Attendees gather around the drawings of five Prison+Neighborhood Arts/Education Project participants. The organization had a grand opening of its gallery and community space, Walls Turned Sideways, 2717 W. Madison St., on Jan. 27, 2024. (Blair Paddock / WTTW News)
,

The West Side gallery is in line with work the Prison + Neighborhood Arts Project has been doing for over a decade: connecting teaching artists and scholars to incarcerated students through classes, workshops and lectures.

A “Hats & Hot Chocolate” event in North Park. (Provided)

One Rogers Park resident is making it her mission to help migrants by giving them knitted and crocheted winter hats. She reached out to local and online crafting groups asking if others wanted to do the same.

(Courtesy of Center for Native Futures)

The Center for Native Futures was founded by artists on a mission to make an epicenter of Native creativity. The inaugural exhibition showcases dynamic work from artists representing 19 Native tribes.

“The Spoils of War” by Jim DeRogatis, 2012. (Nick Infield)

Jim DeRogatis serves as secretary of the Military Miniature Society of Illinois, and he’s a skilled maker of all things small. From Oct. 20-21, the group is hosting its annual show, with 200 exhibitors displaying their sculptures in a juried exhibition.

The century-old Reebie Storage Warehouse in Lincoln Park (Credit: Jessica Mlinaric)

In Jessica Mlinaric’s latest book, decipher rhyming riddles and visual clues that lead to over 300 little-known Chicago attractions ranging from architectural oddities to public artworks to nature areas and more.

(WTTW News)

For lovers of a craft brew, Chicago’s beer steins overflow with options, you can belly up to more than 160 craft breweries in the city. But even here, it’s rare to find a microbrew crafted by Latinos. Lucky for Chicagoans, there’s a spot that offers brews with all the flavors of Mexico, created by a pair of hermanos from Hermosa.

By the looks of the lines at Dinkel’s, lots of customers are going to miss the sweetness of the bakery. (WTTW News)
,

It’s a bittersweet month as the Lakeview neighborhood says goodbye to Dinkel’s Bakery, a staple in the neighborhood that has been making sweet desserts for decades. 

Ukrainian-born artist Elena Diadenko says proceeds from the sale of her work will benefit two Ukrainian veterans groups and the Red Cross. (WTTW News)

A long-delayed art exhibition has finally opened but with a new focus. A Chicago artist and teacher born in Ukraine makes both traditional and contemporary paintings. She is now using her ability to create to counter forces of destruction. 

EcoShip's Peter Proctor and Alexsandra Plewa, prepping an order of recycled shipping materials for a customer. (Patty Wetli / WTTW News)

Aleksandra Plewa and Peter Proctor's startup, EcoShip, collects used shipping materials and redistributes them to small business owners – for free. 

Peanut butter and jelly paczki from Polombia. (WTTW News)

The last day before Lent has many names: Shrove Tuesday, Fat Tuesday, Mardi Gras. It's also known as Paczki Day when Chicagoans prepare for Lent by indulging in as many of the traditional Polish jam-filled doughnuts as they can eat.

(WTTW News)

If you abstained from drinking throughout the first month of this year, a movement known as "dry January," congratulations — you made it!  Now, if you want to make it a tipsy February, a local business is bringing its version of a classic Mexican tipple to liquor stores near you.

(WTTW News)

A Rogers Park woman left a corporate career behind to strike out on her own offering custom pinatas. She’s hoping her handmade creations will be a big hit as people return to gathering in person for parties.

(WTTW News)

A Chicagoan took the extra time the pandemic provided as an opportunity to start her own side hustle. Now, she’s the owner of a shop in Pilsen that connects its customers and their pets with handmade designs from Mexico.

Meet a couple that used their stimulus checks to build a pet pantry to help those struggling to buy pet goods. (WTTW News)
,

It has become more common to see donation boxes across the city. Some are filled with books and others with canned goods. We head to Clearing to speak with a couple who has built a donation box to help those with pets. 

Juan Lopez says he can make pretty much any 2-D image into a fuzzy, fluffy floor covering. (WTTW News)

In the early days of the pandemic, many Chicagoans used social media to learn new skills and hobbies. One of them is Juan Lopez, a lifelong East Sider who used TikTok videos to teach himself a new skill that he turned into a small business last summer.

Once they were satisfied with the filling’s flavor and folding process, Iltaco added the pizza puff to its lineup in 1976 and it took off from there. (WTTW News)

From saganaki to the jibarito, Chicago’s blend of cultures has resulted in a long and delicious list of culinary innovations. One particular Chicago food favorite started with an Assyrian family who folded together Italian and Mexican ingredients to create a hot dog stand staple.