April 2022 events calendar for Chicago

If you've spent some of the past year watching your favorite episodes of The Office, you're probably going to appreciate Replay Lincoln Park's latest pop-culture pop-up. Throughout April, the arcade bar is once again transforming its premises into locations featured on the hit workplace comedy, including a recreation of the iconic Dunder Mifflin office. You'll also find areas that pay tribute to Schrute Farms, the Michael Scott Paper Company, Chili’s and the Warehouse. When you're not snapping photos and rattling off Michael Scott quotes, you'll be able to enjoy a menu of themed cocktails and food. That includes a Schrute Farm’s Beet Delight made with vodka and spice infused beet syrup; Michael Scott's signature Scotch and Splenda; as well as hot, soft pretzels that would make Stanley smile.  You'll need to make a reservation to secure your spot at the pop-up—each ticket includes $20 in credit to spend on beverages. Just try not to get as tipsy as Pam at the Dundies!

The Rock Island Public House hosts a themed drive-in movie series every weekend, screening classic genre flicks accompanied by beer and food that you can enjoy in your car. Upcoming weekends will feature kung-fu movies, romantic films and more. Screenings are free to attend and first come, first served, so check out the calendar and show up early to secure your spot in front of the makeshift screen!

After taking most of the winter off, Art on theMart is back with another 25-story-tall video installation that takes over the side of the Merchandise Mart. The new program is based around a collaboration with the Adler Planetarium, transporting viewers into the cosmos with scientific visualizations that demonstrate just how gigantic the universe really is.  Entitled Astrographics, the 16-minute video was created using imagery from telescopes around the world. You'll be able to see images of black holes, other planets, stars and more amazing images that offer a peek at what lies beyond our solar system. The program is accompanied by an appropirately trippy soundtrack assembled from Experimental Sound Studio's Sun Ra Arkestra archives. Art on theMART's array of 34 digital projectors will fire back up on April 1, displaying the 30-minute program at 8:30 and 9pm every evening through April 30. Showtimes will shift to 9 and 9:30pm from May 1 through July 4. The show is best viewed from the section of the Chicago Riverwalk between Wells Street and Franklin Street, though there is a 100-person capacity limit and face coverings are required.

Step inside of Starry Night and The Bedroom in Arles with the help of more than 50 digital projectors in this high-tech exhibition that explores the work of Vincent Van Gogh. Designed by the Italian creative team that worked on the "Atelier des Lumières" exhibitions in Paris, "Immersive Van Gogh" covers 35-foot walls with animated versions of the Dutch painters work, accompanied by a score that blends electronic and classical compositions. The show takes up residence in the Germania Club Building in Old Town, which will go by the name Lighthouse ArtSpace Chicago and host additional interactive art exhibitions in the coming years. Occupying four rooms in the space, the "Immersive Van Gogh" presentation is around 35-minutes in length, with mostly-identical projections displayed in each of the rooms throughout the show. Visitors to "Immersive Van Gogh" will find a variety of saftey measures in place, including social distancing circles within the exhibit, reduced capacity, a touchless ticketing system and face covering requirements for all guests. "Immersive Van Gogh" is currently scheduled to run through September 6.

The home of Chicago's only Infinity Mirror Room (created by Japanese artist Yayoi Kusama) is open to the public once again, presenting a new collection of one-of-a-kind art installations alongside some old favorites. New additions to WNDR Museum include a multi-sensory experience from S̶A̶N̶T̶IA̶G̶O̶X that uses artificial intelligence, sounds, visuals and scents, as well as an installation called I Heard There Was a Secret Chord that allows guests to become part of an evolving virtual choir. Like many galleries and museums, WNDR will be open at a limited capacity, with temperature checks, hand sanitizing stations, increased airflow and manditory mask use in place to help protect staff and guests. Frontline workers can recieve free admission to WNDR Museum from 11am to noon on Saturdays and Sundays by emailing hello@wndrmuseum.com.

Every Saturday through August, the Puerto Rican Cultural Center is teaming up with businesses on Paseo Boricua (a section of Division Street) in Humboldt Park to host a series of events. Visitors will be able to shop the wares of local street vendors, take in cultural performances such as DJs and salsa dancers and support the businesses that make up Chicago's Puerto Rican community. Check out the El Jolgorio de Salsa y Más Facebook page for the latest updates from organizers.

This artistic pop-up fills the 32,000-square-foot West Loop venue Morgan Manufacturing with digital displays, interactive projections, installations and murals—including creations by some of Chicago's top street artists. Every ticket includes a guided tour of the display, which is socially-distanced and touch-free. After a tour of the space, VIP ticketholders can stick around and enjoy drinks in the Artopia Lounge.

Iron Man, Spider-Man, Black Window and more famous costumed crusaders take over the Museum of Science and Industry in this pop-culture-focused exhibition that explore more than 80 years of Marvel comics, movies and memoribelia. You'll find more than 300 items on display, include costumes and props from Marvel movies and original art created for the company's comic books. Much of the exhibit takes design cues from the popular Marvel cinematic universe, including a mirrored room inspired by the trippy visuals of Doctor Strange and a recreation of Tony Stark's lab as it appeared in the Iron Man films, stocked with multiple versions of armor. You'll be able to snap photos with recreations of some of your favorite character and learn how a comic company became a multi-media cultural juggernaut.

The Art Institute of Chicago has a special relationship with famed impressionist Claude Monet, hosting his debut U.S. solo show in 1895 and was the first American museum to buy one of his paintings. This came about in part due to the interest of Chicago-based collectors, who were early supports of the the painters work, buying many of his canvases.  "Monet and Chicago" acts as an homage to the city's connection to the “father of Impressionism,” showcasing a mixture of major works as well as rarely seen sketches and landscapes sourced from local collections. Visitors will be able to take in early works like Apple Trees, Vétheuil and On the Bank of the Seine, Bennecourt, as well as canvases from his Stacks of Wheat series.

Showcasing the work of female and gender non-confirming artists, the WOMANISH pop-up is a five-story exhibit made up of multiple rooms and installations that explore womanhood from various perspectives. Visitors will be able to visit a recreation of a 1950’s-era diner, view a collage of vintage advertisements with women of color added to them and snap photos of a floral display. The pop-up has been modified with a new set of safety procedures, including capacity restrictions and plenty of hand sanitizer stations.