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This week: Richard talks to Terry Scrogum, Executive Director of the Illinois Arts Council about the state of the budget, their programs and more!

Next, Kathryn Born talks to Theaster Gates. Theaster Gates is a Chicago artist and University of Chicago faculty member who works with everything from executing ideas in urban planning, to Japanese sculpture, to performance art. He recently did “Temple Exercises” in the 12 X 12 space at the MCA, and among his upcoming projects is the possibility of buying an entire block on the south side. This project may someday include, among other things, a Soul Food-Japanese fusion restaurant which serves honey dipped, crunchy fried mac-and-cheese unagi rolls and Saki Kool-aid. Read more

from the Feral Houses series by James D. Griffioen

Morning Glories ‘aint so f-cking Glorious when they’re crawling all over your backyard, swallowing everything else up in their huge pink maws. Part of this afternoon’s checklist of things to do involves going into my backyard and peeling those tenacious pieces of shite off of all the other plants that are trying to gain a tiny foothold on our postage-stamp sized plot of land. On a related note, check out an incredible photo series by James D. Griffioen titled Feral Houses (via things magazine). Here’s what else I’ve been reading about this week (with a bit leftover from last week).

*A chair inspired by obesity, designed by Charlotte Kingsnorth. Whoah. And, ick. (Dezeen).

*Louvre to open online database in English (NYT via Curated).

*Art Institute of Chicago now adding content to ArtBabble (New Curator).

*Cindy Sherman poses for Vogue’s “Age Issue” (via AO Art Observed), numerous pics of Sherman’s home are featured too. Somehow I always imagined her place would be messier.

*Most Unfortunate Headline Ever (but interesting article nonetheless): Stroke of Genius: 10 artists with abilities borne of brain damage.

*An Art Escort Service. This is a seriously good idea. Someone in Chicago should start up a company that tours out-of-town art lovers through our “underground” apartment gallery scene. Kissing on the lips verboten, of course. (via C-monster).

*“Invisible Books” aka books hidden within other books (NYT Book Review). Also, check out the archive devoted to this idea, compiled by the author of the Times’ piece, here.

*Jen Graves discusses the overweening vulva that is “The Dinner Party.”

*Cloud-seeding as art (we make money not art).

*Is the University of Chicago a secret portal to Harry Potter’s Hogwarts? Oh, if only it were so! (Culture Monster).

*What it was like to grow up in Pierre Koenig’s Case Study House.

*Props to my industrious little hometown: Valley Porn (boing boing).

Here’s what’s caught my eye since last time we did this….

*Why not take Aderall? (Chicago Weekly).

*Forget the death of print–the revival of cassette tape is well underway.

*Joyce Owens tells President Obama to give living artists a shot at the White House.

*In second round of layoffs, MOCA cuts Robert Hollister, its director of registration and collections (Culture Monster).

*Muralist Frank Romero sues Caltrans over mural washout (Culture Monster, again).

*David Lynch launches online Interview project (via Boing Boing).

*New Chicago journal The Point wants you to read articles. Long ones. Printed on paper. Yeah I know! Crazy f&%ks. (Chicago Reader).

*Curator Jeffrey Grove to leave High Museum for Dallas Museum of Art (UnBeige).

*In the nick of time, Scope Basel announces new location (Art in America).

*A really interesting assessment of the etsy craft aesthetic on the artblog.

(above image credit: Bertrand Goldberg Associates. Marina City South Elevation, ca. 1962. “Marina City” on view at ArchiTech Gallery from June 5-August 29, 2009).

Kara Walker, "African American," 1998

As part of the University of Chicago’s Artspeaks program, Kara Walker will talk with associate professor of history Amy Dru Stanley. Click the link above for full details; tickets are $20 to general public, $5 to students with i.d.

Wednesday, May 13, 2009 | 7:30 pm
Kent Hall, Room 107
University of Chicago
1020 E. 58th Street
View map

From the University’s website:

“Walker will reflect on her work in a presentation and dialogue with Amy Dru Stanley, Associate Professor, Department of History, who’s research and teaching focus on capitalism, slavery and emancipation, and the historical experience of moral problems.

Known for exploring the raw intersection of race, gender and sexuality, Kara Walker unleashes the traditionally proper Victorian medium of the silhouetted figure. Her installations create a theatrical space in which her unruly cut-paper characters fornicate and inflict violent acts upon one another. With one foot in the historical realism of slavery and the other in the fantastical space of the romance novel, Walker’s nightmarish fictions simultaneously seduce and implicate its audience. A 1997 recipient of the John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation Achievement Award and a 2008 United States Artists Fellow, Kara Walker’s work has been exhibited at the Museum of Modern Art, the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art, the Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum and the Whitney Museum of American Art. Walker lives in New York where she is on the faculty of the MFA program at Columbia University.”

Tuesday, March 31, 2009 | 7:30 pm
Mandel Hall, University of Chicago
1131 E. 57th Street

$20 general public
$5 students

via Artspeaks

“Performing works by J.S. Bach; Post-concert Q&A session hosted by
Thomas Christensen, associate dean and master of the Collegiate Humanities Division

As the first American to win the prestigious Queen Elisabeth of Belgium competition in 1952 at the age of 24, Leon Fleisher went on to perform throughout the world with every major orchestra and conductor and released numerous touchstone recordings with George Szell and the Cleveland Orchestra. In 1965, at just 37, Fleisher was forced to “retire” from performance when two of his fingers became immobilized due to focal dystonia. For the next 40 years, he pursued a successful career as a conductor and teacher, in addition to performing left-handed works. With new developments in the medical treatment of focal dystonia, Leon Fleisher is once again able to brilliantly play the piano with two hands. He has recently released his first two-hand recording in 40 years, aptly entitled Two Hands. Its repertoire includes the works of J.S. Bach.”

Artspeaks next and final lecture in the series will be Kara Walker on May 13.

For more information please visit Artspeaks