Artbeat: Inside the Arts Blog
Rock Pioneer AND Aspiring Advice Columnist?
Yes, he was a legendary songwriter and storyteller, but recent evidence shows Bo Diddley could have had a second career as an advice columnist if he wanted.
Art Institute Curator Digests One of Her Favorite Paintings
The curator of Art and Appetite dishes on one of her favorite pop art pieces in the show, Tom Wesselman's "Four Roses."
Attention Art Institute Attendees: Annex Abridged until April
Visitors to the Art Institute hoping to see Picasso and Matisse masterworks in the Modern Wing must wait until spring. That’s when the third floor galleries of European modern art reopen.
Meet the Graphic Artist Who Paid the Price for Being Too “Graphic”
The Three Robbers is a children’s book to cherish. The story revolves around fierce bandits who threaten violence and kidnap a little girl. But that’s OK with her – she doesn’t want to live with her wicked aunt anyway.
Spellbinding Seascapes with Sunken Ships
A Chicago painter pays tribute to ships lost at sea.
Long Dormant ‘60s Band Erupts On Stage
You get the distinct feeling that this is a band that a) wants to make up for lost time and b) has something to prove. They accomplish both in the feel-good show of the season.
Field Museum Exhibition Looks at Nazi Propaganda
It’s profane to even call it “art.” Art usually inspires a viewer to think deeply. But this art wasn’t about inspiring -- it was about conspiring.
“Sculpture Objects Functional Art” = Lots of Cool Stuff
SOFA CHICAGO is the exceptional art fair devoted to design, and this year marks its 20th anniversary. It fills Festival Hall at Navy Pier through Sunday.
Late Sculptor Has Prominent Work in Chicago
English sculptor Sir Anthony Caro died last week at the age of 89. This was big news in the art world, where his abstract works created a new language for the medium. In Chicago, it wasn't news.
A Theatrical Approach to Opera Performed on a Liquid Stage
One of the more daring highlights of the fall arts season promises to be Chicago Opera Theater’s staging of the mythical romance “Orpheus and Eurydice.”
Sensational Jazz Dance Served with a Side of Chicago History
Giordano Dance Chicago promises something extraordinary when Escape Ordinary opens their fall season at The Harris Theater at Millennium Park this weekend.
Spooky and Spellbinding, "The Woman in Black" Haunts the Western Suburbs
An ideal play for the Halloween season, The Woman in Black relies on Gothic ghosts instead of gore.
You Might Need a Visual Aid for this Art Show to Come Into Focus
Binoculars are for sightseeing or the cheap seats at the opera house, but an exhibition at the Elmhurst Art Museum would be even more pleasurable with a pair of field glasses.
On the Verge of Greatness, The Who Played St. Charles, IL
An eyewitness account: "They were loud and raucous. It was musical mayhem, but it was life-changing."
New DVD Pairs Perfectly with Every Meal
A delicious documentary with notes of humor and suspense, Somm follows four men preparing for the annual test before the Court of Master Sommeliers.
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2026 Chicago Summer Festival Guide
Duckworth, Durbin Call on Andrew Boutros to Step Down as Chicago’s U.S. Attorney Amid ‘Chaos,’ ‘Dysfunction’
CPD Officer Who Punched Teen in 2019 Incident Won’t Be Fired: Records
Brandon Johnson Takes Victory Lap After State Budget Green Lights Digital Ad Tax
2026 Chicago Garden Walk Guide: A Showcase for Urban Oases
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