This Holiday season get off the coach and into the Chicago scene. We are lucky to have so many great performances and ballets to chose from, so call up your sister or friend and spend the afternoon at a matinee and avoid the fury of last minute shoppers.

The Joffrey Ballet is one of the most prestigious schools of dance in the world, and their performances are always a special experience. This fall they performed the wonderful story of Don Quixote with elegance and grace, and this winter they will be showcasing none other then The Nutcracker. This beloved childhood story brings back memories to everyone, weather it reminds you of the painted faced nutcrackers around your house or the soundtrack that streamlines speakers during the holidays.

The ornate costumes and enchanting music truly brings to life the sultry Arabian dancers and high-kicking Russians. And nothing is as magical as the moment the Sugar Plum fairy takes that first step up onto her silky pink shoe.  Enjoy this holiday classic with someone special and indulge in the creative arts this season brings. Tickets are now available for select days at the Auditorium Theatre through December 27^th.

Also available this season at the Chicago Theatre, is the movie we all know and love A Christmas Story, The Musical! America’s #1 Christmas movie is moving from the silver screen to the stage in this adaptation of a family caught up in the Christmas high. Watch Ralphie Parker scheme his way through recess brawls and a maniacal department store Santa to get the gift of his dreams. The show runs until December 30 and tickets are available now, so go and see if Ralphie gets his Red Ryder Action Air Rifle BB Gun.

Charles Dickens’ heartwarming A Christmas Carol is brought to life at the Goodman Theatre. Get your fix of Tiny Tim and Ebenezer Scrooge with lavish costumes and sets in this family friendly performance that is not only entertaining but will leave you with a holiday cheer to spread to everyone. Get your tickets for the show, which runs until December 31.

After your matinee showing, or before your evening performance, stop at the traditional Christkindlmarket and pick up a delicious snack or the perfect ornament for that holiday grab bag. This will be the markets 16^th year in a row of spreading joy to all the holiday shoppers, acting as an oasis to the department store ruckus. Take advantage of what our city has to offer this season and bask in the spirit of Christmas.

As we promised CGN is here to update you on the next batch of “don’t miss” events in honor of Chicago Artists Month. The events got off to a great start on September 30^th during a weekend packed with opening exhibitions, artwalks, open houses, and much more. Theres something about excess when it comes to art events that just gets everyone excited to be out there and squeezed into the same space with other gallery hoppers.... So, the offerings continue, and it’s already week two. Since we’re trying to be helpful, we thought that highlighting a few opportunities would be key in scheduling your art-filled week. More events will be added regularly.

October 9-16:

Open Studios

• Fine Arts Building – Michigan Ave.

Chicago Artists Month offers great opportunities to visit with and explore the works of local artists, which is what the celebration is all about. An open studio is an intimate invitation for art viewers to step into an artist’s creative space and look at art with the creator, which is always an enlightening experience. The Fine Arts Building on S. Michigan Ave. is a landmark for local artists, and it is one of the last remaining spaces that was built with the intention to be for working artists. The ornate columns and murals throughout offer a nostalgic setting and a great environment for artists. The Fine Arts Building hosts an event every Second Friday of the month, and this Friday, October 14 is no exception. This is a great excuse to visit the historical building and view over 60 local artists works. Second Fridays offers art, theatre, and music and is held from 4:30 to 9:30 pm.

• Lacuna Artist Lofts – Pilsen East

Lacuna Artist Loft Studios is relatively new on the scene, and it is located in the Pilsen Art District. The building houses numerous commercial and artists’ studios in what was once the world’s largest macaroni factory. On October 14 from 3:00 pm to Midnight come to Collaborative Connection, an all-building open studio event. Also, from 6-10pm Hebru Brantley, CGN’s featured artist for the fall issue, is also having an exhibition, Yesterday’s Losers, featuring new works (studio 4A-9). At the open house there are 150+ participants, and the spectacular roof deck with a breathtaking view of downtown from this historic industrial spot is a don’t-miss. There will be live music, DJs, refreshments and snacks as well. Start your Friday off in Pilsen with this great chance to see inside this dynamic community of working artists. 

• Hubbard Open House – West Town

On Friday, October 14, from 6 pm-midnight the doors to 1821 Hubbard Street Lofts will be open.  This is an unusual building, located just west of River North and the West Loop.  Enjoy (free) Drinks, food and music as you tour the steel-lined halls, discovering the magic that happens daily in this seemingly quiet building. Participating in the event are: Platform Studios, Spudnik Press, Saverio Truglia, Doug Fogelson, The Post Family, Gerda Meyer Bernstein, Tsubo Salon, Robyn Rachel Photography and Footworks Shoetique.

Artwalks and Tours

• Pilsen Open Studios:

This last gasp of warm weather cannot be taken for granted, so hit the streets and enjoy the artwalks and tours offered during CAM. 18^th Street Pilsen Open Studios is an amazing artist-run art walk that is held on Saturday October 15 from 12-6 pm and offers a family-friendly celebration of art. The Pilsen community and artists open their arms in this 9^th annual event, and from trolley rides to mural tours, there is an activity for everyone.

• Bronzeville Trolley Tour

Also on October 15 from 6-9pm The Bronzeville Trolley Tour will be holding its last seasonal open trolley to embark on a journey of visiting 6 different galleries, running continuously throughout the night and allowing you to explore at your own pace. The six galleries include Blanc Gallery, The DuSable Museum, Faie African Art Gallery, Gallery Guichard, Little Black Pearl, and South Side Community Art Center. Admission is free, so don’t miss this chance to tour around the Bronzeville Art District.

Presentations and More

On Tuesday October 11 Lillstreet Art Center is hosting A Brand New Artists Talk: Where are Today’s Rural American Artists? at 6pm. This lecture, by rural artist and farmer Dan Brinkmeier, talks about functions of art in the 1930s and how we are faced with similar challenges in today’s world. Artist’s like historians show the reality of how people live in rural America and the social changes that occur. Go to this lecture to learn more about these issues.

Enjoy and stay tuned for more updates!

Now showing at TimeLine Theatre is playwright Lee Hall’s Chicago premiere of The Pitmen Painters.  Based on a true story and the book Pitmen Painters: 1934-1984, written by William Feaver, the play is set in the northern England village of Ashington in the mid-1930s and tells the story of a group of hardworking union miners, the surprising response to their first-ever interaction with art, and how it ends up changing their lives. 

Young Lad (Jordan Brown), Jimmy Floyd (Steven Pringle), Oliver Kilbourn (Dan Waller), Harry Wilson (James Houton) and George Brown (William Dick) are THE PITMEN PAINTERS in TimeLine’s Chicago premiere of Lee Hall’s play, inspired by a book by William Feaver, directed by BJ Jones. For more information, visit timelinetheatre.com. Photo by Lara Goetsch.

The audience is introduced to a group of five straight-laced and undeniably charming middle-aged miners, anxious to start their new art history course through the Worker’s Educations Association (WEA).  Shortly after the instructor begins his first lecture - complete with slide projector and images of some of the most famous works of art history - without sparking common interest or recognition, the miners admit they are at a loss.  They’ve never actually seen a painting, they're unaware of the trajectory of art history, and confess that they arranged the class in hopes for a quick answer to what art means.  When told by the polished instructor that art has no singular secret meaning, and that it holds different meanings for each viewer based on how it makes them feel, he decides the best way to introduce the group to art is to have them create it themselves. 

Art instructor Robert Lyon (Andrew Carter, foreground) talks about his students Jimmy Floyd, George Brown, Oliver Kilbourn and Harry Wilson (background from left: Steven Pringle, William Dick, Dan Waller and James Houton) at an exhibit of their work.  Photo by Lara Goetsch.

The miners are hesitant at first, but after a few comical critiques and experiments with different assignments and field trips, they gain confidence and start to warm up to the act of expressing themselves through art.  The miners depict scenes from their daily work underground in the pits they’ve worked in their entire lives; scenes of their neighborhood; still life setups in their homes.  Touching and revealing, the artwork addresses the working-class lifestyle and the dangerous mining conditions these men experience daily, while also highlighting different social classes, their sensitivity to the material they’re working with, and their sense of humor. 

Oliver Kilbourn (Dan Waller, left) quizzes his fellow art student Harry Wilson (James Houton) about the meaning of Harry’s latest work. Photo by Lara Goetsch.

As their body of work grows, so too does their reputation.  Soon their instructor introduces the group to collectors, and coordinates exhibitions.  Artistic opportunities arise that conflict with the hardworking lifestyle these men are so accustomed to, raising questions about the meaning and purpose of art, socioeconomical classes and access to art, privileges, greed, and how art can affect people. 

Oliver Kilbourn (Dan Waller, right), a miner who isn’t sure how he feels about becoming a painter, with his fellow art class student George Brown (William Dick).  Photo by Lara Goetsch.

The Pitman Painters tells an inspiring, poignant story loaded with issues that anyone can relate to on some level.  With a good amount of comic relief mixed in between some more somber points, the stirring and passionate performances by this knockout cast tell a powerful story any art enthusiast would surely appreciate.  But the story extends beyond art-specific concepts to broader themes of personal potentials and limitations, family, history, acceptance, growth, and the ability to change your own life.

Running now through December 4, 2011

TimeLine Theatre  |  615 W. Wellington, Chicago (60657)

Click here for more details and to reserve tickets.

Theater patrons will also enjoy a companion exhibition of contemporary artwork created by current members of various Chicago-based unions, in addition to a display of reproductions of work done by the original Pitmen Painters, and photographs of the Pitmen group in their heyday.  More work is also on display at nearby Art De Triumph & Artful Framer Studios, located at 2938 N. Clark, just around the corner from TimeLine Theatre.  Stay tuned for additional information on upcoming programming including a "meet the artists" event at nearby Art De Triumph.