Chicago Cultural Alliance

Tree of Life
2024-03-12 10:00 - 17:00, 2024-03-13 10:00 - 17:00, 2024-03-14 10:00 - 17:00, 2024-03-15 10:00 - 17:00, 2024-03-16 10:00 - 17:00, 2024-03-17 10:00 - 17:00, 2024-03-18 10:00 - 17:00, 2024-03-19 10:00 - 17:00 (America/Chicago) and 5 more dates | 2249 West Superior Street, Chicago, IL 60612, 2249 West Superior Street, Chicago, IL, 60612, United States
Join us for the opening of our Tree of Life art exhibit featuring Marta Sofia Fraser and Kateryna Tkachenko. The exhibit opens Friday, March 1, 2024 at 6:30, admission is $10 per person. The exhibit runs through March 24, 2024.

Orchids After Hours
2024-03-14 17:00 - 20:00, 2024-03-15 17:00 - 20:00, 2024-03-22 17:00 - 20:00 | Chicago Botanic Garden, 1000 Lake Cook Rd, Glencie, IL, 60022
Make a date to be whisked away by a whimsical world of 10,000 fresh, colorful blooms. Marvel at surprises under the big top as you treat yourself to light bites and colorful cocktails (available for purchase). Enjoy a vibrant night out at the Orchid Show of Wonders.

3rd Fridays Free Admission Museum Night
2024-03-15 17:00 - 20:00 | Heritage Museum of Asian Art, 3500 S Morgan St, Chicago, IL, 60609, United States
Free Admission Museum Nights take place every third Friday of each month from 5 pm to 8 pm! The tour will start at 6 PM on time. All tours depart from the reception desk, and please be sure to arrive on time. The event offers wine and appetizers.
This Friday at 7-7:40 PM, our Resident Artist 2024 – Irene Hsiao will perform at the Heritage Museum of Asian Art as part of the project If The Sky Could Dream.
About the Tour –
Learn about Asian Art in the Heritage Museum of Asian Art with a guided hour-long tour around the gallery. Museum-trained interns and volunteers will give a talk on selected artworks. Each word is packed with fascinating insights, information, and stories. During this participatory experience, you’ll connect with works from across the collection and get a close look at highlighting artworks. Visitors of all ages are welcome.
Please note tours may be canceled or postponed due to unforeseen circumstances.
About the project –
IF THE SKY COULD DREAM focuses on the Chinese dragon as a powerful being that fosters harmony. This creature is emblematic of China as well as a mythological being for many Asian and Western cultures and thus evokes a sense of mysticism, and intrigue in many communities. Representing the Chinese Dragon as a water deity, the installation series will feature images and projections of the weather and local bodies of water in Chicago.
If The Sky Could Dream is supported, in part, by a Foundation for Contemporary Arts Emergency Grant
About Irene Hsiao
Irene Hsiao creates performances in conversation with visual art in museums, galleries, and public spaces, a practice that includes site-specific interaction with visual artworks and experimental engagement with artists, institutions, and the public. Find out more through our website.
Accessibility
The Heritage Museum of Asian Art’s Entrance is on West 35th Street. Take the elevator to the third floor and turn right to the Museum Reception Desk. Accessible and standard toilets are located on the same floor. Free parking space is available next to the museum via West 35th Street.
If you have any programming questions, don’t hesitate to get in touch with info@heritageasianart.org or 312-842-8884.

If the Sky Could Dream: Interactive Installation, Performance, & Workshop Series
2024-03-15 18:00 - 20:00, 2024-03-16 13:00 - 15:00 | Heritage Museum of Asian Art, 3500 S Morgan St, Chicago, IL, 60609, United States
Heritage Museum of Asian Art is collaborating with 2024 Resident Artist Irene Hsiao to create a new interactive installation, performance, and workshop series called If the Sky Could Dream. Coinciding with the Lunar Year of the Dragon, the museum will showcase dragon artworks from throughout Asia, as well as include an original, contemporary vision of the dragon from an Asian American perspective by Hsiao.
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If the Sky Could Dream combines drawing, painting, dance, found materials and found spaces at the museum to reveal and celebrate the dragons among us—structural, ancestral, architectural, internal, and environmental. Because the dragon is a water deity in Chinese culture, this work also features projections of the waters of Chicago: Lake Michigan, the Chicago River, and the lakes, ponds, and lagoons of Chicago Parks.
Dates:
Friday, Feb 9, 6:00 – 8:30 PM: Preview of the Dragon Exhibition
Saturday, Feb 10, 11:00AM-12:00PM: Dragon Exhibition Opening Ceremony
Friday, Feb 16, 6:00 – 8:00 PM: 3rd Friday with Irene Hsiao
Friday, Mar 15, 6:00 – 8:00 PM: 3rd Friday with Irene Hsiao
Saturday, Mar 16, 1:00 – 3:00PM: If the Sky Could Dream Workshop – Series One
Friday, Apr 19, 6:00 – 8:00 PM: 3rd Friday with Irene Hsiao
Saturday, May 11, 1:00 – 3:00PM: If the Sky Could Dream Workshop – Series Two
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If the Sky Could Dream is supported, in part, by a Foundation for Contemporary Arts Emergency Grant.
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About the Artist:
Irene Hsiao is a dancer, writer, and multidisciplinary artist. She creates performances in conversation with visual art in museums, galleries, and public spaces, a practice that includes site-specific interaction with visual artworks and experimental engagement with artists, institutions, and the public. She is inaugural Artist in Residence at the Smart Museum of Art in 2020 and 2021, 2022-23 Fellow at High Concept Labs, first Artist in Residence at 21c Museum Hotel in 2022-2023, and a 2020 Chicago Dancemakers Forum Lab Artist.Her performances have been presented at Museum of Contemporary Art Chicago, Smart Museum, EXPO Chicago, Chicago Textile Week, Ragdale Foundation, Krannert Art Museum, Alma Art Gallery, Kavi Gupta Gallery, and more

FREE Guided Tours at the National Hellenic Museum
2024-03-16 11:00 - 15:00, 2024-03-23 11:00 - 15:00, 2024-03-30 11:00 - 15:00, 2024-04-06 11:00 - 15:00 | National Hellenic Museum, 333 S. Halsted St., Chicago, IL, 60661, United States
Join us for our FREE, limited-time offer guided tours every Saturday at 11 a.m. and 2 p.m. These one-hour tours offer a comprehensive journey through the museum’s rich exhibitions and artifacts.

Confronting Catastrophes Exhibit
2024-03-17 - 2024-04-07 | Ukrainian Institute of Modern Art, 2320 W Chicago Ave, Chicago, IL, 60622, United States
UIMA is delighted to collaborate with the Kyiv Mohyla Foundation in presenting the opening of “Confronting Catastrophes,” an exhibition by Dr. Yohanan Petrovsky Shtern, a multifaceted artist, historian, and author. Dr. Shtern will also deliver a compelling presentation titled “Living through the war: an artist’s endeavor.” Join us to listen to his insights on the themes depicted in his paintings, particularly as they resonate with the ongoing conflict in Ukraine and its global implications. The presentation will be conducted in English.

Materials, Metaphors, and Miniatures
2024-03-18 - 2024-08-18 | South Asia Institute, 1925 South Michigan Avenue, Chicago, IL, 60616, United States
The exhibition ‘Materials, Metaphors, and Miniatures’ featuring works from the Hundal Collection delves into neo-contemporary miniature painting through the works of artists who have moved beyond the traditional format and explore contemporary themes.
General Admission includes Second Floor Exhibition.
LIST OF ARTISTS
Bashir Ahmed | Asif Ahmed | Waseem Ahmed | Farhat Ali | Faiza Butt | Imran Channa | Alexander Gorlizki | Nusra Latif Qureshi | Imran Mudassar | Shoaib Mahmood | Fariha Nadir | Imran Qureshi | Shahzia Sikander | Amjad Ali Talpur | Saira Wasim | Muhammad Zeeshan

March Free Day
2024-03-27 10:00 - 17:00 | Mitchell Museum of the American Indian, 3001 central street, Evanston, IL, 60201, United States
Date: 2024-03-27
Location:
3001 Central Street
Evanston,IL 60201, United States

Join us for a day of free admission at the Mitchell Museum on Wednesday, March 27th, 2024, from 10:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.
Thank you to our Sponsor Grace Lutheran Church!
For more information about this program, please contact: info@mitchellmuseum.org | (847) 475-1030

“Lay Of(f) the Land: Nordic Narratives” Exhibit
2024-04-05 - 2024-06-16 | Swedish American Museum, 5211 N. Clark St., Chicago, IL, 60640, United States
“Lay of(f) the Land: Nordic Narratives” will open on Friday, April 5 at 6 p.m. with
artists Dragos Alexandrescu, Linnéa Therese Dimitriou, Heidi-Anett Haugen, Hanna
Kanto, Lotta Lampa, Patricia Rodas, Anastasia Savinova, and Madelaine Sillfors.
Profoundly influenced by Nordic culture, landscape, and even weather, the Art
Alliance of the Arctic South (A-A-A-S) consists of eight artists whose work spans
medium and scale—from intricate collages and life-size sculptural installations to
evocative video pieces and design objects. Their synergy stems from a shared ethos: a
deep-rooted connection to nature, and a place-specific gaze upon environmental and
cultural discourses. With this comes an unraveling of identity—both personal and
collective. The vast, almost otherworldly Nordic landscapes serve as both muse and
narrative, embodying themes of colonization (literal and figurative,) ecological
devastation, and the continual process of mourning and healing.
From their unique vantage points in peripheral locations, far removed from traditional
art centers, the artists offer a distinct and intimate perspective, shedding light on
worldwide socio-economic dilemmas and the imminent climate crisis. A heavy
physical presence permeates their work, reflecting both past and present, tradition and
contemporaneity. Vulnerability and empathy underscore their narratives, prompting
deeper existential introspection as they urge viewers to ponder art’s pivotal role amidst
global shifts, raising imperative questions about our shared future.
In essence, the A-A-A-S encapsulates a delicate balance between the old and the new,
the local and the global. Introducing Northern Scandinavia’s next-wave artists to the
United States, this group exhibition is set to challenge, provoke, and inspire,
prompting us all to consider our collective path and the pressing need for change.
Ultimately, it urges a look inward—to the roots and to the self.
The Swedish American Museum has shared art, culture, and history from throughout
the world and this next Main Gallery exhibit opening provides visitors with an
opportunity to meet the artists behind the pieces on display. Lay Of(f) the Land:
Nordic Narratives is curated by Vasia Rigou. The exhibit is open at the Swedish
American Museum from April 5 – June 16.

Artist Discussion w/ Chelsea Bighorn
2024-04-08 | IL
Date: 2024-04-08
Location:
3001 Central Street, Evanston, IL 60201, United States

Join us for our artist discussion about their work and who they are as artists. There will be a live Q&A at the end of each discussion.
Chelsea Bighorn was born and raised in Tempe, Arizona, her tribal affiliations are the Fort Peck Assiniboine and Sioux tribes from Montana and the Shoshone-Paiute from Northern Nevada. Bighorn’s hand cut paper artwork is the result of her combining traditional Native American design elements with elements from her Irish American heritage. Using this process, she tells her personal history through her designs. Bighorn has shown her work at the Museum of Contemporary Native Art, SITE Santa Fe, and The Balzar Gallery. She graduated with honors from The Institute of American Indian Arts in 2021 with a Bachelor of Fine Arts in Studio Arts. Bighorn currently resides in Chicago, Illinois where she is attending the School of The Art Institute of Chicago to get her Master of Fine Arts in Fiber and Material Studies. https://chelseabighorn.com/home.html
Artist Statement
I explore art and design in a way that merges natural and geometric elements through a variety of mediums, including fiber arts and cut paper works. The subject matter varies from abstract to realistically illustrative depending on the concept and series. My most recent series of works are hand-cut paper patterns that resemble screens or stained-glass windows, which were the original inspiration. In addition to the inspiration drawn from my Catholic roots, I incorporate traditional beading and weaving patterns from my Native American heritage into my design work. I bring together disparate elements into a design that demonstrates balance and harmony.

BENDING LIGHT ARTIST TALK: SOUTH SIDE NIGHT x EXPO CHICAGO
2024-04-09 17:00 - 19:00 | South Side Community Art Center, 3831 S. Michigan Ave., Chicago, IL, 60653, United States
Paul Branton, artist and curator of SSCAC’s current exhibition Bending Light, will facilitate an artist talk with the exhibiting artists of SSCAC’s current exhibition Bending Light, detailing the exhibition’s themes and subject matter as it relates to explorations of color and identity.
The artists explore the impact of color on Black identity, potential, and the intricate interplay between societal perceptions and individual existence. Artists will include Eddie “Edo” Santana, Pearlie Taylor, Courtney Collins, Rober Lewis Clark, and Bryant Lamont.
As the official start of EXPO ART WEEK, South Side Night features exhibitions, tours, talks, and performances. Visitors are encouraged to explore the many galleries, museums, and exhibition spaces in this dynamic community for arts and culture.
EXPO ART WEEK partners annually with the city’s most prestigious institutions to feature select programming, including museum exhibitions, gallery openings, and more. EXPO CHICAGO showcases leading contemporary and modern art galleries each April at Navy Pier’s Festival Hall, alongside a diverse and inventive program of talks, on-site installations, and public art initiatives.
Inaugurated in 2012, EXPO CHICAGO draws upon the city’s rich history as a vibrant international cultural destination, while highlighting the region’s contemporary arts community. In 2023, EXPO CHICAGO was acquired by Frieze, the world’s leading platform for modern and contemporary art.

April Free Day
2024-04-10 10:00 - 17:00 | IL
Date: 2024-04-10
Location:
3001 Central Street, Evanston,IL 60201, United States

Join us for a day of free admission at the Mitchell Museum on Wednesday, April 10th, 2024, from 10:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.
Thank you to our Sponsor Grace Lutheran Church!
For more information about this program, please contact: info@mitchellmuseum.org | (847) 475-1030
