Good for you

The Architecture and Design gallery in The Art Institute's new Modern Wing. Nicole Cohen/Good for You

The Art Institute of Chicago will be opening its Modern Wing with a week of free admission starting this Saturday, May 16 until Friday, May 22.

Designed by architect Renzo Piano (who also designed Paris’ Centre Pompidou), the Modern Wing was built to provide more room for the museum’s growing collection (the third largest in the United States).

The $294 million project includes a bridge that links the museum to Millennium Park, an education center, and a restaurant featuring concoctions from Spiaggia chef Tony Mantuano.

But let’s not get ahead of ourselves.  The point here is that admission is free next week, so pick a sunny day (the better to enjoy the wing’s views and naturally lit galleries) and don’t forget your canned goods (which the museum will be collecting for the Greater Chicago Food Dispensitory during its opening week).

Some highlights from the new wing:

Jeff Wall’s decidely spooky graveyeard photography.

Candyass’s (a.k.a Cary Leibowitz) “Photo Booth Fortune” featuring fortune cookie fortunes and a hairy man in a photo booth.

Steve McQueen’s video “Girls, Tricky” featuring “trip-hop” artist Tricky (a.k.a Adrian Thaws) in the recording studio and smoking what I will, for the sake of the blog, only identify as a cigarette.

Architecture and Design galleries’ (pictured above) seat-provoking chairs

Add to that the names like Henri Matisse, Pablo Picasso, and  Joan Miro and you’ll wonder how the institute every got by without this space.

limajulija/FLCKR

Who says investigative journalism is dead?

Chicago Tribune published an investigation in April that uncovered how the city of Crestwood, IL knowingly drew from a contaminated well for the city’s water supply for years.

The story sparked an EPA investigation and calls for health studies on the use of well water.

Just another reason we should be paying attention to where we get our water.

jarnott/Flickr

Melting ice caps, slumping economy, H1N1 … the world is a scary place these days but not every tight spot comes with a doomsday.

Case in point: water in Illinois.

Josh Ellis is a Community Development Associate at the Metropolitan Planning Council who specializes in - you guessed it - H2O.

Josh talked to us about the need for state-wide water supply plan and a water metering system in Chicago.

State-wide water supply plan:

Chicago water meters:

Next time you’re anywhere near the Damen stop on the Blue Line, take a minute to pop in on the Weirder Park General Store at 1539 N. Damen Ave, a novelty shop that sells handmade trinkets from their third story window.  The Web site describes the store as “Chicago’s one-stop shop for all your novelty needs!”

But how, you might ask, does one novelty shop out of a window?  Don’t fret, their site provides detailed instructions.

Our revolutionary ‘walk-up window service’ lets you make all your purchases from the streets below. Simply ring the bell, and we’ll pop our heads out of our window and help you pick out the merchandise that best suits your needs. When you are ready to go on your way, we’ll lower your purchases via a basket. Simply place your hard-earned money back into the basket, which comes back to us to ensure that we can continually add new products and services.

As of Tuesday night , Weirder Park expanded into a concert venue and co-founder Celia Rose Marks says she hopes to eventually grow into an art space as well.

“This is our first venture into what this space could potentially be,” Marks said.

Tuesday night’s performers included out-of-towners Liz Isenberg and Omnivore (or Glenna Vannostrand).  See pictures and hear their music after the jump.

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WBEZ Blog says the AP is reporting that a school in Chicago’s Pilsen neighborhood has forbidden students from shaking hands in reaction to the recent swine flu outbreak.

Still, no cases of swine flu have been reported yet in Chicago.  But it sounds like the flue strain has made it to northern Indiana.

Here’s where we stand as of Tuesday morning, complements of the New York Times:

New York- 28 confirmed cases, 17 suspected cases
California- 13 confirmed cases, 2 suspected cases
Texas- 6 confirmed cases
Kansas- 2 confirmed cases
Michigan- 1 suspected case
Ohio- 1 confirmed case
New Jersey- 5 suspected cases

and now

Indiana- 1 confirmed case

The White House has formally declared a “public health emergency” at a press briefing today as news sites exploded with reports of a swine flu epidemic outbreak whose roots are currently being traced to Mexico.

Dr. Richard Besser of the Centers for Disease Control explained that there were 20 confirmed cases of swine flu at the time of the press briefing, adding that all U.S. cases of the flu were already in recovery.

Besser went on to explain the steps individual communities can take to prevent infection.

Very frequent hand-washing is something that we talk about time and time again and that is an effective way to reduce transmission of disease.  If you’re sick, it’s very important that people stay at home.  If your children are sick, have a fever and flu-like illness, they shouldn’t go to school.  And if you’re ill, you shouldn’t get on an airplane or another public transport to travel.  Those things are part of personal responsibility in trying to reduce the impact.

Besser also cited the CDC Web site as a good source for up-to-date information on the status swine flu in the U.S.

The AP has reported that 86 deaths are being attributed to the virus in Mexico and that confirmed cases have also sprung up in France, Israel, Canada, and New Zealand.

According to the CDC Web site, swine flu is a respiratory disease common among pigs.  Swine flue does not normally infect humans.

IL Gov. Pat Quinn visits Chicago school on Earth Day I of II from Nicole Cohen on Vimeo.

Illinois Gov. Pat Quinn visited Donald Marquez School in Chicago’s Brighton Park community.  The school, part of the United Neighborhood Organization charter school network, recently acheived Gold status LEED Certification.

IL Gov. Pat Quinn visits Chicago school on Earth Day II of II from Nicole Cohen on Vimeo.

The governor was there to tour the school’s green facility and to participate in the unveiling of the school’s LEED certification gold medallion.

beatles.com

Here’s one more reason to walk (not drive) to the corner store.

Multiple news sources are reporting on new efforts being taken to make streets safer for pedestrians and stricter for drivers.

WBEZ is reporting that starting today, Chicago Police will be going undercover as pedestrians to catch non-yielding drivers in the act.  WBEZ quotes a police spokesperson as saying that drivers could be fined $50 to $500 for  failing to yield to pedestrians.

The Chicago Tribune’s story also reported on state legislation that could further the pedestrian cause.  The Tribune’s Jon Hilkevitch wrote,

Meanwhile, legislation pending before the state Senate would go even further, strengthening the Illinois vehicle code by requiring drivers to not only yield—but stop—when pedestrians are in crosswalks.

Advocates of the measure, which was proposed by the Active Transportation Alliance, say the law requiring drivers to yield is too vague. Eleven states and the District of Columbia have “must stop” laws.

Violators would face a minimum $150 fine in Illinois.

Looks like a good time to be taking to the crosswalks.