Chicago Cultural Alliance

Daughters of Anacaona: A Groundbreaking Art Exhibition Celebrating Feminine Strength, Resilience, and Integrity
2025-10-09 - 2025-12-12 | Alliance Française de Chicago, 54 West Chicago Avenue, Chicago, IL, 60654, United States
The Alliance Française de Chicago, in partnership with Partners In Health, proudly announces the opening of Daughters of Anacaona. This groundbreaking art exhibition in celebration of feminine strength and integrity will be on display in the Alliance’s Eleanor Wood Prince Salon.
This compelling exhibition invites audiences to reflect on the legacy of Anacaona, the legendary Taíno cacica (chief), poet, and composer whose resistance and sacrifice symbolize the strength and dignity of Caribbean women across history. Curated by three dynamic exhibiting women artists from the Haitian diaspora—Chantal Bethel, Véronique De Mesmaeker, and Persida Louison—this exhibition is a convergence of ancestral memory, historical truth, and contemporary creative expression. Their work spans mixed media, acrylic, fiber, ceramics, and poetry. A special grand opening will be held at 6:00 p.m. Thursday, October 9 at AF-Chicago in River North. The program will feature a moderated conversation with the artists led by Chantal Bethel and a presentation by Partners In Health, as well as light refreshments, drinks, and cultural exchange.
$10 Suggested Donation

3rd Fridays Free Admission Museum Night
2025-10-17 17:00 - 20:00, 2025-11-21 17:00 - 20:00, 2025-12-19 17:00 - 20:00, 2026-01-16 17:00 - 20:00, 2026-02-20 17:00 - 20:00, 2026-03-20 17:00 - 20:00, 2026-04-17 17:00 - 20:00, 2026-05-15 17:00 - 20:00 (America/Chicago) | 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.

Paul Marushka's book presentation
2025-10-24 19:00 - 21:00 | 2249 West Superior Street, Chicago, IL 60612, 2249 West Superior Street, Chicago, IL, 60612, United States
Paul Marushka, a proud Ukrainian American and accomplished business leader as founder, CEO and president of Chicago-based Sphera, a sustainability and operational risk software company, will present insights from his book, Sustainable Success: How Businesses Win as a Force for Good, during a special 30-minute session at the Ukrainian National Museum on October 24.
This presentation offers a rare opportunity to hear directly from Marushka as he explores how organizations can leverage sustainability to drive meaningful change, foster resilience, and create long-term value. Drawing from his extensive experience in leadership and data-driven transformation, he will share strategic frameworks and real-world examples that have shaped his approach.
Attendees will also gain insight into Marushka’s personal journey as the son of Ukrainian immigrants and the cultural influences that inform his work, making this session especially relevant for professionals, students and community members interested in leadership, innovation and the role of heritage in shaping impactful business practices.
Join Paul at the Ukrainian National Museum to engage in an inspiring conversation that bridges tradition and transformation.

Soif Solstice: Photography Exhibition, Wine Tasting, and Fundraiser
2025-11-02 14:00 - 17:00 | Easy Does It, 2354 N Milwaukee AVE, Chicago, 60647
Join ART WORKS Projects (AWP) and Easy Does It for a special Soif Solstice event, in collaboration with local wine fair Third Coast Soif, featuring the debut of AWPs’ Emerging Lens Chicago exhibition, alongside a wine tasting that further connects us to people and places around the globe.
AWP is a Chicago-based visual advocacy organization that advances engagement through human rights-based storytelling, utilizing powerful documentary photography and film-based projects. Last shown at the 2024 Photoville Festival in Brooklyn, NY, “Emerging Lens: Safety, Visibility, Justice, and a Hope for the Future,” features eight global storytellers supported through AWP’s flagship fellowship program, Emerging Lens. Each of the artists (listed below) represents early-career documentary photographers who cover underrepresented stories across the globe, pushing the boundaries of traditional photojournalism and storytelling.
Easy Does It will lead a curated wine tasting of 12 wines, illuminating the enduring connection between land, identity, and resilience. The concept of terroir resonates uniquely in many of AWP’s visual stories, where natural elements like soil and climate shape and preserve cultural heritage. Photography and wine are living records, carrying layers of meaning that reflect the past and inform the present. This connection becomes the foundation of artists’ and winemakers’ narratives, as their resulting works remind us that land is more than just terrain, but a cultural identity.
This is a ticketed event, from which a portion from each ticket sold will support AWP’s Emerging Lens Fellowship, providing unrestricted grants, production support, and professional mentorship for new and early-career documentary photographers worldwide. During the event, guests will have the opportunity to purchase raffle tickets and bid on silent auction items that will help AWP meet critical funding gaps.
While the challenges of our current politically charged environment seem insurmountable, our stories, though personal, often traverse borders and understanding. Join us for an afternoon of building community as we share stories of the people, the places, and the wines that connect us all.
Ticket Prices:
General Tickets: $35

Photo exhibition and tasting of 12 wines

VIP Tickets: $75

Welcome glass
Photo exhibition and tasting of 12 wines
5 Raffle Tickets

*For guests who do not want to partake in the wine tasting, that’s okay! Please attend, browse raffle and silent auction items, and enjoy non-alcoholic and low ABV beverages available for purchase at the bar. Food by Motorshucker will also be available for purchase.
For event questions or sponsorship inquiries, please contact Bora Un, Managing Director, AWP: bora@artworksprojects.org

Host Committee:
Ivan Arenas
Meghan Bourke
Kelly V. Carter
Alex Cuper
Erin Kohn
Mark Lindzy
Elena Seligson
Featured Artists:
Astrig Agopian (2023-24 Fellow) is a French-Armenian reporter, photojournalist and documentary filmmaker based in Paris. Her work focuses on the intersection between geopolitics, territory, marginality, and memory. Agopian was a featured journalist in UNESCO’s 2023 exhibition: Safety of women journalists: the stories behind the faces of women journalists. Astrig’s project “Like There’s No Tomorrow” is featured in this exhibition.
Mark Anthony Brown Jr.(2021-22 Fellow) is a journeyman of sorts. Mark’s art practice is research-driven and interdisciplinary, utilizing photography, sculpture, drawing and painting with an interest in vernacular aesthetic practices and sensibilities, the manifestation of African retentions in the diaspora, semiotics, and archival practices. His work has been exhibited nationally and has received various fellowships and awards including the Nexus Grant from Atlanta Contemporary (2022), and a Visiting Researcher Fellowship at Wilson Special Collection Library at University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill (2023). Mark’s project “Forest Cove: All of the Above” is featured in this exhibition.
Megan Farmer (2019-20 Fellow) is a visual journalist at Seattle’s NPR affiliate station, KUOW Public Radio. She previously worked at the Omaha World-Herald. Megan’s work has appeared in NPR, The Associated Press, The New York Times, Science Magazine, Bleacher Report, The San Francisco Chronicle, The Omaha World-Herald, and The Seattle Times. Megan’s project “Life After a Hate Crime” is featured in this exhibition.
Brittany Greeson (2020-21 Fellow) is a Detroit, Michigan based photographer and grew up in the mountains of North Carolina and in Western Kentucky. Her work examines the consequences of economic divestment and the daily life of the American working-class through long-form visual narratives and portraiture. Prior to working independently, she interned at The Oregonian, The Roanoke Times, The Flint Journal, The Washington Post, and the San Antonio Express-News. Brittany’s project “A City in Limbo” is featured in this exhibition.
Isadora Kosofsky (2016-2018 Fellow) is a documentary photographer and filmmaker based in Los Angeles. She began photographing at the age of fourteen, documenting individuals in hospice care. Isadora often takes an immersive approach to visual storytelling, spending months and years embedded in the lives of the people she shadows. She is a recipient of a 2018 Grant from the Pulitzer Center for Crisis Reporting and the Royal Photo Society named her one of one hundred “heroines” in photography worldwide. Isadora is a TED Fellow, part of a network of 450 global change makers, and gave a talk at TED 2018 in Vancouver. Isadora’s project “Vinny and David” is featured in this exhibition.
Emmanuel Guillén Lozano (2016-17 Fellow) is a Mexican photographer and photo editor currently based in New York City. His work focuses on social issues, human rights, and the effects of violence. His long-term projects in Mexico document the toll of the Drug War and the consequences it has brought to communities around the country that have suffered forced disappearances and killings, both at the hands of the cartels and the Mexican state security forces. He currently works as a photo editor on projects for Google at Blink Media, and has taught photojournalism at Columbia University Graduate School of Journalism. Emmanuel’s project “43: The Aftermath of a Disappearance” is featured in this exhibition.
Mustafa Saeed (2022-23 Fellow) is a Somali-born artist based in Hargeisa, Somaliland. His work combines different mediums including photography, graphics, and sound to explore socio-political issues including war, conflict and the environment. He is a contributor to Everyday Africa and the founder of Fankeenna, a youth-led art platform that houses a studio, gallery and workspace for local artists. His work has been exhibited at Addis Foto Fest (Addis Ababa), Lumières d’Afriques (Paris), and UNSEEN Photo Fair (Amsterdam). Mustafa’s project “Heavy” is featured in this exhibition.
Rachel Woolf (2018-19 Fellow) is a Denver-based independent visual journalist. She specializes in documentary photography, videography, and portraiture. Her work aims to intimately show aspects of humanity intersecting with economic and social issues. She has been published in The New York Times, CNN, US News and World Report, Bloomberg, Education Week, Detroit Free Press, and The Detroit News. Rachel’s project “Deported: An American Division // A Family Divided” is featured in this exhibition.

Artecito Virtual – Koala
2025-11-07 08:00 - 17:00 | Virtual, Chicago, IL, United States
How much do Koalas sleep?
Join us online as we explore Koalas with our friends from Artecito!
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¿Cuanto duermen Koalas?
¡Acompáñanos a explorar sobre los koalas con nuestros amigos de Artecito!
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What is Virtual Artecito?
Artecito is a free, bilingual online workshop developed by OPEN Center for the Arts and Lincoln Park Zoo that uses the arts to connect families with nature through local culture, holidays, and wildlife. Each session includes an art activity that encourages creative thinking about our relationship with the natural world.
🎨
¿Qué es Artecito Virtual?
Artecito es un taller gratuito en español desarrollado por OPEN Center for the Arts y Lincoln Park Zoo que utiliza las artes para conectar a las familias con la naturaleza, la cultura y la vida silvestre. Cada sesión incluye una actividad artística que inspira a niños y familias a pensar creativamente sobre su relación con la naturaleza.

Elenora Bilinska: "My Tribute to the Creator"
2026-01-09 19:00 - 22:00 | Ukrainian National Museum, 2249 W. Superior St., Chicago, IL, 60612, United States
Join the UNM January 9 for the opening exhibit of Elenora Bilinska’s works.
View the vibrant art of Elenora Bilinska, a Ukrainian artist with a whimsical style. Her exhibit, titled “My Tribute to the Creator” captures vibrant colors and fantastical figures in her works.
Her work will be on display from January 9 to January 30.

The exhibition “The Dear Road”
2026-02-06 07:00 - 21:30 | Ukrainian National Museum, 2249 W. Superior St., Chicago, IL, 60612, United States
The exhibition “The Dear Road” explores the symbolic meaning of roads as metaphors for life’s journey — from childhood to adulthood, through joy, struggle, love, and discovery. Among all life’s paths, the road home stands as the most sacred, representing warmth, belonging, and love. Today, for Ukrainians, this symbolism takes on a deeper resonance as they fight for the ultimate road — the path to peace, freedom, and the preservation of their homeland. The exhibition invites viewers to reflect on their own life journeys, the roads that have shaped them, and the ones that lead them home.
The exhibition will be presented by Krystyna Berehovska, director of the ZENYK ART GALLERY ( Lviv, Ukraine ) and curator of this exhibit.

Date: February 6, Friday at 7:00 pmLocation: UNM, 2249 W Superior St, Chicago, IL 60612

Through Her Lens: Caribbean Image Makers
2026-05-22 08:00 - 17:00, 2026-05-26 08:00 - 17:00, 2026-05-27 08:00 - 17:00, 2026-05-28 08:00 - 17:00, 2026-05-29 08:00 - 17:00, 2026-06-02 08:00 - 17:00, 2026-06-03 08:00 - 17:00, 2026-06-04 08:00 - 17:00 and 8 more dates | Puerto Rican Arts Alliance, 3000 N Elbridge Ave, Chicago, IL, 60618, United States
The Puerto Rican Arts Alliance (PRAA) is pleased to present Through Her Lens: Caribbean Image Makers, a group exhibition featuring six lens-based artists whose work explores Caribbean identity, migration, memory, and belonging across diasporic spaces. The exhibition is on view through July 25, 2026.
Bringing together artists working across documentary, ethnographic, conceptual, and research-based photography, Through Her Lens centers women image-makers whose practices expand photography beyond documentation into a form of witnessing, care, and cultural record-keeping. The exhibition highlights how photography operates as a visual archive of movement, ritual, survival, and cultural continuity across the Caribbean and its global diasporas.
Featured artists include Sonia Báez-Hernández, Lisa DuBois, Brenda Lee Hernández Díaz, Qurissy, Alexandra Majerus, and Tameshia Glass. Their work spans multiple geographies—including Chicago, New York, New Orleans, Canada, Puerto Rico, the Dominican Republic, Barbados, Cuba, and beyond—reflecting the Caribbean as both a region and a network of lived diasporic experiences.
Sonia Báez-Hernández’s interdisciplinary practice examines migration, illness, and the body as a political and poetic site. Lisa DuBois documents ritual and cultural expression within Black diasporic communities, emphasizing photography’s capacity to witness spiritual and communal life. Brenda Lee Hernández Díaz explores introspection and transformation through documentary and conceptual approaches. Qurissy’s work centers Afro–Puerto Rican lineage and the stateside experience through image and oral narrative. Alexandra Majerus interrogates representation, tourism, and postcolonial identity within Caribbean landscapes. Tameshia Glass presents documentary portraits of Chicago residents, positioning the city as a diasporic space shaped by migration and memory.
Together, these artists offer layered perspectives on Caribbean identity in contemporary contexts, examining how culture is held, transmitted, and reshaped across borders and generations. The exhibition foregrounds photography as a relational practice—connecting photographer and subject, homeland and diaspora, personal narrative and collective history.
Curated by Jorge Félix, Director of Exhibitions & Collections at PRAA, Through Her Lens reflects the organization’s ongoing commitment to community-based curatorial practice and diasporic cultural preservation. The exhibition complements PRAA’s broader archive initiatives, including El Archivo Project, which documents the histories and contributions of Puerto Rican communities in Chicago and the Midwest.
The exhibition is FREE Admission and open to the public Tue to Fri: 10:00 AM to 4:30 PM, and by appointment on Saturdays or during non-gallery hours. To schedule visits during non-gallery hours, email Jorge Felix at jorge@praachicago.org. Guests will have the opportunity to meet participating artists and learn more about the exhibition’s themes and related programming.
About the Puerto Rican Arts Alliance (PRAA) The Puerto Rican Arts Alliance is a multidisciplinary arts organization dedicated to preserving and promoting Puerto Rican and Caribbean arts and culture through exhibitions, performances, education, and community-based archival initiatives. Through its Exhibitions & Collections Program and El Archivo Project, PRAA documents and shares the cultural histories of Puerto Rican and Caribbean communities in Chicago and the Midwest.
Media Contact: Jorge Félix Director, Exhibitions & Collections Program Puerto Rican Arts Alliance jorge@praachicago.org | +1 (773)620-8608
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