Joe Mangrum spends all day on a work of art, and then it’s gone. He creates sand paintings - improvisational and temporary works in public spaces, as well as museums, galleries and events. Jay Shefsky caught up with him as he made a commissioned sand painting in a downtown office lobby. We revisit the story. Read an article and watch a time-lapse video of sand art.

We revisit a conversation with trumpeter Herb Alpert and his Grammy award-winning wife, Chicagoan Lani Hall Alpert. View a timeline of Herb Alpert's career and watch a web extra conversation with the duo.

Curb Your Enthusiasm star Jeff Garlin joins us to talk about his new independent film Dealin’ with Idiots, a youth baseball comedy that opens at the Music Box Theatre in Chicago on July 12. Watch the film trailer and a web extra conversation with Garlin.

We meet an elusive portrait artist who painted Hollywood stars and a U.S. President, and find out how a giant collection of her artwork ended up in a suburb of Chicago. Read a Q&A and view a slideshow.

Raise a toast to a Midwestern phenomenon – the Supper Club. Chicago Sun-Times writer Dave Hoekstra’s new book digs into the rich social history of these time-honored food establishments, and he visits remaining supper clubs in Wisconsin, Minnesota, Iowa, Michigan and Illinois. Hoekstra joins us to talk about The Supper Club Book, with a forward by Garrison Keillor. View a slideshow.

As a kid growing up in Wrigleyville, Margie Lawrence developed a love of baseball and baseball players. But it was her love for a Wrigley Field beer vendor that inspired her to become a baseball artist. Jay Shefsky has a profile. Read an article and view a slideshow.

A close look at the creatures that inhabit the Great Lakes; a wide variety of snacks for foodies; and The Jungle Book at the Goodman Theatre. Chicago Tonight knows what's going on this weekend.

The Chicago Park District is halfway toward rebuilding north Grant Park, to be known as "Maggie Daley Park." Watch a time-lapse video, read an article and view a slideshow.

Eve Ensler’s memoir, In the Body of the World, is a gritty glimpse of her recent struggles – from uterine cancer to working with rape survivors in the Congo. We revisit a conversation we had with Ensler back in May. Read an excerpt from her book.

The famous Lascaux Caves of southern France -- or at least a life-sized replica of them --are now in Chicago. We revisit a preview of the exhibit at the Field Museum. Watch web extra videos and view a slideshow.

Her most famous work may be the novel The Color Purple, but Alice Walker says she is a poet at heart. Walker won the Pulitzer Prize for The Color Purple in 1983, the first African-American woman to do so. Now the poet-turned-novelist has two new books, of poetry and prose. She joins us. Read an article.

Chicago Sun-Times Theater Critic Hedy Weiss reviews three highly anticipated shows in Chicago. Learn more about the shows and watch a web extra review.

A new book by historian Dennis Cremin looks at the evolution of “Chicago’s front yard.” Read an excerpt.

Joel Weisman and his panel of local journalists delve further into the dynamics of the Blackhawks organization, including NHL salaries, player safety and concussions, and style of play. Watch the web extra conversation.

The Loop was a sea of red this morning. Jubilant fans lined the sidewalk along Washington Street, amid the canyon of skyscrapers underneath a bright blue summer sky. Read an article and watch web extra video.

Once, there were dozens of men's hatmakers in Chicago. Today, there is only one. We revisit Jay Shefsky's story about Optimo Hats. Read an article and view a slideshow.