ARTS & (HOME) ENTERTAINMENT RECOMMENDATIONS Since being stuck inside, which shows have you been watching? Which movies? Have you read any good books lately? Any new music releases have you dancing in your living room? StreetWise vendors, readers and staff are sharing what is occupying their attention during this unprecedented time. To be featured in a future edition, send your recommendations of things to do at home and why you love them to: Creative Director / Publisher Dave Hamilton at dhamilton@streetwise.org
Art with a Cause!
'Ken Bortman Here' “Ken Bortman Here!” is a phrase familiar to those at Project Onward, a nonprofit art studio that supports artists living with mental and developmental disabilities, as it is the endearing and distinctive way Ken announces himself over the phone and whenever necessary. Bortman received his BFA with a focus on painting and printmaking from The School of the Art Institute in 1979, and later moved to New York City to be a part of the Greenwich Village art scene. In this celebratory retrospective of Ken’s work, Project Onward showcases a cohesive selection of his mixed media paintings and sculptures. His distinctive, almost child-like color palette, his keen eye for composition, playful ideas, and decades of expertise come through in every piece. This free virtual exhibit is available for viewing through March 19. Find more info at www.projectonward.org/events-1/ken-bortman-here.
(HOME) ENTERTAINMENT
Black History in Modern Art!
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'Cuts and Beats: Cecil McDonald, Jr.' The exhibition at Kanter McCormick Gallery presents a collection of Cecil McDonald, Jr.’s most recent body of work birthed from his 2018 residency at the Hyde Park Art Center, which embodies photomontages to subvert the racist representation of Black artists from history. Through his art practice, McDonald explores the intersections of masculinity, kinship, and the artistic and intellectual pursuits of Black Americans, using multiple media. "Cuts and Beats" focuses on the controlled conditions under which Black artists performed and built careers during the Vaudeville and Minstrel era. Using photomontage technique, McDonald combined manipulated historical images of Black artists publicized by the entertainment industry—vintage sheet music covers, theater advertisements, and artist publicity photographs—with contemporary photographs taken by the artist himself in dance clubs around Chicago. By blending generations, locations, and authorship, McDonald wishes to subvert, not erase, the racist representations of Black musicians popularized in the late 1800s. This free exhibit runs through June 12. Visit www.hydeparkart.org/plan-your-visit/ to schedule a tour today!
Exploring Land Rights
Property Without Rights: Origins and Consequences of the Property Rights Gap Major land reform programs have reallocated property in more than one-third of the world's countries in the last century and impacted over one billion people. But only rarely have these programs granted beneficiaries complete property rights. Why is this the case, and what are the consequences? Michael Albertus, an associate professor in the department of political science at the University of Chicago, will discuss “Property Without Rights: Origins and Consequences of the Property Rights Gap.” He will be joined in conversation by Susan Stokes, the Tiffany and Margaret Blake Distinguished Service Professor and director of the Chicago Center on Democracy. This free virtual event presented by Seminary Co-op bookstore will take place at 5:30-6:30 p.m March 10. Reserve your place at www.semcoop.com/event.
