Chicarrgo Day 2

Vikings exhibit at Field Museum!

Keys were a symbol of power in Scandinavian society, since the woman was in charge of maintaining the household, and that was considered a great responsibility. Bronze keys were often found on women's graves.

Bling

It's me! In Norse.

A small, but very cool exhibit featuring the work of Aboriginal artist, Bunky Echo-Hawk. "When most people see this painting, they laugh. It might seem knd of cheeky, but deep down there's another level. In the vast majority of western movies, Natives are the 'bad guys.' We always lose! But here's Yoda--the ultimate good guy--as an Indian. Yoda is a spiritual person, and there's not many of his kind around. For Native people, it's an empowering image."

Iron Heart Chicago is a very cool concept. World musicians are chosen to perform outside various subway stations throughout the city over several days. Blues, Irish fiddle, Gypsy cimbalom, you name it.

Mr. Jimmy Burns

Liz Carroll on the Irish fiddle.

Forgot this chap's name...

Students at the nearby Old Town School of Folk left class early to catch Ms. Carroll's performance. They were then unexpectedly asked to come up and perform. Adorable stuff, they were.

Intuit, an art gallery for "outsider art," which basically means a non-traditional artform that an artist teaches themselves. A very cool place, they have a special place in the heart of the community. They're even involved with schools in the area, working with nearby schools on various projects that eventually get up on their walls, giving students their first real taste being subjects of an art exhibit.

The above picture is a recreation of the room of a local man, Henry Darger, who spent 20 years of his his life composing a saga entitled, "In the Realms of the Unreal" on twelve-foot long double-sided watercolour paper. 

Little things--acts, moments, gestures, exchanges--add up to make your grand and magnificent life. Never undermine or forget the little things. Cherish them.

I stumbled upon the Book Cellar Cafe, and found myself at a book reading by three local authors. The one that intrigued me most was by a man who, in his young adult years, inadvertently found himself the leader of a very strong white supremacy movement in the US. The book tells his journey into and out of that darkness.

Ended the night at the Old Town School of Rock, where on Wednesdays, a band from around the world performs. This night's band was Mozambique's Kina Zore.