The 2011 Glenwood Ave Arts Fest was listed this week as one of Time Out Chicago's Critics' Picks of five best events in Chicago this week.  The print edition lists the top 5 events with GAAF coming in at #2 above the Air and Water Show!  Time Out says, "The Far North Side fest is a mash-up of family-friendly music, theater performances, and art."

TOC's Critics' picks for the week of August 18-24, 2011:

1 - Chicago Symphony Orchestra: The Lord of the Rings at Ravina
2 - Glenwood Ave Arts Fest
3 - Chicago Air and Water Show
4 - Family Adventures: Chinatown
5 - Oktoberfest in August

The Jeff Awards committee has published the 2011 nominees for Chicago's non-union theatre awards. Local venues Theo Ubique and Lifeline Theatre have again taken a lion's share of the nominations.

From jeffawards.org:

"The Glenwood Avenue Arts District in Chicago’s far north Rogers Park neighborhood continued its recent streak of garnering a large percentage of nominations. Among producing organizations, Theo Ubique Cabaret Theatre in Association with Michael James received 12 and Lifeline Theatre received 9. Top-nominated productions for Theo Ubique included “Cats,” with 8, staged on a platform in a storefront and 2 each for their 2 long-running revues, “Some Enchanted Evening: The Songs of Rodgers and Hammerstein” and “Sweet and Hot: The Songs of Harold Arlen.” Lifeline’s new adaptation of “Neverwhere,” based on the acclaimed BBC TV series “London Below,” earned 7 nominations."

The 9th Annual Glenwood Ave Arts Fest in Rogers Park's Glenwood Ave Arts District was a fantastic Fest.   It was the largest yet; with 110 artist, 12 sponsor, and 10 food & drink booths.  The three stages featured a total of 51 acts in what was one of the best lineups we can recall.  The ARTery exhibit featured the work of another 12 artists installed in business' windows throughout the Fest area.

Clear sunny skies and a gentle breeze provided the most perfect weekend weather one could order.  Artist load-in and load-out went quite smoothly.  Crowds this year were larger than in years past; but the expanded layout, increased audience space, and additional toilets accommodated them effortlessly.

Our countdown ticker has been updated.  Only 361 days remain until next year's Fest!

The 49th ward participatory budget team announced a public mural project for 12 rail underpasses in Rogers Park.  Of over 200 submissions, 24 have been selected for public voting.

They were overwhelmed by the response from the artistic community, both local and citywide – over 200 entries were submitted exhibiting a wide range of artistic styles, from realistic to abstract.  A three-person panel of professional artists and administrators from Chicago Department of Cultural Affairs and the School of the Art Institute, who have extensive experience judging public art projects in general and murals in particular, reviewed the submissions and selected 24 finalists, of whom 9 are from Rogers Park or Edgewater. Their designs will now go before a community vote during the Glenwood Ave Arts Fest on Saturday, August 21^st and Sunday, August 22nd.

To be eligible to vote you must be 16 years of age and have proof of residence in the 49^th Ward.  No Exit Cafe has kindly donated their space for both Saturday and Sunday. The winners will be announced at the end of the Festival.



Mass Underpass Murals Voting Day
No Exit Cafe
6970 N Glenwood Ave
Saturday, August 21st, 12:00 PM – 9:00 PM
Sunday, August 22nd, 12:00 PM – 5:00 PM



There are two neighborhood "Viewing Locations" (in storefront windows) that have been set up by the "Arts & Other Committee" where neighborhood residents can spend some time contemplating which of the 24 mural design submissions they would most like to live alongside, perhaps in discussion with each other, before the community vote:

1643 Howard St. (Howard @ Paulina)

1505 Morse Ave. (between Greenview and Ashland)

ARTery: (ärt'ər-ē) n.  A storefront art exhibition in the Glenwood Ave Arts District. 

We're excited to announce a new addition to the Glenwood Ave Arts Fest!  Curated by local artist Lewis Lain, and with the support of the businesses in the Fest area that have so graciously donated their windows for the weekend, ARTery features window after window of paintings from a number of amazing Chicago artists including:

Angela Fegan
Ben Laskov
Caroline Keem
Cesar Pardo
Joan Shapiro
Lewis Lain
Marvin Tate
Matthew Shelton
Nicholas Kadish
Shane Treacy
Terri Horning
Zsofia Otvos

The Fest day-of-event booklet contains a map of the participating locations.  The home base for the ARTery exhibition is 1409 W. Morse Ave.  Make sure you visit.  Enjoy your walking tour of the Glenwood Ave Arts District.

The 2010 entertainment schedule has been updated and posted.  We're looking forward to some really fantastic music this year!

The Fest kicks off Friday night with a performance from the New Iberians at the Artists' Launch Party on the Lifeline Theatre/Duke's Bar South Stage.

Saturday features performances from returning Fest favorites The Polkaholics and The Shuffle Kings.  Sunday continues the jam all day long with The Dimestore String Band, Sarah Potenza, Micki Croissant, and Ifficial Reggae.

Greg Ginn of Black Flag hits the Heartland/Red Line Tap North Stage on Sunday with his band, Greg Ginn and the Texas Corrugators.

See the full entertainment schedule here.

Lifeline Theatre, the Bohemian Theatre Ensemble and Theo Ubique Theatre Company scored the most nominations in the non-Equity branch of Chicago's venerable Joseph Jefferson Awards, announced early Thursday morning. Musicals dominate the slate of 105 nominations. Shows with multiple mentions include Theo Ubique's “Chess,” BoHo's “The Glorious Ones” and the Circle Theatre production of “The Who's Tommy.” The awards will be handed out June 7 at the Park West, 322 W. Armitage Ave. The Jeff committee judged 116 shows, produced by 55 Chicago companies.

Read the Chicago Tribune's full article here.