Chicago Celebrates in May!

May is a beautiful month to be in Chicago; the city is blooming and as the flowers reach higher, so do the spirits of all those who are lucky enough to be in the city during its fragrant springtime. It’s the perfect month to surround oneself with beauty and culture, whether that is in the art galleries of River North or in the midst of a long-running music festival. In this month’s Highlights we’ll show you how you can march in a parade, fly a kite and bike the Drive: let your happiness soar this month in the Windy City!

The Chicago Arts Chicago is a cultural hub, known for its theatre, its museums and its history. Yet not to be overlooked is its art scene; it is highly developed and easily accessible to those who are just learning about art as well as those who have been fans for years. Art can be found throughout the city, within the walls of a museum in the Loop as well as on the sidewalks. It is woven throughout Chicago, so that to visit the city is to be enriched.

NEXT and ART Chicago Art Fairs

This month, the Merchandise Mart will be hosting two concurrent art fairs from May 1-4. Both are enthusiastically open to the public. The centerpiece will be ART Chicago, an art fair that will feature pieces from galleries around the world. Several genres of art will be presented, including painting, sculpture, photography, video and much more. The organizers of the fair are passionate about bringing to the public artists that are incredibly well-known (such as Picasso), as well as artists who are now emerging.

NEXT is the second art fair. This will be much edgier than ART Chicago; it describes itself as cutting-edge and innovative. There will be paintings, sculptures and other traditional forms of art, but there will also be some things that push the boundaries of what art is. For instance, performances such as jelly wrestling are scheduled! This is the place for those who want to see the fun, wild side of art.

Renzo Piano Modern Wing Opens at the Art Institute

The Art Institute of Chicago’s long-awaited Renzo Piano Modern Wing opens May 16. Said to be revolutionary to the Art Institute experience, this new wing will provide much-needed space; the museum’s vast collections have not had ample room in recent years to be displayed fully. The Modern Wing project began almost 10 years ago and the new addition will be as much a work of art as the collections it houses. It will be home to the museum’s collections of modern European painting and sculpture, contemporary art, architecture and design and photography.

Features of the new wing will include Griffin Court, the central corridor of the wing; Pritzker Garden, where visitors can sit in peace; Nichols Bridgeway, a pedestrian bridge that connects Millennium Park to the museum; Bluhm Family Terrace, a rooftop terrace with gorgeous views of the city; and Ryan Education Center, a huge, technologically advanced space that will be devoted to education. The entire wing will be built as “greenly” as possible, incorporating features that make it environmentally friendly.

Truly, the Modern Wing will bring the Art Institute into the new millennium. It is a building that is important in the worlds of fine art as well as architecture, and will bring with it a renewed sense of spirit and enthusiasm to the city.

Schneider Gallery of Contemporary Photography: Exhibit of work by Lalla A. Essaydi

River North is home to hundreds of art galleries specializing in various genres of art; one of these is The Schneider Gallery of Contemporary Photography. From May 1st through June 20th, the gallery will be featuring Lalla A. Essaydi, a Moroccan artist living in New York City who has been exhibited both nationally and internationally. Some of her work is on permanent display at the Art Institute of Chicago, as well as several other museums.

Her art speaks volumes to diverse groups of people, yet she resists being limited to being called simply political or feminist or Islamic. She says, "In my art, I wish to present myself through multiple lenses as artist, as Moroccan, as Saudi, as traditionalist, as Liberal, as Muslim. In short, I invite viewers to resist stereotypes."

This is an exhibit that will inspire anyone who takes the time to view it.

Events: May 2009 With the weather warming, everyone wants to get outside and enjoy it! What better way to do this than to linger on the sidewalks, taking in Chicago’s many local flavors. There are music festivals and parades happening in neighborhoods all over the city. You can even experience the idyllic joy of flying a kite or biking leisurely along Lake Shore Drive with the lake shining brightly alongside you! With events that seem to highlight the joy of a perfect spring day, May is a wonderful time to be in the Windy City!

Visit our City Events Calendar for other activities during May.

Did You Know? City Events Chicago draws visitors from around the world, and each one comes for something different. The city has so much to offer, in so many categories and genres, that it delights and intrigues the most diverse groups of people. So what if you know what you want to do in Chicago, but the sheer number of choices is slowing you down?

If you love theatre, how do you find the perfect show? If your passion is local music, how do you know who is playing, and where? If you like sports, how do you know if your favorite team is playing?

Chicago Traveler has the answer. Events are listed by type, and then within each category, they are listed by date; several even have calendars that lay out the information for you in a clear way. If you know what you like and when you’ll be in Chicago, you can find the perfect event! Simply click on the type of event you wish to attend and then scroll to the dates you need.

The listings include:

• City Calendar (a monthly calendar that shows you what events are happening on what days)
• Concerts (a schedule of upcoming concert events at major Chicago venues)
• Conventions and Trade Shows (information about upcoming Chicago conventions, trade shows, conference events and much more)
• Festivals (a schedule of significant festivals and events in Chicago)
• Local Music (lists local bands as well as bigger names; includes dates and venues)
• Annual Events (major Chicago events including parades, festivals, sporting events and shows, listed by month)
• Sports (a listing of the various major sports teams and leagues)
• Theatre (a schedule of theatre performances at prominent venues)
• Event Tickets (purchase brokered tickets to almost any event in Chicago)
• Hot Events (a schedule of the most popular museum exhibits, theatre performances and other “hot” events)

It’s never been easier!!

"Chicago Highlights" is written by Zahra Ink - Chicago Writing Services

Chicago Highlights is a monthly publication of Chicago Traveler, for more issues, see the Chicago Highlights Archive.