’s Dream.” Much like a dream, these artists walk the line between representational and abstract, real and surreal, logical and absurd—each choosing to veer to one side or the other. Some artists choose to represent the human form and depict a scene. Others bypass recognizable forms, instead choosing to use line and color to illuminate their dreams. All of the artists warp reality in some way with vibrant colors, cartoonish shapes, and distorted figures, and by displaying works done on paper, a basic medium, “Someone Else’s Dream” attempts to demystify the dream world. Hyde Park Art Center, 5020 S. Cornell Ave. Through May 6. Reception February 12, 3pm-5pm. Monday-Thursday, 9am-8pm; Friday-Saturday, 9am-5pm; Sunday noon-5pm. Free. (773)-324-5520. hydeparkart.org (Sasha Tycko)

5
* Journey of Hope in AmericaJourney of Hope in America

Though many of us use the quilts our grandmothers made to keep us warm during the brutal Chicago winters, few of us probably ever considered the patchy, mismatched things as art worth discussing. The DuSable Museum is challenging that notion through “Journey of Hope in America: Quilts Inspired by President Barack Obama.” The exhibit showcases the historic election of Barack Obama through the truly American art form of quilt making. The quilts go beyond simply displaying the beautiful work of famed artists such as Adrienne Cruz and Peggie Hartwell – it aims to educate a large audience about the significance of the 2008 election. DuSable Museum, 740 E. 56th Pl. Through May 9. Tuesday-Saturday, 10am–5pm; Sunday, noon-5pm. (773)947-0600. dusablemuseum.org (Amanya Maloba)
* TangledTangled

The latest play at eta Creative Arts takes a close look at the impact of gun violence in Chicago. Billed as a "dramedy," the play is one of this season's Mainstage shows, a series that takes previously or seldom produced plays and puts them on the stage. "Tangled" tells the story of a family of female African-American funeral directors who, in spite of their profession, may be no better equipped to understand or cope with the increasing fear of violence within their community. And all the while they must also contend with their own personal demons. As the Huffington Post has just reported that the murder rate in Chicago has gone up 35 percent this year, this production is (sadly) particularly timely. If you come for one of the Thursday night performances, eta hosts “Talk Back Thursdays,” where the audience and guest speakers discuss ways to curb violence. eta Creative Arts Foundation, 7558 S. South Chicago Ave. Through May 19. Thursday-Saturday, 8pm; Sunday, 3pm and 7pm. (773)752-3955 students; general; on Thursdays. etacreativearts.org (Lily Ye)
* Angels in AmericaAngels in America

The Court Theatre will end its season with Tony Kushner’s Pulitzer Prize–winning epic two-part play. The artistic team includes none other than Tony Kushner himself, here on an Exploratory Fellowship with the Gray Center for Arts and Inquiry. Joseph Jefferson Award–winning director Charles Newell puts every historical, supernatural, political, theological, and emotional aspect of the play together in the Court’s grand but intimate space. With tickets sold separately for Parts I & II, audiences will be able to experience this magnificent story of disease and life, feeling the effects of a seven-hour run time. Court Theatre, 5535 S. Ellis Ave. Through June 3. Wednesday and Thursday, 7:30pm; Friday, 8pm; Saturday, 2pm and 8pm; Sunday, 2pm. (773)753-4472. -. angelsinchicago.com (Meaghan Murphy)
* Hairy Blob Hairy Blob

The play of time in weighty and practical matters constitutes one of the thematic concerns of “Hairy Blob,” a group exhibition at the Hyde Park Art Center. Sculpture, video, drawing, sound, and "participatory events" allow visitors to explore the several contributing artists' contemplations of time. The exhibit plays with history and literature, with time both geographical and performative—transforming encyclopedias into a mirror and surreptitiously slipping exhibits into and out of their galleries. During the exhibition’s run, look for some of the artists walking the halls as mysteriously and fleetingly as this building-spanning exhibition’s subject matter, while the artwork evolves to include film installations and archive materials. The exhibition is curated by SAIC faculty member Adelheid Mers. Hyde Park Art Center, 5020 S. Cornell Ave. April 22-July 29. Reception April 22, 3pm-5pm. Monday-Thursday 10am-8pm; Friday-Saturday, 10am-5pm; Sunday noon-5pm. Free. (773)324-5520. hydeparkart.org (Autumn McConnico)
* Uppers and Downers Uppers and Downers

New year, new you, right? 2012 is here, and with it comes the expected glut of superficial, too-fat, too-bored, too-tired, under-read, over-worked, instant-ramen, "tell me how, Martha Stewart" New Year's resolutions. Well, for a timely jab at the shallow materialism of our times, look no further than the University of Chicago's Smart Museum, where artist Chris Voorhees and the installation gurus at SIMPARCH are putting on Upper and Downers, a plywood-wrought mess of social commentary, set in the form of a sparse and hermetic kitchen mock-up (faucet fixtures included!). Sarcasm, sass, and sinister beauty are to be found in the site-specific pieces, which spells fun for the whole, miserable family. Smart Museum of Art, 5550 S. Greenwood Ave. January 10-December 16. Tuesday-Wednesday, 10am-4pm; Thursday, 10am-8pm; Friday, 10am-4pm; Saturday-Sunday, 11am-5pm. Free. (773)702-0200. smartmuseum.uchicago.edu (Harunobu Coryne)
* Uppers and DownersUppers and Downers

New year, new you, right? 2012 is here, and with it comes the expected glut of superficial, too-fat, too-bored, too-tired, under-read, over-worked, instant-ramen, "tell me how, Martha Stewart" New Year's resolutions. Well, for a timely jab at the shallow materialism of our times, look no further than the University of Chicago's Smart Museum, where artist Chris Voorhees and the installation gurus at SIMPARCH are putting on Upper and Downers , a plywood-wrought mess of social commentary, set in the form of a sparse and hermetic kitchen mock-up (faucet fixtures included!). Sarcasm, sass, and sinister beauty are to be found in the site-specific pieces, which spells fun for the whole, miserable family. Smart Museum of Art, 5550 S. Greenwood Ave. Through December 16. Tuesday-Wednesday, 10am-4pm; Thursday, 10am-8pm; Friday, 10am-4pm; Saturday-Sunday, 11am-5pm. Free. (773)702-0200. smartmuseum.uchicago.edu (Harunobu Coryne)
* Journey of Hope in AmericaJourney of Hope in America

Though many of us use the quilts our grandmothers made to keep us warm during the brutal Chicago winters, few of us probably ever considered the patchy, mismatched things art worth discussing. The DuSable Museum is challenging that notion through “Journey of Hope in America: Quilts Inspired by President Barack Obama.” The exhibit showcases the historic election of Barack Obama through the truly American art form of quilt making. The quilts go beyond simply displaying the beautiful work of famed artists such as Adrienne Cruz, Peggie Hartwell, and aims to educate a large audience about the significance of the 2008 election. DuSable Museum, 740 E. 56th Pl. Through May 9. Tuesday-Saturday, 10am–5pm; Sunday, noon-5pm. Free-. (773)947-0600. dusablemuseum.org (Amanya Maloba)
* Mardonio Magaña: Circa 1938Mardonio Magaña: Circa 1938

The National Museum of Mexican Art is no stranger to housing the works of famous and talented artists. However, the artist featured in the latest exhibit at the NMMA has received praise greater than that of any other artist's review in some yuppie magazine. The exhibit features the work of Mardonio Magaña (1865-1947), dubbed “the greatest contemporary Mexican sculptor” by Diego Rivera. The NMMA holds the largest collection of the revered sculptor’s work outside of Mexico, and the exhibit—entitled “Mardonio Magaña: Circa 1938”—will showcase thirteen of Magaña’s direct carvings in wood in addition to presenting information on the artist’s life story and that of musicians Annette and Louis Kaufman, two of Magaña’s collectors. Blending both his work and the story of how it came about, “Mardonio Magaña: Circa 1938” promises to be an educational and stimulating exhibit. National Museum of Mexican Art, 1852 W. 19th St. Through October 7. Tuesday-Sunday, 10am-5pm. Free.(312)738-1503. nationalmuseumofmexicanart.org (Amanya Maloba)
* KeepersKeepers

A new event for your Mayan Calendar: a pre-apocalypse showing of artwork that sprang from a culture that long outlasted that Mesoamerican civilization and, barring apocalyptic disaster, might survive a while longer yet. One of a trio of new exhibitions at Pilsen’s National Museum of Mexican Art, “Keepers” debuts new additions—guardians of a Mexican culture sin fronteras —to the museum’s Permanent Collection. A poignant “show-and-tell” of pieces determined to outlast the twinkies and the cockroaches of American transience, the exhibit features over fifty participating artists from Chicago, the West Coast, and throughout Mexico. Some of the artists may be anonymous, but in the various forms of beauty of their Mexican heritage, all of them have found something worth keeping. National Museum of Mexican Art, 1825 W. 19th St. Through October 21. Tuesday-Sunday, 10am-5pm. Free. (312)738-1503. nationalmuseumofmexicanart.org (Bonnie Fan)
* Journey of Hope in AmericaJourney of Hope in America

Though many of us use the quilts our grandmothers made to keep us warm during the brutal Chicago winters, few of us probably ever considered the patchy, mismatched things art worth discussing. The DuSable Museum is challenging that notion through “Journey of Hope in America: Quilts Inspired by President Barack Obama.” The exhibit showcases the historic election of Barack Obama through the truly American art form of quilt making. The quilts go beyond simply displaying the beautiful work of famed artists such as Adrienne Cruz, Peggie Hartwell, and aims to educate a large audience about the significance of the 2008 election. DuSable Museum, 740 E. 56th Pl. Through May 9. Tuesday-Saturday, 10am–5pm; Sunday, noon-5pm. Free-. (773)947-0600. dusablemuseum.org (Amanya Maloba)
* Someone Else's DreamSomeone Else's Dream

Time: 11:29 pm

Ten local and international artists offer viewers a glimpse into their nighttime adventures with “Someone Else’s Dream.” Much like a dream, these artists walk the line between representational and abstract, real and surreal, logical and absurd—each choosing to veer to one side or the other. Some artists choose to represent the human form and depict a scene. Others bypass recognizable forms, instead choosing to use line and color to illuminate their dreams. All of the artists warp reality in some way with vibrant colors, cartoonish shapes, and distorted figures, and by displaying works done on paper, a basic medium, “Someone Else’s Dream” attempts to demystify the dream world. Hyde Park Art Center, 5020 S. Cornell Ave. Through May 6. Reception February 12, 3pm-5pm. Monday-Thursday, 9am-8pm; Friday-Saturday, 9am-5pm; Sunday noon-5pm. Free. (773)-324-5520. hydeparkart.org (Sasha Tycko)

6
* Journey of Hope in AmericaJourney of Hope in America

Though many of us use the quilts our grandmothers made to keep us warm during the brutal Chicago winters, few of us probably ever considered the patchy, mismatched things as art worth discussing. The DuSable Museum is challenging that notion through “Journey of Hope in America: Quilts Inspired by President Barack Obama.” The exhibit showcases the historic election of Barack Obama through the truly American art form of quilt making. The quilts go beyond simply displaying the beautiful work of famed artists such as Adrienne Cruz and Peggie Hartwell – it aims to educate a large audience about the significance of the 2008 election. DuSable Museum, 740 E. 56th Pl. Through May 9. Tuesday-Saturday, 10am–5pm; Sunday, noon-5pm. (773)947-0600. dusablemuseum.org (Amanya Maloba)
* TangledTangled

The latest play at eta Creative Arts takes a close look at the impact of gun violence in Chicago. Billed as a "dramedy," the play is one of this season's Mainstage shows, a series that takes previously or seldom produced plays and puts them on the stage. "Tangled" tells the story of a family of female African-American funeral directors who, in spite of their profession, may be no better equipped to understand or cope with the increasing fear of violence within their community. And all the while they must also contend with their own personal demons. As the Huffington Post has just reported that the murder rate in Chicago has gone up 35 percent this year, this production is (sadly) particularly timely. If you come for one of the Thursday night performances, eta hosts “Talk Back Thursdays,” where the audience and guest speakers discuss ways to curb violence. eta Creative Arts Foundation, 7558 S. South Chicago Ave. Through May 19. Thursday-Saturday, 8pm; Sunday, 3pm and 7pm. (773)752-3955 students; general; on Thursdays. etacreativearts.org (Lily Ye)
* Angels in AmericaAngels in America

The Court Theatre will end its season with Tony Kushner’s Pulitzer Prize–winning epic two-part play. The artistic team includes none other than Tony Kushner himself, here on an Exploratory Fellowship with the Gray Center for Arts and Inquiry. Joseph Jefferson Award–winning director Charles Newell puts every historical, supernatural, political, theological, and emotional aspect of the play together in the Court’s grand but intimate space. With tickets sold separately for Parts I & II, audiences will be able to experience this magnificent story of disease and life, feeling the effects of a seven-hour run time. Court Theatre, 5535 S. Ellis Ave. Through June 3. Wednesday and Thursday, 7:30pm; Friday, 8pm; Saturday, 2pm and 8pm; Sunday, 2pm. (773)753-4472. -. angelsinchicago.com (Meaghan Murphy)
* Hairy Blob Hairy Blob

The play of time in weighty and practical matters constitutes one of the thematic concerns of “Hairy Blob,” a group exhibition at the Hyde Park Art Center. Sculpture, video, drawing, sound, and "participatory events" allow visitors to explore the several contributing artists' contemplations of time. The exhibit plays with history and literature, with time both geographical and performative—transforming encyclopedias into a mirror and surreptitiously slipping exhibits into and out of their galleries. During the exhibition’s run, look for some of the artists walking the halls as mysteriously and fleetingly as this building-spanning exhibition’s subject matter, while the artwork evolves to include film installations and archive materials. The exhibition is curated by SAIC faculty member Adelheid Mers. Hyde Park Art Center, 5020 S. Cornell Ave. April 22-July 29. Reception April 22, 3pm-5pm. Monday-Thursday 10am-8pm; Friday-Saturday, 10am-5pm; Sunday noon-5pm. Free. (773)324-5520. hydeparkart.org (Autumn McConnico)
* Uppers and Downers Uppers and Downers

New year, new you, right? 2012 is here, and with it comes the expected glut of superficial, too-fat, too-bored, too-tired, under-read, over-worked, instant-ramen, "tell me how, Martha Stewart" New Year's resolutions. Well, for a timely jab at the shallow materialism of our times, look no further than the University of Chicago's Smart Museum, where artist Chris Voorhees and the installation gurus at SIMPARCH are putting on Upper and Downers, a plywood-wrought mess of social commentary, set in the form of a sparse and hermetic kitchen mock-up (faucet fixtures included!). Sarcasm, sass, and sinister beauty are to be found in the site-specific pieces, which spells fun for the whole, miserable family. Smart Museum of Art, 5550 S. Greenwood Ave. January 10-December 16. Tuesday-Wednesday, 10am-4pm; Thursday, 10am-8pm; Friday, 10am-4pm; Saturday-Sunday, 11am-5pm. Free. (773)702-0200. smartmuseum.uchicago.edu (Harunobu Coryne)
* Uppers and DownersUppers and Downers

New year, new you, right? 2012 is here, and with it comes the expected glut of superficial, too-fat, too-bored, too-tired, under-read, over-worked, instant-ramen, "tell me how, Martha Stewart" New Year's resolutions. Well, for a timely jab at the shallow materialism of our times, look no further than the University of Chicago's Smart Museum, where artist Chris Voorhees and the installation gurus at SIMPARCH are putting on Upper and Downers , a plywood-wrought mess of social commentary, set in the form of a sparse and hermetic kitchen mock-up (faucet fixtures included!). Sarcasm, sass, and sinister beauty are to be found in the site-specific pieces, which spells fun for the whole, miserable family. Smart Museum of Art, 5550 S. Greenwood Ave. Through December 16. Tuesday-Wednesday, 10am-4pm; Thursday, 10am-8pm; Friday, 10am-4pm; Saturday-Sunday, 11am-5pm. Free. (773)702-0200. smartmuseum.uchicago.edu (Harunobu Coryne)
* Journey of Hope in AmericaJourney of Hope in America

Though many of us use the quilts our grandmothers made to keep us warm during the brutal Chicago winters, few of us probably ever considered the patchy, mismatched things art worth discussing. The DuSable Museum is challenging that notion through “Journey of Hope in America: Quilts Inspired by President Barack Obama.” The exhibit showcases the historic election of Barack Obama through the truly American art form of quilt making. The quilts go beyond simply displaying the beautiful work of famed artists such as Adrienne Cruz, Peggie Hartwell, and aims to educate a large audience about the significance of the 2008 election. DuSable Museum, 740 E. 56th Pl. Through May 9. Tuesday-Saturday, 10am–5pm; Sunday, noon-5pm. Free-. (773)947-0600. dusablemuseum.org (Amanya Maloba)
* Mardonio Magaña: Circa 1938Mardonio Magaña: Circa 1938

The National Museum of Mexican Art is no stranger to housing the works of famous and talented artists. However, the artist featured in the latest exhibit at the NMMA has received praise greater than that of any other artist's review in some yuppie magazine. The exhibit features the work of Mardonio Magaña (1865-1947), dubbed “the greatest contemporary Mexican sculptor” by Diego Rivera. The NMMA holds the largest collection of the revered sculptor’s work outside of Mexico, and the exhibit—entitled “Mardonio Magaña: Circa 1938”—will showcase thirteen of Magaña’s direct carvings in wood in addition to presenting information on the artist’s life story and that of musicians Annette and Louis Kaufman, two of Magaña’s collectors. Blending both his work and the story of how it came about, “Mardonio Magaña: Circa 1938” promises to be an educational and stimulating exhibit. National Museum of Mexican Art, 1852 W. 19th St. Through October 7. Tuesday-Sunday, 10am-5pm. Free.(312)738-1503. nationalmuseumofmexicanart.org (Amanya Maloba)
* KeepersKeepers

A new event for your Mayan Calendar: a pre-apocalypse showing of artwork that sprang from a culture that long outlasted that Mesoamerican civilization and, barring apocalyptic disaster, might survive a while longer yet. One of a trio of new exhibitions at Pilsen’s National Museum of Mexican Art, “Keepers” debuts new additions—guardians of a Mexican culture sin fronteras —to the museum’s Permanent Collection. A poignant “show-and-tell” of pieces determined to outlast the twinkies and the cockroaches of American transience, the exhibit features over fifty participating artists from Chicago, the West Coast, and throughout Mexico. Some of the artists may be anonymous, but in the various forms of beauty of their Mexican heritage, all of them have found something worth keeping. National Museum of Mexican Art, 1825 W. 19th St. Through October 21. Tuesday-Sunday, 10am-5pm. Free. (312)738-1503. nationalmuseumofmexicanart.org (Bonnie Fan)
* Journey of Hope in AmericaJourney of Hope in America

Though many of us use the quilts our grandmothers made to keep us warm during the brutal Chicago winters, few of us probably ever considered the patchy, mismatched things art worth discussing. The DuSable Museum is challenging that notion through “Journey of Hope in America: Quilts Inspired by President Barack Obama.” The exhibit showcases the historic election of Barack Obama through the truly American art form of quilt making. The quilts go beyond simply displaying the beautiful work of famed artists such as Adrienne Cruz, Peggie Hartwell, and aims to educate a large audience about the significance of the 2008 election. DuSable Museum, 740 E. 56th Pl. Through May 9. Tuesday-Saturday, 10am–5pm; Sunday, noon-5pm. Free-. (773)947-0600. dusablemuseum.org (Amanya Maloba)
* Someone Else's DreamSomeone Else's Dream

Time: 11:29 pm

Ten local and international artists offer viewers a glimpse into their nighttime adventures with “Someone Else’s Dream.” Much like a dream, these artists walk the line between representational and abstract, real and surreal, logical and absurd—each choosing to veer to one side or the other. Some artists choose to represent the human form and depict a scene. Others bypass recognizable forms, instead choosing to use line and color to illuminate their dreams. All of the artists warp reality in some way with vibrant colors, cartoonish shapes, and distorted figures, and by displaying works done on paper, a basic medium, “Someone Else’s Dream” attempts to demystify the dream world. Hyde Park Art Center, 5020 S. Cornell Ave. Through May 6. Reception February 12, 3pm-5pm. Monday-Thursday, 9am-8pm; Friday-Saturday, 9am-5pm; Sunday noon-5pm. Free. (773)-324-5520. hydeparkart.org (Sasha Tycko)

7
* Journey of Hope in AmericaJourney of Hope in America

Though many of us use the quilts our grandmothers made to keep us warm during the brutal Chicago winters, few of us probably ever considered the patchy, mismatched things as art worth discussing. The DuSable Museum is challenging that notion through “Journey of Hope in America: Quilts Inspired by President Barack Obama.” The exhibit showcases the historic election of Barack Obama through the truly American art form of quilt making. The quilts go beyond simply displaying the beautiful work of famed artists such as Adrienne Cruz and Peggie Hartwell – it aims to educate a large audience about the significance of the 2008 election. DuSable Museum, 740 E. 56th Pl. Through May 9. Tuesday-Saturday, 10am–5pm; Sunday, noon-5pm. (773)947-0600. dusablemuseum.org (Amanya Maloba)
* TangledTangled

The latest play at eta Creative Arts takes a close look at the impact of gun violence in Chicago. Billed as a "dramedy," the play is one of this season's Mainstage shows, a series that takes previously or seldom produced plays and puts them on the stage. "Tangled" tells the story of a family of female African-American funeral directors who, in spite of their profession, may be no better equipped to understand or cope with the increasing fear of violence within their community. And all the while they must also contend with their own personal demons. As the Huffington Post has just reported that the murder rate in Chicago has gone up 35 percent this year, this production is (sadly) particularly timely. If you come for one of the Thursday night performances, eta hosts “Talk Back Thursdays,” where the audience and guest speakers discuss ways to curb violence. eta Creative Arts Foundation, 7558 S. South Chicago Ave. Through May 19. Thursday-Saturday, 8pm; Sunday, 3pm and 7pm. (773)752-3955 students; general; on Thursdays. etacreativearts.org (Lily Ye)
* Angels in AmericaAngels in America

The Court Theatre will end its season with Tony Kushner’s Pulitzer Prize–winning epic two-part play. The artistic team includes none other than Tony Kushner himself, here on an Exploratory Fellowship with the Gray Center for Arts and Inquiry. Joseph Jefferson Award–winning director Charles Newell puts every historical, supernatural, political, theological, and emotional aspect of the play together in the Court’s grand but intimate space. With tickets sold separately for Parts I & II, audiences will be able to experience this magnificent story of disease and life, feeling the effects of a seven-hour run time. Court Theatre, 5535 S. Ellis Ave. Through June 3. Wednesday and Thursday, 7:30pm; Friday, 8pm; Saturday, 2pm and 8pm; Sunday, 2pm. (773)753-4472. -. angelsinchicago.com (Meaghan Murphy)
* Hairy Blob Hairy Blob

The play of time in weighty and practical matters constitutes one of the thematic concerns of “Hairy Blob,” a group exhibition at the Hyde Park Art Center. Sculpture, video, drawing, sound, and "participatory events" allow visitors to explore the several contributing artists' contemplations of time. The exhibit plays with history and literature, with time both geographical and performative—transforming encyclopedias into a mirror and surreptitiously slipping exhibits into and out of their galleries. During the exhibition’s run, look for some of the artists walking the halls as mysteriously and fleetingly as this building-spanning exhibition’s subject matter, while the artwork evolves to include film installations and archive materials. The exhibition is curated by SAIC faculty member Adelheid Mers. Hyde Park Art Center, 5020 S. Cornell Ave. April 22-July 29. Reception April 22, 3pm-5pm. Monday-Thursday 10am-8pm; Friday-Saturday, 10am-5pm; Sunday noon-5pm. Free. (773)324-5520. hydeparkart.org (Autumn McConnico)
* Uppers and DownersUppers and Downers

New year, new you, right? 2012 is here, and with it comes the expected glut of superficial, too-fat, too-bored, too-tired, under-read, over-worked, instant-ramen, "tell me how, Martha Stewart" New Year's resolutions. Well, for a timely jab at the shallow materialism of our times, look no further than the University of Chicago's Smart Museum, where artist Chris Voorhees and the installation gurus at SIMPARCH are putting on Upper and Downers , a plywood-wrought mess of social commentary, set in the form of a sparse and hermetic kitchen mock-up (faucet fixtures included!). Sarcasm, sass, and sinister beauty are to be found in the site-specific pieces, which spells fun for the whole, miserable family. Smart Museum of Art, 5550 S. Greenwood Ave. Through December 16. Tuesday-Wednesday, 10am-4pm; Thursday, 10am-8pm; Friday, 10am-4pm; Saturday-Sunday, 11am-5pm. Free. (773)702-0200. smartmuseum.uchicago.edu (Harunobu Coryne)
* Journey of Hope in AmericaJourney of Hope in America

Though many of us use the quilts our grandmothers made to keep us warm during the brutal Chicago winters, few of us probably ever considered the patchy, mismatched things art worth discussing. The DuSable Museum is challenging that notion through “Journey of Hope in America: Quilts Inspired by President Barack Obama.” The exhibit showcases the historic election of Barack Obama through the truly American art form of quilt making. The quilts go beyond simply displaying the beautiful work of famed artists such as Adrienne Cruz, Peggie Hartwell, and aims to educate a large audience about the significance of the 2008 election. DuSable Museum, 740 E. 56th Pl. Through May 9. Tuesday-Saturday, 10am–5pm; Sunday, noon-5pm. Free-. (773)947-0600. dusablemuseum.org (Amanya Maloba)
* Journey of Hope in AmericaJourney of Hope in America

Though many of us use the quilts our grandmothers made to keep us warm during the brutal Chicago winters, few of us probably ever considered the patchy, mismatched things art worth discussing. The DuSable Museum is challenging that notion through “Journey of Hope in America: Quilts Inspired by President Barack Obama.” The exhibit showcases the historic election of Barack Obama through the truly American art form of quilt making. The quilts go beyond simply displaying the beautiful work of famed artists such as Adrienne Cruz, Peggie Hartwell, and aims to educate a large audience about the significance of the 2008 election. DuSable Museum, 740 E. 56th Pl. Through May 9. Tuesday-Saturday, 10am–5pm; Sunday, noon-5pm. Free-. (773)947-0600. dusablemuseum.org (Amanya Maloba)
* Mardonio Magaña: Circa 1938Mardonio Magaña: Circa 1938

The National Museum of Mexican Art is no stranger to housing the works of famous and talented artists. However, the artist featured in the latest exhibit at the NMMA has received praise greater than that of any other artist's review in some yuppie magazine. The exhibit features the work of Mardonio Magaña (1865-1947), dubbed “the greatest contemporary Mexican sculptor” by Diego Rivera. The NMMA holds the largest collection of the revered sculptor’s work outside of Mexico, and the exhibit—entitled “Mardonio Magaña: Circa 1938”—will showcase thirteen of Magaña’s direct carvings in wood in addition to presenting information on the artist’s life story and that of musicians Annette and Louis Kaufman, two of Magaña’s collectors. Blending both his work and the story of how it came about, “Mardonio Magaña: Circa 1938” promises to be an educational and stimulating exhibit. National Museum of Mexican Art, 1852 W. 19th St. Through October 7. Tuesday-Sunday, 10am-5pm. Free.(312)738-1503. nationalmuseumofmexicanart.org (Amanya Maloba)
* KeepersKeepers

A new event for your Mayan Calendar: a pre-apocalypse showing of artwork that sprang from a culture that long outlasted that Mesoamerican civilization and, barring apocalyptic disaster, might survive a while longer yet. One of a trio of new exhibitions at Pilsen’s National Museum of Mexican Art, “Keepers” debuts new additions—guardians of a Mexican culture sin fronteras —to the museum’s Permanent Collection. A poignant “show-and-tell” of pieces determined to outlast the twinkies and the cockroaches of American transience, the exhibit features over fifty participating artists from Chicago, the West Coast, and throughout Mexico. Some of the artists may be anonymous, but in the various forms of beauty of their Mexican heritage, all of them have found something worth keeping. National Museum of Mexican Art, 1825 W. 19th St. Through October 21. Tuesday-Sunday, 10am-5pm. Free. (312)738-1503. nationalmuseumofmexicanart.org (Bonnie Fan)
* Uppers and Downers Uppers and Downers

New year, new you, right? 2012 is here, and with it comes the expected glut of superficial, too-fat, too-bored, too-tired, under-read, over-worked, instant-ramen, "tell me how, Martha Stewart" New Year's resolutions. Well, for a timely jab at the shallow materialism of our times, look no further than the University of Chicago's Smart Museum, where artist Chris Voorhees and the installation gurus at SIMPARCH are putting on Upper and Downers, a plywood-wrought mess of social commentary, set in the form of a sparse and hermetic kitchen mock-up (faucet fixtures included!). Sarcasm, sass, and sinister beauty are to be found in the site-specific pieces, which spells fun for the whole, miserable family. Smart Museum of Art, 5550 S. Greenwood Ave. January 10-December 16. Tuesday-Wednesday, 10am-4pm; Thursday, 10am-8pm; Friday, 10am-4pm; Saturday-Sunday, 11am-5pm. Free. (773)702-0200. smartmuseum.uchicago.edu (Harunobu Coryne)

8
* Journey of Hope in AmericaJourney of Hope in America

Though many of us use the quilts our grandmothers made to keep us warm during the brutal Chicago winters, few of us probably ever considered the patchy, mismatched things as art worth discussing. The DuSable Museum is challenging that notion through “Journey of Hope in America: Quilts Inspired by President Barack Obama.” The exhibit showcases the historic election of Barack Obama through the truly American art form of quilt making. The quilts go beyond simply displaying the beautiful work of famed artists such as Adrienne Cruz and Peggie Hartwell – it aims to educate a large audience about the significance of the 2008 election. DuSable Museum, 740 E. 56th Pl. Through May 9. Tuesday-Saturday, 10am–5pm; Sunday, noon-5pm. (773)947-0600. dusablemuseum.org (Amanya Maloba)
* TangledTangled

The latest play at eta Creative Arts takes a close look at the impact of gun violence in Chicago. Billed as a "dramedy," the play is one of this season's Mainstage shows, a series that takes previously or seldom produced plays and puts them on the stage. "Tangled" tells the story of a family of female African-American funeral directors who, in spite of their profession, may be no better equipped to understand or cope with the increasing fear of violence within their community. And all the while they must also contend with their own personal demons. As the Huffington Post has just reported that the murder rate in Chicago has gone up 35 percent this year, this production is (sadly) particularly timely. If you come for one of the Thursday night performances, eta hosts “Talk Back Thursdays,” where the audience and guest speakers discuss ways to curb violence. eta Creative Arts Foundation, 7558 S. South Chicago Ave. Through May 19. Thursday-Saturday, 8pm; Sunday, 3pm and 7pm. (773)752-3955 students; general; on Thursdays. etacreativearts.org (Lily Ye)
* Angels in AmericaAngels in America

The Court Theatre will end its season with Tony Kushner’s Pulitzer Prize–winning epic two-part play. The artistic team includes none other than Tony Kushner himself, here on an Exploratory Fellowship with the Gray Center for Arts and Inquiry. Joseph Jefferson Award–winning director Charles Newell puts every historical, supernatural, political, theological, and emotional aspect of the play together in the Court’s grand but intimate space. With tickets sold separately for Parts I & II, audiences will be able to experience this magnificent story of disease and life, feeling the effects of a seven-hour run time. Court Theatre, 5535 S. Ellis Ave. Through June 3. Wednesday and Thursday, 7:30pm; Friday, 8pm; Saturday, 2pm and 8pm; Sunday, 2pm. (773)753-4472. -. angelsinchicago.com (Meaghan Murphy)
* Hairy Blob Hairy Blob

The play of time in weighty and practical matters constitutes one of the thematic concerns of “Hairy Blob,” a group exhibition at the Hyde Park Art Center. Sculpture, video, drawing, sound, and "participatory events" allow visitors to explore the several contributing artists' contemplations of time. The exhibit plays with history and literature, with time both geographical and performative—transforming encyclopedias into a mirror and surreptitiously slipping exhibits into and out of their galleries. During the exhibition’s run, look for some of the artists walking the halls as mysteriously and fleetingly as this building-spanning exhibition’s subject matter, while the artwork evolves to include film installations and archive materials. The exhibition is curated by SAIC faculty member Adelheid Mers. Hyde Park Art Center, 5020 S. Cornell Ave. April 22-July 29. Reception April 22, 3pm-5pm. Monday-Thursday 10am-8pm; Friday-Saturday, 10am-5pm; Sunday noon-5pm. Free. (773)324-5520. hydeparkart.org (Autumn McConnico)
* Uppers and DownersUppers and Downers

New year, new you, right? 2012 is here, and with it comes the expected glut of superficial, too-fat, too-bored, too-tired, under-read, over-worked, instant-ramen, "tell me how, Martha Stewart" New Year's resolutions. Well, for a timely jab at the shallow materialism of our times, look no further than the University of Chicago's Smart Museum, where artist Chris Voorhees and the installation gurus at SIMPARCH are putting on Upper and Downers , a plywood-wrought mess of social commentary, set in the form of a sparse and hermetic kitchen mock-up (faucet fixtures included!). Sarcasm, sass, and sinister beauty are to be found in the site-specific pieces, which spells fun for the whole, miserable family. Smart Museum of Art, 5550 S. Greenwood Ave. Through December 16. Tuesday-Wednesday, 10am-4pm; Thursday, 10am-8pm; Friday, 10am-4pm; Saturday-Sunday, 11am-5pm. Free. (773)702-0200. smartmuseum.uchicago.edu (Harunobu Coryne)
* Journey of Hope in AmericaJourney of Hope in America

Though many of us use the quilts our grandmothers made to keep us warm during the brutal Chicago winters, few of us probably ever considered the patchy, mismatched things art worth discussing. The DuSable Museum is challenging that notion through “Journey of Hope in America: Quilts Inspired by President Barack Obama.” The exhibit showcases the historic election of Barack Obama through the truly American art form of quilt making. The quilts go beyond simply displaying the beautiful work of famed artists such as Adrienne Cruz, Peggie Hartwell, and aims to educate a large audience about the significance of the 2008 election. DuSable Museum, 740 E. 56th Pl. Through May 9. Tuesday-Saturday, 10am–5pm; Sunday, noon-5pm. Free-. (773)947-0600. dusablemuseum.org (Amanya Maloba)
* Journey of Hope in AmericaJourney of Hope in America

Though many of us use the quilts our grandmothers made to keep us warm during the brutal Chicago winters, few of us probably ever considered the patchy, mismatched things art worth discussing. The DuSable Museum is challenging that notion through “Journey of Hope in America: Quilts Inspired by President Barack Obama.” The exhibit showcases the historic election of Barack Obama through the truly American art form of quilt making. The quilts go beyond simply displaying the beautiful work of famed artists such as Adrienne Cruz, Peggie Hartwell, and aims to educate a large audience about the significance of the 2008 election. DuSable Museum, 740 E. 56th Pl. Through May 9. Tuesday-Saturday, 10am–5pm; Sunday, noon-5pm. Free-. (773)947-0600. dusablemuseum.org (Amanya Maloba)
* Mardonio Magaña: Circa 1938Mardonio Magaña: Circa 1938

The National Museum of Mexican Art is no stranger to housing the works of famous and talented artists. However, the artist featured in the latest exhibit at the NMMA has received praise greater than that of any other artist's review in some yuppie magazine. The exhibit features the work of Mardonio Magaña (1865-1947), dubbed “the greatest contemporary Mexican sculptor” by Diego Rivera. The NMMA holds the largest collection of the revered sculptor’s work outside of Mexico, and the exhibit—entitled “Mardonio Magaña: Circa 1938”—will showcase thirteen of Magaña’s direct carvings in wood in addition to presenting information on the artist’s life story and that of musicians Annette and Louis Kaufman, two of Magaña’s collectors. Blending both his work and the story of how it came about, “Mardonio Magaña: Circa 1938” promises to be an educational and stimulating exhibit. National Museum of Mexican Art, 1852 W. 19th St. Through October 7. Tuesday-Sunday, 10am-5pm. Free.(312)738-1503. nationalmuseumofmexicanart.org (Amanya Maloba)
* KeepersKeepers

A new event for your Mayan Calendar: a pre-apocalypse showing of artwork that sprang from a culture that long outlasted that Mesoamerican civilization and, barring apocalyptic disaster, might survive a while longer yet. One of a trio of new exhibitions at Pilsen’s National Museum of Mexican Art, “Keepers” debuts new additions—guardians of a Mexican culture sin fronteras —to the museum’s Permanent Collection. A poignant “show-and-tell” of pieces determined to outlast the twinkies and the cockroaches of American transience, the exhibit features over fifty participating artists from Chicago, the West Coast, and throughout Mexico. Some of the artists may be anonymous, but in the various forms of beauty of their Mexican heritage, all of them have found something worth keeping. National Museum of Mexican Art, 1825 W. 19th St. Through October 21. Tuesday-Sunday, 10am-5pm. Free. (312)738-1503. nationalmuseumofmexicanart.org (Bonnie Fan)
* Uppers and Downers Uppers and Downers

New year, new you, right? 2012 is here, and with it comes the expected glut of superficial, too-fat, too-bored, too-tired, under-read, over-worked, instant-ramen, "tell me how, Martha Stewart" New Year's resolutions. Well, for a timely jab at the shallow materialism of our times, look no further than the University of Chicago's Smart Museum, where artist Chris Voorhees and the installation gurus at SIMPARCH are putting on Upper and Downers, a plywood-wrought mess of social commentary, set in the form of a sparse and hermetic kitchen mock-up (faucet fixtures included!). Sarcasm, sass, and sinister beauty are to be found in the site-specific pieces, which spells fun for the whole, miserable family. Smart Museum of Art, 5550 S. Greenwood Ave. January 10-December 16. Tuesday-Wednesday, 10am-4pm; Thursday, 10am-8pm; Friday, 10am-4pm; Saturday-Sunday, 11am-5pm. Free. (773)702-0200. smartmuseum.uchicago.edu (Harunobu Coryne)

9
* Journey of Hope in AmericaJourney of Hope in America

Though many of us use the quilts our grandmothers made to keep us warm during the brutal Chicago winters, few of us probably ever considered the patchy, mismatched things as art worth discussing. The DuSable Museum is challenging that notion through “Journey of Hope in America: Quilts Inspired by President Barack Obama.” The exhibit showcases the historic election of Barack Obama through the truly American art form of quilt making. The quilts go beyond simply displaying the beautiful work of famed artists such as Adrienne Cruz and Peggie Hartwell – it aims to educate a large audience about the significance of the 2008 election. DuSable Museum, 740 E. 56th Pl. Through May 9. Tuesday-Saturday, 10am–5pm; Sunday, noon-5pm. (773)947-0600. dusablemuseum.org (Amanya Maloba)
* TangledTangled

The latest play at eta Creative Arts takes a close look at the impact of gun violence in Chicago. Billed as a "dramedy," the play is one of this season's Mainstage shows, a series that takes previously or seldom produced plays and puts them on the stage. "Tangled" tells the story of a family of female African-American funeral directors who, in spite of their profession, may be no better equipped to understand or cope with the increasing fear of violence within their community. And all the while they must also contend with their own personal demons. As the Huffington Post has just reported that the murder rate in Chicago has gone up 35 percent this year, this production is (sadly) particularly timely. If you come for one of the Thursday night performances, eta hosts “Talk Back Thursdays,” where the audience and guest speakers discuss ways to curb violence. eta Creative Arts Foundation, 7558 S. South Chicago Ave. Through May 19. Thursday-Saturday, 8pm; Sunday, 3pm and 7pm. (773)752-3955 students; general; on Thursdays. etacreativearts.org (Lily Ye)
* Angels in AmericaAngels in America

The Court Theatre will end its season with Tony Kushner’s Pulitzer Prize–winning epic two-part play. The artistic team includes none other than Tony Kushner himself, here on an Exploratory Fellowship with the Gray Center for Arts and Inquiry. Joseph Jefferson Award–winning director Charles Newell puts every historical, supernatural, political, theological, and emotional aspect of the play together in the Court’s grand but intimate space. With tickets sold separately for Parts I & II, audiences will be able to experience this magnificent story of disease and life, feeling the effects of a seven-hour run time. Court Theatre, 5535 S. Ellis Ave. Through June 3. Wednesday and Thursday, 7:30pm; Friday, 8pm; Saturday, 2pm and 8pm; Sunday, 2pm. (773)753-4472. -. angelsinchicago.com (Meaghan Murphy)
* Hairy Blob Hairy Blob

The play of time in weighty and practical matters constitutes one of the thematic concerns of “Hairy Blob,” a group exhibition at the Hyde Park Art Center. Sculpture, video, drawing, sound, and "participatory events" allow visitors to explore the several contributing artists' contemplations of time. The exhibit plays with history and literature, with time both geographical and performative—transforming encyclopedias into a mirror and surreptitiously slipping exhibits into and out of their galleries. During the exhibition’s run, look for some of the artists walking the halls as mysteriously and fleetingly as this building-spanning exhibition’s subject matter, while the artwork evolves to include film installations and archive materials. The exhibition is curated by SAIC faculty member Adelheid Mers. Hyde Park Art Center, 5020 S. Cornell Ave. April 22-July 29. Reception April 22, 3pm-5pm. Monday-Thursday 10am-8pm; Friday-Saturday, 10am-5pm; Sunday noon-5pm. Free. (773)324-5520. hydeparkart.org (Autumn McConnico)
* Uppers and DownersUppers and Downers

New year, new you, right? 2012 is here, and with it comes the expected glut of superficial, too-fat, too-bored, too-tired, under-read, over-worked, instant-ramen, "tell me how, Martha Stewart" New Year's resolutions. Well, for a timely jab at the shallow materialism of our times, look no further than the University of Chicago's Smart Museum, where artist Chris Voorhees and the installation gurus at SIMPARCH are putting on Upper and Downers , a plywood-wrought mess of social commentary, set in the form of a sparse and hermetic kitchen mock-up (faucet fixtures included!). Sarcasm, sass, and sinister beauty are to be found in the site-specific pieces, which spells fun for the whole, miserable family. Smart Museum of Art, 5550 S. Greenwood Ave. Through December 16. Tuesday-Wednesday, 10am-4pm; Thursday, 10am-8pm; Friday, 10am-4pm; Saturday-Sunday, 11am-5pm. Free. (773)702-0200. smartmuseum.uchicago.edu (Harunobu Coryne)
* Journey of Hope in AmericaJourney of Hope in America

Though many of us use the quilts our grandmothers made to keep us warm during the brutal Chicago winters, few of us probably ever considered the patchy, mismatched things art worth discussing. The DuSable Museum is challenging that notion through “Journey of Hope in America: Quilts Inspired by President Barack Obama.” The exhibit showcases the historic election of Barack Obama through the truly American art form of quilt making. The quilts go beyond simply displaying the beautiful work of famed artists such as Adrienne Cruz, Peggie Hartwell, and aims to educate a large audience about the significance of the 2008 election. DuSable Museum, 740 E. 56th Pl. Through May 9. Tuesday-Saturday, 10am–5pm; Sunday, noon-5pm. Free-. (773)947-0600. dusablemuseum.org (Amanya Maloba)
* Journey of Hope in AmericaJourney of Hope in America

Though many of us use the quilts our grandmothers made to keep us warm during the brutal Chicago winters, few of us probably ever considered the patchy, mismatched things art worth discussing. The DuSable Museum is challenging that notion through “Journey of Hope in America: Quilts Inspired by President Barack Obama.” The exhibit showcases the historic election of Barack Obama through the truly American art form of quilt making. The quilts go beyond simply displaying the beautiful work of famed artists such as Adrienne Cruz, Peggie Hartwell, and aims to educate a large audience about the significance of the 2008 election. DuSable Museum, 740 E. 56th Pl. Through May 9. Tuesday-Saturday, 10am–5pm; Sunday, noon-5pm. Free-. (773)947-0600. dusablemuseum.org (Amanya Maloba)
* Mardonio Magaña: Circa 1938Mardonio Magaña: Circa 1938

The National Museum of Mexican Art is no stranger to housing the works of famous and talented artists. However, the artist featured in the latest exhibit at the NMMA has received praise greater than that of any other artist's review in some yuppie magazine. The exhibit features the work of Mardonio Magaña (1865-1947), dubbed “the greatest contemporary Mexican sculptor” by Diego Rivera. The NMMA holds the largest collection of the revered sculptor’s work outside of Mexico, and the exhibit—entitled “Mardonio Magaña: Circa 1938”—will showcase thirteen of Magaña’s direct carvings in wood in addition to presenting information on the artist’s life story and that of musicians Annette and Louis Kaufman, two of Magaña’s collectors. Blending both his work and the story of how it came about, “Mardonio Magaña: Circa 1938” promises to be an educational and stimulating exhibit. National Museum of Mexican Art, 1852 W. 19th St. Through October 7. Tuesday-Sunday, 10am-5pm. Free.(312)738-1503. nationalmuseumofmexicanart.org (Amanya Maloba)
* KeepersKeepers

A new event for your Mayan Calendar: a pre-apocalypse showing of artwork that sprang from a culture that long outlasted that Mesoamerican civilization and, barring apocalyptic disaster, might survive a while longer yet. One of a trio of new exhibitions at Pilsen’s National Museum of Mexican Art, “Keepers” debuts new additions—guardians of a Mexican culture sin fronteras —to the museum’s Permanent Collection. A poignant “show-and-tell” of pieces determined to outlast the twinkies and the cockroaches of American transience, the exhibit features over fifty participating artists from Chicago, the West Coast, and throughout Mexico. Some of the artists may be anonymous, but in the various forms of beauty of their Mexican heritage, all of them have found something worth keeping. National Museum of Mexican Art, 1825 W. 19th St. Through October 21. Tuesday-Sunday, 10am-5pm. Free. (312)738-1503. nationalmuseumofmexicanart.org (Bonnie Fan)
* Uppers and Downers Uppers and Downers

New year, new you, right? 2012 is here, and with it comes the expected glut of superficial, too-fat, too-bored, too-tired, under-read, over-worked, instant-ramen, "tell me how, Martha Stewart" New Year's resolutions. Well, for a timely jab at the shallow materialism of our times, look no further than the University of Chicago's Smart Museum, where artist Chris Voorhees and the installation gurus at SIMPARCH are putting on Upper and Downers, a plywood-wrought mess of social commentary, set in the form of a sparse and hermetic kitchen mock-up (faucet fixtures included!). Sarcasm, sass, and sinister beauty are to be found in the site-specific pieces, which spells fun for the whole, miserable family. Smart Museum of Art, 5550 S. Greenwood Ave. January 10-December 16. Tuesday-Wednesday, 10am-4pm; Thursday, 10am-8pm; Friday, 10am-4pm; Saturday-Sunday, 11am-5pm. Free. (773)702-0200. smartmuseum.uchicago.edu (Harunobu Coryne)

10
* Angels in AmericaAngels in America

The Court Theatre will end its season with Tony Kushner’s Pulitzer Prize–winning epic two-part play. The artistic team includes none other than Tony Kushner himself, here on an Exploratory Fellowship with the Gray Center for Arts and Inquiry. Joseph Jefferson Award–winning director Charles Newell puts every historical, supernatural, political, theological, and emotional aspect of the play together in the Court’s grand but intimate space. With tickets sold separately for Parts I & II, audiences will be able to experience this magnificent story of disease and life, feeling the effects of a seven-hour run time. Court Theatre, 5535 S. Ellis Ave. Through June 3. Wednesday and Thursday, 7:30pm; Friday, 8pm; Saturday, 2pm and 8pm; Sunday, 2pm. (773)753-4472. -. angelsinchicago.com (Meaghan Murphy)
* Hairy Blob Hairy Blob

The play of time in weighty and practical matters constitutes one of the thematic concerns of “Hairy Blob,” a group exhibition at the Hyde Park Art Center. Sculpture, video, drawing, sound, and "participatory events" allow visitors to explore the several contributing artists' contemplations of time. The exhibit plays with history and literature, with time both geographical and performative—transforming encyclopedias into a mirror and surreptitiously slipping exhibits into and out of their galleries. During the exhibition’s run, look for some of the artists walking the halls as mysteriously and fleetingly as this building-spanning exhibition’s subject matter, while the artwork evolves to include film installations and archive materials. The exhibition is curated by SAIC faculty member Adelheid Mers. Hyde Park Art Center, 5020 S. Cornell Ave. April 22-July 29. Reception April 22, 3pm-5pm. Monday-Thursday 10am-8pm; Friday-Saturday, 10am-5pm; Sunday noon-5pm. Free. (773)324-5520. hydeparkart.org (Autumn McConnico)
* TangledTangled

The latest play at eta Creative Arts takes a close look at the impact of gun violence in Chicago. Billed as a "dramedy," the play is one of this season's Mainstage shows, a series that takes previously or seldom produced plays and puts them on the stage. "Tangled" tells the story of a family of female African-American funeral directors who, in spite of their profession, may be no better equipped to understand or cope with the increasing fear of violence within their community. And all the while they must also contend with their own personal demons. As the Huffington Post has just reported that the murder rate in Chicago has gone up 35 percent this year, this production is (sadly) particularly timely. If you come for one of the Thursday night performances, eta hosts “Talk Back Thursdays,” where the audience and guest speakers discuss ways to curb violence. eta Creative Arts Foundation, 7558 S. South Chicago Ave. Through May 19. Thursday-Saturday, 8pm; Sunday, 3pm and 7pm. (773)752-3955 students; general; on Thursdays. etacreativearts.org (Lily Ye)
* Uppers and DownersUppers and Downers

New year, new you, right? 2012 is here, and with it comes the expected glut of superficial, too-fat, too-bored, too-tired, under-read, over-worked, instant-ramen, "tell me how, Martha Stewart" New Year's resolutions. Well, for a timely jab at the shallow materialism of our times, look no further than the University of Chicago's Smart Museum, where artist Chris Voorhees and the installation gurus at SIMPARCH are putting on Upper and Downers , a plywood-wrought mess of social commentary, set in the form of a sparse and hermetic kitchen mock-up (faucet fixtures included!). Sarcasm, sass, and sinister beauty are to be found in the site-specific pieces, which spells fun for the whole, miserable family. Smart Museum of Art, 5550 S. Greenwood Ave. Through December 16. Tuesday-Wednesday, 10am-4pm; Thursday, 10am-8pm; Friday, 10am-4pm; Saturday-Sunday, 11am-5pm. Free. (773)702-0200. smartmuseum.uchicago.edu (Harunobu Coryne)
* Mardonio Magaña: Circa 1938Mardonio Magaña: Circa 1938

The National Museum of Mexican Art is no stranger to housing the works of famous and talented artists. However, the artist featured in the latest exhibit at the NMMA has received praise greater than that of any other artist's review in some yuppie magazine. The exhibit features the work of Mardonio Magaña (1865-1947), dubbed “the greatest contemporary Mexican sculptor” by Diego Rivera. The NMMA holds the largest collection of the revered sculptor’s work outside of Mexico, and the exhibit—entitled “Mardonio Magaña: Circa 1938”—will showcase thirteen of Magaña’s direct carvings in wood in addition to presenting information on the artist’s life story and that of musicians Annette and Louis Kaufman, two of Magaña’s collectors. Blending both his work and the story of how it came about, “Mardonio Magaña: Circa 1938” promises to be an educational and stimulating exhibit. National Museum of Mexican Art, 1852 W. 19th St. Through October 7. Tuesday-Sunday, 10am-5pm. Free.(312)738-1503. nationalmuseumofmexicanart.org (Amanya Maloba)
* KeepersKeepers

A new event for your Mayan Calendar: a pre-apocalypse showing of artwork that sprang from a culture that long outlasted that Mesoamerican civilization and, barring apocalyptic disaster, might survive a while longer yet. One of a trio of new exhibitions at Pilsen’s National Museum of Mexican Art, “Keepers” debuts new additions—guardians of a Mexican culture sin fronteras —to the museum’s Permanent Collection. A poignant “show-and-tell” of pieces determined to outlast the twinkies and the cockroaches of American transience, the exhibit features over fifty participating artists from Chicago, the West Coast, and throughout Mexico. Some of the artists may be anonymous, but in the various forms of beauty of their Mexican heritage, all of them have found something worth keeping. National Museum of Mexican Art, 1825 W. 19th St. Through October 21. Tuesday-Sunday, 10am-5pm. Free. (312)738-1503. nationalmuseumofmexicanart.org (Bonnie Fan)
* Uppers and Downers Uppers and Downers

New year, new you, right? 2012 is here, and with it comes the expected glut of superficial, too-fat, too-bored, too-tired, under-read, over-worked, instant-ramen, "tell me how, Martha Stewart" New Year's resolutions. Well, for a timely jab at the shallow materialism of our times, look no further than the University of Chicago's Smart Museum, where artist Chris Voorhees and the installation gurus at SIMPARCH are putting on Upper and Downers, a plywood-wrought mess of social commentary, set in the form of a sparse and hermetic kitchen mock-up (faucet fixtures included!). Sarcasm, sass, and sinister beauty are to be found in the site-specific pieces, which spells fun for the whole, miserable family. Smart Museum of Art, 5550 S. Greenwood Ave. January 10-December 16. Tuesday-Wednesday, 10am-4pm; Thursday, 10am-8pm; Friday, 10am-4pm; Saturday-Sunday, 11am-5pm. Free. (773)702-0200. smartmuseum.uchicago.edu (Harunobu Coryne)

11
* Angels in AmericaAngels in America

The Court Theatre will end its season with Tony Kushner’s Pulitzer Prize–winning epic two-part play. The artistic team includes none other than Tony Kushner himself, here on an Exploratory Fellowship with the Gray Center for Arts and Inquiry. Joseph Jefferson Award–winning director Charles Newell puts every historical, supernatural, political, theological, and emotional aspect of the play together in the Court’s grand but intimate space. With tickets sold separately for Parts I & II, audiences will be able to experience this magnificent story of disease and life, feeling the effects of a seven-hour run time. Court Theatre, 5535 S. Ellis Ave. Through June 3. Wednesday and Thursday, 7:30pm; Friday, 8pm; Saturday, 2pm and 8pm; Sunday, 2pm. (773)753-4472. -. angelsinchicago.com (Meaghan Murphy)
* Hairy Blob Hairy Blob

The play of time in weighty and practical matters constitutes one of the thematic concerns of “Hairy Blob,” a group exhibition at the Hyde Park Art Center. Sculpture, video, drawing, sound, and "participatory events" allow visitors to explore the several contributing artists' contemplations of time. The exhibit plays with history and literature, with time both geographical and performative—transforming encyclopedias into a mirror and surreptitiously slipping exhibits into and out of their galleries. During the exhibition’s run, look for some of the artists walking the halls as mysteriously and fleetingly as this building-spanning exhibition’s subject matter, while the artwork evolves to include film installations and archive materials. The exhibition is curated by SAIC faculty member Adelheid Mers. Hyde Park Art Center, 5020 S. Cornell Ave. April 22-July 29. Reception April 22, 3pm-5pm. Monday-Thursday 10am-8pm; Friday-Saturday, 10am-5pm; Sunday noon-5pm. Free. (773)324-5520. hydeparkart.org (Autumn McConnico)
* TangledTangled

The latest play at eta Creative Arts takes a close look at the impact of gun violence in Chicago. Billed as a "dramedy," the play is one of this season's Mainstage shows, a series that takes previously or seldom produced plays and puts them on the stage. "Tangled" tells the story of a family of female African-American funeral directors who, in spite of their profession, may be no better equipped to understand or cope with the increasing fear of violence within their community. And all the while they must also contend with their own personal demons. As the Huffington Post has just reported that the murder rate in Chicago has gone up 35 percent this year, this production is (sadly) particularly timely. If you come for one of the Thursday night performances, eta hosts “Talk Back Thursdays,” where the audience and guest speakers discuss ways to curb violence. eta Creative Arts Foundation, 7558 S. South Chicago Ave. Through May 19. Thursday-Saturday, 8pm; Sunday, 3pm and 7pm. (773)752-3955 students; general; on Thursdays. etacreativearts.org (Lily Ye)
* Uppers and DownersUppers and Downers

New year, new you, right? 2012 is here, and with it comes the expected glut of superficial, too-fat, too-bored, too-tired, under-read, over-worked, instant-ramen, "tell me how, Martha Stewart" New Year's resolutions. Well, for a timely jab at the shallow materialism of our times, look no further than the University of Chicago's Smart Museum, where artist Chris Voorhees and the installation gurus at SIMPARCH are putting on Upper and Downers , a plywood-wrought mess of social commentary, set in the form of a sparse and hermetic kitchen mock-up (faucet fixtures included!). Sarcasm, sass, and sinister beauty are to be found in the site-specific pieces, which spells fun for the whole, miserable family. Smart Museum of Art, 5550 S. Greenwood Ave. Through December 16. Tuesday-Wednesday, 10am-4pm; Thursday, 10am-8pm; Friday, 10am-4pm; Saturday-Sunday, 11am-5pm. Free. (773)702-0200. smartmuseum.uchicago.edu (Harunobu Coryne)
* Mardonio Magaña: Circa 1938Mardonio Magaña: Circa 1938

The National Museum of Mexican Art is no stranger to housing the works of famous and talented artists. However, the artist featured in the latest exhibit at the NMMA has received praise greater than that of any other artist's review in some yuppie magazine. The exhibit features the work of Mardonio Magaña (1865-1947), dubbed “the greatest contemporary Mexican sculptor” by Diego Rivera. The NMMA holds the largest collection of the revered sculptor’s work outside of Mexico, and the exhibit—entitled “Mardonio Magaña: Circa 1938”—will showcase thirteen of Magaña’s direct carvings in wood in addition to presenting information on the artist’s life story and that of musicians Annette and Louis Kaufman, two of Magaña’s collectors. Blending both his work and the story of how it came about, “Mardonio Magaña: Circa 1938” promises to be an educational and stimulating exhibit. National Museum of Mexican Art, 1852 W. 19th St. Through October 7. Tuesday-Sunday, 10am-5pm. Free.(312)738-1503. nationalmuseumofmexicanart.org (Amanya Maloba)
* KeepersKeepers

A new event for your Mayan Calendar: a pre-apocalypse showing of artwork that sprang from a culture that long outlasted that Mesoamerican civilization and, barring apocalyptic disaster, might survive a while longer yet. One of a trio of new exhibitions at Pilsen’s National Museum of Mexican Art, “Keepers” debuts new additions—guardians of a Mexican culture sin fronteras —to the museum’s Permanent Collection. A poignant “show-and-tell” of pieces determined to outlast the twinkies and the cockroaches of American transience, the exhibit features over fifty participating artists from Chicago, the West Coast, and throughout Mexico. Some of the artists may be anonymous, but in the various forms of beauty of their Mexican heritage, all of them have found something worth keeping. National Museum of Mexican Art, 1825 W. 19th St. Through October 21. Tuesday-Sunday, 10am-5pm. Free. (312)738-1503. nationalmuseumofmexicanart.org (Bonnie Fan)
* Uppers and Downers Uppers and Downers

New year, new you, right? 2012 is here, and with it comes the expected glut of superficial, too-fat, too-bored, too-tired, under-read, over-worked, instant-ramen, "tell me how, Martha Stewart" New Year's resolutions. Well, for a timely jab at the shallow materialism of our times, look no further than the University of Chicago's Smart Museum, where artist Chris Voorhees and the installation gurus at SIMPARCH are putting on Upper and Downers, a plywood-wrought mess of social commentary, set in the form of a sparse and hermetic kitchen mock-up (faucet fixtures included!). Sarcasm, sass, and sinister beauty are to be found in the site-specific pieces, which spells fun for the whole, miserable family. Smart Museum of Art, 5550 S. Greenwood Ave. January 10-December 16. Tuesday-Wednesday, 10am-4pm; Thursday, 10am-8pm; Friday, 10am-4pm; Saturday-Sunday, 11am-5pm. Free. (773)702-0200. smartmuseum.uchicago.edu (Harunobu Coryne)

12
* Angels in AmericaAngels in America

The Court Theatre will end its season with Tony Kushner’s Pulitzer Prize–winning epic two-part play. The artistic team includes none other than Tony Kushner himself, here on an Exploratory Fellowship with the Gray Center for Arts and Inquiry. Joseph Jefferson Award–winning director Charles Newell puts every historical, supernatural, political, theological, and emotional aspect of the play together in the Court’s grand but intimate space. With tickets sold separately for Parts I & II, audiences will be able to experience this magnificent story of disease and life, feeling the effects of a seven-hour run time. Court Theatre, 5535 S. Ellis Ave. Through June 3. Wednesday and Thursday, 7:30pm; Friday, 8pm; Saturday, 2pm and 8pm; Sunday, 2pm. (773)753-4472. -. angelsinchicago.com (Meaghan Murphy)
* Hairy Blob Hairy Blob

The play of time in weighty and practical matters constitutes one of the thematic concerns of “Hairy Blob,” a group exhibition at the Hyde Park Art Center. Sculpture, video, drawing, sound, and "participatory events" allow visitors to explore the several contributing artists' contemplations of time. The exhibit plays with history and literature, with time both geographical and performative—transforming encyclopedias into a mirror and surreptitiously slipping exhibits into and out of their galleries. During the exhibition’s run, look for some of the artists walking the halls as mysteriously and fleetingly as this building-spanning exhibition’s subject matter, while the artwork evolves to include film installations and archive materials. The exhibition is curated by SAIC faculty member Adelheid Mers. Hyde Park Art Center, 5020 S. Cornell Ave. April 22-July 29. Reception April 22, 3pm-5pm. Monday-Thursday 10am-8pm; Friday-Saturday, 10am-5pm; Sunday noon-5pm. Free. (773)324-5520. hydeparkart.org (Autumn McConnico)
* TangledTangled

The latest play at eta Creative Arts takes a close look at the impact of gun violence in Chicago. Billed as a "dramedy," the play is one of this season's Mainstage shows, a series that takes previously or seldom produced plays and puts them on the stage. "Tangled" tells the story of a family of female African-American funeral directors who, in spite of their profession, may be no better equipped to understand or cope with the increasing fear of violence within their community. And all the while they must also contend with their own personal demons. As the Huffington Post has just reported that the murder rate in Chicago has gone up 35 percent this year, this production is (sadly) particularly timely. If you come for one of the Thursday night performances, eta hosts “Talk Back Thursdays,” where the audience and guest speakers discuss ways to curb violence. eta Creative Arts Foundation, 7558 S. South Chicago Ave. Through May 19. Thursday-Saturday, 8pm; Sunday, 3pm and 7pm. (773)752-3955 students; general; on Thursdays. etacreativearts.org (Lily Ye)
* Uppers and DownersUppers and Downers

New year, new you, right? 2012 is here, and with it comes the expected glut of superficial, too-fat, too-bored, too-tired, under-read, over-worked, instant-ramen, "tell me how, Martha Stewart" New Year's resolutions. Well, for a timely jab at the shallow materialism of our times, look no further than the University of Chicago's Smart Museum, where artist Chris Voorhees and the installation gurus at SIMPARCH are putting on Upper and Downers , a plywood-wrought mess of social commentary, set in the form of a sparse and hermetic kitchen mock-up (faucet fixtures included!). Sarcasm, sass, and sinister beauty are to be found in the site-specific pieces, which spells fun for the whole, miserable family. Smart Museum of Art, 5550 S. Greenwood Ave. Through December 16. Tuesday-Wednesday, 10am-4pm; Thursday, 10am-8pm; Friday, 10am-4pm; Saturday-Sunday, 11am-5pm. Free. (773)702-0200. smartmuseum.uchicago.edu (Harunobu Coryne)
* Mardonio Magaña: Circa 1938Mardonio Magaña: Circa 1938

The National Museum of Mexican Art is no stranger to housing the works of famous and talented artists. However, the artist featured in the latest exhibit at the NMMA has received praise greater than that of any other artist's review in some yuppie magazine. The exhibit features the work of Mardonio Magaña (1865-1947), dubbed “the greatest contemporary Mexican sculptor” by Diego Rivera. The NMMA holds the largest collection of the revered sculptor’s work outside of Mexico, and the exhibit—entitled “Mardonio Magaña: Circa 1938”—will showcase thirteen of Magaña’s direct carvings in wood in addition to presenting information on the artist’s life story and that of musicians Annette and Louis Kaufman, two of Magaña’s collectors. Blending both his work and the story of how it came about, “Mardonio Magaña: Circa 1938” promises to be an educational and stimulating exhibit. National Museum of Mexican Art, 1852 W. 19th St. Through October 7. Tuesday-Sunday, 10am-5pm. Free.(312)738-1503. nationalmuseumofmexicanart.org (Amanya Maloba)
* KeepersKeepers

A new event for your Mayan Calendar: a pre-apocalypse showing of artwork that sprang from a culture that long outlasted that Mesoamerican civilization and, barring apocalyptic disaster, might survive a while longer yet. One of a trio of new exhibitions at Pilsen’s National Museum of Mexican Art, “Keepers” debuts new additions—guardians of a Mexican culture sin fronteras —to the museum’s Permanent Collection. A poignant “show-and-tell” of pieces determined to outlast the twinkies and the cockroaches of American transience, the exhibit features over fifty participating artists from Chicago, the West Coast, and throughout Mexico. Some of the artists may be anonymous, but in the various forms of beauty of their Mexican heritage, all of them have found something worth keeping. National Museum of Mexican Art, 1825 W. 19th St. Through October 21. Tuesday-Sunday, 10am-5pm. Free. (312)738-1503. nationalmuseumofmexicanart.org (Bonnie Fan)
* Uppers and Downers Uppers and Downers

New year, new you, right? 2012 is here, and with it comes the expected glut of superficial, too-fat, too-bored, too-tired, under-read, over-worked, instant-ramen, "tell me how, Martha Stewart" New Year's resolutions. Well, for a timely jab at the shallow materialism of our times, look no further than the University of Chicago's Smart Museum, where artist Chris Voorhees and the installation gurus at SIMPARCH are putting on Upper and Downers, a plywood-wrought mess of social commentary, set in the form of a sparse and hermetic kitchen mock-up (faucet fixtures included!). Sarcasm, sass, and sinister beauty are to be found in the site-specific pieces, which spells fun for the whole, miserable family. Smart Museum of Art, 5550 S. Greenwood Ave. January 10-December 16. Tuesday-Wednesday, 10am-4pm; Thursday, 10am-8pm; Friday, 10am-4pm; Saturday-Sunday, 11am-5pm. Free. (773)702-0200. smartmuseum.uchicago.edu (Harunobu Coryne)

13
* Angels in AmericaAngels in America

The Court Theatre will end its season with Tony Kushner’s Pulitzer Prize–winning epic two-part play. The artistic team includes none other than Tony Kushner himself, here on an Exploratory Fellowship with the Gray Center for Arts and Inquiry. Joseph Jefferson Award–winning director Charles Newell puts every historical, supernatural, political, theological, and emotional aspect of the play together in the Court’s grand but intimate space. With tickets sold separately for Parts I & II, audiences will be able to experience this magnificent story of disease and life, feeling the effects of a seven-hour run time. Court Theatre, 5535 S. Ellis Ave. Through June 3. Wednesday and Thursday, 7:30pm; Friday, 8pm; Saturday, 2pm and 8pm; Sunday, 2pm. (773)753-4472. -. angelsinchicago.com (Meaghan Murphy)
* Hairy Blob Hairy Blob

The play of time in weighty and practical matters constitutes one of the thematic concerns of “Hairy Blob,” a group exhibition at the Hyde Park Art Center. Sculpture, video, drawing, sound, and "participatory events" allow visitors to explore the several contributing artists' contemplations of time. The exhibit plays with history and literature, with time both geographical and performative—transforming encyclopedias into a mirror and surreptitiously slipping exhibits into and out of their galleries. During the exhibition’s run, look for some of the artists walking the halls as mysteriously and fleetingly as this building-spanning exhibition’s subject matter, while the artwork evolves to include film installations and archive materials. The exhibition is curated by SAIC faculty member Adelheid Mers. Hyde Park Art Center, 5020 S. Cornell Ave. April 22-July 29. Reception April 22, 3pm-5pm. Monday-Thursday 10am-8pm; Friday-Saturday, 10am-5pm; Sunday noon-5pm. Free. (773)324-5520. hydeparkart.org (Autumn McConnico)
* TangledTangled

The latest play at eta Creative Arts takes a close look at the impact of gun violence in Chicago. Billed as a "dramedy," the play is one of this season's Mainstage shows, a series that takes previously or seldom produced plays and puts them on the stage. "Tangled" tells the story of a family of female African-American funeral directors who, in spite of their profession, may be no better equipped to understand or cope with the increasing fear of violence within their community. And all the while they must also contend with their own personal demons. As the Huffington Post has just reported that the murder rate in Chicago has gone up 35 percent this year, this production is (sadly) particularly timely. If you come for one of the Thursday night performances, eta hosts “Talk Back Thursdays,” where the audience and guest speakers discuss ways to curb violence. eta Creative Arts Foundation, 7558 S. South Chicago Ave. Through May 19. Thursday-Saturday, 8pm; Sunday, 3pm and 7pm. (773)752-3955 students; general; on Thursdays. etacreativearts.org (Lily Ye)
* Uppers and DownersUppers and Downers

New year, new you, right? 2012 is here, and with it comes the expected glut of superficial, too-fat, too-bored, too-tired, under-read, over-worked, instant-ramen, "tell me how, Martha Stewart" New Year's resolutions. Well, for a timely jab at the shallow materialism of our times, look no further than the University of Chicago's Smart Museum, where artist Chris Voorhees and the installation gurus at SIMPARCH are putting on Upper and Downers , a plywood-wrought mess of social commentary, set in the form of a sparse and hermetic kitchen mock-up (faucet fixtures included!). Sarcasm, sass, and sinister beauty are to be found in the site-specific pieces, which spells fun for the whole, miserable family. Smart Museum of Art, 5550 S. Greenwood Ave. Through December 16. Tuesday-Wednesday, 10am-4pm; Thursday, 10am-8pm; Friday, 10am-4pm; Saturday-Sunday, 11am-5pm. Free. (773)702-0200. smartmuseum.uchicago.edu (Harunobu Coryne)
* Mardonio Magaña: Circa 1938Mardonio Magaña: Circa 1938

The National Museum of Mexican Art is no stranger to housing the works of famous and talented artists. However, the artist featured in the latest exhibit at the NMMA has received praise greater than that of any other artist's review in some yuppie magazine. The exhibit features the work of Mardonio Magaña (1865-1947), dubbed “the greatest contemporary Mexican sculptor” by Diego Rivera. The NMMA holds the largest collection of the revered sculptor’s work outside of Mexico, and the exhibit—entitled “Mardonio Magaña: Circa 1938”—will showcase thirteen of Magaña’s direct carvings in wood in addition to presenting information on the artist’s life story and that of musicians Annette and Louis Kaufman, two of Magaña’s collectors. Blending both his work and the story of how it came about, “Mardonio Magaña: Circa 1938” promises to be an educational and stimulating exhibit. National Museum of Mexican Art, 1852 W. 19th St. Through October 7. Tuesday-Sunday, 10am-5pm. Free.(312)738-1503. nationalmuseumofmexicanart.org (Amanya Maloba)
* KeepersKeepers

A new event for your Mayan Calendar: a pre-apocalypse showing of artwork that sprang from a culture that long outlasted that Mesoamerican civilization and, barring apocalyptic disaster, might survive a while longer yet. One of a trio of new exhibitions at Pilsen’s National Museum of Mexican Art, “Keepers” debuts new additions—guardians of a Mexican culture sin fronteras —to the museum’s Permanent Collection. A poignant “show-and-tell” of pieces determined to outlast the twinkies and the cockroaches of American transience, the exhibit features over fifty participating artists from Chicago, the West Coast, and throughout Mexico. Some of the artists may be anonymous, but in the various forms of beauty of their Mexican heritage, all of them have found something worth keeping. National Museum of Mexican Art, 1825 W. 19th St. Through October 21. Tuesday-Sunday, 10am-5pm. Free. (312)738-1503. nationalmuseumofmexicanart.org (Bonnie Fan)
* Uppers and Downers Uppers and Downers

New year, new you, right? 2012 is here, and with it comes the expected glut of superficial, too-fat, too-bored, too-tired, under-read, over-worked, instant-ramen, "tell me how, Martha Stewart" New Year's resolutions. Well, for a timely jab at the shallow materialism of our times, look no further than the University of Chicago's Smart Museum, where artist Chris Voorhees and the installation gurus at SIMPARCH are putting on Upper and Downers, a plywood-wrought mess of social commentary, set in the form of a sparse and hermetic kitchen mock-up (faucet fixtures included!). Sarcasm, sass, and sinister beauty are to be found in the site-specific pieces, which spells fun for the whole, miserable family. Smart Museum of Art, 5550 S. Greenwood Ave. January 10-December 16. Tuesday-Wednesday, 10am-4pm; Thursday, 10am-8pm; Friday, 10am-4pm; Saturday-Sunday, 11am-5pm. Free. (773)702-0200. smartmuseum.uchicago.edu (Harunobu Coryne)

14
* Angels in AmericaAngels in America

The Court Theatre will end its season with Tony Kushner’s Pulitzer Prize–winning epic two-part play. The artistic team includes none other than Tony Kushner himself, here on an Exploratory Fellowship with the Gray Center for Arts and Inquiry. Joseph Jefferson Award–winning director Charles Newell puts every historical, supernatural, political, theological, and emotional aspect of the play together in the Court’s grand but intimate space. With tickets sold separately for Parts I & II, audiences will be able to experience this magnificent story of disease and life, feeling the effects of a seven-hour run time. Court Theatre, 5535 S. Ellis Ave. Through June 3. Wednesday and Thursday, 7:30pm; Friday, 8pm; Saturday, 2pm and 8pm; Sunday, 2pm. (773)753-4472. -. angelsinchicago.com (Meaghan Murphy)
* Hairy Blob Hairy Blob

The play of time in weighty and practical matters constitutes one of the thematic concerns of “Hairy Blob,” a group exhibition at the Hyde Park Art Center. Sculpture, video, drawing, sound, and "participatory events" allow visitors to explore the several contributing artists' contemplations of time. The exhibit plays with history and literature, with time both geographical and performative—transforming encyclopedias into a mirror and surreptitiously slipping exhibits into and out of their galleries. During the exhibition’s run, look for some of the artists walking the halls as mysteriously and fleetingly as this building-spanning exhibition’s subject matter, while the artwork evolves to include film installations and archive materials. The exhibition is curated by SAIC faculty member Adelheid Mers. Hyde Park Art Center, 5020 S. Cornell Ave. April 22-July 29. Reception April 22, 3pm-5pm. Monday-Thursday 10am-8pm; Friday-Saturday, 10am-5pm; Sunday noon-5pm. Free. (773)324-5520. hydeparkart.org (Autumn McConnico)
* TangledTangled

The latest play at eta Creative Arts takes a close look at the impact of gun violence in Chicago. Billed as a "dramedy," the play is one of this season's Mainstage shows, a series that takes previously or seldom produced plays and puts them on the stage. "Tangled" tells the story of a family of female African-American funeral directors who, in spite of their profession, may be no better equipped to understand or cope with the increasing fear of violence within their community. And all the while they must also contend with their own personal demons. As the Huffington Post has just reported that the murder rate in Chicago has gone up 35 percent this year, this production is (sadly) particularly timely. If you come for one of the Thursday night performances, eta hosts “Talk Back Thursdays,” where the audience and guest speakers discuss ways to curb violence. eta Creative Arts Foundation, 7558 S. South Chicago Ave. Through May 19. Thursday-Saturday, 8pm; Sunday, 3pm and 7pm. (773)752-3955 students; general; on Thursdays. etacreativearts.org (Lily Ye)
* Uppers and DownersUppers and Downers

New year, new you, right? 2012 is here, and with it comes the expected glut of superficial, too-fat, too-bored, too-tired, under-read, over-worked, instant-ramen, "tell me how, Martha Stewart" New Year's resolutions. Well, for a timely jab at the shallow materialism of our times, look no further than the University of Chicago's Smart Museum, where artist Chris Voorhees and the installation gurus at SIMPARCH are putting on Upper and Downers , a plywood-wrought mess of social commentary, set in the form of a sparse and hermetic kitchen mock-up (faucet fixtures included!). Sarcasm, sass, and sinister beauty are to be found in the site-specific pieces, which spells fun for the whole, miserable family. Smart Museum of Art, 5550 S. Greenwood Ave. Through December 16. Tuesday-Wednesday, 10am-4pm; Thursday, 10am-8pm; Friday, 10am-4pm; Saturday-Sunday, 11am-5pm. Free. (773)702-0200. smartmuseum.uchicago.edu (Harunobu Coryne)
* Mardonio Magaña: Circa 1938Mardonio Magaña: Circa 1938

The National Museum of Mexican Art is no stranger to housing the works of famous and talented artists. However, the artist featured in the latest exhibit at the NMMA has received praise greater than that of any other artist's review in some yuppie magazine. The exhibit features the work of Mardonio Magaña (1865-1947), dubbed “the greatest contemporary Mexican sculptor” by Diego Rivera. The NMMA holds the largest collection of the revered sculptor’s work outside of Mexico, and the exhibit—entitled “Mardonio Magaña: Circa 1938”—will showcase thirteen of Magaña’s direct carvings in wood in addition to presenting information on the artist’s life story and that of musicians Annette and Louis Kaufman, two of Magaña’s collectors. Blending both his work and the story of how it came about, “Mardonio Magaña: Circa 1938” promises to be an educational and stimulating exhibit. National Museum of Mexican Art, 1852 W. 19th St. Through October 7. Tuesday-Sunday, 10am-5pm. Free.(312)738-1503. nationalmuseumofmexicanart.org (Amanya Maloba)
* KeepersKeepers

A new event for your Mayan Calendar: a pre-apocalypse showing of artwork that sprang from a culture that long outlasted that Mesoamerican civilization and, barring apocalyptic disaster, might survive a while longer yet. One of a trio of new exhibitions at Pilsen’s National Museum of Mexican Art, “Keepers” debuts new additions—guardians of a Mexican culture sin fronteras —to the museum’s Permanent Collection. A poignant “show-and-tell” of pieces determined to outlast the twinkies and the cockroaches of American transience, the exhibit features over fifty participating artists from Chicago, the West Coast, and throughout Mexico. Some of the artists may be anonymous, but in the various forms of beauty of their Mexican heritage, all of them have found something worth keeping. National Museum of Mexican Art, 1825 W. 19th St. Through October 21. Tuesday-Sunday, 10am-5pm. Free. (312)738-1503. nationalmuseumofmexicanart.org (Bonnie Fan)
* Uppers and Downers Uppers and Downers

New year, new you, right? 2012 is here, and with it comes the expected glut of superficial, too-fat, too-bored, too-tired, under-read, over-worked, instant-ramen, "tell me how, Martha Stewart" New Year's resolutions. Well, for a timely jab at the shallow materialism of our times, look no further than the University of Chicago's Smart Museum, where artist Chris Voorhees and the installation gurus at SIMPARCH are putting on Upper and Downers, a plywood-wrought mess of social commentary, set in the form of a sparse and hermetic kitchen mock-up (faucet fixtures included!). Sarcasm, sass, and sinister beauty are to be found in the site-specific pieces, which spells fun for the whole, miserable family. Smart Museum of Art, 5550 S. Greenwood Ave. January 10-December 16. Tuesday-Wednesday, 10am-4pm; Thursday, 10am-8pm; Friday, 10am-4pm; Saturday-Sunday, 11am-5pm. Free. (773)702-0200. smartmuseum.uchicago.edu (Harunobu Coryne)

15
* Angels in AmericaAngels in America

The Court Theatre will end its season with Tony Kushner’s Pulitzer Prize–winning epic two-part play. The artistic team includes none other than Tony Kushner himself, here on an Exploratory Fellowship with the Gray Center for Arts and Inquiry. Joseph Jefferson Award–winning director Charles Newell puts every historical, supernatural, political, theological, and emotional aspect of the play together in the Court’s grand but intimate space. With tickets sold separately for Parts I & II, audiences will be able to experience this magnificent story of disease and life, feeling the effects of a seven-hour run time. Court Theatre, 5535 S. Ellis Ave. Through June 3. Wednesday and Thursday, 7:30pm; Friday, 8pm; Saturday, 2pm and 8pm; Sunday, 2pm. (773)753-4472. -. angelsinchicago.com (Meaghan Murphy)
* Hairy Blob Hairy Blob

The play of time in weighty and practical matters constitutes one of the thematic concerns of “Hairy Blob,” a group exhibition at the Hyde Park Art Center. Sculpture, video, drawing, sound, and "participatory events" allow visitors to explore the several contributing artists' contemplations of time. The exhibit plays with history and literature, with time both geographical and performative—transforming encyclopedias into a mirror and surreptitiously slipping exhibits into and out of their galleries. During the exhibition’s run, look for some of the artists walking the halls as mysteriously and fleetingly as this building-spanning exhibition’s subject matter, while the artwork evolves to include film installations and archive materials. The exhibition is curated by SAIC faculty member Adelheid Mers. Hyde Park Art Center, 5020 S. Cornell Ave. April 22-July 29. Reception April 22, 3pm-5pm. Monday-Thursday 10am-8pm; Friday-Saturday, 10am-5pm; Sunday noon-5pm. Free. (773)324-5520. hydeparkart.org (Autumn McConnico)
* TangledTangled

The latest play at eta Creative Arts takes a close look at the impact of gun violence in Chicago. Billed as a "dramedy," the play is one of this season's Mainstage shows, a series that takes previously or seldom produced plays and puts them on the stage. "Tangled" tells the story of a family of female African-American funeral directors who, in spite of their profession, may be no better equipped to understand or cope with the increasing fear of violence within their community. And all the while they must also contend with their own personal demons. As the Huffington Post has just reported that the murder rate in Chicago has gone up 35 percent this year, this production is (sadly) particularly timely. If you come for one of the Thursday night performances, eta hosts “Talk Back Thursdays,” where the audience and guest speakers discuss ways to curb violence. eta Creative Arts Foundation, 7558 S. South Chicago Ave. Through May 19. Thursday-Saturday, 8pm; Sunday, 3pm and 7pm. (773)752-3955 students; general; on Thursdays. etacreativearts.org (Lily Ye)
* Uppers and DownersUppers and Downers

New year, new you, right? 2012 is here, and with it comes the expected glut of superficial, too-fat, too-bored, too-tired, under-read, over-worked, instant-ramen, "tell me how, Martha Stewart" New Year's resolutions. Well, for a timely jab at the shallow materialism of our times, look no further than the University of Chicago's Smart Museum, where artist Chris Voorhees and the installation gurus at SIMPARCH are putting on Upper and Downers , a plywood-wrought mess of social commentary, set in the form of a sparse and hermetic kitchen mock-up (faucet fixtures included!). Sarcasm, sass, and sinister beauty are to be found in the site-specific pieces, which spells fun for the whole, miserable family. Smart Museum of Art, 5550 S. Greenwood Ave. Through December 16. Tuesday-Wednesday, 10am-4pm; Thursday, 10am-8pm; Friday, 10am-4pm; Saturday-Sunday, 11am-5pm. Free. (773)702-0200. smartmuseum.uchicago.edu (Harunobu Coryne)
* Mardonio Magaña: Circa 1938Mardonio Magaña: Circa 1938

The National Museum of Mexican Art is no stranger to housing the works of famous and talented artists. However, the artist featured in the latest exhibit at the NMMA has received praise greater than that of any other artist's review in some yuppie magazine. The exhibit features the work of Mardonio Magaña (1865-1947), dubbed “the greatest contemporary Mexican sculptor” by Diego Rivera. The NMMA holds the largest collection of the revered sculptor’s work outside of Mexico, and the exhibit—entitled “Mardonio Magaña: Circa 1938”—will showcase thirteen of Magaña’s direct carvings in wood in addition to presenting information on the artist’s life story and that of musicians Annette and Louis Kaufman, two of Magaña’s collectors. Blending both his work and the story of how it came about, “Mardonio Magaña: Circa 1938” promises to be an educational and stimulating exhibit. National Museum of Mexican Art, 1852 W. 19th St. Through October 7. Tuesday-Sunday, 10am-5pm. Free.(312)738-1503. nationalmuseumofmexicanart.org (Amanya Maloba)
* KeepersKeepers

A new event for your Mayan Calendar: a pre-apocalypse showing of artwork that sprang from a culture that long outlasted that Mesoamerican civilization and, barring apocalyptic disaster, might survive a while longer yet. One of a trio of new exhibitions at Pilsen’s National Museum of Mexican Art, “Keepers” debuts new additions—guardians of a Mexican culture sin fronteras —to the museum’s Permanent Collection. A poignant “show-and-tell” of pieces determined to outlast the twinkies and the cockroaches of American transience, the exhibit features over fifty participating artists from Chicago, the West Coast, and throughout Mexico. Some of the artists may be anonymous, but in the various forms of beauty of their Mexican heritage, all of them have found something worth keeping. National Museum of Mexican Art, 1825 W. 19th St. Through October 21. Tuesday-Sunday, 10am-5pm. Free. (312)738-1503. nationalmuseumofmexicanart.org (Bonnie Fan)
* Uppers and Downers Uppers and Downers

New year, new you, right? 2012 is here, and with it comes the expected glut of superficial, too-fat, too-bored, too-tired, under-read, over-worked, instant-ramen, "tell me how, Martha Stewart" New Year's resolutions. Well, for a timely jab at the shallow materialism of our times, look no further than the University of Chicago's Smart Museum, where artist Chris Voorhees and the installation gurus at SIMPARCH are putting on Upper and Downers, a plywood-wrought mess of social commentary, set in the form of a sparse and hermetic kitchen mock-up (faucet fixtures included!). Sarcasm, sass, and sinister beauty are to be found in the site-specific pieces, which spells fun for the whole, miserable family. Smart Museum of Art, 5550 S. Greenwood Ave. January 10-December 16. Tuesday-Wednesday, 10am-4pm; Thursday, 10am-8pm; Friday, 10am-4pm; Saturday-Sunday, 11am-5pm. Free. (773)702-0200. smartmuseum.uchicago.edu (Harunobu Coryne)

16
* Angels in AmericaAngels in America

The Court Theatre will end its season with Tony Kushner’s Pulitzer Prize–winning epic two-part play. The artistic team includes none other than Tony Kushner himself, here on an Exploratory Fellowship with the Gray Center for Arts and Inquiry. Joseph Jefferson Award–winning director Charles Newell puts every historical, supernatural, political, theological, and emotional aspect of the play together in the Court’s grand but intimate space. With tickets sold separately for Parts I & II, audiences will be able to experience this magnificent story of disease and life, feeling the effects of a seven-hour run time. Court Theatre, 5535 S. Ellis Ave. Through June 3. Wednesday and Thursday, 7:30pm; Friday, 8pm; Saturday, 2pm and 8pm; Sunday, 2pm. (773)753-4472. -. angelsinchicago.com (Meaghan Murphy)
* Hairy Blob Hairy Blob

The play of time in weighty and practical matters constitutes one of the thematic concerns of “Hairy Blob,” a group exhibition at the Hyde Park Art Center. Sculpture, video, drawing, sound, and "participatory events" allow visitors to explore the several contributing artists' contemplations of time. The exhibit plays with history and literature, with time both geographical and performative—transforming encyclopedias into a mirror and surreptitiously slipping exhibits into and out of their galleries. During the exhibition’s run, look for some of the artists walking the halls as mysteriously and fleetingly as this building-spanning exhibition’s subject matter, while the artwork evolves to include film installations and archive materials. The exhibition is curated by SAIC faculty member Adelheid Mers. Hyde Park Art Center, 5020 S. Cornell Ave. April 22-July 29. Reception April 22, 3pm-5pm. Monday-Thursday 10am-8pm; Friday-Saturday, 10am-5pm; Sunday noon-5pm. Free. (773)324-5520. hydeparkart.org (Autumn McConnico)
* TangledTangled

The latest play at eta Creative Arts takes a close look at the impact of gun violence in Chicago. Billed as a "dramedy," the play is one of this season's Mainstage shows, a series that takes previously or seldom produced plays and puts them on the stage. "Tangled" tells the story of a family of female African-American funeral directors who, in spite of their profession, may be no better equipped to understand or cope with the increasing fear of violence within their community. And all the while they must also contend with their own personal demons. As the Huffington Post has just reported that the murder rate in Chicago has gone up 35 percent this year, this production is (sadly) particularly timely. If you come for one of the Thursday night performances, eta hosts “Talk Back Thursdays,” where the audience and guest speakers discuss ways to curb violence. eta Creative Arts Foundation, 7558 S. South Chicago Ave. Through May 19. Thursday-Saturday, 8pm; Sunday, 3pm and 7pm. (773)752-3955 students; general; on Thursdays. etacreativearts.org (Lily Ye)
* Uppers and DownersUppers and Downers

New year, new you, right? 2012 is here, and with it comes the expected glut of superficial, too-fat, too-bored, too-tired, under-read, over-worked, instant-ramen, "tell me how, Martha Stewart" New Year's resolutions. Well, for a timely jab at the shallow materialism of our times, look no further than the University of Chicago's Smart Museum, where artist Chris Voorhees and the installation gurus at SIMPARCH are putting on Upper and Downers , a plywood-wrought mess of social commentary, set in the form of a sparse and hermetic kitchen mock-up (faucet fixtures included!). Sarcasm, sass, and sinister beauty are to be found in the site-specific pieces, which spells fun for the whole, miserable family. Smart Museum of Art, 5550 S. Greenwood Ave. Through December 16. Tuesday-Wednesday, 10am-4pm; Thursday, 10am-8pm; Friday, 10am-4pm; Saturday-Sunday, 11am-5pm. Free. (773)702-0200. smartmuseum.uchicago.edu (Harunobu Coryne)
* Mardonio Magaña: Circa 1938Mardonio Magaña: Circa 1938

The National Museum of Mexican Art is no stranger to housing the works of famous and talented artists. However, the artist featured in the latest exhibit at the NMMA has received praise greater than that of any other artist's review in some yuppie magazine. The exhibit features the work of Mardonio Magaña (1865-1947), dubbed “the greatest contemporary Mexican sculptor” by Diego Rivera. The NMMA holds the largest collection of the revered sculptor’s work outside of Mexico, and the exhibit—entitled “Mardonio Magaña: Circa 1938”—will showcase thirteen of Magaña’s direct carvings in wood in addition to presenting information on the artist’s life story and that of musicians Annette and Louis Kaufman, two of Magaña’s collectors. Blending both his work and the story of how it came about, “Mardonio Magaña: Circa 1938” promises to be an educational and stimulating exhibit. National Museum of Mexican Art, 1852 W. 19th St. Through October 7. Tuesday-Sunday, 10am-5pm. Free.(312)738-1503. nationalmuseumofmexicanart.org (Amanya Maloba)
* KeepersKeepers

A new event for your Mayan Calendar: a pre-apocalypse showing of artwork that sprang from a culture that long outlasted that Mesoamerican civilization and, barring apocalyptic disaster, might survive a while longer yet. One of a trio of new exhibitions at Pilsen’s National Museum of Mexican Art, “Keepers” debuts new additions—guardians of a Mexican culture sin fronteras —to the museum’s Permanent Collection. A poignant “show-and-tell” of pieces determined to outlast the twinkies and the cockroaches of American transience, the exhibit features over fifty participating artists from Chicago, the West Coast, and throughout Mexico. Some of the artists may be anonymous, but in the various forms of beauty of their Mexican heritage, all of them have found something worth keeping. National Museum of Mexican Art, 1825 W. 19th St. Through October 21. Tuesday-Sunday, 10am-5pm. Free. (312)738-1503. nationalmuseumofmexicanart.org (Bonnie Fan)
* Uppers and Downers Uppers and Downers

New year, new you, right? 2012 is here, and with it comes the expected glut of superficial, too-fat, too-bored, too-tired, under-read, over-worked, instant-ramen, "tell me how, Martha Stewart" New Year's resolutions. Well, for a timely jab at the shallow materialism of our times, look no further than the University of Chicago's Smart Museum, where artist Chris Voorhees and the installation gurus at SIMPARCH are putting on Upper and Downers, a plywood-wrought mess of social commentary, set in the form of a sparse and hermetic kitchen mock-up (faucet fixtures included!). Sarcasm, sass, and sinister beauty are to be found in the site-specific pieces, which spells fun for the whole, miserable family. Smart Museum of Art, 5550 S. Greenwood Ave. January 10-December 16. Tuesday-Wednesday, 10am-4pm; Thursday, 10am-8pm; Friday, 10am-4pm; Saturday-Sunday, 11am-5pm. Free. (773)702-0200. smartmuseum.uchicago.edu (Harunobu Coryne)

17
* Angels in AmericaAngels in America

The Court Theatre will end its season with Tony Kushner’s Pulitzer Prize–winning epic two-part play. The artistic team includes none other than Tony Kushner himself, here on an Exploratory Fellowship with the Gray Center for Arts and Inquiry. Joseph Jefferson Award–winning director Charles Newell puts every historical, supernatural, political, theological, and emotional aspect of the play together in the Court’s grand but intimate space. With tickets sold separately for Parts I & II, audiences will be able to experience this magnificent story of disease and life, feeling the effects of a seven-hour run time. Court Theatre, 5535 S. Ellis Ave. Through June 3. Wednesday and Thursday, 7:30pm; Friday, 8pm; Saturday, 2pm and 8pm; Sunday, 2pm. (773)753-4472. -. angelsinchicago.com (Meaghan Murphy)
* Hairy Blob Hairy Blob

The play of time in weighty and practical matters constitutes one of the thematic concerns of “Hairy Blob,” a group exhibition at the Hyde Park Art Center. Sculpture, video, drawing, sound, and "participatory events" allow visitors to explore the several contributing artists' contemplations of time. The exhibit plays with history and literature, with time both geographical and performative—transforming encyclopedias into a mirror and surreptitiously slipping exhibits into and out of their galleries. During the exhibition’s run, look for some of the artists walking the halls as mysteriously and fleetingly as this building-spanning exhibition’s subject matter, while the artwork evolves to include film installations and archive materials. The exhibition is curated by SAIC faculty member Adelheid Mers. Hyde Park Art Center, 5020 S. Cornell Ave. April 22-July 29. Reception April 22, 3pm-5pm. Monday-Thursday 10am-8pm; Friday-Saturday, 10am-5pm; Sunday noon-5pm. Free. (773)324-5520. hydeparkart.org (Autumn McConnico)
* TangledTangled

The latest play at eta Creative Arts takes a close look at the impact of gun violence in Chicago. Billed as a "dramedy," the play is one of this season's Mainstage shows, a series that takes previously or seldom produced plays and puts them on the stage. "Tangled" tells the story of a family of female African-American funeral directors who, in spite of their profession, may be no better equipped to understand or cope with the increasing fear of violence within their community. And all the while they must also contend with their own personal demons. As the Huffington Post has just reported that the murder rate in Chicago has gone up 35 percent this year, this production is (sadly) particularly timely. If you come for one of the Thursday night performances, eta hosts “Talk Back Thursdays,” where the audience and guest speakers discuss ways to curb violence. eta Creative Arts Foundation, 7558 S. South Chicago Ave. Through May 19. Thursday-Saturday, 8pm; Sunday, 3pm and 7pm. (773)752-3955 students; general; on Thursdays. etacreativearts.org (Lily Ye)
* Uppers and DownersUppers and Downers

New year, new you, right? 2012 is here, and with it comes the expected glut of superficial, too-fat, too-bored, too-tired, under-read, over-worked, instant-ramen, "tell me how, Martha Stewart" New Year's resolutions. Well, for a timely jab at the shallow materialism of our times, look no further than the University of Chicago's Smart Museum, where artist Chris Voorhees and the installation gurus at SIMPARCH are putting on Upper and Downers , a plywood-wrought mess of social commentary, set in the form of a sparse and hermetic kitchen mock-up (faucet fixtures included!). Sarcasm, sass, and sinister beauty are to be found in the site-specific pieces, which spells fun for the whole, miserable family. Smart Museum of Art, 5550 S. Greenwood Ave. Through December 16. Tuesday-Wednesday, 10am-4pm; Thursday, 10am-8pm; Friday, 10am-4pm; Saturday-Sunday, 11am-5pm. Free. (773)702-0200. smartmuseum.uchicago.edu (Harunobu Coryne)
* Mardonio Magaña: Circa 1938Mardonio Magaña: Circa 1938

The National Museum of Mexican Art is no stranger to housing the works of famous and talented artists. However, the artist featured in the latest exhibit at the NMMA has received praise greater than that of any other artist's review in some yuppie magazine. The exhibit features the work of Mardonio Magaña (1865-1947), dubbed “the greatest contemporary Mexican sculptor” by Diego Rivera. The NMMA holds the largest collection of the revered sculptor’s work outside of Mexico, and the exhibit—entitled “Mardonio Magaña: Circa 1938”—will showcase thirteen of Magaña’s direct carvings in wood in addition to presenting information on the artist’s life story and that of musicians Annette and Louis Kaufman, two of Magaña’s collectors. Blending both his work and the story of how it came about, “Mardonio Magaña: Circa 1938” promises to be an educational and stimulating exhibit. National Museum of Mexican Art, 1852 W. 19th St. Through October 7. Tuesday-Sunday, 10am-5pm. Free.(312)738-1503. nationalmuseumofmexicanart.org (Amanya Maloba)
* KeepersKeepers

A new event for your Mayan Calendar: a pre-apocalypse showing of artwork that sprang from a culture that long outlasted that Mesoamerican civilization and, barring apocalyptic disaster, might survive a while longer yet. One of a trio of new exhibitions at Pilsen’s National Museum of Mexican Art, “Keepers” debuts new additions—guardians of a Mexican culture sin fronteras —to the museum’s Permanent Collection. A poignant “show-and-tell” of pieces determined to outlast the twinkies and the cockroaches of American transience, the exhibit features over fifty participating artists from Chicago, the West Coast, and throughout Mexico. Some of the artists may be anonymous, but in the various forms of beauty of their Mexican heritage, all of them have found something worth keeping. National Museum of Mexican Art, 1825 W. 19th St. Through October 21. Tuesday-Sunday, 10am-5pm. Free. (312)738-1503. nationalmuseumofmexicanart.org (Bonnie Fan)
* Uppers and Downers Uppers and Downers

New year, new you, right? 2012 is here, and with it comes the expected glut of superficial, too-fat, too-bored, too-tired, under-read, over-worked, instant-ramen, "tell me how, Martha Stewart" New Year's resolutions. Well, for a timely jab at the shallow materialism of our times, look no further than the University of Chicago's Smart Museum, where artist Chris Voorhees and the installation gurus at SIMPARCH are putting on Upper and Downers, a plywood-wrought mess of social commentary, set in the form of a sparse and hermetic kitchen mock-up (faucet fixtures included!). Sarcasm, sass, and sinister beauty are to be found in the site-specific pieces, which spells fun for the whole, miserable family. Smart Museum of Art, 5550 S. Greenwood Ave. January 10-December 16. Tuesday-Wednesday, 10am-4pm; Thursday, 10am-8pm; Friday, 10am-4pm; Saturday-Sunday, 11am-5pm. Free. (773)702-0200. smartmuseum.uchicago.edu (Harunobu Coryne)

18
* Angels in AmericaAngels in America

The Court Theatre will end its season with Tony Kushner’s Pulitzer Prize–winning epic two-part play. The artistic team includes none other than Tony Kushner himself, here on an Exploratory Fellowship with the Gray Center for Arts and Inquiry. Joseph Jefferson Award–winning director Charles Newell puts every historical, supernatural, political, theological, and emotional aspect of the play together in the Court’s grand but intimate space. With tickets sold separately for Parts I & II, audiences will be able to experience this magnificent story of disease and life, feeling the effects of a seven-hour run time. Court Theatre, 5535 S. Ellis Ave. Through June 3. Wednesday and Thursday, 7:30pm; Friday, 8pm; Saturday, 2pm and 8pm; Sunday, 2pm. (773)753-4472. -. angelsinchicago.com (Meaghan Murphy)
* Hairy Blob Hairy Blob

The play of time in weighty and practical matters constitutes one of the thematic concerns of “Hairy Blob,” a group exhibition at the Hyde Park Art Center. Sculpture, video, drawing, sound, and "participatory events" allow visitors to explore the several contributing artists' contemplations of time. The exhibit plays with history and literature, with time both geographical and performative—transforming encyclopedias into a mirror and surreptitiously slipping exhibits into and out of their galleries. During the exhibition’s run, look for some of the artists walking the halls as mysteriously and fleetingly as this building-spanning exhibition’s subject matter, while the artwork evolves to include film installations and archive materials. The exhibition is curated by SAIC faculty member Adelheid Mers. Hyde Park Art Center, 5020 S. Cornell Ave. April 22-July 29. Reception April 22, 3pm-5pm. Monday-Thursday 10am-8pm; Friday-Saturday, 10am-5pm; Sunday noon-5pm. Free. (773)324-5520. hydeparkart.org (Autumn McConnico)
* TangledTangled

The latest play at eta Creative Arts takes a close look at the impact of gun violence in Chicago. Billed as a "dramedy," the play is one of this season's Mainstage shows, a series that takes previously or seldom produced plays and puts them on the stage. "Tangled" tells the story of a family of female African-American funeral directors who, in spite of their profession, may be no better equipped to understand or cope with the increasing fear of violence within their community. And all the while they must also contend with their own personal demons. As the Huffington Post has just reported that the murder rate in Chicago has gone up 35 percent this year, this production is (sadly) particularly timely. If you come for one of the Thursday night performances, eta hosts “Talk Back Thursdays,” where the audience and guest speakers discuss ways to curb violence. eta Creative Arts Foundation, 7558 S. South Chicago Ave. Through May 19. Thursday-Saturday, 8pm; Sunday, 3pm and 7pm. (773)752-3955 students; general; on Thursdays. etacreativearts.org (Lily Ye)
* Uppers and DownersUppers and Downers

New year, new you, right? 2012 is here, and with it comes the expected glut of superficial, too-fat, too-bored, too-tired, under-read, over-worked, instant-ramen, "tell me how, Martha Stewart" New Year's resolutions. Well, for a timely jab at the shallow materialism of our times, look no further than the University of Chicago's Smart Museum, where artist Chris Voorhees and the installation gurus at SIMPARCH are putting on Upper and Downers , a plywood-wrought mess of social commentary, set in the form of a sparse and hermetic kitchen mock-up (faucet fixtures included!). Sarcasm, sass, and sinister beauty are to be found in the site-specific pieces, which spells fun for the whole, miserable family. Smart Museum of Art, 5550 S. Greenwood Ave. Through December 16. Tuesday-Wednesday, 10am-4pm; Thursday, 10am-8pm; Friday, 10am-4pm; Saturday-Sunday, 11am-5pm. Free. (773)702-0200. smartmuseum.uchicago.edu (Harunobu Coryne)
* Mardonio Magaña: Circa 1938Mardonio Magaña: Circa 1938

The National Museum of Mexican Art is no stranger to housing the works of famous and talented artists. However, the artist featured in the latest exhibit at the NMMA has received praise greater than that of any other artist's review in some yuppie magazine. The exhibit features the work of Mardonio Magaña (1865-1947), dubbed “the greatest contemporary Mexican sculptor” by Diego Rivera. The NMMA holds the largest collection of the revered sculptor’s work outside of Mexico, and the exhibit—entitled “Mardonio Magaña: Circa 1938”—will showcase thirteen of Magaña’s direct carvings in wood in addition to presenting information on the artist’s life story and that of musicians Annette and Louis Kaufman, two of Magaña’s collectors. Blending both his work and the story of how it came about, “Mardonio Magaña: Circa 1938” promises to be an educational and stimulating exhibit. National Museum of Mexican Art, 1852 W. 19th St. Through October 7. Tuesday-Sunday, 10am-5pm. Free.(312)738-1503. nationalmuseumofmexicanart.org (Amanya Maloba)
* KeepersKeepers

A new event for your Mayan Calendar: a pre-apocalypse showing of artwork that sprang from a culture that long outlasted that Mesoamerican civilization and, barring apocalyptic disaster, might survive a while longer yet. One of a trio of new exhibitions at Pilsen’s National Museum of Mexican Art, “Keepers” debuts new additions—guardians of a Mexican culture sin fronteras —to the museum’s Permanent Collection. A poignant “show-and-tell” of pieces determined to outlast the twinkies and the cockroaches of American transience, the exhibit features over fifty participating artists from Chicago, the West Coast, and throughout Mexico. Some of the artists may be anonymous, but in the various forms of beauty of their Mexican heritage, all of them have found something worth keeping. National Museum of Mexican Art, 1825 W. 19th St. Through October 21. Tuesday-Sunday, 10am-5pm. Free. (312)738-1503. nationalmuseumofmexicanart.org (Bonnie Fan)
* Uppers and Downers Uppers and Downers

New year, new you, right? 2012 is here, and with it comes the expected glut of superficial, too-fat, too-bored, too-tired, under-read, over-worked, instant-ramen, "tell me how, Martha Stewart" New Year's resolutions. Well, for a timely jab at the shallow materialism of our times, look no further than the University of Chicago's Smart Museum, where artist Chris Voorhees and the installation gurus at SIMPARCH are putting on Upper and Downers, a plywood-wrought mess of social commentary, set in the form of a sparse and hermetic kitchen mock-up (faucet fixtures included!). Sarcasm, sass, and sinister beauty are to be found in the site-specific pieces, which spells fun for the whole, miserable family. Smart Museum of Art, 5550 S. Greenwood Ave. January 10-December 16. Tuesday-Wednesday, 10am-4pm; Thursday, 10am-8pm; Friday, 10am-4pm; Saturday-Sunday, 11am-5pm. Free. (773)702-0200. smartmuseum.uchicago.edu (Harunobu Coryne)

19
* Angels in AmericaAngels in America

The Court Theatre will end its season with Tony Kushner’s Pulitzer Prize–winning epic two-part play. The artistic team includes none other than Tony Kushner himself, here on an Exploratory Fellowship with the Gray Center for Arts and Inquiry. Joseph Jefferson Award–winning director Charles Newell puts every historical, supernatural, political, theological, and emotional aspect of the play together in the Court’s grand but intimate space. With tickets sold separately for Parts I & II, audiences will be able to experience this magnificent story of disease and life, feeling the effects of a seven-hour run time. Court Theatre, 5535 S. Ellis Ave. Through June 3. Wednesday and Thursday, 7:30pm; Friday, 8pm; Saturday, 2pm and 8pm; Sunday, 2pm. (773)753-4472. -. angelsinchicago.com (Meaghan Murphy)
* Hairy Blob Hairy Blob

The play of time in weighty and practical matters constitutes one of the thematic concerns of “Hairy Blob,” a group exhibition at the Hyde Park Art Center. Sculpture, video, drawing, sound, and "participatory events" allow visitors to explore the several contributing artists' contemplations of time. The exhibit plays with history and literature, with time both geographical and performative—transforming encyclopedias into a mirror and surreptitiously slipping exhibits into and out of their galleries. During the exhibition’s run, look for some of the artists walking the halls as mysteriously and fleetingly as this building-spanning exhibition’s subject matter, while the artwork evolves to include film installations and archive materials. The exhibition is curated by SAIC faculty member Adelheid Mers. Hyde Park Art Center, 5020 S. Cornell Ave. April 22-July 29. Reception April 22, 3pm-5pm. Monday-Thursday 10am-8pm; Friday-Saturday, 10am-5pm; Sunday noon-5pm. Free. (773)324-5520. hydeparkart.org (Autumn McConnico)
* TangledTangled

The latest play at eta Creative Arts takes a close look at the impact of gun violence in Chicago. Billed as a "dramedy," the play is one of this season's Mainstage shows, a series that takes previously or seldom produced plays and puts them on the stage. "Tangled" tells the story of a family of female African-American funeral directors who, in spite of their profession, may be no better equipped to understand or cope with the increasing fear of violence within their community. And all the while they must also contend with their own personal demons. As the Huffington Post has just reported that the murder rate in Chicago has gone up 35 percent this year, this production is (sadly) particularly timely. If you come for one of the Thursday night performances, eta hosts “Talk Back Thursdays,” where the audience and guest speakers discuss ways to curb violence. eta Creative Arts Foundation, 7558 S. South Chicago Ave. Through May 19. Thursday-Saturday, 8pm; Sunday, 3pm and 7pm. (773)752-3955 students; general; on Thursdays. etacreativearts.org (Lily Ye)
* Uppers and DownersUppers and Downers

New year, new you, right? 2012 is here, and with it comes the expected glut of superficial, too-fat, too-bored, too-tired, under-read, over-worked, instant-ramen, "tell me how, Martha Stewart" New Year's resolutions. Well, for a timely jab at the shallow materialism of our times, look no further than the University of Chicago's Smart Museum, where artist Chris Voorhees and the installation gurus at SIMPARCH are putting on Upper and Downers , a plywood-wrought mess of social commentary, set in the form of a sparse and hermetic kitchen mock-up (faucet fixtures included!). Sarcasm, sass, and sinister beauty are to be found in the site-specific pieces, which spells fun for the whole, miserable family. Smart Museum of Art, 5550 S. Greenwood Ave. Through December 16. Tuesday-Wednesday, 10am-4pm; Thursday, 10am-8pm; Friday, 10am-4pm; Saturday-Sunday, 11am-5pm. Free. (773)702-0200. smartmuseum.uchicago.edu (Harunobu Coryne)
* Mardonio Magaña: Circa 1938Mardonio Magaña: Circa 1938

The National Museum of Mexican Art is no stranger to housing the works of famous and talented artists. However, the artist featured in the latest exhibit at the NMMA has received praise greater than that of any other artist's review in some yuppie magazine. The exhibit features the work of Mardonio Magaña (1865-1947), dubbed “the greatest contemporary Mexican sculptor” by Diego Rivera. The NMMA holds the largest collection of the revered sculptor’s work outside of Mexico, and the exhibit—entitled “Mardonio Magaña: Circa 1938”—will showcase thirteen of Magaña’s direct carvings in wood in addition to presenting information on the artist’s life story and that of musicians Annette and Louis Kaufman, two of Magaña’s collectors. Blending both his work and the story of how it came about, “Mardonio Magaña: Circa 1938” promises to be an educational and stimulating exhibit. National Museum of Mexican Art, 1852 W. 19th St. Through October 7. Tuesday-Sunday, 10am-5pm. Free.(312)738-1503. nationalmuseumofmexicanart.org (Amanya Maloba)
* KeepersKeepers

A new event for your Mayan Calendar: a pre-apocalypse showing of artwork that sprang from a culture that long outlasted that Mesoamerican civilization and, barring apocalyptic disaster, might survive a while longer yet. One of a trio of new exhibitions at Pilsen’s National Museum of Mexican Art, “Keepers” debuts new additions—guardians of a Mexican culture sin fronteras —to the museum’s Permanent Collection. A poignant “show-and-tell” of pieces determined to outlast the twinkies and the cockroaches of American transience, the exhibit features over fifty participating artists from Chicago, the West Coast, and throughout Mexico. Some of the artists may be anonymous, but in the various forms of beauty of their Mexican heritage, all of them have found something worth keeping. National Museum of Mexican Art, 1825 W. 19th St. Through October 21. Tuesday-Sunday, 10am-5pm. Free. (312)738-1503. nationalmuseumofmexicanart.org (Bonnie Fan)
* Uppers and Downers Uppers and Downers

New year, new you, right? 2012 is here, and with it comes the expected glut of superficial, too-fat, too-bored, too-tired, under-read, over-worked, instant-ramen, "tell me how, Martha Stewart" New Year's resolutions. Well, for a timely jab at the shallow materialism of our times, look no further than the University of Chicago's Smart Museum, where artist Chris Voorhees and the installation gurus at SIMPARCH are putting on Upper and Downers, a plywood-wrought mess of social commentary, set in the form of a sparse and hermetic kitchen mock-up (faucet fixtures included!). Sarcasm, sass, and sinister beauty are to be found in the site-specific pieces, which spells fun for the whole, miserable family. Smart Museum of Art, 5550 S. Greenwood Ave. January 10-December 16. Tuesday-Wednesday, 10am-4pm; Thursday, 10am-8pm; Friday, 10am-4pm; Saturday-Sunday, 11am-5pm. Free. (773)702-0200. smartmuseum.uchicago.edu (Harunobu Coryne)

20
* Angels in AmericaAngels in America

The Court Theatre will end its season with Tony Kushner’s Pulitzer Prize–winning epic two-part play. The artistic team includes none other than Tony Kushner himself, here on an Exploratory Fellowship with the Gray Center for Arts and Inquiry. Joseph Jefferson Award–winning director Charles Newell puts every historical, supernatural, political, theological, and emotional aspect of the play together in the Court’s grand but intimate space. With tickets sold separately for Parts I & II, audiences will be able to experience this magnificent story of disease and life, feeling the effects of a seven-hour run time. Court Theatre, 5535 S. Ellis Ave. Through June 3. Wednesday and Thursday, 7:30pm; Friday, 8pm; Saturday, 2pm and 8pm; Sunday, 2pm. (773)753-4472. -. angelsinchicago.com (Meaghan Murphy)
* Hairy Blob Hairy Blob

The play of time in weighty and practical matters constitutes one of the thematic concerns of “Hairy Blob,” a group exhibition at the Hyde Park Art Center. Sculpture, video, drawing, sound, and "participatory events" allow visitors to explore the several contributing artists' contemplations of time. The exhibit plays with history and literature, with time both geographical and performative—transforming encyclopedias into a mirror and surreptitiously slipping exhibits into and out of their galleries. During the exhibition’s run, look for some of the artists walking the halls as mysteriously and fleetingly as this building-spanning exhibition’s subject matter, while the artwork evolves to include film installations and archive materials. The exhibition is curated by SAIC faculty member Adelheid Mers. Hyde Park Art Center, 5020 S. Cornell Ave. April 22-July 29. Reception April 22, 3pm-5pm. Monday-Thursday 10am-8pm; Friday-Saturday, 10am-5pm; Sunday noon-5pm. Free. (773)324-5520. hydeparkart.org (Autumn McConnico)
* Uppers and DownersUppers and Downers

New year, new you, right? 2012 is here, and with it comes the expected glut of superficial, too-fat, too-bored, too-tired, under-read, over-worked, instant-ramen, "tell me how, Martha Stewart" New Year's resolutions. Well, for a timely jab at the shallow materialism of our times, look no further than the University of Chicago's Smart Museum, where artist Chris Voorhees and the installation gurus at SIMPARCH are putting on Upper and Downers , a plywood-wrought mess of social commentary, set in the form of a sparse and hermetic kitchen mock-up (faucet fixtures included!). Sarcasm, sass, and sinister beauty are to be found in the site-specific pieces, which spells fun for the whole, miserable family. Smart Museum of Art, 5550 S. Greenwood Ave. Through December 16. Tuesday-Wednesday, 10am-4pm; Thursday, 10am-8pm; Friday, 10am-4pm; Saturday-Sunday, 11am-5pm. Free. (773)702-0200. smartmuseum.uchicago.edu (Harunobu Coryne)
* KeepersKeepers

A new event for your Mayan Calendar: a pre-apocalypse showing of artwork that sprang from a culture that long outlasted that Mesoamerican civilization and, barring apocalyptic disaster, might survive a while longer yet. One of a trio of new exhibitions at Pilsen’s National Museum of Mexican Art, “Keepers” debuts new additions—guardians of a Mexican culture sin fronteras —to the museum’s Permanent Collection. A poignant “show-and-tell” of pieces determined to outlast the twinkies and the cockroaches of American transience, the exhibit features over fifty participating artists from Chicago, the West Coast, and throughout Mexico. Some of the artists may be anonymous, but in the various forms of beauty of their Mexican heritage, all of them have found something worth keeping. National Museum of Mexican Art, 1825 W. 19th St. Through October 21. Tuesday-Sunday, 10am-5pm. Free. (312)738-1503. nationalmuseumofmexicanart.org (Bonnie Fan)
* Mardonio Magaña: Circa 1938Mardonio Magaña: Circa 1938

The National Museum of Mexican Art is no stranger to housing the works of famous and talented artists. However, the artist featured in the latest exhibit at the NMMA has received praise greater than that of any other artist's review in some yuppie magazine. The exhibit features the work of Mardonio Magaña (1865-1947), dubbed “the greatest contemporary Mexican sculptor” by Diego Rivera. The NMMA holds the largest collection of the revered sculptor’s work outside of Mexico, and the exhibit—entitled “Mardonio Magaña: Circa 1938”—will showcase thirteen of Magaña’s direct carvings in wood in addition to presenting information on the artist’s life story and that of musicians Annette and Louis Kaufman, two of Magaña’s collectors. Blending both his work and the story of how it came about, “Mardonio Magaña: Circa 1938” promises to be an educational and stimulating exhibit. National Museum of Mexican Art, 1852 W. 19th St. Through October 7. Tuesday-Sunday, 10am-5pm. Free.(312)738-1503. nationalmuseumofmexicanart.org (Amanya Maloba)
* Uppers and Downers Uppers and Downers

New year, new you, right? 2012 is here, and with it comes the expected glut of superficial, too-fat, too-bored, too-tired, under-read, over-worked, instant-ramen, "tell me how, Martha Stewart" New Year's resolutions. Well, for a timely jab at the shallow materialism of our times, look no further than the University of Chicago's Smart Museum, where artist Chris Voorhees and the installation gurus at SIMPARCH are putting on Upper and Downers, a plywood-wrought mess of social commentary, set in the form of a sparse and hermetic kitchen mock-up (faucet fixtures included!). Sarcasm, sass, and sinister beauty are to be found in the site-specific pieces, which spells fun for the whole, miserable family. Smart Museum of Art, 5550 S. Greenwood Ave. January 10-December 16. Tuesday-Wednesday, 10am-4pm; Thursday, 10am-8pm; Friday, 10am-4pm; Saturday-Sunday, 11am-5pm. Free. (773)702-0200. smartmuseum.uchicago.edu (Harunobu Coryne)

21
* Angels in AmericaAngels in America

The Court Theatre will end its season with Tony Kushner’s Pulitzer Prize–winning epic two-part play. The artistic team includes none other than Tony Kushner himself, here on an Exploratory Fellowship with the Gray Center for Arts and Inquiry. Joseph Jefferson Award–winning director Charles Newell puts every historical, supernatural, political, theological, and emotional aspect of the play together in the Court’s grand but intimate space. With tickets sold separately for Parts I & II, audiences will be able to experience this magnificent story of disease and life, feeling the effects of a seven-hour run time. Court Theatre, 5535 S. Ellis Ave. Through June 3. Wednesday and Thursday, 7:30pm; Friday, 8pm; Saturday, 2pm and 8pm; Sunday, 2pm. (773)753-4472. -. angelsinchicago.com (Meaghan Murphy)
* Hairy Blob Hairy Blob

The play of time in weighty and practical matters constitutes one of the thematic concerns of “Hairy Blob,” a group exhibition at the Hyde Park Art Center. Sculpture, video, drawing, sound, and "participatory events" allow visitors to explore the several contributing artists' contemplations of time. The exhibit plays with history and literature, with time both geographical and performative—transforming encyclopedias into a mirror and surreptitiously slipping exhibits into and out of their galleries. During the exhibition’s run, look for some of the artists walking the halls as mysteriously and fleetingly as this building-spanning exhibition’s subject matter, while the artwork evolves to include film installations and archive materials. The exhibition is curated by SAIC faculty member Adelheid Mers. Hyde Park Art Center, 5020 S. Cornell Ave. April 22-July 29. Reception April 22, 3pm-5pm. Monday-Thursday 10am-8pm; Friday-Saturday, 10am-5pm; Sunday noon-5pm. Free. (773)324-5520. hydeparkart.org (Autumn McConnico)
* Uppers and DownersUppers and Downers

New year, new you, right? 2012 is here, and with it comes the expected glut of superficial, too-fat, too-bored, too-tired, under-read, over-worked, instant-ramen, "tell me how, Martha Stewart" New Year's resolutions. Well, for a timely jab at the shallow materialism of our times, look no further than the University of Chicago's Smart Museum, where artist Chris Voorhees and the installation gurus at SIMPARCH are putting on Upper and Downers , a plywood-wrought mess of social commentary, set in the form of a sparse and hermetic kitchen mock-up (faucet fixtures included!). Sarcasm, sass, and sinister beauty are to be found in the site-specific pieces, which spells fun for the whole, miserable family. Smart Museum of Art, 5550 S. Greenwood Ave. Through December 16. Tuesday-Wednesday, 10am-4pm; Thursday, 10am-8pm; Friday, 10am-4pm; Saturday-Sunday, 11am-5pm. Free. (773)702-0200. smartmuseum.uchicago.edu (Harunobu Coryne)
* KeepersKeepers

A new event for your Mayan Calendar: a pre-apocalypse showing of artwork that sprang from a culture that long outlasted that Mesoamerican civilization and, barring apocalyptic disaster, might survive a while longer yet. One of a trio of new exhibitions at Pilsen’s National Museum of Mexican Art, “Keepers” debuts new additions—guardians of a Mexican culture sin fronteras —to the museum’s Permanent Collection. A poignant “show-and-tell” of pieces determined to outlast the twinkies and the cockroaches of American transience, the exhibit features over fifty participating artists from Chicago, the West Coast, and throughout Mexico. Some of the artists may be anonymous, but in the various forms of beauty of their Mexican heritage, all of them have found something worth keeping. National Museum of Mexican Art, 1825 W. 19th St. Through October 21. Tuesday-Sunday, 10am-5pm. Free. (312)738-1503. nationalmuseumofmexicanart.org (Bonnie Fan)
* Mardonio Magaña: Circa 1938Mardonio Magaña: Circa 1938

The National Museum of Mexican Art is no stranger to housing the works of famous and talented artists. However, the artist featured in the latest exhibit at the NMMA has received praise greater than that of any other artist's review in some yuppie magazine. The exhibit features the work of Mardonio Magaña (1865-1947), dubbed “the greatest contemporary Mexican sculptor” by Diego Rivera. The NMMA holds the largest collection of the revered sculptor’s work outside of Mexico, and the exhibit—entitled “Mardonio Magaña: Circa 1938”—will showcase thirteen of Magaña’s direct carvings in wood in addition to presenting information on the artist’s life story and that of musicians Annette and Louis Kaufman, two of Magaña’s collectors. Blending both his work and the story of how it came about, “Mardonio Magaña: Circa 1938” promises to be an educational and stimulating exhibit. National Museum of Mexican Art, 1852 W. 19th St. Through October 7. Tuesday-Sunday, 10am-5pm. Free.(312)738-1503. nationalmuseumofmexicanart.org (Amanya Maloba)
* Uppers and Downers Uppers and Downers

New year, new you, right? 2012 is here, and with it comes the expected glut of superficial, too-fat, too-bored, too-tired, under-read, over-worked, instant-ramen, "tell me how, Martha Stewart" New Year's resolutions. Well, for a timely jab at the shallow materialism of our times, look no further than the University of Chicago's Smart Museum, where artist Chris Voorhees and the installation gurus at SIMPARCH are putting on Upper and Downers, a plywood-wrought mess of social commentary, set in the form of a sparse and hermetic kitchen mock-up (faucet fixtures included!). Sarcasm, sass, and sinister beauty are to be found in the site-specific pieces, which spells fun for the whole, miserable family. Smart Museum of Art, 5550 S. Greenwood Ave. January 10-December 16. Tuesday-Wednesday, 10am-4pm; Thursday, 10am-8pm; Friday, 10am-4pm; Saturday-Sunday, 11am-5pm. Free. (773)702-0200. smartmuseum.uchicago.edu (Harunobu Coryne)

22
* Angels in AmericaAngels in America

The Court Theatre will end its season with Tony Kushner’s Pulitzer Prize–winning epic two-part play. The artistic team includes none other than Tony Kushner himself, here on an Exploratory Fellowship with the Gray Center for Arts and Inquiry. Joseph Jefferson Award–winning director Charles Newell puts every historical, supernatural, political, theological, and emotional aspect of the play together in the Court’s grand but intimate space. With tickets sold separately for Parts I & II, audiences will be able to experience this magnificent story of disease and life, feeling the effects of a seven-hour run time. Court Theatre, 5535 S. Ellis Ave. Through June 3. Wednesday and Thursday, 7:30pm; Friday, 8pm; Saturday, 2pm and 8pm; Sunday, 2pm. (773)753-4472. -. angelsinchicago.com (Meaghan Murphy)
* Hairy Blob Hairy Blob

The play of time in weighty and practical matters constitutes one of the thematic concerns of “Hairy Blob,” a group exhibition at the Hyde Park Art Center. Sculpture, video, drawing, sound, and "participatory events" allow visitors to explore the several contributing artists' contemplations of time. The exhibit plays with history and literature, with time both geographical and performative—transforming encyclopedias into a mirror and surreptitiously slipping exhibits into and out of their galleries. During the exhibition’s run, look for some of the artists walking the halls as mysteriously and fleetingly as this building-spanning exhibition’s subject matter, while the artwork evolves to include film installations and archive materials. The exhibition is curated by SAIC faculty member Adelheid Mers. Hyde Park Art Center, 5020 S. Cornell Ave. April 22-July 29. Reception April 22, 3pm-5pm. Monday-Thursday 10am-8pm; Friday-Saturday, 10am-5pm; Sunday noon-5pm. Free. (773)324-5520. hydeparkart.org (Autumn McConnico)
* Uppers and DownersUppers and Downers

New year, new you, right? 2012 is here, and with it comes the expected glut of superficial, too-fat, too-bored, too-tired, under-read, over-worked, instant-ramen, "tell me how, Martha Stewart" New Year's resolutions. Well, for a timely jab at the shallow materialism of our times, look no further than the University of Chicago's Smart Museum, where artist Chris Voorhees and the installation gurus at SIMPARCH are putting on Upper and Downers , a plywood-wrought mess of social commentary, set in the form of a sparse and hermetic kitchen mock-up (faucet fixtures included!). Sarcasm, sass, and sinister beauty are to be found in the site-specific pieces, which spells fun for the whole, miserable family. Smart Museum of Art, 5550 S. Greenwood Ave. Through December 16. Tuesday-Wednesday, 10am-4pm; Thursday, 10am-8pm; Friday, 10am-4pm; Saturday-Sunday, 11am-5pm. Free. (773)702-0200. smartmuseum.uchicago.edu (Harunobu Coryne)
* KeepersKeepers

A new event for your Mayan Calendar: a pre-apocalypse showing of artwork that sprang from a culture that long outlasted that Mesoamerican civilization and, barring apocalyptic disaster, might survive a while longer yet. One of a trio of new exhibitions at Pilsen’s National Museum of Mexican Art, “Keepers” debuts new additions—guardians of a Mexican culture sin fronteras —to the museum’s Permanent Collection. A poignant “show-and-tell” of pieces determined to outlast the twinkies and the cockroaches of American transience, the exhibit features over fifty participating artists from Chicago, the West Coast, and throughout Mexico. Some of the artists may be anonymous, but in the various forms of beauty of their Mexican heritage, all of them have found something worth keeping. National Museum of Mexican Art, 1825 W. 19th St. Through October 21. Tuesday-Sunday, 10am-5pm. Free. (312)738-1503. nationalmuseumofmexicanart.org (Bonnie Fan)
* Mardonio Magaña: Circa 1938Mardonio Magaña: Circa 1938

The National Museum of Mexican Art is no stranger to housing the works of famous and talented artists. However, the artist featured in the latest exhibit at the NMMA has received praise greater than that of any other artist's review in some yuppie magazine. The exhibit features the work of Mardonio Magaña (1865-1947), dubbed “the greatest contemporary Mexican sculptor” by Diego Rivera. The NMMA holds the largest collection of the revered sculptor’s work outside of Mexico, and the exhibit—entitled “Mardonio Magaña: Circa 1938”—will showcase thirteen of Magaña’s direct carvings in wood in addition to presenting information on the artist’s life story and that of musicians Annette and Louis Kaufman, two of Magaña’s collectors. Blending both his work and the story of how it came about, “Mardonio Magaña: Circa 1938” promises to be an educational and stimulating exhibit. National Museum of Mexican Art, 1852 W. 19th St. Through October 7. Tuesday-Sunday, 10am-5pm. Free.(312)738-1503. nationalmuseumofmexicanart.org (Amanya Maloba)
* Uppers and Downers Uppers and Downers

New year, new you, right? 2012 is here, and with it comes the expected glut of superficial, too-fat, too-bored, too-tired, under-read, over-worked, instant-ramen, "tell me how, Martha Stewart" New Year's resolutions. Well, for a timely jab at the shallow materialism of our times, look no further than the University of Chicago's Smart Museum, where artist Chris Voorhees and the installation gurus at SIMPARCH are putting on Upper and Downers, a plywood-wrought mess of social commentary, set in the form of a sparse and hermetic kitchen mock-up (faucet fixtures included!). Sarcasm, sass, and sinister beauty are to be found in the site-specific pieces, which spells fun for the whole, miserable family. Smart Museum of Art, 5550 S. Greenwood Ave. January 10-December 16. Tuesday-Wednesday, 10am-4pm; Thursday, 10am-8pm; Friday, 10am-4pm; Saturday-Sunday, 11am-5pm. Free. (773)702-0200. smartmuseum.uchicago.edu (Harunobu Coryne)

23
* Angels in AmericaAngels in America

The Court Theatre will end its season with Tony Kushner’s Pulitzer Prize–winning epic two-part play. The artistic team includes none other than Tony Kushner himself, here on an Exploratory Fellowship with the Gray Center for Arts and Inquiry. Joseph Jefferson Award–winning director Charles Newell puts every historical, supernatural, political, theological, and emotional aspect of the play together in the Court’s grand but intimate space. With tickets sold separately for Parts I & II, audiences will be able to experience this magnificent story of disease and life, feeling the effects of a seven-hour run time. Court Theatre, 5535 S. Ellis Ave. Through June 3. Wednesday and Thursday, 7:30pm; Friday, 8pm; Saturday, 2pm and 8pm; Sunday, 2pm. (773)753-4472. -. angelsinchicago.com (Meaghan Murphy)
* Hairy Blob Hairy Blob

The play of time in weighty and practical matters constitutes one of the thematic concerns of “Hairy Blob,” a group exhibition at the Hyde Park Art Center. Sculpture, video, drawing, sound, and "participatory events" allow visitors to explore the several contributing artists' contemplations of time. The exhibit plays with history and literature, with time both geographical and performative—transforming encyclopedias into a mirror and surreptitiously slipping exhibits into and out of their galleries. During the exhibition’s run, look for some of the artists walking the halls as mysteriously and fleetingly as this building-spanning exhibition’s subject matter, while the artwork evolves to include film installations and archive materials. The exhibition is curated by SAIC faculty member Adelheid Mers. Hyde Park Art Center, 5020 S. Cornell Ave. April 22-July 29. Reception April 22, 3pm-5pm. Monday-Thursday 10am-8pm; Friday-Saturday, 10am-5pm; Sunday noon-5pm. Free. (773)324-5520. hydeparkart.org (Autumn McConnico)
* Uppers and DownersUppers and Downers

New year, new you, right? 2012 is here, and with it comes the expected glut of superficial, too-fat, too-bored, too-tired, under-read, over-worked, instant-ramen, "tell me how, Martha Stewart" New Year's resolutions. Well, for a timely jab at the shallow materialism of our times, look no further than the University of Chicago's Smart Museum, where artist Chris Voorhees and the installation gurus at SIMPARCH are putting on Upper and Downers , a plywood-wrought mess of social commentary, set in the form of a sparse and hermetic kitchen mock-up (faucet fixtures included!). Sarcasm, sass, and sinister beauty are to be found in the site-specific pieces, which spells fun for the whole, miserable family. Smart Museum of Art, 5550 S. Greenwood Ave. Through December 16. Tuesday-Wednesday, 10am-4pm; Thursday, 10am-8pm; Friday, 10am-4pm; Saturday-Sunday, 11am-5pm. Free. (773)702-0200. smartmuseum.uchicago.edu (Harunobu Coryne)
* KeepersKeepers

A new event for your Mayan Calendar: a pre-apocalypse showing of artwork that sprang from a culture that long outlasted that Mesoamerican civilization and, barring apocalyptic disaster, might survive a while longer yet. One of a trio of new exhibitions at Pilsen’s National Museum of Mexican Art, “Keepers” debuts new additions—guardians of a Mexican culture sin fronteras —to the museum’s Permanent Collection. A poignant “show-and-tell” of pieces determined to outlast the twinkies and the cockroaches of American transience, the exhibit features over fifty participating artists from Chicago, the West Coast, and throughout Mexico. Some of the artists may be anonymous, but in the various forms of beauty of their Mexican heritage, all of them have found something worth keeping. National Museum of Mexican Art, 1825 W. 19th St. Through October 21. Tuesday-Sunday, 10am-5pm. Free. (312)738-1503. nationalmuseumofmexicanart.org (Bonnie Fan)
* Mardonio Magaña: Circa 1938Mardonio Magaña: Circa 1938

The National Museum of Mexican Art is no stranger to housing the works of famous and talented artists. However, the artist featured in the latest exhibit at the NMMA has received praise greater than that of any other artist's review in some yuppie magazine. The exhibit features the work of Mardonio Magaña (1865-1947), dubbed “the greatest contemporary Mexican sculptor” by Diego Rivera. The NMMA holds the largest collection of the revered sculptor’s work outside of Mexico, and the exhibit—entitled “Mardonio Magaña: Circa 1938”—will showcase thirteen of Magaña’s direct carvings in wood in addition to presenting information on the artist’s life story and that of musicians Annette and Louis Kaufman, two of Magaña’s collectors. Blending both his work and the story of how it came about, “Mardonio Magaña: Circa 1938” promises to be an educational and stimulating exhibit. National Museum of Mexican Art, 1852 W. 19th St. Through October 7. Tuesday-Sunday, 10am-5pm. Free.(312)738-1503. nationalmuseumofmexicanart.org (Amanya Maloba)
* Uppers and Downers Uppers and Downers

New year, new you, right? 2012 is here, and with it comes the expected glut of superficial, too-fat, too-bored, too-tired, under-read, over-worked, instant-ramen, "tell me how, Martha Stewart" New Year's resolutions. Well, for a timely jab at the shallow materialism of our times, look no further than the University of Chicago's Smart Museum, where artist Chris Voorhees and the installation gurus at SIMPARCH are putting on Upper and Downers, a plywood-wrought mess of social commentary, set in the form of a sparse and hermetic kitchen mock-up (faucet fixtures included!). Sarcasm, sass, and sinister beauty are to be found in the site-specific pieces, which spells fun for the whole, miserable family. Smart Museum of Art, 5550 S. Greenwood Ave. January 10-December 16. Tuesday-Wednesday, 10am-4pm; Thursday, 10am-8pm; Friday, 10am-4pm; Saturday-Sunday, 11am-5pm. Free. (773)702-0200. smartmuseum.uchicago.edu (Harunobu Coryne)

24
* Angels in AmericaAngels in America

The Court Theatre will end its season with Tony Kushner’s Pulitzer Prize–winning epic two-part play. The artistic team includes none other than Tony Kushner himself, here on an Exploratory Fellowship with the Gray Center for Arts and Inquiry. Joseph Jefferson Award–winning director Charles Newell puts every historical, supernatural, political, theological, and emotional aspect of the play together in the Court’s grand but intimate space. With tickets sold separately for Parts I & II, audiences will be able to experience this magnificent story of disease and life, feeling the effects of a seven-hour run time. Court Theatre, 5535 S. Ellis Ave. Through June 3. Wednesday and Thursday, 7:30pm; Friday, 8pm; Saturday, 2pm and 8pm; Sunday, 2pm. (773)753-4472. -. angelsinchicago.com (Meaghan Murphy)
* Hairy Blob Hairy Blob

The play of time in weighty and practical matters constitutes one of the thematic concerns of “Hairy Blob,” a group exhibition at the Hyde Park Art Center. Sculpture, video, drawing, sound, and "participatory events" allow visitors to explore the several contributing artists' contemplations of time. The exhibit plays with history and literature, with time both geographical and performative—transforming encyclopedias into a mirror and surreptitiously slipping exhibits into and out of their galleries. During the exhibition’s run, look for some of the artists walking the halls as mysteriously and fleetingly as this building-spanning exhibition’s subject matter, while the artwork evolves to include film installations and archive materials. The exhibition is curated by SAIC faculty member Adelheid Mers. Hyde Park Art Center, 5020 S. Cornell Ave. April 22-July 29. Reception April 22, 3pm-5pm. Monday-Thursday 10am-8pm; Friday-Saturday, 10am-5pm; Sunday noon-5pm. Free. (773)324-5520. hydeparkart.org (Autumn McConnico)
* Uppers and DownersUppers and Downers

New year, new you, right? 2012 is here, and with it comes the expected glut of superficial, too-fat, too-bored, too-tired, under-read, over-worked, instant-ramen, "tell me how, Martha Stewart" New Year's resolutions. Well, for a timely jab at the shallow materialism of our times, look no further than the University of Chicago's Smart Museum, where artist Chris Voorhees and the installation gurus at SIMPARCH are putting on Upper and Downers , a plywood-wrought mess of social commentary, set in the form of a sparse and hermetic kitchen mock-up (faucet fixtures included!). Sarcasm, sass, and sinister beauty are to be found in the site-specific pieces, which spells fun for the whole, miserable family. Smart Museum of Art, 5550 S. Greenwood Ave. Through December 16. Tuesday-Wednesday, 10am-4pm; Thursday, 10am-8pm; Friday, 10am-4pm; Saturday-Sunday, 11am-5pm. Free. (773)702-0200. smartmuseum.uchicago.edu (Harunobu Coryne)
* KeepersKeepers

A new event for your Mayan Calendar: a pre-apocalypse showing of artwork that sprang from a culture that long outlasted that Mesoamerican civilization and, barring apocalyptic disaster, might survive a while longer yet. One of a trio of new exhibitions at Pilsen’s National Museum of Mexican Art, “Keepers” debuts new additions—guardians of a Mexican culture sin fronteras —to the museum’s Permanent Collection. A poignant “show-and-tell” of pieces determined to outlast the twinkies and the cockroaches of American transience, the exhibit features over fifty participating artists from Chicago, the West Coast, and throughout Mexico. Some of the artists may be anonymous, but in the various forms of beauty of their Mexican heritage, all of them have found something worth keeping. National Museum of Mexican Art, 1825 W. 19th St. Through October 21. Tuesday-Sunday, 10am-5pm. Free. (312)738-1503. nationalmuseumofmexicanart.org (Bonnie Fan)
* Mardonio Magaña: Circa 1938Mardonio Magaña: Circa 1938

The National Museum of Mexican Art is no stranger to housing the works of famous and talented artists. However, the artist featured in the latest exhibit at the NMMA has received praise greater than that of any other artist's review in some yuppie magazine. The exhibit features the work of Mardonio Magaña (1865-1947), dubbed “the greatest contemporary Mexican sculptor” by Diego Rivera. The NMMA holds the largest collection of the revered sculptor’s work outside of Mexico, and the exhibit—entitled “Mardonio Magaña: Circa 1938”—will showcase thirteen of Magaña’s direct carvings in wood in addition to presenting information on the artist’s life story and that of musicians Annette and Louis Kaufman, two of Magaña’s collectors. Blending both his work and the story of how it came about, “Mardonio Magaña: Circa 1938” promises to be an educational and stimulating exhibit. National Museum of Mexican Art, 1852 W. 19th St. Through October 7. Tuesday-Sunday, 10am-5pm. Free.(312)738-1503. nationalmuseumofmexicanart.org (Amanya Maloba)
* Uppers and Downers Uppers and Downers

New year, new you, right? 2012 is here, and with it comes the expected glut of superficial, too-fat, too-bored, too-tired, under-read, over-worked, instant-ramen, "tell me how, Martha Stewart" New Year's resolutions. Well, for a timely jab at the shallow materialism of our times, look no further than the University of Chicago's Smart Museum, where artist Chris Voorhees and the installation gurus at SIMPARCH are putting on Upper and Downers, a plywood-wrought mess of social commentary, set in the form of a sparse and hermetic kitchen mock-up (faucet fixtures included!). Sarcasm, sass, and sinister beauty are to be found in the site-specific pieces, which spells fun for the whole, miserable family. Smart Museum of Art, 5550 S. Greenwood Ave. January 10-December 16. Tuesday-Wednesday, 10am-4pm; Thursday, 10am-8pm; Friday, 10am-4pm; Saturday-Sunday, 11am-5pm. Free. (773)702-0200. smartmuseum.uchicago.edu (Harunobu Coryne)

25
* Angels in AmericaAngels in America

The Court Theatre will end its season with Tony Kushner’s Pulitzer Prize–winning epic two-part play. The artistic team includes none other than Tony Kushner himself, here on an Exploratory Fellowship with the Gray Center for Arts and Inquiry. Joseph Jefferson Award–winning director Charles Newell puts every historical, supernatural, political, theological, and emotional aspect of the play together in the Court’s grand but intimate space. With tickets sold separately for Parts I & II, audiences will be able to experience this magnificent story of disease and life, feeling the effects of a seven-hour run time. Court Theatre, 5535 S. Ellis Ave. Through June 3. Wednesday and Thursday, 7:30pm; Friday, 8pm; Saturday, 2pm and 8pm; Sunday, 2pm. (773)753-4472. -. angelsinchicago.com (Meaghan Murphy)
* Hairy Blob Hairy Blob

The play of time in weighty and practical matters constitutes one of the thematic concerns of “Hairy Blob,” a group exhibition at the Hyde Park Art Center. Sculpture, video, drawing, sound, and "participatory events" allow visitors to explore the several contributing artists' contemplations of time. The exhibit plays with history and literature, with time both geographical and performative—transforming encyclopedias into a mirror and surreptitiously slipping exhibits into and out of their galleries. During the exhibition’s run, look for some of the artists walking the halls as mysteriously and fleetingly as this building-spanning exhibition’s subject matter, while the artwork evolves to include film installations and archive materials. The exhibition is curated by SAIC faculty member Adelheid Mers. Hyde Park Art Center, 5020 S. Cornell Ave. April 22-July 29. Reception April 22, 3pm-5pm. Monday-Thursday 10am-8pm; Friday-Saturday, 10am-5pm; Sunday noon-5pm. Free. (773)324-5520. hydeparkart.org (Autumn McConnico)
* Uppers and DownersUppers and Downers

New year, new you, right? 2012 is here, and with it comes the expected glut of superficial, too-fat, too-bored, too-tired, under-read, over-worked, instant-ramen, "tell me how, Martha Stewart" New Year's resolutions. Well, for a timely jab at the shallow materialism of our times, look no further than the University of Chicago's Smart Museum, where artist Chris Voorhees and the installation gurus at SIMPARCH are putting on Upper and Downers , a plywood-wrought mess of social commentary, set in the form of a sparse and hermetic kitchen mock-up (faucet fixtures included!). Sarcasm, sass, and sinister beauty are to be found in the site-specific pieces, which spells fun for the whole, miserable family. Smart Museum of Art, 5550 S. Greenwood Ave. Through December 16. Tuesday-Wednesday, 10am-4pm; Thursday, 10am-8pm; Friday, 10am-4pm; Saturday-Sunday, 11am-5pm. Free. (773)702-0200. smartmuseum.uchicago.edu (Harunobu Coryne)
* KeepersKeepers

A new event for your Mayan Calendar: a pre-apocalypse showing of artwork that sprang from a culture that long outlasted that Mesoamerican civilization and, barring apocalyptic disaster, might survive a while longer yet. One of a trio of new exhibitions at Pilsen’s National Museum of Mexican Art, “Keepers” debuts new additions—guardians of a Mexican culture sin fronteras —to the museum’s Permanent Collection. A poignant “show-and-tell” of pieces determined to outlast the twinkies and the cockroaches of American transience, the exhibit features over fifty participating artists from Chicago, the West Coast, and throughout Mexico. Some of the artists may be anonymous, but in the various forms of beauty of their Mexican heritage, all of them have found something worth keeping. National Museum of Mexican Art, 1825 W. 19th St. Through October 21. Tuesday-Sunday, 10am-5pm. Free. (312)738-1503. nationalmuseumofmexicanart.org (Bonnie Fan)
* Mardonio Magaña: Circa 1938Mardonio Magaña: Circa 1938

The National Museum of Mexican Art is no stranger to housing the works of famous and talented artists. However, the artist featured in the latest exhibit at the NMMA has received praise greater than that of any other artist's review in some yuppie magazine. The exhibit features the work of Mardonio Magaña (1865-1947), dubbed “the greatest contemporary Mexican sculptor” by Diego Rivera. The NMMA holds the largest collection of the revered sculptor’s work outside of Mexico, and the exhibit—entitled “Mardonio Magaña: Circa 1938”—will showcase thirteen of Magaña’s direct carvings in wood in addition to presenting information on the artist’s life story and that of musicians Annette and Louis Kaufman, two of Magaña’s collectors. Blending both his work and the story of how it came about, “Mardonio Magaña: Circa 1938” promises to be an educational and stimulating exhibit. National Museum of Mexican Art, 1852 W. 19th St. Through October 7. Tuesday-Sunday, 10am-5pm. Free.(312)738-1503. nationalmuseumofmexicanart.org (Amanya Maloba)
* Uppers and Downers Uppers and Downers

New year, new you, right? 2012 is here, and with it comes the expected glut of superficial, too-fat, too-bored, too-tired, under-read, over-worked, instant-ramen, "tell me how, Martha Stewart" New Year's resolutions. Well, for a timely jab at the shallow materialism of our times, look no further than the University of Chicago's Smart Museum, where artist Chris Voorhees and the installation gurus at SIMPARCH are putting on Upper and Downers, a plywood-wrought mess of social commentary, set in the form of a sparse and hermetic kitchen mock-up (faucet fixtures included!). Sarcasm, sass, and sinister beauty are to be found in the site-specific pieces, which spells fun for the whole, miserable family. Smart Museum of Art, 5550 S. Greenwood Ave. January 10-December 16. Tuesday-Wednesday, 10am-4pm; Thursday, 10am-8pm; Friday, 10am-4pm; Saturday-Sunday, 11am-5pm. Free. (773)702-0200. smartmuseum.uchicago.edu (Harunobu Coryne)

26
* Angels in AmericaAngels in America

The Court Theatre will end its season with Tony Kushner’s Pulitzer Prize–winning epic two-part play. The artistic team includes none other than Tony Kushner himself, here on an Exploratory Fellowship with the Gray Center for Arts and Inquiry. Joseph Jefferson Award–winning director Charles Newell puts every historical, supernatural, political, theological, and emotional aspect of the play together in the Court’s grand but intimate space. With tickets sold separately for Parts I & II, audiences will be able to experience this magnificent story of disease and life, feeling the effects of a seven-hour run time. Court Theatre, 5535 S. Ellis Ave. Through June 3. Wednesday and Thursday, 7:30pm; Friday, 8pm; Saturday, 2pm and 8pm; Sunday, 2pm. (773)753-4472. -. angelsinchicago.com (Meaghan Murphy)
* Hairy Blob Hairy Blob

The play of time in weighty and practical matters constitutes one of the thematic concerns of “Hairy Blob,” a group exhibition at the Hyde Park Art Center. Sculpture, video, drawing, sound, and "participatory events" allow visitors to explore the several contributing artists' contemplations of time. The exhibit plays with history and literature, with time both geographical and performative—transforming encyclopedias into a mirror and surreptitiously slipping exhibits into and out of their galleries. During the exhibition’s run, look for some of the artists walking the halls as mysteriously and fleetingly as this building-spanning exhibition’s subject matter, while the artwork evolves to include film installations and archive materials. The exhibition is curated by SAIC faculty member Adelheid Mers. Hyde Park Art Center, 5020 S. Cornell Ave. April 22-July 29. Reception April 22, 3pm-5pm. Monday-Thursday 10am-8pm; Friday-Saturday, 10am-5pm; Sunday noon-5pm. Free. (773)324-5520. hydeparkart.org (Autumn McConnico)
* Uppers and DownersUppers and Downers

New year, new you, right? 2012 is here, and with it comes the expected glut of superficial, too-fat, too-bored, too-tired, under-read, over-worked, instant-ramen, "tell me how, Martha Stewart" New Year's resolutions. Well, for a timely jab at the shallow materialism of our times, look no further than the University of Chicago's Smart Museum, where artist Chris Voorhees and the installation gurus at SIMPARCH are putting on Upper and Downers , a plywood-wrought mess of social commentary, set in the form of a sparse and hermetic kitchen mock-up (faucet fixtures included!). Sarcasm, sass, and sinister beauty are to be found in the site-specific pieces, which spells fun for the whole, miserable family. Smart Museum of Art, 5550 S. Greenwood Ave. Through December 16. Tuesday-Wednesday, 10am-4pm; Thursday, 10am-8pm; Friday, 10am-4pm; Saturday-Sunday, 11am-5pm. Free. (773)702-0200. smartmuseum.uchicago.edu (Harunobu Coryne)
* KeepersKeepers

A new event for your Mayan Calendar: a pre-apocalypse showing of artwork that sprang from a culture that long outlasted that Mesoamerican civilization and, barring apocalyptic disaster, might survive a while longer yet. One of a trio of new exhibitions at Pilsen’s National Museum of Mexican Art, “Keepers” debuts new additions—guardians of a Mexican culture sin fronteras —to the museum’s Permanent Collection. A poignant “show-and-tell” of pieces determined to outlast the twinkies and the cockroaches of American transience, the exhibit features over fifty participating artists from Chicago, the West Coast, and throughout Mexico. Some of the artists may be anonymous, but in the various forms of beauty of their Mexican heritage, all of them have found something worth keeping. National Museum of Mexican Art, 1825 W. 19th St. Through October 21. Tuesday-Sunday, 10am-5pm. Free. (312)738-1503. nationalmuseumofmexicanart.org (Bonnie Fan)
* Mardonio Magaña: Circa 1938Mardonio Magaña: Circa 1938

The National Museum of Mexican Art is no stranger to housing the works of famous and talented artists. However, the artist featured in the latest exhibit at the NMMA has received praise greater than that of any other artist's review in some yuppie magazine. The exhibit features the work of Mardonio Magaña (1865-1947), dubbed “the greatest contemporary Mexican sculptor” by Diego Rivera. The NMMA holds the largest collection of the revered sculptor’s work outside of Mexico, and the exhibit—entitled “Mardonio Magaña: Circa 1938”—will showcase thirteen of Magaña’s direct carvings in wood in addition to presenting information on the artist’s life story and that of musicians Annette and Louis Kaufman, two of Magaña’s collectors. Blending both his work and the story of how it came about, “Mardonio Magaña: Circa 1938” promises to be an educational and stimulating exhibit. National Museum of Mexican Art, 1852 W. 19th St. Through October 7. Tuesday-Sunday, 10am-5pm. Free.(312)738-1503. nationalmuseumofmexicanart.org (Amanya Maloba)
* Uppers and Downers Uppers and Downers

New year, new you, right? 2012 is here, and with it comes the expected glut of superficial, too-fat, too-bored, too-tired, under-read, over-worked, instant-ramen, "tell me how, Martha Stewart" New Year's resolutions. Well, for a timely jab at the shallow materialism of our times, look no further than the University of Chicago's Smart Museum, where artist Chris Voorhees and the installation gurus at SIMPARCH are putting on Upper and Downers, a plywood-wrought mess of social commentary, set in the form of a sparse and hermetic kitchen mock-up (faucet fixtures included!). Sarcasm, sass, and sinister beauty are to be found in the site-specific pieces, which spells fun for the whole, miserable family. Smart Museum of Art, 5550 S. Greenwood Ave. January 10-December 16. Tuesday-Wednesday, 10am-4pm; Thursday, 10am-8pm; Friday, 10am-4pm; Saturday-Sunday, 11am-5pm. Free. (773)702-0200. smartmuseum.uchicago.edu (Harunobu Coryne)

27
* Angels in AmericaAngels in America

The Court Theatre will end its season with Tony Kushner’s Pulitzer Prize–winning epic two-part play. The artistic team includes none other than Tony Kushner himself, here on an Exploratory Fellowship with the Gray Center for Arts and Inquiry. Joseph Jefferson Award–winning director Charles Newell puts every historical, supernatural, political, theological, and emotional aspect of the play together in the Court’s grand but intimate space. With tickets sold separately for Parts I & II, audiences will be able to experience this magnificent story of disease and life, feeling the effects of a seven-hour run time. Court Theatre, 5535 S. Ellis Ave. Through June 3. Wednesday and Thursday, 7:30pm; Friday, 8pm; Saturday, 2pm and 8pm; Sunday, 2pm. (773)753-4472. -. angelsinchicago.com (Meaghan Murphy)
* Hairy Blob Hairy Blob

The play of time in weighty and practical matters constitutes one of the thematic concerns of “Hairy Blob,” a group exhibition at the Hyde Park Art Center. Sculpture, video, drawing, sound, and "participatory events" allow visitors to explore the several contributing artists' contemplations of time. The exhibit plays with history and literature, with time both geographical and performative—transforming encyclopedias into a mirror and surreptitiously slipping exhibits into and out of their galleries. During the exhibition’s run, look for some of the artists walking the halls as mysteriously and fleetingly as this building-spanning exhibition’s subject matter, while the artwork evolves to include film installations and archive materials. The exhibition is curated by SAIC faculty member Adelheid Mers. Hyde Park Art Center, 5020 S. Cornell Ave. April 22-July 29. Reception April 22, 3pm-5pm. Monday-Thursday 10am-8pm; Friday-Saturday, 10am-5pm; Sunday noon-5pm. Free. (773)324-5520. hydeparkart.org (Autumn McConnico)
* Uppers and DownersUppers and Downers

New year, new you, right? 2012 is here, and with it comes the expected glut of superficial, too-fat, too-bored, too-tired, under-read, over-worked, instant-ramen, "tell me how, Martha Stewart" New Year's resolutions. Well, for a timely jab at the shallow materialism of our times, look no further than the University of Chicago's Smart Museum, where artist Chris Voorhees and the installation gurus at SIMPARCH are putting on Upper and Downers , a plywood-wrought mess of social commentary, set in the form of a sparse and hermetic kitchen mock-up (faucet fixtures included!). Sarcasm, sass, and sinister beauty are to be found in the site-specific pieces, which spells fun for the whole, miserable family. Smart Museum of Art, 5550 S. Greenwood Ave. Through December 16. Tuesday-Wednesday, 10am-4pm; Thursday, 10am-8pm; Friday, 10am-4pm; Saturday-Sunday, 11am-5pm. Free. (773)702-0200. smartmuseum.uchicago.edu (Harunobu Coryne)
* KeepersKeepers

A new event for your Mayan Calendar: a pre-apocalypse showing of artwork that sprang from a culture that long outlasted that Mesoamerican civilization and, barring apocalyptic disaster, might survive a while longer yet. One of a trio of new exhibitions at Pilsen’s National Museum of Mexican Art, “Keepers” debuts new additions—guardians of a Mexican culture sin fronteras —to the museum’s Permanent Collection. A poignant “show-and-tell” of pieces determined to outlast the twinkies and the cockroaches of American transience, the exhibit features over fifty participating artists from Chicago, the West Coast, and throughout Mexico. Some of the artists may be anonymous, but in the various forms of beauty of their Mexican heritage, all of them have found something worth keeping. National Museum of Mexican Art, 1825 W. 19th St. Through October 21. Tuesday-Sunday, 10am-5pm. Free. (312)738-1503. nationalmuseumofmexicanart.org (Bonnie Fan)
* Mardonio Magaña: Circa 1938Mardonio Magaña: Circa 1938

The National Museum of Mexican Art is no stranger to housing the works of famous and talented artists. However, the artist featured in the latest exhibit at the NMMA has received praise greater than that of any other artist's review in some yuppie magazine. The exhibit features the work of Mardonio Magaña (1865-1947), dubbed “the greatest contemporary Mexican sculptor” by Diego Rivera. The NMMA holds the largest collection of the revered sculptor’s work outside of Mexico, and the exhibit—entitled “Mardonio Magaña: Circa 1938”—will showcase thirteen of Magaña’s direct carvings in wood in addition to presenting information on the artist’s life story and that of musicians Annette and Louis Kaufman, two of Magaña’s collectors. Blending both his work and the story of how it came about, “Mardonio Magaña: Circa 1938” promises to be an educational and stimulating exhibit. National Museum of Mexican Art, 1852 W. 19th St. Through October 7. Tuesday-Sunday, 10am-5pm. Free.(312)738-1503. nationalmuseumofmexicanart.org (Amanya Maloba)
* Uppers and Downers Uppers and Downers

New year, new you, right? 2012 is here, and with it comes the expected glut of superficial, too-fat, too-bored, too-tired, under-read, over-worked, instant-ramen, "tell me how, Martha Stewart" New Year's resolutions. Well, for a timely jab at the shallow materialism of our times, look no further than the University of Chicago's Smart Museum, where artist Chris Voorhees and the installation gurus at SIMPARCH are putting on Upper and Downers, a plywood-wrought mess of social commentary, set in the form of a sparse and hermetic kitchen mock-up (faucet fixtures included!). Sarcasm, sass, and sinister beauty are to be found in the site-specific pieces, which spells fun for the whole, miserable family. Smart Museum of Art, 5550 S. Greenwood Ave. January 10-December 16. Tuesday-Wednesday, 10am-4pm; Thursday, 10am-8pm; Friday, 10am-4pm; Saturday-Sunday, 11am-5pm. Free. (773)702-0200. smartmuseum.uchicago.edu (Harunobu Coryne)

28
* Angels in AmericaAngels in America

The Court Theatre will end its season with Tony Kushner’s Pulitzer Prize–winning epic two-part play. The artistic team includes none other than Tony Kushner himself, here on an Exploratory Fellowship with the Gray Center for Arts and Inquiry. Joseph Jefferson Award–winning director Charles Newell puts every historical, supernatural, political, theological, and emotional aspect of the play together in the Court’s grand but intimate space. With tickets sold separately for Parts I & II, audiences will be able to experience this magnificent story of disease and life, feeling the effects of a seven-hour run time. Court Theatre, 5535 S. Ellis Ave. Through June 3. Wednesday and Thursday, 7:30pm; Friday, 8pm; Saturday, 2pm and 8pm; Sunday, 2pm. (773)753-4472. -. angelsinchicago.com (Meaghan Murphy)
* Hairy Blob Hairy Blob

The play of time in weighty and practical matters constitutes one of the thematic concerns of “Hairy Blob,” a group exhibition at the Hyde Park Art Center. Sculpture, video, drawing, sound, and "participatory events" allow visitors to explore the several contributing artists' contemplations of time. The exhibit plays with history and literature, with time both geographical and performative—transforming encyclopedias into a mirror and surreptitiously slipping exhibits into and out of their galleries. During the exhibition’s run, look for some of the artists walking the halls as mysteriously and fleetingly as this building-spanning exhibition’s subject matter, while the artwork evolves to include film installations and archive materials. The exhibition is curated by SAIC faculty member Adelheid Mers. Hyde Park Art Center, 5020 S. Cornell Ave. April 22-July 29. Reception April 22, 3pm-5pm. Monday-Thursday 10am-8pm; Friday-Saturday, 10am-5pm; Sunday noon-5pm. Free. (773)324-5520. hydeparkart.org (Autumn McConnico)
* Uppers and DownersUppers and Downers

New year, new you, right? 2012 is here, and with it comes the expected glut of superficial, too-fat, too-bored, too-tired, under-read, over-worked, instant-ramen, "tell me how, Martha Stewart" New Year's resolutions. Well, for a timely jab at the shallow materialism of our times, look no further than the University of Chicago's Smart Museum, where artist Chris Voorhees and the installation gurus at SIMPARCH are putting on Upper and Downers , a plywood-wrought mess of social commentary, set in the form of a sparse and hermetic kitchen mock-up (faucet fixtures included!). Sarcasm, sass, and sinister beauty are to be found in the site-specific pieces, which spells fun for the whole, miserable family. Smart Museum of Art, 5550 S. Greenwood Ave. Through December 16. Tuesday-Wednesday, 10am-4pm; Thursday, 10am-8pm; Friday, 10am-4pm; Saturday-Sunday, 11am-5pm. Free. (773)702-0200. smartmuseum.uchicago.edu (Harunobu Coryne)
* KeepersKeepers

A new event for your Mayan Calendar: a pre-apocalypse showing of artwork that sprang from a culture that long outlasted that Mesoamerican civilization and, barring apocalyptic disaster, might survive a while longer yet. One of a trio of new exhibitions at Pilsen’s National Museum of Mexican Art, “Keepers” debuts new additions—guardians of a Mexican culture sin fronteras —to the museum’s Permanent Collection. A poignant “show-and-tell” of pieces determined to outlast the twinkies and the cockroaches of American transience, the exhibit features over fifty participating artists from Chicago, the West Coast, and throughout Mexico. Some of the artists may be anonymous, but in the various forms of beauty of their Mexican heritage, all of them have found something worth keeping. National Museum of Mexican Art, 1825 W. 19th St. Through October 21. Tuesday-Sunday, 10am-5pm. Free. (312)738-1503. nationalmuseumofmexicanart.org (Bonnie Fan)
* Mardonio Magaña: Circa 1938Mardonio Magaña: Circa 1938

The National Museum of Mexican Art is no stranger to housing the works of famous and talented artists. However, the artist featured in the latest exhibit at the NMMA has received praise greater than that of any other artist's review in some yuppie magazine. The exhibit features the work of Mardonio Magaña (1865-1947), dubbed “the greatest contemporary Mexican sculptor” by Diego Rivera. The NMMA holds the largest collection of the revered sculptor’s work outside of Mexico, and the exhibit—entitled “Mardonio Magaña: Circa 1938”—will showcase thirteen of Magaña’s direct carvings in wood in addition to presenting information on the artist’s life story and that of musicians Annette and Louis Kaufman, two of Magaña’s collectors. Blending both his work and the story of how it came about, “Mardonio Magaña: Circa 1938” promises to be an educational and stimulating exhibit. National Museum of Mexican Art, 1852 W. 19th St. Through October 7. Tuesday-Sunday, 10am-5pm. Free.(312)738-1503. nationalmuseumofmexicanart.org (Amanya Maloba)
* Uppers and Downers Uppers and Downers

New year, new you, right? 2012 is here, and with it comes the expected glut of superficial, too-fat, too-bored, too-tired, under-read, over-worked, instant-ramen, "tell me how, Martha Stewart" New Year's resolutions. Well, for a timely jab at the shallow materialism of our times, look no further than the University of Chicago's Smart Museum, where artist Chris Voorhees and the installation gurus at SIMPARCH are putting on Upper and Downers, a plywood-wrought mess of social commentary, set in the form of a sparse and hermetic kitchen mock-up (faucet fixtures included!). Sarcasm, sass, and sinister beauty are to be found in the site-specific pieces, which spells fun for the whole, miserable family. Smart Museum of Art, 5550 S. Greenwood Ave. January 10-December 16. Tuesday-Wednesday, 10am-4pm; Thursday, 10am-8pm; Friday, 10am-4pm; Saturday-Sunday, 11am-5pm. Free. (773)702-0200. smartmuseum.uchicago.edu (Harunobu Coryne)

29
* Angels in AmericaAngels in America

The Court Theatre will end its season with Tony Kushner’s Pulitzer Prize–winning epic two-part play. The artistic team includes none other than Tony Kushner himself, here on an Exploratory Fellowship with the Gray Center for Arts and Inquiry. Joseph Jefferson Award–winning director Charles Newell puts every historical, supernatural, political, theological, and emotional aspect of the play together in the Court’s grand but intimate space. With tickets sold separately for Parts I & II, audiences will be able to experience this magnificent story of disease and life, feeling the effects of a seven-hour run time. Court Theatre, 5535 S. Ellis Ave. Through June 3. Wednesday and Thursday, 7:30pm; Friday, 8pm; Saturday, 2pm and 8pm; Sunday, 2pm. (773)753-4472. -. angelsinchicago.com (Meaghan Murphy)
* Hairy Blob Hairy Blob

The play of time in weighty and practical matters constitutes one of the thematic concerns of “Hairy Blob,” a group exhibition at the Hyde Park Art Center. Sculpture, video, drawing, sound, and "participatory events" allow visitors to explore the several contributing artists' contemplations of time. The exhibit plays with history and literature, with time both geographical and performative—transforming encyclopedias into a mirror and surreptitiously slipping exhibits into and out of their galleries. During the exhibition’s run, look for some of the artists walking the halls as mysteriously and fleetingly as this building-spanning exhibition’s subject matter, while the artwork evolves to include film installations and archive materials. The exhibition is curated by SAIC faculty member Adelheid Mers. Hyde Park Art Center, 5020 S. Cornell Ave. April 22-July 29. Reception April 22, 3pm-5pm. Monday-Thursday 10am-8pm; Friday-Saturday, 10am-5pm; Sunday noon-5pm. Free. (773)324-5520. hydeparkart.org (Autumn McConnico)
* Uppers and DownersUppers and Downers

New year, new you, right? 2012 is here, and with it comes the expected glut of superficial, too-fat, too-bored, too-tired, under-read, over-worked, instant-ramen, "tell me how, Martha Stewart" New Year's resolutions. Well, for a timely jab at the shallow materialism of our times, look no further than the University of Chicago's Smart Museum, where artist Chris Voorhees and the installation gurus at SIMPARCH are putting on Upper and Downers , a plywood-wrought mess of social commentary, set in the form of a sparse and hermetic kitchen mock-up (faucet fixtures included!). Sarcasm, sass, and sinister beauty are to be found in the site-specific pieces, which spells fun for the whole, miserable family. Smart Museum of Art, 5550 S. Greenwood Ave. Through December 16. Tuesday-Wednesday, 10am-4pm; Thursday, 10am-8pm; Friday, 10am-4pm; Saturday-Sunday, 11am-5pm. Free. (773)702-0200. smartmuseum.uchicago.edu (Harunobu Coryne)
* KeepersKeepers

A new event for your Mayan Calendar: a pre-apocalypse showing of artwork that sprang from a culture that long outlasted that Mesoamerican civilization and, barring apocalyptic disaster, might survive a while longer yet. One of a trio of new exhibitions at Pilsen’s National Museum of Mexican Art, “Keepers” debuts new additions—guardians of a Mexican culture sin fronteras —to the museum’s Permanent Collection. A poignant “show-and-tell” of pieces determined to outlast the twinkies and the cockroaches of American transience, the exhibit features over fifty participating artists from Chicago, the West Coast, and throughout Mexico. Some of the artists may be anonymous, but in the various forms of beauty of their Mexican heritage, all of them have found something worth keeping. National Museum of Mexican Art, 1825 W. 19th St. Through October 21. Tuesday-Sunday, 10am-5pm. Free. (312)738-1503. nationalmuseumofmexicanart.org (Bonnie Fan)
* Mardonio Magaña: Circa 1938Mardonio Magaña: Circa 1938

The National Museum of Mexican Art is no stranger to housing the works of famous and talented artists. However, the artist featured in the latest exhibit at the NMMA has received praise greater than that of any other artist's review in some yuppie magazine. The exhibit features the work of Mardonio Magaña (1865-1947), dubbed “the greatest contemporary Mexican sculptor” by Diego Rivera. The NMMA holds the largest collection of the revered sculptor’s work outside of Mexico, and the exhibit—entitled “Mardonio Magaña: Circa 1938”—will showcase thirteen of Magaña’s direct carvings in wood in addition to presenting information on the artist’s life story and that of musicians Annette and Louis Kaufman, two of Magaña’s collectors. Blending both his work and the story of how it came about, “Mardonio Magaña: Circa 1938” promises to be an educational and stimulating exhibit. National Museum of Mexican Art, 1852 W. 19th St. Through October 7. Tuesday-Sunday, 10am-5pm. Free.(312)738-1503. nationalmuseumofmexicanart.org (Amanya Maloba)
* Uppers and Downers Uppers and Downers

New year, new you, right? 2012 is here, and with it comes the expected glut of superficial, too-fat, too-bored, too-tired, under-read, over-worked, instant-ramen, "tell me how, Martha Stewart" New Year's resolutions. Well, for a timely jab at the shallow materialism of our times, look no further than the University of Chicago's Smart Museum, where artist Chris Voorhees and the installation gurus at SIMPARCH are putting on Upper and Downers, a plywood-wrought mess of social commentary, set in the form of a sparse and hermetic kitchen mock-up (faucet fixtures included!). Sarcasm, sass, and sinister beauty are to be found in the site-specific pieces, which spells fun for the whole, miserable family. Smart Museum of Art, 5550 S. Greenwood Ave. January 10-December 16. Tuesday-Wednesday, 10am-4pm; Thursday, 10am-8pm; Friday, 10am-4pm; Saturday-Sunday, 11am-5pm. Free. (773)702-0200. smartmuseum.uchicago.edu (Harunobu Coryne)

30
* Angels in AmericaAngels in America

The Court Theatre will end its season with Tony Kushner’s Pulitzer Prize–winning epic two-part play. The artistic team includes none other than Tony Kushner himself, here on an Exploratory Fellowship with the Gray Center for Arts and Inquiry. Joseph Jefferson Award–winning director Charles Newell puts every historical, supernatural, political, theological, and emotional aspect of the play together in the Court’s grand but intimate space. With tickets sold separately for Parts I & II, audiences will be able to experience this magnificent story of disease and life, feeling the effects of a seven-hour run time. Court Theatre, 5535 S. Ellis Ave. Through June 3. Wednesday and Thursday, 7:30pm; Friday, 8pm; Saturday, 2pm and 8pm; Sunday, 2pm. (773)753-4472. -. angelsinchicago.com (Meaghan Murphy)
* Hairy Blob Hairy Blob

The play of time in weighty and practical matters constitutes one of the thematic concerns of “Hairy Blob,” a group exhibition at the Hyde Park Art Center. Sculpture, video, drawing, sound, and "participatory events" allow visitors to explore the several contributing artists' contemplations of time. The exhibit plays with history and literature, with time both geographical and performative—transforming encyclopedias into a mirror and surreptitiously slipping exhibits into and out of their galleries. During the exhibition’s run, look for some of the artists walking the halls as mysteriously and fleetingly as this building-spanning exhibition’s subject matter, while the artwork evolves to include film installations and archive materials. The exhibition is curated by SAIC faculty member Adelheid Mers. Hyde Park Art Center, 5020 S. Cornell Ave. April 22-July 29. Reception April 22, 3pm-5pm. Monday-Thursday 10am-8pm; Friday-Saturday, 10am-5pm; Sunday noon-5pm. Free. (773)324-5520. hydeparkart.org (Autumn McConnico)
* Uppers and DownersUppers and Downers

New year, new you, right? 2012 is here, and with it comes the expected glut of superficial, too-fat, too-bored, too-tired, under-read, over-worked, instant-ramen, "tell me how, Martha Stewart" New Year's resolutions. Well, for a timely jab at the shallow materialism of our times, look no further than the University of Chicago's Smart Museum, where artist Chris Voorhees and the installation gurus at SIMPARCH are putting on Upper and Downers , a plywood-wrought mess of social commentary, set in the form of a sparse and hermetic kitchen mock-up (faucet fixtures included!). Sarcasm, sass, and sinister beauty are to be found in the site-specific pieces, which spells fun for the whole, miserable family. Smart Museum of Art, 5550 S. Greenwood Ave. Through December 16. Tuesday-Wednesday, 10am-4pm; Thursday, 10am-8pm; Friday, 10am-4pm; Saturday-Sunday, 11am-5pm. Free. (773)702-0200. smartmuseum.uchicago.edu (Harunobu Coryne)
* KeepersKeepers

A new event for your Mayan Calendar: a pre-apocalypse showing of artwork that sprang from a culture that long outlasted that Mesoamerican civilization and, barring apocalyptic disaster, might survive a while longer yet. One of a trio of new exhibitions at Pilsen’s National Museum of Mexican Art, “Keepers” debuts new additions—guardians of a Mexican culture sin fronteras —to the museum’s Permanent Collection. A poignant “show-and-tell” of pieces determined to outlast the twinkies and the cockroaches of American transience, the exhibit features over fifty participating artists from Chicago, the West Coast, and throughout Mexico. Some of the artists may be anonymous, but in the various forms of beauty of their Mexican heritage, all of them have found something worth keeping. National Museum of Mexican Art, 1825 W. 19th St. Through October 21. Tuesday-Sunday, 10am-5pm. Free. (312)738-1503. nationalmuseumofmexicanart.org (Bonnie Fan)
* Mardonio Magaña: Circa 1938Mardonio Magaña: Circa 1938

The National Museum of Mexican Art is no stranger to housing the works of famous and talented artists. However, the artist featured in the latest exhibit at the NMMA has received praise greater than that of any other artist's review in some yuppie magazine. The exhibit features the work of Mardonio Magaña (1865-1947), dubbed “the greatest contemporary Mexican sculptor” by Diego Rivera. The NMMA holds the largest collection of the revered sculptor’s work outside of Mexico, and the exhibit—entitled “Mardonio Magaña: Circa 1938”—will showcase thirteen of Magaña’s direct carvings in wood in addition to presenting information on the artist’s life story and that of musicians Annette and Louis Kaufman, two of Magaña’s collectors. Blending both his work and the story of how it came about, “Mardonio Magaña: Circa 1938” promises to be an educational and stimulating exhibit. National Museum of Mexican Art, 1852 W. 19th St. Through October 7. Tuesday-Sunday, 10am-5pm. Free.(312)738-1503. nationalmuseumofmexicanart.org (Amanya Maloba)
* Uppers and Downers Uppers and Downers

New year, new you, right? 2012 is here, and with it comes the expected glut of superficial, too-fat, too-bored, too-tired, under-read, over-worked, instant-ramen, "tell me how, Martha Stewart" New Year's resolutions. Well, for a timely jab at the shallow materialism of our times, look no further than the University of Chicago's Smart Museum, where artist Chris Voorhees and the installation gurus at SIMPARCH are putting on Upper and Downers, a plywood-wrought mess of social commentary, set in the form of a sparse and hermetic kitchen mock-up (faucet fixtures included!). Sarcasm, sass, and sinister beauty are to be found in the site-specific pieces, which spells fun for the whole, miserable family. Smart Museum of Art, 5550 S. Greenwood Ave. January 10-December 16. Tuesday-Wednesday, 10am-4pm; Thursday, 10am-8pm; Friday, 10am-4pm; Saturday-Sunday, 11am-5pm. Free. (773)702-0200. smartmuseum.uchicago.edu (Harunobu Coryne)

31
* Angels in AmericaAngels in America

The Court Theatre will end its season with Tony Kushner’s Pulitzer Prize–winning epic two-part play. The artistic team includes none other than Tony Kushner himself, here on an Exploratory Fellowship with the Gray Center for Arts and Inquiry. Joseph Jefferson Award–winning director Charles Newell puts every historical, supernatural, political, theological, and emotional aspect of the play together in the Court’s grand but intimate space. With tickets sold separately for Parts I & II, audiences will be able to experience this magnificent story of disease and life, feeling the effects of a seven-hour run time. Court Theatre, 5535 S. Ellis Ave. Through June 3. Wednesday and Thursday, 7:30pm; Friday, 8pm; Saturday, 2pm and 8pm; Sunday, 2pm. (773)753-4472. -. angelsinchicago.com (Meaghan Murphy)
* Hairy Blob Hairy Blob

The play of time in weighty and practical matters constitutes one of the thematic concerns of “Hairy Blob,” a group exhibition at the Hyde Park Art Center. Sculpture, video, drawing, sound, and "participatory events" allow visitors to explore the several contributing artists' contemplations of time. The exhibit plays with history and literature, with time both geographical and performative—transforming encyclopedias into a mirror and surreptitiously slipping exhibits into and out of their galleries. During the exhibition’s run, look for some of the artists walking the halls as mysteriously and fleetingly as this building-spanning exhibition’s subject matter, while the artwork evolves to include film installations and archive materials. The exhibition is curated by SAIC faculty member Adelheid Mers. Hyde Park Art Center, 5020 S. Cornell Ave. April 22-July 29. Reception April 22, 3pm-5pm. Monday-Thursday 10am-8pm; Friday-Saturday, 10am-5pm; Sunday noon-5pm. Free. (773)324-5520. hydeparkart.org (Autumn McConnico)
* Uppers and DownersUppers and Downers

New year, new you, right? 2012 is here, and with it comes the expected glut of superficial, too-fat, too-bored, too-tired, under-read, over-worked, instant-ramen, "tell me how, Martha Stewart" New Year's resolutions. Well, for a timely jab at the shallow materialism of our times, look no further than the University of Chicago's Smart Museum, where artist Chris Voorhees and the installation gurus at SIMPARCH are putting on Upper and Downers , a plywood-wrought mess of social commentary, set in the form of a sparse and hermetic kitchen mock-up (faucet fixtures included!). Sarcasm, sass, and sinister beauty are to be found in the site-specific pieces, which spells fun for the whole, miserable family. Smart Museum of Art, 5550 S. Greenwood Ave. Through December 16. Tuesday-Wednesday, 10am-4pm; Thursday, 10am-8pm; Friday, 10am-4pm; Saturday-Sunday, 11am-5pm. Free. (773)702-0200. smartmuseum.uchicago.edu (Harunobu Coryne)
* KeepersKeepers

A new event for your Mayan Calendar: a pre-apocalypse showing of artwork that sprang from a culture that long outlasted that Mesoamerican civilization and, barring apocalyptic disaster, might survive a while longer yet. One of a trio of new exhibitions at Pilsen’s National Museum of Mexican Art, “Keepers” debuts new additions—guardians of a Mexican culture sin fronteras —to the museum’s Permanent Collection. A poignant “show-and-tell” of pieces determined to outlast the twinkies and the cockroaches of American transience, the exhibit features over fifty participating artists from Chicago, the West Coast, and throughout Mexico. Some of the artists may be anonymous, but in the various forms of beauty of their Mexican heritage, all of them have found something worth keeping. National Museum of Mexican Art, 1825 W. 19th St. Through October 21. Tuesday-Sunday, 10am-5pm. Free. (312)738-1503. nationalmuseumofmexicanart.org (Bonnie Fan)
* Mardonio Magaña: Circa 1938Mardonio Magaña: Circa 1938

The National Museum of Mexican Art is no stranger to housing the works of famous and talented artists. However, the artist featured in the latest exhibit at the NMMA has received praise greater than that of any other artist's review in some yuppie magazine. The exhibit features the work of Mardonio Magaña (1865-1947), dubbed “the greatest contemporary Mexican sculptor” by Diego Rivera. The NMMA holds the largest collection of the revered sculptor’s work outside of Mexico, and the exhibit—entitled “Mardonio Magaña: Circa 1938”—will showcase thirteen of Magaña’s direct carvings in wood in addition to presenting information on the artist’s life story and that of musicians Annette and Louis Kaufman, two of Magaña’s collectors. Blending both his work and the story of how it came about, “Mardonio Magaña: Circa 1938” promises to be an educational and stimulating exhibit. National Museum of Mexican Art, 1852 W. 19th St. Through October 7. Tuesday-Sunday, 10am-5pm. Free.(312)738-1503. nationalmuseumofmexicanart.org (Amanya Maloba)
* Uppers and Downers Uppers and Downers

New year, new you, right? 2012 is here, and with it comes the expected glut of superficial, too-fat, too-bored, too-tired, under-read, over-worked, instant-ramen, "tell me how, Martha Stewart" New Year's resolutions. Well, for a timely jab at the shallow materialism of our times, look no further than the University of Chicago's Smart Museum, where artist Chris Voorhees and the installation gurus at SIMPARCH are putting on Upper and Downers, a plywood-wrought mess of social commentary, set in the form of a sparse and hermetic kitchen mock-up (faucet fixtures included!). Sarcasm, sass, and sinister beauty are to be found in the site-specific pieces, which spells fun for the whole, miserable family. Smart Museum of Art, 5550 S. Greenwood Ave. January 10-December 16. Tuesday-Wednesday, 10am-4pm; Thursday, 10am-8pm; Friday, 10am-4pm; Saturday-Sunday, 11am-5pm. Free. (773)702-0200. smartmuseum.uchicago.edu (Harunobu Coryne)

Category Key
	Film & Stage
	General
	Music
	Visual Arts

Calendar developed and supported by Kieran O'Shea

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