Mikinzie Stuart

When faced with a white canvas, there are countless materials an artist can choose from. But Sub Chroma, an event organized by Chicago production group Canvas, celebrates creative individuals that attempt to transcend what conventional art can do by using the blank space of the experience as a medium. Equal parts art show, electronic music concert and party, Sub Chroma is a multi-sensory celebration that combines art, technology and music to convey human expression. Entering its third year, the annual event takes place this Saturday, November 19 at the 12,000 square-foot Moonlight Studios, putting a larger emphasis on technology than ever before. House music legend Derrick Carter and electronic producer the Range will headline the Performance Room while local street artist Lefty Out There uses Google’s Tilt Brush virtual reality app to paint the stage in perfect harmony, with the assistance of projection mapping by new media artist DrmBt. Attendees are encouraged to dress in white so they can play a part in the immersive visuals. Fancy Fux, Beng Fang and Jim-E Stack are also scheduled to perform throughout the evening. The event will feature three other art experiences, including Chicago’s first-ever virtual reality gallery, where guests are invited to put on a HTC Vive headset and explore rooms, tunnels and museums full of digital artwork. Visitors will also be welcome to check out the Analog Gallery, stocked with more traditional (non-digital) works by local artists, and an

A music genre as distinctive and dizzying as the dance style it represents, footwork is deeply connected to the Chicago music scene. Derived from house music—another genre with roots in Chicago—footwork evolved from ghetto house and juke in the ‘80s and ‘90s and continues to move forward as artists create, sample and share tracks with the community. Notorious for inspiring “battle mode” street dancing, the frenetic, aggressive tempo of footwork sets a competitive tone where everyone is an opponent and speed and rhythm are the game. Typically, a dancer will stride out into the center of a group and start jittering and jabbing their feet in a hypnotic display of slides and taps, responding to shifts in sound with movement until their feet blur underneath them. When finished, they exit and another dancer enters the circle in an attempt of one-upmanship as beats boom frantically in the background. Whether you’re just starting to familiarize yourself with the genre or practicing your moves to YouTube videos, here are a few artists you should know and appreciate as part of Chicago’s diverse and dynamic electronic music scene. RP Boo Known as the “Father of Footwork,” RP Boo started out as a self-taught DJ making performance tapes for dance crews in the 1990s. His legacy started with his first footwork track, “Baby Come On,” recorded with a drum machine he admittedly didn’t know how to use. Not one to self-promote or chase fame and fortune, he became a sort of dark horse, supporting

With a plethora of museums and galleries in Chicago, feeling cultured for a few hours is as simple as paying an admission fee. But some of the most inspiring and jaw-dropping works of art can be seen for free simply by stepping out your front door. While it's historically been considered vandalism, street art has more recently gained acceptance in Chicago's mainstream art community and has drawn support from local galleries like Chicago Truborn, Galerie F and Vertical Gallery. As more and more street art pops up across the city, you need to be in the know about the biggest names in the local scene. Here are five Chicago-based street artists you can name-drop the next time you want to impress your friends. JC Rivera   A photo posted by Jc Rivera (@jcrivera) on Oct 1, 2015 at 2:38pm PDT   Known best for “Bear Champ," that famous bear you’ve probably seen sporting boxing gloves, Joel Colon is a fan favorite among many Chicagoans. His signature and colorful style has earned him several city and corporate commissions, along with collaborations with Threadless and BucketFeet. From fine art to cartoons to street murals, JC knows no bounds. Hebru Brantley   @ddbchicago A photo posted by Hebru Brantley (@hebrubrantley) on Oct 28, 2015 at 3:29pm PDT   Adventure takes flight, quite literally, in the energetic and youthful narratives of this Bronzeville-raised artist’s imaginative work. Taking a page from Jean-Michel Basquiat’s book, his “fly-boy” and “fly-girl” characters see