Creative Lessons From Virgil Abloh

National Gallery's New Director Is Former Head Of Ford Foundation

"Former Ford Foundation president Darren Walker has been elected president of the National Gallery of Art in Washington, D.C., effective immediately," reports ARTnews . "Walker, who has been a board member of the National Gallery since 2019, is perhaps best known for his eleven-year tenure [as the head] of one of the nation's largest and most influential philanthropies, the Ford Foundation. There, he shifted the institution's focus towards inequality and oversaw the distribution of $7 billion in grant funding."

Open House Chicago Is This Weekend

The Chicago Architecture Center hosts Open House Chicago this weekend. It's a free public festival that offers behind-the-scenes access to architecturally, historically and culturally significant sites throughout Chicago, plus more than forty events and programs at the sites, including demonstrations, talks and arts performances. CAC's guide is here . Block Club maps its choices, neighborhood by neighborhood, here .

Nine Creative Lessons From Virgil Abloh

Virgil Abloh "was a force of nature, and it's not surprising that the brand he created in 2012 has floundered in his absence. While LVMH's sale of Off-White is not the ideal outcome for Abloh's legacy, he had already left so many learnings and insights for future generations," writes social observer Trung Phan . Phan elaborates on what he sees as nine key points: "Readymade" (Build on What Already Exists); The Three-Percent Rule; The Power of Humor; Don't Be a Perfectionist; Share Your Work; Build a Foundational Skillset; The Importance of an Outsider Perspective; Create a Personal Design Language; and Collaborate Across Ages— here .

Evanston Plots Reuse Of Historic City-Owned Mansion For $29 Million

Evanston City Council has voted to "negotiate a ninety-nine-year lease of the city's Lakefront Harley Clarke mansion to the nonprofit Celadon Construction Corporation," reports Evanston Now . "Celadon's plans call for creating a boutique hotel with about ten rooms and an event space for weddings, with accessory uses including a restaurant, ice-cream parlor and basement speakeasy." (Newcity profiled prior plans for the Harley Clarke mansion in 2020 here .)

Nordic Outdoor Sauna For Goose Island

"Longtime Chicagoan Scott Garner has visited Europe a half-dozen times this year to prepare for the launch of Ambique, his outdoor sauna studio opening on Goose Island this December," relays Chicago Business . "Garner is pitching Ambique as a one-of-a-kind European sauna experience with Nordic saunas and cold therapy in a social setting. The space, located at 930 West Evergreen, spans about 9,000 square feet, roughly half of which is outside. It boasts three saunas of varying sizes and styles, plus fire pits, culinary services and areas for special events... Chicago-based architecture group Future Firm is designing the space, and Minnesota-based Cedar & Stone is building the saunas."

Greyhound Terminal Gets Month-To-Month Reprieve

The lease on the Harrison Street Greyhound terminal was going to expire Sunday. The corporation is "negotiating a 'month-to-month' extension with the property's owner... Twenty Lake Holdings, a subsidiary of the Alden Global Capital investment firm," reports Block Club . Mayor Johnson's office, reports the Sun-Times , says "it has been working closely with Twenty Lake and Greyhound on a long-term solution. The 'city of Chicago is working to ensure that we are helpful in the short and long term but remain dedicated to developing a sustainable and viable solution that will outlast this temporary solution.'"

Populus, Studio Gang's Aspen Tree-Derived Denver Hotel, Opens

Populus Tower, designed by architecture practice Studio Gang, "has officially opened its doors in downtown Denver," reports Designboom . "With its eco-conscious architecture and nature-inspired façade, Populus is a landmark project that integrates architectural innovation with biophilic design principles. The 265-room hotel, developed by Urban Villages and managed by Aparium Hotel Group, aims to reconnect guests with nature in the heart of the city."

Partial Demolition Of Uptown Building Commences For New TimeLine Theatre

"Wrecking work on the former W.C. Reebie & Brother storage building at 5035 North Broadway in Uptown is underway," reports Chicago YIMBY . " TimeLine Theatre purchased the building in 2018, and is now doing the partial demo and renovation to create a lobby café and bar, a 250-seat flexible black box theatre... Last month, a spokesman for TimeLine Theatre confirmed that only the front portion of the Reebie building would be demolished, despite there being no mention of this being a partial demolition in the permit's language. A previous iteration of the renovation preserved the Broadway-facing façade, but that is no longer planned to be saved."

DINING & DRINKING

Michelin Stars Will Be Pinned In December

Michelin will announce its latest stars for Chicago establishments on Monday, December 9, relays Eater Chicago .

Evanston's Temperance Beer Runs Dry

"Evanston didn't have a brewery before Temperance Beer Co. arrived at the end of 2013," posts Eater Chicago . "The suburb's first brewery was a historic moment... Temperance represented the rising popularity of the craft beer movement." But this week, "Temperance founder Josh Gilbert announced the brewery would close on Sunday, October 27." More from Temperance on Instagram here .

Liquor Ban In Lincoln Square Challenged After 117 Years

"A family-owned business in Lincoln Square is spearheading a campaign to end an alcohol ban that's existed in their neighborhood since 1907," reports WGN-TV . In that year, "residents of Lincoln Square seemingly blocked the establishment of a beer garden and amusement park in a small patch of the neighborhood." Lucia Herrejon, owner of XOchimilco Mexican Restaurant on the north side of Montrose, discovered the prohibition as a part of a city inspection in 2023, and started "gathering signatures until she hit the 150 minimum required to put a measure on their local ballot in the upcoming election." Small Cheval "is set to open a new location in the boarded dry zone and according to their website , are also behind" the electoral initiative.

Brighton Park Gets A Sputnik Coffee Cafe, Roastery

"The popular Back of the Yards café is expanding—and the new location is big enough that it will offer a small lunch menu and more space for roasting beans," reports Block Club.

7-Eleven will close over 400 "underperforming" stores in North America, reports NPR , which is three percent of its total 13,000 locations. Says the CEO, "low-income consumers are taking a 'more prudent approach to consumption' due to inflation, high interest rates and what it called a 'deteriorating' job climate." Cigarette sales have tumbled twenty-six percent since 2019. Following the lead of niche markets like Foxtrot, "7-Eleven said it plans to expand its fresh food and specialty beverage options."

British Library Still Hobbled Year After Cyberattack

Wondering if the Chicago Public Library and local universities have all the proper modern-day protections: "The time it is taking us to bring our services back is an exact measure of the destructiveness of the original attack, which directly targeted our core computing infrastructure," the library's chief executive has said. "The total cost of the attack is still unclear, but the estimated loss is over $2 million," relays ARTnews . "These kinds of ransomware attacks are becoming increasingly commonplace among cultural institutions. The MFA Boston, the now-decentralized Rubin Museum of Art in New York, and the Crystal Bridges Museum of American Art in Arkansas, as well as the auction house Christie's, have all weathered similar ones."

New CEO Wants To Correct Course For Chicago Public Media

"After Chicago Public Media bought the Sun-Times in early 2022 and merged it with National Public Radio affiliate WBEZ, the future looked bright for what had become the largest nonprofit local newsroom in the country," profiles Chicago magazine . But "this year has seen layoffs, deep cuts to WBEZ's vaunted podcast unit, and the discontinuation of the urban alternative station Vocalo. And while the Sun-Times says it has [increased] its digital audience, WBEZ's ratings have sunk from number two in the market three years ago to number seventeen today. Trying to right the ship is Melissa Bell, who took over as CEO in September. The digital media vet, who cofounded the explanatory journalism website Vox and was publisher of New York-based Vox Media until 2023, still sees promise and possibility in public media."

Six Illinois Newsrooms Get Press Forward Grants

The TRiiBE reports that it "is among six Illinois newsrooms selected to receive grants from Press Forward, the nationwide movement to strengthen communities by reinvigorating local news. They are among the 205 small, local news outlets—including one in every U.S. state—that are receiving a share of $20 million to close persistent coverage gaps." Other recipients: La Raza, South Side Weekly, Windy City Times, Cicero Independiente and The Kewanee Voice.

With A Million Subscribers, The Atlantic Returns To Monthly Publishing

"The acclaimed 167-year-old magazine, once known as The Atlantic Monthly, is increasing its pace of publication from ten issues to twelve, returning to a monthly publication for the first time since 2002," reports CNN . "The expansion plan—perhaps counterintuitive in the internet age, when so many other magazines and newspapers are printing less often or folding altogether—is a testament to 'the excellent journalism our team makes, and the enduring power of a beautifully designed, well-produced magazine,' said editor-in-chief Jeffrey Goldberg."

Afghan Taliban Bans Images Of All Living Things

"Afghanistan's Taliban morality ministry pledged to implement a law banning news media from publishing images of all living things, with journalists told the rule will be gradually enforced," relays AFP . "The new law detailed... rules for news media, including banning the publication of images of all living things and ordering outlets not to mock or humiliate Islam, or contradict Islamic law... Aspects of the new law have not yet been strictly enforced, including advice to the general public not to take or look at images of living things on phones and other devices."

Muti Will Lead Two CSO Programs This Fall

Riccardo Muti, the Chicago Symphony Orchestra's music director emeritus for life, will return to Chicago for the first time since leading the CSO on a critically acclaimed European tour in January 2024. He continues his artistic collaboration with the CSO following thirteen years of partnership with the Orchestra as music director from 2010 to 2023. His CSO residency in October and November features two subscription concert programs. Program, ticket and patron information here .

Vinyl Animal Records Roars In Evanston

"It might take [proprietor Greg] Allen a minute to get every last detail in order [for Evanston's Animal Records], but he's been preparing for this for a long time," reports Leor Galil at the Reader . "He bought record bins from Evanston shop 2nd Hand Tunes after it closed in 2013, and he bought record dividers from Dave's Records in Lincoln Park after owner Dave Crain closed that store at the end of 2022... He's collected for decades. 'I've always kind of known that I wanted to own a record shop... I've always just been buying big amounts of records in bulk. Sometimes I'll buy 'em off collectors, sometimes at garage sales, estate sales—you name it.' Allen estimates he's amassed between 40,000 and 50,000 records for the shop, though less than ten percent are priced for sale." The three-day grand opening starts Friday. Instagram here ; store website here .

MCA Seeks Interim Curator Of Performance

The MCA is looking for an interim curator of performance "to join the MCA's artistic division as we seek to bolster the institution's historical commitment to interdisciplinary performance," the museum posts . "They will manage our current programs and advise the deputy director and chief of curatorial affairs to shape the future of performance at the MCA. The interim curator will oversee the assistant curator to execute the spring 2025 performance season and develop a 2026 season that integrates artists, themes, and questions emerging from the MCA's upcoming projects, including a solo exhibition of the work of Yoko Ono and a historic survey of the cross-pollination of Caribbean popular music and contemporary art."

ARTS & CULTURE & ETC.

Jerry Reinsdorf Entertains Idea Of Selling Sox

"Longtime majority owner Jerry Reinsdorf is open to selling the Chicago White Sox," The Athletic reports . The eighty-eight-year-old Reinsdorf is in active discussions with a group led by former big leaguer Dave Stewart... Reinsdorf led a group that bought the White Sox for roughly $20 million in 1981 and is the second-longest active owner in MLB... Reinsdorf owns an estimated nineteen percent of the White Sox, all of which are believed to be part of potential sale discussions... Reinsdorf has said several times that he has advised his heirs upon his death to sell the White Sox and keep the Chicago Bulls, where his son, Michael, is COO and team president. It's unclear what, if anything, changed, though Reinsdorf has been vocal about making significant organizational operational changes amid a season in which the team lost a record 121 games."

Seventeen Clichés Of Chicago

Time Out Chicago asked readers their rules to live by in this city and came up with seventeen, including "Get your Italian beef dipped in," and "Don't take that shot of Malört, but feel free to offer it."

It's Two Years Into Bally's Chicago Gamble

"State revenue analysts remain bullish on the future Chicago casino's prospects, but it's not clear just how big the windfall could be in a state with fifteen other casinos and a litany of other gambling options," reports the Sun-Times .

Why Are Pharmacies Failing?

"CVS is closing 900 stores. Rite-Aid is closing 500. Walgreens announced it plans to close 1,200 stores, meaning one in seven will disappear," reports CNN . "What is going on with America's drug stores? Walgreens and other chains overexpanded during the 1990s and 2000s to drive out competitors and draw more customers. They are now shutting down because of shifting consumer habits, competition and changes in the pharmacy industry."

After Rebound, United Sets To Turning $1.5 Billion Into Stock Buybacks, While Boeing Lays Off Ten Percent Of Its Workforce

"The big stock repurchase is United's first since the pandemic brought air travel to a near-standstill in 2020," reports Crain's . Meanwhile, reports Reuters , "thousands of Boeing staff will get layoff notices within weeks, a union and industry sources said, as a senior U.S. official flew to Seattle to try to ease a crippling strike and a major airline issued a warning over the planemaker's deepening turmoil." The acting Labor Secretary's "intervention comes days after Boeing unveiled plans to cut 17,000 jobs and take $5 billion in charges, continuing a year of tumult for the company." That's about one-tenth of the corporation's total workforce.

Yale College Women's Center Abandons Mission

The dean's office of Yale College has directed its Women's Center "to institute a policy of 'broad neutrality,'" blogs the Yale Daily News . Board members "said that the new neutrality directive would be a drastic change from the Women's Center's feminist mission since its founding." Says one board member, "The Yale Women's Center was founded in 1970 when a group of the first women undergraduates staged a sit-in, occupying a space of their own. At the time, their feminist demands were divisive. What is divisive changes over time, and through the decades, the Women's Center has continued to be a feminist space on campus, working towards collective liberation... Neutrality would contradict our purpose and compromise our daily functions."

In Chicago Appearance, Former President Refuses To Promise Peaceful Transfer Of Power

Speaking at the Economic Club of Chicago, Trump "did not directly say whether he would commit to a peaceful transition of power ahead of next month's presidential election," relays Axios . "Trump, who was indicted over his efforts to retain power after the 2020 presidential election, has repeatedly tried to sow doubt ahead of November's election proceedings." Reports Tina Sfondeles at the Sun-Times , there was "a receptive crowd, a downtown room full of the Economic Club of Chicago's members and their guests, who often applauded his digs at moderator John Micklethwait, Bloomberg editor-in-chief."