Elastic Arts

Elastic Arts The Elastic Arts Foundation (EAF) is a 501(c)(3) not-for-profit organization focusing on music - art

Join Sixty Inches From Center here at Elastic Arts this upcoming Wednesday June 3 to hear the latest from poets and crea...
05/29/2026

Join Sixty Inches From Center here at Elastic Arts this upcoming Wednesday June 3 to hear the latest from poets and creative writers recently published by Sixty Lit, including Vera Blossom, e’mon lauren, Diego Báez, Temperance Aghamohammadi, and Riley Yaxley.

This reading is presented as part of Sixty Lit, an effort that illuminates the brilliance of literary artists working in creative nonfiction, memoir, poetry, autotheory, and experimental or lyrical essays across the Midwest. We’ll see you Wednesday 6/3 at 6:30pm!

TONIGHT!Two trios bring together generations of Chicago mainstays of jazz, noise, and rock. First up is Ahura, the jazz-...
05/28/2026

TONIGHT!

Two trios bring together generations of Chicago mainstays of jazz, noise, and rock. First up is Ahura, the jazz-based project of bassist Jeff Wheaton, who also produces alternative/indie bedroom pop as jFfjF. The band includes Wheaton on bass, Vincent Davis on drums, and Javier Red on piano. 

Next up is Interim Assassin, the trio of Jeb Bishop, Daniel Burke, and Erik Sowa. Falling loosely in the cracks between post-rock jazz improvisation and ambient electronic minimalism, the band presents communication in pursuit of a good moment. An open exploration of sound playing with the possibilities of sustain, silence, space, texture, environment, and pattern. Embracing the beauty of harmony and dissonance whenever possible. Music at 8:30pm!

8:30 pm: Ahura
Jeff Wheaton - bass
Vincent Davis - drums
Javier Red - piano, keyboards

9:30 pm: Interim Assassin
Jeb Bishop - trombone, electronics
Daniel Burke - guitar, keyboards, electronics
Erik Sowa - drums

TONIGHT!!Join us for this month’s Pleiades Series! Chicago-based sonic clown and performance artist SAY MAYFIRE opens th...
05/27/2026

TONIGHT!!

Join us for this month’s Pleiades Series! Chicago-based sonic clown and performance artist SAY MAYFIRE opens the evening with Educational Television, a remote-controlled audiovisual performance built from live sound and video manipulation, absurdity, and experimental process. Montreal-based trumpeter and interdisciplinary artist Émilie Fortin follows with a solo set drawing from improvisation, physical theater, and contemporary music practices. Following the performances, SAY and Émilie will co-lead an open workshop/jam exploring sound, clowning, movement, and guided experimentation.

After the performances we’ll have our classic Pleiades Jam open to all femme/trans/nonbinary performers.

Write That Down! is having another ‘Show & Tell’, this time here at Elastic Arts, made possible through a partnership wi...
05/27/2026

Write That Down! is having another ‘Show & Tell’, this time here at Elastic Arts, made possible through a partnership with Chicago’s Guild Literary Complex. Audience members are invited to come by and show a keepsake that’s dear to you, a favorite bit of junk, or a cute knick knack. Then tell a story about your artifact and its meaning, a new poem, or some speculative fiction you’ve been working on. The evening will begin with an open mic and archiving session, followed by a presentation from a past (and/or future) contributors. Attendees are encouraged to bring ephemera and memorabilia that they would like scanned/archived for inclusion in the magazine’s upcoming issue.

Write That Down! is an archival project and magazine capturing the particulars of our current moment, both here in Chicago and in the world at large. The goal is to gather everyday artifacts that tell stories about what is important to us and our communities. There is no memento too big or local story too small for these pages.

This Thursday two trios bringing together generations of Chicago mainstays of jazz, noise, and rock. First up is Ahura, ...
05/26/2026

This Thursday two trios bringing together generations of Chicago mainstays of jazz, noise, and rock. First up is Ahura, the jazz-based project of bassist Jeff Wheaton, who also produces alternative/indie bedroom pop as jFfjF. The band includes Wheaton on bass, Vincent Davis on drums, and Javier Red on piano. 

Next up is Interim Assassin, the trio of Jeb Bishop, Daniel Burke, and Erik Sowa. Falling loosely in the cracks between post-rock jazz improvisation and ambient electronic minimalism, the band presents communication in pursuit of a good moment. An open exploration of sound playing with the possibilities of sustain, silence, space, texture, environment, and pattern. Embracing the beauty of harmony and dissonance whenever possible. Music at 8:30pm!

8:30 pm: Ahura
Jeff Wheaton - bass
Vincent Davis - drums
Javier Red - piano, keyboards

9:30 pm: Interim Assassin
Jeb Bishop - trombone, electronics
Daniel Burke - guitar, keyboards, electronics
Erik Sowa - drums

Join us Wednesday night for this month’s Pleiades Series! Chicago-based sonic clown and performance artist SAY MAYFIRE o...
05/26/2026

Join us Wednesday night for this month’s Pleiades Series! Chicago-based sonic clown and performance artist SAY MAYFIRE opens the evening with Educational Television, a remote-controlled audiovisual performance built from live sound and video manipulation, absurdity, and experimental process. Montreal-based trumpeter and interdisciplinary artist Émilie Fortin follows with a solo set drawing from improvisation, physical theater, and contemporary music practices. Following the performances, SAY and Émilie will co-lead an open workshop/jam exploring sound, clowning, movement, and guided experimentation.

After the performances we’ll have our classic Pleiades Jam open to all femme/trans/nonbinary performers.

Marcy and AP of Dovewhether podcast are having a live show on Tuesday night at Elastic! They have hosted Dovewhether, a ...
05/25/2026

Marcy and AP of Dovewhether podcast are having a live show on Tuesday night at Elastic! They have hosted Dovewhether, a gay socialist podcast about media and art, for 2.5 years. The theme of the night will be John Waters’ Female Trouble. A q***r staple, a rainbow paperclip, gay tape.

The show will start out with standup from rising comic and Phineas and Ferb superfan Ellie. The two Doves, Marcy and AP, will host a Divine discussion of Waters’ classic with special guest star and dungeon master extraordinaire Lexi. Rumor has it there may be a DJ and a puppeteer!

You don’t need to be a fan of the podcast to enjoy the show. The goal is to entertain you regardless if you know what the hell Dovewhether means. Tickets available at the door, Tuesday May 26th

Doors: 6:30PM
Show: 7:00PM

We are still feeling the love from the Elastic Arts 8th Annual Benefit, where our community met our goal for supporting ...
05/21/2026

We are still feeling the love from the Elastic Arts 8th Annual Benefit, where our community met our goal for supporting the next year of programming. We introduced our 2026 Dark Matter Residents, highlighted our visual gallery, and enjoyed three performances spanning the breadth of Elastic’s programming. We were honored to have the AACM as our headliner and to thank Renee Baker for her contributions bridging Chicago’s creative communities. 

Thank you to sponsors Star Union Spirits, Half Acre Beer, and all of the artists and organizations who donated items & experiences to our silent auction (and to friends near and far who bid and won our auction). 

We’re also most grateful for our benefit volunteers: were we to list our volunteers one by one, it would sound like a festival lineup. With rising prices and shrinking margins for many music venues, affordable and bold venues like Elastic Arts and the paid opportunities we provide are more important than ever. To support us, visit http://elasticarts.org/donate

Join us this Sunday as 113 Composer’s Collective presents new work for violinist Maya Bennardo. 113 provides a platform ...
05/21/2026

Join us this Sunday as 113 Composer’s Collective presents new work for violinist Maya Bennardo. 113 provides a platform for musicians pursuing bold artistic visions through ambitious programming, community building, and educational outreach. Since its inception in 2012, 113 has presented over 200 world premieres. Maya Bennardo (she/her) is an active performer and composer living in Stockholm, Sweden. Maya is interested in opening the dialogue and blurring the boundaries between composers and performers, and is devoted to performing music of the present. She is a founding member of the violin/viola duo andPlay, described by I Care If You Listen as “enthusiastic champions for new music and collaboration.” Join us at 7:30pm this Sunday!

Program

Dormant gardens ia. by Maya Bennardo
Crickets by Benjamin J M Klein
Get Back! by Joshua Musikantow
Guardaci ben! by Tiffany M. Skidmore
I Thought You Said Forever by Kyle Hutchins

Maya Bennardo, violin

This Saturday Asian Improv aRts Midwest and Juliann Wang present an evening of music and dance, bringing her own unique ...
05/20/2026

This Saturday Asian Improv aRts Midwest and Juliann Wang present an evening of music and dance, bringing her own unique brand of modern practice while paying homage to her roots. The night will feature her group My Little Realities, an experimental sound and alt-jazz collaborative. Bridging traditional motifs, poetry, and improvisation across multiple genres. Working with a collection of Chicago’s engaged innovators (Ben Zucker, Graham Nelson, Evan Kopek, John Rozman), they create inspiring moments of shared dialogue and expression, both composed and spontaneous. She will also be presenting a dance piece for this event. You don’t want to miss it! Join us this Saturday, doors at 8pm

Address

3429 W Diversey #208
Chicago, IL
60647

Telephone

+17737723616

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