Northwestern celebrates 22 years as a top Fulbright producer
February 4, 2026
This week, learn “How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying” as the musical opens its run at the Wirtz Center for the Performing Arts. Here’s what to add to your calendar this week. As always, all are welcome!
Layers of labor
In the latest installment of the Dittmar Gallery’s Crafting Community workshop series, spend time with Jonathan Michael Castillo’s “Immigrant Owned” photographs at The Block Museum of Art, considering the overlooked work and stories of immigrant-owned businesses. Then, head to the Dittmar Gallery to craft collages exploring the layers of labor and stories that objects in our lives carry.
The event begins at 4:30 p.m. on Wednesday, Feb. 18, at The Block Museum of Art, 40 Arts Circle Drive, Evanston. Register here.
True story
Explore the fascinating 27-year relationship between Mary, Queen of Scots and Elizabeth I in “The Thistle and the Rose: Two Queens in One Isle,” a play that brings this captivating history to life.
The event is at 7:30 p.m. on Wednesday, Feb. 18, at the Mussetter-Struble Theater, 1949 Campus Drive, Wirtz Center for the Performing Arts, Evanston. Register here.
Making it big
“How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying” follows the meteoric rise of J. Pierrepont Finch, an ambitious window washer who stumbles upon the musical’s titular guide to the corporate world. With its aid, Finch sets out to conquer the Worldwide Wicket Company with a mix of wit, charm and a bit of scheming in this comedic romp.
Performances are at 7:30 p.m. on Friday, Feb. 20; 2 p.m. and 7:30 p.m. on Saturday, Feb. 21; and 2 p.m. on Sunday, Feb. 22, at the Ethel M. Barber Theater, 30 Arts Circle Drive, Wirtz Center for the Performing Arts, Evanston. Buy tickets.
A day at the Art Institute
Northwestern Wildcard holders and their guests are invited to University Partner Fest at the Art Institute of Chicago. During this daylong event, explore the institute and attend gallery tours from faculty and museum guides, student art talks, a reception and more.
University Partner Fest runs from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Saturday, Feb. 21, at the Art Institute of Chicago, 111 S. Michigan Ave., Chicago.
The role of the lens
Join The Block Museum of Art for the keynote for “Hamdia Traoré’s ‘Des marabouts de Djenné’ and Muslim Portraiture in Mali.” Michigan State’s Candace M. Keller, a curatorial advisor for the exhibition and co-founder of the Archive of Malian Photography (AMP), as well as photographer Malick Sitou, who also works with the AMP, will discuss Traoré’s work and the role of archives in preserving the history of West African photography.
The keynote is at 2 p.m. on Saturday, Feb. 21, at The Block Museum of Art, 40 Arts Circle Drive, Evanston. RSVP here.
Wildcats for the win
Grab your spot in the bleachers to watch women’s basketball take on Illinois in a weekend matchup.
The ’Cats play at 2 p.m. on Sunday, Feb. 22, in Welsh-Ryan Arena, 2705 Ashland Ave., Evanston. Buy tickets.
Tides of progress
Join curators for a tour of “Three Steps Forward, Two Steps Back: The Continued Struggle to Treat Mental Illness in America.” Created to complement the traveling exhibit “Care & Custody: Past Responses to Mental Health,” this exhibit explores societal and medical treatments of mental illness from the 18th century to today, highlighting patterns of advancement and retreat that continue to the present day.
The tour is at noon on Tuesday, Feb. 24, in Galter Health Sciences Library, Ward Building, 303 E. Chicago Ave., Chicago. Register here.
