Spring 2021 – Clef Notes Chicagoland Journal for the Arts

Immersive Van Gogh on view at Lighthouse ArtSpace through November 18, 2021

June 18, 2021 Isaac Jacobs

Have you ever wanted a bird’s-eye-view into the minds of the great masters of art or music? Ever tried picturing how a Mozart or Picasso envisioned the world around them? It’s an intriguing thought. The Immersive Van Gogh exhibition on view through November in Chicago’s Old Town just may give you such insight into the mind of Dutch post-impressionistic painter Vincent Van Gogh. One of the most influential and iconic artists of the modern era, Van Gogh’s tragic life preceded what would emerge as nearly unprecedented fame and influence in the world of art.

Music Spring 2021

LUMINARY: Q&A with Singer Marc Broussard

June 15, 2021 Fred Cummings City Winery, Marc Broussard

Some of the best discoveries are made in the most unconventional places. Fans of emerging singer/songwriter Marc Broussard know this well. They first made their acquaintance with the artist when his catchy tune, “Must Be The Water,” was featured in television commercials for the 2008 NBA All-Start game. The independent artist had been hard at work for years releasing his own music including 2002’s Momentary Setback, which gave listeners the introspective “The Wanderer.” Broussard re-released an updated version of the song years later with Island Def Jam Records on his subsequent album, Carencro (2004). The album also featured one of the artist’s best-known songs, “Home.”

Arts Chicago Arts and Culture Spring 2021 Technology

Project SYNCERE’S 2021 ENpowered Games Focuses on STEM Challenges and Careers

June 2, 2021 Leslie Price

This summer, on May 7th, over 300 students from Chicago’s south and west sides met virtually to participate in Project SYNCERE’s fourth annual ENpowered Games—an event during which students used their knowledge of engineering and science to solve a variety of challenges people encounter every day. The theme for this year’s event, “Engineering Social Change,” was as timely as it was pregnant with possibilities. As part of the celebratory culmination of a 10-week program in engineering design, critical thinking and collaboration skills, participants created projects designed to offer engineering solutions that impact real social change. The project entries ranged from concepts for eradicating homelessness to developing ways to provide equitable access to healthcare.

Architecture Spring 2021

Chicago Architecture Taking Center Stage

June 2, 2021 Leslie Price

With theaters still shuttered and outdoor performances not quite up and running at full speed yet, how are Chicago theatergoers to get their drama fix after emerging from more than a year of isolation? Look no further than Chicago’s storied architecture.

Architecture History Spring 2021

Jackson Park and its Latest Date with History

May 28, 2021 Patrick Curran Jackson Park, Obama Presidential Library

Over the course of the next few months, local and national media attention will soon be directed towards Chicago’s historic Jackson Park as groundbreaking ceremonies are set to begin in September 2021 on the historic Barack Obama Presidential Library and Center. After a tumultuous year battling the COVID-19 pandemic and culminating in the historic election of President Joseph Robinet Biden, the selection of Chicago’s own Jackson Park to honor the nation’s first African-American president (Chicago’s own native son) keenly underscores the intractable connections of the south side community haven to Chicago’s own history and that of the nation. Just as Jackson Park served as the symbolic platform for the promotion of nineteenth century “American ideals” as host to the 1892 Columbian World’s Exposition, so too will it promote in the halls of the new presidential library the more inclusive multi-cultural ideals of twenty first century America most poignantly represented in the life and legacy of America’s 45th president.