Art Institute of Chicago opens The Modern Wing

The Art Institute of Chicago opened its Modern Wing on Saturday, May 16, housing world-renowned collections of European painting and sculptures, architecture and design, photography, and contemporary art.

Weekly Burlesque: more burlesque (well, stripping) on film!

Powder BlueOf all the roles available to pretty, young actresses, one of the most enduring is the stripper with a heart of gold. The latest A-list actress to join the elite club of movie strippers is Jessica Biel in her upcoming film Powder Blue.

Boring Boring Boring Boring Boring Boring Boring

After some success with his small, downloadable books for Chicago-based Featherproof Books, Zach Plague has returned with his debut novel, Boring Boring Boring Boring Boring Boring Boring, that is anything but…well, boring.

The Art of Screaming!: Total Training for Vocalists on the Edge

Renowned singing teacher Susan M. Carr‘s technique for The Art of Screaming! was first developed in 1978 and has since been refined during the grunge music scene. Since then, Carr has worked with bands such as Minus the Bear, Mastodon, and Sunny Day Real Estate.

Song of Brooklyn: An Oral History of America’s Favorite Borough

Song of Brooklyn gathers the voices of diverse citizens, past and present, unknown and famous — Spike Lee and Norman Mailer among them. In it, each person gives testimony to one of the most socially relevant and important areas that helped define the United States and continues to do so.

Weekly Burlesque: Interview with Ronnie Magri

Performer/columnist Jo Weldon interviews musician Ronnie Magri about his work in burlesque, his new album dedicated to burlesque music, and his adjustment to “playing until the girls are naked.”

Another Kind of Record: The Merger, The Incident, and The Girl

Pat O’Neil has long been a mainstay of the Los Angeles art scene as a renowned experimental filmmaker and as an influential professor at CalArts.

For his first book, O’Neil compiles dozens of collage drawings and altered digital prints to create an ambiguous work whose bold designs speak louder than the sporadic text ever could.

Weekly Burlesque: Honey & Spice DVD

For those of you dying to learn classic burlesque dance routines, check out Honey & Spice, the instructional DVD from performer/blogger Jo Weldon.