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Spotlighting Artists with Chicago Connections

Daniel Hautzinger
Nina Chanel Abney with one of her paintings. Photo: Courtesy Articulate
Nina Chanel Abney with one of her paintings. Photo: Courtesy Articulate

Articulate with Jim Cotter airs at 6:00 pm on WTTW Prime and is available for streaming online.

The arts and culture show Articulate with Jim Cotter offers a look inside the minds and careers of some outstanding and innovative musicians, artists, dancers, and authors. Given that Chicago has its own impressive arts scene, many of the people Articulate profiles this season have connections to the city. See who was born here, studied here, or will be presenting their work here soon, below.

The painter Nina Chanel Abney was born in the southern Chicago suburb of Harvey. "Royal Flush," her first solo exhibition in a museum, which opened at Duke University's Nasher Museum this year, will be at the Chicago Cultural Center from February 10 through May 6.



Photographer Nina Berman, who is also a professor at Columbia University, received her Bachelor's degree from the University of Chicago, and has had both solo and group exhibitions here.



Want to hear the world premiere of a new work by Jennifer Higdon in person? The Chicago Symphony Orchestra co-commissioned her to write a concerto for low brass and will premiere it in early February.



Like Nina Berman, the artist Saya Woolfalk came to Chicago for her education, receiving her Master of Fine Arts degree from the School of the Art Institute of Chicago. One of her earliest prominent exhibitions was at Chicago's Museum of Contemporary Art, and she has also returned to the city for other exhibitions and lectures.



While recorded jazz is great, it's even more impressive to hear it live. After whetting your taste for Christian Scott aTunde Adjuah's trumpet with Articulate, hear him in person when he comes to the Harris Theater for Music and Dance on March 21.



Mason Bates served as one of two composers-in-residence at the Chicago Symphony Orchestra from 2010-2015, during which time he wrote several works for the Orchestra and helped curate their MusicNOW contemporary classical series, so he's a familiar presence in Chicago.