Suenos
ART
Some museums keep visitors coming back
“While the pandemic has devastated the number of visitors to many large museums, some medium-sized institutions are already thriving,” reports The Journal of Art. “Although the immediate danger has passed and most major institutions survived, battered and bloodied, many were still functioning at 35% or less. As elsewhere in the world, the American museums that suffered the most in 2021 were the big names: the world-class museums in major cities that have been emptied by the evaporation of international tourism. The National Portrait Gallery in Washington, DC, was still down 81% from its pre-pandemic visitor numbers. New York’s mighty Metropolitan Museum of Art has lost more than four million visitors. But for some medium-sized museums, 2021 has seen visitor numbers rebound to near pre-pandemic levels.
DESIGN
Seventy-five-year-old Logan Square business could close, blames bike lanes
“Gillman Ace Hardware is facing closure after seventy-five years in Logan Square because it lost parking – and with it, customers – to protected bike lanes,” its owner said. But collisions with cyclists have decreased since the lanes were installed,” Block Club Chicago reports.
Judge Dismisses Lawsuit Over Location of Obama’s Jackson Park Presidential Center
Protect Our Parks sued the city, the park district, the Obama Foundation and Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg, reports the Tribbut a judge dismissed the case.
DINNER AND DRINK
Soho House Chicago sets residence for Sueños
Chef Stephen Sandoval of the Entre Sueños Experience is launching a six-month residency at Soho House, the establishment relays in a press release. “Launching as part of Soho House’s Luck Soho initiative, Sandoval (formerly of The Entre Sueños Experience and Leña Brava pop-up) will open Suenos at Soho Friends—a six-month mariscos concept showcasing “Borderless Baja” cuisine. The menu will feature a variety of seafood offerings, including raw oysters, tostadas, fish tacos, raw fish preps, and wood-fired cooked seafood. Traditional marisco dishes will be presented in an elevated manner, showcasing high quality ingredients and techniques. The atmosphere will be hip, energetic, yet laid back with a Sunday brunch featuring Mexican breakfast dishes inspired by chef Sandoval’s late grandmother. Sueños at Soho House is set to open April 20. Open to the public, the concept will be open from Wednesday to Thursday from 11 a.m. to 10 p.m.; Friday-Saturday 11am-1am; and Sunday from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Updates here.
MEDIA
WTTW cuts health insurance for striking workers
“A strike between WTTW and members of the Electricians Union took a bitter turn on Tuesday as the state broadcaster gave notice that it was cutting workers’ health insurance,” he added. reports the Sun-Times. “Workers can continue to receive health coverage by enrolling in the federal COBRA program, which has high premiums because there is no employer subsidy.”
A Brief History of the AV Club in Chicago
Kelly Garcia tells about 3,000 words about the history of the “Midwestern” AV Club at the reader.
Lee cuts newspaper jobs after hostile takeover attempt
“Lee Enterprises quietly fired top editors and other staff from its local newspapers,” Axios reports. “The cost-cutting measures come after an unsolicited takeover bid by Alden Global Capital, a hedge fund known for consolidating local news for profit.”
THE MUSIC
Bluesman Bob Stroger Talks New Music
“Blues singer, songwriter and bassist Bob Stroger has been performing the blues since living in Chicago.” reports Mark Braboy for the Sun-Times. “Having lived and played through some of the most turbulent and transformative times black musicians have endured, the 91-year-old musician says the COVID-19 pandemic ‘like a journey’ is unlike anything he has never lived. “It’s been really hard on me,” says Stroger, who released a new album “That’s My Name” (Delmark Records) in February and is gearing up to perform at festivals this summer. “I’ve been so used to playing all these years, and coming across something like this, it really took my life.”
STAGE
“Eden” arrives at the Harris Theater
The Harris Theater for Music and Dance will present “Eden” by Joyce DiDonato on Saturday, April 16. “Mezzo-soprano Joyce DiDonato turns her creative vision and artistry into ‘Eden’, a multi-faceted initiative uniting music, theater and education to challenge and galvanize audiences, transcending the physical concert hall,” says the theater in a statement: “By examining our relationship with the natural world and our unique place within it, ‘Eden’ invites the listener to explore and seek answers about belonging, purpose and healing. The program spans from the 17th to the 21st century, embracing Handel, Gluck, Wagner, Mahler, Ives and Copland, as well as a work by Rachel Portman commissioned for this project. Longtime collaborators Il Pomo d’Oro and bandleader Maxim Emelyanychev join DiDonato in this expansive performance on the Harris Stage for one night only. Tickets are $35 to $140 here.
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