JANUARY
Saturday 14
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Train buffs and folks with an interest in public policy might be intrigued by the Midwest High Speed Rail Association’s annual lunch meeting. The group is campaigning for a network of speedy rail lines connecting Kansas City, Saint Louis, Cincinnati, Detroit, Indianapolis, Cleveland, Minneapolis/Saint Paul, and Milwaukee, all with Chicago at the hub. High Speed Rail: Building a Midwest Coalition is the name of the meeting; $20 gets you lunch and the strategy session in the offices of the law firm Keck, Mahin & Cate, on the 49th floor of 77 W. Wacker, from 9 AM to 3 PM. Call 409-2029 for reservations.
Women survivors of the Bosnian civil war have enlisted the aid of a number of American women lawyers (including feminist Catharine MacKinnon) to form the Bosnian Rape/Genocide Law Project. Dreams of Peace, a benefit concert for the group’s witness protection program, will have performances by the lesbian chorus called the Artemis Singers, the Women’s Action Coalition Drum Core, Rennie Sparks, and others. It’s at 3 PM today in the Howard Theater, 1627 W. Howard. Tickets are priced from $10 to $50 on a sliding scale. Call 764-4465 for details.
Wednesday 18
The Chicago Cultural Center–the city’s central library from 1897 until 1974–was the nation’s first free municipal cultural venue. Each day brings a wide range of exhibits, lectures, workshops, and music, dance, and theater performances. It’s also home to the Museum of Broadcast Communications. The building’s third annual salute to itself, A Toast to the Chicago Cultural Center, will honor hometown dance historian and critic Ann Barzel with a special show by Ballet Chicago. The event encourages people to explore the entire building; there’ll be wandering musicians and performers, dancing to big band music, lots of food, and an array of art exhibits from Navajo textiles to work by Chicago artists. It runs from 5:30 to 7:30, and tickets cost $35 ($50 at the door). The Chicago Cultural Center is at 78 E. Washington. Call 744-6630 for details.
