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Native Chicagoan Irene Michaels has worn many hats during her seven-plus decades. Her ventures range from flipping buildings as a contractor to dabbling in show biz, including a recurring role on General Hospital in the early ’80s and a part in the 1988 horror-comedy cult classic Killer Klowns From Outer Space. Recent endeavors include running her own luxury lifestyle website, I on the Scene; starting her own skin care line; and composing and singing for her own pop band, Our House.

From real-world history to creatures of mythology, many things fuel author Zetta Elliott’s imagination. “Magic is power,” she observes, “and any opportunity to talk to kids about power, I’m there.” No surprise, then, that she’s crafted the successful middle school series Dragons in a Bag, the fourth book of which was just published. Elliott, 50, writes for all ages, from picture books to poetry collections.

From Berlin and London to Cape Town and São Paulo, the international modern-art world will converge on the city April 13 to 16 for Expo Chicago. Think of it as a massive pop-up global art museum — one where you can actually purchase the pieces. “You can live in Chicago, travel the world with your eyes, and experience an extraordinary amount of work, from beautiful to provocative,” says Tony Karman, Expo Chicago’s president and director.