A vivid mural ( pictured ) painted by Dom Orejudos ( 1933-1991 ) , better known as iconic leather artist Etienne, is on display at the Chicago History Museum as part of the exhibit Big Picture: A New View of Painting in Chicago ( through next Aug. 3 ) . The 7' x 4' mural depicts leather-clad bikers gathered around a motorcycle, with Buckingham Fountain in the background. Created in 1973, the mural hung in the Gold Coast Leather Bar, owned by Orejudos' lover, Chuck Renslow. Indeed, sharp-eyed viewers will recognize Renslow himself as one of the figures in the mural. Under his nom de peinture, Orejudos later created more sexually explicit murals for the Gold Coast ( now The Eagle ) at both its Dearborn Street and North Clark Street locations.
The Chicago History Museum exhibit is the opening gambit of a $3 million initiative by the Terra Foundation for American Art. The initiative, American Art American City, is designed to showcase domestic art in museums, galleries and public buildings throughout Chicago. From now through December 2008, some 28 participating institutions are offering special exhibitions, tours of rarely-seen collections, lectures and special events that will focus upon the sculpture, paintings, photography, murals and mixed-media work that can be found here. Dom Orejudos will share the stage with artists such as Edward Hopper, Andy Warhol, Alexander Calder and Ivan Albright plus Chicago School artists such as Roger Brown, Christina Ramberg, Tom Palazzalo and Ed Paschke.
Among the organizations participating in the American Art American City initiative are the Art Institute of Chicago, DuSable Museum of African American History, Loyola University Museum of Art, Museum of Contemporary Art, National Museum of Mexican Art, Newberry Library, Spertus Museum and the Swedish American Museum ( the last just blocks from The Eagle ) . For comprehensive information, see www.AmericanArtAmericanCity.org . A good brochure also is available.
This is the last week for free admission to the Museum of Contemporary Art ( MCA ) , which has celebrated its 40th anniversary with 40 free days. Each day through Nov. 14, the MCA offers free guided tours of its galleries, plus demonstrations by current exhibited artists and even an event combining bingo, art and the tango. Details are at www.mcachicago.org, where there's also info about the Nov. 15-17 MCA performances of the move-bending, groove-bending Lucky Plush Productions dance troupe. Alas, it's not free, but not too pricey. Seating just 300, the MCA theater is a great, intimate space in which to catch a concert or dance performance.
Your old friend Jonny isn't sure about the title, 'SLIT: an evening of performance + poetry,' but it sounds, um, interesting. It's an evening of dances, writings, and experimental audience participation opportunities at the Around the Coyote Gallery, 1935 1/2 W. North, during which choreographers Rachel Damon and Sarah Haas will premiere conceptual pieces dealing with love, loss, sexism, gender identity, racism and hegemony as seen from women's perspectives. Between each piece, audience members are invited to sample gallery installation stations, such as the Listening Station or the Body Suite Station, where one can try on more than what you were born with. Baked goods also will be served. SLIT will be presented Nov. 16 and 18 only at 7:30 p.m.; www.synapsearts.com; $10.
George Takei, the Star Trek ( Mr. Sulu ) actor who joined the list of gay role models when he came out several years back, was in town recently for a one-night-only reading of a new play at Northlight Theatre in Skokie. Takei was joined by the still-beautiful France Nuyen ( whose long career stretches from South Pacific to The Joy Luck Club ) as part of the Northlight Interplay series. The series continues Dec. 17, 7:30 p.m., with veteran Chicago favorites John Mahoney and Mike Nussbaum in a reading of a new romantic comedy Better Late, by Larry Gelbart ( co-creator of M*A*S*H ) and Craig Wright. Northlight is at the North Shore Center for the Performing Arts in Skokie; 847-673-6300; $15.
All this month the cast of Wicked will be collecting money at every Wednesday matinee and Saturday night show for Broadway Cares/Equity
Fights AIDS and Chicago's own Season of Concern. Indeed, many Chicago theater companies will be asking audiences for donations for Season of Concern ( SOC ) from now through The Holidays. SOC is the local theater industry effort to assist those living with HIV/AIDS. The funds SOC raises support several charitable groups as well as SOC's own Biscotto-Miller Fund. If you attend a show and are asked to make a donation, Jonny asks you to dig as deep as you can and drop a dollar or two, or a fin, or a sawbuck in the basket.
The theater season has had a strong start with several shows extending their runs, among them Theatre Wit's Men of Steel ( now through Nov. 17 ) , Bailiwick's Zanna, Don't! and Happy Endings are Extra ( both through Nov. 25 ) and Black Ensemble's Sounds So Good Makes You Wanna Holler ( through Dec. 30 ) .