If you caught last week’s cover story in The Chicago Reader , you probably read about the first ever theatre fringe festival in the Windy City, which kicked off yesterday in Pilsen. This week, 46 theatre troupes swept into town armed with scripts, costumes, and chutzpah, ready to entertain through Labor Day weekend.

The creators of the fest wondered why Chicago - one of the greatest theatre cities in the world - wasn’t participating in the fringe phenomenon. The first ever fringe fest took place in Edinburgh over sixty years ago. The name grew from the circumstances of its inception: alternative theatre sprouted on the fringes of the Edinburgh International Festival that same year, drawing on the crowds and resources of the bigger event. Here in 2010, major cities around the world host fringe fests, opportunities for new and alternative theatre troupes to get their work out there and enjoy the Woodstock-style festival atmosphere.

FRINGE FEST: commemorative map of venues and Pilsen neighborhood.

Check out coverage in our very own Loyola Phoenix by Loyola student and Diversions writer Rebecca Diaz.

For tickets and show times, check out the Chicago Fringe Festival website.

The nominees for the 2010 Jeff Awards are in, and several of Loyola’s own are up for awards!

The Jeff Awards are a means of recognizing the most outstanding contributors to Chicago’s theatre community, and it should come as no surprise that several of the Loyola faculty appear on the list.

Congratulations to the following for all their hard work!

• Mikhail Fiksel, Sound Design
• Jacqueline Firkins, Costume Design
• Timothy Mann, Scenic Design
• Jonathan Wilson, director of “‘Master Harold’…And The Boys,” nominated in the midsize play production category

Although none of these productions are still running, you can look for other ‘Jeff Recommended‘ shows in Chicago (not to mention coming to see Loyola’s upcoming productions!)

The awards ceremony will take place on Monday, October 25.  To learn more about the Jeff Awards, visit their website here.

It’s always good to be reminded that art and artists can make a tangible difference in the world around us. That’s why Loyola’s annual Saturday of Service will connect the new freshman who’ve been flooding campus this week with service opportunities here in the Rogers Park and Edgewater neighborhoods. Edgewater Artists in Motion, the local community organization, will supervise student work as they paint the exterior of the viaduct at the CTA Red Line Granville stop. The Edgewater Beautiful Committee will oversee other clean-up projects in the neighborhoods surrounding campus, and Alderman Mary Ann Smith has generously supplied materials.

If you’d like to join new students and use your artistic skills to keep our neighborhood looking fabulous, meet up at Alumni Gym tomorrow (Saturday) morning at 9 a.m. You can expect to be busy until about 2:30 p.m., when the group will move to Berger Park for a lakeside picnic. Either way, you’ll certainly notice a difference next time you get off the train at Granville!

While you’re patiently waiting for 5-year anniversary celebrations to kick off at LUMA, here’s something to occupy the right side of your brain!

There are only a few more weeks to see the work of Jessica Gondek, Associate Professor of Fine Arts here at Loyola, at LUMA, where it’s been on display all summer in the Harlan J. Berk Gallery Ltd. Jessica Gondek: A Decade in Print features traditional and digital prints produced by the artist between 2000 and 2009. Themes include technology, geometry, machine aesthetics, nature, and architecture, rendered abstractly.

If you haven’t had Professor Gondek in a drawing or painting class, you’ll have the chance to meet her and hear her discuss printmaking and her influences on Tuesday, Sept. 14 at 6 p.m. at LUMA. Be sure to RSVP to LUMA@luc.edu or 312.915.7608 if you plan on attending. If you can’t make it to the lecture, catch the exhibit before it closes on Sept. 19.

For students whose on-campus experience only lasts about eight semesters or so, it feels like LUMA has been around forever. It hasn’t been around quite that long, but this fall marks LUMA’s fifth year as an essential pillar of our Water Tower campus and artistic community. And what does that mean for you? FREE ADMISSION to the museum and a whole host of multicultural events happening October 6-10.

The anniversary celebration kicks off with a cocktail party on Saturday evening, Oct. 2, 5:30-8:30 p.m. RSVP to 312.915.7630 to enjoy international cuisine from Chicago restaurants and cocktails (21+). Through the following week, activities will be offered as opportunities to learn about the five major world religions, exploring the relationships between art and faith around the world.

That week, you can take a candlelit tour of the Martin D’Arcy Collection of Christian art, learn Buddhist meditation techniques, practice Hindu yoga in a beginner’s class, or enjoy musical performances by traditional Jewish and Muslim groups. Click here for a detailed schedule>>

Pilgrmage and Faith: Buddhism, Christianity, and Islam

In the meantime, begin your own multicultural exploration and check out Pilgrimage and Faith: Buddhism, Christianity, and Islam, which opened at LUMA last weekend, and join us in congratulating LUMA on five great years!