Meet Town Hall Guest Speaker: Jill Austin, NEH Senior Program Officer in the Division of Public Programs
Awards up to $25,000 for 1- to 2-year projects
Deadline June 12 for projects starting March 1-May 1, 2025
We are thrilled to announce that Billy Ocasio and Dr. Ramón García have been voted the 2024 Outstanding Community Leader Award recipients!
Nomination statement from the Board of the National Museum of Puerto Rican Arts and Culture (edited):
“Mr. Ocasio’s dedication to the Puerto Rican community in Humboldt Park and Chicago over the past 30+ years has been nothing short of remarkable. From spearheading affordable housing initiatives and the development of the iconic Paseo Boricua flags and Puerto Rican streetscape to founding the National Museum of Puerto Rican Arts and Culture, his vision and leadership have transformed and empowered the community.”
Nomination statement from the Dominican American Midwest Association (edited):
“Dr. Ramón García has been instrumental in advancing the Dominican American Midwest Association’s mission of empowering Dominicans across various facets like culture, education, politics, and economics since its founding in 1999. His establishment of the Dr. Ramón García Educational Award has provided critical support for students to pursue higher education and community development.”
Please join us in celebrating these exceptional community leaders and their tireless work to create positive change! The Chicago Cultural Alliance will recognize Billy Ocasio and Dr. Ramón García as the 2024 Outstanding Community Leaders during the awards ceremony of the 2024 MOSAIC Gala this summer.
Activating Heritage is the Alliance’s annual professional development conference for cultural heritage and non-profit professionals. The conference connects our Core Members and other arts & culture workers from across the Chicago region with meaningful, hands-on, capacity-building experiences facilitated by a host of scholars and leaders in the field, through dynamic presentations, panels, and workshops. We enthusiastically encourage participation from members of the community as well. The conference will also be of interest to students (both undergraduate and graduate), historians, and anyone else interested in learning more about community engagements with culture.
United with a diverse and accomplished array of panelists, moderators, community stakeholders, and industry professionals, we will delve into broader and deeper conversations surrounding advocacy, fundraising, museum collections, preservation, programming, digitizing, virtual exhibitions, education, and the next generation of arts and cultural heritage professionals.
**Note for CCA Core Members: We have registration waivers for any core members who would like to attend but are facing financial hardship. Email [email protected] with the subject “Registration Waiver” and a list of the registrant names, email addresses, and the name of your organization and a representative will be in touch.