Artist Turns Passion, Hobby into a Business
When Nora Nieves was a 13-year-old girl in Puerto Rico, she started making handmade jewelry with seeds. As she grew older, even though she continued to make necklaces, she considered her passion for jewelry to be just a hobby and not a profession. Nieves went to the Escuela de Artes Plásticas en Puerto Rico to [...]
The Curse of the Billy Goat: Fact or Fiction?
Thousands of fans poured into Wrigley Field on Oct. 6, 1945 to watch their beloved Cubs play in game four of the World Series. Also in attendance that day was a goat. On that chilly day 67 years ago an attendee, William Sianis, was asked to leave the stadium because he brought a goat with [...]
Graffiti removal in Wicker Park tagged in more ways than one
The Wicker Park-Bucktown neighborhood is finding faster ways to alleviate masses of graffiti missed by the city’s new Graffiti Blaster program, which community leaders say is too slow to effectively combat tagging in the area. “Since the city has cut back some of these services, we’ve been looking for other ways, so the graffiti doesn’t get [...]
Chicago’s Multifaceted Artist: Darryl “Lil Man” Howell
Darryl “Lil’ Man” Howell, 24, Chicago-born drummer started playing the drums at the age of 4 with the children’s choir at his church. “The beginning of playing drums for me was God given,” said Howell. Growing up around music, Howell‘s passion for the drums grew. By 17, he had decided to make his passion his [...]
Stella Blue Designs Boutique
Angela Gianfrancesco, executive designer and owner of Stella Blue Designs, says she used to play with her grandmother’s jewelry tower while growing up in St. Louis. She recalls coming upon a box of jewelry a neighbor had thrown away and finding a spinning ballerina surrounded by piles of shiny jewelry. “One man’s trash is another [...]
Haute Tech Brings Science Fiction into Fashion
Is there any room for fashion in technology and can technology be fashionable? Thanks to movies such as “Revenge of the Nerds,” a certain stigma is attached to the word technology that instantly evokes an image of flooded trousers, pocket protectors and intense glasses frames. The current “hipster” trend does a wonderful job recreating Robert [...]
The Fever – A Play That’s Antidote to Holiday Madness?
Do our holidays revolve around more than scrambling for the best deal on the latest must-have device or the most unusual gift? For that matter, do our lives? Where does all this material comfort come from and what webs connect us to the unseen people whose labor has produced it? American Theatre magazine wrote about [...]
Speed Dating for Nerds
Find love in the fast lane during quick connections with other smart singles. Put the pedal to the mental metal in mini-matchups with other brainy bachelors and bachelorettes, then rotate seats to meet more partners at Nerds at Heart. Choose from a selection of optional prompts to get the conversation started (think questions like “What’s the [...]
Films Should Be Experienced Communally at a Theater, Experts Say
Comfortably seated on a leather sofa beside a few friends all wait for the host to share with them the film she praises and swears is the next big thing. Soon everyone is forced to get off the sofa, huddle together tightly, and pay careful attention to the 13-inch laptop monitor. In an effort to [...]
Tiger Fighting Dragons Games: A Tale of Two Cities
Making a video game is a lot like playing one. There are rules to follow, screw-ups to make, objectives to meet, and in order to finish these objectives, communication is necessary. That last part was especially true for five college students, who lived in two cities yet enrolled in the same game design course. They [...]
Mr. Ash Making Magic for More than 30 Years
Mr. Ash has been in the business of magic for about 30 years or so. Whether it’s up-keeping his shop on Western Avenue or performing at nursing homes, Ash involves himself in the community and tells jokes that are sometimes hilarious and other times, well, confusing. If you want his opinion on how to seek revenge on your [...]
Holidays: Ugly Sweater Fun Run Launches in Chicago
About 3,000 runners lined up at Montrose Harbor dressed Santa Hats, moustaches, and the ugliest sweaters they could find to participate in the Ugly Sweater Fun Run 5k on Saturday. Coordinated by Human Movement , this event sponsored Toys for Tots, and participants were asked to bring a Christmas present to donate. Leah Smith, event [...]
Release of ‘Black Ops II’ Brings Crowd to Store Late at Night
Gamers were lined up late Monday night at the Target store on Roosevelt Road to buy the new Call of Duty game, Black Ops II. “I’ve been waiting since the summer for the release of this game, once I saw the commercial,” said 38-year-old Aaron Schultz of Evergreen Park. ”Once Target allowed me to have the [...]
Time to Apply for Weisman Award
General Questions 1. What is a completion award? The Weisman Award is designed to help students fund the completion of a project they have started. 2. What is a matching award? The Weisman Award may provide up to half of the overall cost of finishing a project. The student pays the balance. For example, if [...]
Young Chicago Cellist Strives to Bring Music into the Community
At only 24, Chicago cellist Allegra Montanari has already achieved many milestones in her 14- year musical career. She is a performer, teacher and founding member of both a musical volunteer program and string quartet and has brought volunteer musicians to play in two Chicago hospitals for patients. Montanari’s musical journey with the cello started [...]
10th Annual Chicago Toy and Game Fair
A Children running and playing around, parents going along from booth to booth at Navy Pier. That was the scene at the 10th annual Chicago Toy & Game Fair, ChiTag on Nov. 17 and 18. Media and bloggers got an early peek at things at 9 a.m. “They have been looking forward to it for the past [...]
Chicago Comics: A place for the Modern Nerd or Throw-back Junkie
At Chicago Comics, the walls are packed with art and stories — everything from X-Men, the Fantastic Four and Superman. Located at the Belmont Red Line stop, Chicago Comics has been in business since 1986. Five years before becoming Chicago Comics, the shop was called All-American Comics. The shop is a place in which both [...]
Drilling to Be Best When Faced With the Worst
We see flashing lights and hear sirens all day and all night. Police cars, fire trucks, and emergency vehicles rushing down streets to make sure that people get help. In the news there are round the clock threats of terrorism, threats of severe weather, and news about accidents from around the world. Chicago, the third [...]
