Culture

A new documentary explores the Chicago blues legend's life as he refined his craft and influenced some of rock's most famous guitarists. "It is the American story," says the filmmaker. "Buddy worked his ass off and kept at it, despite never having massive success."

PBS has spotlighted short-form independent films online for a decade now with the Short Film Festival. Preview the films, including several from Illinois, and find a viewing party kit and more as you settle in for some extraordinary shorts.

The Chosen Few Picnic and Festival has been bringing house music and a family reunion atmosphere to a South Side park for three decades, thanks to a set of DJs who helped popularize house music in the first place. The event, virtual this year, takes place July 3.

Meet the talented musicians performing in the pre-recorded A Capitol Fourth, which culminates with live fireworks over the U.S. Capitol on the Fourth of July. 

A new British version of an intriguing Belgian mystery, a documentary featuring both performance and history focusing on Brazil featuring Gloria Estefan, and a show pitting modern families against life on a rural island in the early twentieth century. 

Henry Blake Fuller isn't necessarily a well-known name in literature. But his book Bertram Cope's Year is considered by many to be one of the first American novels to feature gay characters. Fuller also played a big role in making social realism the literary style of Chicago.

Alligator Records was born when a young hippie decided he had to record an unusual artist he had seen "50 times" at a Chicago club. Fifty years later, it has recorded legends, fresh upstarts, the Queen of the Blues, and more, all while retaining a family feel.

Esquire recently pointed out that, while Netflix, Hulu, HBO Max, and other streaming services have been making waves with documentaries over the past few years, PBS has been offering top-level documentaries for decades.

The Gerber/Hart Library and Archives contain everything from the costumes of drag queens to the papers of early gay rights activists, as well as books available for circulation. "One reason we're here is because it’s important for people to connect with people that have similar stories."

Armenians have been present in Chicago for much of its history and found success in trades such as oriental rugs. Over the generations, they have also maintained a connection to their homeland, despite distance and the trauma of the Armenian genocide.

A look back on a comedy troupe whose influence has been likened to that of the Beatles on music, some Pride Month programming, a new Masterpiece drama, and more. 

June is Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, and Queer Pride Month, in honor of the June, 1969 Stonewall Uprising in New York that was a turning point in the movement for LGBTQ rights and recognition. Celebrate with our programming. 

Meet the performers of the 32nd annual National Memorial Day Concert, pre-taped this year instead of broadcast live from the U.S. Capitol, as it honors America's servicemen and -women.

Miyoko Ito’s life was full of tumult, roiled by an earthquake, internment, health issues, and a bizarre coda, but you might not guess it from her quiet artwork. At a time when Chicago art was focused on figuration, she embraced cool, controlled abstraction.

Sikhism is the world's fifth-largest religion, yet many Americans know little about it, and Sikhs have frequently found themselves the target of hate crimes. Learn more about Sikhs' beliefs, practices, and history in Chicagoland.