League of Extraordinary Gentlemen
One of my favorite Chicago art galleries (Corbett vs. Dempsey)and one of my favorite Chicago home stores (Scout) are hooking up tomorrow, June 17, and you’re all invited to catch the canoodling at a reception at Scout from 5–8 p.m. For this summer melange, the second collaboration between these two like-minded entities, CvsD has culled a collection of small-scale drawings and works on paper by a variety of Chicago’s Depression-era and WPA artists, and will be displaying them on the walls of this popular Andersonville shop. Bracing summer cocktails will be served. This droll drawing, 25% Off, is a 1949 graphite work by Walter Hahn and, at $375, I expect someone will be walking off with it in no time at all.
Z Resurrection
A little over a year ago, the California-based home furniture retailer Z Gallerie shuttered its 10,000-square-foot showroom on North Avenue, but the Zeiden brothers must have missed us terribly (actually there was some financial reorganization going on), as they are reopening on June 19, bigger and bolder, at 938 W. North Avenue. Ziss is zee place to go for reasonably priced framed artwork, in-your-face furniture and home accessories, glammed-up tabletop items, and boldly striped Venetian cabanas. There will be a grand opening celebration with a ribbon cutting ceremony at 9:45 a.m. (I thought that only happened in the movies—wonder if they’ll have a giant pair of scissors…), and special discounts, promotions, and gift-certificate raffles (up to $500) going on throughout the weekend.
Contain Yourself
I can’t think of anything better a kid could do for Father’s Day than take Pops to a gardening workshop (okay, maybe that’s a stretch—but these are Very Important Planters in a happening design-studio setting, and they are serving beer, wine coolers, cupcakes, and lemonade, so maybe that will convince him). The instructors are Tony Butterworth and Carly Rizor from the award-winning Chi-town Christy Webber Landscapers, and they’ll be using some swanky planters from the Design Within Reach collection at the home store’s North Avenue location, to demonstrate imaginative approaches to mixing herbs, tropical plants, and flowers on Sunday from 1–4 p.m. No reservation needed, just swing on by.
Fabric Finds
Since opening in January, Winnetka’s Maze Home Store has been having monthly trunk shows of all things stylish, from jewelry to leather work to pillows—basically anything owner and interior designer Cindy Bardes Galvin is currently loving on. This month is all about textiles, and through Saturday, June 19, the store is offering discounts of close to 50 percent off retail prices. “I found some great buys on crewel-embroidered and ikat pillows, vintage Indian quilts, and luxury terry at the High Point Market,” Cindy says. “And last week I picked up some batik napkins, tablecloths, and tunics at my favorite mill. Lots of fabrics that are great for layering and summer updating, and easy on the budget.” Become a Facebook friend and leave the secret password “TOUCHY-FEELY” to enter the shop’s pillow-a-day giveaway, also through Saturday.
Wave of Approval
Fifteen years ago, the Ball Horticultural Company in West Chicago, Illinois introduced the Winner Wave Purple petunia to the world, and in the ensuing years the company has managed to change my opinion of petunias from that of gangly gramma plants with sticky, messy maintenance issues to dependently bushy blossom-bearers that require little more than consistent watering and loads of sunshine to provide a season of color. This year, the company sent me a big sample box of spring 2010 plants to try out (with names like New Guinea Divine Hot Mixture, Euphorbia Breathless Blush, and Easy Wave Neon Rose, it sounds more like a starting lineup of female impersonators at the Baton than annual bloomers, but I was up for some drama either way), and I’m happy to report that thus far they are going gangbuster. The Easy Wave series is more controlled and mounded than traditional Wave ‘tunias, so perhaps better suited to baskets and containers. You can find Ball’s products online, or through garden centers such as Wilmette’s Chalet, Lincolnwood’s Urhausen Greenhouses, Jayson and Gethsemene in the city, and even your local Jewel’s parking lot.