Blog Archives

Ernest Hemingway-Inspired Workshop on November 3rd

10/30/2014

Monday, November 3rd
(6:00-7:00, 7:15-8:30 p.m.)

Mozart Park Fieldhouse
2036 N. Avers Ave.
Chicago, IL 60647

all ages, free & open to the public

You are invited to come to our next "Chicago Heroes & Arts Journeys" workshop, when we:

Learn more about Ernest Hemingway's writings and legacy;
Read and talk about "The Old Man at the Bridge," "Champs d'Honneur," and several other short stories and poems by Hemingway;
Read and talk about other writings by and about Hemingway -- such as a postcard from Hemingway to Gertrude Stein and Alice B. Toklas, a letter from F. Scott Fitzgerald to Hemingway, and George Plimpton's Paris Review interview with Hemingway;
Work on creative writing activities that use passages of Hemingway's writings as grist.

Location: Mozart Park is in Chicago's Logan Square neighborhood. It's on the north side of Armitage Ave. -- several blocks east of Pulaski Rd., just south of Dickens and Shakespeare Streets. Our workshop series happens in the room to the left of fieldhouse lobby; some workshop sessions may happen outside in the park, weather permitting.

Transportation & parking: Mozart Park can be reached by public transportation (such as the #73 Armitage Ave. bus, and not far from the Logan Square and Western Ave. stations on the CTA's blue line. Mozart Park has a parking lot on Armitage, east of Avers.

Registering for Chicago Heroes & Arts Journeys: You can register for this workshop series at the Chicago Park District website.

Additional info: You can contact us by clicking here (if you have questions about this workshop or to RSVP). Click here to find out more about the Chicago Heroes & Arts Journeys workshop series.

Links:

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Mingus Awareness Project Concert at The Promontory

10/28/2014

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Mark your calendars! Our next Mingus Awareness Project concert is coming soon --

Sunday, December 7 (7 p.m.)

The Promontory
5311 South Lake Park Ave West
Chicago, IL

$20 / $15 for students

On December 7, a group of musicians will gather at The Promontory to celebrate the life and music of Charles Mingus, and to benefit the Les Turner ALS Foundation. Mingus, an American musical hero who died of ALS, is one of the greatest figures in jazz history. His bass playing, compositions and philosophy have transcended his genre and left indelible marks on music history.

The MAPtet performs two sets of music:
Rebecca Cohn -- trombone
Paul Hartsaw -- tenor saxophone
Jon Hey -- piano
Juli Wood -- baritone saxophone
Dan Godston -- trumpet
Michael Hesiak -- alto saxophone
Jon Godston -- soprano saxophone
Tom Berg -- clarinet, flute and bass clarinet
Alex Wing -- upright bass
Damon Short -- drums
with special guest Renée Baker (violin)

This Mingus Awareness Project concert is presented by the Borderbend Arts Collective, in partnership with the Les Turner ALS Foundation. More than a dozen Mingus Awareness Project concerts have happened since its inception in 2007. Mingus Awareness Project concerts have happened in the Chicago area (at the Velvet Lounge, Jazz Showcase, Hideout, HotHouse, Martyrs’ and Fitzgerald’s) and Richmond, Virginia (at the Camel, Rhythm Hall, and Balliceaux).

Attendees will have opportunities to participate in a raffle during the event. Donations can be made to the Les Turner ALS Foundation via the Mingus Awareness Project link. Your donations are greatly appreciated. All proceeds will go to benefit the Les Turner ALS Foundation.

Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS), also known as Lou Gehrig’s disease or motor neuron disease (MND), causes motor neurons to stop working and die. The result is loss of voluntary movement and muscle functions such as speaking, swallowing, and breathing. ALS occurs regardless of race, ethnicity or socioeconomic status. ALS is most common between 40 and 70 years of age, although it can strike at any age. In the US, someone is diagnosed every 90 minutes, and 35,000 people are living with ALS. Average lifespan is three to five years from diagnosis. Approximately 10% of all cases are inherited forms, and a faulty protein pathway is known to play a role in all types of ALS. Though treatment of symptoms often improves quality of life, there is no cure for ALS.

poster images by Josh Josue

About the Les Turner ALS Foundation

Since 1977, the Les Turner ALS Foundation has been a leader in research, patient care, and education about Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS), better known as Lou Gehrig's disease, and other motor neuron diseases (MND). The Foundation serves more than 90% of the ALS population in the Chicago area. The Foundation is also one of the nation's largest independent ALS organizations and has raised nearly $45 million to fight Lou Gehrig's disease. In addition, through wide-ranging research and symposiums for healthcare professionals, the Foundation reaches the ALS community worldwide. The Foundation is affiliated with Northwestern Medicine and is a founding member of the International Alliance of ALS/MND Associations.

Links:

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Our Next Arts Workshop: Viola Spolin, Paul Sills, Elaine May, Mike Nichols and Del Close

10/17/2014

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Monday, October 27th
(6:00-7:00, 7:15-8:30 p.m.)

Mozart Park Fieldhouse
2036 N. Avers Ave.
Chicago, IL 60647

all ages, free & open to the public

You are invited to come to our next "Chicago Heroes & Arts Journeys" workshop, when we:

Learn more about the work and legacies of Viola Spolin, Paul Sills, Elaine May, Mike Nichols and Del Close;
Experiment with several improv games from Improvisation for the Theater by Viola Spolin;
Listen to and watch comedy sketches created by several individuals associated with the Compass Theater and Second City; and
Create artworks inspired by those five innovators.

Links:

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"Diaspora Voices" at the Haitian American Museum of Chicago

10/5/2014

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Friday, October 10 (8:30 p.m.)

Haitian American Museum of Chicago
4654 N. Racine Ave.
Chicago, IL 60640

phone: (773) 213-1869

$10 admission

The Chicago Calling Arts Festival is a multi-arts collaboration festival in which artists in Chicago work with artists outside of Chicago, both in the U.S. and abroad. These collaborations include a range of art forms, such as music, dance, film, literature, and intermedia, and they are prepared or improvised. Some Chicago Calling events involve live feeds between Chicago and other locations.

The 19th Annual Chicago Artists Month highlights the work of hundreds of artists throughout Chicago with performances, exhibitions, open studios, tours and neighborhood art walks. September 27 – October 31, 2014, Chicago Artists Month (CAM) will invite residents and visitors to meet artists and see their work at venues across Chicago. The 2014 theme, “Crossing Borders,” showcases 20 featured programs and artists in neighborhoods ranging from Avondale to Andersonville, Lakeview to Little Village, West Town to Wicker Park and Lawndale to the Loop. CAM is presented by the Chicago Department of Cultural Affairs and Special Events in collaboration with the Chicago Park District and numerous community partners.

The Haitian American Museum of Chicago, Crossing Borders Music, and the Borderbend Arts Collective are partnering to debut a performance of Diaspora Voices, a program of of music by Haitian composers living in the U.S. The works by composers Gifrants, Rudy Perrault, Julio Racine, and others include compositions dealing with nostalgia, loss, cultural preservation, and the simple feelings of everyday life. This concert also includes writings by Haitian American authors. Diaspora Voices, which happens during the Ninth Annual Chicago Calling Arts Festival and Chicago Artists Month, is being supported by a grant from the Illinois Arts Council.

Founded in 2011, Crossing Borders Music has become the leading interpreter of chamber music from Haiti and Uganda, and a pioneering, critically acclaimed presenter of music by graduates of the Bahá'í Institute of Higher Education in Iran. The mission of Crossing Borders Music is to foster intercultural appreciation, understanding, and cooperation through music. To this end, Crossing Borders Music presents moving music that tells compelling stories by composers from under-represented cultures - music that invites audiences to learn more and get involved. Crossing Borders Music is a 501(c)3 not-for-profit organization.

Links:

"A Rare Look at Haiti: Maya Deren’s Divine Horsemen" by Maria Popova (brainpickings.org, 10/7/2010)

Synopsis of my work in Haitian music -- Gifrants (kiskeacity.com)

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Crossing Borders/Peace: Seven Voices

10/4/2014

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Thursday, October 9 (6-9 p.m.)

Cup & Spoon
2415 W. North Ave.
Chicago, IL 60647

Free and open to the public

"Crossing Borders/Peace: Seven Voices" is a Chicago Calling Arts Festival performance event that features Beatriz Badikian-Gartler, Elizabeth Marino, Santosh Bakaya, Luis Tubens, Janet Kuypers, Tumelo Khosa, and Kate Cullan. Curated by Elizabeth Marino.

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"Crossing Borders/Peace: Seven Voices" happens during the Ninth Annual Chicago Calling Arts Festival. Chicago Calling is a multi-arts collaboration festival; during Chicago Calling 2014 people in Chicago work with people outside of Chicago -- both here in the U.S. and abroad. These collaborations include a range of art forms, such as music, dance, film, literature, and intermedia -- and they are prepared or improvised. Some Chicago Calling events involve live feeds between Chicago and other locations.

The Chicago Calling Arts Festival is part of the 19th Annual Chicago Artists Month, which highlights the work of hundreds of artists throughout Chicago with performances, exhibitions, open studios, tours and neighborhood art walks. September 27 – October 31, 2014, Chicago Artists Month (CAM) will invite residents and visitors to meet artists and see their work at venues across Chicago. The 2014 theme, “Crossing Borders,” showcases 20 featured programs and artists in neighborhoods ranging from Avondale to Andersonville, Lakeview to Little Village, West Town to Wicker Park and Lawndale to the Loop.

CAM is presented by the Chicago Department of Cultural Affairs and Special Events in collaboration with the Chicago Park District and numerous community partners.

Above: Bahrain Swat, Pakastan
Photo credit: Jabbar Kahn Mohmand

Links:

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Chicago Calling at Powell's Books

10/1/2014

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Sunday, October 12 (3-6 p.m.)

Powell's Books
1218 S. Halsted St.
Chicago, IL 60607

You are invited to come to Chicago Calling at Powell's Books --

"Bringing Mother Jones Back to Chicago" -- a performance by American Book Award winning author Jeff Biggers with musical collaborators Adam Zanolini (flute, saxophone), Bonbonfera Tim Keenan (percussion), Dan Godston (small instruments, trumpet)
The Next Objectivists perform "Made in America"
Interdisciplinary (poetry, mail art, music) collaborations that creatively explore Tender Buttons by Gertrude Stein and Lunch Poems by Frank O'Hara -- with the Bay Area Correspondence School, Fist of Kindness, Janina Ciezadlo, Elizabeth Marino, Charlie Newman, Dana Jerman, Vittorio Carli, Elizabeth Harper, Steven Schroeder, Suzanne Osman, Bob Rashkow, DJ Boz, Carolyn Curtis Magri and Brass Lines
Book release for Unveiling the Mind: Poems by Beatriz Badikian-Gartler

"Chicago Calling at Powell's Books" happens during the Ninth Annual Chicago Calling Arts Festival. Chicago Calling is a multi-arts collaboration festival; during the Ninth Annual Chicago Calling Arts Festival people in Chicago work with people outside of Chicago -- both here in the U.S. and abroad. These collaborations include a range of art forms, such as music, dance, film, literature, and intermedia -- and they are prepared or improvised. Some Chicago Calling events involve live feeds between Chicago and other locations.

The Chicago Calling Arts Festival is part of the 19th Annual Chicago Artists Month, which highlights the work of hundreds of artists throughout Chicago with performances, exhibitions, open studios, tours and neighborhood art walks. September 27 – October 31, 2014, Chicago Artists Month (CAM) will invite residents and visitors to meet artists and see their work at venues across Chicago. The 2014 theme, “Crossing Borders,” showcases 20 featured programs and artists in neighborhoods ranging from Avondale to Andersonville, Lakeview to Little Village, West Town to Wicker Park and Lawndale to the Loop.

CAM is presented by the Chicago Department of Cultural Affairs and Special Events in collaboration with the Chicago Park District and numerous community partners.

Links:

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Ernest Hemingway-Inspired Workshop on November 3rd

Mingus Awareness Project Concert at The Promontory

Our Next Arts Workshop: Viola Spolin, Paul Sills, Elaine May, Mike Nichols and Del Close

"Diaspora Voices" at the Haitian American Museum of Chicago

Crossing Borders/Peace: Seven Voices

Chicago Calling at Powell's Books

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