A lot of us are struggling with anxiety right now. I know I am. I find myself needing to take a break from television news and social media. Of course, I will feel anxious if I spend hours watching and listening to what is going on right now. If you are feeling anxious you should not blame yourself. It will only make things worse. You are human and occasional anxiety is a normal part of life. Sometimes when we experience a tough time mentally people will blame us for how we feel. We will get the shake it off speech. Don’t let other people make you feel guilty about your emotions.
In the past, I would use food to deal with anxiety. Nothing was more calming than eating a half gallon of ice cream. I have learned healthy ways to deal with anxiety. I listen to music, pray, watch one of my favorite comedians, write or take a walk. I stay away from things or people that will feed my anxiety. Meditation works for some people. Each of us are different and what works for me might not work for you. You should not use unhealthy mechanisms to cope with anxiety. Overeating, drinking too much, smoking, or taking drugs will only exacerbate the problem.
If your anxiety is long term and you consistently feel nervous, fearful or you have a difficult time functioning in your normal activities. You may have an anxiety disorder. If that is the case you should talk with your doctor. Your doctor should be able to recommend a mental healthcare professional that can provide treatment.
I have been interested in preventive medicine since my childhood. In the 70s, my aunt would take me with her to meet with a doctor who emphasized preventive medicine. A lot of the things that doctor discussed then has become standard today.
As demonstrations and protests have run rampant across the country, many seem to have forgotten that the Covid-19 pandemic is still very much a part of everyday life. As hundreds/thousands of people have gathered in large groups to rightfully protest the brutal death of George Floyd, our attention has turned away. This is ok. We understand that voices absolutely need to be heard to challenge this behavior. But we need to remember this one thing regarding the pandemic:
NOTHING HAS CHANGED.
For weeks now I have watched as cities and states have reopened for business. As I have been temporarily residing in Florida, I see everything opened around me. One would think that everything is back to normal. Not me. I am, as many others should be, staying at home. The reason being?
NOTHING HAS CHANGED.
Back in 1918 the the Spanish Flu followed this same path in the US. This morning after reading the attached article, written by Dr. Howard Markel, Director for the History of Medicine at The University of Michigan Medical School, I realized that we are most definitely headed in the same direction as they were back then. Because instead of learning from this and knowing a spike is completely preventable we continue to reopen and move forward as though there is a cure or a vaccine. Let me remind you:
NOTHING HAS CHANGED.
Believe me, as I continue to be unemployed after my business of 22 years was completely shattered by this virus, I understand how badly we all want to get back to work. To resume some sense of normalcy. Last week I was driving down through the city we are living in and it was as though there never had been a virus. It was eerie to me – all the restaurants were open (I could only see the outdoor seating areas) and they were packed. The only people wearing masks were the servers who when encountering their unmasked patrons, are putting themselves in danger. Many people have returned to work because they have no choice and I understand that fully. However, anything above and beyond what is a MUST do, should be all that we are doing. Because:
NOTHING HAS CHANGED.
In the article I attached, after a time of social distancing during the Spanish Flu, there was pressure to stop doing it. Pressure to get things reopened, much like today. When the virus seemed to peak, people behaved as they are now: no more masks, things began to reopen and life resumed. Kids went back to school, bars reopened, etc. And then the cases rose. And rose. And rose. And in October of that year, nearly 200,000 people died from it in the US alone. IN ONE MONTH. And why?
NOTHING HAD CHANGED.
So here we are. It’s summer and people are tired of feeling like caged animals. I get it. But as things are reopening, cases are starting to climb again. Not a surprise! Florida saw its largest one day increase this week since mid April.
So, here’s the thing – I’m not saying that everything should close again – I’m saying that if we were all really in this together and followed the rules ie: masks (I hate wearing a mask but I feel it is my duty to protect myself AND others), social distancing, sanitizing, washing hands, etc. we may be able to exist in a semi normal (new normal) capacity until there is a cure. This quote from the article particularly struck me:
“As we ponder how to best rescind social distancing measures and return to normal life today, we must work from the premise that as long as this deadly virus stalks the planet, longer is better than shorter. These measures are imperfect and slow to work. They are disruptive and painful to our daily lives and economy. They do not magically end pandemics. But they can save lives.”
So, next time you refuse to wear a mask because it is your civil right not to, next time you complain that you want to go out to dinner or go hang at bars, have large gatherings or walk right up next to a total stranger and stand next to them, try to remember this:
NOTHING HAS CHANGED.
And until we all realize the truth in that, this will go on for a long, long time.
I work as a women’s accessories sales representative. I have 2 daughters and have been married for 30 years. I love to write and talk about life. I also love to find humor in as much as possible. As a two time cancer survivor, there isn’t much you can’t throw at me. For inquiries you can email me at [email protected].
Well, some of those guys are gone and only Toews and Kane are as good as they were in the glory days right now. They did manage to be the last Western Conference team to squeak into the playoff picture that the NHL’s Return to Play committee has come up with. They are going to match up against the Edmonton Oilers if this gets going. The Oilers come in as the five seed and the Hawks will be playing against them in what should be a very good series.
The Oilers, perhaps more than any playoff team in the National Hockey League, are a star-driven team. If you are old enough, you might remember the days of Wayne Gretzky, Mark Messier, and Jari Kurri leading the Oilers to dynasty status. Well, it is a new chapter in the history of the Oilers but there is still more of the same. They aren’t even close to as complete of a team as those teams from the 80s but they have some comparable stars.
The Oilers have two stars in particular that are considered two of the five best players in the world and then a third guy who is wildly underrated in terms of his impact on a game. These are the three Edmonton Oilers stars that Chicago needs to learn the most about:
DePaul Basketball (Photo by Mitchell Layton/Getty Images)
DePaul Blue Demons’ sports will look a little different next year, as athletic director Jean Lenti-Ponsetto is set to retire this summer.
Lenti-Ponsetto’s planned retirement from DePaul Blue Demons’ sports was confirmed by the campus paper The DePaulia (full disclosure: I’m a DePaul alum and wrote and edited for The DePaulia from 2001-2004) on Thursday night.
“Today is a bittersweet day for me and my husband, Joe,” Ponsetto said in a statement. “DePaul has been a part of our lives for the past 46 years. Our dearest and closest friends were teammates we began our student-athlete journeys with in 1974. It truly has been our privilege and the honor of a lifetime to serve DePaul as athletic director.”
Lenti-Ponsetto has battled cancer in recent years.
“The changing times over these past few months has led me to this decision” Ponsetto said. “Having successfully battled two breast cancer diagnoses and currently in treatment for a third, I thought it was time to step away from the long days, working every weekend and the 24/7 demands that being an athletic director requires.”
She was a long-time fixture around the athletics facilities and campus in general. Before getting the top job, she spent seven years as senior associate athletic director, 12 years as associate director, and two in a role of assistant director.
The DePaul Athletic Hall of Famer was elevated to the top gig in July 2002, replacing Bill Bradshaw.
RELATED PRODUCT
Men’s Nike NBA Connected Jersey
Her tenure was a busy one. She oversaw DePaul’s move to the Big East and later was instrumental in that conference’s realignment. She hired three men’s basketball head coaches – Jerry Wainwright, Oliver Purnell, and Dave Leitao. Leitao, the current coach, is in his second stint at the school.
DePaul men’s basketball has been an afterthought for most of her time in charge, last qualifying for the NCAA Tournament in 2004. A strong showing in non-conference play this season raised hopes of a return, but the team struggled in Big East play.
Conversely, the women’s team, helmed by Doug Bruno, has been a consistent tournament contender, having qualified for 18 straight seasons. That team has snagged six Big East regular-season titles and five Big East tournament wins.
Both soccer teams have been tournament qualifiers under her watch, and the softball team has been in the Women’s College World Series twice.
Over 1,400 DePaul athletes have made academic honor rolls during Lenti-Ponsetto’s tenure.
A lawsuit filed in April against former DePaul softball coach Eugene Lenti – Lenti-Ponsetto’s brother – for verbal and physical abuse of players also made headlines, as did a conflict of interest controversy involving Lenti-Ponsetto. That involved the naming rights of Wintrust Arena, which replaced the Allstate Arena as the home for basketball games.
In response to worldwide protests over the killing of George Floyd and other Black citizens by police, many arts organizations and other nonprofits publicly proclaimed their solidarity with the protesters and the Black Lives Matter movement. Second City tweeted their support on May 31, along with a quote from Dr. Martin Luther King (“There comes a time when silence is betrayal”) and the message “To say nothing is to be complicit. Black lives, stories, art, and souls matter.”
Dewayne Perkins, a Marquette Park native and DePaul grad who worked with the Wells Street comedy behemoth in several capacities, including as a member of a national touring company and in 2015’s Training Center show No Selfie Control before becoming a television writer (he has written for Brooklyn 99, among other projects), retweeted Second City’s BLM statement.
And he added several more of his own. “You remember when the black actors wanted to put on a Black Lives Matter Benefit show and you said only if we gave half of the proceeds to the Chicago PD, because I will never forget.”
A tsunami of tweets from other BIPOC artists and Second City alumni followed, calling out institutional racism. It was reminiscent of the controversy surrounding the 2016 Second City e.t.c. revue A Red Line Runs Through It, when half of the cast quit in response to what actor Peter Kim described in a Chicago magazine essay as an environment where audiences “hurled increasingly racist, homophobic, and misogynistic comments at me and my castmates: comments demeaning my Asian ethnicity, using the f-word to degrade my homosexuality, and shouting ‘whores’ at the women.” In response to the exit of the actors, Andrew Alexander, Second City’s owner, CEO, and executive producer, shuffled around some of the management team.
But after the Twitter backlash, and with the Second City empire (which includes outposts in Los Angeles and Toronto along with the mothership in Piper’s Alley) shuttered by COVID-19, Alexander, 76, announced his departure on Friday, June 5 in a memo now available on the company website. In this valedictory, he appeared to accept responsibility for the failures to address institutional racism in a meaningful way.
“The company has grown significantly–yet culturally homogeneously. There is no excuse for it, and I am not defending it,” Andrews wrote. “I succumbed to (what I now realize was) my unconscious biases, the biases of the theater community, and the biases of the city in which The Second City is embedded. I surrounded myself with people mostly of my own race and culture. As a theater producer, I like to think I have good instincts, not just commercially, but also as it relates to what is right. As an administrator, I have not always had good instincts. While diversifying the theater artistically, I failed to create an anti-racist environment wherein artists of color might thrive. I am so deeply and inexpressibly sorry.”
Alexander went on to say, “I am stepping down and fully removing myself from overseeing The Second City’s operations and policies and will divest myself from the company as it stands. The next person to fill the Executive Producer position will be a member of the BIPOC community. That’s a commitment I’m proud to make.”
Alexander, who produced the legendary sketch television series SCTV, took over the Toronto Second City operations in 1974 from Second City cofounder Bernie Sahlins and then became co-owner of the Chicago original in 1985, also overseeing revues for decades as the executive producer.
Alexander owns 50 percent of the company, and under his leadership, Second City expanded its brand through a range of initiatives, including corporate training and expansion of both the Training Center facilities and additional performance venues in Piper’s Alley. It’s unclear right now how the for-profit enterprise will move forward with changing leadership and who might be in contention to take over Alexander’s role, particularly given the economic turmoil of the coronavirus shutdown that has caused massive layoffs and drops in revenue throughout the entertainment sector.
In addition to the announcement of Alexander’s departure, Second City publicly committed to several other steps to address the problems with lack of diversity and institutional racism called out by the alumni on Twitter and by many others over the years.
“The Second City commits to reviewing internal hiring, casting, and student recruitment practices to ensure we are actively identifying and removing barriers to access and opening the doors to BIPOC in every area of the company. The Second City commits to using our resources to produce art by and for BIPOC artists and diversifying audiences in our theaters. We commit to company wide anti-racist training and education. The Second City will make ongoing financial and in-kind donations to organizations working to dismantle systems of oppression, as well as to Black-owned businesses and schools in underserved communities.”
At this point, I’ve been sitting at my computer for 30 minutes staring at the blank screen. My last Red Cup Adventures blog was written in December 2019. I just had to write a hearty Get To Steppin’ to the disgraced and fired CPD Superintendent Eddie Johnson (click here to read it). In 2020, I haven’t written a new blog or anything else which is a shame because I love to write.
I’ve been sitting here with a blank screen because I started the year 2020 moving in slow motion and haven’t found the motivation to pick up the pace yet. I started the year in slow motion then the CoronaVirus happened so I isolated with my family on the west side and was more than happy to #ShelterInPlace. I’ve been cooking with my mom, walking the family dog, and staying off social media especially Facebook. I get myself in trouble voicing my opinions on Facebook so I decided to give it up. But today, Spirit whispered to jump online and see what’s happening with my Facebook friends. I came upon a post by Brandi Thomas that read “It was just about this time 21 years ago that I got a call from mom saying come home! Not knowing that Bobby was gone (sad face emoji) Robert Russ 22 killed by Chicago Police June 5, 1999.” And then I knew why Spirit whispered to me because I needed to Say His Name: Robert (Bobby) Russ AKA Big Fluffy AKA Big Fluff.
I don’t personally know all my Facebook Friends. I like to friend people who I feel have a good spirit and interesting online presence. I don’t personally know Brandi Thomas, but I definitely knew her brother Bobby Russ. We both started at Northwestern University as Freshmen in the fall of 1994. The Black population at NU in 1994 was around 8% of the student body. It had been 8% decades before I attended and it’s still around the same percentage decades after I graduated. (The Black NU alum dream is for the Black student body to one day hit and exceed the 10% glass ceiling.) Since the Black population at NU is so small, we usually all know each other. Add to that the Black kids from Chicago and the Chicago suburbs all have to get together to play the who-do-we-know-in-common game.
Bobby Russ was a 6 foot 4 inch, 270 pound, defensive lineman on the Northwestern Wildcat Football team (No. 98) from Calumet City. He was a huge guy with a huge personality. His nickname was “Big Fluff” because he was always smiling, joking, and he gave the best hugs. One article published last year by InsideNU to commemorate the 20 year anniversary of his murder accurately described him as “a deeply religious, quick-witted gentle giant.” (Click here to read the full article)
Here are the facts of Bobby Russ’s murder which I’m summarizing from the Inside NU article:
On the night of June 4, 1999, Russ was driving home to Calumet City from Evanston. Chicago police officer Philip Banaszkiewicz saw Russ driving erratically on southbound Lake Shore Dive near Monroe Avenue. Banaszkiewicz approached Russ’ car stopped at a red light. Russ locked the door and drove away. Banaszkiewicz began following Russ to the Dan Ryan expressway and two other police officers joined the pursuit. A police car pulled in front of Russ to block his path, but Russ rammed the police car. The police surrounded his car, began kicking the car, yelling “Get out the fucking car”, and breaking Russ’ rear passenger window because they couldn’t see in the car’s tinted windows. Russ was sitting in the car unresponsive which his hands between his legs as the police shouted at him. Russ turned quickly over his left shoulder and grabbed Officer Van Watts IV’s weapon through the broken window. Russ and the officer tussled with the gun. Watts fired one shot at Russ. The officers dragged Russ out the car, placed him on his stomach, and handcuffed his arms behind his back. The 22-year-old was dead on the expressway before the ambulance arrived.
As a 43 year old Black woman who has lived in Chicago my entire life, made the drive from Evanston to the SouthSide of Chicago more times than I can count, and personally knew Bobby Russ as a classmate and friend, here’s my perspective on what happened:
Depending on your mood and your demographics, the hour plus drive from Evanston to Calumet City can be beautifully exhilarating especially as Navy Pier and the downtown Chicago skyline come into view or it can be scary and deadly. I don’t know what Big Fluff was thinking driving home. Was he excited because he was days away from graduating? Was he tired from a long day and late-night drive home? Was he driving fast because he was trying to get home quickly or cause its fun to drive fast when you’re pretty much alone on LDS? Was he thinking about his unborn child due to be delivered in the fall? I don’t know. But I know he was a 6’4″ big, Black guy driving a late model Buick with tinted windows down lakeshore drive late at night. And since I know how a lot of Chicago cops are I’m going to guess he saw a late model Buick with tinted windows (CPD HATES tinted windows) and decided to fuck with the driver. The cop didn’t know Big Fluff was a Northwestern University scholar and student athlete. The cop didn’t know he may have even cheered for Big Fluff when NU Football went to the Rose and Citrus Bowl. Since his windows were tinted, the cop may not have known he was a big, Black guy.
But considering Big Fluff was driving a late model Buick with tinted windows and the cop probably ran his plates, I’m going to assume he knew the occupant of the car was Driving While Black and decided to fuck with him. And honestly “fuck with him” is the absolute best description I give you because that’s what CPD loves do to Black people especially big, Black guys. I’m further going to give my friend the benefit of doubt that Big Fluff didn’t see or hear or understand some confusing command the first officer gave him on LSD so he drove away. The officer got pissed (CPD really hates tinted windows and when they think they are being disrespected) so he decided to really fuck with Big Fluff and calls in “fuck him up” back up. When the now three police cars met up with Big Fluff on the Dan Ryan, I’m going to give my friend the benefit of the doubt that he tried to follow their commands. But once Officer Watts broke the back window and saw a big, Black guy, Watts escalated, over reacted and murdered this big, Black man he perceived as a disrespectful threat…this big, Black man we all called Big Fluff. The officer who fired on Big Fluff and the other two officers who helped murder my friend all lied to paint Big Fluff as the aggressor. Ask anyone who knew Bobby…the story the officers told made no sense especially considering that Big Fluff had a torn rotator cuff. It was shown in court that with his limited shoulder mobility, there was no way 6 foot 4 inch, 270 pound Big Fluff could have quickly turned around in the driver’s seat to reach out the back driver’s side window to wrestle for the officer’s gun.
21 years ago today Robert “Bobby” Russ AKA Big Fluff was murdered by the Chicago Police Department for Driving While Black. CPD’s civilian oversight board, which Mayor Lori Lightfoot previously headed from 2015-2018, found Big Fluff’s death was an accident. The City of Chicago paid $9.6 million in damages to Big Fluff’s 4-year old son for the “accident” they condoned and continue to allow to happen. And we have had ENOUGH! Being a big, Black guy shouldn’t be a death sentence frequency inflicted by the Chicago Police Department. This is why NCAA and NFL players take a knee. Because there are a bunch of big, Black guys on those teams who have had police officers point guns at them and threatened to murder them. And they all have friends who have not been as lucky as them. They have had ENOUGH! We have had ENOUGH!
As we demand justice for George Floyd, I agree with Reverend Al Sharpton that we need to demand justice for all the families who have had loved ones assassinated by and then lied on by police departments around the country. We also demand justice for everyone who has been murdered, brutalized, and victimized by police departments around the country. We demand justice for all the violence inflicted by the police that wasn’t caught on video or was caught on video but was dismissed and disregarded for the systemic lies and cover-ups facilitated by police departments, police unions, and government officials. We Demand Change and the first step is to say the names of the victims AND the names of the victimizers. We need to re-tell their stories and point out the lies that have been pressing on our necks for too long.
SAY HIS NAME: ROBERT (BOBBY) RUSS AKA BIG FLUFF, beloved son, brother, father, Northwestern University 1999 graduate, Northwestern football defensive lineman (No. 98), teammate, friend, comedian, gentle giant. His life mattered. #BlackLivesMatter
Thank you Brandi Thomas for the reminder, for speaking with me, and for giving me permission to share your photos.
In the comments, please leave the names and tell the stories of your loved ones who deserve justice! #SayTheirNames
To read more on Bobby “Big Fluff” Russ and sign the Change.org petition to Mayor Lori Lightfoot, click the following links:
If you want new Red Cup Adventures blogs delivered hot, fresh, and directly to your email box, type your email address below and click the “create subscription” button to sign-up for my blog alerts. The list is completely spam free, and you can opt out at any time. Thanks! And Please…LIKE, SHARE & COMMENT!
Welcome to the “Red Cup Adventures”. Why the Red Cup Adventures? Because the red cup is the universal symbol of fun, ambassador of good times, and the perfect decorative holder for my Single Girl Summer sangria. No party is complete without a red cup. I’ve got my drink and my two step. Now subscribe to my blog below and let’s have some fun together! #LetsGo #FollowTheRedCup #SingleGirlSummer #VotedMostCreative
Man oh man, it was a busy week. I know, it usually is in the age of Donald Trump, but this one was extra intense. Besides Trump, you had moments with the Mayor of D.C., the police, some former general, a few Senators and more.
Take a look in the latest issue of The Week In Review:
My so called friends think it’s time to edit this section. After four years, they may be right, but don’t tell them that. I’ll deny it until they die!
I can’t believe I’ve been writing this blog for four years.
It started as a health/wellness thing and over the years has morphed to include so many things that I don’t know how to describe it anymore.
I really thought this was going to be the final year of the blog but then Donald Trump came along. It looks like we’re good for four more years..God help us all!
Oh yeah…the biographical stuff. I’m not 60 anymore. The rest you can read about in the blog.
The exact date we will be able to eat at a restaurant is still unknown, but Chicago is already started to prepare for that glorious day. Of course, how restaurants and guests act will be very different than pre-coronavirus. The city released guidelines that restaurants must follow if they want to reopen.
Photo Credit: Twisted Spoke
Here are some of the highlights:
Advertisement
Contactless pickup will still be available.
People are encouraged to use contactless payment.
Outdoor dining will be allowed, as long as social distancing protocols are followed.
Signs regarding hygiene, social distancing, PPE, and more should be posted throughout the facilities.
Employees are required to wear a face mask at all times, and guests are required to wear a mask when not seated.
Social distancing of at least six feet is still encouraged.
Employees should frequently wash their hands and disinfect the facilities.
Flexible time off is available if employees are feeling sick.
No more self-serving drink and food stations.
In addition, you won’t be able to go out to eat with a huge group of friends. All gatherings must be limited to no more than 10 people, with only six people allowed at each table that are spread at least six feet apart. You also likely won’t see any menus in restaurants — many restaurants will either switch to digital menus or fixed menu boards whenever possible.
Chicago restaurants will be a bit cleaner; employees are required to clean and sanitize the entire restaurant before opening and as frequently as every 30 minutes. Bathrooms should be monitored, cleaned, and sanitized, often.
Advertisement
The state is also suggesting that restaurant owners monitor the health of their employees and recommend that employees do a wellness check before coming to work every day. The guidelines also say that restaurants could take temperature checks or do other health screenings before allowing employees to work.
Photo Credit: Wells on Wells
One of the biggest topics still up for debate is regarding capacity. The maximum number of people allowed on a patio will be dictated by how many tables can fit within the space while still adhering to social distancing rules. While there were rumors of shutting down sidewalks for patios, the guidelines don’t make any mention of this. Right now, the guidelines merely suggest that whenever possible, a restaurant should set up an “impermeable barrier” from the sidewalks.
Advertisement
Another decision that still needs to be made is what is considered an indoor space or an outdoor space. Currently, the language in the guidelines indicates that “dining areas considered outdoors include rooftops, rooms with retractable roofs and indoor spaces where 50-percent or more of a wall can be removed via the opening of windows, doors, or panels provided that dining tables are within eight feet from such openings.”
One of the main concerns of Mayor Lightfoot, restaurant owners, and Chicagoans, in general, is the city’s unpredictable weather patterns. A day of rain or extreme wind might put a damper on outdoor seating availability. By allowing indoor dining spaces that can be opened to the outdoors, it might allow restaurants to resume service with minimal disruption from the weather.
Advertisement
Before restaurants can reopen, Mayor Lori Lightfoot is waiting for Chicago to hit certain health benchmarks, but it is expected to happen by June 10.
As part of an initiative called Murals for Medical Relief, Chicago artists have been painting murals throughout the month of May in an effort to help raise funds for local hospitals’ COVID-19 relief funds.
Photo Credit: Brian Rich
Murals for Medical Relief is a collaboration between local companies Muros and VINCO. Muros, which describes itself on its website as a “global art activation agency,” focuses on creating partnerships between artists and businesses, using mural and street art as another platform for brands while facilitating meaningful visual art in the communities those businesses inhabit. VINCO was founded by three former Northwestern University students and aims to provide local artists of all disciplines with resources and opportunities to have their work seen and heard.
Advertisement
Together, these companies have given artists the space to create murals inspired by Chicago healthcare workers. Not only are the murals meant to encourage others to give back (the initiative has established its own GoFundMe campaign benefiting hospitals), but they are available for purchase in the form of prints, the profits from which are split between the relief funds of Chicago hospitals and the artists themselves. These healthcare recipients include Cook County Health, Northwestern Memorial, and Rush University Medical Center.
Photo Credit: (Sub)Urban Warrior Facebook
Among the artists involved is Dwight White II. One of the founders of VINCO, he began exploring painting and art in general after an injury during his time as a Northwestern student-athlete changed the trajectory of his life. White has since found solace in creating art and sees its potential for helping others through dark times. Though he has said he’s “only been in this game for a few years now,” he has fully embraced art’s capacity for engaging the people of a community and looks forward to continuing to be a part of that process. His mural depicts a healthcare worker wearing a mask (which features the Chicago flag) and surrounded by flowers, a shield, and a brightly-colored banner in the background.
Advertisement
(Sub)Urban Warrior, another contributing artist, is based in the Chicago suburbs and is inspired largely by animal imagery. She often creates what she lovingly calls “Beasties,” which are creatures featuring anatomical characteristics of both animals and humans — usually in bright, bold colors. The central focus of the mural she has painted is a bird which she describes as an amalgam of a crane, swan, and phoenix, all meant to evoke “grace, poise, and resilience.” In the background is a depiction of a heartbeat as it appears on a heart monitor.
Photo Credit: Muros Facebook
In addition to information on and photos of the work done so far, the Murals for Medical Relief website also provides a map that highlights the locations of these murals. All situated on the outskirts of the Illinois Medical District, these location markers are accompanied by links to directions, as well as an update on each mural’s status (“completed” or “in-progress”).
Advertisement
To take a look at the mural map or learn more about the work of Murals for Medical Relief, visit the initiative’s website.
Few indie-rock artists are more prolific than singer-songwriter Mike Kinsella, who’s been playing in Illinois bands since the late 80s, including Cap’n Jazz, Joan of Arc, and American Football. The latter band reunited in 2014 following a 14-year break and subsequently released two acclaimed albums, 2016’s American Football (or LP2) and last year’s American Football (LP3). Now the singer and multi-instrumentalist is set to release The Avalanche (Polyvinyl), the tenth studio album from his solo project, Owen. Produced by Bon Iver drummer and fellow musical Swiss army knife Sean Carey (who recorded Owen’s ninth LP, The King of Whys), the nine-song album is typical Kinsella: full of beautiful, intricate melodies, lush arrangements, and naked lyrics. Whatever the project, Kinsella pours his life into his writing, and The Avalanche is no exception. His lyrics on last year’s American Football LP were metaphorical and opaque, with allusions to heartbreak, self-medication, and a broken father-son relationship. By contrast, The Avalanche is straightforward about his personal issues, and frankly addresses the end of his marriage. Over the folksy acoustic melody, hushed brush strokes, and pedal steel of “Dead for Days,” Kinsella sings, “Now I’ve got friends that don’t know me / A wife that’s disowned me / You in concept only to miss / And I’ve been sober for over two weeks.” Accompanied by the light alt-country vibe of “The Contours,” he confesses, “I’m in therapy / She’s in therapy / Turns out all the answers are just questions / For next week’s sessions.” But perhaps most cutting is “Mom and Dead,” which is also the album’s most musically emotive song, with cascading guitars and a beautiful glockenspiel sequence over descending bowed cello. As the track slowly climaxes, Kinsella sings, “How can you live without me? / Who’ll pour your drinks? / Who’ll make your heart beat?” It’s often said that pain makes for great art, and The Avalanche is the latest proof. v
