Art Alerts | July 2021

From Bronzeville to Harlem

Details from Preston Jackson’s “From Bronzeville to Harlem” exhibit, Peoria Riverfront Museum. (SUPPLIED IMAGE)

In artist Preston Jackson’s sweeping exhibit “Bronzeville to Harlem: An American Story,” the sculptor tells narratives of American migration and immigration, hope and opportunity, freedom and the struggle for equality through hundreds of small bronze and steel figures, relief sculptures, automobiles, buildings, streets and even a truss bridge. Now on display at the Peoria Riverfront Museum.

“T.REX: The Ultimate Predator” now at Peoria Riverfront Museum through Sept. 6.

FILM

  • The pandemic-delayed blockbuster “Black Widow” is set to open July 9. Scarlett Johansson stars as the Marvel hero Natasha Romanoff, known as Black Widow, in the time between “Captain America: Civil War” and “Avengers: Infinity War,” as she confronts troubling parts of her past.
  • July 16 will be the premiere of the family-friendly “Space Jam: A New Legacy” starring LeBron James, Don Cheadle and the Bugs Bunny-led Looney Tunes gang.
  • Filmmaker David Lowery’s fantasy version of the Arthurian classic “Gawain and the Green Knight” is scheduled to open July 30. The indie effort stars Dev Patel (“Slumdog Millionaire”) as Sir Gawain.

MUSIC

  • Kevin Hart & the Vibe Tribe will perform July 8 as part of the Jazz Summer Series at the Betty Jayne Brimmer Center for the Performing Arts in Peoria Heights.
  • The Heart of Illinois Fair this year will be July 13-17, and it will feature the bands Southern Cross on July 14 and Forced Country on July 16.
  • The Grammy Award-winning group Chicago – named No. 13 in the top 100 rock bands of all time by Billboard magazine – will play the Peoria Civic Center on July 24. Formed in 1967, the band will perform its familiar repertoire, and its current lineup still features original members Robert Lamm (keyboards, lead vocals), Lee Loughnane (trumpet, flugelhorn, backup vocals), and James Pankow (trombone, backup vocals).

THEATER

  • “My Way,” a musical tribute to Frank Sinatra created by David Grapes and Todd Olson, is being staged Thursdays – Sundays July 8 – July 25 at Corn Stock Theatre.
  • Eastlight Theatre in East Peoria is presenting the musical “Singing in the Rain” July 30-Aug. 1, and Aug. 4-7, with shows at 7:30 nightly except Aug. 1, when it’s at 2 p.m.

TV

Premiering July 13 on Netflix is the documentary mini-series “Naomi Osaka,” about one of the best talents in professional tennis today. Directed by Garrett Bradley, it includes her emergence in 2019 at the U.S. Open, her adaptation to her identity and role as an athlete, and her preparations for the Tokyo Olympics.



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