AMFM Founder Opens Pilsen Gallery

The city's creative side has certainly come alive over the last five years or so, perpetuating what we've come to call the 'Chicago Renaissance' and one local creative is further stepping up to the plate with the opening of a new gallery space in Pilsen. AMFM Founder Ciera McKissick will run the space at 2151 W 21st St which will also serve as an artistic incubator for locals.

“Ultimately, this is for the art community," Mckissick told DNAInfo. "The biggest thing I have found, being a young and emerging creative in Chicago, is the need for space. Space to work, to exhibit, to grow, and to believe, and I owe a large part of this grand opening to those spaces and people who allowed me to do just that throughout Chicago."

Among the locally-sourced brands available in the space include Chicago Playground, Sam Kirk's Provoke Culture, Michelle Janayea, Hella Vintage Chi, Must Be Nice, ONLi, Amara Black, Oh & Also, Calid B's Afrobang, Drea Smith The Vibe Dealer, Create The New World Brand, Calez and Ivan Vazquez.

Chance The Rapper Named DuSable Museum Board Member

Chancelor Bennett spent his 2016 further shoving the boundaries of the roles a 'rapper' can play in modern society and it appears that isn't stopping in the new year as it was announced this week that the Grammy nominee has been added to as a Board Member of the DuSable Museum.

First reported by Crain's Chicago, the announcement apparently comes amidst shakeup among the Museum's brass. The move adds some star-power to the board which also includes veteran member Theaster Gates and Eric Whitaker, a close friend of President Obama's who was also added alongside Chano.

According to Crain's: "Plans for DuSable Museum include an app-based mobile museum for students, funded in part by the Chicago Teachers Union Foundation. In 2015, DuSable had about 100,000 visitors, according to Museums in the Park data. Its operating budget is about $4.1 million, according to its 2014 tax form posted on GuideStar, the nonprofit information website."

Former Lane Tech Student Receives Journalism Scholarship

Walker Post, a local aspiring journalist at the University of Illinois and graduate of Lane Tech will have an easier time getting his tuition paid this semester thanks to the memory of a fellow Illini writer who passed away too soon.

Just over a year and a half ago, 20-year-old U of I Journalism student Brett Lerner lost his life in a car accident. The standout student and native of Buffalo Grove had his legacy live on through the establishment of the Brett Lerner Memorial Scholarship, of which Post was the first recipient. The $1,500 will go towards the Irving Park native's tuition payments.

"Whenever I'm doing my journalism work, it's very humbling to know that there are people out there who are supporting me," Post, 20, said. "Receiving the scholarship just fuels my passion for journalism, and it makes me certain that I'm going down the right path. ... Words can't sum up how grateful I am to be the first recipient." (DNAInfo)

Want to keep up with Post's progress? Check out his latest endeavor, The Rapport, created alongside a pair of fellow Chicago natives, Taylor Dugas and Lincoln Wang. Shout out to the next generation of local reporters.

Greg Landfair Featured in Ludwig Drums Video

The Social Experiment's auxiliary players have been finding increased screen time since smashing through a memorable 2016 and drummer Greg "Stix" Landfair continued to position himself as one of the pre-eminent musicians of his time by linking once again with Ludwig Drums for an interview that delves into the more technical side of how he does what he does. Much love to Stix, check this one out if you're looking to get some deeper tips on the craft.