Some worthwhile events happening tonight:

Last week was a whirlwind getting ready for my show- getting all the paintings in hanging shape, moving all the furniture out of the back bedroom into the middle one, and cleaning 8 months of dust off everything- not to mention how tiring (though incredibly fun) the actual event was. 

So I haven't actually gotten back into the studio yet this week. (The real reason is the dead rat in the trap in the back of the basement that hasn't been cleaned up yet. One down, probably 14 to go). 

There are a couple of events tonight in the Chicago area that I'm trying to decide between. Unfortunately both are happening at the same time, but then that's one of the great things about Chicago- there's lots of things going on. 

First of all, ThreeWalls is having an event tonight that is part of their current programming/exhibition called In Search of the Mundane. Their website describes it as such:

 In Search of the Mundane, organized by Randall Szott and the Institute for Community Understanding Between Art and The Everyday (InCUBATE) will feature extended conversation and programming about the arts of living. This exhibition's activities focus on mundane life, drawing upon the spirit of Allan Kaprow, Michel de Certeau, Jane Addams, John Dewey, and others. These  artists, activists, and thinkers will serve as a jumping off point to consider what constitutes “the good life.” In addition to  considering the perceived divide between art and everyday life, we hope to highlight how ordinary creative strategies in day to day life might enhance one's living conditions.  What might mark the difference between thinking of art as a career and living life creatively?  Associated programming will bring together a range of people engaged with this question to share their own strategies for artful living.

Tonight's event:

"Storytelling as an Everyday Art" with Megan Stielstra, 7 PM

Stalin wrote that, "A single death is a tragedy; a million deaths is a statistic." Everyday we see this on the news--numbers, numbers, “us” and “them”--and it’s not until we hear the actual story, one person’s loss or love or courage or fight, that we start to understand what’s really going on around the world, a jumping off point to that bigger picture. Art is built around storytelling--a painting, a play, a novel, a film--but there are also the s

tories we tell day-to-day in simple conversation: in bars and at work, to strangers or loved ones, to explain where we're coming from and where we want to go. This lecture will explore storytelling as an every day art; how we connect, teach, bridge gaps, unite communities and find truth. How do you use storytelling in your day-to-day, and, more importantly, how can you?

Also happening tonight is a reading series that a friend of mine is involved in. It's called “This Much Is True” and is a writing group of probably the most talented writers I've heard in Chicago. It's usually side-splittingly hilarious, touching and just downright good writing. 

It's taking place at the Hopleaf in Chicago at 5148 N. Clark St. and begins at 7:30pm.