Road to Freedom: Photographs of the Civil Rights Movement 1956-1968
Ongoing Through September 7
Revisit the defining moments in American history when our great nation was caught in one of the most tumultuous social struggles of our time. More than 150 iconic black-and-white photographs depict the great leaders of the Civil Rights Movement, as well as the multitude of activists and students who took to the streets in the pursuit of freedom and equality during the 1950s and 60s. Taken by artists, photojournalists, and amateurs alike, such gripping photos played a crucial role in shaping public opinion and spurred a revolution that changed a nation. Re-discover the vision and tenacity of these dedicated and gifted Civil Rights pioneers - from both sides of the camera -on display at The Field Museum., Road to Freedom: Photographs of the Civil Rights Movement 1956-1968 is organized by the High Museum of Art, Atlanta.
Price: $13-15
Discounts: Target Free Second Mondays!
A Force for Change: African American Art and the Julius Rosenwald Fund
Ongoing Through August 16th
A Force for Change: African American Art and the Julius Rosenwald Fund is the first exhibition to explore the legacy of the Julius Rosenwald Fund created by the Chicago businessman and philanthropist to foster black leadership through the arts, literature, and scholarship. From 1928 to 1948, the Fund awarded stipends to hundreds of prominent and emerging African Americans artists, writers, and scholars across such disciplines as history, sociology, literature, and the visual and performing arts. A Force for Change will present the artistic and scholarly products of Julius Rosenwald's support, and will include more than sixty paintings, sculptures, and works on paper by twenty-two Rosenwald fellows, as well as a selection of documentary and archival materials. Artists include Elizabeth Catlett, Aaron Douglas, Katherine Dunham, Jacob Lawrence, Gordon Parks, Rose Piper, Augusta Savage, Charles White, and Hale Woodruff, among others.
Price: $7
SummerDance: Salsa Celtica
Thursday, August 6, 2009, 6 - 9:30pm
The 13th annual Chicago SummerDance series presents free mambo dance lessons by Andy Cruz and live music by Salsa Celtica. Salsa Celtica is a vibrant 11-piece world music fusion band that mixes traditional Irish and Scottish music with salsa.
Salsa Celtica is a vibrant 11-piece world music fusion band from Edinburgh, Scotland. Their synthesis of Scottish and Irish traditional music with all the Latin American elements of salsa has taken them and their music all over the world. In the last ten years the group has been a hit equally at major Celtic, jazz, world music and salsa festivals. Their albums have topped the New York and L.A. salsa charts and European world music charts. The lineup combines some of Scotland and Ireland's most exciting traditional musicians mixed with a stellar group of world, jazz and salsa musicians from the U.K. and Latin America.
Price: Free!
Other Times To-Do It: Thursdays - Sundays, June 11 - August 23
Hot Summer Nights: Lamajamal with Erika Ochoa
Thursday, August 6, 2009, 6 - 8pm
Lamajamal combines a wide variety of musical styles, instruments, rhythms, and songs into one universal expression. Along with Erika Ochoa, Chicago's premier belly dance instructor, this performance will transport audience members to the Balkans and beyond.
Price: Free!
Other Times To-Do It: Thursdays, June 11 - September 3
Jazzin' at the Shedd: Soulio
Thursday, August 6, 2009, 6 - 10pm
North Terrace- SOULIO, Soulio is a funky, Chicago-based acoustic quintet that serves up fun, groovy, accessible jazz. Whether you call it jazz-soul, hard-bop, or instrumental funk, the jazz they play has a nearly universal appeal. People of all ages and backgrounds immediately respond to its warm blues and soulful vibe., Rotunda- ALEJANDRO URZAGASTE, Alejandro Urzagaste is working on a new recording due out in November. The recording features Dennis Carroll, George Fludas and Jodie Christian. Alejandro currently teaches at Geoff Benge's Guitar Shop and through the Thelonious Monk Institute. He plays a Hofner Jazzica guitar.
Price: $12; Members, Free!
Other Times To-Do It: Thursdays, June 4 through Aug. 27
World Class Jazz: Rudresh Mahanthappa's Chicago Legacy Ensemble featuring Bunky Green
Thursday, August 6, 2009, 6:30 - 8:30pm
Two formerly Chicagoan powerhouses of the alto saxophone, Bunky Green and Rudresh Mahanthappa, come together in a long awaited meeting of minds. Mahanthappa fuses his Indo-American roots with the Chicago tradition that Bunky Green helped to create.
Every Made in Chicago: World Class Jazz concert kicks off with aspiring musicians from Chicago-area high schools, as part of the Jazz Institute of Chicago's Jazz Links Educational Program.
Price: Free!
New Era In Jazz: Carlos Cannon
Thursday, August 6, 2009, 8 - 9:30pm
Carlos Cannon, a smooth jazz saxophonist and native Chicagoan, has been making his mark throughout the states and around the Chicago area for more than a decade as a professional soloist & contemporary jazz artist. His newly released CD, "Thinking of You," is one of the most requested smooth jazz CD in Chicago and is reaching the attention across the states. Thinking of You has a total of 11 songs mostly written by the artist himself. Some of the CD's hottest picks are; "Come Together" by the Beetles, "Tak'N It Smooth" and "You make me Smile." The "Thinking of You" CD was produced by Chicago's most renowned recording artist, bass-master Michael Mason and co-produced by Gerry Johnson. The smooth jazz CD was recorded at Hinge Studio in Chicago. Cannon released his debut CD, "Carlos Cannon-Chicago's Finest," in 2001and it topped #23 in Billboard magazine. Since the release of his debut CD, Carlos Cannon has sold more than 20,000 copies.
Price: Free!
Lollapalooza
Friday, August 7 - Sunday, August 9, 2009, 11am - 10pm
Lollapalooza in Chicago is more than just a concert. It is a musical, cultural, community experience, and is the first of its kind in this beautiful space. Grant Park is a jewel that the citizens of Chicago hold dear, and takes center stage as the star of this colossal show. Come to enjoy the music, the food, the art, the park, and each other. Remember that this is your party Chicago, and you should be proud. And when Lollapalooza packs up on Monday, we hope that the park and the city are just a little better than they were before the show began.
Price: Lollapalooza LollaLounge VIP 3-Day Pass, $850; Lollapalooza 3-day Pass, $175; Lollapalooza Single Day Pass, $80.
Art di Gras Champagne Reception
Friday, August 7, 2009, 5 - 9pm
Please join us for Art di Gras IV at Gallery Guichard Fine Art Gallery Fourth Anniversary Celebration! Artist talk at 7:30pm.
Price: Free!
SummerDance: Papo Santiago y Orquesta Infraverde
Friday, August 7, 2009, 6 - 9:30pm
The 13th annual Chicago SummerDance series presents free Cha Cha Cha dance lessons and live music by Papo Santiago y Orquesta Infraverde which is dedicated to the preservation of the sonero tradition.
Papo Santiago started his musical journey in Ponce, Puerto Rico, the birthplace of some of the most celebrated musicians in Latin music history. After mastering the saxophone and all its variants, he honed the craft of flute playing with Banda Municipal de Ponce 1985. Santiago moved to Chicago in the late 1980's. His career as a musician, singer, composer and director has spanned more than 25 years.
Price: Free!
MCA's First Fridays
Friday, August 7, 2009, 6 - 10pm
Happy hour takes on a new meaning with First Fridays at the MCA. Relax after a long workweek with a cash bar featuring Absolut Vodka specialty drinks and free Wolfgang Puck appetizers. Enjoy live music from local DJs, the world's only iMac G5 digital dating bar, and creation stations right within our open galleries. Each month features an up-and-coming Chicago artist in a preview of the latest 12 x 12: New Artists/New Work exhibition. Keep the festivities going at our after-parties at Chicago's newest and hottest spots. First Fridays tickets include museum admission, live entertainment, and complimentary Wolfgang Puck hors d'oeuvres. Please call the MCA box office at 312.397.4010 or visit www.ticketweb.com. Cash bar until 9:30 pm. Guests must be 21 or older to enter.
Door: $16
Advance: $11
Concerts In the Parks: Sax Preacher (AIH)
Friday, August 7, 2009, 6:30 - 8:30pm
Darrell "Sax Preacher" Wilson, Sax Preacher has been in the music industry for the past 30 years. Having had managers to run out on him and his band with hard earned monies they turned over with a promise of bookings and studio time, Sax Preacher acquired a vast knowledge in Arts, Entertainment and Media Management at Columbia College. Sax Preacher took this opportunity to share this knowledge with his band members and then became the manager and booking agent for the band. Realizing that there were other struggling artist that were being lied to, he started a production company with the intent to teach struggling artist the business of music. Sax Preacher was then asked to record an album with the Super Bowl Champions Walter Payton and Refrigerator Perry entitled "TOGETHER". Sax Preacher using his marketing talents and know how produced his own 12" single entitled "SAXATION" and was able to get it played on every major radio station during prime time. Sax Preacher then began traveling all over the country with ROY HYTOWER (The Root Doctor) and his band Motif, performing in countries like Finland, Canada, and Europe. Sax Preacher has now come full circle to again provide an opportunity for struggling artist to take their musical careers into their own hands by learning this business of music! He's also released his new CD entitled "The Soul Of Sax" on his label TOMA Records. The style is contemporary jazz.
Price: Free!
Friday Evening "Sit & Sip"
Friday, August 7, 2009, 7 - 10pm
Start your weekend by meeting up with friends at WineStyles. Enjoy wine, beer, board games, and more. And don't forget, we're B.Y.O.F. (that's Bring Your Own Food). Live music by Vo starts at 8pm, We're your cheap date night.
Price: Free!
Black Harvest Opening Night: A Black Harvest Feast
Friday, August 7, 2009, 7:30 - 8:30pm
Join master of ceremonies LeeAnn Trotter of NBC 5 Chicago for the opening night celebration. The Deloris Jordan Award for Excellence in Community Leadership will be presented to Hermene Hartman, Publisher/Editor-in-Chief of N'DIGO. The Gene Siskel Film Center Renaissance Award will be presented to film, television, and stage actor Hill Harper. After the show, the audience is invited to join our celebrity guests for a reception graciously hosted by Whole Foods Market in the Film Center's gallery/café. Due to conflicts with his CSI: NY production schedule Hill Harper will be accepting his award via video.
Kena Tangi Dorsey in person! A Black Harvest Feast, Enjoy a sneak preview of the 2009 "harvest" through an exciting selection of four short films conveying the spirit and vibrant feeling of the month-long festival.
Soleil's Take: Opening night will sell out! View the entire Black Harvest Film Festival Schedule!
Price: $10
Other Times To-Do It: August 7 though September 3
The Four Tops and The Temptations
Friday, August 7, 2009, 8 - 11pm
The Four Tops: The Four Tops are an American Motown musical quartet, whose repertoire has included doo-wop, jazz, soul music, R&B, disco, adult contemporary, and showtunes. Founded in Detroit, Michigan as The Four Aims, lead singer Levi Stubbs (a cousin of Jackie Wilson), and groupmates Abdul "Duke" Fakir, Renaldo "Obie" Benson, and Lawrence Payton remained together for over four decades, finally forced to endure a lineup change when Payton died in 1997. At that time, Theo Peoples was added to the lineup; Peoples later replaced Stubbs, who fell ill from a stroke, and Ronnie McNair assumed Peoples' spot. In July 2005, Benson died of lung cancer with Payton's son Roquel replacing him. As of April, 2005, Fakir, McNeir, Payton and Peoples still perform together as The Four Tops.
The Temptations: For more than forty years, the Temptations have prospered, propelling popular music with a series of smash hits and sold-out performances throughout the world. Now in the new millennium, their latest release, Awesome, is being called the hottest in Temptation history. "The crowds are bigger, the sales are sizzling," says one industry report. "The outpouring of affection for this super group has never been greater." The history of the Temptations is the history of contemporary American pop. An essential component of the original Motown machine, that amazing engine invented by Berry Gordy, the Temps began their musical life in Detroit in the early sixties. It wasn't until 1964, however, that the Smokey Robinson written-and-produced "The Way You Do the Things You Do" turned the guys into stars.
Price: $45, Reserved; $22, Advance, $27, Gate (Lawn)
Corey Wilkes
Friday, August 7 and Saturday, August 8, 2009
A young lion with a roar being heard in several music genres; Corey Wilkes burst onto the music scene in 2002 and landed in the soul of the Chicago Jazz Club scene. For his next feat he took on the ghost of Lester Bowie and filled the vacant trumpet seat in the Art Ensemble of Chicago. Big shoes to fill for a new musician but Corey isn't an ordinary musician. He began at the age of 10, made the Illinois All State Honors Jazz Combo in high school and honed his talent at Berklee College of Music., His soulful notes can be heard gracing a variety of projects such as DJ sets by Logic, Osunlade and Josh Deep; tracks on Hidden Beach's Unwrapped Vol 4, as well as Kahil El Zabar's Ascension Loft Series., Corey has shared the stage and knowledge with Wynton Marsalis, Roy Hargrove, Ledisi, Soulive, James Moody, Meshell N'degeocello, Mike Phillips, Roscoe Mitchell, Von Freeman, Will Calhoun, Malcom Jamal-Warner and so many more. In addition he performs extensively in Europe as well as Africa and South America.
Price: $5
Millennium Park Morning Fitness
Saturday, August 8, 2009, 7 - 11am
WEEKLY TAI CHI 7am: Start your day with this ancient Chinese martial art that has brought peace and discipline to its adherents for centuries.
YOGA 8 a.m.: Start your day with Yoga in the Park, a class that helps to improve strength, balance, mental focus and flexibility through guided poses, mental imagery and breath work.
PILATES 9 a.m.: Strengthen the core muscles with Pilates in the Park and improve your posture, muscular imbalances and flexibility through a series of ground-based exercises.
DANCE 10 a.m. Dance to the beat with a workout led by members of one of Chicago's outstanding area dance companies. August: Samba Dance Mania with Shirley Vieira and Edilson Lima of Brazil via Chicago, Dance and get fit to the Brazilian rhythms of the samba at Samba Dance Mania with Shirley Vieira and Edilson Lima of Brazil via Chicago.
Price: Free!
80th Annual Bud Billiken Parade
Saturday, August 8, 2009, 10am - 4pm
Objective: Give underprivileged children an opportunity to be in the limelight. Parade History: Bud Billiken Day was originated in 1929, as Mr. Abbott's wish to organize a day of fun for youth who sold his newspaper and the club members. Today, Mr. Abbott's wish has grown to the largest parade and picnic of its kind in the United States, with more than 50 million children and their families having participated since its inception. The parade is produced by The Defender Charities organization and has over 300 sponsors/participants.
Price: Free!
Chicago Neighborhood Tour: Devon Avenue
Saturday, August 8, 2009, 10am - 2:30pm
Check out Devon Avenue's Indian and Pakistani communities. The traditional welcome at the Indo-American Center sets the tone. Along Devon Avenue, fulfill your wish list for exotic delicacies in international delis and groceries. Browse sparkling jewelry stores and colorful sari shops. Back at the Indo-American Center, discuss Indian culture while sampling the cuisine. It's a "wrap" with a delightful classic Indian dance and a sari-wrapping demonstration.
Tour Highlights:
* Traditional Indian Welcome, Discussion/Dance/Demonstration at the Indo-American Center
* Guided Walking Tour of Devon Avenue
* Light Indian Refreshments Included
Price: $30
Ella Jenkins Kids' Concert
Saturday, August 8, 2009, 11am - 12:30pm
Ella shares with children of one culture what she's learned from children of other cultures. She has gained knowledge and inspiration by performing and working with children on seven continents for four decades. She encourages active participation using music from diverse cultures. With her ukulele, usually a harmonica, sometimes a guitar, occasionally a piano, and many small percussion instruments (a kaluba drum, keyboard imitating steel drums, guiro, maracas, a tambourine . . .) she takes listeners on a multilingual, multicultural journey-teaching the art of communication through music.
Price: $10, Reserved; $5, Lawn
ChicaGourmets: African Dinner Menu at Sikia
Saturday, August 8, 2009, 1 - 3pm
Hosts: Barbara Kuck & Gregory Tornatore
Reception Paired with South African Wines, Moroccan Salmon Cakes with Fresh, Corn Relish, Akara (Black Eye Pea Fritters) with, Harissa, Demi Tasse Cups of Senegalese Peanut Soup, Green Bean Fries with Papaya Catsup, Piri Piri Shrimp
Price: $42
History, Traditions, Legends - Negritude, by Dayo Laoye (Closing Reception)
Saturday, August 8, 2009, 1 - 3pm
Africa International House USA, Inc. and the 20th Annual Chrysler Financial African Festival of the Arts invite you to History, Traditions, Legends! An Exhibition featuring "Negritude," by Dayo Laoye. A Collection of Paintings and Drawings Showing the Diverse Nature of Beauty.
Price: Free!
Art di Gras
Saturday, August 8, 2009, 2pm - 2am
Please join us for Art di Gras IV at Gallery Guichard Fine Art Gallery Fourth Anniversary Celebration!, Art Di Gras will feature, Live Art by Kudzai B. Mutasa, Live Music by Kahil E. Zabar & Ritual Trio, as well as Nikki Nikita, Live Body Painting, DJ Brian Sayles & DJ B-Syde
Soleil's Take: Congratulations go out to Gallery Guichard for another year of fabulous art, fabulous events and participating in the Bronzeville Renaissance! It's a beautiful thing to see the rebirth of Bronzeville as an art district. Between Steele Life, Faie African Arts, and the SSCAC - not to mention Muntu and Little Black Pearl - there's a whole lot To-Do in Bronzeville! If you haven't been to Gallery Guichard before, now would be a great time, as Saturday is sure to be a really cool . . . uh . . . I mean HOT! night at Gallery Guichard!, Don't forget that the Bud Billiken Parade marches through early Saturday afternoon. While the route begins at 39th & King, there's bound to be traffic around 35th & King, so plan your route accordingly!
Price: Free!
Black Harvest: Inside Buffalo
Saturday, August 8, 2009, 3 - 4pm
2009, Fred Kuwornu, Italy, 60 min., Reconstructing for the first time an important piece of African American history and placing it within the context of Civil Rights history, INSIDE BUFFALO tells the story of the 92nd Buffalo Division, an African American segregated combat unit that fought with outstanding heroism in Italy in WWII. Director Kuwornu, an Italian filmmaker of African heritage, searches out little-known aspects of the story, including details of the friendships forged between African American soldiers and the partisan fighters and villagers they liberated from fascist rule. Beta SP video. (BS)
Price: $10
SummerDance: The Nu Blu Band
Saturday, August 8, 2009, 6 - 9:30pm
The 13th annual Chicago SummerDance series presents free Chicago Steppin' dance lessons by Pete & Linda Frazier of the Majestic Gents and live music by The Nu Blu Band. Based in Chicago, The Nu Blu Band plays some of the most popular rock 'n' roll, blues, and R&B tunes., The Nu Blu Band features Dan Henley, drums; Marc Maddox, guitar; and Carlise Guy, vocals. Based in Chicago, the band performs across Illinois, Indiana, Michigan and Wisconsin. Maddox and Henley have been playing together for over twenty years. In 2000, they formed Blind 2 Color, which evolved into The Nu Blu Band. Carlise Guy, daughter of Rock and Roll Hall of Fame inductee Buddy Guy, met Henley and Maddox in the late 1980's, helping to form the foundation of this band.
Price: Free!
Atlantic Starr, w/ Al Hudson - featuring One Way
Saturday, August 8, 2009, 7 - 11pm
Reserved Section B $75, A,C,D $65, E-F $55, Gen Admission $20 - $45; VIP Tower $150
Venue Info: I haven't been out to CCHT yet (it is, afterall, in a suburb), but a few questions come immediately to mind: (1) $45-65 is a lot of loot to sit on the lawn - is that grass padded or sumthin'? (2) No outside concessions?!?! That kinda takes the "pic" (i.e., your choice) out of picnic-ing, doesn't it? Will I get out there and find $6 hotdogs and a $17 glass of white zinfandel and a $3 can of RC Cola? (3) How come Ravinia is sooooo much cheaper and let's you bring your own stuff? (4) You can't bring your own chair - you must rent one there? Come on, now - we must be up to $75 already - just to be on the lawn!
Black Harvest: Ran$um Games
Saturday, August 8, 2009, 8:15 - 9:45pm
Chicago connection Filmmakers in person! 2007, Parris Reaves, USA, 89 min. With Devin Wesley, Elise Neal, Wood Harris, In this tense, twisty, shot-in-Chicago thriller from director Reaves (THE EVIL ONE) and producer/co-writer William Pierce (THE ENGAGEMENT: MY PHAMILY BBQ 2), a former drug dealer is kidnapped for a $500,000 ransom, but his wife throws a monkey wrench into the proceedings by refusing to pay up. The plot thickens as the three kidnappers squabble among themselves and a hidden motive surfaces from an event that occurred eight years earlier. HD-CAM video. (MR)
Director Parris Reaves and producer/co-writer William Pierce will be present for audience discussion at both screenings.
Price: $10
SankofaSpirit Movies with a Mission: Sierra Leone's Refugee All-Stars
Sunday, August 9, 2009, 2 - 4pm
If the refugee is today's tragic icon of a war-torn world, then Sierra Leone's Refugee All Stars, a reggae-inflected band born in the camps of West Africa, represents a real-life story of survival and hope. The six-member Refugee All Stars came together in Guinea after civil war forced them from their native Sierra Leone. Traumatized by physical injuries and the brutal loss of family and community, they fight back with the only means they have - music. The result, as shown in Sierra Leone's Refugee All Stars, is a tableau of tragedy transformed by the band's inspiring determination to sing and be heard.
Price: Free!
Summer Breeze: Carnival of Color
Sunday, August 9, 2009, 3 - 8pm
The Women's Board of the Chicago Urban League presents its 43rd Annual Benefit & Whitney M. Young, Jr. Scholarship Fundraiser. Live Entertainment, Dancing, Specialty Drinks, Food and Silent Auction., This To-Do features music by the Ivory Dreams Band, live performance by Carifete (Chicago Carnivale Dancers) and a sketch artist. For information regarding sponsorships and to purchase tickets, please contact LaToya Dixon, Annual Benefit Chair at (773) 490-9146 or LaToya_Dixon@yahoo.com.
Price: $75
Black Harvest: The Nine Lives of Marion Barry
Sunday, August 9, 2009, 5 - 6:30pm
Special advance screening! 2009, Dana Flor and Toby Oppenheimer, USA, 87 min., "De rigueur for political junkies and anyone who followed Barry's very public downfall."-Eddie Cockrell, Variety, Presented in a special advance screening before its HBO premiere, this fascinating documentary uses unprecedented access to tell the continuing saga of a despised, beloved, and resilient politician. It's a potent story of race, power, sex, and drugs-the tale of a complex and contradictory man who is the star of one of the most fascinating and bizarre chapters of American politics. DigiBeta video. (Description courtesy of Flor Films)
Price: $10
Chicago Botanic Garden Carillon Concerts
Monday, August 10, 2009, 5:30 - 8pm
Enjoy an enchanting 45-minute musical performance of carillon bells on a warm summer evening and watch lights illuminate Evening Island. Through a regularly scheduled series of concerts each summer, carillonneurs from around the world delight Garden visitors with the captivating music of the 48-bell Theodore C. Butz Memorial Carillon. Meet the performers and enjoy a free carillon tour and demonstration before the concert - you can even try your hand at ringing the bells. Visitors can purchase snacks and a bottle of wine from the Garden Café, or grilled selections from the Garden Grille including burgers, hot dogs and barbeque. You may also bring a picnic dinner to enjoy on the lawn by McGinley Pavilion. Since 1986, the carillon has remained both a noted landmark and a source of remarkable music at the Garden. Crafted in Holland, the tower's bronze bells and playing device with a range of four octaves constitutes one of the few hand-played carillons in the nation.
Price: Free!; parking, $20 per car
Music Mondays - Charles "Rick" Heath IV
Monday, August 10, 2009, 7 - 10pm
Great Black Music in an intimate cabaret setting, Hosted by Sue Conway, "Maven of the Microphone" and WVON Radio personality Cliff Kelley.
Charles "Rick" Heath IV is a versatile and internationally renowned musician and drummer who plays everything from jazz and blues to gospel and Latin music. He is a multi-talented performer often found juggling roles a composer, band leader, recording artist, music director, producer and teacher.
Price: $15.00; 10 or more $12.00 (group reservations recommended)
Poetry on Perry
Monday, August 10, 2009, 7:30 - 11pm
This event delivers a fresh approach to a popular idea. Complete with a mood-setting DJ, this weekly open-mic adds old school flavor to south-side smothered soul. Come for the dynamic poetry workshop and advance your literary work with writing exercises facilitated by established local teaching artists. Stay for the open mic reading featuring well-known performers citywide, up and coming writers and you. All one has to pay is $5 and respect to the mic. Poetry on Perry is a safe space for all artists to cultivate their craft and build an artistic community of like minds and interests. The first rule is there are no rules . . . anything goes. This open-mic is open to poets, authors, songwriters and performers.
Price: $10; $5, on the mic
Black Harvest: Scarred Justice - The Orangeburg Massacre 1968
Monday, August 10, 2009, 8:15 - 9:45pm (Also showing August 13)
2009, Bestor Cram and Judy Richardson, USA, 57 min. Also Showing:, Silas Lynch 2002, Gregg Daniel, USA, 11 min. With Ken Johnson, Lisa Jeffrey Warrior Queen 2008, Hezekiah Lewis, USA, 22 min. With Mary Tirenkti, David Dontoh, The tragic 1970 Kent State shootings are known to all, but an equally devastating event that occurred two years earlier has been all but lost to history. In early 1968, black college students protesting segregation in their South Carolina town were fired upon by police, killing three and wounding 27. SCARRED JUSTICE meticulously examines both sides of the controversy, including the efforts of state officials to blame the tragedy on "outside agitators," and the 35-year struggle of the victims' families to reopen the investigation. DigiBeta video. (MR), Preceded by two shorts. SILAS LYNCH puts a new spin on history with a fictional tale of a black actor passing for white to play the notorious blackface villain in D.W. Griffith's THE BIRTH OF A NATION. WARRIOR QUEEN recounts, by means of animation and drama, the birth of the Ashanti nation's resistance when the British attempt to take their legendary Golden Stool by force. Both in 35mm. (BS)
Price: $10
Sushi-Making Workshop
Tuesday, August 11, 2009, 6:30 - 8:30am
Once an exotic specialty, sushi has evolved into a popular cuisine that is nutritious and fun. Your instructor has been making sushi since she was a child in Japan; now she teaches students how to choose and purchase sushi materials and ingredients, explains the different types of sushi, and reveals how easy and economical it can be to create these delicacies at home. Roll up your sleeves and practice age-old techniques of wrapping and rolling sushi. All ingredients and materials will be supplied. Wear close-toed, rubbersoled shoes. Bring a sharp knife, cutting board, and container to take your creations home., Yahna Awazu, Culinary Instructor
Price: $74; Members, $59
Tuesdays on the Terrace: Maggie Brown
Tuesday, August 11, 2009, 5:30 - 8pm
A Chicago native, Maggie made her professional acting and singing debut there at the Body Politic Theater. She studied music, theater and voice at Columbia College and has since taken her polished vocal style on the road., Since 1991, Miss Brown began touring Chicago-area schools and nationally on the college circuit, performing her one-woman show: LEGACY: Our Wealth Of Music. "LEGACY" is a musical demonstration/lecture about the history and evolution of African American music. In 1997, Maggie helped the Chicago House Of Blues, with her knowledge of music history and edutainment expertise, to develop their Blues Schoolhouse student outreach program. Maggie is captivating in her presentation and she effortlessly delivers a powerful performance whether singing spirituals, jazz, contemporary hip hop or even rapping.
Price: Free!
Music on the Esplanade: Tropical Flavors
Tuesday, August 11, 2009, 6 - 8pm
Savor the flavor of this Latin-jazz, Brazilian, and Caribbean rhythmic performance. Unwind after your work day as you listen to relaxing performances by local musicians set on the Chicago Botanic Garden's front lawn. This live musical series showcases an assortment of genres including Spanish guitar, jazz, and blues. The Esplanade offers a beautiful setting for great entertainment and seating for a wide variety of guests - and only on concert evenings, you may have a picnic there as well! Top off the evening with light fare and a glass of wine, premium beer, or other beverages available for purchase on the Esplanade.
Price: Free! Parking, $20 per car
Black Harvest: The Seed
Tuesday, August 11, 2009, 6 - 7:40pm (Also showing August 12)
Joshua Bee Alafia in person! 2009, Joshua Bee Alafia, Ethiopia/USA, 101 min. With Messeret Tsagaye, Elga Amessa, A story with an air of magic, THE SEED chronicles the life of Fikir, an orphan boy of the streets, after an angel appears to him in a dream. Director Alafia blends the colorful reality of an Ethiopian city with supernatural fantasy to create a gentle story of perseverance and hope. The angel endows Fikir with the powers of a soothsayer, and his bold pronouncements to a series of disbelieving strangers sets wondrous happenings in motion wherever the seed of love has room to grow.
In English and Amharic with English subtitles. DV-CAM video. (BS) FF, Director Joshua Bee Alafia will tentatively be present at both screenings for audience discussion.
Price: $10
Black Harvest: Shorts Program - Chicago Connected I
Tuesday, August 11, 2009, 8:15 - 9:45pm
Chicago connection Filmmakers in person!
Various directors, USA, 94 min.
Four films featuring Chicago talent.
A daughter is called upon to reconcile conflicting childhood memories of her dying dad in Charise Studesville's THE HANDS (2008, 11 min.). A boy becomes a man when his beloved grandmother becomes a child again in Jason W. Camp's PROMISES KEPT (2007, 20 min.). Romance gets off to a promising start in Anthony P. Brooks's RAIN-A LOVE STORY? (2008, 30 min.), but honesty could be a deal-breaker. Chicago's own Mamet-connected (and, sadly, recently deceased) actor Lionel Mark Smith made his final screen appearance in a semi-autobiographical story about an actor struggling with marginalization in Eric Poydar's LARRY (THE ACTOR) (2008, 33 min.). Various video formats. (BS)
Directors Charise Studesville, Anthony P. Brooks, and Eric Poydar will be present for audience discussion.
Price: $10
Chicago Outdoor Film Festival: Psycho
Tuesday, August 11, 2009, 8:30 - 10:20pm
Anthony Perkins, Janet Leigh, The eerie Bates Motel is the setting for this classic shocker. The shower scene with Janet Leigh is arguably one of the most memorable in cinematic history. The thrills in this film were so intense the Hitchcock mandated that no theatre allow patrons to enter once the movie had begun. 1960 (109 minutes)
Price: Free!
WVON & N'Digo Present The 2009 Evening for Champions
Wednesday, August 12, 2009, 6 - 9pm
The second installment in Our Champion Series, The Tales of Three Winning Women, examines the careers of: * Donna Brazile - Professor Author, Syndicated Columnist * Sheila Talton - Vice President, Cisco Globalization * Connie L. Lindsey - Chair of the National Board of Directors, Girls Scouts USA These trailblazers are playing on the global stage. They will share their insights on their journey to the top., The event will be moderated by Cheryle Jackson, President/CEO of The Chicago Urban League.
Price: $125
World Music Wednesdays: Don Fallo and Son Candela
Wednesday, August 12, 2009, 8:30 - 11pm
Rafael Figueroa Alaves known as Don Fallo has been an important creative force in the development of contemporary Son Jarocho. Both as a member of Grupo Siquisiri and as a solo artist, Don Fallo has impacted the vibrant genre incorporating the acoustic bass in this musical tradition. Don Fallo returns to the U.S. for a brief tour and makes his debut performance in Chicago on the stage of the Old Town School.
A Son Jarocho workshop with the artists is offered in the Thursday Workshop Series.
Price: $5, Suggested Donation
The Illinois Central Railroad, 12th Street Station was the portal for many African Americans. Thousands of Blacks came to Chicago continuously from 1890 through the 1950's due to racism in the South, lack of opportunity, and the desire for education and employment., The largest number of African Americans in Chicago settled between 18th Street on the North and 51st Street on the South - State Street on the West and Cottage Grove on the East during the Great Migration., The Chicago Defender Founded in 1905, communicated with more blacks than any other publication in the first half of the twentieth century. The newspaper encouraged the migration of black southerners to Northern cities with a circulation of over 200,000. Pullman Porters aided the nationwide distribution. 
The Velvet Lounge is the only place in the world where you can hear the Chicago sound seven days a week. The Sunday night jam sessions have been an effective way to promote younger members of the jazz community. Fred Anderson opened the Velvet Lounge in 1982 after his club The Birdhouse, on the near north side, closed due to city zoning ordinances. 
Directed by Aaron Todd Douglas, Over a ten-year span, a group of men who were employed in a Chicago steel mill find the bonds of their friendship severely tested as they witness their love and camaraderie escape them as they vehemently pursue what they think is the American Dream. 
Saturdays through October 31 
Saturdays through October 25 
