ANDY WARHOL
He may have enjoyed the longest 15 minutes in history, but there’s still plenty by this pop star you haven’t seen, including his never-before-toured Shadows at the Arts Club and Polaroids not meant for the public at the Smart.
DETAILS:
Arts Club of Chicago, through July 29 Based on photographs of a single shadow, Warhol’s 102-section silk-screen Shadows forms an immersive environment the pop impresario once likened to “disco décor.” It’s also a surprisingly contemplative monument to abstraction that has been on permanent display at New York’s DIA Beacon for many years. Here’s a rare chance to see 54 sections of it without hopping a plane. 201 E Ontario. artsclubchicago.org.
Smart Museum of Art, May 10-August 21 Warhol at Work: Portrait Snapshots, 1973–86. Most of Warhol’s output was meant to be seen and gushed over, but these Polaroids were simply meant to be research. Lucky for us, we get to eyeball them anyway. Tue–Wed, Fri 10–4; Thu 10–8; Sat–Sun 11–5; free. U of C, 5550 S Greenwood. smartmuseum.uchicago.edu.
Photograph: Courtesy of the Arts Club Of Chicago
OUT IN CHICAGO
Mary, Mary, quite contrary: The Civil War surgeon Mary Walker didn’t give two hoots when she became the object of ridicule for refusing to don ladylike attire. Learn about her and other protoproud locals in the Chicago History Museum’s look at the city’s LGBT past.
DETAILS:
Opening May 21 Damn straight, CHM is out and proud. Out in Chicago traces the city’s gay past back to the 1850s. An all-out bash kicks things off. 5/21 from 10 to 4. 1601 N Clark. chicagohistory.org.
Photograph: Chicago Daily News Collection/Chicago History Museum
HICKORYDICKORY
The Chicago playwright Marisa Wegrzyn (right) is a tough act to follow: After she won the Wasserstein Prize in 2009, the awards committee declared a forfeit in 2010. Don’t miss the local premiere of the drama that broke the mold. But call soon: The clock is ticking.
DETAILS:
May 5–June 12 Suppose, instead of the usual circadian rhythms, you had an actual timepiece embedded in your heart that could tell you precisely when and how you would die. Such is the premise of Wegrzyn’s quirky, bloody tale—one that should be well worth watching. Previews May 5–12; $20. Regular run $15–$32. Chicago Dramatists, 1105 W Chicago. chicagodramatists.org.
Photography: Steppenwolf
CHICAGO CRAFT BEER WEEK
Herbal, organic, floral—and that’s just the setting. Chicago’s second annual ode to artisanal suds launches with a bash under glass at the Garfield Park Conservatory.
DETAILS:
May 19–27 Fantasy camp for craftheads, from first sip (a tasting soiree at Garfield Park Conservatory) to bottoms up (a closing bash at Revolution), with plenty of pints and parties in between. For more info: chibeerweek.com.
Photograph: inhauscreative/istockphoto
CHICAGO SINFONIETTA
In a city where maestros come and go, Paul Freeman has spent nearly a quarter of a century with this local gem. Be there to yell “Bravo!” when he hands off the baton.
DETAILS:
May 22–23 Twenty-four years after founding the Sinfonietta, Freeman leads the orchestra one last time before passing the baton to Mei-Ann Chen. A diverse, all-female bill includes works by the Pulitzer winners Jennifer Higdon and Ellen Taaffe Zwilich. May 22: at 2:30, Lund Auditorium, Dominican U, 7900 W Division, River Forest. May 23: at 7:30, Symphony Center, 220 S Michigan. $26–$96. chicagosinfonietta.org.
Photograph: Ken Carl