Friday 9/7 – Thursday 9/13
8 SATURDAY A who’s who of Chicago painters will appear on the near west side for tonight’s opening of Influence CHICAGO Influence, an exhibit of work “that is really strong and that people really look to when they think of Chicago painters,” according to curator Maria Munet. The list of (mostly white male) artists includes Ed Paschke, Wesley Kimler, Kim Piotrowski, Jim Lutes, Gary Gissler, Joseph Bernard, Ron Kowalke, Bruce Thorn, and Daniel Bruttig (who just moved to NYC). It’s from 5:30 to 10:30 at Arena Gallery, 311 N. Sangamon, and it’s free; call 312-421-0212.
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11 TUESDAY The day after Martin Luther King Jr. was killed in 1968, Jane Elliot, a third-grade teacher in Riceville, Iowa, wanted to show her all-white students why his death was important. To demonstrate how racism works, she devised an exercise in which blue-eyed students would be treated as inferior one day, and brown-eyed students the next. The point was driven home, and Elliot–whose family was subsequently harassed and ostracized by the community–went on to repeat her demonstration internationally with both children and adults. Eye of the Storm, a 1970 documentary about the exercise, will be screened today at noon at 713 Chicago Circle Center, 750 S. Halsted, as part of the city’s Unity Month celebration, and will be followed by a discussion facilitated by UIC police officers. It’s free, but reservations are required; call 312-413-5078.
