From a film screening to a play to a city councilmember candidate forum, here are some ways to stay entertained and civically involved in Evanston this week.

“From Starter to Loaf”

Feb. 15, 7 to 8 p.m.

Bookends & Beginnings will host a two-part sourdough bread making workshop on Zoom for Hygge Fest, a monthlong celebration hosted by Downtown Evanston. The organization’s website describes the Danish concept of Hygge as about celebrating coziness and finding joy in the everyday. 

The event’s first part will feature a presentation from author Eric Pallant, who wrote “Sourdough Culture: A History of Bread Making From Ancient to Modern Bakers.” Pallant will discuss the culture and history of sourdough and walk through the process of making a sourdough starter from scratch. The second part takes place on Feb. 24 after participants have been able to try out their sourdough starter. 

Tickets for both parts of the event cost $45 and include a copy of “Sourdough Culture.”

The Flavor of Defeat: How big tobacco is still winning and what we can do about it

Feb. 16, 7 to 8:30 p.m. 

As part of its program series for Black History Month, Evanston Public Library is hosting a talk on inequities fostered by the tobacco industry.

Carol McGruder, the co-chair of the African American Tobacco Control Leadership Council, will speak about the industry targeting youth and communities of color. Local advocates will discuss how this trend plays out in Evanston. The presentation will be followed by a discussion about community action steps. 

The event will take place over Zoom, and interested parties can register online.

Antiracist Birthwork and Antiracist Outcomes

Feb. 17, 6 to 7:30 p.m. 

In a second event on health disparities, EPL will host a discussion on birth justice and doula care. Anya Tanyavutti, executive director of birth justice organization Chicago Volunteer Doulas, will speak about historical and contemporary inequity around Black maternity and birth as well as ways to dismantle birth injustice. 

This event will also take place over Zoom. Participants should register online to receive the link.

9th Ward candidate forum

Feb. 17, 7 to 8:30 p.m. 

The city is seeking input for the search for the next 9th Ward alderperson after Ald. Cicely Fleming (9th) announced her decision to step down from City Council in December. Mayor Daniel Biss will appoint her replacement on Feb. 22. The public can meet the candidates Thursday evening.

Biss will interview the candidates at the forum, and residents can submit questions for the panel in advance through this form.

The forum will be held in person on the second floor of the Lorraine H. Morton Civic Center. It will also be available to watch on the city’s YouTube channel.

Virtual artist discussion with Christal Ratt

Feb. 17, 6 to 7 p.m. 

The Mitchell Museum of the American Indian will host Christal Ratt for a virtual artist discussion. Ratt is an Algonquin Anishnabe artist who works with birch bark, beading and quilting. 

The event is part of the museum’s artist discussion series. A live Q&A session will follow the discussion.

The event is free. The Mitchell Museum offers tickets online.

“Wilmington 10 — USA 10,000” film screening

Feb. 18, 7 p.m.

The Block Museum of Art will screen “Wilmington 10 — USA 10,000,” a documentary about 10 civil rights activists wrongly imprisoned for arson in 1971. Allyson Nadia Field, author and an associate director of cinema and media studies at the University of Chicago, will introduce the film and lead a discussion. 

The event is free to attend. Guests ages 5 and older must be fully vaccinated and can RSVP online.

peerless

Feb. 18, 7:30 p.m., Feb. 19, 2 and 7:30 p.m., Feb. 20, 2 p.m. 

The Virginia Wadsworth Wirtz Center for the Performing Arts presents “peerless,” a modern adaptation of William Shakespeare’s “Macbeth” that follows twins determined to get into college. The play examines academia, teenagers, race, and the lengths people will go for success.

Tickets cost $15 for the general public, $12 for children and full-time students not at Northwestern, $6 for NU students who pay in advance and $10 for NU students at the door. Attendees must present proof of vaccination or a negative COVID-19 test taken within the last 48 hours. 

Mural commissions on the South Side of Chicago — Lessons Learned

Feb. 20, 3 to 4 p.m. 

Evanston Art Center continues its In Focus Lecture Series this week. In a virtual discussion, Chicago arts advocate Nika Levando will discuss her experience working with South Side artists on mural commissions in Hyde Park and Woodlawn. Levando works at the University of Chicago’s Office of Civic Engagement and manages the office’s arts and culture initiatives. She is also an adjunct lecturer at the School of the Art Institute of Chicago. 

The lecture is offered only over Zoom. Interested residents can register online to receive the link.

Email: [email protected] 

Twitter: @avivabechky

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