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.

The lives of artist Adrián Viajero Román's family members are reflected in the new exhibition “Archivos Vivos” at the National Museum of Puerto Rican Arts and Culture.

Billy Corgan is teaming with the Lyric Opera to celebrate the 30th anniversary of the Smashing Pumpkins’ epic double LP “Mellon Collie and the Infinite Sadness” for a week of performances in late November.

Next year will mark 50 years since the founding of Chicago’s Black Ensemble Theater. Many well-regarded theaters have come and gone in that time, but BET is still growing under the leadership of its founder and CEO, Jackie Taylor.

Tariffs won’t affect the price of theater, concerts or museums, and that’s a good thing. Here are five ways to take in what Chicago has to offer.

“I make the work so people feel seen and cared about and have a voice,” Kenn Cook Jr. said. “That’s what the work is — I just amplify the voice of people who live here and give them a chance to tell their own story, not letting that story be written for them.”

Say farewell to February and welcome March by embracing the seemingly limitless choices we have in the Chicago area. We reside in the metropolis of the Midwest, so make big plans.

A gentle reminder: It is important to embrace the culture and free expression that define us as Chicagoans and Americans. In other words, buy a ticket and see a show. Here are five to consider.