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Eleventh-hour compromise reached on civilian police review over Lightfoot’s objectionsFran Spielmanon June 18, 2021 at 2:54 pm

Ald. Carlos Ramirez-Rosa (35th).
Ald. Carlos Ramirez-Rosa (35th) | Sun-Times file

The mayor was poised to suffer another bitter political defeat after a compromise was hammered out without her input that would give a civilian oversight panel the final say in disputes over police policy.

A City Council committee was poised Friday to hand Mayor Lori Lightfoot a bitter political defeat after hammering out a compromise that would give a civilian oversight panel the final say on police policy disputes.

Ald. Carlos Ramirez-Rosa (35th) said the votes to approve the stronger oversight ordinance over Lightfoot’s strenuous objections in the Committee on Public Safety and in the full City Council were secured after proponents agreed to “split out” a binding referendum that, if passed, would give the civilian panel even broader powers.

“We know we don’t have the votes in the Public Safety Committee to pass that referendum. But we do have enough votes to pass the portions of the ordinance that do not include the referendum,” Ramirez-Rosa said.

“So, we agreed this morning to remove the referendum from the ordinance being voted on today. And that should secure us more than a majority in the committee to pass this.”

Lightfoot finally has delivered her own plan for civilian police oversight, but it did not include the sweeping policymaking, budgeting and hiring and firing powers she promised during the mayoral campaign.

Instead of allowing the seven-member commission she offered to create to choose Chicago’s police superintendent, Lightfoot would retain that coveted power for herself and future mayors.

Ramirez-Rosa championed the more extreme version of civilian oversight proposed by the Civilian Police Accountability Council before helping to forge the compromise with the Grassroots Alliance for Police Accountability.

The new compromise — minus the referendum — was hammered out without Lightfoot’s input, Ramirez-Rosa said. It would give the civilian oversight commission the final say in disputes over police policy.

The panel would also be empowered to take a vote of no-confidence in Chicago’s police superintendent that could set the stage for the top cop’s removal if the City Council agrees by a two-thirds vote, he said.

“The mayor was not part of these conversations. She had her opportunity to work with the coalition on meaningful civilian oversight. The ordinance that she introduced was not a serious proposal for civilian oversight,” Ramirez-Rosa said.

“Her staff reached out to us earlier this week and put nothing on the table. All they said was, ‘Will you postpone the vote?’ The vote’s been postponed how many times? How many years? It’s time to pass this ordinance.”

Public Safety Committee Chairman Chris Taliaferro (29th), a former Chicago Police officer, could not be reached for comment.

Like Lightfoot, he has argued that the mayor “wears the jacket” for public safety and needs to have the final say on police policy disputes and the fate of the police superintendent.

“It should be within the authority of the mayor to hire and fire the superintendent, the Police Board and the COPA administrator. If she’s gonna wear the hat for any good or bad that happens within the police department, she needs to be able to hire and fire the chief executive of those offices,” Taliaferro told the Sun-Times last month.

“I can’t imagine being the mayor of a municipality and you have no say-so in the direction of the police department.”

Lightfoot campaigned on a promise to empower a civilian oversight panel to hire and fire the police superintendent and have the final word in disputes over police policy.

Civilian oversight was a pivotal recommendation by the Task Force on Police Accountability she co-chaired in the furor that followed the court-ordered release of the Laquan McDonald shooting video.

But, after the election, Lightfoot changed her tune, just as she has on her support for an elected school board bill approved by the Illinois House this week over her strenuous objections.

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Eleventh-hour compromise reached on civilian police review over Lightfoot’s objectionsFran Spielmanon June 18, 2021 at 2:54 pm Read More »

Sky’s Candace Parker to pay homage to local basketball legends in styleAnnie Costabileon June 18, 2021 at 3:25 pm

Candace Parker stopped for a walk-in photo with her daughter, Lailaa ahead of the Sky’s Thursday night win over the Connecticut Sun.
Candace Parker stopped for a walk-in photo with her daughter, Lailaa ahead of the Sky’s Thursday night win over the Connecticut Sun. | Chicago Sky

The plan is to honor as many Chicago basketball stars as possible. Right now, Parker has the jerseys of Isiah Thomas, Kevin Durant and Simeon star and Chicago high school basketball icon Benji Wilson on deck.

Before Candace Parker played a single game for the Sky, she was planning what she’d wear to Wintrust Arena for the home opener.

Parker was sitting on the TNT set with fellow Chicago-area native, Dwyane Wade when she posed an idea to him.

“I want to do something special going home,” Parker said to Wade. “I think I’m going to rock all jerseys but I don’t want to rock all professional jerseys. I want to rock some high school ones.”

Parker started making a list right then. She also tapped Wade and Hall of Fame Pistons star and St. Joseph’s legend Isiah Thomas to make lists of their own. She didn’t want to overlook anyone.

The first one she wore was Michael Jordan’s Bulls jersey. She followed Jordan’s by showing up Thursday night in Wade’s No. 25 Richards High School jersey.


Chicago Sky
Candace Parker plans to pay homage to as many Chicago basketball stars as possible. She wore Dwyane Wade’s high school jersey to the Sky’s game Thursday night.

Right now, Parker has the jerseys of Thomas, Kevin Durant and Simeon star and Chicago high school basketball icon Ben Wilson on deck. She plans to wear her brother Anthony Parker’s high school jersey at some point, too.

She’s going to leave wearing her own Naperville Central jersey to her daughter, Lailaa.

Parker said she’s trying to get her hands on some tough throwback jerseys. She wants to honor the men and women who inspired her career, but she wants to do it by honoring where their careers started. That is, if she can find them.

She purchased Wade’s Richards jersey online and is working to find a Cappie Pondexter Marshall high school jersey.

“I’m having a hard time finding Cappie Pondexter’s high school jersey,” Parker said. “I just cannot rock a Phoenix Mercury jersey to a game.”

Pondexter’s WNBA fashion has been significantly influential in the way we see players in the WNBA show up to games today. Before teams were documenting players’ walk-ins for social media, Pondexter was showing up flexing for nobody but herself.

Her drip was never slacking. You’d often see her in the latest exclusive sneakers paired with a dress one day and an oversized pair of sweats with a sport coat the next. Nothing was off-limits style-wise for Pondexter.

Today’s WNBA players are keeping that same energy. Whether it’s Diamond DeShields walking in wearing a white pinstripe suit with a chain-link belt or Lexie Brown donning a “not settling for anyone’s dusty ass son” graphic tee, the walk-in has become a moment to make a statement.

The Sky are back at Wintrust Arena Saturday at noon when they host the Sun for their second of two consecutive matchups.

Thursday night’s 81-75 win was a grind. The team came out and faced offensive lulls in the first half. Their second in the league defense never wavered.

The Sky held the Sun’s second-leading scorer, DeWanna Bonner to just 10 points. An offensive resurgence in the second half, that led to five Sky players finishing in double digits scoring, helped the Sky to their fourth straight win.

Parker had 15 points, eight rebounds, three assists and one steal in front of a capacity crowd that included her parents and Lailaa.

She didn’t share how she’s showing up to Saturday’s game, but one thing’s guaranteed Parker will be representing Chicago.

“I grew up watching all of those hoopers,” Parker said. “Coming back that’s what I wanted to do and it’s been a lot of fun reminiscing on watching them play.”

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Sky’s Candace Parker to pay homage to local basketball legends in styleAnnie Costabileon June 18, 2021 at 3:25 pm Read More »

Bears sign TE Jake Butt, two othersPatrick Finleyon June 18, 2021 at 3:15 pm

Bears tight end Jake Butt works out during minicamp on Wednesday.
Bears tight end Jake Butt works out during minicamp on Wednesday. | Nam Y. Huh/AP

Butt, who was plagued by knee injuries with the Broncos, will compete for a roster spot.

The Bears signed a former Super Bowl champion and two former Michigan standouts to their roster Friday.

All three tried out for the team during mandatory minicamp this week.

Tight end Jake Butt, who was plagued by knee injuries with the Broncos, will compete for a roster spot. So will another former Michigan player, offensive lineman Tyrone Wheatley Jr. The Bears also signed defensive lineman Mike Pennel, who spent three years with the Packers, two with the Jets and the last two with the Chiefs. He went to two Super Bowls in Kansas City, winning one.

The Bears cut defensive lineman Thomas Schaffer and offensive lineman Gunnar Vogel to make room. They had an extra roster spot heading into mandatory minicamp this week.

Bears veterans broke camp for the summer on Thursday and will return for training camp on July 27. Rookies will stay at Halas Hall for one more week.

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Bears sign TE Jake Butt, two othersPatrick Finleyon June 18, 2021 at 3:15 pm Read More »

‘The Birthday Cake’: No matter how you slice it, star-studded mob film still seems undercookedRichard Roeperon June 18, 2021 at 2:00 pm

Mob kingpin Angelo (Val Kilmer, left) is expecting dessert from his nephew Gio (Shiloh Fernandez) in “The Birthday Cake.” | Screen Media

Val Kilmer, Ewan McGregor and Aldis Hodge among the famous names popping up in the ‘Goodfellas’ wannabe.

The “Goodfellas”-Lite Brooklyn mob story “The Birthday Cake” is one of those movies where old familiar faces pop up in even the smallest roles. Hey, there’s Luiz Guzman as a cabdriver with a philosophical bent! Whoa, that’s Paul Sorvino as an elderly don hooked up to an oxygen tank! And isn’t that Vincent Pastore a.k.a. Big Pussy from “The Sopranos” playing essentially the same guy?

Not to mention William Fichtner as a seriously corrupt and unhinged cop; Lorraine Bracco as the grieving widow of a mysteriously murdered mobster; Val Kilmer as the neighborhood kingpin, who speaks through an electronic voice box (as Kilmer does in real life after undergoing a tracheotomy during his throat cancer treatment); Aldis Hodge as tough-talking FBI agent; Ewan McGregor as “Father Kelly,” who narrates the story, and the list goes on and on. Alas, even with all that firepower and some truly tense and harrowing moments, “The Birthday Cake” eventually grows a little stale and falls short of its ambitions to be a lower-budget descendant to films such as the aforementioned “Goodfellas” and “A Bronx Tale.”

First-time feature director Jimmy Giannopoulos shows a steady hand for capturing the neighborhood vibe, where everybody knows everybody’s business and much of that business is on the shady side of the law. With the exception of an extended flashback scene taking place 10 years prior to current day, “The Birthday Cake” revolves around one intense and violent night around Christmastime, when Bracco’s Sofia bakes a special cake to honor her late, slain husband’s birthday, and entrusts her son Gio (Shiloh Fernandez) to deliver the dessert to the annual memorial/party held by his Uncle Angelo (Kilmer).

Gio’s endeavors to transport the cake across town will meet with a series of roadblocks and detours, with stops at a bodega and a bakery and a strip club along the way. Everyone from the feds to a corrupt cop to various “connected” relatives of Gio are looking for his cousin Leo (Emory Cohen), who has disappeared after getting involved in some drug dealings gone sour and might have talked to the authorities — and you can imagine how well that goes over with the likes of Cousin Joey and Uncle Vito and Uncle Tiny Tony and let’s not forget Uncle Carmine.

With Ewan McGregor’s Father Kelly providing the omniscient narration, Gio eventually finds his way to the celebration, where he’s still treated like a kid and it’s clear he’s far too sensitive to tread among these sharks. The young man has a moral compass, for crying out loud.

William Fichtner has an electric extended cameo as Uncle Ricardo, the dirty cop in the family, who is so hot-headed and violent even the old-time mobster uncles think he’s crazy and want no part of him. A scene in which Ricardo has captured and detained Cousin Leo and is, shall we say, interrogating him is reminiscent of the infamous chainsaw sequence in “Scarface,” though not in the same league of violent horror.

That’s the thing with “The Birthday Cake.” It will keep reminding you of better movies in the same genre.

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‘The Birthday Cake’: No matter how you slice it, star-studded mob film still seems undercookedRichard Roeperon June 18, 2021 at 2:00 pm Read More »

Things to do with kids in and around ChicagoMary Houlihan – For the Sun-Timeson June 18, 2021 at 2:24 pm

There’s lots of cool things for kids and families to do and see in and around Chicago.
There’s lots of cool things for kids and families to do and see in and around Chicago. | stock.adobe.com

Looking for something to do with your family? Check out our highlights of current events and activities for kids.

Welcome to our highlights of events and entertainment in Chicago for kids and families to enjoy. Bookmark this page and check back for updates on the latest activities.

Puerto Rican People’s Day Parade


Sun-Times file
Chicago’s Puerto Rican People’s Day Parade in 2018.

When: 2 p.m. June 19

Where: Division from Western to Sacramento

What: The first city parade since the pandemic changed everything will be this always lively event, once again featuring floats, marching bands, car clubs, motorcycle groups and, of course, an abundance of Puerto Rican flags. It’s sponsored by the Puerto Rican Cultural Center.

More information: prcc-chgo.org


Jayme Thornton
Musician Laurie Berkner

Laurie Berkner

When: 11 a.m. and 4 p.m. June 20

Where: Online

What: The children’s entertainer performs two live virtual Father’s Day concerts. The shows are interactive and families are encouraged to join in the live chat throughout the show. There are also pre-show music and videos, assorted games and a star-decorating activity. Tickets: $20.

More information: live.laurieberkner.com

The Great Galena Balloon Race


Eagle Ridge Resort and Spa
Great Galena Balloon Race

When: June 18-20

Where: Eagle Ridge Resort, 444 Eagle Ridge, Galena

What: The race returns for a colorful, fun-filled weekend also featuring live music, a classic car show, an art show and an inflatable for kids. Proceeds benefit the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation and Camp Hertko Hollow. Admission: $5.

More information: greatgalenaballoonrace.com

‘Becoming Jane’

A new exhibit at the Field Museum, “Becoming Jane: The Evolution of Jane Goodall,” follows her journey from her childhood in England to a career as a passionate scientist studying chimpanzees in Africa.
Hugo van Lawick/National Geographic
A new exhibit at the Field Museum, “Becoming Jane: The Evolution of Jane Goodall,” follows her journey from her childhood in England to a career as a passionate scientist studying chimpanzees in Africa.

What: Generations have been inspired by the work of primatologist Dr. Jane Goodall who has not only shown the urgent need to protect chimpanzees but also redefined species conservation to include the needs of local people and the environments. A new exhibit at the Field Museum, “Becoming Jane: The Evolution of Jane Goodall,” follows her journey from a curious young child in England to a passionate scientist studying chimpanzees in Africa. Included in the exhibit are a recreation of her field research tent, a hologram-like projection of Goodall who shares her fieldwork memories, augmented reality activities and a projection of Tanzania’s Gombe Stream National Park.

When: To Sept. 6

Where: Field Museum, 1400 S. Lake Shore Dr.

Tickets: $18-$32. Visit fieldmuseum.org.

‘Hello Helios: The warming suns of Chicago’s Greektown’

Detail view of James Mesplé’s Sun and Moon Image featured in the “Hello Helios” exhibit in Greektown.
Courtesy Greektown Chicago
Detail view of James Mesplé’s Sun and Moon Image featured in the “Hello Helios” exhibit in Greektown

When: Through spring 2022

Where: Halsted from Monroe to Van Buren

What: Welcome summer with a new outdoor exhibit celebrating the start of summer with 24 artworks inspired by the sun and related mythologies from Greek, Aztec, Yoruba, Japanese and Native American cultures.

More information: greektownchicago.org

Kayak for Conservation

The Shedd Aquarium’s popular “Kayak for Conservation” program.
Shedd Aquarium
The Shedd Aquarium’s popular “Kayak for Conservation” program.

When: Ongoing

Where: Kayak Chicago: 1220 W LeMoyne,

What: Get close to nature via the Shedd Aquarium’s popular Kayak for Conservation program, which features a variety of socially distant kayaking experiences on the Chicago River. Participants learn about the river’s environmental history and discover wildlife living in its ecosystem. Sessions are open to all levels of kayakers (including newbies) and are led by Shedd’s wildlife conservation experts. The cost is pay-what-you-can ranging from $20–$100 per participant, with a recommended $40, the base cost of the program.

More information: sheddaquarium.org/kayak

‘Make/Believe’

Levi Denton-Hughes as Soledad in “It’s Poppin’”; credit: Ghostlight Ensemble
Ghostlight Ensemble
Levi Denton-Hughes as Soledad in “It’s Poppin’ ” from Ghostlight Ensemble.

When: On demand to July 4

Where: Online

What: Ghostlight Theatre’s annual festival for young audiences takes place virtually this year. Featured are six new short plays that run the gamut from “Sunshine and the Sea of Lost Things,” about a child with no memory lost at sea, to “It’s Poppin’,” about a balloon afraid of soaring through the clouds, to “Splash of Magic,” about a girl trying to conquer her fear of swimming. Tickets: $1-$10.

More information: ghostlightensemble.com

‘Take Flight’


Museum of Science and Industry
The Boeing 747 at “Take Flight.”

When: Permanent

Where: Museum of Science and Industry, 5700 S. Lake Shore Dr.

What: The MSI’s Boeing 747 reopens with a reimagined exhibit that explores modern aviation and the science of flight. The plane’s interior has been restored and new interactive elements have been added. Tickets: $12.95, $21.95.

More information: msichicago.org

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Things to do with kids in and around ChicagoMary Houlihan – For the Sun-Timeson June 18, 2021 at 2:24 pm Read More »

Things to do in Chicago for movie fansMary Houlihan – For the Sun-Timeson June 18, 2021 at 2:25 pm

Grab your popcorn and check out our guide to movie screenings and events in Chicago. | Sun-Times Media

Wondering what movies to watch and where to see them? Here is our guide to screenings and events for cinema fans in Chicago.

Welcome to our round up of movie screenings and events in Chicago. Bookmark this page and check back for updates on shows and activities.

African Diaspora International Film Festival


Artmattan Films
“2 Weeks in Lagos”

When: June 18-24

Where: Online

What: The festival returns for its 18th year with a virtual lineup of features and documentaries, all Chicago premieres. The opening-night film, “Betrayal of a Nation” is Brandi Webb’s experimental documentary that addresses issues of poverty, brutality and mass incarceration and questions, via a mock trial, whether or not the U.S. government is to blame. Kathryn Fasegha’s romantic comedy-drama “2 Weeks in Lagos” captures the vibrant and complex life of everyday life in Lagos, Nigeria. And in another romantic comedy, Nichole Sylvester’s “Maya and Her Lover,” a woman finds her life disrupted when she falls in love with a younger man. Tickets: $10 per film, $15 for the films mentioned above, $95 festival pass.

More information: nyadiff.org

DOC10 Documentary Film Festival


Concordia Studio
“All These Sons”

When: June 17-20

Where: ChiTown Movies, 2343 S. Throop St., and Davis Theatre, 4614 N. Lincoln Ave.

What: Canceled last year, the festival returns with local premieres of 10 promising documentaries. The ChiTown Movies drive-in hosts the opening-night film, “Summer of Soul (… Or, When the Revolution Could Not Be Televised)” (director Ahmir “Questlove” Thompson’s look back at the 1969 Harlem Cultural Festival), followed on Friday by “All These Sons,” an examination of Chicago gun violence by Bing Liu (“Minding the Gap”) and Joshua Altman. Tickets: $17.60 at the Davis and $40-$50 per car at the drive-in.

More information: www.doc10.org

Garden Movies

Music Box Theatre’s Garden Movies features films screened in the theatre’s expanded courtyard under the stars.
Music Box Theatre
Music Box Theatre’s Garden Movies features films screened in the theatre’s expanded courtyard under the stars.

When: All summer long

Where: 3733 N. Southport

What: The Music Box Theatre is screening films in its expanded courtyard under the stars. Tickets: $9.

More information: musicboxtheatre.com

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Things to do in Chicago for movie fansMary Houlihan – For the Sun-Timeson June 18, 2021 at 2:25 pm Read More »

Things to do at museums in ChicagoMary Houlihan – For the Sun-Timeson June 18, 2021 at 2:24 pm

Frida Kahlo, “The Bus,” 1929, oil on canvas, collection Museo Dolores Olmedo, Xochimilco, Mexico.
© 2020 Banco de México Diego Rivera Frida Kahlo Museums Trust, Mexico, D.F. Artists Rights Society (ARS), New York

Chicago is home to some of the world’s greatest museums. Use our guide to find events and activities happening at the city’s many galleries and exhibits.

Welcome to our highlights of events and entertainment in Chicago at our city’s best museums and galleries. Bookmark this page and check back for updates on the latest activities.

‘The Obama Portraits’


National Portrait Gallery, Smithsonian Institution
Amy Sherald’s portrait of Michelle Obama

When: To Aug. 15

Where: Art Institute of Chicago, 111 S. Michigan

What: The Art Institute is the first stop of a five-city tour for the official portraits of President Barack Obama and First Lady Michelle Obama. Artists Kehinde Wiley and Amy Sherald are the first African Americans to be commissioned by the Smithsonian’s National Portrait Galley to create the official portraits of a president or first lady. A free stream features Sherald in conversation with Michelle Obama at 5 p.m. June 30. Pre-registration required. After the nationwide tour, the portraits will reside in the Smithsonian’s National Portrait Gallery in Washington, D.C. The exhibit is included with museum admission ($14-$25).

More information: artic.edu

‘Chicago Comics: 1960s to Now’


Provided
Nick Drnaso’s painting for the cover of his graphic novel “Sabrina” in “Chicago Comics.”

When: June 19-Oct. 3

Where: Museum of Contemporary Art, 220 E. Chicago

What: A new exhibit celebrates Chicago’s pivotal role as a national and innovative center for comics and cartooning. With a focus on rediscovering the work of women and BIPOC comic artists, this major exhibition presents the last 60 years of the city’s artful cartooning history, showing how comic art is a democratic medium that allows artists to speak directly to people in relatable ways. Over 40 cartoonists are featured including Lynda Barry, Lilli Carré, Daniel Clowes, Nick Drnaso, Edie Fake, Emil Ferris, Nicole Hollander, Charles Johnson, Kerry James Marshall and Chris Ware. On display are comics, graphic novels, zines, original drawings, dioramas, commissioned films, installations, rare ephemera and books. Admission: $8, $15.

More information: mcachicago.org

‘Becoming Jane: The Evolution of Jane Goodall’

A new exhibit at the Field Museum, “Becoming Jane: The Evolution of Jane Goodall,” follows her journey from her childhood in England to a career as a passionate scientist studying chimpanzees in Africa.
Hugo van Lawick/National Geographic

When: To Sept. 6

Where: Field Museum, 1400 S. Lake Shore Dr.

What: Generations have been inspired by the work of primatologist Dr. Jane Goodall, who has not only shown the urgent need to protect chimpanzees but also redefined species conservation to include the needs of local people and the environments. A new exhibit follows her journey from a curious young child in England to a passionate scientist studying chimpanzees in Africa. Included in the exhibit are a re-creation of her field research tent, a hologramlike projection of Goodall sharing her fieldwork memories, augmented reality activities and a projection of Tanzania’s Gombe Stream National Park. Tickets: $18-$32.

More information: fieldmuseum.org

‘Vivian Maier: In Color’

Three Highland Park firemen Highland Park, Illinois, August 1964 Tres bomberos de Highland Park Highland Park, Illinois, agosto de 1964 Inkjet print, 2021 Gift of Jeffrey Goldstein, © The Estate of Vivian Maier 
Gift of Jeffrey Goldstein/© The Estate of Vivian Maier
Vivian Maier, “Three Highland Park firemen,” Highland Park, August 1964, inkjet print.

When: To May 8, 2023

Where: Chicago History Museum, 1601 N. Clark

What: Much has been heralded about street photographer Vivian Maier’s black-and-white photographs in exhibits, books and films. Now this multimedia exhibit features 65 color images made during her time as a suburban Chicago nanny from the 1950s to 1970s, many of which have never been seen before. Maier, who died in 2009, was a bit of a character and always had a Roloflex camera around her neck as she walked the streets snapping images of women, children, the old, the poor, the abstract. While her motives remain elusive, her photographs continue to speak volumes. Tickets: $17, $19.

More information: chicagohistory.org

‘Frida Kahlo: Timeless’

When: Through Sept. 6

Where: Cleve Carney Museum of Art in the McAninch Arts Center, College of DuPage, 425 Fawell, Glen Ellyn

What: Here’s the not-too-miss art exhibit of the summer. Dolores Olmedo (1908-2002), a Mexican musician, businesswoman and friend of artists Frida Kahlo and her husband Diego Rivera, amassed an impressive list of works by both artists that reside in Mexico City’s Museo Dolores Olmedo. Her collection of paintings and works on paper by Kahlo have now traveled to the newly expanded Cleve Carney Museum of Art. The long-awaited exhibit, delayed a year because of the pandemic, features an array of oil paintings and works on paper, pivotal pieces created by the artist. Also featured are a multimedia timeline that offers a framework of Kahlo’s life, more than 100 photographs, a Kahlo-inspired garden and a family-friendly children’s area featuring a replica of Kahlo’s Casa Azul in Coyoacan, Mexico. Tickets: $23, $40.

More information: theccma.org/frida-kahlo/

Museum of Contemporary Photography


Courtesy of Marian Goodman Gallery
An-My Lê’s “Migrant Workers Harvesting Asparagus, Mendota, California,” part of “Much Unseen Is Also Here.”

When: Through Aug. 29

Where: 600 S. Michigan at Columbia College Chicago

What: The museum is presenting two new exhibits. “Much Unseen Is Also Here: An-My Lê and Shahzia Sikander” features the work of two Asian-American artists who explore their relationship to America. In the tradition of American road photography, Lê’s photographs confront the political rhetoric of the moment and tackle current events; Sikander uses sculpture, drawings and animation to examine the intersection of power, gender, empire and self. “Martine Gutierrez” features work from Gutierrez’s independent art publication, “Indigenous Woman”, a magazine exploring how deeply sexism, colorism, racism, transphobia and other biases are embedded and ubiquitous in popular culture and fashion photography. Admission is free.

More information: mocp.org.

Polish Museum of America

The Paderewki Collection at Polish Museum of America.
Courtesy Polish Museum of America
The Paderewki Collection at Polish Museum of America.

When: Ongoing

Where: 984 N. Milwaukee

What: The museum, since 1935 a repository for a wide variety of materials pertaining to Poland and the Polish-American community, has reopened after being shuttered for more than a year. Among the many permanent exhibits are “Polish Chicago 1850-1939,” “Folk Art Collection” and “The Paderewski Collection,” which documents the life of Polish pianist and composer Ignacy Jan Paderewski. Tickets: $6-$10.

More information: polishmuseumofamerica.org

The Hartwell Memorial Window

Hartwell Memorial Window 1917, leaded glass; design attributed to Agnes F. Northrop. Tiffany Studios, Corona, New York. The Art Institute of Chicago
The Art Institute of Chicago
The Hartwell Memorial Window bears a design attributed to Agnes F. Northrop of Tiffany Studios.

When: Permanent

Where: Art Institute of Chicago, 111 S. Michigan

What: A magnificent stained glass window made by Tiffany Studios in 1917 is now on permanent display at the Art Institute. The Hartwell Memorial Window, attributed to Agnes F. Northrop, Tiffany’s leading landscape window designer, was originally commissioned for a church as the gift of Mary L. Hartwell in memory of her husband Frederick W. Hartwell. It consists of 48 different panels, and is a scenic view of Mount Chocorua, a peak in New Hampshire’s White Mountains. The window, located near the museum’s entrance, is one of the most ambitious landscape window projects produced by Tiffany. Museum admission: $14-$25.

More information: artic.edu

‘Michelangelo’s Sistine Chapel Exhibition’

You can walk among life-sized reproductions of a fresco masterpiece when you visit “Michelangelo’s Sistine Chapel: The Exhibition” in Oakbrook Center.
SEE Attractions
You can walk among life-sized reproductions of a fresco masterpiece when you visit “Michelangelo’s Sistine Chapel: The Exhibition” in Oakbrook Center.

When: Ongoing

Where: Oakbrook Center, 2120 Oakbrook Center, Oak Brook

What: For a new perspective on some of the world’s greatest art check out this immersive exhibition showcasing the artist’s renowned ceiling frescos from the Vatican chapel. The reproductions were made using a photographic technique that captures the look and feel of the original paintings. Tickets: $14-$26.60.

More information: sistinechapelexhibit.com/chicago/

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Things to do at museums in ChicagoMary Houlihan – For the Sun-Timeson June 18, 2021 at 2:24 pm Read More »

Man critically wounded during attempted carjacking in Gold CoastSun-Times Wireon June 18, 2021 at 2:45 pm

Sun-Times file photo

The man was standing with his girlfriend in the first block of East Chestnut Street when a gunman approached and demanded the keys to his car, Chicago police said.

A man was shot and critically wounded during an attempted carjacking Thursday night in Gold Coast on the North Side.

The man, 35, was standing on the sidewalk with his girlfriend in the first block of East Chestnut Street when a gunman approached and demanded the keys to his car around 10:20 p.m., Chicago police said.

The carjacker shot the man in the neck and fled in a waiting Honda SUV, police said.

He was transported to Northwestern Memorial Hospital in critical condition, police said.

No one was in custody.

Police did not have additional details or a suspect description Friday morning.

It was the second shooting in the Gold Coast this week. Early Tuesday, a man was killed and another wounded after being struck by gunfire and crashing in the 1100 block of North Lake Shore Drive.

The Gold Coast is in the 18th police district, which has seen only one fatal shooting and at least 10 other shootings so far this year. Murders are dramatically lower this year than during the same period in 2020, when the district had recorded four homicides, police statistics show.

Shooting incidents in the district are up 43% compared with the same period last year, according to the statistics.

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Man critically wounded during attempted carjacking in Gold CoastSun-Times Wireon June 18, 2021 at 2:45 pm Read More »