BEGIN:VCALENDAR VERSION:2.0 PRODID:-//International Museum of Surgical Science - ECPv6.15.18//NONSGML v1.0//EN CALSCALE:GREGORIAN METHOD:PUBLISH X-WR-CALNAME:International Museum of Surgical Science X-ORIGINAL-URL:https://imss.org X-WR-CALDESC:Events for International Museum of Surgical Science REFRESH-INTERVAL;VALUE=DURATION:PT1H X-Robots-Tag:noindex X-PUBLISHED-TTL:PT1H BEGIN:VTIMEZONE TZID:America/Chicago BEGIN:DAYLIGHT TZOFFSETFROM:-0600 TZOFFSETTO:-0500 TZNAME:CDT DTSTART:20240310T080000 END:DAYLIGHT BEGIN:STANDARD TZOFFSETFROM:-0500 TZOFFSETTO:-0600 TZNAME:CST DTSTART:20241103T070000 END:STANDARD BEGIN:DAYLIGHT TZOFFSETFROM:-0600 TZOFFSETTO:-0500 TZNAME:CDT DTSTART:20250309T080000 END:DAYLIGHT BEGIN:STANDARD TZOFFSETFROM:-0500 TZOFFSETTO:-0600 TZNAME:CST DTSTART:20251102T070000 END:STANDARD BEGIN:DAYLIGHT TZOFFSETFROM:-0600 TZOFFSETTO:-0500 TZNAME:CDT DTSTART:20260308T080000 END:DAYLIGHT BEGIN:STANDARD TZOFFSETFROM:-0500 TZOFFSETTO:-0600 TZNAME:CST DTSTART:20261101T070000 END:STANDARD BEGIN:DAYLIGHT TZOFFSETFROM:-0600 TZOFFSETTO:-0500 TZNAME:CDT DTSTART:20270314T080000 END:DAYLIGHT BEGIN:STANDARD TZOFFSETFROM:-0500 TZOFFSETTO:-0600 TZNAME:CST DTSTART:20271107T070000 END:STANDARD END:VTIMEZONE BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=America/Chicago:20251104T180000 DTEND;TZID=America/Chicago:20251104T200000 DTSTAMP:20260403T083646 CREATED:20250828T053721Z LAST-MODIFIED:20251105T013620Z UID:68519-1762279200-1762286400@imss.org SUMMARY:Book Talk: Coltan Scrivner - Morbidly Curious DESCRIPTION:Unlock the psychology of morbid curiosity with Coltan Scrivner\, Ph.D.—a thrilling book talk on why we’re drawn to the dark.\n\n\nMorbidly Curious Book Talk with Coltan Scrivner\, Ph.D. \nNovember 4th\, 2025\n6:00pm – 7:00pm\, Q&A to follow\nFree\, RSVP Requested\nDoors at 5:00pm\n\n\nJoin us for a chilling evening with Coltan Scrivner\, Ph.D.\, as he dives into the psychology of the macabre in his new book\, Morbidly Curious. \nWhy do we peek at car wrecks\, binge true crime\, or flock to horror movies? Scrivner takes us inside the science of morbid curiosity\, revealing why humans are compelled to explore their darkest fears—and how this instinct helps us prepare for real-world threats. \nBlending cutting-edge research and eerie fieldwork at haunted houses worldwide\, Morbidly Curious makes a powerful case for the value of playing with fear. Whether you’re a horror fan or simply curious about human nature\, this talk will open your eyes to the hidden benefits of exploring the dark side. \n \nBooks will be available for signing and purchase. \n\n\n\nAbout the Author: \nColtan Scrivner\, PhD\, is a behavioral scientist and horror entertainment producer. He is the world’s leading expert on the science behind morbid curiosity and the appeal of frightening entertainment. He is also the executive director of the Nightmare in the Ozarks Film Festival and the Eureka Springs Zombie Crawl\, one of the largest gatherings of zombies in the world. URL:https://imss.org/program/book-talk-coltan-scrivner-morbidly-curious/ LOCATION:International Museum of Surgical Science\, 1524 North Lake Shore Drive\, Chicago\, IL\, 60610\, United States CATEGORIES:Events ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://imss.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/3352a51186632454f58edb509d9eaf32-343L4t.tmp_.jpg END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=America/Chicago:20251109T103000 DTEND;TZID=America/Chicago:20251109T133000 DTSTAMP:20260403T083646 CREATED:20250820T233609Z LAST-MODIFIED:20251109T190537Z UID:68271-1762684200-1762695000@imss.org SUMMARY:Kintsugi Workshop: Repair and Reconnect DESCRIPTION:Discover the art and philosophy of Kintsugi — the Japanese practice of repairing broken pottery with gold — in this all-level\, hands-on work\n\n\nKintsugi Workshop: Repair and Reconnect with Mami Takahashi\nNovember 9\, 2025\n10:30am – 1:30pm\n \n“Kintsugi teaches us that scars are part of the story — not something to hide\, but something to honor. As we repair\, we reflect. As we mend\, we transform.” \nIn this 3-hour session\, students will learn and apply the modern Kintsugi method using food-safe adhesive\, epoxy putty\, and golden finish. The technique is safe for beginners and designed to make the centuries-old practice accessible in a single-day format. Rather than erasing damage\, Kintsugi highlights each crack as part of an object’s unique story — inviting us to reflect on beauty\, imperfection\, and transformation. \nFor beginner students\, a broken porcelain or ceramic plate will be provided\, allowing them to experience the full repair process from start to finish.For returning students\, or those with previous experience\, you’re welcome to bring your own broken ceramic objects (must be clean) or choose from more complex forms provided by the instructor. \nThis workshop offers a supportive\, meditative space for reflection and creativity. All materials are provided\, and finger covers are available to use\, though handling epoxy can sometimes leave a light residue for a day or two. \n \n“Kintsugi is based on the philosophy that breakage and repair are something to celebrate – embracing flaws and imperfections creates a stronger and more beautiful piece of art. Using this as a metaphor for healing ourselves teaches us an important lesson: Sometimes in the process of repairing what feels broken\, we become more unique\, beautiful\, and resilient. Kintsugi can be a way to reframe personal challenges. Reminding us that we’re not victims of our circumstances. Showing us that we can come out on the other side stronger.” — Here is a quote about Kintsugi from Linda Muller\, a certified life coach. \n\n\n\nAbout Mami Takahashi: \nMami Takahashi is a Japanese multidisciplinary artist and a scholar working in multiple cities including Chicago and Tokyo. She earned her MFA in Contemporary Studio Practice from Portland State University in 2013 and a BFA in Japanese Painting from Joshibi University of Art and Design in Japan. \nWith ongoing artistic research\, practice\, and teaching\, Takahashi explores different approaches to actualize Japanese aesthetics to enhance cultural perspectives in many U.S. communities. Takahashi also aims to connect Japan and communities in Chicago by teaching traditional and modern art-making techniques. URL:https://imss.org/program/kintsugi-workshop-repair-and-reconnect/ LOCATION:International Museum of Surgical Science\, 1524 North Lake Shore Drive\, Chicago\, IL\, 60610\, United States CATEGORIES:Events ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://imss.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/080dd4e2ea446412bfd6985265c2f19b-m6u5FB.tmp_.jpg END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=America/Chicago:20251109T143000 DTEND;TZID=America/Chicago:20251109T163000 DTSTAMP:20260403T083646 CREATED:20250822T203633Z LAST-MODIFIED:20251109T220557Z UID:68369-1762698600-1762705800@imss.org SUMMARY:Workshop: Japanese Papermaking DESCRIPTION:Explore the artistry of traditional Japanese paper-making with Human Body Watermarks\, led by artist Mami Takahashi.\n\n\nJapanese Papermaking Workshop for Beginnerswith Mami Takahashi \nNovember 9\, 2025\n2:30pm – 4:30pm\n \nParticipants will make traditional Japanese paper\, called Washi\, with human body-themed watermarks at this paper-making workshop. Washi is typically made from Japanese Mulberry or Mitsumata wood bark. These barks are used daily in Japan\, and they include architectural elements like Shoji screens and folding fans. \nAll levels are welcome to enjoy this workshop! \n \n\n\n\nAbout Mami Takahashi: \nMami Takahashi is a Japanese multidisciplinary artist and a scholar working in multiple cities including Chicago and Tokyo. She earned her MFA in Contemporary Studio Practice from Portland State University in 2013 and a BFA in Japanese Painting from Joshibi University of Art and Design in Japan. \nWith ongoing artistic research\, practice\, and teaching\, Takahashi explores different approaches to actualize Japanese aesthetics to enhance cultural perspectives in many U.S. communities. Takahashi also aims to connect Japan and communities in Chicago by teaching traditional and modern art-making techniques. URL:https://imss.org/program/workshop-japanese-papermaking-5/ LOCATION:International Museum of Surgical Science\, 1524 North Lake Shore Drive\, Chicago\, IL\, 60610\, United States CATEGORIES:Events ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://imss.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/10/28930088c2d18582eeb5c30cda271449-vZE9Fk.tmp_.jpg END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=America/Chicago:20251113T180000 DTEND;TZID=America/Chicago:20251113T200000 DTSTAMP:20260403T083646 CREATED:20250731T002112Z LAST-MODIFIED:20251114T015053Z UID:67497-1763056800-1763064000@imss.org SUMMARY:Where Dissection and Écorché Intersect DESCRIPTION:Join us for a special presentation that explores the intersection perspectives from a Plastic Surgeon and an Instructor in Artistic Anatomy!\n\n\nLecture:\n \nWhere Dissection and Écorché Intersect: Perspectives from a Plastic Surgeon and an Instructor in Artistic Anatomy\nMelinda Whitmore\, MFA \n& \nDavid Morris\, MD \n \n6:00pm-8:00pm\nFree with RSVP\n \n\n\n\nDe Humani corporis fabrica. Jan Stephan van Calcar for Andreas Vesalius. 1543 \n\n\n“Écorché”\, from the French word “flayed” refers to drawings or sculptures of the body with the skin removed. Dissections were common during the Renaissance. Illustrations of such dissections were important for explaining medical phenomenon; such illustrations have remained important for multiple other reasons. For figurative artists studying anatomy\, using an écorché approach or sculpting a human form in clay from the inside out (ie. starting with the skeleton and adding musculature) had become common by the 19th century. To this day écorché remains an important component of teaching anatomy in rigorous art programs that focus on realistic\, figurative work. \nThis discussion combines the perspectives of a plastic surgeon and an instructor in drawing\, painting\, and anatomy. Both have taught artistic anatomy at the medical school level. They will address the history of dissection as it relates to écorché and the relevance of each for the current student of art\, medicine\, or surgery. \n \nPlease join us for a this special lecture by Melinda Whitmore\, MFA & David Morris\, MD\, presented as a part of The Artistry of Plastic Surgery exhibit. \n\n\n\nMelinda Whitmore\, MFA \nInstructor of Drawing\, Painting\, Sculpture\, Anatomy \nAssistant Adjunct Professor\, The School of the Art Institute of Chicago \nCo-Founder The Vitruvian Studio Chicago\, IL \n\n\n\nDavid Morris\, MD \nProfessor \nDivision of Plastic\, Reconstructive and Cosmetic Surgery \nThe Craniofacial Center \nUniversity of Illinois at Chicago \nChief\, Plastic Surgical Services \nShriners Children’s Chicago \n\n\nTitle Images: \n1. & 3.: De Humani corporis fabrica. Jan Stephan van Calcar for Andreas Vesalius. 1543 \n \n2.: Full-figure Écorché. Melinda Whitmore URL:https://imss.org/program/where-dissection-and-ecorche-intersect/ LOCATION:International Museum of Surgical Science\, 1524 North Lake Shore Drive\, Chicago\, IL\, 60610\, United States CATEGORIES:Events ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://imss.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/07/b25275b23f07857eeead1a7491e978f6-zKmjSn.tmp_.jpg END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=America/Chicago:20251119T130000 DTEND;TZID=America/Chicago:20251119T150000 DTSTAMP:20260403T083646 CREATED:20251103T193550Z LAST-MODIFIED:20251119T203544Z UID:70383-1763557200-1763564400@imss.org SUMMARY:Mather Gather at IMSS DESCRIPTION:Join us for a program for folks 55 and better where we’ll explore the Museum and aromatherapy!\n\n\nMather Gather \nNovember 19\, 2025\n1:00-3:00pm\nDoors at 12:45pm \nFree\, RSVP Required \n\n\nAnyone age 55 and better is invited to get inspired\, connect with others\, and get creative with Mather\, a not-for-profit dedicated to creating Ways to Age Well at the International Museum of Surgical Science. \nWe’ll gather in the Museum for the following: \n\nEnjoy an exclusive tour of the Museum galleries.\nJoin us for light refreshments & discussion in the Hall of Immortals.\nExplore the wellness benefits of seasonal spices and create your own mulling spice blend to take home. We will sample mulled cider and learn more about the art and application of aromatherapy.\n\nThis program is designed for older adults 55 and better. It is provided free or charge\, but space is limited. Please register today.\n\n\n\nAbout the Teaching Artist: \nRuthe Guerry is an art therapist and practicing artist who develops and leads inquiry-based\, creative programming. Her passion is informed by her training in dementia care\, Master’s degree in Art Therapy and Counseling\, and years of experience working with older adults as a caregiver and clinician. Ruthe is an herbalist\, meditator\, and maker. \n\n\n\nAbout Mather: \nMather is a non-denominational not-for-profit organization dedicated to creating Ways to Age Well.SM Founded in 1941\, Mather provides unique senior living residences\, inspiring community programs\, and innovative research through Mather Institute. Mather’s community initiatives center creative engagement\, brain health and lifelong learning through virtual and in-person programs specifically designed to meet the wellness goals of adults 55 and better. The vision of Community Initiatives at Mather is an equitable society in which all older adults find wellness opportunities and resources to thrive within their communities. All programs are free and accessible online or through our community partners. URL:https://imss.org/program/copy-of-mather-gather-at-imss/ LOCATION:International Museum of Surgical Science\, 1524 North Lake Shore Drive\, Chicago\, IL\, 60610\, United States CATEGORIES:Events ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://imss.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/11/297e60475c8f3f22e8103c884ff1e5a7-0bcspO.tmp_.jpg END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=America/Chicago:20251119T173000 DTEND;TZID=America/Chicago:20251119T203000 DTSTAMP:20260403T083646 CREATED:20250821T205131Z LAST-MODIFIED:20251111T155049Z UID:68334-1763573400-1763584200@imss.org SUMMARY:IMSS Candlelite Historic Home Tour DESCRIPTION:✨ History\, architecture\, and curiosity—like you’ve never seen them before.\n\n\nDiscover Chicago’s Hidden Gem—By Candlelight \nExperience a different side of Chicago’s lakefront with the International Museum of Surgical Science’s candlelit tours; an immersive evening exploration of one of the city’s most unique historic mansions. \nStep inside the historic Eleanor Countiss House for a rare\, after-hours experience at the International Museum of Surgical Science. Built in 1917\, the Eleanor Countiss House at 1524 N. Lakeshore Drive was once the private residence of its namesake\, who lived in the home until her passing in 1931. Today\, the mansion is home to the Museum\, and these special after-hours tours invite guests to step back in time and explore its richly detailed architecture\, extensive history\, and the layered stories held within its walls. \nExplore elegant architecture\, hear the stories of its original residents\, and view highlights from the Museum’s medical collection—all guided by the warm glow of candlelight. \nA complimentary reception follows the tour and lite fare will be served \nThese are hour-long walking tours and guests will be asked to summit 4 flights of stairs. For accessible tour accomodations\, please see FAQs below. URL:https://imss.org/program/imss-candlelite-historic-home-tour/ LOCATION:International Museum of Surgical Science\, 1524 North Lake Shore Drive\, Chicago\, IL\, 60610\, United States CATEGORIES:Events ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://imss.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/9f79264f0c8359f1b4e55023eb5dddf8-cVBjKV.tmp_.jpg END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=America/Chicago:20251121T190000 DTEND;TZID=America/Chicago:20251121T210000 DTSTAMP:20260403T083646 CREATED:20251013T175208Z LAST-MODIFIED:20251122T023545Z UID:69803-1763751600-1763758800@imss.org SUMMARY:Performance: "no one notices the fly" Album Release DESCRIPTION:Join us for the Album Release concert of Zander Raymond’s “no one notices the fly”!\n\n\n“no one notices the fly” Album ReleasePresented by Love All Day\nNovember 21\, 2025\n7:00-9:00pm\nDoors at 6:30pm \nTickets: \n$10 Student – use code STUDENT at checkout \n(Valid Student ID will be requested at the door) \n$10 IMSS Members Presale – use code IMSSMEMBER at checkout \n(Valid IMSS Membership card will be requested at door) \n$15 GA Presale \n– \n$15 Student & IMSS Members (With valid ID & Membership Card) at Door \n$20 GA at Door \n\n\nZander Raymond presents an improvised live set featuring themes and motifs from his new LP\, “no one notices the fly”\, out November 21st on Love All Day. \nabout the album: \n‘no one notices the fly’ is the latest release from Chicago based multi-disciplinary artist\, Zander Raymond. Raymond\, who has authored or appeared on around a dozen albums (give or take a couple) in the last half-decade\, here continues to refine his approach to careful and active listening and music making. On this collection he’s occasionally joined by past collaborators and deep listening comrades Lia Kohl and Matt Sage. Opening with “just keep going”\, a brief recording of a reaching and plaintive\, out-of-tune violin whose amateurish playing nevertheless delivers a certain depth of feeling. It also possibly acts as a bit of a mission statement; that here we will be shown that we can find meaning from the barest of means. Every song on this record is slightly cracked and seemingly concerned with detritus\, each piece a careful and layered accumulation of what in other hands might be solely considered cast-off sounds. The songs could almost be the aural equivalent of the Japanese sculptor Yuji Agematsu’s daily collection of “desirable street debris”\, which he constructs in exquisite\, miniature arrangements inside the empty cellophane sleeves of old cigarette packages; each piece a new and unique\, dazzling landscape\, a whole world unto itself. Through Raymond’s improvisational approach\, which employs live sampling and imaginative filtering\, the most mundane sounds are refracted into a new\, if fleeting\, reality. The micro becomes macro\, the quotidian rendered into the sublime. In these songs we might find certain doors opening\, wind breezing through\, steam rising\, or restless feet becoming grounded. A piece will sound stable\, until it’s not. Patterns are set until small insertions and intrusions interrupt\, and maybe a new pattern will form. Or maybe not. One of the minor miracles of this album is that it appears\, via sound\, to render entropy in action. Across its fourteen tracks\, we find a thoughtful\, modest reminder to take notice of the aleatory nature of our lives\, to maybe even “notice the fly”\, as it were. \n \n\n\n\nbio: \nZander Raymond is an interdisciplinary artist and musician living and working in Chicago\, IL. In his visual work\, he improvises with found materials from his day to day to make collages and sculptures that serve as an autobiographical record of experience while pointing toward the unseen. His music is similarly rooted in improvisation\, utilizing synthesizers\, field recorders\, and open-source sound computers to sample\, warp\, and build sonic images that embrace serendipity and highlight the musicality of the ordinary. URL:https://imss.org/program/performance-no-one-notices-the-fly-album-release/ LOCATION:International Museum of Surgical Science\, 1524 North Lake Shore Drive\, Chicago\, IL\, 60610\, United States CATEGORIES:Events ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://imss.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/a0951a37a64e24cdca80bca8b21b659e-7Rx2gA.tmp_.jpg END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=America/Chicago:20251206T103000 DTEND;TZID=America/Chicago:20251206T133000 DTSTAMP:20260403T083646 CREATED:20250821T005122Z LAST-MODIFIED:20251206T190611Z UID:68283-1765017000-1765027800@imss.org SUMMARY:Kintsugi Workshop: Repair and Reconnect DESCRIPTION:Discover the art and philosophy of Kintsugi — the Japanese practice of repairing broken pottery with gold — in this all-level\, hands-on work\n\n\nKintsugi Workshop: Repair and Reconnect with Mami Takahashi\nDecember 6\, 2025\n10:30am – 1:30pm\n \n“Kintsugi teaches us that scars are part of the story — not something to hide\, but something to honor. As we repair\, we reflect. As we mend\, we transform.” \nIn this 3-hour session\, students will learn and apply the modern Kintsugi method using food-safe adhesive\, epoxy putty\, and golden finish. The technique is safe for beginners and designed to make the centuries-old practice accessible in a single-day format. Rather than erasing damage\, Kintsugi highlights each crack as part of an object’s unique story — inviting us to reflect on beauty\, imperfection\, and transformation. \nFor beginner students\, a broken porcelain or ceramic plate will be provided\, allowing them to experience the full repair process from start to finish.For returning students\, or those with previous experience\, you’re welcome to bring your own broken ceramic objects (must be clean) or choose from more complex forms provided by the instructor. \nThis workshop offers a supportive\, meditative space for reflection and creativity. All materials are provided\, and finger covers are available to use\, though handling epoxy can sometimes leave a light residue for a day or two. \n \n“Kintsugi is based on the philosophy that breakage and repair are something to celebrate – embracing flaws and imperfections creates a stronger and more beautiful piece of art. Using this as a metaphor for healing ourselves teaches us an important lesson: Sometimes in the process of repairing what feels broken\, we become more unique\, beautiful\, and resilient. Kintsugi can be a way to reframe personal challenges. Reminding us that we’re not victims of our circumstances. Showing us that we can come out on the other side stronger.” — Here is a quote about Kintsugi from Linda Muller\, a certified life coach. \n\n\n\nAbout Mami Takahashi: \nMami Takahashi is a Japanese multidisciplinary artist and a scholar working in multiple cities including Chicago and Tokyo. She earned her MFA in Contemporary Studio Practice from Portland State University in 2013 and a BFA in Japanese Painting from Joshibi University of Art and Design in Japan. \nWith ongoing artistic research\, practice\, and teaching\, Takahashi explores different approaches to actualize Japanese aesthetics to enhance cultural perspectives in many U.S. communities. Takahashi also aims to connect Japan and communities in Chicago by teaching traditional and modern art-making techniques. URL:https://imss.org/program/kintsugi-workshop-repair-and-reconnect-2/ LOCATION:International Museum of Surgical Science\, 1524 North Lake Shore Drive\, Chicago\, IL\, 60610\, United States CATEGORIES:Events ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://imss.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/1f2c9be26c5ba9aeb48605f1b0ef9b7d-rXwUjC.tmp_.jpg END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=America/Chicago:20251206T150000 DTEND;TZID=America/Chicago:20251206T160000 DTSTAMP:20260403T083646 CREATED:20250731T002114Z LAST-MODIFIED:20251206T210538Z UID:67498-1765033200-1765036800@imss.org SUMMARY:Prosthetics and Plastic Surgery: A History of Ingenuity and Cooperation DESCRIPTION:This special presentation will explore this unique relationship prosthetics and plastic Surgery.\n\n\nLecture:\n \nProsthetics and Plastic Surgery: A History of Ingenuity and Cooperation\nDavid J. Reisberg\, DDS\, FACP\, FAAMP \n \n3:00pm-4:00pm\nFree with RSVP\n \n\n\nPlastic and reconstructive surgery is the most natural and preferred way to correct a congenital or acquired condition of the oral cavity or head and neck. But this may not always be feasible. In these situations\, the disciplines of plastic surgery and oral and facial prosthetics cooperative to help patients achieve functional\, cosmetic and psychosocial normalcy. These disciplines blend both art and science and their successful relationship goes back thousands of years. \n \nThis presentation will explore this unique relationship from its beginning and trace its progression through time and focus on historical events that shaped the demand for ingenuity and creativity to achieve optimal patient outcomes. \n \nPlease join us for a this special lecture David J. Reisberg\, DDS\, FACP\, FAAMP\, presented as a part of The Artistry of Plastic Surgery exhibit. \n\n\n\nDavid J. Reisberg\, DDS\, FACP\, FAAMP \nDirector Emeritus\, The UI Health Craniofacial Center \nProfessor\, Department of Surgery\, UIC College of Medicine \n\n\nCover images: Facial Prostheses. Roberts AC. Henry Kimpton Publishers London 1971. URL:https://imss.org/program/prosthetics-and-plastic-surgery-a-history-of-ingenuity-and-cooperation/ LOCATION:International Museum of Surgical Science\, 1524 North Lake Shore Drive\, Chicago\, IL\, 60610\, United States CATEGORIES:Events ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://imss.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/07/4fb1043b91746ad2330aee9db02c30d0-JWNXaz.tmp_.jpg END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=America/Chicago:20251207T140000 DTEND;TZID=America/Chicago:20251207T150000 DTSTAMP:20260403T083646 CREATED:20250828T053736Z LAST-MODIFIED:20251207T202028Z UID:68521-1765116000-1765119600@imss.org SUMMARY:Book Talk: Wendell McConnaha - Losing Sight of the Shore DESCRIPTION:Spend an afternoon with Wendell McConnaha as he introduces his newest work\, “Losing Sight of the Shore: Scotland’s Medical Explorers”!\n\n\nLosing Sight of the Shore: Scotland’s Medical Explorers 1815-1915 Book Talk with Wendell McConnaha \nDecember 7th\, 2025\n2:00pm – 3:00pm\nFree\, RSVP Required\n(RSVP includes Museum access) \n\n\n\nA fascinating history of the lives of five Scottish medical explorers set in the context of British dominance in exploration\, Wendell McConnaha’s work Losing Sight of the Shore: Scotland’s Medical Explorers 1815-1915″ takes the reader through the profiles five medical explorers in detail\, this is not a biography but a history which aims to understand and explain the ideology and philosophy of agroup of Edinburgh-trained physicians and surgeons; and how their interaction within the political\, cultural\, intellectual\, and social context of the time helped define the British Imperial Century. \n \nBooks will be available for signing and purchase. \n\n\n\nAbout the Author: \n“I am a retired university professor and administrator having spent the past fifty years working in the field of education. My academic preparation includes a Ph.D. from Purdue University in West Lafayette\, Indiana \, an EdSp. from the University of Nebraska\, Omaha; an M.A. and M.S. also from the University of Nebraska; and a B.A. from Wayne State College\, Nebraska. I have been drawn to international work throughout my career and I have been most fortunate to work and consult around the world. I retired from the University of Pittsburgh in 2014 and accepted a three-year position with Tsinghua University in Beijing\, China. Prior to Pittsburgh\, I spent three years at Zayed University in Abu Dhabi and eight years at the University of Chicago in addition to other academic positions. Since the 1990s I have consulted extensively with governments and institutions of higher education in Chile\, China\, Indonesia\, Nigeria\, Romania\, Saudi Arabia\, United Arab Emirates\, United Kingdom\, and within the United States. I am now fully retired and continue to conduct research and write. I live with my wife\, Judy\, and our two cats\, in Chicago.” – Wendell McConnaha URL:https://imss.org/program/book-talk-wendell-mcconnaha-losing-sight-of-the-shore-2/ LOCATION:International Museum of Surgical Science\, 1524 North Lake Shore Drive\, Chicago\, IL\, 60610\, United States CATEGORIES:Events ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://imss.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/03/f420b93481ae1b54ab7f8b22b4705193-KqTyz9.tmp_.jpg END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=America/Chicago:20251210T173000 DTEND;TZID=America/Chicago:20251210T203000 DTSTAMP:20260403T083646 CREATED:20250821T205137Z LAST-MODIFIED:20251211T020602Z UID:68336-1765387800-1765398600@imss.org SUMMARY:IMSS Candlelite Historic Home Tour DESCRIPTION:✨ History\, architecture\, and curiosity—like you’ve never seen them before.\n\n\nDiscover Chicago’s Hidden Gem—By Candlelight \nExperience a different side of Chicago’s lakefront with the International Museum of Surgical Science’s candlelit tours; an immersive evening exploration of one of the city’s most unique historic mansions. \nStep inside the historic Eleanor Countiss House for a rare\, after-hours experience at the International Museum of Surgical Science. Built in 1917\, the Eleanor Countiss House at 1524 N. Lakeshore Drive was once the private residence of its namesake\, who lived in the home until her passing in 1931. Today\, the mansion is home to the Museum\, and these special after-hours tours invite guests to step back in time and explore its richly detailed architecture\, extensive history\, and the layered stories held within its walls. \nExplore elegant architecture\, hear the stories of its original residents\, and view highlights from the Museum’s medical collection—all guided by the warm glow of candlelight. \nA complimentary reception follows the tour and lite fare will be served \nTours last one hour and include four flights of stairs. For accessibility accommodations\, please contact us in advance – see FAQ below for contact information. URL:https://imss.org/program/imss-candlelite-historic-home-tour-2/ LOCATION:International Museum of Surgical Science\, 1524 North Lake Shore Drive\, Chicago\, IL\, 60610\, United States CATEGORIES:Events ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://imss.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/9f79264f0c8359f1b4e55023eb5dddf8-cVBjKV.tmp_.jpg END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=America/Chicago:20251214T120000 DTEND;TZID=America/Chicago:20251214T150000 DTSTAMP:20260403T083646 CREATED:20250821T005125Z LAST-MODIFIED:20251214T200533Z UID:68285-1765713600-1765724400@imss.org SUMMARY:Kintsugi Workshop: Repair and Reconnect DESCRIPTION:Discover the art and philosophy of Kintsugi — the Japanese practice of repairing broken pottery with gold — in this all-level\, hands-on work\n\n\nKintsugi Workshop: Repair and Reconnect with Mami Takahashi\nDecember 14\, 2025\n12:00pm – 3:00pm\n \n“Kintsugi teaches us that scars are part of the story — not something to hide\, but something to honor. As we repair\, we reflect. As we mend\, we transform.” \nIn this 3-hour session\, students will learn and apply the modern Kintsugi method using food-safe adhesive\, epoxy putty\, and golden finish. The technique is safe for beginners and designed to make the centuries-old practice accessible in a single-day format. Rather than erasing damage\, Kintsugi highlights each crack as part of an object’s unique story — inviting us to reflect on beauty\, imperfection\, and transformation. \nFor beginner students\, a broken porcelain or ceramic plate will be provided\, allowing them to experience the full repair process from start to finish.For returning students\, or those with previous experience\, you’re welcome to bring your own broken ceramic objects (must be clean) or choose from more complex forms provided by the instructor. \nThis workshop offers a supportive\, meditative space for reflection and creativity. All materials are provided\, and finger covers are available to use\, though handling epoxy can sometimes leave a light residue for a day or two. \n \n“Kintsugi is based on the philosophy that breakage and repair are something to celebrate – embracing flaws and imperfections creates a stronger and more beautiful piece of art. Using this as a metaphor for healing ourselves teaches us an important lesson: Sometimes in the process of repairing what feels broken\, we become more unique\, beautiful\, and resilient. Kintsugi can be a way to reframe personal challenges. Reminding us that we’re not victims of our circumstances. Showing us that we can come out on the other side stronger.” — Here is a quote about Kintsugi from Linda Muller\, a certified life coach. \n\n\n\nAbout Mami Takahashi: \nMami Takahashi is a Japanese multidisciplinary artist and a scholar working in multiple cities including Chicago and Tokyo. She earned her MFA in Contemporary Studio Practice from Portland State University in 2013 and a BFA in Japanese Painting from Joshibi University of Art and Design in Japan. \nWith ongoing artistic research\, practice\, and teaching\, Takahashi explores different approaches to actualize Japanese aesthetics to enhance cultural perspectives in many U.S. communities. Takahashi also aims to connect Japan and communities in Chicago by teaching traditional and modern art-making techniques. URL:https://imss.org/program/kintsugi-workshop-repair-and-reconnect-3/ LOCATION:International Museum of Surgical Science\, 1524 North Lake Shore Drive\, Chicago\, IL\, 60610\, United States CATEGORIES:Events ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://imss.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/ca310e32afeeadde8e76ab8def203d3f-P6PTP3.tmp_.jpg END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=America/Chicago:20260102T183000 DTEND;TZID=America/Chicago:20260102T210000 DTSTAMP:20260403T083646 CREATED:20251202T215055Z LAST-MODIFIED:20260103T023552Z UID:71150-1767378600-1767387600@imss.org SUMMARY:Show & Tell for Grown-Ups!: Historical Medicine DESCRIPTION:Let’s have fun & learn something together!\n\n\nShow & Tell for Grown-Ups! Historical Medicine\nJanuary 2nd\, 2025\nDoors at 6:30pm – come early\, explore the Museum!\nShow at 7:00pm\n \nShow & Tell for Grown-Ups is a show for sharing niche curiosities. Our goal is to redefine what a night out with friends can mean. Let’s have fun & learn something together! Audiences has been asking for it and now we’re so honored & excited to partner with The International Museum of Surgical Science. We’re bringing this Show & Tell edutainment platform to this engaging museum so we can connect with more brilliant people wanting to share their knowledge with others. \nSign Up to Share! You don’t need a PHD to teach us at Show & Tell for Grown-Ups! Presenters can signup online for a 5-minute slot to share something their passionate about. Then we open Q&A with the audience. It’s a night of learning\, laughing\, and meeting other passionate people. We can’t wait to meet you! Do you have a passion for historical medical practices that you want to share with an inclusive and engaged audience? Signup to share at Show & Tell for Grown-Ups! \nPresenter signup: https://wkf.ms/4o6HOD8 \nWhat to learn more about Show & Tell for Grown-Ups? Check out their website www.tellmewhyshow.com or on instagram @tellmewhyitscool_show . URL:https://imss.org/program/show-tell-for-grown-ups-historical-medicine-2/ LOCATION:International Museum of Surgical Science\, 1524 North Lake Shore Drive\, Chicago\, IL\, 60610\, United States CATEGORIES:Events ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://imss.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/12/89954aafbbbe5852bb26cc92796c11b2-1Wh0Wa.tmp_.jpg END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=America/Chicago:20260111T133000 DTEND;TZID=America/Chicago:20260111T163000 DTSTAMP:20260403T083646 CREATED:20251205T223616Z LAST-MODIFIED:20260111T222034Z UID:71274-1768138200-1768149000@imss.org SUMMARY:Kintsugi Workshop: Repair and Reconnect DESCRIPTION:Discover the art and philosophy of Kintsugi — the Japanese practice of repairing broken pottery with gold — in this all-level\, hands-on work\n\n\nKintsugi Workshop: Repair and Reconnect with Mami Takahashi\nJanuary 11\, 2026\n1:30pm – 4:30pm\n \n“Kintsugi teaches us that scars are part of the story — not something to hide\, but something to honor. As we repair\, we reflect. As we mend\, we transform.” \nIn this 3-hour session\, students will learn and apply the modern Kintsugi method using food-safe adhesive\, epoxy putty\, and golden finish. The technique is safe for beginners and designed to make the centuries-old practice accessible in a single-day format. Rather than erasing damage\, Kintsugi highlights each crack as part of an object’s unique story — inviting us to reflect on beauty\, imperfection\, and transformation. \nFor beginner students\, a broken porcelain or ceramic plate will be provided\, allowing them to experience the full repair process from start to finish.For returning students\, or those with previous experience\, you’re welcome to bring your own broken ceramic objects (must be clean) or choose from more complex forms provided by the instructor. \nThis workshop offers a supportive\, meditative space for reflection and creativity. All materials are provided\, and finger covers are available to use\, though handling epoxy can sometimes leave a light residue for a day or two. \n \n \n“Kintsugi is based on the philosophy that breakage and repair are something to celebrate – embracing flaws and imperfections creates a stronger and more beautiful piece of art. Using this as a metaphor for healing ourselves teaches us an important lesson: Sometimes in the process of repairing what feels broken\, we become more unique\, beautiful\, and resilient. Kintsugi can be a way to reframe personal challenges. Reminding us that we’re not victims of our circumstances. Showing us that we can come out on the other side stronger.” — Here is a quote about Kintsugi from Linda Muller\, a certified life coach. \n \n\n\n\nAbout Mami Takahashi: \nMami Takahashi is a Japanese multidisciplinary artist and a scholar working in multiple cities including Chicago and Tokyo. She earned her MFA in Contemporary Studio Practice from Portland State University in 2013 and a BFA in Japanese Painting from Joshibi University of Art and Design in Japan. \nWith ongoing artistic research\, practice\, and teaching\, Takahashi explores different approaches to actualize Japanese aesthetics to enhance cultural perspectives in many U.S. communities. Takahashi also aims to connect Japan and communities in Chicago by teaching traditional and modern art-making techniques. URL:https://imss.org/program/kintsugi-workshop-repair-and-reconnect-4/ LOCATION:International Museum of Surgical Science\, 1524 North Lake Shore Drive\, Chicago\, IL\, 60610\, United States CATEGORIES:Events ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://imss.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/1f2c9be26c5ba9aeb48605f1b0ef9b7d-rXwUjC.tmp_.jpg END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=America/Chicago:20260125T150000 DTEND;TZID=America/Chicago:20260125T160000 DTSTAMP:20260403T083646 CREATED:20251204T223549Z LAST-MODIFIED:20260123T023551Z UID:71243-1769353200-1769356800@imss.org SUMMARY:Book Talk: ANATOMY OF A HEALER - Portraying Ancient Physicians in Fiction DESCRIPTION:Spend an afternoon with Kaethe Schwehn and Rebecca Johns\, discussing Schwehn’s new book: THE GOSPEL OF SALOME\n\n\nANATOMY OF A HEALER: Portraying Ancient Physicians in Fiction\nJanuary 25th\, 2026\n3:00pm – 4:00pm\nFree\, RSVP Required\n(RSVP includes Museum access) \n\n\nJoin Kaethe Schwehn\, author of the historical novel THE GOSPEL OF SALOME and Wildhouse Fiction Editor\, Rebecca Johns\, on January 25 at 3pm to learn about the remarkable impact of female physicians of the ancient world and how to research and write moving medics in fiction. Schwehn’s book\, which took over five years of research and writing\, follows the story of Salome\, a fictional Greek woman whose fascination with the human body propelled her to heal Roman elites and Alexandria’s poorest citizens alike. Salome\, who grapples with her own illness and pain while rushing to heal others during politically fraught times\, represents the unwritten stories of countless women who practiced medicine in spite of seemingly insurmountable odds. Learn about how authors incorporate recorded history and deep research to develop rich and realistic works of fiction at this free author event! \n \nBooks will be available for signing and purchase. \n\n\n\nKaethe Schwehn is the author of The Gospel of Salome\, The Rending and the Nest\, Tailings: A Memoir\, and Tanka & Me and the co-editor of Claiming Our Callings: Toward a New Understanding of Vocation in the Liberal Arts. She’s been the recipient of a Minnesota Book Award for Creative Nonfiction\, a Minnesota State Arts Board Grant\, a Loft Mentor Series Award\, and the Donald Justice Poetry Prize. Schwehn studied creative writing at the Iowa Writers’ Workshop and the University of Montana and earned a BA from Gustavus Adolphus College. She currently teaches composition and creative writing at St. Olaf College. \n\n\n\nRebecca Johns grew up in the Illinois countryside wanting to see the world. Instead\, she moved to Missouri for college\, then to New York City\, where she worked for a time as a magazine editor for Highlights for Children and Woman’s Day magazines and a copywriter for Penguin USA. Eventually she left publishing to attend the Iowa Writers’ Workshop\, where she wrote her first novel\, Icebergs\, a PEN/Hemingway Finalist. Her second novel\, The Countess\, has been to more countries than she has: ten\, by last count. In her spare time\, she is Associate Professor of English at DePaul University in Chicago. URL:https://imss.org/program/book-talk-anatomy-of-a-healer-portraying-ancient-physicians-in-fiction/ LOCATION:International Museum of Surgical Science\, 1524 North Lake Shore Drive\, Chicago\, IL\, 60610\, United States CATEGORIES:Events ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://imss.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/12/f8254ea43fe27f1957b7b7a9888b27c5-lpVVhT.tmp_.jpg END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=America/Chicago:20260131T170000 DTEND;TZID=America/Chicago:20260131T210000 DTSTAMP:20260403T083646 CREATED:20251112T020549Z LAST-MODIFIED:20260123T023553Z UID:70575-1769878800-1769893200@imss.org SUMMARY:IMSS Events Open House DESCRIPTION:Discover one of Chicago’s most unique event destinations at the IMSS Venue Showcase. Explore historic spaces\, meet vendors\, and be inspired!\n\n\n✨ Venue Showcase & Open House at the International Museum of Surgical Science\n📅 Date: Saturday\, January 31\, 2026📍 Location: International Museum of Surgical Science\, Chicago \n⏰ Schedule: \n\nVIP Early Access: 5:00–6:00 PM\nGeneral Access: 6:00–9:00 PM\n\nJoin us for an exclusive evening at IMSS Events at the International Museum of Surgical Science\, where elegance and history come together to create one of Chicago’s most distinctive event destinations. Explore our stunning venue\, discover its unique features\, and imagine the possibilities for your next celebration\, wedding\, or corporate gathering. \nExperience the space in action through interactive booth displays from our preferred vendors—featuring décor\, catering\, entertainment\, and more. Whether you’re an industry professional or simply curious about what makes this space extraordinary\, you’ll find inspiration around every corner. \n\n\nParticipating Vendors: \nFood & Beverage \nBeyond CateringLula CafeOne Off HospitalitySBR Events GroupWeeMix \nFloral \nFlowers by StemFloraFlowers by Coll \nPlanners \nM&M Event PlannersSamantha Li BridalUrban Union \nMusic \nDawn Bishop HarpAptera Strings \nPhotography \nEmma MullinsNathan Alston URL:https://imss.org/program/imss-events-open-house/ LOCATION:International Museum of Surgical Science\, 1524 North Lake Shore Drive\, Chicago\, IL\, 60610\, United States CATEGORIES:Events ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://imss.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/11/327d403b7c35a240a3434b9023b4366a-3fzkoi.tmp_.jpg END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=America/Chicago:20260211T180000 DTEND;TZID=America/Chicago:20260211T200000 DTSTAMP:20260403T083646 CREATED:20260116T210535Z LAST-MODIFIED:20260123T023555Z UID:72372-1770832800-1770840000@imss.org SUMMARY:Facial Aesthetics: from Art to Plastic Surgery DESCRIPTION:From art history to operating room: discover how facial structure\, proportion\, and aesthetics guide modern plastic surgery.\n\n\nLecture:\nFacial Aesthetics: from Art to Plastic Surgery\nMimis Cohen\, MD\, FACS\, FAAP\n \n6:00pm-8:00pm\nDoors at 5:30pm \nFree with RSVP\n \n\n\n“Plastic Surgery” is derived from “plastikos\,” to shape or mold. Regardless of how a patient’s facial differences came about – through trauma\, through birth\, through cancer treatment\, the plastic surgeon reconstructs defects to both restore function and optimize facial aesthetics. Doing so starts with an understanding of how facial structure and proportion determine aesthetics. This lecture explores the face in the context of art history and relates such observations to the clinical practice of plastic surgery. \n\n\n\nDr. Mimis Cohen is a Professor and former chief of the Division of Plastic\, Reconstructive\, and Cosmetic Surgery at the University of Illinois at Chicago. Dr. Cohen is world-renowned for his work in the field of cleft lip and palate surgery. He has published extensively on the topic and lectured throughout the world. As a University Professor with extensive clinical and teaching experience\, Dr. Cohen is in the forefront of the specialty. He brings to his patients the knowledge and experience of the state-of-the-art procedures\, as well as the emerging new techniques in cosmetic and reconstructive surgery. He is a member and former president of several professional organizations\, published more than 160 articles in peer-reviewed journals and has edited several textbooks. He has been recognized as one of the best doctors in Chicago for the last 25 years. URL:https://imss.org/program/facial-aesthetics-from-art-to-plastic-surgery/ LOCATION:International Museum of Surgical Science\, 1524 North Lake Shore Drive\, Chicago\, IL\, 60610\, United States CATEGORIES:Events ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://imss.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/01/9b9c7017b383c29daa06705f4e8aac91-4VivMM.tmp_.jpg END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=America/Chicago:20260213T183000 DTEND;TZID=America/Chicago:20260213T210000 DTSTAMP:20260403T083646 CREATED:20251230T215100Z LAST-MODIFIED:20260123T023556Z UID:71934-1771007400-1771016400@imss.org SUMMARY:IMSS 4th Annual Speed Friending DESCRIPTION:Not into Valentine’s Day? You’re not alone. Come connect\, mingle\, and make new friends—no couples required!\n\n\nJoin us at the IMSS for our 4th Annual Speed Friending Event—a lively\, in-person experience designed to help you expand your social circle and make genuine connections. \nFeeling burnt out on family gatherings or over endless swiping? This is your chance to meet new people face-to-face in one of Chicago’s most unique spaces! Through speed friending activities\, you’ll share first impressions\, spark conversations\, and connect with attendees. Afterward\, keep the momentum going as you explore fascinating medical artifacts and enjoy conversation-starting games throughout the museum. \nWhether you’re looking for new friends or simply a fun night out\, we hope you’ll join us for an evening filled with laughter\, curiosity\, and connection. Start the year off right—and maybe meet your new favorite person along the way! \n🗓 Date: Friday\, February 13🕔 Time: 6:30–9:00 PM📍 Location: International Museum of Surgical Science\, Chicago \nSkip the apps. Make real connections. When you tell the story of how you met\, it just might begin at IMSS! \nTickets🎟 $20 Early Bird (Until Feb.1)🎟 $25 General Admission🎟 $35 At the Door \nAges 21+ Only (ID required at the door) \n \nDon’t miss this chance to meet amazing people in Chicago’s most unconventional venue! Limited tickets are available—reserve yours today! URL:https://imss.org/program/imss-4th-annual-speed-friending/ LOCATION:International Museum of Surgical Science\, 1524 North Lake Shore Drive\, Chicago\, IL\, 60610\, United States CATEGORIES:Events ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://imss.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/01/ac38e98d0cbf7f3a30ede35ec1bdabfc-vvXj0U.tmp_.jpg END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=America/Chicago:20260214T101500 DTEND;TZID=America/Chicago:20260214T121500 DTSTAMP:20260403T083646 CREATED:20260103T194103Z LAST-MODIFIED:20260123T023558Z UID:71275-1771064100-1771071300@imss.org SUMMARY:Workshop: Japanese Papermaking - Valentine’s Day Washi Workshop DESCRIPTION:Celebrate Valentine’s Day with art!\n\n\nJapanese Papermaking Workshop for Beginners with Mami Takahashi\nFebruary 14th \, 2025\n10:15am – 12:15pm\n \nCelebrate Valentine’s Day through the gentle\, meditative art of Japanese papermaking. In this hands-on workshop\, participants will create their own sheets of washi—traditional Japanese paper made from natural fibers such as kozo (mulberry bark) and hemp. You’ll also have the opportunity to compare Eastern and Western approaches to papermaking by experimenting with cotton and other pulps\, discovering how different fibers shape texture\, strength\, and translucency. \nUsing seasonal\, Valentine-themed watermarks and decorative materials\, each participant will craft uniquely expressive papers perfect for cards\, artwork\, or keepsakes. The workshop includes an introduction to the history of washi\, its cultural significance\, and its everyday use in Japan—from shoji screens to folding fans. \nAll levels are welcome. Come explore the beauty of natural fibers\, slow craft\, and handmade expression. \n\n\n\nAbout Mami Takahashi: \nMami Takahashi is a Japanese multidisciplinary artist and a scholar working in multiple cities including Chicago and Tokyo. She earned her MFA in Contemporary Studio Practice from Portland State University in 2013 and a BFA in Japanese Painting from Joshibi University of Art and Design in Japan. \nWith ongoing artistic research\, practice\, and teaching\, Takahashi explores different approaches to actualize Japanese aesthetics to enhance cultural perspectives in many U.S. communities. Takahashi also aims to connect Japan and communities in Chicago by teaching traditional and modern art-making techniques. URL:https://imss.org/program/workshop-japanese-papermaking-valentines-day-washi-workshop/ LOCATION:International Museum of Surgical Science\, 1524 North Lake Shore Drive\, Chicago\, IL\, 60610\, United States CATEGORIES:Events ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://imss.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/12/28d938428e7f9fef02794eca1ab21ce6-BSg4hs.tmp_.jpg END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=America/Chicago:20260214T190000 DTEND;TZID=America/Chicago:20260214T210000 DTSTAMP:20260403T083646 CREATED:20251205T223621Z LAST-MODIFIED:20260123T023559Z UID:71276-1771095600-1771102800@imss.org SUMMARY:Performance: BLIND LOVE - Valentine's Day with Rapt In Plastic DESCRIPTION:Hidden meanings\, mysterious textures\, and the timeless echoes of the Hall of Immortals await – spend Valentine’s Day with Rapt In Plastic!\n\nPerformance: Rapt In Plastic \nFebruary 14\, 2024\n7:00pm – 9:00pm\n\n\nTickets* \n$25 GA Presale \n$20.00 GA Couple Tickets (Per-Person\, Presale Only) \n$20 Student Presale (Use code STUDENT at checkout\, valid ID will be requested at door) \n$20 IMSS Member Presale(Use code MEMBER at checkout\, valid membership card will be requested at door)–$30 GA at the Door \n$25 Student(Valid ID will be requested at door) \n$25 IMSS Member(Valid membership card will be requested at door) \n*Please note that tickets are standing room only – please contact us at lisa@imss.org if any ADA accomodations are required. \n\n\nStep into an alternate reality this Valentine’s Day\, February 14th\, as Rapt in Plastic brings their hauntingly beautiful dream-pop to the Hall of Immortals at the International Museum of Surgical Science in Chicago. Beneath the unblinking gazes of medicine’s luminaries—Vesalius\, Curie\, Nightingale—immerse yourself in an evening where art and science collide. \nLike the warped reflections of a vintage medical diagram\, the ethereal tones of Rapt in Plastic will echo through the gilded halls\, weaving Angelo Badalamenti-inspired melodies with whispers of mid-century jazz and the longing heartbeat of deep-sea mysteries. A place where anatomy becomes art and a sunny melody hides something much darker\, this event promises to linger in your mind like a half-remembered dream. \nJoin us for a night where every note resonates with the pulse of life and the shadow of its fragility. Hidden meanings\, mysterious textures\, and the timeless echoes of the Hall of Immortals await. \n\n\n\nAbout the Band: \nSaxophone haunts\, vibraphone reverberating\, sunglasses on bass\, drums as artifice\, droning keys\, masculine feminine vocals\, ethereal melodies evoking mystery and longing: this is Rapt in Plastic. \nThe group takes inspiration from David Lynch\, where a sunny day belies obscured meaning and emotion. Playing dream ballads\, mid-century pop\, jazz with the slow beating heart of a whale\, and the specter of Laura Palmer floating above it all\, Rapt in Plastic will capture your attention. \nTheir unique instrumentation blends a canvas of digital and analog sounds. Featuring drum machine\, acoustic bass\, tenor saxophone\, synthesizer\, vibraphone and female vocals\, Rapt in Plastic will appeal to those with the most esoteric of tastes. URL:https://imss.org/program/performance-blind-love-valentines-day-with-rapt-in-plastic/ LOCATION:International Museum of Surgical Science\, 1524 North Lake Shore Drive\, Chicago\, IL\, 60610\, United States CATEGORIES:Events ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://imss.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/12/86cff99fef9360d31852bbc59a5c493f-sVJkbY.tmp_.jpg END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=America/Chicago:20260221T120000 DTEND;TZID=America/Chicago:20260221T140000 DTSTAMP:20260403T083646 CREATED:20260210T171041Z LAST-MODIFIED:20260210T171045Z UID:71403-1771675200-1771682400@imss.org SUMMARY:Workshop: Sashiko with mai ide DESCRIPTION:Mending and repairing your garment\, body\, and mind with artist mai ideWorkshop: Sashiko with mai ideSaturday\, February 21\, 202612:00pm – 2:00pm Join artist mai ide\, a visual artist based in Portland\, OR\, for a relaxing day of Sashiko stitching — not just to learn a technique\, but to explore cultural significance. This workshop invites you into the world of traditional Japanese mending\, where each stitch carries stories of sustainability\, resilience\, and healing. This is more than a craft workshop — it’s a space to reflect\, connect\, and embrace vulnerability. As we mend fabric\, we also mend ourselves\, contributing to the holistic well-being of our planet and our communities. A mindful workshop exploring Japanese mending as cultural practice and emotional repair. We will make a coaster or patch\, learn one of traditional Sashiko patterns\, and reclaim a slow\, meditative hour of care for yourself and the planet. GO down to the book! Materials Provided: cotton threadvintage Japanese rough plain woven cotton fabricneedleShashiko needlepaper rulerscissorserasable ink fabric marker or tailor’s chalkParticipants are also encouraged to bring their own clothes to be repaired to enhance the personal themes of the workshop. About Sashiko: Sashiko (刺し子) is a traditional Japanese embroidery and stitching dating back to the Edo period (1615 –1868). It was first developed among working-class people\, farmers\, and fishermen to mend their daily clothes and clothing. Through Sashiko\, they could make garments stronger\, more durable\, and last longer. They kept mending in this way and passed techniques down from generation to generation. As such\, Sashiko is one of the oldest traditional Japanese upcycling techniques. Artist Mai Ide finds a confluence between mending fabric and repairing emotional intimacy\, loneliness\, and fragility. Her workshop is a space for participants to eliminate lingering trauma and reframe our society for deeper emotional communal bonds and authentic humanity which we have forgotten. About the Instructor: mai ide is an artist from Tokyo\, now based in Portland\, OR. Her multidisciplinary art investigates her own cultural intersectionality and deep ambivalence as an immigrant\, mother\, and woman. As a non-native speaker of English\, ide’s practice is expressing discomfort of being classified or perceived by society as an “other” or “forever foreigner” in the U.S. ide’s use of salvaged fabric and Sashiko stitches conveys their simultaneous vulnerability\, fragility\, and ferocity under a constrained\, violent\, and volatile society. ide holds a BFA in Art Practice from Portland State University (OR) and an MFA in Visual Studies at Pacific Northwest College of Art in Portland\, as well as degrees in sewing\, pattern making\, and textile design in Japan\, where she worked for twelve years as a material designer. Their previous exhibitions and performances include the Tokyo Metropolitan Museum\, Museum of Kyoto in Japan\, and Jordan Schnitzer Museum in Oregon. Learn more: www.maiide.com This workshop is brought to you through collaboration with the Japanese Cultural Center. This project is partially supported by a CityArts Grant from the City of Chicago Department of Cultural Affairs & Special Events. The International Museum of SurgicalScience acknowledges support from the Illinois Arts Council. URL:https://imss.org/program/workshop-sashiko-with-mai-ide/ LOCATION:International Museum of Surgical Science\, 1524 North Lake Shore Drive\, Chicago\, IL\, 60610\, United States CATEGORIES:Events ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/png:https://imss.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/12/d1005c1afc9d51c1923760db299a09be-DyEpeo.tmp_.png END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=America/Chicago:20260227T193000 DTEND;TZID=America/Chicago:20260227T210000 DTSTAMP:20260403T083646 CREATED:20251209T205058Z LAST-MODIFIED:20260123T023601Z UID:71375-1772220600-1772226000@imss.org SUMMARY:Performance: a fire that never dies DESCRIPTION:An immersive night of sound and humor for Fonema Consort’s IMSS premiere!\n\n\na fire that never diesFonema Consort & A.L.O.T at IMSS\nFebruary 27\, 2026\n7:30-9:00pm\nDoors at 7:00pm \nTickets: \n$10 Student – use code STUDENT at checkout \n(Valid Student ID will be requested at the door) \n$10 IMSS Members Presale – use code IMSSMEMBER at checkout \n(Valid IMSS Membership card will be requested at door) \n$15 GA Presale \n– \n$15 Student & IMSS Members (With valid ID & Membership Card) at Door \n$20 GA at Door \n\n\na fire that never dies\, named after Garvey’s work\, is a playful collision of comedy and experimental sound\, presented in partnership by Fonema Consort and the comedy duo A Lot of Things (A.L.O.T). \nThe show highlights our physicality and process through a sketch comedy set written for bodies in time and musicians enlisting wind-up toys\, feedback loops\, overdriven guitar\, and deconstructed text into a buzzing world of sound and drama. \n\n\n\nThis project is partially supported by a CityArts Grant from the City of Chicago Department of Cultural Affairs & Special Events. \n\n\n\nThe International Museum of Surgical Science acknowledges support from the Illinois Arts Council Agency. URL:https://imss.org/program/performance-fonema-consort-at-imss/ LOCATION:International Museum of Surgical Science\, 1524 North Lake Shore Drive\, Chicago\, IL\, 60610\, United States CATEGORIES:Events ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://imss.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/12/d53031fb963d42b91ccb4fc67b7fbe2c-wIP7TX.tmp_.jpg END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=America/Chicago:20260306T180000 DTEND;TZID=America/Chicago:20260306T200000 DTSTAMP:20260403T083646 CREATED:20260305T161152Z LAST-MODIFIED:20260305T161152Z UID:72772-1772820000-1772827200@imss.org SUMMARY:Opening Reception - Mami Takahashi: Soft Evidence DESCRIPTION:Join us for the exhibition opening reception of “Mami Takahashi: Soft Evidence” at the International Museum of Surgical Science.\n\n\nMami Takahashi: Soft Evidence\nMarch 6\, 2026\n6:00-8:00pm\nDoors at 5:30pm \nFree and open to the public \n\n\nMami Takahashi: Soft Evidence\nMarch 6 – May 31\, 2026\n \nSoft Evidence is a solo exhibition by Mami Takahashi that brings together video\, textile-based installation\, performance documentation\, and collaborative works to explore how women’s bodies communicate\, resist legibility\, and carry memory within everyday life. Rooted in attentiveness rather than spectacle\, the exhibition considers the body as both a site of expression and a surface onto which social expectations\, histories\, and perceptions are projected. \nDeveloped in collaboration with women-identifying participants living in different U.S. cities\, the exhibition draws from informal\, everyday actions rather than scripted narratives. Participants were invited to record short videos of their bodies—partial views\, gestures\, and routine movements—capturing how they inhabit space in ways that are both visible and vulnerable. These works appear alongside Takahashi’s own performance-based videos\, forming a layered conversation between individual experience and collective presence. \nIn the front gallery\, the collaborative videos are shown together with two earlier works by the artist\, Writing Myself and Cage Mentality. In Writing Myself\, Takahashi writes in Japanese on clear film until her body is gradually obscured\, creating a visual tension between self-expression and erasure. Cage Mentality documents a durational performance in which she constructs a restrictive structure around her body using string\, revealing both the comfort and constraint of enclosure. These works frame the body as a communicative tool that is never fully under one’s control\, shaped by repetition\, discipline\, and external interpretation. \nTextile-based installations composed of inherited household fabrics and kimono materials extend these concerns into the domestic sphere. Accumulated through generations of women in the artist’s family\, the fabrics embody care\, labor\, and quiet persistence. Layered\, folded\, and woven into the exhibition space\, they function as material traces of lived experience—objects that hold memory without explanation. \nMoving from the galleries into transitional space\, a subtle auditory element introduces another register of presence through layered voices gathered over time. Rather than operating as testimony\, these fragments exist as ambient traces\, emphasizing proximity and attention rather than narrative clarity. \nThe exhibition concludes with documentation of Who Knows (2024)\, a performance by Spiral Body previously presented at the International Museum of Surgical Science. In this work\, Takahashi’s body shifts between audience member\, performer\, and concealment\, reinforcing her ongoing inquiry into visibility\, displacement\, and relational identity within public space. \nAcross its varied forms\, Soft Evidence proposes that meaning often emerges through restraint—through what is partially hidden\, quietly repeated\, or left unresolved. The exhibition invites viewers to slow down and consider how bodies hold knowledge not through declaration\, but through presence\, endurance\, and care. \n \n\n\n\nMami Takahashi is a multidisciplinary artist from Tokyo\, based in Chicago. Working across performance\, video\, sound\, poetry\, and installation\, her practice examines how bodies communicate\, become visible\, or are obscured within social and cultural space. Through collaborative and process-based approaches\, Takahashi often works with everyday gestures\, spoken language\, and listening as materials\, exploring themes of displacement\, cultural transition\, and collective presence. \nHer work has been presented at venues including Artists Space\, New York; the International Museum of Surgical Science\, Chicago; Portland Institute for Contemporary Art; San Francisco Art Institute; Southern Alberta Art Gallery\, Canada; Gwangju Folk Art Museum\, Korea; Instituto Municipal del Arte y la Cultura\, Mexico; and Toriizaka Art Gallery\, Tokyo\, among others. She holds an MFA from Portland State University and a BFA from Joshibi University of Art and Design in Japan. Takahashi is a recipient of the Ford Family Foundation Award for a residency at MASS MoCA. \n \n\n\n\nThis project is partially supported by a CityArts grant from the City of Chicago Department of Cultural Affairs and Special Events. \n\n\n\nThe International Museum of Surgical Science acknowledges support from the Illinois Arts Council Agency. URL:https://imss.org/program/opening-reception-mami-takahashi-soft-evidence/ LOCATION:International Museum of Surgical Science\, 1524 North Lake Shore Drive\, Chicago\, IL\, 60610\, United States CATEGORIES:Events ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://imss.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/11e4d5f1be2add37368eaed345b69274-GjRClg.tmp_.jpg END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=America/Chicago:20260313T180000 DTEND;TZID=America/Chicago:20260313T200000 DTSTAMP:20260403T083646 CREATED:20260305T161155Z LAST-MODIFIED:20260305T161155Z UID:72773-1773424800-1773432000@imss.org SUMMARY:Opening Reception - Kimberly Viviano: Food for Thought DESCRIPTION:Join us for the exhibition opening reception of “Kimberly Viviano: Food for Thought” at the International Museum of Surgical Science.\n\n\nKimberly Viviano: Food for Thought\nMarch 13\, 2026\n6:00-8:00pm\nDoors at 5:30pm \nFree and open to the public \n\n\n\nKimberly Viviano: Food for Thought\nMarch 13 – April 26\, 2026\n \nDuring her 2025 Artist Residency at the International Museum of Surgical Science\, Chicago-based artist\, design director and educator Kimberly Viviano interrogates how everyday food choices affect our bodies in uncomfortable ways. Drawing on personal experience and research\, her installation investigates the tension between foods labeled “healthy” and how differently individual bodies can respond to them. \nViviano’s solo exhibition takes a concept-driven approach\, spanning 2D and 3D works that challenge viewers to reconsider what they consume—and the hidden consequences baked into everyday convenience. Through bold\, research-driven visual storytelling\, she exposes how overlooked social and environmental conventions overwhelm our bodily systems. Her compelling infographics serve as both revelation and warning\, offering a cautionary tale for individuals prone to kidney stone formation and prompting deeper reflection around eating habits long taken for granted \n \n\n\n\nKimberly Viviano is a cross-disciplinary designer and educator whose work asks viewers to reconsider what they consume and the hidden consequences embedded in everyday convenience. Through research-driven visual storytelling\, Viviano exposes the environmental and social costs we often overlook—revealing systems beneath the surface and inviting deeper reflection around daily habits. \nShe has led numerous environmental wayfinding and public engagement projects\, most notably People Powered\, an initiative that originated in Chicago and went on to serve as a model for cities nationwide. Recognized as a winner of the Metropolis Magazine Next Generation Design Competition\, People Powered evolved into a multi-platform campaign encompassing banners\, billboards\, signage\, train wraps\, and bike-lane and pedestrian-path graphics. The project illuminated society’s reliance on fossil fuels while advocating for sustainable\, human-centered alternatives. People Powered served as a conceptual precursor to Chicago’s Divvy bike program\, helping normalize cycling as a practical\, healthy\, and cost-effective mode of daily transportation while reducing emissions. \nViviano’s creative practice spans graphic design\, artist books\, printmaking\, sculpture\, and installation. Her artist books\, Compromises and Gentrified Board Game\, are held in the permanent collection of the Joan Flasch Artists’ Book Collection at the Flaxman Library. Viviano’s work exhibited internationally in Italy\, China\, and her print Bridge of Sighs is included in Nippon Steel’s permanent collection in Japan. She has several works in Archive’s permanent collection\, and her Parrot print has received recognition from the Scarab Club in Detroit. Recent projects include Eat Ate\, a series of limited-edition stone lithographs\, and Inner Spaces\, a porcelain sculpture series examining the presence of microplastics in waterways\, ecosystems\, and the human body through large scale wall installations. \nViviano holds an MFA in Visual Communication Design from the School of the Art Institute of Chicago and a BFA in Illustration from Kendall College of Art and Design. She lives and works in Chicago as a designer\, artist and educator of Visual Communication Design at the School of the Art Institute of Chicago and Columbia College Chicago. \nProfessional Bio \nProfessional Work \nLinkedIn Profile \n \n\n\n\nThis project is partially supported by a CityArts grant from the City of Chicago Department of Cultural Affairs and Special Events. \n\n\n\nThe International Museum of Surgical Science acknowledges support from the Illinois Arts Council Agency. URL:https://imss.org/program/opening-reception-kimberly-viviano-food-for-thought/ LOCATION:International Museum of Surgical Science\, 1524 North Lake Shore Drive\, Chicago\, IL\, 60610\, United States CATEGORIES:Events ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://imss.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/508938ef5c4aa496911593f74e80e9fb-ZRcpGf.tmp_.jpg END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=America/Chicago:20260315T103000 DTEND;TZID=America/Chicago:20260315T133000 DTSTAMP:20260403T083646 CREATED:20260103T193515Z LAST-MODIFIED:20260305T161157Z UID:72046-1773570600-1773581400@imss.org SUMMARY:Kintsugi Workshop: Repair and Reconnect DESCRIPTION:Discover the art and philosophy of Kintsugi — the Japanese practice of repairing broken pottery with gold — in this all-level\, hands-on work\n\n\nKintsugi Workshop: Repair and Reconnect with Mami Takahashi\nMarch 15\, 2026\n10:30am – 1:30pm\n \n“Kintsugi teaches us that scars are part of the story — not something to hide\, but something to honor. As we repair\, we reflect. As we mend\, we transform.” \nIn this 3-hour session\, students will learn and apply the modern Kintsugi method using food-safe adhesive\, epoxy putty\, and golden finish. The technique is safe for beginners and designed to make the centuries-old practice accessible in a single-day format. Rather than erasing damage\, Kintsugi highlights each crack as part of an object’s unique story — inviting us to reflect on beauty\, imperfection\, and transformation. \nFor beginner students\, a broken porcelain or ceramic plate will be provided\, allowing them to experience the full repair process from start to finish.For returning students\, or those with previous experience\, you’re welcome to bring your own broken ceramic objects (must be clean) or choose from more complex forms provided by the instructor. \nThis workshop offers a supportive\, meditative space for reflection and creativity. All materials are provided\, and finger covers are available to use\, though handling epoxy can sometimes leave a light residue for a day or two. \n \n \n“Kintsugi is based on the philosophy that breakage and repair are something to celebrate – embracing flaws and imperfections creates a stronger and more beautiful piece of art. Using this as a metaphor for healing ourselves teaches us an important lesson: Sometimes in the process of repairing what feels broken\, we become more unique\, beautiful\, and resilient. Kintsugi can be a way to reframe personal challenges. Reminding us that we’re not victims of our circumstances. Showing us that we can come out on the other side stronger.” — Here is a quote about Kintsugi from Linda Muller\, a certified life coach. \n \n\n\n\nAbout Mami Takahashi: \nMami Takahashi is a Japanese multidisciplinary artist and a scholar working in multiple cities including Chicago and Tokyo. She earned her MFA in Contemporary Studio Practice from Portland State University in 2013 and a BFA in Japanese Painting from Joshibi University of Art and Design in Japan. \nWith ongoing artistic research\, practice\, and teaching\, Takahashi explores different approaches to actualize Japanese aesthetics to enhance cultural perspectives in many U.S. communities. Takahashi also aims to connect Japan and communities in Chicago by teaching traditional and modern art-making techniques. URL:https://imss.org/program/kintsugi-workshop-repair-and-reconnect-5/ LOCATION:International Museum of Surgical Science\, 1524 North Lake Shore Drive\, Chicago\, IL\, 60610\, United States CATEGORIES:Events ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://imss.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/1f2c9be26c5ba9aeb48605f1b0ef9b7d-rXwUjC.tmp_.jpg END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=America/Chicago:20260318T190000 DTEND;TZID=America/Chicago:20260318T210000 DTSTAMP:20260403T083646 CREATED:20251230T205059Z LAST-MODIFIED:20260305T161200Z UID:71931-1773860400-1773867600@imss.org SUMMARY:Sounding/BODY: The Seventh Gate with Elly Kace DESCRIPTION:Bring your pillow\, blanket\, and most comfortable socks to cozy up among the marble statues to approach ‘the seventh gate’ with Elly Kace!\n\n\nThe Seventh Gate with Elly Kace (feat. Carl Hauck)\nMarch 18\, 2026\n7:00-9:00pm\nDoors at 6:30pm \nTickets: \n$10 Student – use code STUDENT at checkout \n(Valid Student ID will be requested at the door) \n$10 IMSS Members Presale – use code IMSSMEMBER at checkout \n(Valid IMSS Membership card will be requested at door) \n$15 GA Presale \n– \n$15 Student & IMSS Members (With valid ID & Membership Card) at Door \n$20 GA at Door \n\n\nBring your pillow\, blanket\, and most comfortable socks to cozy up among the marble statues to approach ‘the seventh gate’\, Elly Kace’s latest musical offering. \nKace’s five piece ensemble from Brooklyn -featuring crystal singing bowls\, synthesizers\, guitar\, drums\, piano and bass – will weave catharsis and regulation through the air in ceremony\, cultivating space for participants to feel\, release and just be\, as the music washes over it all. Fully composed songs from the record will be shared\, sprinkled with channeled/improvised soundbath portions\, unique to the moment and collection of people at the gathering. Participants are welcome to lie on the floor\, nap\, snuggle\, dance and sing along – this is a radically accepting space. \nThe evening will begin with tender music from local folk musician Carl Hauck to open our hearts and prepare the space for the soundbath.Following the performance there will be a short community gathering to integrate the experience. \nLine-Up: \n7:00 pm Carl Hauck7:45 pm Elly Kace8:30 pm Tea and community \n\n\n\nThis project is partially supported by a CityArts Grant from the City of Chicago Department of Cultural Affairs & Special Events. \n\n\n\nThe International Museum of Surgical Science acknowledges support from the Illinois Arts Council Agency. \n\n\n\nElly Kace (she/her/they) is a queer sound healing mystic and indie artist living in Brooklyn\, NY. Their baroque-pop portals incorporate earthy vocals\, sparkling sound worlds and sound medicine to conjure a new paradigm of radical self love. As a lyric soprano\, she has sung around the world at venues such as Carnegie Hall and Lincoln Center – but lately you can find her channeling sound meditation performances of her pop songs to audiences in NYC and beyond.  \n\n\n\nCarl Hauck is a singer-songwriter from Chicago whose latest record\, Death Farm\, is both poignant and playful—a sketchbook of Americana in decline. Mystic Sons describes it as “a rare work of folk-rock poetry that embraces imperfection while carving out something wholly luminous.” Hauck has released several solo albums and contributed to tribute compilations for both Sufjan Stevens and The Postal Service; he is also a member of the art rock band Sunjacket. URL:https://imss.org/program/performance-the-seventh-gate-with-elly-kace/ LOCATION:International Museum of Surgical Science\, 1524 North Lake Shore Drive\, Chicago\, IL\, 60610\, United States CATEGORIES:Events ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://imss.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/12/15a01cb4c551e801fc9a8defb24c4ed6-Rr6evm.tmp_.jpg END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=America/Chicago:20260322T110000 DTEND;TZID=America/Chicago:20260322T130000 DTSTAMP:20260403T083646 CREATED:20260305T161202Z LAST-MODIFIED:20260305T161202Z UID:72777-1774177200-1774184400@imss.org SUMMARY:Coma: What It Is\, Why It Happens\, and What Can Be Done DESCRIPTION:Join us for a lecture by Dr. Benjamin Meyer on World Coma Day addressing consciousness\, coma\, and the brain.\n\n\nLecture:\nComa: What It Is\, Why It Happens\, and What Can Be DoneDr. Benjamin Meyer\n11:00am-1:00pm\nCheck-In at 10:30am \nFree with RSVP\n \n\n\nWorld Coma Day is March 22. Come be part of this day of awareness\, education\, and advocacy with a session from 11 AM – 1 PM at the International Museum of Surgical Science. Dr. Ben Meyer from the University of Chicago will talk about “Coma: What it is\, why it happens\, and what can be done.” Learn about consciousness\, coma\, and the brain from members from the Curing Coma Campaign and the Neurocritical Care Society. \n\n\n\nBenjamin Meyer is a neurologist and a neuro-intensivist in training. He cares for patients with coma and is involved in clinical research understanding coma. He is particularly interested in how intentional communication with patients and families impacts perception of disease and what is possible for patients with neurological illness. URL:https://imss.org/program/coma-what-it-is-why-it-happens-and-what-can-be-done/ LOCATION:International Museum of Surgical Science\, 1524 North Lake Shore Drive\, Chicago\, IL\, 60610\, United States CATEGORIES:Events ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://imss.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/e2e4e20a79eb77e930072f79df303b38-q0vzww.tmp_.jpg END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=America/Chicago:20260327T183000 DTEND;TZID=America/Chicago:20260327T210000 DTSTAMP:20260403T083646 CREATED:20251203T002117Z LAST-MODIFIED:20260305T161204Z UID:71156-1774636200-1774645200@imss.org SUMMARY:Show & Tell for Grown-Ups!: Women In Historical Medicine DESCRIPTION:Let’s have fun & learn something together!\n\n\nShow & Tell for Grown-Ups! Women In Historical Medicine\nMarch 27\, 2026\nDoors at 6:30pm – come early\, explore the Museum!\nShow at 7:00pm\n \nShow & Tell for Grown-Ups is a show for sharing niche curiosities. Our goal is to redefine what a night out with friends can mean. Let’s have fun & learn something together! Audiences has been asking for it and now we’re so honored & excited to partner with The International Museum of Surgical Science. We’re bringing this Show & Tell edutainment platform to this engaging museum so we can connect with more brilliant people wanting to share their knowledge with others. \nSign Up to Share! You don’t need a PHD to teach us at Show & Tell for Grown-Ups! Presenters can signup online for a 5-minute slot to share something their passionate about. Then we open Q&A with the audience. It’s a night of learning\, laughing\, and meeting other passionate people. We can’t wait to meet you! Do you have a passion for historical medical practices that you want to share with an inclusive and engaged audience? Signup to share at Show & Tell for Grown-Ups! \nPresenter signup: https://wkf.ms/4o6HOD8 \nWhat to learn more about Show & Tell for Grown-Ups? Check out their website www.tellmewhyshow.com or on instagram @tellmewhyitscool_show . URL:https://imss.org/program/show-tell-for-grown-ups-women-in-historical-medicine-2/ LOCATION:International Museum of Surgical Science\, 1524 North Lake Shore Drive\, Chicago\, IL\, 60610\, United States CATEGORIES:Events ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://imss.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/12/ff5c0e384924d8c33fa849da3e3be7ef-oALszN.tmp_.jpg END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=America/Chicago:20260328T140000 DTEND;TZID=America/Chicago:20260328T153000 DTSTAMP:20260403T083646 CREATED:20260305T161207Z LAST-MODIFIED:20260305T161207Z UID:72780-1774706400-1774711800@imss.org SUMMARY:Artist Talk: Mami Takahashi in Conversation with Zachary Cahill DESCRIPTION:Join us for a conversation between exhibiting artist Mami Takahashi and Zachary Cahill from the Gray Center of Arts and Inquiry\n\n\nArtist Talk:\nMami Takahashi in Conversation with Zachary Cahill\n2:00pm-3:30pm\nCheck-In at 1:30pm \nFree with RSVP\n \n\n\nJoin us at the International Museum of Surgical Science for a conversation between exhibiting artist Mami Takahashi and Director of Programs and Fellowships at the Gray Center for Arts and Inquiry\, Zachary Cahill. \nThis talk is a part of Mami Takahashi’s exhibit Soft Evidence\, opening at the IMSS on March 6th. \n\n\n\nMami Takahashi is a multidisciplinary artist from Tokyo who is currently a resident of Chicago. Using poetry\, performance\, visual art formats\, and urban intervention\, her practice explores the complexities of being an immigrant woman living in the US. Previous exhibitions and performances have taken place at the Portland Institute for Contemporary Art; San Francisco Art Institute; The International Museum of Surgical Science; The International Museum of Art; Southern Alberta Art Gallery\, Canada; Gwangju Folk Art Museum\, Korea; Instituto Municipal del Arte la Cultura\, Mexico and Toriizaka Art Gallery\, Tokyo\, among other venues. She holds an MFA from Portland State University and a BFA from the Joshibi University of Art in Japan. Takahashi is a recipient of the Ford Family Award for the Massachusetts Museum of Contemporary Art residency. \n\n\n\nZachary Cahill is an interdisciplinary artist who has lived in Chicago since 2005. In recent years his work has taken a decisive turn from parafictional nation building towards the genres of fantasy and fairytales. His artwork has been featured in solo exhibitions at the KW Institute for Contemporary Art\, Berlin; Regina Rex\, New York; The Smart Museum of Art\, Chicago; and Museum of Contemporary Art Chicago\, and he was included in the 8 th Berlin Biennale. Cahill has published a novel\, two books of poetry\, and self-published a graphic novel. He is Director of Programs and Fellowships at the University of Chicago’s Gray Center for Arts and Inquiry\, where he is also the founding editor-in-chief of the journal Portable Gray\, an arts and ideas magazine put out twice a year by the University of Chicago Press. A monograph on Cahill’s art\, Zachary Cahill’s Composite Art: A Study of the Poetic Illuminations\, by Dr. Jacob Henry Leveton is forthcoming from Mousse. \n\n\n\nThis project is partially supported by a CityArts Grant from the City of Chicago Department of Cultural Affairs & Special Events. \n\n\n\nThe International Museum of Surgical Science acknowledges support from the Illinois Arts Council Agency. \n\n\nAbout Soft Evidence (March 6 – May 31\, 2026): \nSoft Evidence is a solo exhibition by Mami Takahashi that brings together video\, textile-based installation\, performance documentation\, and collaborative works to explore how women’s bodies communicate\, resist legibility\, and carry memory within everyday life. Rooted in attentiveness rather than spectacle\, the exhibition considers the body as both a site of expression and a surface onto which social expectations\, histories\, and perceptions are projected. \nDeveloped in collaboration with women-identifying participants living in different U.S. cities\, the exhibition draws from informal\, everyday actions rather than scripted narratives. Participants were invited to record short videos of their bodies—partial views\, gestures\, and routine movements—capturing how they inhabit space in ways that are both visible and vulnerable. These works appear alongside Takahashi’s own performance-based videos\, forming a layered conversation between individual experience and collective presence. \nIn the front gallery\, the collaborative videos are shown together with two earlier works by the artist\, Writing Myself and Cage Mentality. In Writing Myself\, Takahashi writes in Japanese on clear film until her body is gradually obscured\, creating a visual tension between self-expression and erasure. Cage Mentality documents a durational performance in which she constructs a restrictive structure around her body using string\, revealing both the comfort and constraint of enclosure. These works frame the body as a communicative tool that is never fully under one’s control\, shaped by repetition\, discipline\, and external interpretation. \nTextile-based installations composed of inherited household fabrics and kimono materials extend these concerns into the domestic sphere. Accumulated through generations of women in the artist’s family\, the fabrics embody care\, labor\, and quiet persistence. Layered\, folded\, and woven into the exhibition space\, they function as material traces of lived experience—objects that hold memory without explanation. \nMoving from the galleries into transitional space\, a subtle auditory element introduces another register of presence through layered voices gathered over time. Rather than operating as testimony\, these fragments exist as ambient traces\, emphasizing proximity and attention rather than narrative clarity. \nThe exhibition concludes with documentation of Who Knows (2024)\, a performance by Spiral Body previously presented at the International Museum of Surgical Science. In this work\, Takahashi’s body shifts between audience member\, performer\, and concealment\, reinforcing her ongoing inquiry into visibility\, displacement\, and relational identity within public space. \nAcross its varied forms\, Soft Evidence proposes that meaning often emerges through restraint—through what is partially hidden\, quietly repeated\, or left unresolved. The exhibition invites viewers to slow down and consider how bodies hold knowledge not through declaration\, but through presence\, endurance\, and care. URL:https://imss.org/program/artist-talk-mami-takahashi-in-conversation-with-zachary-cahill/ LOCATION:International Museum of Surgical Science\, 1524 North Lake Shore Drive\, Chicago\, IL\, 60610\, United States CATEGORIES:Events ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://imss.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/fd8549f8ad70002e2d4aa16fe23a01b7-hwx8eH.tmp_.jpg END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=America/Chicago:20260331T180000 DTEND;TZID=America/Chicago:20260331T200000 DTSTAMP:20260403T083646 CREATED:20260305T161209Z LAST-MODIFIED:20260305T161209Z UID:72781-1774980000-1774987200@imss.org SUMMARY:Aging Gracefully in the Era of Too Much DESCRIPTION:Join us for an evening lecture by Dr. Florence Mussat\, speaking on how aesthetic surgery has shifted from restoration toward alteration.\n\n\nLecture:\nAging Gracefully in the Era of Too MuchFlorence Mussat\, MD\, SC\n6:00pm-8:00pm\nDoors at 5:45pm \nFree with RSVP\n \n\n\nSocial media and influencer culture have shifted Plastic Surgery from a reactive fix for aging into a proactive perpetual youth maintenance strategy. \nThe digital age of aesthetics has brought democratization of surgical and non-surgical information\, the normalization of cosmetic procedures\, and questionable anti-aging treatments ( blood-filtering to remove toxins )Ubiquitous filters available on cell phones\, platforms like Insta\, TikTok have created a phenomenon known as ” Snapchat dysmorphia ” . Patients seek surgery to match their digitally altered\, flawless reflections.This can fuel unrealistic beauty standards\, body dysmorphic disorder\, anxiety and depression. \nSocial media have caused rapid cycling of different trends ( “BBL”\, “Kylie Jenner lips” ) which can leave patients with permanent surgical changes that may no longer align with current aesthetics. \nNevertheless\, we cannot stop aging.What can we do to navigate all this\, and age gracefully? \n\n\n\nDr. Florence Mussat is a board-certified plastic and reconstructive surgeon practicing in downtown Chicago. Born and raised in Paris\, she earned her medical degree with honors from the University René Descartes (Paris V) School of Medicine in 1984\, where early exposure to leading plastic surgeons shaped her interest in aesthetic and reconstructive surgery. She completed her plastic surgery training at the Univeristy of Illinois under the mentorship of DR. Mimis Cohen. \nWith more than four decades of clinical experience\, Dr. Mussat maintains a private practice devoted to facial and body aesthetic surgery and nonsurgical rejuvenation\, emphasizing careful technique and natural-appearing results. She is certified by the American Board of Plastic Surgery and affiliated with Presence Saint Joseph Hospital in Chicago. She is an active member of Face the Future Foundation assists children with facial differences obtaining the needed care for families without resources. \nFluent in both French and English\, she maintains strong professional and cultural ties between France and the United States and frequently travels between the two countries\, bringing a European perspective on proportion\, restraint\, and aging to her American practice. \nThis lecture will be given both in French and in English. URL:https://imss.org/program/aging-gracefully-in-the-era-of-too-much/ LOCATION:International Museum of Surgical Science\, 1524 North Lake Shore Drive\, Chicago\, IL\, 60610\, United States CATEGORIES:Events ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://imss.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/cae8ab8cbf905f3273b57c85f8709960-zS8sPn.tmp_.jpg END:VEVENT END:VCALENDAR