If you find yourself looking for something really interesting to do this summer, take a day to view some amazing pieces of art at one of Chicago’s oldest art events, the 57th Street Art Fair. As an alcohol free ocassion, the fair is the perfect environment for a fun family outing, especially with the hands on activities and playgrounds for children to enjoy. Located in the historic Hyde Park neighborhood streets, the fair will include a multitude of diverse forms of art such as: glass, jewelry, leather, photography, printmaking, painting, sculpture, wood, ceramics and fiber.

And don’t worry about feeling famished! The street fair has food to please everyone’s palate available from multiple venues. Along with the general opportunity to speak with artists from around the country, the fair is offering an exciting program playfully titled, Art Buying Boot Camp. It is a guided tour through the fair with art-buying experts who can help you with everything from determining the best price for a piece to the best colors to match your living room.

The Museum of Contemporary Art presents a new exhibit, 13th Ballad, a continuation of 12 Ballads for Huguenot House, by artist Theaster Gates.

The exhibition has a complicated history, exploring the relationship between social enterprise, contemporary art practices, and architectural and cultural redevelopment. In 2009, Gates hired a team to help assist him in dismantling the interior of a Chicago building slated for demolition. The salvaged materials were then used to mend a historically significant hotel in Kassel, Germany, known as the Huguenot House. The process was documented and now, most of the materials have made their way back to Chicago.

The MCA’s new exhibit is a continuation of Gates’ original work. 13th Ballad is housed in the MCA’s front atrium. It includes a wooden double cross that follows the contour of the building and contains boxes that will display objects from Huguenot House. Church pews discarded from the University of Chicago serve as a space for performances and provide a quiet space for contemplation.

Theaster Gates’ 13th Ballad opens at the MCA tomorrow, May 18th and continues until October 6th. Admission to the museum is $12.

Don’t worry, we didn’t notice that it was a Chagall either.

Remember that part in Ferris Bueller’s Day Off where Ferris and Sloane are making out in the Chicago Art Institute in front of a big, blue, stained glass window? Although easily overlooked by the untrained (or unaware) eye, this is Marc Chagall’s famous America Windows.  Created in 1977, this massive piece was housed in the Art Institute until 2005 when it was removed for conservation.

This deinstallation was prompted after construction of the Art Institute’s Modern Wing began after 25 years of being on display. In 2010, the Windows made their grand reappearance after construction had ceased, causing a resurgence in interest about the piece. Few hands at the Art Institute had handled this work considering it was created in Charles Marq’s European studio, but this deinstallation allowed for more research to be conducted concerning the piece.

Tomorrow at Loyola University’s Museum of Art, art historian and Loyola alumna, Dr. Michelle Paluch-Mishur, will hold a lecture concerning the themes, technical processes, and history of these large-scale artworks. This also coincides with LUMA’s very own exhibition of Chagall’s Bible illustrations entitled Graven Images.

This event is free for LUMA Members, Loyola students, faculty, and staff but is $4 for the general public. Please RSVP by calling 312.915.7608 or by emailing luma@luc.edu. The lecture will begin promptly at 6PM.