Arts & Entertainment Recommendations

That Sure is Swell!

Abraham – 'Being Mickey'

Abraham’s latest series is inundated with Mickey-like characters and references. Why Mickey? It is a recognizable char acter that has frequently made appearances in Abraham’s work since the early 2000s. The artist’s love of Pop Art and cartoons from the 1950s and 60s plays a large role in the types of characters he creates. In his college years, Pop Art woke him up. The style was different from normal landscapes and portraits. It was revolutionary in its sudden impact, and it broke Fine Art and commercial art boundaries, something that really resonated with the artist. The body of work in "Being Mickey" harkens back to that memory, but with a more refined approach as his own creative process has matured. The artist’s art-making process is through automatism, as defined by the Surrealist movement. It is rooted in pop culture and incorporates the characters that enter his mind within an environment that is sometimes surreal, sometimes uncomfortable. "Being Mickey" transports us into the artist’s mind, providing a glimpse into that subconscious process, and is a collaboration between Elephant Room Gallery and Epiphany Center for the Arts, 201 S. Ashland Ave. This exhibit is free to attend. For more information or to schedule a viewing appointment, email art@ epiphanychi.com.

Women Composers!

Alsop Conducts Wolfe: Her Story

Conductor Marin Alsop (pictured) leads the Chicago Symphony Orchestra in three pivotal works by 21st-century women composers. "This Midnight Hour," a single-movement orchestral composition by former Mead Composer-in-Residence Anna Clyne, evokes a visual journey for the listener. Mead Composer-in-Residence Jessie Montgomery’s "Rounds," commissioned for and performed by pianist Awadagin Pratt, is inspired by the constancy, rhythms and duality of life that impact all living things. Closing the program is "Her Story," a CSO co-commission by Pulitzer Prize-winning composer Julia Wolfe that captures the passion and perseverance of women who have led the fight for representation and gender equality. A 40-minute theatrical experience for orchestra and women’s vocal ensemble, the piece is the latest in a series of compositions by Wolfe that highlights monumental and turbulent moments in American history. Tickets start at $45.

Build Your Own Fort!

Filament Theatre’s ‘FORTS: Build Your Adventure’ and ‘FORTS: Adult Night’

Chicago’s Filament Theatre returns with its hit immersive play experience for families "FORTS: Build Your Own Adventure," in which Filament transforms into a play space for children and parents to build new worlds using cardboard boxes, sheets, clotheslines and more, on January 8. And back by popular demand, "FORTS: Adult Night," a BYOB version specifically for adults to reconnect with the imagination of their youth, returns Friday, January 6. "FORTS: Adult Night Experience" allows audiences to enjoy a world of play and creation as Filament Theatre transforms into a fort-building fantasy. BYOB Adult nights occur at 7 p.m. every Friday through January 20. Participants in FORTS: Adult Night must be 21+. Performances are BYOB. Tickets cost $10-15 at filamenttheatre.org/adultforts

To Love Life!

David Hockney: The Arrival of Spring, Normandy, 2020 – LAST CHANCE

"David Hockney: The Arrival of Spring, Normandy, 2020," is an exhibition of new work by one of England’s most versatile and inventive artists of the postwar era. In this latest project, Hockney rendered the richness of the season from the bucolic surroundings of rural Normandy on his iPad. Organized in collaboration with the Royal Academy of Arts, London, the exhibit is on view at the Art Institute of Chicago, 111 S. Michigan Ave., through January 9, and explores Hockney’s innovative approach to “painting” across 116 works, including two animated videos. This series of work coincided with the beginning of the coronavirus pandemic. Hockney’s exploration offers a contrast to the isolation and loss many experienced during this same period. His paintings are a celebration of the joy of the natural world, which reminds us, as he does himself in one of his often-repeated phrases, to “love life.” Free with museum admission.

Let Me Take You On An Icecapade!

McCormick Tribune Ice Rink

Skating at the McCormick Tribune Ice Rink in Millennium Park runs through March 5 (weather permitting). Admission is free, but online reservation tickets are required. Visit www.chicago.gov/city/en/depts/dca/supp_info/millennium_park10.html to make your reservations. Snacks and hot drinks will be available from Momentum Coffee and Millennium Hall. Additionally, the Chicago Department of Cultural Affairs and Special Events will present free lessons (reservations required) from 9-10 a.m. on most Saturdays and Sundays, teaching beginner and intermediate ice skating and hockey skills. Free lessons are made possible by the McDonald’s Active Lifestyles Endowment, managed by the Millennium Park Foundation.

Black Writers in Focus!

‘Dark Testament: A Century of Black Writers on Justice’

Immerse yourself in “Dark Testament: A Century of Black Writers on Justice” and honor the significant contributions of Black writers to American literature and history. Explore racial injustice in America by examining the work of Black American writers from the end of the Civil War through the Civil Rights Movement. Featuring original artwork, augmented reality and other interactive elements to enliven and enrich the experience, Dark Testament brings the work of writers past and present to life in new and exciting ways. This exhibit, running through September 17, is included with museum admission: Adults $14, Seniors/Students/ Teachers $9, Children 12 and under free at the American Writers Museum, 180 N. Michigan Ave.

What A Drag!

‘In The Family’

In the Family is a drag theater production written by Tirrany Reigns and directed by Ramona Mirage, produced in tandem with PrideArts. It follows a drag family facing the trials, tribulations, and hangovers that come from a major loss in the family and a raucous New Year’s Eve. Fridays and Saturdays at 7:30 p.m., and Sunday at 3 p.m. through January 15 at Pride Arts Center, 4139 N. Broadway. Tickets are $20 at pridearts.org.

Explore the Color Wheel!

Luftwerk: ‘Exact Dutch Yellow’

“Exact Dutch Yellow” is a new immersive exhibition by the Chicago-based collaborative Petra Bachmaier & Sean Gallero of Luftwerk Studio. Drawing upon the scientific history of color and color theory, the exhibition explores how we perceive the natural world today. The exhibit hall at The Chicago Cultural Center, 78 E. Washington St., will feature a series of immersive color and light installations using botanical colors in combination with color-changing light conditions that transform into abstracted, atmospheric experiences, using natural pigments, exploring the phenomenon of light and color in the sky, informed by a holistic perception of the natural world and an interconnected ecology. Through January 29, 10 a.m. - 5 p.m. daily. FREE.

Artist's Collective!

‘Even So’

Curated by Chicago artist CZR PRZ and Epiphany Center for the Arts, “Even So” showcases six Chicago-based artists whose works defy easy categorization. Opening in the Guild Room and running through February 18, the exhibition features paintings and sculpture by Sara Hoffman, Murrz, Nate Otto, Diego Penuela, Czr Prz and Rawooh. These artists make work that thrives in the fertile ground between figuration and abstraction, precision and painterliness, illustration and mystery. W hat results are lively objects that suggest a wide array of cultural relationships and potential influences, ranging from mid-century color field painting to anime, street art and hip hop. This exhibit is free to attend at the Epiphany Center for the Arts, 201 S. Ashland Ave. To schedule a viewing appointment, please visit art@epiphanychi.com