Stories by Marc Vitali

There’s always much to do in a place voted Best Big City in the U.S. eight years in a row. So find a show and get a ticket — it’s a vote of confidence in our priceless shared culture.

Want to immerse yourself in the sculpture work of a World War II vet? What about a Scottish folk musician who decided watercolor was his medium of choice? That and more are available this weekend in Chicago.

The Intuit Art Museum has a new name, tripled its space (from 6,000 square feet to 18,000) and re-invented itself as a true museum. The new space opens to the public on Friday and WTTW News got an early look inside and out.

Leaders from more than 100 Chicago arts groups met this week to discuss the state of the arts, new collaborations and how to fight back when creativity is under attack.

A new drama from a Pulitzer Prize winner is now running at the Goodman Theatre, plus Irish dancing and hip hop-infused ballet.

Between superheroes and super friends, ballet dancers and a champion bulldog, this week’s picks bring a cast of characters worth getting to know.

Hundreds of rare, extraordinary and often erotic artworks fill a new exhibition, and many have never been seen in the United States. “The First Homosexuals” is a greatly expanded version of a 2022 show that now takes up all three floors of the Lincoln Park exhibition space Wrightwood 659.

Alt Space Chicago is an art gallery that aims to involve the entire neighborhood. Co-founder Jordan Campbell calls it an artist-led engine that uses art and faith to galvanize the community.

Short plays, odd plays, an artful look at sports and celebrity — how about a rare Scott Joplin opera or a rowdy celebration of the mighty tuba? This being Chicago, you can do all of the above.

Expo Chicago returns to Navy Pier this weekend, bringing art from around the globe and amplifying the city’s status as a destination for artists, gallerists and collectors. There is much to see — 170 galleries from 93 cities and 36 countries.

Want to sing your karaoke version of “Bohemian Rhapsody” in front of actual talent agents? Ponder the rise of fascism in Germany? How about visit the year’s biggest art fair, view short films or learn a new definition of “Black magic?” April ends with a shower of cultural possibilities, so run around out there.

The new LP “Johnny Iguana – At Delmark” includes standards such as Junior Wells’ “Messin’ With the Kid” and unexpected tunes like Neil Young’s “Heart of Gold” and AC/DC’s “Riff Raff” — all instrumental and all on piano.

Reynaldo Rodriguez depicts his personal odyssey in sculptures made from moving boxes and packages from Amazon. The self-taught artist shaped and crafted the discarded cardboard into an exhibition he calls “La Mudanza.”

Between Easter, Passover and 4/20, there will be a lot of foodstuffs consumed this weekend. But bread alone won’t sustain you, so make a meal for your mind in Chicago’s cultural kitchen.

David Cerda calls camp “the theater of the ridiculous,” and this prolific camp counselor isn’t slowing down. A fixture on the Chicago theater scene since the ‘90s, Cerda has now written a semi-autobiographical play based on his upbringing in Northwest Indiana.

Every Thursday, WTTW News arts correspondent Marc Vitali highlights the must-see cultural events in Chicago.

Founded by residents, it is the first cultural institution to interpret the American experience via public housing, and it’s housed in the last surviving building of the Jane Addams Homes built in 1937 on Chicago’s Near West Side.

Here are the early blooms of the spring arts season. Make a bouquet and share them with someone you love. National Public Housing Museum Grand Opening – 919 S. Ada St.

“Sunny Afternoon” tells the tuneful tale of the brothers Davies, Ray and Dave – bandleader and founder of The Kinks. They caught fire in 1964 with the influential hit “You Really Got Me,” but the blaze was nearly doused when they couldn’t capitalize on the British Invasion.

It is spring, so break out the flip-flops and cargo shorts — but don’t put away the duck boots and snow pants just yet. Whether it’s freezing or frying outside, choose your outerwear carefully and wade into the waters of Chicago arts and culture.

The musical story of The Kinks is told through the eyes of bandleader Ray Davies in “Sunny Afternoon” at Chicago Shakespeare Theater.

Elena Diadenko aids the war effort in her native country. When she isn’t teaching she raises funds through art-related events — although now she has a heightened sense of urgency due to the new administration in Washington DC.

In the news this week: Doctors in Switzerland are expanding their range of prescriptions to include visits to art galleries and museums. You don’t need a prescription to experience the arts in Cook County.

This morning, I took my first-ever Irish dance lesson and got my butt kicked from here to Killarney. At the Irish American Heritage Center, two “Riverdance” dancers led a workshop of 35 to 40 dancers of varying age and experience.

The exhibition “Myth and Marble – Ancient Roman Sculpture from the Torlonia Collection” has works span hundreds of years, with the earliest piece dating from the 5th century BCE.

Sculpture from Italy, theater from Peru, the inspiration for “Rent” — this week’s offerings include rare imports, an operatic favorite and a homegrown songwriter with a cinematic mind. See you at the show.