In retrospect, this summer was packed with amazing arts performances that ranged from neighborhood festivals to sold-out shows garnering national attention. There was no shortage of culture to take in with outdoor concerts, art fairs, the latest film releases, and more.
Local Highlights
Highland Park’s Arts on Sheridan began the season in mid-June. With live performances, local artists emerged to share their handiwork. A few blocks away, the Ravinia Festival ran from June 6th through August 31st, and over 100 concerts were performed. These included Cynthia Erivo, Lenny Kravitz, Maren Morris, Beck, and various others. The summer ended with the Port Clinton Art Festival in late August, which is an annual tradition, drawing in crowds from across the North Shore.
Chicago Arts and Entertainment
The Magnificent Mile Art Festival gathered crowds with a mix of national and local artists. Talented surrealist painters, contemporary jewelry makers, and even abstract clothing designers packed themselves onto Michigan Avenue, each bringing a diverse perspective to this one street. Among these artists were George Tonyi, an artist with Picasso-esque overlapping lines and geometric faces, and Shuker Jarjour, a sculptor who takes inspiration from natural life. In addition to this knock-out festival, many Chicago theaters were packed with plays, musicals, and improv shows. At the Apollo Theater, for example, a musical parody of the famous movie Twilight was performed, which garnered attention for its unhinged, yet hilarious, jokes. As the summer came to an end, Lollapalooza was the final “hoorah” for Chicago’s entertainment scene. Huge artists such as Tyler, the Creator, Sabrina Carpenter, Clairo, and ASAP Rocky rocked the Lollapalooza stages and left the audience in awe. Over the course of just four days, 460,000 people from far and wide all flocked to Chicago to see the festival. Undoubtedly, this city has seen its fair share of entertainment this summer.
National & Global Highlights
All across the country, the summer scene was just as exciting. New York’s Governors Ball Music Festival was packed with spectators to see Olivia Rodrigo, Hozier, and Tyler, the Creator live in concert. Overseas, France’s Annecy International Animation Film Festival awarded Arco, a simultaneously dystopian yet wholesome animated film, the best feature. Superman was released on July 7th of this summer, and scored a whopping 83% Rotten Tomatoes. Even though this movie is highly fictitious, given Superman’s imaginary abilities, the movie brought up messages and social issues that are highly pertinent to our real world today.
Wrapping Up the Season
This summer was packed with an assortment of occasions reflecting the perpetual notability of arts and entertainment in our society, ranging from Ravinia nights to vibrant art festivals. Each was full of magic and gave us much to discuss when the crowds departed.