United Artists
This Saturday, the South Union Arts Center, the music and arts venue hidden within the rugged shells of an old Missionary Baptist church in the South Loop, welcomes the work of thirty artists for "Il Stato un Regalo Gradito," which translates to "Welcome Back Gifts," a reference to the space’s near-closing this past winter. "[South Union Arts Center] is very challenging—the walls are not nice and they’re not easy to fix," says curator Anna Cerniglia, who’s fighting to keep the 200-year-old building open. "You have to work around a lot of things, but there are things about smaller spaces that can be as interesting as museums—they all have their own aesthetics." Cerniglia adds that the point of this show was to bring a large group of artists and a diverse mix of media, featuring graffiti, structural art, installations and paintings, as way to announce to the community that the arts center is far from closing its doors for good. "I’m just really excited to have the people that we have," she says. "In a way it’s like ‘Welcome back—these are the people that surround you in Chicago.’" Visit www.southunionarts.com for more info.

Eco-nerds
The environmental craze has not only spawned awareness of eco-issues among the masses, but it’s brought out something few thought they’d ever see: Green nerds. April 16, Nerds at Heart, a dating event devoted to bring together all different kinds of smart (nerdy) people, hosts "Dating for Nerds: Earth Day Edition" at Erie Street’s J. Patrick’s Bar and Grill, which celebrates the upcoming Earth Day with green games, prizes and giveaways. What exactly qualifies as a green nerd? "We get the ‘Am I green enough?’ question a lot, but really there is no litmus test. If you think you are, you probably are," says event co-founder Bathsheba Birman. Birman says these events usually bring in everyone from average-looking "nerds at heart" to your stereotypical "Revenge of the Nerds" type, and it ends up creating an inclusive, no-pressure environment. Partial proceeds from the event will be going to the Community for Alternative Sources of Energy, a student-run organization out of Northside Prep High School. Briman’s best-case scenario: "Hopefully people will lock eyes with the nerd of their dreams and make little nerdy babies." All the while helping the Earth.

(2008-04-08)

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