Alexander Utz Play Reading: Gut

Tuesday, Jun 28th, 2022

Play Reading 7-8:30 PM

Doors will open at 6:45 PM. The Museum will close at 9:30 PM.

On June 6, 1822, at the American Fur Company Store on Mackinac Island, among a group of fur traders, a musket accidentally misfired and hit a 19-year-old French-Canadian voyageur named Alexis St. Martin.

Quickly rushed to the nearby Fort Mackinac hospital, St. Martin’s wound was cleaned and dressed by the fort’s surgeon, William Beaumont. At the time, Beaumont did not believe St. Martin would survive more than 36 hours, but the young voyageur miraculously began a slow recovery.

When the wound healed in a way that left an opening directly into St. Martin’s stomach, Beaumont saw an opportunity to learn more about the process of digestion. For the next 11 years, the two men would work together on a series of 238 experiments and studies that completely reshaped our understanding of the digestive process.

Explore this incredible story and learn from Chicago playwright Alexander Utz, author of the new play Gut, about how history is translated to the stage.

Bio:

Alexander Utz is a Chicago-based playwright and actor, as well as a co-founder and Artistic Director of Avalanche Theatre. His plays have been read and performed with The Plagiarists, Otherworld Theatre, Bower Theatre Ensemble, Three Brothers Theatre, Benchmark Theatre, Eclectic Full Contact Theatre, Three Cat Productions, and 5th Wall Productions. His play Sunflowers is available through Next Stage Press. He is a resident playwright with Three Brothers Theatre. This summer, he will be participating in an artist residency on Mackinac Island to complete a final revision on his play Gut about William Beaumont and Alexis St. Martin.

COVID Guidelines: Masks are optional but recommended.

Free Admission

Opening Reception: James Wilke Artist in Residence Capstone

Sat, July 9th, 2022

Artist in Residence, James Wilke, debuts his capstone exhibition and play, “Pox Americana: How Smallpox Once Plagued America & The World.”

Join us for the Opening of Pox Americana: How Smallpox Once Plagued America & The World, the capstone exhibition for our Spring Artist in Residence James Wilke. This exhibition will be on view from July 9, 2022, to August 28, 2022.

Opening Reception & Play Reading:

6 pm Opening Reception – Pox Americana: How Smallpox Once Plagued America & The World

7-8:30 pm Play Reading – A Mercy, by James R. Wilke; Adapted from the novel by Toni Morrison

1524 N Lake Shore Drive, Chicago, IL 60610

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The International Museum of Surgical Science is pleased to introduce its Spring 2022 Artist in Residence, James R. Wilke. The IMSS continues its active role in supporting Chicago and Illinois arts and artists through its Artist in Residency and “Anatomy in the Gallery” rotating contemporary art galleries. James R. Wilke’s capstone exhibition, “Pox Americana: How Smallpox Once Plagued America & The World,” opens on July 9th, 2022, and is on view through August 28, 2022. The Museum will host an opening reception on July 9 from 6-8:30 p.m. that is free and open to the public.

***

Light refreshments are included and wine will be served to guests with proof of age. Alcohol served to guests 21+, ID required

Accessible accommodations include a ramp entrance and elevator. If you need additional accessibility options or wheelchair seating please contact us at info@imss.org.

Parking and Directions can be found here: https://imss.org/plan-your-visit/#nav

During his residency at the IMSS, Wilke researched the smallpox pandemic, vaccines, and the history of inoculation. James R. Wilke is a multidisciplinary Chicago artist-author, playwright, songwriter, director, producer, singer, and assemblage artist, whose creative work has appeared in print nationally, on stage, on film and tv screens, in museums, and beyond Chicago to New York, Los Angeles, and as far away as Scandinavia and Japan.

Wilke’s exhibition, “Pox Americana: How Smallpox Once Plagued America & The World” is a timely overview of the smallpox virus pandemic that devastated human societies from ancient times through eradication in 1980, including a detailed look at its impact in early America. Wilke’s creative writings in association with the exhibition include two explorations of the smallpox pandemic.

The first, with the gracious permission of her estate, is a play adaptation of Toni Morrison’s historical novel, A Mercy. Taking place in 1600s colonial America, A Mercy sheds a spotlight on the ravages of smallpox on the Indigenous peoples and immigrants of the time and illuminates early American slavery and discrimination, political and religious divides, medical superstitions, class struggles, unspoken homosexuality, and more. With an ensemble cast of characters that span races, ages, genders, and cultures, this play will look at situations that educate us about the struggles of early Americans and offer surprising parallels to issues we face in America today. The play adaptation will be presented in two live play-reading performances open to the public and within the exhibit on video.

Wilke’s second associated creative work will be a young adult fiction novel (his first!), inspired by the beliefs, hardships, diseases, wars, and witchcraft trials that faced the diverse peoples of early America. The story is told through the eyes of a twelve-year-old boy moving with his family to an old historic mansion in rural upstate New York, who finds a hidden place in the woods behind his new home where timelines between the present and distant past converge. This debut novel, entitled Spiritania, is set for release at the IMSS in October. A labor of love Wilke has been working on for over a decade, Spiritania weaves together folklore from many diverse sources, themes of self-acceptance and accepting others, losing loved ones, sibling rivalry, the value of friends, and more. It is inspired in part by Wilke’s own real-life ordeals and adventures growing up in the small town of Wonder Lake, Illinois, as an outsider/misfit—a short, scrawny gay kid with a dark, patchy birthmark that covered one side of his face, making him noticeably different from other children and often picked on. Yet, with wooded land beginning right at the edge of his backyard, Wilke found in the forests surrounding his home an escape into worlds of fantasy when the real world became too difficult. And it was in these woods also where James developed a life-long reverence and passion for early America and its indigenous peoples and inhabitants.

About the Artist: James R. Wilke is a multidisciplinary Chicago artist-author, playwright, songwriter, director, producer, singer, and assemblage artist, whose creative work has appeared in print nationally, on stage, on film and tv screens, in museums, and beyond Chicago to New York, Los Angeles, and as far away as Scandinavia and Japan. While having spent the past decade primarily as a Certified Public Accountant, James is thankful to the IMSS for helping fulfill his dream of returning to the arts, in which he had worked full-time for over 15 years prior to the Great Recession. A saying that permeates James’ life and art since Covid-19 changed our world is “memento mori – remember that you will die.” Of ancient Latin origin, it is meant not so much to make one think about death but to remind one to live life with meaning, with intention, to seize opportunities, and to do the things that really matter to oneself. In that spirit, James returns joyfully to his greatest passion, storytelling, and to share the message of embracing one’s life with others.

Some notable writing and directing achievements from Wilke’s artistic career include: winning the Chicago/Midwest Emmy Award for Outstanding Director in 2009 for 24/7 Chicago on NBC; a 2nd Emmy Nomination in 2010 for Outstanding Special Event Program for Test Drive on FOX; winning Best Music Video at the San Fernando Valley International Film Festival 2005 for his direction and original story to the song, “Wonder,” by Emmy Award-winning singer-songwriter, Faith Rivera; premiering his original comedy short film, Catastrophe!, at the Naperville Independent Film Festival 2009; his original one-act stage comedy, Undercover (Bailiwick Theatre, Chicago, IL, 2007); writing music & lyrics for the original musical, Inconceivable, book by Marian Partee Lamb (California Institute of the Arts, CA, 2002); and writing book, music & lyrics for the original musical, Lunch Break (Northwestern University, IL, 1997). Wilke holds a Bachelor of Music degree and Certificates in Musical Theatre and Business from Northwestern University and an M.S. in Accountancy from DePaul University. Where his prior arts career focused primarily on creating light, often comedic work, Wilke is inspired now to bring more serious, introspective subjects to audiences at the IMSS and beyond.

About the Artist in Residence Program: As artistic practice occupies an increasingly pluralistic field, The International Museum of Surgical Science believes that artists are uniquely equipped to extrapolate Museum collections in innovative ways and introduce novel perspectives to the institutional depiction of medical history. The IMSS Artist Residency Program provides working artists with: access to the Museum’s extensive collections and archive; visibility on the Museum’s website and social media channels; a month-long capstone Solo Exhibition (or equivalent presentation) at the Museum.

The International Museum of Surgical Science acknowledges support from the Illinois Arts Council Agency.

Free Admission

The Priestess of Morphine: A Forensic Study of Marie-Madeleine

Fri, June 17th, 2022, 7:00 PM – 9:00 PM

Sat, June 18th, 2022, 7:00 PM – 9:00 PM

The International Museum of Surgical Science presents two operatic performances of “The Priestess of Morphine: A Forensic Study of Marie-Madeleine in the Time of the Nazis,” written by Aiden K. Feltkamp and composed by Rosśa Crean.

Performances are 50 minutes long. Doors open 30 minutes prior to the start of the performance. 

ABOUT THE PERFORMANCE:

The writings of Marie-Madeleine (pen name of Baroness Gertrud von Puttkamer, ) are full of ecstatic highs and terrible despairs, with sensational depictions of lesbian eroticism and narcotics. Likewise, her life contained both the heights of scandalous success in early 20th-century Germany, and her mysterious but tragic death in a Nazi sanitarium. Her rediscovery is a welcome revival, in the form of a 2016 publication, translating her works to English for the first time, which inspired the creation of “The Priestess Of Morphine”, a chamber opera Rosśa Crean and Aiden Feltkamp. Subtitled “A Forensic Investigation Of Marie-Madeleine”, the work uses powerful song and a twist on the monodrama format to explore her inner and outer worlds.

The monodrama’s unusual story is matched by a unique ensemble. Two sopranos represent each side of Gertrud’s life—one mature and narrative, the other youthful and poetic—as the instruments weave unexpected textures and moods. The vibraphone is pushed to its musical limits to create unusual sounds, and the violin and cello float between traditional and percussive styles. Rounding out the ensemble’s ethereal sound is a brief yet powerful scene with the mysterious waterphone. The opera lulls listeners into a sensual, dreamlike state to explore the young woman’s suffocating trauma with an eye towards healing.

ABOUT THE CREATORS

Rosśa Crean 

“When Rossa Crean writes music it is not to casually entertain their listeners. No, instead (they) write (their) music with a driven purpose of speaking from one heart to another. An attempt at communication that can be understood across the globe. (Their) world is shaped by the reality before (them), and (they) often use music as (their) voice to speak out with questions regarding equality and social justice. When one hears (their) work, they hear stories accompanied by music that stirs you deep, undertones of humanity.” – Access Contemporary Music

Composing and creating music with a focus on the evocative and lyrical, Rossa Crean began their professional music career as an operatic Bass-Baritone, specializing in avant-garde and Contemporary Classical music, many of which were their own works. A prolific collaborator, they have received commissions from and worked with numerous artists including internationally renowned mezzo-soprano Heidi Skok (formerly with the Metropolitan Opera), Oberlin College, Opera on Tap Chicago, and Loyola University Museum of Art. 

A graduate of Illinois State University in Music Theory/Composition, Crean has studied with Stephen Taylor, David Feurzeig, and Nancy Van de Vate. Crean began training in several vocal styles in their teens, including rock, opera, sean-nós (traditional Gaelic singing), and Indian and Middle Eastern vocal ornamentation. 

Aiden K. Feltkamp

Aiden Kim Feltkamp (they/he) began their musical life at the age of 5 playing a quarter-size cello and now they champion new classical music and opera as a transgender nonbinary librettist, performer, and educator. They’re currently the Emerging Composers and Diversity Director with American Composers Orchestra.Mx. Feltkamp is passionate about diversity and inclusion, and that mission pervades every aspect of their career. They write to explore the crevices and the intersections: the shadowy stories previously unexcavated due to the oppression of their narrators. In life and in fiction, they’re drawn to main characters who live on the margins and open our capacity for empathy by telling stories through a yet-unencountered lens. Feltkamp’s work spans from live performance reviews and interviews with classical music industry leaders to supplemental program material and editorials to poetry and libretti.

FAQs

What are the COVID Policies?

The performers have requested that everyone wear a mask and we will be checking vaccination cards upon entry.

Are there ID or minimum age requirement to enter the event?

This performance may not be suitable for children under 13.

$30 General Admission

$15 Member Admission (ID Required)

Dr. Lindsey Fitzharris Author Talk with Guest Speaker Dr. Brandy Schillace

Sun, June 12th, 2022, 1:00 PM – 2:00 PM

15 minute presentation followed by a conversation with Dr. Brandy Schillace. Q & A and book signing will follow. Books will be available for purchase at the Museum.

***Please note: The presentation will include graphic and/or highly sensitive material and photos/recordings are not allowed.***

Dr. Lindsey Fitzharris, the award-winning author of The Butchering Art, presents the compelling, true story of a visionary surgeon who rebuilt the faces of the First World War’s injured heroes, and in the process ushered in the modern era of plastic surgery.

From the moment the first machine gun rang out over the Western Front, one thing was clear: mankind’s military technology had wildly surpassed its medical capabilities. Bodies were battered, gouged, hacked, and gassed. The First World War claimed millions of lives and left millions more wounded and disfigured. In the midst of this brutality, however, there were also those who strove to alleviate suffering. The Facemaker tells the extraordinary story of such an individual: the pioneering plastic surgeon Harold Gillies, who dedicated himself to reconstructing the burned and broken faces of the injured soldiers under his care.

Gillies, a Cambridge-educated New Zealander, became interested in the nascent field of plastic surgery after encountering the human wreckage on the front. Returning to Britain, he established one of the world’s first hospitals dedicated entirely to facial reconstruction. There, Gillies assembled a unique group of practitioners whose task was to rebuild what had been torn apart, to re-create what had been destroyed. At a time when losing a limb made a soldier a hero, but losing a face made him a monster to a society largely intolerant of disfigurement, Gillies restored not just the faces of the wounded but also their spirits.

The Facemaker places Gillies’s ingenious surgical innovations alongside the dramatic stories of soldiers whose lives were wrecked and repaired. The result is a vivid account of how medicine can be an art, and of what courage and imagination can accomplish in the presence of relentless horror.

You can purchase the book here: https://imss.ecwid.com/PRESALE-The-Facemaker-by-Lindsey-Fitzharris-p463846121

$18 General Admission

Free Member Admission

Patrick Girondi introduces his new book, Flight of the Rondone 

Wed, June 8th 2022, 6:00 PM – 8:00 PM

Patrick Girondi, Founder of San Rocco Therapeutics, singer/songwriter, and author of Flight of the Rondone/High School Dropout VS Big Pharma: The Fight to Save My Son’s Life (released May 24, 2022 by Skyhorse Publishing), will be in person for a special book signing event and to speak about his newly released work.This event follows Megan Euker’s 2020 exhibition at IMSS, “The Cure,” which presented a visual storyline of Girondi’s company’s court battle and personal voyage: https://imss.org/megan-euker-the-cure/

A video trailer for Flight of the Rondone can be viewed here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2w4KywHPshQ

The book is available for pre-order here: https://www.skyhorsepublishing.com/9781510772199/flight-of-the-rondone/

Limited copies will be available at the museum as well.

Free

Alexander Utz: Gut Exhibition Q&A

Fri, June 3rd, 2022, 7:00 PM – 9:00 PM

Q & A from 7-8PM

Doors will close at 8:30PM

On June 6, 1822, at the American Fur Company Store on Mackinac Island, among a group of fur traders, a musket accidentally misfired and hit a 19-year-old French-Canadian voyageur named Alexis St. Martin.

Quickly rushed to the nearby Fort Mackinac hospital, St. Martin’s wound was cleaned and dressed by the fort’s surgeon, William Beaumont. At the time, Beaumont did not believe St. Martin would survive more than 36 hours, but the young voyageur miraculously began a slow recovery.

When the wound healed in a way that left an opening directly into St. Martin’s stomach, Beaumont saw an opportunity to learn more about the process of digestion. For the next 11 years, the two men would work together on a series of 238 experiments and studies that completely reshaped our understanding of the digestive process.

Explore this incredible story and learn from Chicago playwright Alexander Utz, author of the new play Gut, about how history is translated to the stage.

Free

Exhibition Opening Reception: Phil Gayter – Maskeraid

Fri, May 27th, 2022, 6:00 PM – 8:00 PM

Opening Reception 6-8 PM

Doors will open at 5:45 PM. The Museum will close at 8 PM.

Artist Phil Gayter captures our collective pandemic years through masked portraits. Maskeraid is a poignant and whimsical reflection on mask-wearing in the age of COVID-19. Gayter explores the people that surround him during the pandemic through glimpses of day-to-day lives captured through the ubiquitous nature of the masks they were wearing.

“I decided to do a self-portrait, painting myself with bright yellow gloves and an N95 mask. That was the start, it was going to be a one-off. As the pandemic was setting in, I was spending more and more time at home, I had my daughter over, and I did a portrait of her in a mask. The mask proved to be that point of distinction, allowing me to think of a collection of paintings that capture the moment, poignant yet whimsical.”

Inspirations for the paintings came to Gayter through everyday snapshots: his son whose glasses steamed up while wearing a mask, to a couple hugging each other, demonstrating absolute love through the material covering their faces. Driven to capture as many moments as possible, Gayter completed the series of 24 acrylic paintings in eighteen months. Including friends, family, and hospital workers, Maskeraid is an homage to the first responders who supported us through this unprecedented time.

Read more about Phil Gayter’s series in the Chicago Sun-Times

About the Artist: Phil Gayter graduated with a BA in Communications from Manchester Metropolitan University where he specialized in illustration and painting as well as advertising. He came to the US to work with ad giant Leo Burnett where he was responsible for some of the most enduring campaigns in the last 20 years. While pursuing his career he has also been a prolific painter showing in many galleries in Illinois as well as Kansas, D.C., and his homeland, England. He works in a number of styles from classic landscapes to collaborative campaigns with his identical twin exploring the connections between twin artists, to his latest work Maskeraid. This exhibition was featured in the Chicago Sun-Times and he will have 3 pieces hanging in the lobby of the new Sinai Hospital.

About the Contemporary Arts Program: The International Museum of Surgical Science supports a commitment to contemporary art and artists through exhibitions and programs that use the frame of contemporary artistic practice to examine new perspectives in medical-surgical science and our relationship to the body. The Museum’s Contemporary Arts Initiative includes rotating exhibitions of contemporary art, as well as an ongoing Artist in Residence program.

Free

Malliway Brothers Bone Reading

Fri, May 27th, 2022, 1:00 PM – 4:00 PM

Get a Bone Reading at the International Museum of Surgical Science!

The Malliway Brothers will be at the Museum between 1-4PM. See them as you browse our collection!

“Bone reading is one of our favorite methods for garnering information on a matter. It uses bones, trinkets, and tokens to reveal hidden messages, map out a situation, and outline a person’s favors and blockages. With this we can help to determine the best course to take in a matter or what factors to avoid.

“The Malliway brothers are midwestern raised witches specializing in divination and the magical arts. We own a shop in Rogers Park called Malliway Bros where we sell occult goods and teach classes on witchcraft.”

$20 (Pay in person)

Cash, Card or Apple Pay accepted.

The Story Collider Chicago

Tue, May 24th, 2022, 7:00 PM – 9:00 PM

True, personal stories about science

Hosted by Jitesh Jaggi and Lily Be.

Stories by:

JulieAnn Villa is a health and science communicator. She honed her skills over 20-years as a public high school teacher. Her first Story Collider workshop in 2017, sparked a new, unknown artistic side, and she has been hooked ever since. She is a Chicago Moth Story slam regular and uses her storytelling skills for good in health care, giving voice to patient experience.

James Gordon is an international award winning author and poet, champion storyteller, and acclaimed actor. James can be seen on Chicago Med as Kent Taylor, Detective Smiley on Amazon’s The G, and PA Flanders in Background Extras.

Sophia Monroy was born in Chicago and raised in the burbs. She is a first-generation Mexican American and the first to get a bachelor’s degree in her family. She lives in Edgewater and is obsessed with my dog, Frida.

Mary Stanley is a former lab rat turned medical student. Prior to beginning medical school, she studied neuroscience at Tulane University and worked in various infectious disease labs. During her last two years of medical school, she served as the president of her university’s Restorative Justice organization and as a leader on the Street Medicine team. In her free time, she enjoys scuba diving, hiking, exploring Chicago, and hanging out with her husband and their two kitties children. While she is a first-time storyteller, she is passionate about medical humanities and the use of storytelling to foster human connection and understanding. She is so excited for the opportunity to share her story with Story Collider.

$15

Alexander Utz Opening Reception & Play Reading

Wed, May 18, 2022, 6:00 PM – 8:30 PM

GUT — The story of a frontier army surgeon, a fur trapper, and the unlucky gunshot wound that changed our understanding of digestion.

Opening Reception 6-7 PM

Play Reading 7-8:30 PM

Doors will open at 5:45 PM. The Museum will close at 9 PM.

On June 6, 1822, at the American Fur Company Store on Mackinac Island, among a group of fur traders, a musket accidentally misfired and hit a 19-year-old French-Canadian voyageur named Alexis St. Martin.

Quickly rushed to the nearby Fort Mackinac hospital, St. Martin’s wound was cleaned and dressed by the fort’s surgeon, William Beaumont. At the time, Beaumont did not believe St. Martin would survive more than 36 hours, but the young voyageur miraculously began a slow recovery.

When the wound healed in a way that left an opening directly into St. Martin’s stomach, Beaumont saw an opportunity to learn more about the process of digestion. For the next 11 years, the two men would work together on a series of 238 experiments and studies that completely reshaped our understanding of the digestive process.

Explore this incredible story and learn from Chicago playwright Alexander Utz, author of the new play Gut, about how history is translated to the stage.

Free

Kintsugi Memory Workshop

Sun, May 15, 2022, 10:15 AM – 12:15 PM

Mon, May 16, 2022, 10:15 AM – 12:15 PM

Community workshop highlighting the process of “kintsugi” to mend personal items.

Program Description:

The Japanese Arts Foundation in partnership with the International Museum of Surgical Science is excited to announce an upcoming exhibition held at the museum, “Kintsugi: Healing through Japanese Art” by multidisciplinary artist Mami Takahashi, curated by Saira Chambers. This exhibition draws upon the traditional Japanese art of Kintsugi, or gold repair, that has been practiced to repair ceramics throughout Japanese history. As gold is used to repair broken ceramics, highlighting the break rather than erasing it, we reflect on how this translates to the human process of overcoming trauma and loss, particularly in our shared moment of the COVID-19 pandemic. The practice of kintsugi emphasizes that it is the break, or trauma, that makes the ceramic more valuable and treasured. With this in mind, we see a correlation with our own humanity and our shared healing process. Ahead of the exhibition’s launch at the end of September of this year, we invite our greater community to join us in this process of healing.

Workshop Description:

The IMSS and JAF will be hosting a series of “Kintsugi Memory” workshops throughout the city led by JAF resident artist Mami Takahashi. Rather than pieces of ceramics, we ask participants to bring in tangible memories of someone or something lost. These objects will then be ‘mended’ using a kintsugi method, among community members who can share the healing process together. Participants only need to bring photographs, handwriting, letters, fabrics, or any other flat objects that recall someone special. Please bring photocopied items so as to not alter your original materials.

Throughout this workshop you will mend these objects with other textiles and gold to create your own “Kintsugi Memory”. With each participant’s permission, we would like to feature each of your works in the upcoming fall exhibition for the greater community to experience. However you have no obligation to lend us your finished work as this is for you! These workshops are meant as a space to heal and process. We acknowledge the array of experiences each of you may bring and hope to support each other through this artistic practice as a community.

In conjunction with these workshops, we will also be announcing public “kintsugi” installations throughout the city which you can partake in as well. These installations will “repair” broken concrete, sidewalks, and public spaces with gold. Please follow the IMSS and JAF for more details as they are announced.

Important Information:

– This event will be photographed and attendees will need to sign a photo release. We plan to create a documentary to share as part of the exhibition that would feature the work we do together as a community. However, you are under no obligation to be included! If you would like to be left out of photos and or video, please let us know when you register

– If cost is prohibitive to your participation, please email lindsey@imss to discuss.

Suggested Donation

Ann Bradford Stokes: African American Civil War Nurse

Sat, May 14, 2022, 5:30 PM – 7:30 PM

In a fascinating reenactment, Marlene Rivero will breathe life back into Ann Stokes and her story, captivating audiences and informing new learners for approximately 45 minutes, with a 15 minute Q&A session afterward. Marlene brings and shares a touchable display table that she periodically draws from throughout her performance in costume.

Free

MOCREP Presents: The Health

Thu, May 12th, 2022, 7:00 PM – 10:00 PM 

Fri, May 13th, 2022, 7:00 PM – 10 PM

Sam Scranton and Mocrep respectfully request that you attend The Health, a celebration of the life force. The Health is an evening-length musical ceremony that imagines health not as a property of individual bodies, but as a vital, cosmic force that flows through all things. It suggests that all matter is both beneficiary and victim of the agency and vitality of The Health. Human, virus, cheetah, zebra, rock, water. The Health incorporates forms drawn from the healthcare industry, diagnostic tests, hold music, meditation music, and places them in an expanded musical, visual, theatrical landscape. It asks: if health were an American religion, what might a proper theology look like? What might a ceremony feel like? A cosmology? The Health celebrates the life force in its weight, silliness, and joy.

Runtime: approx 80 minutes. no intermission.

Mocrep and Sam Scranton perform The Health.

The Health was written by Sam Scranton in close collaboration with Mocrep.

Visual, theatrical, lighting, costumes and staged elements devised by Sam Scranton and Mocrep.

About the Artists:

Mocrep

Mocrep is a Chicago-based collective creating inter- and intra-disciplinary performance work: music, theater, videos, events, zines, internet happenings, meals, new media and basically anything we can get our hands on. Our work responds to the issues, paradoxes, and humor inherent in contemporary culture and relationships. We have performed at The Art Institute of Chicago, The Museum of Contemporary Art Chicago and the Arts Club of Chicago, and held residencies at Stanford University, Mills College, dfbrl8r Art Gallery, and Mana Contemporary Chicago.

Sam Scranton

Sam Scranton is a composer/performer. He has been described in New Music Box as “an artist taking wholehearted risks” and in the New York Times as a “killer drummer”.

Sam plays percussion and electronics in Beautifulish (with Katherine Young), Honestly Same (with Zach Good, Mabel Kwan, Lia Kohl, and Zach Moore) and Physique (with Neil Quigley). He plays with small, amplified objects processed through a synthesizer. Beautifulish released its self-titled debut on Shinkoyo in 2020, and Physique released Curve Totem on Amalgam in 2021.

Sam also composes works for ensembles large and small. Sometimes the works are conceptually driven, sometimes they are concerned with abstract sound. He has worked with ensembles and performers such as Mocrep, Nois~, International Contemporary Ensemble, Jack Quartet, Nadar, Weston Olencki, Spektral Quartet, Gyre Ensemble, ZRL, among others.

Sam has created sound installations with collaborators Natacha Diels, Zach Moore, and Baudouin Saintyves. These have taken the form of a guided tour, a psychedelic waiting room, and swarming sonic creatures.

Sam has presented his work nationally and internationally at festivals, conferences and performance series such as the 2018 Internationales Musikinstitut Darmstadt, Indexical, Composit, NUNC! 3, New Music Gathering, the International Conference on Music and Minimalism, Outer Ear Festival, and Omaha Under the Radar. Sam’s music has been broadcast on BBC Radio 3, Borealis Festival Radio Space, WFMT, and released by Parlour Tapes+.

$15 General Admission

$7 Member Admission

Fireside Chat on Health Equality and Nursing

Mon, May 9, 2022, 4:30 PM – 7:00 PM 

Join us for a Fireside Chat on Health Equality and Nursing with Janice Phillips Ph.D., RN, CENP, FAAN, Director of Nursing Research and Health Equity, Nursing Administration Associate Professor, Rush University College of Nursing.

With Special Guest, Christopher Watts, Executive Director of The Kindness Campaign.

Speaker begins at 5:00PM, Museum open until 7:00PM

Free with donations of reusable shopping/large paper bags to support The Open Pantry

Sound Healing

Saturday, May 7th 2022 from 6:00pm-7:30pm

Join us for a sound bath in our iconic atmosphere!

Cassandra and Jason will take us through an evening of meditation and mindfulness using sound vibrations. Doors will open at 5:30PM. Please arrive 15 minutes early to get settled in. Class will begin promptly at 6:05PM, and will last for approximately one hour, with 45 minutes of sounds and 15 minutes for grounding breathwork to close out the session.

Important information:

Spots are first come, first serve. Cassandra and Jason will set up between the Hall of Immortals and Historic Library, and you can choose which room to be in. There will be spots in the Hall of Immortals and in the Library. We do not provide mats, so please bring one if you choose to.

COVID Guidelines: We are following current city of Chicago guidelines which means masks are optional but recommended.

Guests are instructed to relax their mind, body, and soul as soothing sounds help “bathe” them into a restful state of being. Sound healing sessions include crystal quartz sound bowls, Tibetan and Japanese singing bowls, cleansing water element instruments, 7 chakra chimes, breathwork, and a brief guided meditation.

We advise guests to bring water because it helps with grounding after the sound bath and it is good to have some available during the session for comfort. Also, wear comfortable clothing and anything to bring optimal relaxation like pillows, yoga mats, and blankets. There is no wrong way to observe a sound bath–No expectations as you can simply rest and clear your mind or set an intention for healing for the session. The frequencies created from the bowls are “intelligent sounds” and know where to go (what your body needs) much like reiki energy.  

$25 General Admission

$15 Member Admission

Colin Mustful Presents On The King’s Anatomist and Andreas Vesalius

Wednesday, April 27th 2022 from 6:00pm-7:30pm

In 1543, Andreas Vesalius published De humani corporis fabrica, a seminal work in the study of human anatomy. Centuries later, Ron Blumenfeld commemorated Vesalius’ life and work with his novel The King’s Anatomist. But neither Vesalius or Blumenfeld could print and publish their work without the help of others, such as Johannes Oporinus, the printer of De humani corporis fabrica, and History Through Fiction, the publisher of The King’s Anatomist. In this presentation, Colin Mustful, the founder and editor of History Through Fiction, will explore the challenges of printing and publishing De humani corporis fabrica in a time long before the internet. He will draw parallels to his own experience publishing Blumenfeld’s novel while giving insight into the modern publishing process. Will the partnership of Blumenfeld and Mustful have the same impact on human history as the partnership of Vesalius and Oporinus? Only time will tell.

$17-$28

Book Club: The King’s Anatomist by Ron Blumenfeld

Tuesday, April 26th 2022 from 6:00pm-7:30pm

We will meet in the Hall of Immortals! Please come prepared to discuss the book.

A revolutionary anatomist, a memory-laden journey, and a shocking discovery.

In 1565 Brussels, the reclusive mathematician Jan van den Bossche receives shattering news that his lifelong friend, the renowned and controversial anatomist Andreas Vesalius, has died on the Greek island of Zante returning from a pilgrimage to the Holy Land. Jan decides to journey to his friend’s grave to offer his last goodbye.

Jan’s sentimental and arduous journey to Greece with his assistant Marcus is marked by shared memories, recalled letters, and inner dialogues with Andreas, all devices to shed light on Andreas’ development as a scientist, physician, and anatomist. But the journey also gradually uncovers a dark side of Andreas even as Jan yearns for the widow of Vesalius, Anne.

When Jan and Marcus finally arrive on Zante, the story takes a major twist as a disturbing mystery unfolds. Jan and Marcus are forced to take a drastic and risky measure that leads to a shocking discovery. On his return home, Jan learns that Andreas was an unknowing pawn in a standoff between King Philip of Spain, his employer, and Venice. When he arrives home in Brussels, he must finally reckon with his feelings for Anne.

Free

SECOND DATE ADDED: Medicinal Botany Embroidery Workshop with Anastasia Sitnikova

Friday, April 22nd 2022 from 6:00pm-8:00pm

Learn to embroider a botanical plant once used for anesthesia!

Our Artist in Residence, Anastasia Sitnikova, will demonstrate embroidery stitches and techniques. You will learn how to embroider a medicinal plant of your choosing. The sample embroidery features the plant D. Angelica Glabra, which was used in the East by Seishu Hanaoka for his anesthesia recipes in Japan. All the materials that you will need are included in the ticket cost. You will make one 6″ embroidery featuring a medicinal plant (reference images will be provided).

The workshop will begin at 6PM, and will last approximately 2 hours. The Museum will close at 8:30PM.

$20 General admission

$10 Member admission

Medicinal Botany Embroidery Workshop with Anastasia Sitnikova

Friday, April 8th 2022 from 5:30pm-6:30pm

Learn to embroider a botanical plant once used for anesthesia!

Our Artist in Residence, Anastasia Sitnikova, will demonstrate embroidery stitches and techniques. You will learn how to embroider a medicinal plant of your choosing. The sample embroidery features the plant D. Angelica Glabra, which was used in the East by Seishu Hanaoka for his anesthesia recipes in Japan. All the materials that you will need are included in the ticket cost. You will make one 6″ embroidery featuring a medicinal plant (reference images will be provided).

The workshop will begin at 6PM, and will last approximately 2 hours. The Museum will close at 8:30PM.

$20 General admission

$10 Member admission

Sold out

Henry Cervantes: Xochitl-Quetzal and Mexico’s Living Tradition

Friday, April 8th 2022 from 5:30pm-6:30pm

Henry Cervantes leads a community dance group centered on healing through cultural connection and Mexico’s ancient Aztec dance

Xochitl-Quetzal invites you to a dynamic and vibrant performance honoring the heritage of the tradition of La Danza De Los Concheros.

Learn about indigenous Aztec ceremonies and rituals, and experience the Xochitl-Quetzal community celebrating their roots through dance.

Free

Sold out

Virtual Book Talk: One Hand To Hold, One Hand To Carve

Wednesday, April 6th 2022 from 12:00pm-1:00pm

12-1PM CST via Zoom

You will receive a Zoom link after registering for the event.

About the Author:

M. Shaw (they/them) probably wrote whatever you’re reading in an empty art museum after midnight. They are a 2019 graduate of the Clarion Science Fiction & Fantasy Writers’ Workshop and a past organizer of the Denver Mercury Poetry Slam. Ann Vandermeer has called them “a truly exceptional new voice” in horror. Their website is mshawesome.com. Their Twitter handle is @shawwillsuffice. They live in Arvada, Colorado.

Free

Opening Reception: The Start of a New Era: The Next 100 Years of Biomedical Visualization

Thursday, March 31, 2022, from 6pm-8pm

Advances in computer graphics and imaging are generating new opportunities to aid in understanding the rapidly evolving discoveries in both science and healthcare. Masters students in the University of Illinois at Chicago Biomedical Visualization Program (BVIS) strive to harness these advancements through visual communication. The Student Association of Medical Artists (SAMA) organizes and curates the work for the SAMA Art Exhibition each year. This exhibition is an opportunity for first and second-year BVIS students to display their current works of art that are both beautiful and accurate in scientific detail. These pieces feature a wide array of scientific and medical subjects targeting audiences diverse in education, age, and occupation. Oftentimes, these works begin on paper and are then taken into digital media to become professional illustrations, graphic designs, animations, or interactive applications. The broad range of work that BVIS graduate students create is an integral part in communicating new discoveries in science and medicine. This year is particularly exciting for BVIS as the program is celebrating its centennial.

Free

Morbid March: Curiosities After Hours Tour

Thursday, March 24th 2022 from 5:30pm-8pm

From ancient human skulls to bone-saws and bloodletting knives, the International Museum of Surgical Science has one of the most celebrated collections of its kind in the world. On this special after-hours tour, Museum staff will shine a light on some of the darkest tools in the history of medicine! This tour is complemented by highlights from the Museum’s chilling surgical art collection.

Light refreshments will be served.

All guests must arrive at least 5 minutes prior to the start of the tour for check-in. Doors open at 5:30pm.

$20.00

Sound Healing with Jason and Cassandra

Saturday, March 19, 2022 from 6:00PM-8:00PM

Cassandra and Jason take you through an evening of meditation and mindfulness using sound vibrations. Doors will open at 5:30PM. Guests are instructed to relax their mind, body, and soul as soothing sounds help “bathe” them into a restful state of being. Sound healing sessions include crystal quartz sound bowls, Tibetan and Japanese singing bowls, cleansing water element instruments, 7 chakra chimes, breathwork, and a brief guided meditation.

$25.00

Artist’s Talk: Anastasia Sitnikova on ‘Searching for an Exit’

Fri, March 11, 2022 from 2:00 PM – 3:00 PM CST

Talks will meet on the first floor across from the Admissions desk. Talk length is approximately 30 minutes and may require guests to summit up to four flights of stairs. Elevator and accessible entrance are available.

FREE with the price of admission

‘Slice of Life’ Paradise Complete Album Release

Saturday, February 19, 2022, from 7:30PM-10:30PM

Paradise Complete is thrilled to perform in the Museum’s Hall of Immortals, in tandem with the release of their debut album, Slice of Life. The event, presented in collaboration with Chicago label Parlour Tapes+, will include performances inspired by the record, as well as a set by Youtube quintet NASDAQUIRI.

Slice of Life, Paradise Complete’s debut album to be released on Parlour Tapes+ this February, is equal parts curation, composition, improvisation, and memoir – a sound collage of sound collages. It all started when bandmates Ben Davis and Nick Meryhew exchanged a few brief texts and a real weird Snapchat video in 2019. This interaction established a simple practice that the improvisational sound collage duo followed over the course of the next two years.

$10.00

Tales From the Museum w/ Kylie & Zak from Atlas Obscura: The International Museum of Surgical Science

Thursday, March 11, 2021 from 6:00PM-7:15PM CST

Join Kylie Holloway and Zak Martellucci from Atlas Obscura for an insider experience of the museums you miss the most. On each show, we’ll celebrate an incredible museum and the people who work to make it great. We’ll explore the strange, sublime, and secret stories behind the work on display and we’ll close out the show with an exclusive conversation with a guest expert about the collection and how the museum world is coping with this uncertain time. Since we can’t get to most museums in person at the moment, we’re bringing you their amazing stories via a virtual presentation!

For this experience, we’ll be exploring the stories from The International Museum of Surgical Science and talking with Miranda Miranda Pettengill, Manager of Education and Events!

$15.00

Reflecting on the Scalpel as a Deaf Physician Scientist with Tiffany Panko, MD, MBA

Thursday, November 12, 2020 from 6:00PM-7:00PM CST

Dr. Tiffany Panko will talk about her experiences inside and outside of the operating room, and how her journey through the worlds of research, public health, and medicine led her to her passion in reproductive justice as the scientist she is today. She will also discuss the impact of audism on the medical field in regards to health disparities in the deaf community, struggles to gain deaf representation in medicine, and the divisive role of the scalpel in the cochlear implant controversy. At the end of this talk, viewers will have a better understanding of the importance of medical and public health professionals that look like their deaf patients and how to be hearing allies to the deaf community.

This FREE virtual event is made possible in part by a grant from the Association of Science and Technology Centers (ASTC) and IF/THEN ®, an initiative of Lyda Hill Philanthropies. ASTC and Lyda Hill Philanthropies have awarded IF/THEN ® Gender Equity Grants to 26 science and technology centers and museums. This newly launched grant program offers science centers funding for projects aimed at increasing the representation of women and gender minorities in STEM. This presentation will take place on Zoom. You must RSVP to receive the link.

FREE

Lighting-Up: A Passion for Science, Presented by Crystal Dilworth, Ph.D.

Thursday, November 5, 2020 from 6:00PM-7:00PM CST

Neuroscientist and science communicator, Crystal Dilworth, Ph.D., shares details of her work at the intersection of science and the public. In this talk we will see how a rainbow of fluorescent proteins from deep under the sea can be used to illuminate experiments about the human brain, gain a better understanding of the biological processes involved in nicotine addiction, and learn a little about what it means to “be a scientist”.

This FREE virtual event is made possible in part by a grant from the Association of Science and Technology Centers (ASTC) and IF/THEN ®, an initiative of Lyda Hill Philanthropies. ASTC and Lyda Hill Philanthropies have awarded IF/THEN ® Gender Equity Grants to 26 science and technology centers and museums. This newly launched grant program offers science centers funding for projects aimed at increasing the representation of women and gender minorities in STEM. This presentation will take place on Zoom. You must RSVP to receive the link.

FREE

Dark Archives: A Conversation with Megan Rosenbloom & Dr. Lindsey Fitzharris

Sunday, October 25, 2020 at 2:00PM CST

There are books out there, some shelved unwittingly next to ordinary texts, that are bound in human skin. Would you know one if you held it in your hand? In Dark Archives, Megan Rosenbloom, a librarian and a cofounder of the Death Salon, seeks out the historic and scientific truths behind anthropodermic bibliopegy. Dozens of these books still sit on the shelves of the world’s most famous libraries and museums. What are their stories?

On October 25th, 2020, at 2pm CST, the International Museum of Surgical Science is hosting a FREE, VIRTUAL author reading with Megan Rosenbloom in conversation with medical historian, author, and TV host Lindsey Fitzharris. These two friends will discuss medical history, explore the English alleged human skin books, and reveal their adventures that were cut out of Dark Archives. THIS EVENT WILL TAKE PLACE ON ZOOM. PLEASE RSVP TO RECEIVE THE LINK.

FREE

First COVID-19… What’s Next? A Fireside Chat with Erika L. Kurt, LLB, BCL

Thursday, October 8, 2020 from 6:00PM-7:00PM CST

STEM education pioneer & superbug expert Erika L. Kurt discusses how students and soil may be the solution to the next pandemic.

This FREE virtual event is made possible in part by a grant from the Association of Science and Technology Centers (ASTC) and IF/THEN ®, an initiative of Lyda Hill Philanthropies. ASTC and Lyda Hill Philanthropies have awarded IF/THEN ® Gender Equity Grants to 26 science and technology centers and museums. This newly launched grant program offers science centers funding for projects aimed at increasing the representation of women and gender minorities in STEM. This presentation will take place on Zoom. You must RSVP to receive the link.

FREE

Jeanette Andrews: Mysteries in Masquerade

Postponed.

The International Museum of Surgical Science presents magician and artist Jeanette Andrews for this literally magical performance. Andrews presents contact-free and socially distant magic and illusions inspired by the mansion’s original owner, Eleanor Robinson Countiss Whiting (and her death within the museum’s hallowed halls in 1931)…

$30

What’s in a Pill And Why Should You Care? A Presentation by Paula Garcia Todd

Thursday, October 1, 2020 from 6:00PM-7:00PM CST

Explore what’s really in your medication with expert Paula Garcia in an hour-long Zoom presentation and Q&A.

This FREE virtual event is made possible in part by a grant from the Association of Science and Technology Centers (ASTC) and IF/THEN ®, an initiative of Lyda Hill Philanthropies. ASTC and Lyda Hill Philanthropies have awarded IF/THEN ® Gender Equity Grants to 26 science and technology centers and museums. This newly launched grant program offers science centers funding for projects aimed at increasing the representation of women and gender minorities in STEM. This presentation will take place on Zoom. You must RSVP to receive the link.

FREE

The Neuroscience of Alzheimer’s: A Presentation by Dr. Joyonna Gamble-George

Thursday, September 17, 2020 from 6:00PM-7:00PM CST

Ever wondered what happens to the brain when someone has Alzheimer’s? Acclaimed neuroscientist Dr. Joyonna Gamble-George is here to illuminate the secrets of the brain in an hour-long Zoom presentation and Q&A.

This FREE virtual event is made possible in part by a grant from the Association of Science and Technology Centers (ASTC) and IF/THEN ®, an initiative of Lyda Hill Philanthropies. ASTC and Lyda Hill Philanthropies have awarded IF/THEN ® Gender Equity Grants to 26 science and technology centers and museums. This newly launched grant program offers science centers funding for projects aimed at increasing the representation of women and gender minorities in STEM. This presentation will take place on Zoom. You must RSVP to receive the link.

FREE

Hilary Woods Empty Bottle Concert at IMSS

Postponed: Date TBD

HILARY WOODS’ artistry is one of rare emotive reach. Her minimalist and compositional finesse combine with densely layered atmospheric instrumentation and dreamlike vocals to create music rich with both delicacy and intensity. The Sunday Times hailed her early solo recordings as “a revelation.” 21+

$20

*Virtual* IMSS Book Club: The Devil in the White City

Wednesday, April 15, 2020, 5:30PM

We’re reading The Devil in the White City: Murder, Magic, and Madness at the Fair That Changed America by Erik Larson.

Morbid March: Curiosities After Hours Tour

Thursday, March 12, 2020, 5:30PM

From ancient human skulls to bone-saws and bloodletting knives, the International Museum of Surgical Science has one of the most celebrated collections of its kind in the world. On this special after-hours tour, Museum staff will shine a light on some of the darkest tools in the history of medicine! This tour is complemented by highlights from the Museum’s chilling surgical art collection.

A complimentary reception follows the tour and lite fare will be served.

$20, Members $10

Gallery Talk: Women in Medicine

Tuesday, March 10, 2020, 2PM

Inspired by our Women in Medicine app tour, at this month’s gallery talk visitors will learn about some significant women from the history of medicine.

Tickets to the Museum required for entrance to gallery talks.

Free with admission

IMSS Book Club: Reading Between the Spines

Wednesday, March 4, 2020, 5:30PM

The Radium Girls: The Dark Story of America’s Shining Women

Written with a sparkling voice and breakneck pace, The Radium Girls fully illuminates the inspiring young women exposed to the “wonder” substance of radium, and their awe-inspiring strength in the face of almost impossible circumstances. Their courage and tenacity led to life-changing regulations, research into nuclear bombing, and ultimately saved hundreds of thousands of lives…

FREE

Pop-Up Amputation Demonstration

Sunday, March 1, 2020, 2PM

Visitors will learn about Civil War era amputations and watch an interactive demonstration to experience the most common surgery performed before the discovery of anesthesia and germ theory.

Tickets to the Museum required for entrance.

Free with admission

Pop-Up Guided Tour

Saturday, February 29, 2020, 2PM

Enhance your visit to the Museum with a guided tour! Tours meet on the first floor across from the Admissions desk, in the Surgicogenomics gallery. Tour length is approximately 45 minutes and requires guests to summit four flights of stairs. Elevator and accessible entrance is available.

Tickets to the Museum required for entrance.

Free with admission

Gallery Talk: Cardiology

Friday, February 28, 2020, 2PM

At this month’s gallery talk, visitors will learn about some significant moments from the history of cardiology.

Tickets to the Museum required for entrance to gallery talks.

Free with admission

OPENING RECEPTION: Unique Perspectives: Art in Science and Medicine

Thursday, February 27, 2020, 6PM

This exhibition is an opportunity for first and second year BVIS students to display their current works of art that are both beautiful and accurate in scientific detail. These pieces feature a wide array of scientific and medical subjects targeting audiences diverse in education, age, and occupation.

FREE

OPENING RECEPTION: Megan Euker: The Cure

February 21, 2020, 5:30PM

Euker makes use of illustrations and diagrams explaining gene therapy, Sickle Cell Disease, and Beta Thalassemia; documents and articles relating to court cases; and other data sets to present a case of corruption and fault in the world of “Big Pharma.” 

FREE

Historic Sex-Ed Presentation

February 19, 2020, 5:30PM

At this special after-hours presentation, Museum staff will shine a light on some of the most interesting beliefs and developments around the globe throughout history in sex-ed topics such as sexual health, human development, and sexual behavior. We’ll touch on STDs, reproduction, sexuality, contraception and more! Snacks provided.

$15

Bryan Northup: Creating with Plastic

February 16, 2020, 2PM

Using single-use plastics collected from our daily lives, participants will discover the possibilities and process of transforming “trash” into artwork worthy of your wall. Artist Bryan Northup, will offer demonstrations of techniques originated in his art practice and give individual guidance on creating a wall relief or small sculpture. Participants will also create a small component to add to a collaborative piece that will be sliced up and shared with participants at the end of class.

Since much of what is created with discarded plastics is dictated by the kinds of raw material collected, each student is encouraged to collect single use plastics (clean and dry) and bring them to class to work with and/or share (optional).

$15

Closing Reception: Bryan Northup: Sea Inside

February 16, 2020, 2PM

Join us for the closing of Sea Inside: Visioning Single-Use Plastic at the Cellular Level, where you will be able to meet and greet with the Artist, Bryan Northup. Free with the price of admission. Museum is located at 1524 N Lake Shore Drive, Chicago IL. Accessible entrance, ramps and elevator are available.

Free with admission

SAIC BODIES: Artist Discussion

February 13, 2020, 5:30PM

Join artists from the School of the Art Institute of Chicago (SAIC) for a presentation on BODIES: SAIC Intro to Designed Objects.

Doors will open at 5:30 and the program will begin at 6:00. The Museum will remain open until 7:30 for guests to explore other exhibits and mingle with the artists and each other.

FREE

A Valentine’s Special Morbid Curiosities: Surgical History Tour

February 12 & 14, 2020, 5:30PM

From ancient human skulls to bone-saws and bloodletting knives, the International Museum of Surgical Science has one of the most celebrated collections of its kind in the world. On this special after-hours tour, Museum staff will shine a light on some of the darkest tools in the history of medicine! This tour is complemented by highlights from the Museum’s chilling surgical art collection.

A complimentary reception follows the tour and lite fare will be served.

$20, Members $10

Lantern Festival: Lunar New Year Celebration

February 9, 2020, 2PM

The International Museum of Surgical Science is excited to celebrate Lantern Festival on February 9th. This festival is celebrated throughout many Asian cultures and brings families together to celebrate the new year.

Join us on this special day to make your own lantern, eat snacks, drink tea, and celebrate loved ones.

$10, Members Free

Dead of Winter: Morbid Curiosities Tour

January 15 & 30, 2020, 5:30PM

From ancient human skulls to bone-saws and bloodletting knives, the International Museum of Surgical Science has one of the most celebrated collections of its kind in the world. On this special after-hours tour, Museum staff will shine a light on some of the darkest tools in the history of medicine! This tour is complemented by highlights from the Museum’s chilling surgical art collection.

A complimentary reception follows the tour and lite fare will be served.

$20, Members FREE

Interactive Gallery Talk: Amputation

January 28, 2020, 2PM

At this month’s gallery talk, visitors will learn about Civil War era amputations and watch an interactive demonstration to experience the most common surgery performed before the discovery of anesthesia and germ theory.

Tickets to the Museum required for entrance to gallery talks.

Free with admission

IMSS Book Club: Reading Between the Spines

January 22, 2020, 5:30PM

Pandemic 1918: The Story of the Deadliest Influenza in History by Catharine Arnold

Nowhere escaped this common enemy: in Britain, 250,000 people died, in the United States it was 750,000, five times its total military fatalities in the war, while European deaths reached over two million. The numbers are staggering. And yet at the time, news of the danger was suppressed for fear of impacting war-time morale. Even today these figures are shocking to many – the war still hiding this terrifying menace in its shadow.

FREE

Pan•American / Cleared
Empty Bottle Concert at IMSS

January 18, 2020, 7:30PM

Legacy Chicago craftsman and Kranky torchbearer Mark Nelson’s latest offering as PAN•AMERICAN is less a distillation or divergence than it is a return to his musical and spiritual beginnings.

Currently arranging their first record in nearly three years, CLEARED has begun playing once again in 2019 and will continue into the next decade with select performances and the release of new material.

$20

Home for the Holidays: Candlelit Mansion Tour

December 17, 2019, 6PM

Bathed in warm candlelight, this unique exploration of 1524 will delve into the architecture of the space and the lives of its original occupants, who worked, danced, dreamt and died there. Highlights from the IMSS permanent collection will invite guests to layer their experience of the space as a historic dwelling and modern-day Museum – as much enchanted by its elegant past as it is haunted by the morbid curiosities it houses today. A complimentary reception follows the tour and lite fare will be served.

$25, Members & Students $20

Sip & Shop Holiday Fair

December 14, 2019, 12PM

Enjoy complimentary refreshments during our local artist and vendor holiday gift fair! Find the perfect gift for the medical and history lover. The Museum gift shop will feature a holiday sale of 30% off, in store and one day only!

Are you a local artist or vendor? Apply to sell HERE

FREE with Admission

IMSS Book Club: Reading Between the Spines

December 11, 2019, 5:30PM

Medicine in the Days of the Pharaohs: Bruno Halioua and Bernard Ziskind provide a comprehensive account of pharaonic medicine that is illuminated by what modern science has discovered about the lives (and deaths) of people from all walks of life–farmers, fishermen, miners, soldiers, scribes and priests, embalmers, construction workers, bakers, prostitutes.

FREE

Empty Bottle Presents: Burial Hex / NIKA (Zola Jesus) / Bloodyminded

November 23, 2019, 7:30PM

Join us for a unique concert experience at the International Museum of Surgical Science, presented by concert venue Empty Bottle. Featured performers include BURIAL HEX, NIKA (Zola Jesus), & BLOODYMINDED

7:30PM // $20 // 17+ [sold out]

Lunchtime Lecture: Joint Pain & New Technology with Vasili Karas, Md, Ms

November 21, 2019, 11:30AM

Join us as we host Vasili Karas, Md, Ms and Stryker Education for a free seminar on understanding the arthritis of the knee and new technologies in knee replacement. Lunch will be provided, with raffle prizes and gift bags for all attendees!

FREE, RSVP required, space limited.

memento mori: [muh-men-toh mawr-ahy, mohr-ahy, mawr-ee, mohr-ee; Latin me-men-toh moh-ree] noun.

1. Latin. remember that you must die.

2. an object, as a skull, serving as a reminder of death or mortality.

MEMENTO MORI Halloween Gala

October 31, 2019, 7-11PM

The International Museum of Surgical Science cordially invites you to our second annual MEMENTO MORI gala fundraiser. Join us for a haunted evening at the best Halloween party of the year at 7 PM at 1524 N. Lake Shore Drive. Guests will receive the exclusive pass to celebrate Halloween among the Museum’s surgical collections, artworks and antique medical texts. This evening includes an array of offerings to make sure you won’t be bored to death.

Dress the part, and join us in our galleries for a macabre evening with cocktails, bites and an exciting program of art and surgery!

Buy your tickets early to secure your spot! Early bird pricing is available.

$50-$75

Haunted House: Candlelit Mansion Tour

October 29, 2019, 6PM

Bathed in warm candlelight, this unique exploration of 1524 will delve into the architecture of the space and the lives of its original occupants, who worked, danced, dreamt and died there. Highlights from the IMSS permanent collection will invite guests to layer their experience of the space as a historic dwelling and modern-day Museum – as much enchanted by its elegant past as it is haunted by the morbid curiosities it houses today. A complimentary reception follows the tour and lite fare will be served.

$30, Member’s $20 [sold out]

This program is in association with the exhibition, Plant Medicine.

Plant Medicine Exhibit: Lunchtime Tour with the Researchers

October 26, 2019, 12PM

Join us at the International Museum of Surgical Science for an intimate tour of the exhibition Plant Medicine: Multi-Species Wellness in a Global City, led by the researchers and curators of the project.

Free with the price of admission.

DOPAMINE with Jeanette Andrews

October 24, 2019, 6:30PM

Join us as we welcome the return of master illusionist, Jeanette Andrews, in the grand Hall of Immortals at the International Museum of Surgical Science.

Read about Jeanette’s performance in the Chicago Reader!

Read about Jeanette’s performance in Chicago Magazine!

$50, Member’s $30

Northwest Noggin (Northwest Neuroscience Outreach Group) is a robust, creative, volunteer driven non-profit organization that brings scientists and artists and students of all ages together to contribute their expertise, listen and learn from others, enthuse young people about science and art, share area educational resources, and inform and excite the public about ongoing, taxpayer supported neuroscience research.

NW Noggin @ IMSS

October 18, 2019, 1-3PM

NW Noggin visits the International Museum of Surgical Science to host brain activities and art making for all ages! Join us in the Hall of Immortals for this Noggin program. Confirmed participants include: Bill Griesar, PSU/OHSU/NW Noggin, Jeff Leake, PSU/NW Noggin, Aaron Manakai Eisen, PSU/NUNM/NW Noggin, Cam Howard, PSU/NW Noggin, Albert (Sai) Kiersarsky, PSU, Mikah Brandes, PSU/NIH BUILD EXITO, Madison Cho-Richmond, PSU, Maria Galvan-Bravo, PSU, Anita Randolph, OHSU/BEADS, Rachel Lukowicz, University of Oregon, Leigh-Jane Wilson, Kings College London, Richard Wingate, Kings College London

FREE with admission

Trick or Treat? Morbid Curiosities After Hours Tour

October 16 & 17, 2019, 5:30PM

From ancient human skulls to bone-saws and bloodletting knives, the International Museum of Surgical Science has one of the most celebrated collections of its kind in the world. On this special after-hours tour, Museum staff will shine a light on some of the darkest tools in the history of medicine! A complimentary reception follows the tour and lite fare will be served.

$30, Member’s $20

Presented by Molly Doane, Associate Professor of Anthropology, Associate Head/Director of Undergraduate Studies, University of Illinois at Chicago. This program is in association with the exhibition, Plant Medicine.

Lunchtime Lecture: Chicago’s Beekeepers

October 16, 2019, 12PM

Cities like Chicago are increasingly becoming safe havens for honeybees. Come learn about the importance of urban honey bees and how they can be nurtured in the city. In this talk, beekeepers Barbara Ryan and Pedro Ortiz will take us through the basics of beekeeping, discuss the challenges facing honeybees, and some of the possible solutions to be found within our own neighborhoods.

Barbara Ryan and Pedro Ortiz are backyard beekeepers in Rogers Park, Chicago. Pedro is originally from Guatemala; Barbara is a lifelong Chicagoan. They produce and sell honey, teach and about beekeeping and mentor aspiring beekeepers. They are frequent travelers, and take the opportunity to visit beekeepers in foreign locales.

Free with the price of admission.

Celebrate the Halloween season by attending a Family Festival at the International Museum of Surgical Science!

Fall Family Festival

October 12, 2019, 10AM-5PM

Have you ever imagined what it was like to be a doctor during the Civil War? Or wondered how X-rays were first discovered? Come find out at the International Museum of Surgical Science’s family festival! Explore, see, touch, make, and move at the Museum with your family.

Activities will be available in rooms all throughout the four floors of the Museum. At check-in you will receive an activity floor map and schedule to plan your surgical adventure! Each child will receive a gift to take home.

Kids Under 13 Free, 14-18 $5, Adults $10

Read more about this exhibit: https://imss.org/im-building-me-a-home/

OPENING RECEPTION: Namir Fearce: “I’m Building Me a Home”

October 4, 2019, 5:30PM

Join us for the opening reception of Fall 2019 Artist in Residence Namir Fearce’s Capstone Exhibition, “I’m Building Me a Home.” Free and open to the public. Beverages provided by our sponsors; alcohol served to 21+. Museum is located at 1524 N Lake Shore Drive, Chicago IL. Accessible entrance, ramps and elevator are available.

FREE

HistMed Lecture Series:“Between Art and Anatomy: Leonardo da Vinci and Marco Antonio dalla Torre.”

September 27, 2019, 12PM

Join us for a lunchtime lecture on The History of Anatomy with Daniele Macuglia, Ph.D. of The University of Chicago as a part of our #HistMed Lecture Series.

Free with the price of admission.

A Night at 1524: Candlelit Mansion Tour

September 19, 2019, 6PM

Bathed in warm candlelight, this unique exploration of 1524 will delve into the architecture of the space and the lives of its original occupants, who worked, danced, dreamt and died there. A complimentary reception follows the tour and lite fare will be served.

$20, Member’s $10

Mid-Autumn Festival Celebration

September 15, 2019, 2-4:30PM

Happy Mid-Autumn Festival! 中秋节快乐!

Join us on this special day to make your own lantern, eat moon cakes, drink tea, and celebrate loved ones.

Drop in anytime between 2-4:30 pm!

$10, Member’s FREE

Join the City of Chicago and a multitude of partner organizations for a day-long neighborhood festival celebrating the 150th anniversary of the historic Chicago Water Tower—built in 1869 by architect William W. Boyington and one of the only buildings to survive the Great Chicago Fire.

Chicago Water Tower 150th Celebration

September 14, 2019, 10AM – 5PM

During the celebration, IMSS will host family programming including art making and educational activities.

Main festival located at the historic Chicago Water Tower (806 N Michigan Ave). Free programming will include family activities, lectures, tours, theatre performances, public art, and exhibitions—plus food trucks, dining discounts and complimentary admission to nearby cultural institutions. Visit https://watertowerarts.org/150th/ for a full schedule of events.

Free with the price of admission.

IMSS Book Club: This Way Madness Lies

September 11, 2019, 5:30PM

At each meeting there is a round table style book discussion and an opportunity to explore objects from our collections or get hands-on with interactive activities that are thematically relevant to the text. We’re reading This Way Madness Lies by Mike Jay.

FREE

IMSS 65th Birthday Party & Tour

September 9, 2019, 5:30PM

On this special birthday tour, Museum staff will shine a light on the Museum’s history. A complimentary party will follow the tour including games, snacks, and cake!

$15, Member’s FREE

After Hours: Summer Surgical Science

September 5, 2019, 5:30PM

Grab a friend and visit the Museum after hours at our 4th Annual Surgical Science After-Hours Party! Also check out our newest exhibit: Pictures of Nursing: The Zwerdling Postcard Collection.

FREE