Brendan Scanlon, the Chicago artist known as “Solve”, was murdered last month.

A show of his work opened today at the Swim Cafe at 1357 W. Chicago Avenue. It’s a great body of work–definitely worth checking out.

He showed a ton of talent at 24. It’s depressing that we won’t know what he would have achieved.

I went out to photograph the remnants of the Peerless Candy Factory today.

While I knew that a century-old candy factory couldn’t survive in Lincoln Park’s condo economy, (and despite the fact that I don’t really like hard candy of the type made there), it is sad to see the Peerless Candy Factory coming down.

It was a link to Chicago’s sugary, industrial past. In the 21st century, it was hard to believe a train full of corn syrup snaked its way from downtown Chicago through residential neighborhoods to supply the factory.

I suppose the economic forces that brought Peerless down are the same forces that make my neighborhood desirable to live in. It would be nice to have it both ways.

Update January 2, 2025 —

The railroad tracks that carried trains to the old Peerless factory and beyond are being pulled out. Block Club Chicago has some interesting history about it.

I visited Millennium Park for the opening day of the Museum of Modern Ice yesterday.

It was nice, but  the foot of snow we received covered it in frost, which muted the colors quite a bit.

I heard on WBEZ that it was funded by the CN Railroad.  So, um, thanks CN Railroad!  You will be the first choice for all my rail shipping needs.

See my Museum of Modern Ice Flickr set for more photos.

When I was in Russia, a friend I met there introduced me to Nogu Svelo, a Russian band.  They’re weird and awesome, but for a long time I couldn’t find their music in the US.

Now, they’re available on eMusic, and have videos on YouTube: