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During the 1960s and ’70s, Chicano muralists and Ukrainian mosaicists were turning public space into colossal works of art. Through symbols, motifs, and colors drawn from folklore, artists used large-scale images as identity statements during a time of cultural suppression. https://bit.ly/49hMZM7
Pilsen murals and Ukrainian mosaics teach us about artistic survival - Chicago Reader
As funding cuts threaten Pilsen’s murals and war destroys Ukrainian mosaics, two communities are learning what makes public art endure.
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January 13, 2026 at 5:10 PM
During the 1960s and ’70s, Chicano muralists and Ukrainian mosaicists were turning public space into colossal works of art. Through symbols, motifs, and colors drawn from folklore, artists used large-scale images as identity statements during a time of cultural suppression. https://bit.ly/49hMZM7
Fillet of Solo Festival has transitioned from an annual multi-venue event at Lifeline Theatre to a weekly showcase at Bughouse Theater https://bit.ly/4sCPAbc
Fillet of Solo moves from annual festival to weekly showcase - Chicago Reader
Chicago's long-running solo festival evolves into a weekly showcase at Bughouse Theater and Beau O'Reilly addresses the times.
chicagoreader.com
January 13, 2026 at 5:10 PM
Fillet of Solo Festival has transitioned from an annual multi-venue event at Lifeline Theatre to a weekly showcase at Bughouse Theater https://bit.ly/4sCPAbc
While Latiné theater in Chicago has been having a renaissance in recent years, uplifting and supporting the voices of Latiné writers has taken on a new urgency because visibility is still lacking overall on national stages. https://bit.ly/4sz8L5C
The Vivero celebrates new Latiné voices at City Lit - Chicago Reader
A Three Queens Bouquet shows off new work from the cofounders of a theater services company focused on Latine, queer, and disabled voices.
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January 12, 2026 at 5:06 PM
While Latiné theater in Chicago has been having a renaissance in recent years, uplifting and supporting the voices of Latiné writers has taken on a new urgency because visibility is still lacking overall on national stages. https://bit.ly/4sz8L5C
Wayne Bennett is usually identified as a blues guitarist, but he never wanted to be stuck in that box. Bennett is best known for accompanying Bobby “Blue” Bland for many years, but with his wide-ranging talent, he appeared on funk, jazz, gospel, and soul records. https://bit.ly/49zwlXq
Guitarist Wayne Bennett soared at side stage - Chicago Reader
Wayne Bennett put a shine on beloved recordings by Otis Rush and Bobby “Blue” Bland, but he only cut one single under his own name.
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January 12, 2026 at 2:47 PM
Wayne Bennett is usually identified as a blues guitarist, but he never wanted to be stuck in that box. Bennett is best known for accompanying Bobby “Blue” Bland for many years, but with his wide-ranging talent, he appeared on funk, jazz, gospel, and soul records. https://bit.ly/49zwlXq
Indie rocker Joe Glass celebrates an early candidate for your list of the year’s best Chicago albums. https://bit.ly/4jCvGsU
Glass plays rock ’n’ roll like it’s the only thing that matters, even when it sounds like a rickety lean-to that could collapse on his head.
chicagoreader.com
January 8, 2026 at 7:52 PM
Indie rocker Joe Glass celebrates an early candidate for your list of the year’s best Chicago albums. https://bit.ly/4jCvGsU
Chicago theaters offered communal respite, rage, and reflection in a year that was a lot harder than most.https://chicagoreader.com/performing-arts/ghost-light/2025-theater-year-in-review/?utm_campaign=&utm_content=Chicago+theaters+offered+&utm_medium=social&utm_source=reader-bluesky
A cure for doomscrolling - Chicago Reader
In a disheartening year, Chicago theaters stepped up with shows that offered rage, respite, and support for the audience.
chicagoreader.com
January 8, 2026 at 7:06 PM
Chicago theaters offered communal respite, rage, and reflection in a year that was a lot harder than most.https://chicagoreader.com/performing-arts/ghost-light/2025-theater-year-in-review/?utm_campaign=&utm_content=Chicago+theaters+offered+&utm_medium=social&utm_source=reader-bluesky
Check out Leor Galil's list of the best overlooked Chicago records of 2025: https://bit.ly/4qBWBak
The best overlooked Chicago records of 2025 - Chicago Reader
The incentives in music journalism say it makes economic sense to cover popular artists. But loving music isn’t about making economic sense.
chicagoreader.com
January 7, 2026 at 8:15 PM
Check out Leor Galil's list of the best overlooked Chicago records of 2025: https://bit.ly/4qBWBak
After seven years, longtime indie publisher 2dcloud has resurrected its alt-comics anthology Mirror Mirror. https://bit.ly/3Z2HP0s
Mirror Mirror 4 reflects 2dcloud's rainstorm - Chicago Reader
Longtime indie publisher 2dcloud has resurrected its alt-comics anthology Mirror Mirror, reimagining it as more of a magazine.
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January 7, 2026 at 5:55 PM
After seven years, longtime indie publisher 2dcloud has resurrected its alt-comics anthology Mirror Mirror. https://bit.ly/3Z2HP0s
On Friday and Saturday, the inaugural Fork Arts festival convenes nine indie-rock acts at a DIY venue. The event benefits two Chicago-based prison-abolition organizations: the nonprofit Midwest Books to Prisoners and the community arts center Walls Turned Sideways. https://bit.ly/3LBdrY3
Pinwheel Records holds a sale to help with its imminent move - Chicago Reader
Pinwheel Records holds a sale to help with its imminent move, and two festivals this weekend take over three venues with 40 diverse bands.
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January 7, 2026 at 3:23 PM
On Friday and Saturday, the inaugural Fork Arts festival convenes nine indie-rock acts at a DIY venue. The event benefits two Chicago-based prison-abolition organizations: the nonprofit Midwest Books to Prisoners and the community arts center Walls Turned Sideways. https://bit.ly/3LBdrY3
Pinwheel Records holds a sale to help with its imminent move.
https://bit.ly/49ovWa2
https://bit.ly/49ovWa2
Pinwheel Records holds a sale to help with its imminent move - Chicago Reader
Pinwheel Records holds a sale to help with its imminent move, and two festivals this weekend take over three venues with 40 diverse bands.
bit.ly
January 7, 2026 at 3:11 PM
Pinwheel Records holds a sale to help with its imminent move.
https://bit.ly/49ovWa2
https://bit.ly/49ovWa2
Reposted by Chicago Reader
First Chicago music news column of 2026:
-Pinwheel Records plots a move after a post-Xmas flood!
-I Don’t Wanna Go Fest 3 takes over Reed’s Local and the Burlington starting Thursday!
-indie-rock prison abolition mini-fest Fork Arts makes its debut Friday!
-Pinwheel Records plots a move after a post-Xmas flood!
-I Don’t Wanna Go Fest 3 takes over Reed’s Local and the Burlington starting Thursday!
-indie-rock prison abolition mini-fest Fork Arts makes its debut Friday!
Pinwheel Records holds a sale to help with its imminent move - Chicago Reader
Pinwheel Records holds a sale to help with its imminent move, and two festivals this weekend take over three venues with 40 diverse bands.
chicagoreader.com
January 6, 2026 at 7:44 PM
First Chicago music news column of 2026:
-Pinwheel Records plots a move after a post-Xmas flood!
-I Don’t Wanna Go Fest 3 takes over Reed’s Local and the Burlington starting Thursday!
-indie-rock prison abolition mini-fest Fork Arts makes its debut Friday!
-Pinwheel Records plots a move after a post-Xmas flood!
-I Don’t Wanna Go Fest 3 takes over Reed’s Local and the Burlington starting Thursday!
-indie-rock prison abolition mini-fest Fork Arts makes its debut Friday!
Reposted by Chicago Reader
The inimitable @maciestewart.bsky.social begins a monthlong Wednesday residency at Color Club this week. For her first show, she'll play solo and in a duo with Zander Raymond—and we've got all the lineups here: chicagoreader.com/music/concer...
Ever-evolving musician Macie Stewart plays a January residency at Color Club - Chicago Reader
Each weekly performance is sure to be a deeply felt display of her deft musicianship and her profound connections with her fellow musicians.
chicagoreader.com
January 5, 2026 at 7:21 PM
The inimitable @maciestewart.bsky.social begins a monthlong Wednesday residency at Color Club this week. For her first show, she'll play solo and in a duo with Zander Raymond—and we've got all the lineups here: chicagoreader.com/music/concer...
Reposted by Chicago Reader
I love reviewing and interviewing, but also wish I could do more reported pieces. Working with Shira Friedman-Parks for @chicagoreader.com during CIFF where we spoke with eager cinephiles who waited in line for the @criterion.bsky.social mobile closet was a gift:
Criterion Mobile Closet drives long lines at Chicago International Film Festival - Chicago Reader
People share their movie picks after waiting in long lines to experience the mobile version of the famous Criterion Closet.
chicagoreader.com
January 5, 2026 at 8:39 PM
I love reviewing and interviewing, but also wish I could do more reported pieces. Working with Shira Friedman-Parks for @chicagoreader.com during CIFF where we spoke with eager cinephiles who waited in line for the @criterion.bsky.social mobile closet was a gift:
Reposted by Chicago Reader
I always love talking to Chicago talent (see also interviews with Michael Shannon and Chase Infiniti), and it was extra special to talk with Alex Thompson about his medical thriller, ROUNDING, for @chicagoreader.com:
Rounding is relevant, collaborative, and monstrous - Chicago Reader
Rounding, local director Alex Thompson’s hospital horror film, screens at the Music Box Theatre from February 14–20.
chicagoreader.com
January 5, 2026 at 8:39 PM
I always love talking to Chicago talent (see also interviews with Michael Shannon and Chase Infiniti), and it was extra special to talk with Alex Thompson about his medical thriller, ROUNDING, for @chicagoreader.com:
Artist Ziyi Zhang turned found digital photos into an exploration of reality and fiction. https://bit.ly/4bkbg5B
Digital footprints - Chicago Reader
In her multimedia artwork Pandora Box, Ziyi Zhang uses photo-recognition technology and social media to find the people pictured in ten-year-old photo files discovered on a new hard drive.
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January 5, 2026 at 3:37 PM
Artist Ziyi Zhang turned found digital photos into an exploration of reality and fiction. https://bit.ly/4bkbg5B
A National Museum of Mexican Art exhibition highlights the little-known history of Mexican railroad workers. https://bit.ly/4qdoFRq
The legacy of America's traqueros - Chicago Reader
“Rieles y Raíces,” at the National Museum of Mexican Art, connects the historical experiences of traqueros to contemporary conversations.
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January 4, 2026 at 5:59 PM
A National Museum of Mexican Art exhibition highlights the little-known history of Mexican railroad workers. https://bit.ly/4qdoFRq
Kitty Haywood’s voice helped shape Chicago music for decades.
She and her sisters sang on countless songs and jingles, including some of the greatest albums the city ever produced—and one hit of their own.
https://bit.ly/491GIEi
She and her sisters sang on countless songs and jingles, including some of the greatest albums the city ever produced—and one hit of their own.
https://bit.ly/491GIEi
Kitty Haywood’s voice helped shape Chicago music for decades - Chicago Reader
Kitty Haywood and her sisters sang on countless songs and jingles, including some of the greatest albums Chicago ever produced—and one hit of their own.
bit.ly
January 4, 2026 at 5:41 PM
Kitty Haywood’s voice helped shape Chicago music for decades.
She and her sisters sang on countless songs and jingles, including some of the greatest albums the city ever produced—and one hit of their own.
https://bit.ly/491GIEi
She and her sisters sang on countless songs and jingles, including some of the greatest albums the city ever produced—and one hit of their own.
https://bit.ly/491GIEi
Chicago Film Archives has preserved and digitized Bill Stamets’s Super 8 films. https://bit.ly/3LlyT30
Chicago Film Archives has digitized Bill Stamets’s Super 8 films - Chicago Reader
Bill Stamets is a local filmmaker and cultural anthropologist who made dozens of home-movie-style videos capturing Chicago history.
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January 3, 2026 at 8:46 PM
Chicago Film Archives has preserved and digitized Bill Stamets’s Super 8 films. https://bit.ly/3LlyT30
Beginning January 1, the City of Chicago will ban unhoused people on the sex offense registry from seeking shelter on public buses and trains. https://bit.ly/4qu8ZsP
‘An impossible situation’ - Chicago Reader
Beginning January 1, the City of Chicago will ban unhoused people on the sex offense registry from seeking shelter on public transit.
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January 3, 2026 at 5:56 PM
Beginning January 1, the City of Chicago will ban unhoused people on the sex offense registry from seeking shelter on public buses and trains. https://bit.ly/4qu8ZsP
Chicago theaters offered communal respite, rage, and reflection in a year that was a lot harder than most. https://bit.ly/4q1HEyi
A cure for doomscrolling - Chicago Reader
In a disheartening year, Chicago theaters stepped up with shows that offered rage, respite, and support for the audience.
bit.ly
January 3, 2026 at 6:00 AM
Chicago theaters offered communal respite, rage, and reflection in a year that was a lot harder than most. https://bit.ly/4q1HEyi
Inspired by her grandmother, Gould cooks American southern–southeast Asian cuisine while giving back to her community. https://bit.ly/3LotFUi
Step into Chloe Gould’s Bronzeville home at DixiePura Kitchen - Chicago Reader
Chloe Gould cooks American southern–southeast Asian cuisine at DixiePura Kitchen while giving back to her community.
chicagoreader.com
January 2, 2026 at 9:07 PM
Inspired by her grandmother, Gould cooks American southern–southeast Asian cuisine while giving back to her community. https://bit.ly/3LotFUi
Outrage your favorite Philadelphians when Morgan Street Snacks returns to the next Monday Night Foodball. https://bit.ly/4piTxPe
Morgan Street Snacks preps Kimksi coup at Monday Night Foodball
Ryan Cofrancesco previews his cheesesteak Kimski takeover at the next Monday Ight Foodball, the Reader’s weekly chef pop-up at Thattu
chicagoreader.com
January 2, 2026 at 7:06 PM
Outrage your favorite Philadelphians when Morgan Street Snacks returns to the next Monday Night Foodball. https://bit.ly/4piTxPe
Reposted by Chicago Reader
The biggest DeffJam yet arrives tomorrow! The locals celebrating the memory of Ryan Deffet include Julia Steiner and Dave Sagan from Ratboys, Kathy Patino of Girl K, Sima Cunningham of Finom, V.V. Lightbody, and Cosmic Country mastermind Andrew Sa. chicagoreader.com/music/gossip...
DeffJam honors its late founder with its biggest fest yet - Chicago Reader
Ryan Deffet made friends everywhere he went in Chicago’s indie scene. Now those friends are celebrating his life with this all-ages blowout.
chicagoreader.com
January 2, 2026 at 6:00 PM
The biggest DeffJam yet arrives tomorrow! The locals celebrating the memory of Ryan Deffet include Julia Steiner and Dave Sagan from Ratboys, Kathy Patino of Girl K, Sima Cunningham of Finom, V.V. Lightbody, and Cosmic Country mastermind Andrew Sa. chicagoreader.com/music/gossip...
It’s the second time in as many years a Chicago-area law enforcement agency has violated the state’s drone surveillance law, which requires police report to the Illinois Criminal Justice Information Authority (ICJIA) the time, date, location, and reason for every drone flight. https://bit.ly/49drcnv
Chicagoland police agencies fly drones outside public eye
The Cook County Sheriff’s Office and the Chicago Police Department both missed state-mandated deadlines to publicly report drone information.
chicagoreader.com
January 2, 2026 at 5:50 PM
It’s the second time in as many years a Chicago-area law enforcement agency has violated the state’s drone surveillance law, which requires police report to the Illinois Criminal Justice Information Authority (ICJIA) the time, date, location, and reason for every drone flight. https://bit.ly/49drcnv
Pegasus Theatre Chicago’s Young Playwrights Festival returns for its 39th outing.https://bit.ly/4pq7U4t
New year, new voices - Chicago Reader
Pegasus Theatre Chicago celebrates 39 years of the Young Playwrights Festival with a lineup of four plays, opening New Year's Day.
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January 1, 2026 at 9:34 PM
Pegasus Theatre Chicago’s Young Playwrights Festival returns for its 39th outing.https://bit.ly/4pq7U4t