WBEZ | Peggy Notebaert Nature Museum

Gallery Walk: Artist Andrew Young

Sat, 11 May 2013 11:38:00 -0500

Chicago artist Andrew Young leads a gallery walk through his exhibition, Of Light Air: Mixed Media Works by Andrew Young, to speak about his artistic concepts and techniques, background in biology, and continued interest in paleontology and human interactions with the environment. Andrew received his MFA from the School of the Art Institute in 1989 and has since been working as an artist, author, and lecturer, including collaborations in both the arts and sciences.

Recorded live Saturday, May 11, 2013 at the Peggy Notebaert Nature Museum.

Eat it: The Nature Museum serves up food for thought

Sat, 23 Mar 2013 05:00:00 -0500

The first thing you see upon entering the Peggy Notebaert Nature Museum’s new exhibit on food is a 19^th century hand plow, its modesty a bit disarming as the climax of a walk-up whose walls are splashed with projections of grain nodding majestically in the wind. But that simple tool, which seems downright primitive in a time of genetically modified organisms and concentrated animal feedlots, was revolutionary.

Steve Sullivan, the Nature Museum’s senior curator of urban ecology, said the diverse suite of native species that scientists now see as a hallmark of ecological resilience looked more like a mess to the area’s white settlers.

“Illinois was bulletproof,” he said. “It was an intact ecosystem.” Settlers didn’t know how rich the soil was, in other words, because they couldn’t access it. Once John Deere helped them turn the soil, they changed the landscape rapidly. Less than one one-hundredth of one percent of Illinois’ prairie remains today.

But the bucolic family farm phase that most people picture when they think of homesteaders on the prairie didn’t last long, said exhibit curator Alvaro Ramos. For industrial capitalists, efficiency is the mother of invention — concentrated, mechanized farms quickly took root.

“Now we’ve got a lot of food,” he said, “but how good is it?” Ramos said the point of the exhibit is not to sow nostalgia, but to push visitors to reexamine their own relationship with food — and by extension the Earth — that sustains them.

Placed throughout the exhibit are “human stories” placards holding up local examples of agricultural stewardship from past and present: The Murphy Family maintains a community garden at 65^th and Woodlawn in Chicago; the Fresh Moves truck nourishes food deserts with local produce; the Chiappetti family lost their savings during the Great Depression, received farmland as repayment from their belly-up bank, and turned a subsistence enterprise in lamb-raising into an inter-generational industry.

“We want to empower people,” Sullivan said. “By using your neighbor’s example, you can see how you can have an impact.”

(Sullivan’s impact on the exhibit goes beyond his intellectual input. The taxidermy chicken and rabbit on display? “Leftovers from my dinner,” he said.)

Buying local produce isn’t going to resurrect the vast swaths of prairie that once blanketed the Midwest — the deep-reaching root systems of its native grasses holding fast to black soil, nourishing bison and prairie chickens —but that’s not the point. Ramos, the exhibit’s curator, said Food is not a history exhibit. All he wants is for visitors to leave knowing that every time they lift a fork or shop for groceries, they’re stepping into nature.

“Food: The Nature of Eating” is open March 23 through Sept. 8 at the Peggy Notebaert Nature Museum.

Chris Bentley writes about the environment. Follow him on Twitter at @Cementley.

Chicago Maple Syrup Festival and more

Fri, 22 Mar 2013 05:00:00 -0500

Saturday, March 23

The Chicago Park District presents the Maple Syrup Festival at North Park Village Nature Center. If you didn't make it down to the National Maple Syrup Festival, you're in luck, you can still see the making-of from tree to syrup, and maybe if you're really lucky taste some maple sap. Admission FREE.

Sunday, March 24

Speed Rack Chicago at Cobra Lounge, like March Madness with booze and Chicago's best female bartenders, benefits breast cancer education, prevention, and research. Expert judges include Blackbird chief mixologist Lynn House, Three Dots and A Dash mixologist/partner Paul McGee, bellyQ beverage director Peter Vestinos, and Miss Speed Rack USA 2012 Yael Vengroff. Drink along with snacks from Revolucion Steakhouse. Admission $20.

Monday, March 25

Half Acre presents a Beer Social, benefiting The Stewards Market, a non-profit business incubator located in Humboldt Park. Unlimited beer will be paired with hors d'oeuvres by CJK Foods, specializing in the Anti-Inflammatory Diet. Admission $75.

Tuesday, March 26

The Peggy Notebaert Nature Museum presents Nature on Tap, celebrating the opening of the new exhibit Food: The Nature of Eating. Drink from local craft breweries, eat from local food trucks, plus compete in trivia teams, hosted by James Beard nominated Reader restaurant critic Mike Sula. Admission FREE for museum and Green City Market members, $10 for non-members, cash bar.

Wednesday, March 27

Soup & Bread presents this week's theme, Double A: Alliums and Asparagus ("Soups of Tentative Spring"), at the Hideout. This week benefitting Teen Living Programs with special soup chefs including Sunday Dinner Club/Honey Butter Fried Chicken. Plus bread from Publican Quality Meats and La Farine Bakery. Admission FREE, by donation.

Thursday, March 28

Chicagoist presents a reader meet-up with writers as guest bartenders at Nisei Lounge benefitting UCAN. Uhlich Children’s Advantage Network, founded in 1869, strives to build strong youth and families through compassionate healing, education, and empowerment. Admission FREE, by donation.

Follow Louisa Chu on Twitter.

Morning Rehearsal: Chicago theater 5/18

Wed, 18 May 2011 14:17:00 -0500

1. Oprah filmed two of her last three shows at the United Center this week, in case you live under a rock. Thus far, two potential jurors have been excused from jury duty because they had tickets to this over-the-top goodbye celebration.

2. The Redmoon Youth Spectacle runs for three nights, starting tonight, at the Peggy Notebaert Nature Museum. This impressive endeavor brings together over 750 students from multiple Chicago schools, and consists of youth created "curiosities" ranging from shadow animation to sound installation to performance. Side note: The museum also has a very realistic looking stuffed polar bear on display.

3. The Sun-Times and the Tribune face off over Murder for Two. Hedy Weiss called it "indeed, a 'killer musical.'" But while Chris Jones thought the show had promise, he argued there was just not enough mystery in this murder mystery. "If you go to a murder mystery, you want to be involved in the actual mystery and try to figure it out for yourself. Murder for Two takes you a good way down that road but then flies off in a whole, new, campy direction. It's amusing but ultimately unsatisfying. We're all happy to laugh, but we also want to believe," Jones said.

4. Joleen: On Your Marks... opens tomorrow at 9:30 at the Annoyance Theater, and they describe themselves as a long-form sketch duo. "Joleen" consists of Eileen Montelione and Joel Wiersema; you may recognize them from their previous name "Sit and Run."

5. SKALD 12: THE TWELFTH ANNUAL SKALD STORYTELLING COMPETITION has had workshops for children (KIDSKALD), adults (MAELSTROM) and professionals (SKALD 12) all week, with final performances this weekend (MAELSTROM Friday, May 20, at 7:30 pm / $15, KIDSKALD Saturday, May 21, at 3 pm / FREE, reservations encouraged, SKALD 12 Saturday, May 21, at 7:30 pm / $20). It's all at the Chicago Cultural Center, and though you may think the name SKALD sounds like a piece of Ikea furniture, it really comes from the ancient Scandanavian word for storyteller or poet.

Questions? Tips? Email kdries@wbez.org.

Friday Foodie Forecast: Pastries, canapés and a holiday bazaar

Fri, 10 Dec 2010 21:17:00 -0600

From pastries to canapés, this week's offerings pack a lot of flavor into little packages. And since it's gift-giving season, you might as well pack some flavor into your gifts at the first annual Holiday Gift Bazaar.

Parisian Pattisserie at NoMI
Starting today, customers can satisfy sweet cravings at NoMI with a variety of holiday chocolate treats, including macarons, lollipops and cookies. Customers have the option of buying items a-la-carte, which range in price from a buck to $5, or they can create their own holiday arrangement. The patisserie will run from 2:30 p.m. to 6:30 p.m. until December 24. NoMI is located in the Park Hyatt, 800 N. Michigan Ave.

Wine and Canapé Reception and Dinner at Jam
Join Jam's Executive Chef Jeffrey Mauro on Monday, December 13, for a wine and canapé reception and dinner sponsored by ChicaGourmets. The menu will feature passed canapés, as well as dishes such as parsnip soup with chicken confit, melted onions and tarragon; foie gras tortellini with chestnut puree and cranberry gastrique; also, skirt steak with roasted tomato, wilted greens, boiled egg and pickled maitake mushrooms. The event will take place at Jam, 937 N. Damen, at 6 p.m., and reservations are recommended, since events often sell out. Tickets to this event are $69 for ChicaGourmet members and $79 for nonmembers. To reserve your spot, click here.

Local and Fair Trade Holiday Bazaar
Browse through seasonal gifts and treats from local vendors next Sunday, December 19 at the First Annual Local & Fair Trade Holiday Gift Bazaar at Lincoln Park's Peggy Notebaert Nature Museum, 2430 N. Cannon Drive. The bazaar will last from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. and will feature gourmet edibles, fashion & accessories, art, entertainment and more. Admission is $5 for adults and free for children 12 and under. For a full list of vendors or more information, visit. http://www.msmint.com/holiday-gift-bazaar-2010.html

Friday Foodie Forecast: Green Eggs and Ham

Fri, 26 Mar 2010 15:00:00 -0500

It may be hard to believe, but Easter is just around the corner (really!). What better way to celebrate spring than with an homage to the incredible, edible egg: a tiny, minimalist package that contains amino acids, vitamins and protein. Whether you prefer cage-free, vegetarian-fed, brown, jumbo or anything in between, you can take your pick of egg celebrations this weekend.

Chicago's Green City Market, the year-round farmer's market dedicated to sustainable and locally-grown food, is honoring the egg this Saturday, March 27 with a market called "Green Eggs and Ham". From 8 am to 1 pm at the Peggy Notebaert Nature Museum, the market will feature chef demonstrations, a kids' Easter egg hunt and vendors that all promote the Seussian theme of green eggs and ham.

Green City Market's "Green Eggs and Ham"

The chef demonstrations will take place in the south gallery of the Nature Museum, and will feature the following Chicago chefs:

9:00 am: Kristine Subido of Wave

10:00 am: Michael McDonald of one sixtyblue

11:00 am: Christophe David of NoMI

12:00 pm: Rick Bayless of Frontera Grill/Xoco/Topolobampo

Capacity for the demonstrations is limited and an RSVP is required. To reserve a space, email admin@greencitymarket.org with the demo you wish to attend and the number of guests. Check out other upcoming chef demonstrations here.

The children's Easter egg hunt will take place in the north gallery of the Nature Museum at 9:30 a.m and is open to children ages 3 to 6. Plastic eggs will be filled with temporary tattoos and Green City Market treats. Space is limited and children must be registered by emailing their names and ages to‚ admin@greencitymarket.org. All children are asked to arrive for registration at 9:15 a.m on Saturday. After the hunt, an Easter egg workshop will take place in the North Science Lab of the museum. Children will learn how to dye eggs without chemicals, using natural dyes such as beets and spinach. No RSVP is required for the workshop.

Naturally dyed Easter eggs at Green City Market

In keeping with the spirit of Green Eggs and Ham, the market will feature vendors of micro-greens, eggs and ham and pork. Micro and petite greens will be available from vendors such as Three Sisters Garden, Heritage Prairie and Tiny Greens. A limited selection of standard greens including spinach, mesclun mix, watercress and possibly bok choy will be available from Genesis Growers. Ham and pork products will be available from Twin Oak Meats, Liberty Family Farms and Meadow Haven Farm. Mint Creek Farms will offer lamb "hams" for sale. Eggs vendors include TJ's Free Range Poultry, Mint Creek Farm, Ellis Farms and Meadow Haven Farms. The Peggy Notebaert Nature Museum is located at 2430 N. Cannon Drive. Call (773) 880-1266 for more details.

Stocked up on eggs, but not sure what to do with them? Green Grocer Chicago, a West Town neighborhood market featuring organically-grown local produce will host a "Spring Cleaning" cooking demonstration on Saturday, March 27 from 2:00 to 3:00 p.m. Host Lee Greene will focus on the egg as a symbol, a meal and a work of art, demonstrating how to clean out your fridge by cooking "Fridge Frittatas". Sign up for the class here. Green Grocer Chicago is located at 1402 W. Grand Avenue. Call (312) 624-9508 for more information.