Chicago Cultural Alliance

FREE Guided Tours at the National Hellenic Museum
2024-02-17 11:00 - 15:00, 2024-02-24 11:00 - 15:00, 2024-03-02 11:00 - 15:00, 2024-03-09 11:00 - 15:00 (America/Chicago) | 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.

Japanese American Incarceration: Healing Histories Across Generations
2024-02-17 14:30 - 2024-02-18 16:00
Signed by President Franklin D. Roosevelt on February 19, 1942, Executive Order 9066 led to the incarceration of 120,000 Japanese and Japanese Americans during WWII. Every year, the Japanese American community in Chicago comes together to commemorate E.O. 9066 as a reminder of the fragility of civil liberties in times of crisis and the importance of protecting the rights and freedoms of all. This year, Day of Remembrance 2024 will include three events focused on intergenerational impact;

Saturday, February, 17th, 2024 from 2:30-4:30 at the Japanese American Service Committee: “Intergenerational Conversations: Ripples of the Past”; a workshop on intergenerational conversations for the Nikkei community. Advanced registration required : https://bit.ly/dor2024intergenconvos
Sunday, February 18th, 2024 from 2-4PM at the Chicago History Museum: “Japanese American Incarceration; Healing Histories Across Generations”; this Day of Remembrance main event will feature a conversation between Midwest based keynote speakers Jami Nakamura Lin, author of “The Night Parade: A Speculative Memoir,”and Dr. Donna Nagata, researcher of intergenerational impact from Japanese American incarceration. Advanced registration is required: https://7615a.blackbaudhosting.com/7615a/Day-of-Remembrance-18Feb2024
Sunday, February 18th, 2024 from 2-4PM at the Chicago History Museum: An interactive children’s program, “Healing Through Generations” will occur at the same time as the main event offering interactive stations to learn and connect with incarceration history. This program is for preschool through 6th graders and their caregivers. Children must be accompanied by an adult. Youth ages 7th grade and up can attend individually. Advanced registration is NOT required for this event. The children’s program is a drop in event; stay as long as you like!

All events are free and open to the public. However, the February 17th workshop is meant specifically for Japanese American and Nikkei identified individuals. Advanced registration is required for the workshop and main event. Registration and more information can be found on the DOR website.:https://chicagodor.wordpress.com.
This event is sponsored by the Chicago Japanese American Council, the Chicago Japanese American Historical Society, the Japanese American Citizens League – Chicago Chapter, the Japanese American Service Committee, and the Japanese Mutual Aid Society of Chicago.
For questions, contact JACL Chicago Program Director, Rebecca Ozaki at rebecca@jaclchicago.org or 773-728-7171.

Immense Journeys: Art, Nature, Science and Beyond Artist Talk
2024-02-18 13:30 - 15:30 | 2320 W Chicago Ave, 2320 W Chicago Ave, Chicago, IL, 60622, United States
Join us Sunday, February 18th at 1:30 pm for Immense Journeys: Art, Nature, Science and Beyond Artist Talk with Melissa Jay Craig, Lisa A. Frank, and Anne Hughes. This artist talk will be moderated by Alexandra Senycia.
Melissa Jay Craig, Lisa A. Frank, and Anne Hughes lead lives rich in creative experiences informed by nature. Day by day, art practice and the natural world awaken shoots of imaginative reflections and actions. This exhibition brings together varied, visual art forms to stand on their own and resonate off the others through surprising interconnections (just like nature itself). A purposeful confluence provides many pathways into appreciation of process and range. It allows for thoughtful exploration of the infinite ways in which nature affects our lives and we affect nature. Presented here are works by three artists who, over decades, have embraced the wonders of nature and witnessed results of human actions and inactions. Deepfelt desires, to share their personal artworks and stir the passions of others to engage, reside at the heart of this exhibition. There is no one-way in. Creativity and nature inspire, confound, amaze, and amuse.

Orchids After Hours
2024-02-22 17:00 - 20:00, 2024-02-29 17:00 - 20:00, 2024-03-07 17:00 - 20:00, 2024-03-14 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.

UIC Black Cultural Center: Black Heritage Month⁠ African Americans and the Arts
2024-02-22 18:00 - 20:00, 2024-02-28 12:00 - 13:00, 2024-02-29 18:30 - 21:00
Homes Away From Home: Black Students’ Activism and Belonging at U of I
Thursday, February 1st
Bus Departs: 12 pm Bus Returns: by 12 am
Sign up: https://go.uic.edu/homeaway
This is a FREE trip to the University of Illinois Springfield (UIS) to learn more about our Cultural Centers, connect with students from UIS and the University of Illinois of Urbana Champaign (UIUC), and discuss the Black experience within the University of Illinois system. There will be an exhibit showing, panel, lunch and dinner.
Round trip bus transportation to the campus of the University of Illinois Springfield will be provided. The bus will be leaving from Student Center East (SCE) at 12 PM and returning by 12 AM. Excusal letters for courses on this day will be provided.
Seating is reserved for the first 25 students who sign up.
Art Moves: The Chicago Footwork Experience! Lecture, Performance, and Dance Workshop
Wednesday, February 7th
Lecture- BCC Gallery, Addams Hall 207. 3:30 PM-4:30 PM
Performance/Workshop- Student Center East (SCE) Illinois C. 6:30 PM-8:30 PM
Explore the history, politics, and Afro-Diasporic spiritual roots of Chicago footwork. Footwork is an embodied and creative form of resistance to state-sanctioned violence and environmental racism. Following the lecture and performance, dancers will teach the foundational moves of Chicago Footwork, culminating in a full routine.
What’s Going On? The Healing Power of Creativity
Friday, February 9th
BCC Gallery, Addams Hall 207. 10 AM-11 AM
Creativity is essential for emotional and mental well-being. Join us as we reduce stress through collaging, coloring, bracelet-making, and writing. Supplies and light refreshments will be provided.
Black Table Talk: Love in the Arts
Wednesday, February 14th
BCC Gallery, Addams Hall 207. 12 PM-1 PM
Join our conversation! We will discuss how “Black Love” is portrayed in the arts and popular culture.
Art Moves: Open Mic
Thursday, February 15th
BCC Gallery, Addams Hall 207. 6:30 PM-9 PM
Come out for a night of music and spoken word! Hosted by UIC’s very own DJ John West!
Tracing Our Path Through Bronzeville. A film screening and discussion
Thursday, February 22nd
BCC Gallery, Addams Hall 207. 6 PM-8 PM
This documentary by Reginald J. Rice highlights the contributions of various cultural institutions in Bronzeville. Local Chicago artists will be featured and present for the discussion.
Film description: he Bronzeville neighborhood in Chicago has been a creative hub that cultivated the artistry of some of the most influential artists and authors of the twentieth century. To name a few, Margaret Burroughs, Richard Wright, William Walker, Gwendolyn Brooks, and members from AfriCOBRA have all established a creative foundation in Bronzeville. Nevertheless, the significance of their contribution is not only the artwork they produced, but also the aesthetic tradition that they established. This aesthetic tradition was founded to reframe the fraudulent historical narrative of African Americans. Today, there are a number of artists who are following this aesthetic tradition. This documentary will introduce its audience to the cultural traditions that emerged from the Bronzeville community. This tradition challenged the status quo through activism, visual arts, literature, and academic research.Tracing Our Path Through Bronzeville will highlight the contributions of various cultural institutions in Bronzeville, and contemporary African American artists that attempted to redefine the image and voice of black culture. This documentary will generate a new perspective on the significance of the cultural legacy of African American art from the perspective of artists who have exhibited their paintings in the Bronzeville art galleries.
Black Table Talk: Visualizing Black Culture
Wednesday, February 28th
BCC Gallery, Addams Hall 207. 12 PM- 1 PM
Join our conversation! Images of Blacks in photography have a profound impact on how we interpret black experiences and identities. We will be exploring the power of Black visual imagery through the camera lens.
Art Moves: Can You Feel It? Celebrating 40 years of House Music
Thursday, February 29th
BCC Gallery, Addams Hall 207. 6:30 PM-9 PM
Come and celebrate the history and worldwide impact of Chicago’s own House Music with DJ John West.
UPCOMING EVENTS

Tree of Life
2024-03-01 10:00 - 17:00, 2024-03-02 10:00 - 17:00, 2024-03-03 10:00 - 17:00, 2024-03-04 10:00 - 17:00, 2024-03-05 10:00 - 17:00, 2024-03-06 10:00 - 17:00, 2024-03-07 10:00 - 17:00, 2024-03-08 10:00 - 17:00 and 6 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.

Arte de La Borinqueña - Women's History Month
2024-03-02 - 2024-10-26 | The National Museum of Puerto Rican Arts & Culture, 3015 W Division Street, Chicago, IL, 60622, United States
The National Museum of Puerto Rican Arts and Culture is excited to announce our new collaborative exhibition, Arte de La Borinqueña, by Creator Edgardo Miranda-Rodriguez, on display from March 2 – October 26, 2024.
The public opening will be on March 2, 2024, from 10 am – 2 pm and will include a “Meet and Greet” with the award-winning graphic novelist and creator of the superhero La Borinqueña, Edgardo Miranda-Rodriguez, from 10:30 am – 1 pm.
Through the serialized comic medium, Miranda-Rodriguez has effectively emphasized the significance of narrating Puerto Rico’s history, addressing contemporary social and environmental issues, and celebrating the diverse Puerto Rican diaspora. La Borinqueña was launched in 2016 under Miranda-Rodriguez’s studio, Somos Arte, where he serves as Creative Director and is recognized for his philanthropic contributions. The story emerged during a critical period for the Puerto Rican people, marked by an economic crisis and natural disasters in the Caribbean. La Borinqueña has transcended fiction, evolving into a philanthropic superhero movement with a collection of graphic novels, a special benefit anthology with DC Comics titled Ricanstruction, and noteworthy partnerships with NRDC, Chocolate Cortés, and others.

"In Control" Exhibit
2024-03-09 - 2024-05-05 | Ukrainian Institute of Modern Art, 2320 W Chicago Ave, Chicago, IL, 60622, United States
Join us Saturday, March 9th – May 4th, 2024 for the viewing of In Control, featuring works by Katrina Majkut!
The exhibition, In Control, surveys a plethora of modern medical products and prescriptions as they relate to contemporary reproductive justice issues, family planning, health needs and bodily autonomy. Responding to current events as early as 2009, the series’ concept relates to many new (or resurgent) U.S. civil rights movements, intersectional feminist concepts, social traditions, the history and impact of embroidery, and first and foremost, the experience of those who use these products.

Free Museum Tour for Children
2024-03-09 14:00 - 15:00 | Heritage Museum of Asian Art, 3500 S Morgan St, Chicago, IL, 60609, United States
On this tour, Children will embark on a journey through the rich and diverse cultures of Asia. Our expert guides will take them on a fun and educational exploration of our exhibits, including vibrant pottery, intricate sculptures, and fascinating artifacts from different regions of Asia.
Children will learn about the art and traditions of China, Japan, Indian and other countries and discover how these different cultures have influenced each other over time. They will get to see real artifacts, learn about their history and meaning, and even create their own art inspired by what they have seen.
Our tour guides are specially trained to engage children of all ages and make learning fun and interactive. We use stories, games, and other activities to help children connect with the art and cultures they are learning about.
Not only is this program educational, but it’s also a fun way for kids to experience the museum. They’ll have the chance to ask questions, interact with exhibits, and engage with other kids who share their curiosity. Come and join us on this special children’s tour of the Heritage Museum of Asian Art, and let child’s imaginations soar as they discover the wonders of Asian art and culture.
We hope that the Field Tour Program will inspire a lifelong love of learning and exploration in the kids who participate.
This tour starts at the reception desk of the Museum.
