Between the intimate Gezelligheid shows and last night’s Sonic Arboretum “Sonic Event,” Andrew Bird has treated his hometown to some of his most unique concerts. They’ve turned into sort of a holiday homecoming for the violinist and composer, who hinted last night that the downtown tradition will continue into the future. more ›

Anyone who has ever seen Andrew Bird in concert will recognize the captivating, rotating Specimen horn speakers that have become his signature. This December, the Museum of Contemporary Art will have an entire installation of them—70 to be exact—in their atrium with a score composed by, who else, Bird himself, creating an experience that appeals to the eyes as well as the ears. Better yet, Bird will perform live on December 21 and 22 with the “forest” of horns serving as his PA. more ›

May is the month for wine-tasting events! The latest in the line-up, Around The World in 80 Sips, hosted by Bottlenotes, will be held this Friday at the Museum of Contemporary Art. Visitors will be able to sample more than 80 different wines from all over the globe, plus cheese and charcuterie. Best of all, Chicagoist readers get a discount! more ›

Perhaps we are just suckers for obscure rationales for programming film series, or perhaps we simply have Tuymans Fever, but Eyes Without a Face, a film series curated by Luc Tuymans, showing at the MCA from November 27 to December 12, looks quite intriguing. The rockstar artist has chosen some fascinating titles and provided us with the perfect reason to visit to revisit the sensational retrospective the museum is hosting through January 9. more ›

The MCA is, for the most part, as good as its featured exhibition(s). As it happens, there are two excellent exhibitions on display right now, so if you haven’t been to Streeterville’s art district in a while, now’s as good a time to go as ever. Alexander Calder and Contemporary Art: Form, Balance, and Joy ends October 17th, and, thankfully, there are months yet until the newly installed Luc Tuymans retrospective closes. more ›

Rounding out a spectacular September that included the Joyous Outdoor Event, Redmoon's Spectacle 2010: The Astronaut's Birthday is ending this weekend. It's been running every Thursday, Friday, and Sunday at 7:30 p.m. for much of the month and this weekend is your last chance to catch the puppet troupe's (ridiculously awesome idea of a) huge shadow play on the windows of the MCA. more ›

Well now, this is exciting. Alexander Calder and Contemporary Art: Form, Balance, Joy opens tomorrow at The Museum of Contemporary Art. One half of the first floor, bereft of wall dividers, is now one large space fillllllled with Alexander Calder sculptures, mobiles, and stabiles. The other half of the first floor has works by artists - Martin Boyce, Nathan Carter, Abraham Cruzvillegas, Aaron Curry, Kristi Lippire, Jason Meadows, and Jason Middlebrook - inspired by Calder. more ›

Experimental duo White/Light, comprised of Chicago sound-based artists Jeremy Lemos and Matt Clark, currently have an interactive music installation on display at the Museum of Contemporary Art as part of the UBS 12 x 12: New Artists / New Work series. The exhibit is set in the dimly lit gallery, where two reel-to-reel tape machines loop electric guitar samples and drone electronic noise. A glowing microphone lures people into the room and triggers a sensor that modifies the sound frequencies, allowing the visitors to participate in transforming the continually evolving sound. The artists also constantly manipulate the installation - the tape machines and amps are rearranged periodically and Clark shows up at the gallery frequently to record new guitar samples for the loops. more ›

In 1998, the Hugh Lane Gallery in Dublin got Francis Bacon’s studio. All 7,000 pieces of it. They meticulously marked the exact location of each tiny scrap—not daring to discriminate between what was artistically relevant and what was detritus—and precisely rebuilt the studio entirely in the museum. Is it really so surprising? Certainly our preoccupation with artists' studios is by no means a new thing. more ›

The MCA, in their current show Italics: Italian Art Between Tradition and Revolution 1968-2008, want to show you something. They want you to talk about—no, see—no, know—no, understand—Italian Art since 1968. Unfortunately, they don’t get too far. more ›

If you’re like us and always on the prowl for up and coming local music, then don’t miss Magical Musical Showcase. Every fourth Tuesday at 6 p.m., notable Chicago organizations present their favorite local musicians at MCA’s Puck’s Café. We think this program is aces. It not only offer patrons a no-dough performance in a comfortable and classy setting, but it gives emerging local musicians an intimate, non-commercial outlet for their original work and post-performance time to wander the crowd and join in on discussions. more ›

Fans of sonic experimentation will want to clear their schedules November 19 for the return of the Chicago/NYC-based International Contemporary Ensemble to the MCA for a rare performance of Finnish composer Kaija Saariaho's work. Brad Lubman will conduct and Saariaho herself will supervise the group's rehearsals and make a guest appearance at the concert to field audience questions. more ›

Remember the stars who you idolized as a kid? Our bedroom walls were plastered with Tiger Beat pics of Blair from Facts of Life, which then morphed into teenage shrines to Marlene Dietrich and Siouxsie Sioux. Chicago-based artist Edra Soto, who was born in San Juan, Puerto Rico in 1971, grew up watching buxom beauty Iris Chacon, the charismatic Puerto Rican performer who starred in the 1970s variety TV show "El Show de Iris Chacon." Beyonce, you're dismissed. more ›

Need a break from the doom and gloom of la recession? Head to the Museum of Contemporary Art on Tuesday, June 2 for Works in Progess with artist Chris Uphues. Uphues, an SAIC graduate who currently lives in Brooklyn, will be at the museum drawing and painting his supercutesy-faced hearts, robots, and other twee creations that resemble stickers you put on your Trapper Keeper in grade school. Actually, Uphues’ adorable pop culture characters can be found virtually everywhere these days—on buttons, t-shirts, storefronts—even farm silos. more ›

All starry-eyed for the lush colors of springtime? Then set your sights on Take your time: Olafur Eliasson at MCA from May 1 - September 13. As the first comprehensive survey of the Danish-Icelandic artist's works in the U.S., this exhibit of sculptures, photos, and large-scale immersive environments, will leave you feeling like you’ve somersaulted in a kaleidoscope. more ›

From 1964-1966, Andy Warhol used a 16mm Bolex camera, a chair, and his eccentric friends of the New York art scene to create Screen Tests—nearly 500 silent, black and white film portraits. Members of the art star’s entourage were told to just sit still and try not to blink while the camera rolled. more ›

We've heralded the unique events of the Museum of Contemporary Art's Literary Gangs of Chicago before and now we're going to do it again. We've always been fans of "Saturday Night Live" and not just because of the numerous Chicago connections via Second City. We've always been interested by the concept of creating a show from scratch, writing, rehearsing and performing it live within a week. more ›