Hagia Sophia | Gwendolyn Zabicki

ONE NIGHT ONLY!
Closing Reception: Saturday, April 17th, 6 to 9pm

Open by appointment: April 11th to April 17th
Hours: By appointment. Contact us at spokechicago(at)gmail.com or gwensmail(at)gmail.com 

The Hagia Sophia Basilica in Istanbul, Turkey is famous for its history, beautiful dome, and the mystical quality of light that reflects inside of it. Built in 330AD, it withstood no fewer than 17 sieges between the time it was founded and 1204 when it finally fell to the Christians of the west (the Normans). In its long history, the Hagia Sophia has been home to Pagans, Orthodox Christians, Muslims, and is currently preserved as a museum.

Saturday, April 17th from 6 to 9pm, Spoke will be home to a miniature version of the Hagia Sophia. Complete with gold dome, marble floors, and 168 windows, this recreation is just big enough to seat one adult inside. Come hear about its colorful history, and enjoy the warm golden light of seasonal affective disorder therapeutic lamps housed inside its walls.

This project is supported by a Community Arts Assistance Program grant from the City of Chicago Department of Cultural Affairs and Illinois Arts Council, a state agency.


Read about Waiting Room


Check out the NEW CITY Article about Stephanie Nadeau's Performance Waiting Room.
Also, we hope to see you there for one day only on Saturday, March 27th.

Addition:  Also read the preview at Bad at Sports!

Waiting Room | Stephanie Nadeau

ONE DAY ONLY!

Saturday, March 27th, 2010
Hours of Operation: 12-8pm

Presented by Stephanie Nadeau, hosted by Spoke, and back by popular demand, Waiting Room invites you to come spend your time. Our mission is to allow you to contribute your time comfortably and productively while remaining completely idle. Wait for as little or as long as you like, it’s entirely up to you. Stop by anytime for your free timecard and we’ll get you started on a rewarding and enjoyable waiting experience. We look forward to seeing you!

 Join Waiting Room on Facebook

Waiting Room is a performance that operates much like a place of business. On March 27th, from 12-8pm, Spoke will be transformed into a waiting room, complete with comfy chairs, a variety of reading material, and soothing music. A camera will monitor the room, automatically capturing digital stills at regular intervals.

As a participant, you will be asked to sign and stamp a timecard, and we’ll set a timer for your desired wait time. This can be as short or as long as you like, minutes or hours*. Then relax and enjoy an aimless span of time. An attendant will call your name when your wait is over, and you’ll again be asked to stamp your time card to conclude the experience.

The images and minutes collected during the performance will be used as documents of the event, and presented together as a monument to moments lost in waiting. Nadeau is interested in how these performed instances of waiting function within the larger narrative of the mechanics of time, as well as how they engage the politics of production, and offer a new valuation of idle time.

*Refreshments will be made available to anyone wishing to wait for an hour or more.

Chicago Q Ensemble | One Night Only!

Dreams, Prayers, and Mozart: An Evening at Spoke
February 28, 2010 | 6pm
Chicago, IL

Join the Chicago Q Ensemble for an intimate performance at Spoke. There will be wine, cheese and conversation both before and after the performance.
The Chicago Q Ensemble is thrilled to announce our inaugural series of concerts this February.

We've chosen a program of beautiful, interesting music from a variety of cultures and time periods. The Mozart Clarinet Quintet, in our opinion, is one of the most gorgeous pieces of music ever written: glorious singing in the clarinet, lush textures in the strings, and some of that sparkling champagne music that makes Mozart so much fun to hear.

We'll also be performing a work by Argentinian composer Osvaldo Golijov. If this will be your first time hearing his music, you're in for a wonderful treat: his music is infused with the tango of his native country and the Klezmer music of his Jewish heritage. The piece is called "The Dreams and Prayers of Isaac the Blind," and we've included a recording in the 'Listen' section of our website.

We're also throwing in some Gershwin tunes (arranged by our conductor and mentor Cliff Colnot) and a brand-new arrangement by our clarinetist, Yevgeny.

Did we mention there'll be wine?! We look forward to seeing you in late February.

All the best,
The Chicago Q Ensemble

W.A. Mozart - Clarinet Quintet in A major
Osvaldo Golijov - The Dreams and Prayers of Isaac the Blind
George Gershwin - Songs

Suggested contribution $15 :: $10 students
Make reservations online in the 'Tickets' section of the Chicago Q Ensemble website.
http://www.chicagoqensemble.com/html/contact.php
 
Reservations encouraged!

Reclaimed: Clybourn Place Bridge

February 12th - 27th
Hours: Noon-3pm, Feb. 12,13,14, 20, and also by appointment just email us spokechicago{at}gmail.com
Opening Reception: Friday, February 12th, 6-8pm. 


Participants were encouraged to utilize reclaimed floorboards to create functional objects. By using a large stock of salvaged pine flooring and expanding its use through innovative design and construction, we hope to highlight the value of creative re-use.  Along with completed projects, documentation of the creators’ design and building process will be exhibited.
Work by:
Amber-Carla-Lia
Luke Boehnke
Kim & Zach DeBord
Kazuki Guzman
Andy Hall
Scott Jarrett
Kevin Kaempf
Heather Mullins