ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT RECOMMENDATIONS Compiled by Cora Saddler
The Time is Now!
What’s Next: The Future of Downtown Don’t know what’s next for the future of Chicago’s downtown city center? Addressing the concerns and effects of the pandemic, the Chicago Architecture Center is hosting a virtual event dedicated to opening conversations surrounding Chicago’s central business district. Before the 2020 lockdown, Chicago had been the fastest-growing downtown center by population. Join program moderator Greg Hinz (reporter at Crain’s Chicago Business) and presenters Ryan Mullenix (partner at NBBJ Architects), Mary W. Rowe (President and CEO of Canadian Urban Institute), and William Murray (Co-founder of Murray Twohig) as they explore ways to stimulate the storefront economy and after-work entertainment culture as well as how design can be used to reinvigorate and reimagine the use of buildings to meet post-pandemic needs. Event takes place at noon March 24. Tickets are $20 for the general public and $12 for Chicago Architecture Center members. For more information, visit architecture.org.
Food Festival!
Savor Lincoln Park Hungry for some of Chicago’s best eats and views? Savor Lincoln Park features delicious samples and sips from Lincoln Park’s favorite restaurants and bars set against the breathtaking backdrop of Chicago’s iconic city skyline. Guests will enjoy a unique silent auction package featuring gift cards from Chicago’s best destinations, stores, and attractions. Participating restaurants include Casati’s Modern Italian, Chez Moi, Dom’s Kitchen and Market, Evette’s, Tandoor Char House, the Lakefront Restaurant and more as well as participating drink partners like Eris Brewery & Cider House, Maplewood Brewery, Revolution Brewing, Vin Chicago and White Claw. The festival is presented by the Lincoln Park Chamber of Commerce at the Theater on the Lake, 2401 N. Lake Shore Drive, from 6-9 p.m. on March 22. Cost is $40 and includes samples, drinks, and a complimentary beer.
Find Your Way!
ENTERTAINMENT
Newberry Library: Crossing Exhibition Venture into the four historic cross-country routes across the United States during the opening of new exhibition “Crossings: Mapping American Journeys.” The exhibition will recreate the many travelers' experiences along the northern and southern border of the US, across the continent’s interior and up and down the Mississippi River. “Crossing” reveals the centuries of movement— from the days of Lewis and Clark to the modern American road trip—and how the same path led to different meanings: whether discovery to the European explorer, freedom to the enslaved, or loss and removal to the Indigenous. Come see how people and places connect across time through maps, guidebooks, travelogues and postcards at the Newberry Library, 60 W. Walton St. The gallery is open Tuesday-Saturday from 10-4 p.m. through June 25. Free. More information at newberry.org.
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Preserving Chicago History!
Reopening of Historic G.A.R. Rooms at the Chicago Cultural Center The Chicago Cultural Center’s Grand Army of the Republic (G.A.R.) Memorial Hall and rotunda – complete with a 40-footdiameter, 62,000-piece art glass dome -- have been restored, thanks to a $15 million grant, in time for the 125th anniversary of the building at 78 E. Washington St. A March 26 and 27 celebration there will feature 11 a.m. talks both days by Chicago Cultural Historian Emeritus Tim Samuelson about the rooms originally dedicated to Union veterans of the Civil War; there will also be tours and a 2 p.m. Saturday panel on “What Sacrifice & Freedom Mean Today” with professors Christopher Reed and Eileen McMahon, artist Leah Gipson, and Chicago Sun-Times columnist Laura Washington. The building’s upgraded electrical, lighting and Wifi will offer added capacity for performances and exhibitions essential to Chicago's tourism economy, city officials said. .
