The Chicago Calling Arts Festival is a dynamic, multi-arts festival celebrating collaboration and culture. Borderbend is thrilled to present the Sixth Annual Chicago Calling Arts Festival, which happens during Chicago Artists Month. People in Chicago work with participants both here in the U.S. and abroad. Our goal is to bring a mix of prominent young artists and older, more established ones into Chicago's cultural scene. They show or perform their work at different venues around the city, for audiences to enjoy and be a part of; their collaborations include a wide range of art forms such as music, dance, film, literature, and visual. The pieces are prepared or improvised, adding to the diverse array of styles and events the festival showcases. Chicago Calling events involve live feeds between Chicago and national or international locations, literary performances, poetry and music pairings, visual art combined with cycling culture, jazz concerts, panel discussions, and more.

2011 Chicago Calling events include “Bicycles and the Arts” at Chicago Hot Glass; Chicago Scratch Orchestra performances on WNUR’s Airplay show and at Ball Hall; Red Rover Series’ Experiment #51: “X-Ref = Encyclopedia Vol. 2 F-K” at Outer Space Studio; “Construction” at Studio 914 and the Chicago Underground Library; the Queen of Luxuria’s performance at Jackson Junge Gallery; “Berlin-Chicago Kaleidoscope: Cultures Connecting” at Mess Hall; “Chicago Calling, Waiting for the Bus” at Cafeé Ballou; Chicago Calling the Cafeé; “Oh, Bleek Strategies” at the Newberry Library; “Exquisite Consonance: A Collaborative Exhibition” at Spudnik Press; a performance event at Elastic Sound & Vision Gallery; a soundwalk and Chicago Phonography concert at the Indiana Dunes National Lakeshore; “Long Now & Then” at Myopic Books; an interfaith performance event at the Chicago Temple; “Open :: House :: Chicago :: Calling” at the Fine Arts Building; Chicago Modern Orchestra Project performance at Brown Rice; Fashion Forward at the Kinzie Corridor Gallery; and “Follow Me to the Sea” at Defibrillator.

Chicago Artists Month
Chicago Artists Month is a citywide, collaborative effort showcasing Chicago visual artists and their work throughout the month of October.  Coordinated by the Chicago Department of Cultural Affairs and Special Events in partnership with the Chicago Office of Tourism and Culture, Chicago Artists Month showcases over 200 events, ranging from exhibitions to open studio tours and neighborhood art walks presented by museums, galleries, cultural centers, artist collectives, and other organizations throughout the city.  The primary goal of Chicago Artists Month is to raise awareness of the extraordinary quality and depth of our visual arts community. Explore this site to see what happened during Chicago Artists Month 2010!

This year's theme, "Artful Networks,”explores the communities that nurture and inspire Chicago artists and their work.  The people with whom artists choose to work can be supportive in encouraging creative growth, experimentation, dialogue among peers, and community building.  Ranging from traditional residency programs to collaboratives to informal relationships, our communities impact the way we create, support and appreciate art.  In celebration of the Alliance of Artists Communities' 20th Anniversary Conference, which takes place in Chicago from October 19 to 22, Chicago Artists Month 2011 looks at the various ways artists in Chicago are influenced by their social environments


2011 Chicago Calling Arts Festival Schedule of Events

Friday, September 30 (8 p.m.): “Bicycles & the Arts” at Chicago Hot Glass

Saturday, October 1 (4 p.m.): Chicago Scratch Orchestra on WNUR’s Airplay Show

Saturday, October 1 (5:00 p.m.): Red Rover Series’ Experiment #51: X-Ref = Encyclopedia Vol. 2 F-K at Outer Space Studio

Saturday, October 1 (7 p.m.): "Construction" at the Chicago Underground Library and Studio 914

Sunday, October 2 (12-5 p.m.): Queen Luxuria performance at Jackson Junge Gallery

Sunday, October 2 (4 p.m.): “Berlin-Chicago Kaleidoscope: Cultures Connecting” at Mess Hall

Monday, October 3 (7 p.m.): “Chicago Calling, Waiting for the Bus” at Cafée Ballou

Tuesday, October 4 (8:30 p.m.): Chicago Calling the Cafe!

Wednesday, October 5 (6 p.m.): “Oh, Bleek Strategies” at The Newberry Library

Thursday, October 6 (7 p.m.): "Exquisite Consonance: A Collaborative Exhibition” at Spudnik Press

Friday, October 7 (9 p.m.): Saltimbique and Elbio Barilari Experience Concert at Elastic Sound & Vision Gallery

Saturday, October 8 (1 p.m.): Soundwalk and Chicago Phonography Concert at the Indiana Dunes National Lakeshore

Saturday, October 8 (7 p.m.): “Long Now & Then” at Myopic Books

Friday, October 14 (9 p.m.): Chicago Scratch Orchestra Performance at Ball Hall

Saturday, October 15 (3 p.m.): "Open :: House :: Chicago :: Calling” at the Fine Arts Building

Saturday, October 15 (4 p.m.): The Arts of Life is Fashion Forward

Saturday, October 15 (9 p.m.): Chicago Modern Orchestra Project Performance at Brown Rice

Sunday, October 16 (6 p.m.): "Follow Me to the Sea" at Defibrillator