Ad Sales
The International Vintage Poster Fair is back in town this weekend at the Cultural Center, with a high-flying featured exhibition of aviation and airline posters such as this nostalgic gem from United. (I wouldn’t be surprised if Mad Men’s Don Draper had a hand in the campaign.) Chicago’s own Poster Plus and the Chicago Center for the Print are among the 25-plus dealers who will be offering more than 10,000 posters for sale, all of which have been vetted for authenticity. Friday’s opening night party is a benefit for the Art Institute’s Evening Associates with a $45 cover; a regular weekend ticket is $15—and bring the kids, as showgoers under 25 get in for free.
Magical Miniature Tour
Luxury to-the-trade furniture manufacturer Manheim Ruseau turns 75 this year, and to celebrate that heady achievement they’re mixing a little old with a lotta new in their Merchandise Mart showroom. Along with crisp new creations from M.R. and Douglas Levine for Bright, (we’ve previously interviewed Doug about this partnership), the company is paying tribute to founder Jane Templeton by shining up and displaying intricate dollhouse replicas of her 1940s-era New York apartment. The tiny handmade tableaux will be in Chicago March 26 to April 3, then they’ll be off to Bright Group showrooms in New York and Dallas.
Modern Market
Mod mavens from around the world have been packing up their wares for the 6th annual Chicago Modernism Show & Sale this Saturday and Sunday, held in a renovated industrial warehouse just west of Halsted at 1422 N. Kingsbury. Sixty dealers will be representing the best in 20th Century furniture, decorative arts, lighting, pottery, textiles, and vintage clothing—displayed in room-setting vignettes. Local dealers include Modern Times, the Broadway Antique Market, the societies Chicago Art Deco and Mies van der Rohe, and Scout and Room Service (both of which are profiled in our recent Andersonville shopping guide.) No repros are permitted, so don’t worry about getting burned with ersatz Eames or Noguchi knockoffs. There’s a new doc film and discussion on Mies’s Tugendhat House in the Czech Republic that I’m mad curious about, Saturday at 2 p.m., and a Gilbert Rohde lecture on Sunday.
Wine, Women, and Worms
Stephanie Davies, the Urban Worm Girl has hooked up with Roscoe Village’s Lush Wine and Spirits to host a “Wine and Worms” party at the eco-boutique A Cooler Planet tomorrow, March 26 at 7 p.m., free of charge. After seeing a tidy, odor free, stylish (no really, they are) worm composting bin in a friend’s California home, Davies made it her life’s mission to introduce vermiculture to Chicago, and she’s made quite a sploosh. Get a demo Thursday, while tasting some organic vino and shopping for green home supplies. If you can’t wriggle over to the party, the amazing adventures of Worm Girl continue at Andersonville’s Green Genes on Saturday, March 28 at their one-year anniversary, or check for more events on her informative, cheeky website.
Zee End
Flashy California-based home store and framing business Z Gallerie shut down its 10,000-square-foot North Avenue store rather abruptly this month, so now you’ll have to get over to Woodfield Mall or Oakbrook Center if you’re looking for an oversized zebra-print ottoman or a stacked disco-ball floor lamp (I kid because I love, and have picked up theatrical accent pieces at Z over the years, at very reasonable prices.) Mike and Joe Zeiden started their retail empire 30 years ago, running a small poster store and a custom frame business out of their parents’ garage in Sherman Oaks. The company still has about 50 other stores around the country, including a fresh one in Naples, Florida, and a nicely navigable Web site where you can shop or create a registry. I weesh zem zee best!
Spring Has Sprung Sale
Kreiss is having mercy on us with their annual spring sale this Friday through Sunday, with a special VIP preview day for customers on Thursday (very important–if you’re reading this, you’re invited to that as well). The River North store is taking up to 50 percent off its elegant furniture, bed linens, fabrics, and bibelots.
2B or Not, CB2?
Turn two cents into a thousand samolians at CB2, just by visiting the Web site and giving cheers or jeers to one or more of their products. For every review that you post from now until April 29, you get a chance to win a $1,000 gift card, which can be critically spent at CB2 stores or online.