No Bodies:
Clothing as Disruptor
Curated by Alva Greenberg at Real Art Ways

Real Art Ways presents a collection of work from 26 artists curated by Alva Greenberg Clothing conveys impressions of social background, economic status and ethnicity. Like physical features, it is one of the most common means used to project ourselves and understand others. This inclination to categorize others is also a way of controlling our responses to them. How often do we subconsciously imbue clothing with a significance which is misleading? The altered and uninhabited clothing in No Bodies disrupts…

Real Art Ways presents a solo exhibition by 2023 Real Art Award recipient Alex Dolores Salerno. In Naoki Higashida’s bestselling book “The Reason I Jump: The Inner Voice of a Thirteen-Year-Old Boy with Autism” Higashida answers the question, “Would you give us an example of something people with autism really enjoy?” by explaining “we do take pleasure in one thing that you probably won’t be able to guess, namely, making friends with nature.” He elaborates that “the greenness of nature…

“Wicked Little Letters is benignly enjoyable in its take on a true story of hidden feelings, farcical expression and righteous action.” – Los Angeles Times  “Mean tweets 1920 style: The incomparable Olivia Colman and Jessie Buckley turn a flimsy script about poison pen letters that turn friends against each other into irresistible fun. Any resemblance to today’s internet trolling is purely intentional.” – ABC News “The movie is full of goofy side characters and one-liners, yet elevated to genuine complexity by Colman…

“Emily Saliers and Amy Ray of indie folk rockers Indigo Girls convey what they want the audience to experience from their music: self-esteem, a shared experience, and healing, likening it almost to a warm hug… exactly what the film provides.” – Austin Chronicle “Brimming with previously unseen footage and refreshingly frank interviews with the artists, it’s an adoring opus befitting two long overlooked musicians and activists.” – IndieWire “Existing fans will be mesmerized, but non-fans like me should also get a kick…

Join us for this in-person reading! An open mic will precede the featured reader—one poem, one page. Since we are always trying to perfect our open mic, this month we will draw 10 names from all those who sign up by 7 PM. The series is also updating their contact list! If you would like to receive email notifications of upcoming events, please leave your name and preferred email address at the book sales table. The authors’ books will be…

“Greg Camalier’s debut feature offers a worthy if sometimes ponderous take on a significant slice of U.S. popular music history.” – Variety “An essential document of a defining era when ‘soul’ really meant something.” – Time Out “Even casual music fans will enjoy behind-the-hits doc.” – Hollywood Reporter “It is hands down one of the best music documentaries ever made.” – Seattle Times 97% on Rotten Tomatoes Synopsis: Filmmaker Greg Camalier pays tribute to an Alabama city that holds a prominent place in music…

  An experience of music imagined and created in real time. This series runs from September 2023-May 2024. Check out the full schedule here! May’s Performance Tomeka Reid Described as a “New Jazz Power Source” by the New York Times, cellist and composer, and MacArthur Genius Grantee Tomeka Reid has emerged as one of the most original, versatile, and curious musicians in Chicago’s bustling jazz and improvised music community over the last decade. Her distinctive melodic sensibility, always rooted in a strong sense…

Real Art Ways Science on Screen® season invites you to experience the unique combination of a feature film and a relevant talk from a notable local figure in science. “A characteristically playful documentary in which the filmmaker scrambles for whatever errant insight he can find into the world of tomorrow.” – indieWire  “Worth listening to and beholding.” – Deadline Hollywood Daily  Synopsis: Werner Herzog sets his sights on yet another mysterious landscape – the human brain – for clues as to why a…

Thursday, May 16 Come Together/Imagine More Kick Off & CCH Join us for a celebratory announcement of Real Art Ways’ expansion plans and capital campaign. Good things are coming. Be with us to hear about our expansion plans, our vision for even more ways to come together around art, ideas, music, movies, fun, and conversation. It won’t be the same without YOU! Schedule: 5:00 Live Music 5:30 Announcement and vision for our future 6:00 Creative Cocktail Hour CCH: Live music,…

I want to tell you something remarkable. Something you probably aren’t aware of. You may already know that Real Art Ways is pretty good at what we do. But did you know Real Art Ways has presented the work of (drum roll, please)… 42…(!!!) MacArthur Genius Grant Awardees? We’re going to share a bit about them in coming weeks. – Will K. Wilkins KEN VANDERMARK Ken Vandermark has performed at Real Art Ways in 2013, 2014, and most recently last…