White-clad men and black-clad women move through the barren Iranian desert in Shirin Neshat’s hypnotic film, “Rapture.” Their juxtaposed movements on the dual screens mirror gender conflicts in Iran, said Burke Patten, communications manager for the Block Museum of Art, where the film is currently showing.
The exhibit is one of many events Northwestern is presenting in conjunction with Evanston’s Arts and Humanities Month.
The nonprofit organization Americans for the Arts deemed October National Arts and Humanities Month, according to their website. The Illinois Humanities Council also encourages cities to host their own events to celebrate the month.
“The arts make a really strong contribution to the sense of place, and Evanston is recognized as a supporter of the arts,” said Jeff Cory, cultural arts director for the city of Evanston.
Evanston has celebrated the month since the 1990s. Despite a brief halt in participation 10 years ago, support for the events has been steadily growing for the past eight or nine years, Cory said.
NU venues such as the Dittmar Gallery and Pick-Staiger Concert Hall are hosting events that Evanston will publicize.
“The events that Northwestern does produce are a great asset for the community,” Cory said.
Patten said the Block Museum was happy to be included in Evanston’s support for the arts.
“We’re part of the Evanston community as much as we’re part of the Northwestern community,” he said.
The Block Cinema is also showing films in conjunction with the month, including a series of new documentaries about Chicago architects who gained national recognition, such as Frank Lloyd Wright and Louis Sullivan.
“I do hope that we get a higher attendance as a result of those efforts here in Evanston,” Patten said.
Most of the organizations that sponsor events for Arts and Humanities Month host events all year, but the extra publicity during this month helps those businesses, Patten said.
“There’s so much going on in Evanston that I think it’s great when there’s a push to make people more aware of all that stuff,” Patten said.
Although this year’s programming is similar to that of years past, there are a few key changes in 2010’s celebration, Cory said.
Last year, Evanston printed calendars on paper and posted them around town, but this year the Evanston Arts Council is posting all events on its website, evanstonartsbuzz.com, in an effort to be more environmentally friendly, Cory said.
Evanston is also working to support both local artists and businesses, Cory said. On Friday there will be a walking tour of downtown Evanston. Local artists’s work will be displayed in empty storefronts.
“We’ve seen the economy produce more vacancies, so it’s a great opportunity for artists to display their work,” Cory said.
The free tour leaves from 500 Davis St. at 5 p.m.
