August is one of the busiest months of the year in Chicago, with blockbuster music festivals, can’t-miss concerts, world-class theater, neighborhood celebrations, major sporting events, and cultural experiences happening across the city and suburbs. Whether you’re catching Lollapalooza in Grant Park, spending an evening under the stars at Ravinia, exploring a new museum exhibition, or […]
Lollapalooza is taking over more of Chicago than just Grant Park this week. Ahead of his July 31 Lollapalooza performance, Grammy-winning British rocker Yungblud has teamed up with Tall Ship Windy to transform Chicago’s official tall ship into a black-sailed pirate ship, marking the first artist collaboration in the attraction’s 30-year history. For one week […]
Through competing fiscal responsibilities, budget constraints, and rising bias shaped by the sociopolitical climate, the public education sector is under immense pressure, and it almost certainly has a magnified impact on a specific group: students. As students navigate an environment facing multiple crises, it’s no surprise that access to a quality arts education falls low […]
From neighborhood festivals and blockbuster exhibits to outdoor concerts, farmers markets, and landmark cultural events, June in Chicago has a little something for everyone. This month also brings opportunities for celebration and reflection with Pride Month, Juneteenth, and the highly anticipated opening of the Obama Presidential Center in Jackson Park. Whether you’re soaking up some […]
Chicago’s landscape isn’t the only thing hitting its stride this May. The city is alive with can’t-miss theater, ambitious exhibitions, street festivals, art fairs, and spring markets that stretch from downtown to the suburbs. Whether you’re planning a Mother’s Day outing, Memorial Day weekend, or just looking for a reason to stay out a little […]
For more than 50 years, curiosity has shaped the career of David Byrne — the Talking Heads frontman and an Academy, Grammy, and Tony Award–winning artist who has long used his art to explore how we perceive and make sense of the world. Across stages and mediums — from Coachella to Broadway to immersive theater […]
Patti Smith has worn many titles through the years — rocker, godmother of punk, poet, artist, writer, wife, mother, sister, advocate, friend, mentor, muse. For a brief chapter at the beginning of her story, she was also a Chicagoan. Returning to the city where she was baptized in 1947, Smith joined Wilco frontman Jeff Tweedy […]
Few composers have shaped the sound of modern cinema as profoundly as Howard Shore. Across more than 90 genre-spanning film scores — from The Silence of the Lambs, Philadelphia, and The Aviator, to lighter favorites like Big and Mrs. Doubtfire — the Canadian composer has built a career defined by musical storytelling. But it is […]
Chicago-born rapper, writer, actor, and activist Vic Mensa first gained national attention through his music, emerging alongside Chance the Rapper and a generation of boundary-pushing Chicago artists. Since then, his career has continued to expand across mediums, from music and film to essays, interviews, and public dialogue tackling timely cultural and political issues. From his […]
Chicago winters don’t slow the city down. February is stacked with performances, exhibitions, and high-energy fundraisers, from Black History Month programming to buzzy benefits and can’t-miss shows across the city and suburbs. This is your field guide to the month. Don’t forget to tag us in your posts on Instagram @makeitbetter_foundation. All Month Short Shakespeare! […]
