Weekend Arts Roundup

By Justin Sondak in Arts & Entertainment on Aug 13, 2007 5:37PM

Here's what happened while you were chasing The King:

The Trib’s Chris Jones profiles local playwright Marisa Wegryzn, whose latest show Killing Women opens Friday night, and addresses larger concerns about whether young talent is being properly nurtured and how the economics of Chicago theater tend to drive talented playwrights to the coasts.

A booth filled with Jack Nixon’s “super-realist” penciled renderings of Chicago landmarks was the most unexpected sight at Northhalsted Market Days (and that’s saying something…). The native Chicagoan and New Trier High grad painstakingly captures light, shadow, and minute architectural detail in Study in Light and Form: The Wrigley, Tribune and Medinah Spires. (pictured) The original 50” x 67” framed work took 3,000 hours to finish and is selling for $200,000.

The Chicago Art Department is all grown up. The Pilsen-based, contemporary art resource will celebrate its newly granted not-for-profit status at a Saturday night fundraiser. If you go, or find yourself in the Chicago Arts District anytime soon, you can sign a petition to save the historically significant 1920 S. Halsted building from demolition.

Two weeks down in the Impress These Apes competition and Jenny Staben leads. Jarrad Apperson is in second, with Kristen Studard and former Chicagoista Margaret Hicks tied for third. Their hilarious Week 2 movie-scene reenactments are on the site.