Best Bets: ‘Sustenance & Land’ exhibit, Lunar New Year, Brooke Shields and more
‘Sustenance & Land’
Elmhurst Art Museum, 150 S. Cottage Hill Ave., Elmhurst, presents “Sustenance & Land: Five Artists Consider Our Relationship With the Earth,” a group exhibition showcasing works by Lydia Cheshewalla, Barbara Ciurej and Lindsay Lochman, Tomiko Jones, Claire Pentecost and Chunbo Zhang. Executive director and chief curator Allison Peters Quinn described “Sustenance & Land” as a “meaningful reflection on the relationship between art, the land and sustainability. By exploring how landscapes are shaped by human interaction, cultural beliefs and ecological shifts, these artists highlight the urgency of addressing the environmental crisis through creative expression.” $18 adults, $15 seniors, $10 students, $5 kids. $23 for the opening reception from 6-9 p.m. Friday, Jan. 24. (630) 834-0202 or elmhurstartmuseum.org. Saturday, Jan. 25, through April 27
Lunar New Year celebration
Fashion Outlets of Chicago, 5220 Fashion Outlets Way, Rosemont, welcomes the Chinese Year of the Snake with free performances, cultural programs and demonstrations. fashionoutletsofchicago.com/events. Friday, Jan. 24, through Feb. 16
WNDR after dark
WNDR, the museum known for immersive installations located at 1130 W. Monroe St., Chicago, hosts the next in its series of after-dark events for visitors 18 and older. “WNDR After Dark: Treat Yourself” is an evening of pampering that includes a DJ and mini-facials. $32 general admission, $26 military. wndrmuseum.org. 6-10 p.m. Friday, Jan. 24
Elgin’s mini-fringe
Side Street Studio Arts hosts its sixth Winter Mini Fringe, a one-day fringe festival consisting of an art show; potluck meal; an immersive performance inspired by Anthony Comstock, the 19th-century anti-vice crusader whose namesake laws made it illegal to deliver by U.S. mail “obscene, lewd or lascivious” material or information about contraception, abortion or venereal disease; and a performance piece incorporating music, dance and puppetry. Events take place at 15 Ziegler Court, Elgin. Advance tickets: $13 per performance, $35 all-festival pass; at the door: $15 per performance, $40 all-festival pass. (847) 429-2276 or elginfringefestival.com. 2-8 p.m. Saturday, Jan. 25
Suburban orchestras in concert
• Elgin Symphony Orchestra principal cellist Matthew Agnew performs Camille Saint-Saëns’ “Cello Concerto No. 1” as part of ESO concerts featuring composer Missy Mazzoli’s “These Worlds in Us” and Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky’s celebrated final symphony “Pathétique.” Music director Chad Goodman conducts. The performances take place at Hemmens Cultural Center, 45 Symphony Way, Elgin. Tickets start at $20, $10 for students. (847) 888-4000 or elginsymphony.org. 7:30 p.m. Saturday, Jan. 25, and 2:30 p.m. Sunday, Jan. 26
• New Philharmonic music director and conductor Kirk Muspratt leads the orchestra in a concert performance of “The Elixir of Love,” Gaetano Donizetti’s bel canto opera about penniless, insecure young Nemorino, who obtains a magic elixir he believes will help him win the heart of the alluring Adina. Vocalists include tenor James Judd as Nemorino and soprano Alisa Jordheim as Adina. Performances take place at the McAninch Arts Center, College of DuPage, 425 Fawell Blvd., Glen Ellyn. $67. (630) 942-4000 or atthemac.org. 7:30 p.m. Saturday, Jan. 25, and 3 p.m. Sunday, Jan. 26
An evening with Brooke Shields
Actor/model/author Brooke Shields discusses her memoir, “Brooke Shields Is Not Allowed to Get Old,” in which she addresses unattainable beauty standards, societal expectations for women, and the challenges of aging in a culture that celebrates youth, during an appearance at the Auditorium Theatre, 50 E. Ida B. Wells Drive, Chicago. $63-$221. auditoriumtheatre.org. 7:30 p.m. Wednesday, Jan. 29
Free Shedd admission
The John G. Shedd Aquarium, 1200 S. DuSable Lake Shore Drive, Chicago, offers free admission Tuesday through Thursday, Jan. 28-30 and Feb. 4-6, 11-13, 18-20 and 25-27. Timed, dated reservations required. sheddaquarium.org.