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 what to do at home and why you love them to: Creative Director / Publisher Dave Hamilton at dhamilton@streetwise.org

Film Festival!

36th Annual Chicago Latino Film Festival

The 36th annual Chicago Latino Film Festival goes virtual September 18-27 at ChicagoLatinoFilmFestival.org with five award-winning and critically acclaimed titles:

“Ema,” (Chile, 2019, 102 minutes) in Spanish with English subtitles. Mariana DiGirolamo delivers a star-making performance as a reggaeton dancer whose marriage to choreographer Gaston (Gael Garcia Bernal) is thrown into disarray after they are forced to reverse the adoption of their son Polo when he commits a shockingly violent act.

“Divine Love,” (Brazil, 2019, 100 minutes) in Portuguese with English subtitles. The Party of Supreme Love has supplanted Carnaval as the nation’s main cultural event. Scanners in public spaces announce a woman’s child-bearing status and an active sex life is encouraged -- as long as it leads to procreation -- in this synth-heavy, sci-fi film.

“The Weasel’s Tale,” (Argentina, 2019, 126 minutes) in Spanish with English subtitles. A legendary actress, her retired film director and weasel hunter husband and her scriptwriter live together in an old mansion. Their clashes are no different than the ones they once experienced on a movie set in this dark comedy.

“Days of Light,” (Panama, Costa Rica, El Salvador, Honduras, Guatemala, Nicaragua, 2019, 89 minutes) Six up-and-coming Central American filmmakers tell the story of a solar storm that leaves the area without power or telecommunication for days. Characters must face life on its most basic terms.

“90 Minutes,” (Honduras, 2019, 92 minutes) in Spanish with English subtitles. In the amount of time it takes to play a soccer game, the sport ties together four interlinking stories of violence, romance, suspense and drama -- from an immigrant who must fight for his life to a TV cameraman who must do everything possible to get a story.

Inspirational Dancing!

With Rumi

Mandala South Asian Performing Arts draws inspiration from the work of 13th century Persian poet, Islamic scholar, and Sufi mystic Rumi in its hour-long performance, ”With Rumi,” Saturday, September 26 at 3 and 6 p.m. The performance will have a limited audience, pending COVID-19 restrictions, at High Concept Labs, located at Mana Contemporary Chicago, 2233 S. Throop St. and will be livestreamed for a digital audience. Rumi’s lyricism and universal articulation of love and access to the divine serve as the basis for much Persian and Afghani music. His poetry is iconic in Persian art. "With Rumi" is conceptualized and choreographed by Mandala Executive Artistic Director Pranita Nayar and derives from Rumi’s forlorn description of lovers—tahwid—who are unable to experience transcendental “oneness” due to physical and emotional distance. Through her choreography, Nayar tells the lovers’ stories and joins the natural curves of Persian calligraphy with the angles of classical Bharatanatyam dance and the free flow of modern dance. An original score by Sufi composer Niloufar Nourbaksh accompanies the dance and film; a digital animated film by Aadit Arora bridges the gap between page and performance. Tickets are $25 general admission for limited in-person seating and $10 to stream the performance, both available at withrumi.eventcombo.com All programming is subject to change. Mandala Arts, founded by Nayar, explores dance, theatre, and music forms of South Asia. Performances and productions have a connection to both modern and ancient and classical traditions, ranging from the Indian Ocean to the Himalayas, from Persia to Indonesia.

Get Outta Town!

Moraine Hills State Park

Located in McHenry County, this park opens at 8 am and closes at dusk (check signage as you enter for varying times) According to their webpage, approximately half of the park is composed of wetlands and lakes. Activities available at the park include hiking, biking and fishing. The park has more than 10 miles of trails. Learn more at https://www2.illinois.gov/dnr/Parks/Pages/MoraineHills.aspx -Recommended by StreetWise Intern Nina Rothschild

See Chicago Artists!

Artists Run Chicago 2.0

The Hyde Park Art Center, the non-profit hub for contemporary art located at 5020 S.

Cornell Ave., re-opened its doors September 1 for the long-awaited Artists Run Chicago 2.0 exhibition, celebrating the work of 50 artist-run spaces and organizations that fuel Chicago’s independent art scene. The exhibit highlights the incredible work artists are doing in their apartments, storefronts, on the streets and even a barn, challenging conventional expectations of exhibition, discourse and community. “Following the COVID-19-related closure of the Art Center in mid-March, we are delighted to welcome the community back with this massive exhibition, showcasing the incredible diversity and sheer force of independent art galleries operating in Chicago now,” said Kate Lorenz, Hyde Park Art Center Executive Director. “We will be proceeding with care and the utmost caution to ensure the safety of our staff, community, and visitors.” The artist-run model has found a heightened criticality since the original 2009 exhibit. Despite taking on a multitude of forms and models, these spaces have tended to merge artistic practice and social engagement, in which their small, independent, and hyperlocal status can be constantly modified and tailored to serve the communities they call home, whether through online forums to discuss art or engaging with community activists in support of social justice. Spaces represented in Artists Run Chicago 2.0 range from Beverly to Rogers Park, Englewood to Oak Park. Exhibit organizers are Noah Hanna and Allison Peters Quinn, with contributions from Max Guy and Andi Crist. Artists Run Chicago 2.0 continues through November 1. The exhibition is open Tuesdays and Wednesdays, from 12-6 p.m.; Thursdays from 1-7 p.m.; and Fridays from 10 a.m.-4 p.m. There is no admission charge but, to comply with social distance standards, advance reservations are encouraged for 90-minute visits and can be made by visiting https://www.hydeparkart.org/

Socially-Distant Art!

Monet and Chicago

Through Jan. 18, 2021, The Art Institute of Chicago will present “Monet and Chicago,” an exhibition that reflects the city’s cutting-edge relationship with the Impressionist artist, Claude Monet. The Art Institute has hosted many exhibits of the artist’s work over the years, most recently in 1995, when the widely acclaimed "Claude Monet: 1840–1926" drew more than a million visitors from around the world, breaking previous attendance and sales records. Chicago has long admired Monet. In 1891, Bertha and Potter Palmer acquired some 20 paintings by Monet. These influential tastemakers inspired private groups and collectors. In 1895, the Art Institute hosted “20 Works by Claude Monet,” the artist’s first solo show at a museum in the United States. Today, the museum’s 33 paintings and 13 drawings constitute the largest collection of works by the artist outside of Paris. Among the more than 70 paintings in the exhibition—from the Art Institute’s holdings and Chicago-based collections—are works spanning his long career, from early caricatures made at Le Havre, to the last splendid canvases inspired by his garden and water lily pond at Giverny. Art Institute hours are Sat-Mon 11 a.m.-6 p.m and 1 -8 p.m. Thursday and Friday, closed Tuesday and Wednesday. Admission for Chicagoans is $20 for adults, $14 for college students and seniors over age 65, free for kids 17 and under. “Monet and Chicago" will require a $7 ticket in addition to general admission. This exhibition will have a virtual line to enable physical distancing in the exhibition and while waiting to enter. The Art Institute of Chicago is located at 111 S Michigan Ave, Chicago. Check its website www.artic.edu, for additional information on hours, COVID-19 updates. and calendar dates.

-Compiled by Kenny Adusah, Dave Hamilton, Suzanne Hanney, & Nina Rothschild