Long a fixture on the fall cultural scene, the Chicago Humanities Festival is making a push into spring with its first-ever Spring Festival, devoted to the question of style.
Confirmed in the more than 20 programs scheduled for April 28 to May 1 are personages including actor Mary-Louise Parker, photographer Sally Mann, Internet aggregator Arianna Huffington and 94-year-old fashion icon Iris Apfel, the festival announced Wednesday.
“We’ve been doing more year-round programming the last couple of years, but they’ve been more one-off events,” said Phillip Bahar, executive director. “This idea, we almost describe it as a mini festival in the spring.”
The events will be mostly fashion-related but will delve into other matters of style — writing style, political style, even comedy style. The last, Bahar said, explains the appearance of “Cheers” actor George Wendt at the event.
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In another sort of trial balloon, the festival is doing a one-day mini festival on May 15, in cooperation with MacArthur Foundation. “Our Cities: Art, Action, Urban Experience,” brings together speakers on the urban experience as it simultaneously honors the 35th anniversary of the MacArthur Fellows program (“genius grants”).
“We’re looking at two different models we are playing with,” Bahar said. “Since it’s the first time out of the gate we’ll see how they all work.”
Members can buy tickets beginning March 1, the general public March 3. A complete schedule will be up March 1 at chicagohumanities.org/style.