Good afternoon, Chicago. ✶
In recent years, Chicago museums have been taking steps to reevaluate their collections of Native American art and items, recognizing that they’ve featured problematic depictions of Indigenous people.
In today’s newsletter, we’re looking at how Native American artists are creating their own spaces to provide visibility for their work and their communities in Chicago, which boasts a population of more than 215,000 Native Americans representing over 140 tribal nations, according to the American Indian Center.
Plus, we’ve got reporting on the continued outage at Lurie Children’s Hospital, some coverage of last weekend’s Chicago Auto Show and much more. 👇
⏱️: A 7-minute read
— Matt Moore, newsletter reporter (@MattKenMoore)
TODAY’S TOP STORY
Native American artists assert artistic, cultural independence via Chicago gallery as museums review outdated collections
Reporting by Erica Thompson
Creating space: Back in September, painter and ledger artist Chris Pappan, his wife Debra Yepa-Pappan, and fellow Native American artists Monica Rickert-Bolter and Andrea Carlson, opened the Center for Native Futures — one of the only Native American-owned contemporary art galleries in Chicago.
Key context: The artists cite limited opportunities for artists and problematic treatment of Native American art and items at Chicago museums as reasons they decided to open the gallery at 56 W. Adams St. in the Marquette Building in the Loop. The space embraces the concept of Indigenous futurism, which they say paints a more complete picture of Native Americans by not only considering their past, but placing them in the present and future.
Rethinking collections: As they gradually build a hub for both local and national Native American artists, Chicago area institutions such as the Field Museum, Mitchell Museum of the American Indian and others are attempting to take corrective actions — returning sacred Native American items and showcasing contemporary Native American works in partnership with Native American communities. Chicago art museums also have faced criticism from artists who want to see more local contemporary Native American art on their walls and relationships with Native American communities that go beyond land acknowledgments on their websites.
WHAT ELSE IS GOING ON?
Ann & Robert H. Lurie Children’s Hospital, located in Streeterville.
Tyler Pasciak LaRiviere/Sun-Times file
- Lurie Children’s outage fallout: The cybersecurity issue at Lurie Children’s Hospital that has spanned more than a week is having ripple effects across the pediatric medical community — from slowdowns in billing to young patients being sent to other hospitals to community physicians who rely on the hospital’s network struggling to communicate with families.
- Tim Mapes sentenced: The longtime chief of staff of former Illinois House Speaker Michael Madigan was sentenced to 2.5 years in prison Monday for lying to a grand jury as investigators began to close in on Madigan.
- Bill targets juvenile interrogations: New legislation in Springfield backed by Gov. J.B. Pritzker would require legal counsel for young people under 18 during police interrogations, an expansion of juvenile rights after video obtained by WBEZ showed a suburban Chicago detective extracting a teen’s false confession to a shooting.
- Tentative agreement reached amid strike: Chicago Teachers Union members at Instituto del Progreso Latino in Little Village could end their strike after reaching a tentative agreement with Chicago Public Schools last weekend.
- Hawks’ Bedard to return next week: After missing five weeks due to a broken jaw, Blackhawks center Connor Bedard will return to action next week, coach Luke Richardson said Monday.
- Steve McMichael’s story evokes emotions: On Sunday, “Postseason NFL Countdown” aired a segment on McMichael and his quest for induction into the Pro Football Hall of Fame while battling ALS. Afterward, Sam Ponder and Randy Moss appeared emotional, and former coach Rex Ryan — whose father, Buddy, coached McMichael — fought back tears.
- 3.5 stars for ‘In the Heights’: In the Marriott Lincolnshire Theatre’s staging, it’s evident from the thrilling opening sequence that director James Vasquez has captured the brimming, crowded heart of this musical, writes Catey Sullivan in a review for the Sun-Times.
SUN-TIMES STAFF SUGGESTS 🐟
Grab a bite at the Fish Keg
The Fish Keg, 2233 W. Howard St.
Ashlee Rezin/Sun-Times
My colleague Ashlee Rezin, a visual journalist here, recommends getting a bite to eat at the Fish Keg.
What makes it special: Family-owned with a super friendly staff, this restaurant has been a Rogers Park staple for more than 70 years, Ashlee tells me. And they make their tartar sauce in-house.
A reliable spot: Ashlee says that, back when she used to work overnight shifts at the Sun-Times, she’d stop by the Fish Keg to pick up an 8 a.m. “dinner.” Her go-to meal after a rough shift? “Fish chips, clam strips and a beer on my couch so I could unwind,” she tells me.
Check the hours: The Fish Keg’s hours have changed a little in the years since Ashlee’s overnight days. Now, you can stop by Tuesday-Sunday, 10 a.m. – 9 p.m.
Pro tip: It’s best to order ahead because they can get busy — especially if you stop by at a normal dinnertime hour, Ashlee says.
📍The Fish Keg, 2233 W. Howard St.
BRIGHT ONE ✨
Scenes from Saturday at the Chicago Auto Show at McCormick Place Convention Center.
Pat Nabong/Sun-Times
Chicago Auto Show ‘childhood dream come true’ for some, window-shopping opportunity for others
Reporting by Violet Miller
Rex Reyes used to play with Hot Wheels and go to car shows with his mom as a kid. In 2020, at age 15, he started a Facebook group for exotic car lovers.
Saturday, the 18-year-old was running a space on the opening day of the Chicago Auto Show as large as the one given to Lexus, with more than a half-dozen million-dollar vehicles filling it up.
The 116th rendition of the auto show brought a growing share of electric vehicles, with Lucid and Tesla making their debuts at the iconic showcase.
“To be in the place I grew up going to … it’s truly my childhood dream come true,” Reyes said Saturday at the Chitown Exotic Car Group space.
Reyes, who works in marketing, said the auto show was a good chance to meet people from the car scene, and noted that he had already run into some car influencers whose work he follows. Aside from that, he relished the seemingly unending stream of people stopping to ogle the vehicles in his corner of the massive show.
“I get to surround myself with these amazing cars I love with amazing people on the sidelines,” he said.
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Editor: Satchel Price
Newsletter reporter: Matt Moore
Copy editor: Angie Myers
