July Artist News
published: June 28, 2023
Derrick Woods-Morrow, Invitation to Access.
NASHON HOLLOWAY (2022 3Arts/BMO Harris Bank Community Awardee)
On July 5, Nashon headlines a live set at the Untitled Supperclub, an intimate cabaret venue in the River North neighborhood. “Nashon Holloway’s music draws deeply from the R & B tradition, while keeping the listener captivated with jazz-tinged harmonies and playful rhythms.” Patrons can reserve bar or table seating in advance (minimum drink purchase required).
BETHANY THOMAS (2019 3Arts/ Restoration Hardware Awardee)
From July 7 through August 6, Bethany plays the title role of Rosetta Tharpe in Northlight Theatre’s production of Marie and Rosetta, directed by E. Faye Butler. “Hailed as the ‘Godmother of Rock 'n Roll,’ Sister Rosetta Tharpe influenced rock icons from Elvis Presley to Jimi Hendrix. Bringing fierce guitar playing and sizzling swing to gospel music, Rosetta was a trailblazer, a young Black woman singing at church in the morning and the Cotton Club at night. This play with music chronicles Rosetta's first rehearsal with a young protégée, Marie Knight, as they prepare for a tour that would establish them as one of the great duet teams in musical history.”
MABEL KWAN (2017 3Arts/ Restoration Hardware Awardee) and SHANTA NURULLAH (2021 3Arts/ SIF Fund at The Chicago Community Foundation Awardee)
On July 8 at 11:00am CT, Mabel and Shanta are among seven musicians directed by singer-songwriter Angela James to present a concert focused on mourning and loss for the Night Out in the Parks series supported by the Chicago Park District. “Each musician will perform songs drawn from their ancestral and musician backgrounds as an act of creative and communal grieving.” This free concert takes place at North Park Village Nature Center Park (5801 N. Pulaski Road).
MEAGAN MCNEAL (2020 3Arts/Walder Foundation Awardee)
On July 9 and 15, Meagan presents two free public performances from her 3AP-funded project, “The Greenhouse Experience,” at two locations on the South Side. On July 9 (1-3pm CT), she will perform at the Oakland Museum and Garden (4116 S. Lake Park Ave) as part of the Hyde Park Jazz Festival’s Artist Corps series. On July 15 (6-8pm CT), she will perform at Rebuild Foundation’s Kenwood Gardens summer concert series (6929 S. Kenwood Ave).
MICHAEL PATRICK THORNTON (2009 3Arts Awardee)
From July 13 through August 20, Michael co-stars in No Man’s Land at Steppenwolf Theatre Company. The play is described as “Harold Pinter’s modern masterpiece: a generational power struggle, a tug of war between expert wordsmiths, a maze of murky meaning.”
MAGGIE POPADIAK (2016 3Arts/ Reva & David Logan Foundation Awardee)
Starting July 15 and continuing through August, Albany Park Theater Project (APTP) presents Port of Entry, an immersive theater production that invites audience members to step inside the real-life stories of immigrants and refugees from all parts of the world. Performed by APTP’s youth ensemble, the play is a collaborative piece with Third Rail Projects and co-directed by Maggie and a crew of eight others. Maggie is APTP’s Associate Director and Director of School-Based programs.
JUMAANE TAYLOR (2023 3Arts/Stan Lipkin & Evelyn Appell Lipkin Awardee)
On July 16, 18, 19, and 23, audiences can catch four Rhythm World 2023 tap dance concerts around Chicago, presented by Chicago Human Rhythm Project, for which Jumaane serves as artistic director. "America’s oldest and most comprehensive festival of tap celebrates its 33rd year with two weeks of rhythm bending, in-person education and performance programs by a combination of veteran and next generation artists." Check their website for locations and times.
JAMES SANDERS (2017 3Arts Make a Wave Artist) with CAITLIN EDWARDS (2021 3Arts/Walder Foundation Awardee)
On July 19, James is leading a string quartet performance including Caitlin for the Ragdale Foundation’s July installment of their Ragdale Ring series. Dubbed Quartet 23, the group includes James and Caitlin on violin, Chicago Sinfonietta’s newly appointed principal violist Seth Pae, and nationally-recognized cello soloist Matt Agnew. Performances begin at 7:00pm CT on their Lake Forest campus. Tickets sell out early, advance purchase is recommended.
SAM THOUSAND (2019 3Arts/Southwest Airlines Awardee)
On three dates this summer (July 19 & 27, and August 8), Sam Thousand performs with Deeply Rooted Dance Theatre for the Deeply at Dusk: Funk in Futurism series as part of Night Out in the Parks. The concerts celebrate “the liberation of the artistic voice born and strengthened by the power of the collective as they envision a new and exciting future.” Sam leads an ensemble to perform music from Parliament-Funkadelic, Prince, and more. Dates and locations: July 19 at Palmer Park; July 27 at Galewood Park; and August 8 at South Shore Cultural Center.
WILLIAM ESTRADA (2016 3Arts/Community Awardee)
From July 22 through October 29, William’s solo show at the Hyde Park Art Center, Multiples and Multitudes will be on view. The exhibition documents William’s socially engaged practice and “will feature artworks in print, photography, performance, and video, as well as works that blur disciplinary boundaries to highlight the diversity of approaches within his practice and his unwavering commitment to political activism through art.”
TARA MALLEN (2017 3Arts/ William Franklin Grisham Awardee)
On July 22, Tara is a part of Ravinia Festival’s “Breaking Barriers 2023: Celebrating Women Composers.” The weekend of events includes three evening concerts, a composer workshop, panel roundtables, and much more. Tara is a panelist in “How Can We Learn from Each Other?” moderated by Marin Alsop, Chief Conductor of the Ravinia Festival. The panel will take place from 12pm to 1:30pm CT at Tree Top Restaurant.
DERRICK WOODS MORROW (2021 3Arts/ Gary & Denise Gardner Fund Awardee)
On July 27, Derrick will be in conversation with collaborators Gozie Ojini and Kristin Korolowicz, and Gallery 400’s Curatorial Assistant Rachel Dukes, about his exhibition Gravity Pleasure Switchback. The talk will center on discussions of “labor and rest as expressed across their interdependent efforts between art-making, exhibition-making, and meaning.”
JUMAANE TAYLOR (2019 3Arts/Stan Lipkin & Evelyn Appell Lipkin Awardee)
On July 28, Jumaane curates a free public performance by the Frank Morrison Quartet as part of his role as an Artist Corps member of the Hyde Park Jazz Festival.
DEE ALEXANDER (2012 3Arts/Southwest Airlines Awardee)
On July 29, Dee performs in the Alexander McLean Duo at Back Alley Jazz. “Back Alley Jazz is inspired by the original jazz alley jams that took place in various locations on the South Side in the 1960s and 70s, and which still continue today in different forms.” The performance will take place at 3:30pm CT at 74th and Oglesby.