Design, Lit, Nonfiction

Review: Celebrating Well-Made Books—The Book by Design: The Remarkable Story of the World’s Greatest Invention, edited by P.J.M. Marks and Stephen Parkin

For more than 18 centuries, paper was made with rags—old clothes, sails, and ropes—the same way it had first been fashioned in China. But, by the 19th century, the process of […]

Patrick T. Reardon /
Art & Museums, Beyond, Design, Event

Kinda Blue: The Chicago Auto Show Returns To McCormick Place Sans Stellantis

Every year in early February we gear up to return to McCormick Place for the first big show of the year, the Chicago Auto Show. Put on by CATA, the […]

Marielle Bokor /
Art & Museums, Design, Mixed media

Review: Puzzle Design Exhibit Encourages Playfulness and Exploration at Design Museum

SOLVE: Puzzle Design Exhibit at the Design Museum of Chicago offers a bevy of viewable and interactive puzzles and puzzling games. The exhibit, which may appear to be of modest size […]

Nancy S Bishop /
Art & Museums, Design, Installation, Mixed media, Museum, Sculpture

Review: Design Museum Explores the Climate Crisis in At the Precipice—It’s Beautiful and Tragic

The beauty of art and the tragedy of the climate crisis live side by side in a stunning new exhibit at the Design Museum of Chicago. Some 30 pieces ranging […]

Nancy S Bishop /
Art & Museums, Design, Fashion, Feature, Film & TV

Feature: CHF’s Ruth E. Carter Interview Celebrates Black History Via Costumes

Costume designer Ruth E. Carter spoke at the Music Box Theatre in June during the Chicago Humanities Festival about her rich film career and her historic Academy Award wins for […]

Karin McKie /
Architecture, Art & Museums, Design, Installation, Museum

Review: At the Driehaus Museum, Hector Guimard Exhibit Explores the Work of the Paris Architect Who Designed Those Beloved Métro Stations

Hector Guimard was a French architect and designer who believed in designing the entire environment for living, in what he called Le Style Guimard. His integrated design work in the era […]

Nancy S Bishop /
Design, Music, Reviews

Review: Ethel Cain and Caroline Polachek Treat the Riviera Theatre to Dreamy Soundscapes

It’s with no surprise the beloved Ethel Cain has cultivated a cult-like following recently. Hayden Silas Anhedönia’s (Ethel Cain) music is a reflection inspired by her religious upbringing. Her debut […]

Andrew Lagunas /
Architecture, Art & Museums, Beyond, Design, Fashion, Travel feature

On the Road: A Whimsical Look Inside California’s New Modernism Museum

The release of the 2022 film Don’t Worry Darling has once again cast a spotlight on Palm Springs. A playground of the rich and famous since its inception 85 years […]

Anne Siegel /
Art & Museums, Beyond, Design, Event, Uncategorized

It’s Electric! The 2023 Chicago Auto Show Highlights Hybrids and EV options in Every Shape, Size and Color

February is for lovers, and that means car lovers, too. Every year (save the freak mid-summer COVID show) we’ve headed out to McCormick Place to get our fix on all […]

Marielle Bokor /
Architecture, Chicago history, Design, Interviews, Lit, Nonfiction

Interview: Tim Samuelson and the Intangible of History

When Timothy Samuelson stood in the center of his windowless, crowded studio, surrounded by gorgeous artifacts of the past, I thought he might break into song.  “Nothing in here doesn’t […]

Adam Kaz /
Design, Lit, Painting & sculpture

Interview: Wild Cards—Artist David Wilson and the Great Lakes Tarot Deck

Fortune favors the bold. Ohio artist David Wilson’s life journey has seen a typical array of ups, downs, and divergent paths, but it all led (more or less) to his […]

Dan Kelly /
Architecture, Chicago history, Chicago history, Design, Lit, Nonfiction, Reviews, Sculpture

Essay: Walking Graceland Cemetery with—and Without—Adam Selzer’s New Book

Near the end of my hourlong walk around Graceland Cemetery the other day, I went past a stone obelisk, maybe 30 feet tall, and noticed this on the side: SANDRA […]

Patrick T. Reardon /