Visit the National Veterans’ Art Museum at 4041 North Milwaukee Avenue to see 100 Faces of War Experience: Portraits and Words of Americans Who Served in Iraq and Afghanistan, a solo exhibition of paintings by Matt Mitchell. 
From the catalog: “Unlike photographs, portraits are artists’ interpretation and presentation of their subjects” (emphasis mine). 
“The artist met with each person to start their painting… Each meeting lasted between two and eight hours. Mitchell then continued working for 40 to 80 hours to complete each portrait.”
The gallery truly becomes a place for contemplation. Also on permanent display: “The Things They Carried.” From the website: “With artworks and objects created and collected by over twenty Vietnam veteran artists, The Things They Carried also provides visual interpretations to viewers, illustrating the war by those who were there.” This installation includes actual photographs.
At the Chicago Cultural Center, allow yourself to be engulfed by “Drury Brennan: Die Welt (The World).”
From the card: “With the heart of a beatmaker, eyes of a ‘Street Artist’ and mouth of a poet, Brennan seeks to unite these disparate traditions & concepts, making new systems of poetics to bring us together.” 
TONIGHT! the big reception and awards ceremony for the Harper Area HS Art Show! This year’s drawing/painting/photo display cases are a little thin on bombast and contrast, and imagination beyond the terms of each assigned project. Still, as Lee Friedlander said, “The pleasures of good photographs are the pleasures of good photographs, whatever the particulars of their makeup” (or the care invested in the making of their negative[s] and their prints). Regarding that, Kendall Free’s picture may be the best print in the entire show, and Buffalo Grove’s photography the best overall. Between the quality of the lighting and the size of the crowd, one may need a little luck in order to view all of the work.
The biggest thrills, however, are reserved for the other (almost secret) display area for the 3-D mediums. No amount of signage can be too much for directing tonight’s audience to this work.
The biggest expense for the participating schools is tonight’s refreshments. Go early; say, seven-ish.
Creative Camerawork 