“The idea was to provide this experience of being like a scuba diver — you come in and you’re at the bottom of the lake looking up,” artist David Franklin said. “Then you rise up through the fish into that Grand Hall, which is so fantastic. It had to hold up to that standard.”

Santa and his elves are returning to CTA buses and trains for the holiday season. The holiday tradition will return starting the week of Thanksgiving and will run through late December, the Chicago Transit Authority announced Tuesday.

Artist, scientist, engineer and philosopher — titles that only scratch the surface of what 15th century Italian Leonardo da Vinci achieved. A new two-part PBS documentary series from Ken Burns, Sarah Burns and David McMahon dissects da Vinci’s life in an effort to make sense of his work and the impact he has to this day.

Disgruntled X users are again flocking to Bluesky, a newer social media platform that grew out of the former Twitter before billionaire Elon Musk took it over in 2022. While it remains small, it has emerged as an alternative for those looking for a different mood, lighter and friendlier and less influenced by Musk.

Mariam Paré is part of a small community of people who paint with their mouths or feet. Paré was an aspiring art student when a 1996 shooting left her quadriplegic. “I wasn’t ready to change everything that I wanted to be,” Paré said.

The holiday-related activities such as holiday markets and tree lighting ceremonies begin this month and run through early January.

Subscription packages will start at $19.99 per month for one team or $29.99 per month for full access to Chicago Sports Network, including all three teams’ live games. CHSN launched in October to replace NBC Sports Chicago, the longtime former home of the Blackhawks, Bulls and White Sox.

“Blue” follows a Black family after they lose their son to police violence, all while the father serves as a police officer. The production explores injustice and finding healing through faith and community.

The Chicago Bears fired offensive coordinator Shane Waldron on Tuesday, hoping to shake up a unit that ranks among the worst in the NFL.

Each Wednesday, WTTW News presents must-see shows from indie rock to jazz, country, hip-hop and more. 

Something entirely magical took place at Symphony Hall in a recent concert that featured a breathtaking world premiere of composer Osvaldo Golijov’s fascinating, grand-scale work, “Megalopolis Suite,” along with four additional and wholly beguiling works by Donizetti, Verdi, Chabrier and de Falla.

Ella Jenkins was known for revolutionizing children’s music with her signature “call and response” style found throughout her performances. The self-taught musician became a leading figure in American folk and children’s music of the 20th century.

Pitchfork announced Monday it had made the “difficult decision” not to host Pitchfork Music Festival in Chicago in 2025.

If plays were read as commonly as books, “Rhinoceros” would have been banned long ago in those countries that ban books. Imagine such places! First staged in 1959, it was written by the Romanian playwright Eugène Ionesco and has become a classic of the theater of the absurd.

“House Music: A Cultural Revolution” is celebrating the innovative and catchy dance music that still inspires prominent artists today.

Get ready for fun with this guide to neighborhood street fests, art shows, outdoor concerts and cultural celebrations of all sizes across Chicago and the suburbs.