Pulitzer Prize-winning author Jeffrey Eugenides will conduct a free reading at the University of Chicago’s Logan Center for the Arts (Performance Hall 074) at 5 p.m. on Thursday, May 9.

As the University of Chicago’s 2013 Kestnbaum Writer-in-Residence, Eugenides will be reading from his latest work. There’s no word on whether this “latest work” refers to his 2011 novel The Marriage Plot or a work in progress. A conversation with WBEZ book and arts critic Donna Seaman will follow, as will a book signing. In addition to The Marriage Plot, Eugenides has written The Virgin Suicides, which was made into a film, and the Pulitzer Prize winning Middlesex as well as many short stories and essays.

Reva and David Logan Center for the Arts
915 East 60th Street
Chicago, IL 60637

Yesterday, the School of the Art Institute of Chicago (SAIC) welcomed friends and fashion lovers to their 79th annual fashion show. Fashion 2013 featured over 300 original garments from SAIC sophomores, juniors, and seniors, who showcased their work on a 90-foot runway in Millennium Park.

Students presented their collections in three shows throughout the day culminating in THE WALK 2013, an annual benefit supporting the production of student work and scholarships. More than 50 professional models from Factor Runway helped bring the looks to life, including one bedazzled by presenting sponsor Swarovski. SAIC students and faculty collaborated on every aspect of the runway show from design to soundscapes. The captivating avant-garde collections drew inspiration from everything ranging from whimsical confections, to gas masks and grunge, to Chicago itself.

Design duo Kate and Laura Mulleavy of Rodarte were honored with the Legend of Fashion Award, presented by SAIC President Walter Massey. SAIC also introduced the Heart of Fashion Award which and awarded Melissa Sage Fadim as its first recipient.

With a Fashion Design program whose alumni include Cynthia Rowley, Maria Pinto, and Halston, SAIC’s students are in good company. As Kate Mulleavy advised in Rodarte’s acceptance speech, “You never really stop being a student.”

View more looks from The Walk 2013 at Chicagoist.

Portland’s posh Pearl District seems an unlikely stop for a gypsy caravan, but step inside Cargo and you’ll be sure you’ve hit a roving treasure trove. The sprawling 13th Street warehouse space houses “uncommon objects from around the world.”

You’ll be drawn in by the colorful paper lanterns adorning the former tire factory, but the floor-ceiling collection of wonders will keep you exploring its aisles. Imported directly from artisans and trades people the world over, Cargo’s loot ranges from kitsch accouterments to handsome antiques.

From beads, Buddhas, and party poppers to a spectrum of vibrant prayer tassels, Cargo has you covered. If you’re lacking a green thumb, look no further than their room of AstroTurf.  Stay entertained with wind-up toys or antique wooden mannequins. Get lost in the aisles of silky folds examining ornate kimono patterns.

The store’s ambiance feels akin to being caught snooping in your eccentric neighbor’s attic. There’s a thrill of  examining unfamiliar African instruments, folk art from India, and eclectic Indonesian puppets. An extensive collection of furniture and architectural salvage boasts antique door frames and stately wardrobes priced to match their lineage. Leaf through 1950′s Japanese magazines and speculate about the lives captured in each fading sepia photo stacked in an old suitcase.

After a romp in Cargo’s international imaginarium you may have forgotten that Oregon does not charge sales tax. So whether you manage to escape with just a ceramic crane, Buddhist twine, and straw fan or you’ve made away with metal pharmacy cabinets it feels like a steal.

Cargo
380 NW 13th Avenue
Portland, OR 97209

We never tire of admiring Chicago’s stunning skyline, but just how closely are you looking? British artist Mark Lascelles Thornton highlighted Chicago’s architecture in incredible detail as part of his drawing project,
“The Happiness Machine.”

Lacelles Thornton uses a rotring pen and white paper to bring the intricacy of architectural scenes to life, from fire escape stairs to swirling clouds above the Hancock. His meticulous work is even more impressive given the massive 8 x 5 foot scale of the drawing.

Chicago is one of eight cities “The Happiness Machine” will eventually feature as a commentary on society and consumerism. Each piece is drawn in greyscale and red to recall colors found on stock market graphs as well as anatomical illustrations. Thus far, New York, London, Hong Kong, and Shanghai skyscrapers have also been featured. Watch Lacelles Thornton at work below.

This article originally appeared on Chicagoist.

JEFF the Brotherhood hits the stage at Subterranean tonight.

“I’m going through changes,” Jake Orrall chants on the slow-burning Sabbath cover that rounds out 2012’s Hypnotic Nights. As one-half of JEFF the Brotherhood Orrall, along with his brother Jamin, has made a name as one of the hardest working bands in the business. Between touring incessantly for nearly 10 years and managing their record label, Infinity Cat Recordings, the brotherhood has been busy. With seven albums to their credit, JEFF the Brotherhood’s gritty garage rock invokes psychedelic metal and punk-pop to recall hot nights and cool beers. In advance of their April 3 show at Subterranean, Chicagoist caught up with Jake to discuss the band’s latest changes including a major label release, performing as a quartet, and co-producing with Dan Auerbach.

Read the full interview at Chicagoist.

Girl & the Goat might be one of the toughest tables to land in town, but you don’t need to be a VIP to get a taste of Top Chef. Season 4 winner, Chef Stephanie Izard will hold a free cooking demonstration and book signing at the Standard Market on March 30 from 10 a.m. – noon.

Izard,  partner and Executive Chef of Chicago’s Girl & the Goat and Little Goat Diner, will sample dishes from her retail collection of marinades and rubs. “The Flavor” collection includes a marinade, kimchi dressing, sauté sauce, and two rubs. Izard will also be signing copies of her book, Girl in the Kitchen: How a Top Chef Cooks, Thinks, Shops, Eats and Drinks.

Standard Market
333 East Ogden Avenue
Westmont, IL 60559

Stars performs tonight at Metro.

If you thought Stars already said it all, think again. The Montreal-based quintet has expressed much in the way of heartbreak, politics, and dance parties in their more than 12 years together, only to arrive at their sixth studio album with reinvigorated resolution. Released in September 2012, The North advances Stars’ artful introspection in their continued pursuit of intricately crafted pop.

Stars bassist Evan Cranley took some time off from prepping for the next leg of their tour to speak with Chicago Innerview about recording amongst ghosts, keeping the band together, and touring with kids.

Read the full interview at Chicago Innerview.

Low takes the stage tonight at Metro at 9 p.m.

Most marriages — not to mention musical collaborations — can be counted in years, not decades. Yet the husband-and-wife musical duo of Mimi Parker and Alan Sparhawk, two-thirds of Low, have been collaborating in life and art together for over two decades. The Duluth-based band celebrates its twentieth anniversary this year with the release of its tenth album, The Invisible Way. While their lingering minimalist arrangements have continually strapped Low with the “slowcore” label, the trio’s continued success is built upon their strikingly heartfelt vocal harmonies, slow tempos, and quietly burning instrumentation.

At home in Minnesota, Parker took time to speak with Chicago INNERVIEW about recording with Jeff Tweedy, performing in cathedrals, and what she’s learned after 20 years in Low.

Read the full interview at Chicago Innerview.

I’m often asked whether I’m able to attend so many events by getting in free (no) or being paid to attend (hell no). I do spend a great  deal of time researching the intersections of interest and opportunity with regard to goings-on in my area, and people are surprised by how accessible cultural events often are. In the interest of saving you time and spurning exploration, I’ve started a series on free local events.

Whether or not you’re an art hound, the Art Institute of Chicago is wonderful to visit for the number of highly recognizable works. Visitors of mine have been lured in just to admire Seurat like Ferris Bueller, and have left enchanted.

The Art Institute offers free admission every Thursday from 5 – 8 p.m. for Illinois residents, and this week it celebrates the return of another well-known work. Edward Hopper’s Nighthawks has been reinstalled after an extended trip to Paris’ Grand Palais as part of a retrospective. Hosted by AI’s Evening Associates, “Unveiled” invites you to learn what’s behind a work you’ve seen countless times from 6 – 8 p.m. on March 21. You’ll have to ante up for the cash bar, but the art is free!

Learn more about the Grand Palais Hopper retrospective in the video below.

The Art Institute of Chicago
111 S. Michigan Avenue
Chicago, IL 60603

What’s the story on your plate? It’s a question more people have been asking in recent years as interest and awareness in exactly what they’re eating and where it came from has grown. In Cleveland, the West Side Market has provided a key connection between patrons and product for over 100 years. That living tradition has been threatened by damage sustained in a fire at the market on January 30.

While no lives were lost in the fire, severe smoke damage has kept the Market House closed. Local businesses have been forced to seek out alternate suppliers and many of the market’s vendors are without a source of income. The Produce Building, a separate structure, reopened on February 1, yet the scant traffic cannot provide vendors sustainable revenue. Market cleanup and restoration efforts are ongoing, but no reopening date has been announced.

At the West Side Market, the familiar faces behind the stalls are as much a part of the experience as the food. Over 100 local vendors, many of whom have maintained West Side Market booths for generations, have been affected by the fire. While all vendors have liability insurance, this does not account for much of the lost inventory, equipment, packaging materials, and business interruption. Suppliers are freezing vendor accounts and rent is due.

[photo credit: Plain Dealer]

What can you do?

• Iron Chef Michael Symon has teamed up with local web development firm e-Business Express to launch a website benefiting vendors affected by the fire. Through donating to The Michael D. Symon Foundation, Inc., you will be helping out those vendors that desperately need assistance.
• The CLE Clothing Company is selling a limited edition “Support the West Side Market” t-shirt. 100% of the proceeds will benefit the Market Vendor Relief Fund.
• Ohio City neighbors Market Garden Brewery and Great Lakes Brewery will offer special brews to support relief efforts. Market Garden is offering a Market Recovery Lager with 20% of proceeds benefiting the West Side Market. Great Lakes will revive their Butcher’s Brew, which was created to celebrate the market’s centennial last fall. Expected to be tapped this April, all Butcher’s Brew proceeds will be donated to market relief.
• Cash Mob founder Andrew Samtoy is organizing a cash mob for the market’s reopen. Cash mobs encourage support for local and small businesses en masse.
• Support West Side Market vendors who have other locations.
• Be on the lookout for grassroots fundraising opportunities. Businesses like Happy Dog and the Five O’Clock Lounge are among many who have hosted benefit events.

A few years ago, I wrote about why the West Side Market is my favorite hometown treasure. With the help of the community, this beloved landmark will continue to tell the stories of its city through our favorite medium, food. After all, if you can make it 100 years in Cleveland you’ve got to be tough.

For Further Exploration
The Plain Dealer’s West Side Market Centennial Guide