The Monthly's editor shares her vision for this issue, some lessons learned from the past and intentions for the future -- in the name of optimism.
At a local Chicago studio, neurodiverse creators make art and community. Project Onward is a Chicago studio that provides resources for local neurodivergent artists and helps exhibit and sell their work, writes Wilson Chapman. Currently, the program supports 49 local artists. Creative Director Robyn Jablonski says the program aims to counteract popular stereotypes about neurodiverse artists, which tend to infantilize them and dismiss their work.
Photo courtesty of Robyn Jablonski
In May 2019, couple Jay Kim and Daniel Aquino became the owners of Coffee Lab, an independent coffee shop on Noyes Street in Evanston. During the pandemic, they turned their store into a community art gallery, displaying local artists' work on the walls and in the windows, writes Haley Fuller. Coffee Lab can feel like an extension of campus, says Kim, who along with Aquino wants to create a space where everyone is comfortable and accepted.
Photo courtesy of Haley Fuller
Bienen senior Arsen Tujian talks growing his own production company during the pandemic. Tujian is the managing director of Empire Lake Productions, and he's helped produce many film screenings like this one.
Photo courtesy of Ben Chant
The Monthly staff shares their thoughts on The Oscars Best Picture Nominees.
Photo courtesy of David Bornfield/A24
Photos of a contestant on Season 25 of The Bachelor at an antebellum party in 2018 went viral on social media as episodes were airing. An antebellum party celebrates the pre-Civil War South, when slavery was still legal, and the situation becomes worse when longtime host Chris Harrison made comments defending her actions, writes Monthly editor Janea Wilson.
Photo courtesy of Craig Sjodin/ABC
Demi Lovato is living her truth in her seventh studio album, "Dancing With The Devil...The Art of Starting Over."
Content Warning: This story contains mentions of drug and alcohol addiction.
Photo courtesy of Island Records