The art of alebrijes started with a dream. In 1936, a feverishly ill Mexico City paper artist, or cartonero, named Pedro Linares said he dreamt of magically mishmashed creatures exclaiming “alebrije!” When he recovered, he began making and selling colorful papier mache versions of the beasts.

Increasing safety and preventing injuries for Chicago’s bicyclists. Can industry and nature coexist at Lake Calumet? A new master plan hopes so. And alebrijes come to life at a local park.

“Birdsongs: Sounds of the Mississippi Flyway” is a newly released compilation of original instrumental songs inspired by, as the title suggests, the sounds of birds commonly found in northern Illinois.

Michelle Renee Bester’s 90-minute show is a quasi-autobiographical story that pays homage to her late grandmother. It spins an intriguing psychological family drama that homes in on the particular fears, frustrations and needs of each of that woman’s four rather different and troubled grandchildren. 

Greek eats, music fests, hot dogs and German beers usher in the weekend. Here are 10 things to do in Chicago this weekend.

“Ain’t Too Proud — The Life and Times of The Temptations” is an exhilarating, at times heartbreaking, and superbly executed musical now in an all too brief run at the Cadillac Palace Theatre in Chicago.

An Illinois auction house says it's helping preserve Chicago history, one neon light at a time. 

Each year, the Tony Awards give special recognition to only one local theater in the U.S. Court Theater has just become the sixth theater in Chicago to win the Tony Award for Best Regional Theater. 

This year’s event will feature three days of a “bite-sized” Taste in Grant Park in July, as well as three days of Taste in the neighborhoods in June.

Muralist Joseph Perez and a group of young artists created a cheerful welcome for patrons of the Little Village branch of the Chicago Public Library. The mural was completed through Yollocalli Arts Reach, the youth initiative of the National Museum of Mexican Art. 

Arts critic Hedy Weiss gives us her recommendations.

Street fests, live music, craft brews and beach season usher in the weekend. Here are 12 things to do in and around Chicago this weekend.

“Two Trains Running” is one of the finest plays in August Wilson’s renowned 10-play “Century Cycle” that captures elements of Black life in each decade of the 20th century. And Court Theatre’s latest revival of this seminal work is not to be missed.

It’s a full-circle moment for Nick Cave as he looks back at his career in a new exhibit at the Museum of Contemporary Art Chicago titled “Forothermore.”

Gamer’s Universe will be held Saturday, May 28, at the Harold Washington Library. The free-of-charge gaming convention offers options for players of all levels. 

At the west suburban Morton high schools, a full-contact team sport born in England has become an unlikely favorite among their largely Latino student body.