In 2021, Chicagoans finally got to revisit many of their favorite institutions as the city slowly reopened after a difficult year of quarantine and social distancing.
But the city quickly returned to its normal state of business this summer, as families and couples once again enjoyed the seemingly endless opportunities offered by Chicago’s many museums, botanical gardens, parks and performance venues.
The artistic community, especially, was hard hit by the pandemic, and has been eagerly anticipating the ability to bring their music, dance and artwork back to a public desperate for entertainment and normalcy, just as artists are desperate to once again make a living from their craft.
So here are a few suggestions for enjoying the fall with some of the best art and performances that the Windy City has to offer.
Fall 2021 marks the return of the Chicago Architecture Biennial, which sponsors events all over the city to promote the buildings and outdoor spaces that make Chicago special.
This year is the fourth edition of the event. The theme is “The Available City,” which asks participants to consider the impact that collective space has on cities and their architecture, according to the event’s artistic director, the researcher, designer and educator David Brown.
Brown hopes attendees of the Biennial will engage in conversations about the relationship between architecture and social issues like sustainability, equity and racial justice. The event’s programs are free and dispersed throughout many Chicago neighborhoods, starting in September 2021.
"Since I became Mayor, I made it my mission to uplift our historically underserved communities with resources and programs that help them thrive,” Chicago Mayor Lori E. Lightfoot said. “That is why I am especially thrilled that the 2021 Chicago Architecture Biennial will be focused and grounded in our neighborhoods that can benefit from it the most. I look forward to seeing how the Biennial enriches our entire City by amplifying and showcasing innovative ideas in design, community building and creative placemaking.”
Barbara Kruger at The Art Institute of Chicago
The work Barbara Kruger marks a special fall exhibition at the Art Institute of Chicago this year. It’s an “immersive experience of the artist’s work,” according to the museum website, involving many individual artists at the museum, including Kruger.
For the exhibit, THINKING OF YOU. I MEAN ME. I MEAN YOU., museum staff worked with Kruger to re-conceptualize her work and half century of artistic history to be even more timely and relevant for the current moment.
Five collaborators who worked closely with her share their distinct perspectives in the exhibit, and discuss the way their contributions combined with Kruger’s own artistic vision.
“A consistent, critical observer of the ways in which images circulate through culture, Kruger has long combined sourced images and provocative text in work that exposes and undermines power dynamics and invites us to reconsider how we relate to one another,” according to the Art Institute website.
If you’d like to get outside and enjoy the fall weather, there’s nothing like a trip to Chicago’s famed Lurie Garden for a little ballet.
In Brendan Fernandes’ latest work, 72 Seasons, the artist will stage several dance performances in the garden. The dances are inspired by the many ballets that have been dedicated to the four seasons, though Fernandes also references the microseasons of the traditional Japanese calendar.
The first performance was on Sept. 25, with the second performance scheduled for October 23 at 1-3 p.m.
These are just a few of many examples of great things to do in Chicago this fall. For more ideas, check out The Chicago Readers’ Fall Arts Preview.