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20 events found.

Talks and Gatherings

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  • June 2022

  • Wed 1
    June 1, 2022 @ 6:00 pm - 7:00 pm

    Walking in Two Worlds: Understanding the Two-Spirit/Native 2SLGBTQ+ Community

    • Online Events
    • Talks and Gatherings
    Online Event

    Join Two-Sprit leaders Gary Neumann (Salish) and Lenny Hayes (Sisseton Wahpeton Oyate) on the historical roles and identities of Two-Spirit/Native 2SLGBTQ+ people and how colonization and historical and intergenerational trauma […]

    FREE
  • Thu 2
    June 2, 2022 - June 5, 2022

    Maifest | Celebrate with the DANK Haus!

    • Cultural Festivals and Fairs
    • Food and Drink
    • Talks and Gatherings
    DANK Haus Small Bar at Maifest 4715 N. Western Ave. (the parking lot at Leland/Western)

    We're so excited to see Maifest happening again this year after years off due to the pandemic! DANK Haus will be there, running the smaller bar at 4715 N. Western […]

    Drinks available for purchase
  • Sat 4
    June 4, 2022 @ 11:00 am - 1:00 pm

    Community Parades and Activism: LGBTQ Claiming its Space

    • Online Events
    • Talks and Gatherings
    Online Event

    Exhibition Viewing La Primera Parada & Panel Discussion   An open discussion about LGBTQ/SGL activism in Chicago communities. A panel of Latin@ and African American LGBTQ/SGL leaders will discuss the […]

    FREE
  • Tue 7
    June 7, 2022 @ 12:00 pm - 1:00 pm

    Online Lunch & Learn: Jewish and Indigenous People of Australia

    • Online Events
    • Talks and Gatherings
    Online Event

    Travel with author and Jewish historian Irene Shaland to Australia, from Sydney and Melbourne to the Great Barrier Reef and the Daintree Rainforest, to understand the land, its people, and their history. […]

    FREE
  • Wed 15
    June 15, 2022 @ 5:30 pm - 7:00 pm

    A Celebration of Robert Joffrey: Heritage, Legacy, and Innovation

    • Dance
    • Online Events
    • Talks and Gatherings
    Online Event

    MALA presents a special presentation and discussion centering on the legacy of legendary dancer, teacher, producer, and choreographer Robert Joffrey, who was born Anver Bey Abdullah Jaffa Khan. Joffrey’s achievements […]

    FREE
  • Fri 17
    June 17, 2022 @ 7:30 pm - 11:00 pm

    Open Haus Stammtisch | Schlagernacht with Pieptone!

    • Cultural Festivals and Fairs
    • Food and Drink
    • Talks and Gatherings
    DANK Haus German American Cultural Center 4740 N. Western Ave., Chicago, IL, United States

    It's time for another Schlagernacht with live entertainment by Pieptone! For those unfamiliar with the band, Pieptone! plays German-language pop hits, rarities, and oddities of the 1950s and 60s, everyone […]

    $10
  • Sat 18
    June 18, 2022 @ 12:00 pm - 4:00 pm

    JUNETEENTH AT THE HOUSE

    • Cultural Festivals and Fairs
    • Member Events
    • Music, Film, and Theater
    • Talks and Gatherings
    • Workshops and Classes
    South Side Community Art Center 3831 S. Michigan Ave., Chicago, IL, United States

    SSCAC CELEBRATES JUNETEENTH WITH MUSIC, POETRY, COMEDY, AND FAMILY ART MAKING ACTIVATIONS – FREE AND OPEN TO THE PUBLIC! FAMILY ART MAKING ACTIVITIES: 12 – 2PM  *POLAROID PHOTO ACTIVATION *CYANOTYPE ACTIVATION […]

    FREE
  • Sat 18
    June 18, 2022 @ 6:00 pm - 10:00 pm

    Chinese American Museum of Chicago’s 21st Benefit Dinner

    • Food and Drink
    • Member Events
    • Talks and Gatherings
    New Furama Restaurant 2828 South Wentworth Avenue, Chicago, IL, United States

    The Chinatown Museum Foundation is hosting its 21st Benefit Dinner to raise funds for the Chinese American Museum of Chicago (CAMOC). Our theme this year is "Our History, Our Culture, […]

    $100
  • Sun 19
    June 19, 2022 @ 12:30 pm - 2:00 pm

    Screening for Vincent Chin 40th Remembrance & Rededication

    • Music, Film, and Theater
    • Talks and Gatherings
    Chinese American Museum of Chicago 238 W. 23rd St, Chicago, IL, United States

    June 19, 2022 marks the 40th anniversary of the attack on and death of Vincent Chin. OCA Detroit is hosting a 4-day program (06/16 - 06/19) in Detroit that will […]

    Free
  • Wed 22
    June 22, 2022 @ 6:30 pm - 8:00 pm

    Kulturküche with Carol | Rahm Schnitzel

    • Cultural Festivals and Fairs
    • Food and Drink
    • Talks and Gatherings
    • Workshops and Classes
    DANK Haus German American Cultural Center 4740 N. Western Ave., Chicago, IL, United States

    We are so excited to offer an in-person cooking class with Lincoln Square's own Chef Carol Himmel of Himmel's restaurant! She will be teaching students how to make Rahm Schnitzel, […]

    $25 – $30
  • Thu 23
    June 23, 2022 @ 12:00 pm - 12:30 pm

    Conversations with Chicago Collections – Ukrainian National Museum of Chicago

    • Member Events
    • Talks and Gatherings
    Online Event

    CCC is proud to host the next installment of Conversations with Chicago Collections - Ukrainian National Museum of Chicago. Join Halyna Sarancha, Archivist, Maria Klimchak, Museum Curator, and Lydia Tkaczuk, President […]

    FREE
  • Thu 23
    June 23, 2022 @ 7:00 pm - 11:00 pm

    Neighborhood Nights

    • Cultural Festivals and Fairs
    • Food and Drink
    • Talks and Gatherings
    DANK Haus German American Cultural Center 4740 N. Western Ave., Chicago, IL, United States

    Come enjoy a beverage with a spectacular experience in our iconic 2nd floor Brauhaus Room! A perfect place to meet your neighbors and socialize. Each 2nd & 4th Thursday of […]

    FREE; drinks available for purchase
  • Fri 24
    June 24, 2022 @ 6:00 pm - 10:00 pm

    Sommerfest on the Terrasse

    • Cultural Festivals and Fairs
    • Exhibitions and Gallery Events
    • Food and Drink
    • Talks and Gatherings
    DANK Haus German American Cultural Center 4740 N. Western Ave., Chicago, IL, United States

    Are you ready for summer? We sure are! Come celebrate the arrival of summer with us at the DANK Haus! Our very first Sommerfest will be taking place on the […]

    $1 – $22
  • Fri 24
    June 24, 2022 @ 6:30 pm - 9:00 pm

    Chicago ROAR Story Slam 2022

    • Food and Drink
    • Talks and Gatherings
    Vittum Theater 1012 N NOBLE ST, Chicago, IL, United States

    We are so excited to bring back ROAR Story Slam to Chicago! ROAR Story Slam is a live storytelling contest dedicated to highlight and celebrate stories of the Korean American […]

    $35
  • Sat 25
    June 25, 2022 @ 8:00 am - 2:00 pm

    Ida B. Wells Festival

    • Cultural Festivals and Fairs
    • Dance
    • Member Events
    • Music, Film, and Theater
    • Talks and Gatherings
    • Tour
    Light of Truth Ida B. Wells National Monument 3729 South Langley Avenue, Chicago, IL, United States

    IDA B. WELLS FESTIVAL - A CELEBRATION FOR ALL AGES. Family fun to enjoy poetry, music, hopscotch, face painting, Panel Discussion 1PM SATURDAY, June 25, 2022 8am - 2pm at […]

    FREE
  • Tue 28
    June 28, 2022 @ 4:00 pm - 8:00 pm

    Celebrating 8 Years – Celebrando 8 Años

    • Exhibitions and Gallery Events
    • Member Events
    • Talks and Gatherings
    OPEN Center for the Arts 2214 S. Sacramento Ave., Chicago, IL, United States

    Join OPEN Center for the Arts as we celebrate our 8th anniversary with an open house. Free and open to the public, come by the gallery as we remember the […]

    FREE
  • July 2022

  • Wed 6
    July 6, 2022 @ 6:30 pm - 7:30 pm

    Author Talk – Sudhir Venkatesh: The Tomorrow Game

    • Talks and Gatherings
    180 N Michigan Ave 2nd Floor Chicago, IL, United States

    New York Times bestselling author Sudhir Venkatesh discusses his new book The Tomorrow Game, a gripping account of a Chicago community coming together to save a group of teens from […]

    Free
  • Fri 8
    July 8, 2022 @ 7:30 pm - 11:30 pm

    Unter 30 | Under 30 Haus Party

    • Cultural Festivals and Fairs
    • Dance
    • Food and Drink
    • Talks and Gatherings
    DANK Haus German American Cultural Center 4740 N. Western Ave., Chicago, IL, United States

    OPEN TO THE PUBLIC! COME OUT FOR A (FREE – KOSTENLOS) EVENT WITH TODAY'S HOTTEST GERMAN/EURO/U.S. HITS, FOOD, DRINKS, AND MORE. This event will be fun for college students, young […]

    Free entry; drinks and food available for purchase
  • Sat 9
    July 9, 2022 @ 10:00 am - 2:00 pm

    LAWNDALE Block Party

    • Cultural Festivals and Fairs
    • Food and Drink
    • Member Events
    • Music, Film, and Theater
    • Talks and Gatherings
    2652 W Ogden Ave 2652 W Ogden Ave, Chicago, IL, United States

    The LAWNDALE Block Party hosted by Sinai Chicago is meant to bring people from North Lawndale and South Lawndale together to promote Wellness and Unity in our community. The event […]

    FREE
  • Sun 10
    July 10, 2022 @ 6:00 pm - 7:30 pm

    Artist Discussion with Madeline Sayet

    • Member Events
    • Talks and Gatherings
    Mitchell Museum of the American Indian 3001 central street, Evanston, IL, United States

    Artist Discussion and Q&A with Mohegan Director, Playwright, and Actor, Madeline Sayet  Join us on Sunday, July 10 at 6:00 p.m. as we welcome award-winning Mohegan director, writer, actor, and educator Madeline Sayet […]

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J. Gibran Villalobos

Board Member

J. Gibran Villalobos is an arts administrator, educator, and cultural worker. He has served as Senior Program Officer for the Institute of Museum and Library Services, as the Interim Executive Director of the Chicago Artists Coalition, and faculty lecturer at the School of the Art Institute of Chicago. Previously, he has held posts as Assistant Curator at the Museum of Contemporary Art Chicago, Partnerships and Community Engagement Manager for the Chicago Architecture Biennial, Cultural Liaison for the Chicago Park District, and Curator-in-Residence for the Chicago Cultural Center. In 2016 he attended the Advocacy Leadership Institute and was invited to the White House Office of Public Engagement, the National Endowment for the Arts, and the Congressional Hispanic Caucus to speak to issues affecting Latinos in Chicago. In 2017 he launched an inaugural summit of Latinx artists and administrators across the U.S; for this project he was awarded the Act Up Award by the Chicago Community Trust. His work has been presented at the Fabrica de Arte Cubano during the 2017 Havana Biennial. In 2019 he was an inaugural recipient of the Field Foundation’s Leaders for a New Chicago Award as well as the Americans for the Arts 2019 Leaders of Color Fellowship. In 2020, he joined the Civic Leadership Academy at the University of Chicago Harris School of Public Policy where he worked with government and nonprofit sector participants to think about effective policy for Chicago’s cultural industries. He helped establish the Auxiliary Board at the National Museum of Mexican Art. He has taught graduate and undergraduate courses at the School of the Art Institute of Chicago in the Department of Arts Administration & Policy.

Gibran holds a BA in Art History and a BS in Public Relations from Northern Arizona University and an MA in Arts Administration & Policy and MA in Modern Art History & Theory from the School of the Art Institute of Chicago.

He has contributed to exhibitions such as Direct Message, presenting the artwork of Chicago artistic collectives and their relation to language and civic engagement. As part of an international project, he has convened the MCA Chicago with the Tate Modern, the Metropolitan Museum of Art, the Queens Museum and other institutions to create dialogue on civic engagement within contemporary art institutions. He has written catalog entries for Iñigo Manglano-Ovalle, Rodrigo Lara Zendejas, and Jeremiah Hulsebos-Spofford. In 2021, he is contributing to the upcoming retrospective on the work by artist Andrea Bowers focusing on the activism and archives of Emma Lozano. He is curator of the symposium Fractures: Creating Around Devastation focusing on water ecology, civic engagement, activism, and architecture.

Loreal Robertson

Board Member

Loreal Robertson is a native Chicagoan who recently returned home in 2021 where she began working at the University of Chicago. In her role she oversees and monitors a range of programs, services, and resources to support the retention, wellness, belonging, and success of graduate students. Additionally, her role includes informing strategic priorities, diversity, equity and inclusion initiatives, professional development, student advancement and the support of students who may be experiencing financial academic, or personal challenges, including students with disabilities and international students.

Loreal has over 10 years of experience in higher education and student affairs. In 2021 she received the Inclusion and Diversity Champion Award from Texas A&M University-Kingsville (TAMUK), where she was previously employed. Loreal’s personal and professional philosophy is creating and promoting spaces and opportunities where everyone can see themselves as part of an experience and feels represented.

Loreal holds a Bachelor of Arts in Journalism from the University of Arkansas, a Master of Arts in Educational Administration from the University of Nebraska-Lincoln and a Doctorate in Educational Leadership from TAMUK.

Loreal is a financial and active member of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc, an avid reader, and enjoys traveling with family and friends.

Warren Frank

Treasurer

Warren Frank is a retired CPA and CFO, and current Adjunct Professor at Columbia College.

Warren worked at such CPA firms as KPMG, PwC, and Deloitte, and Not For Profit organizations as National Association of Realtors, Chicago Associations of Realtors, Anixter Center, and Chinese American Service League.

Warren is a Chicago resident in the Lakeview neighborhood. He attended Loyola University of Chicago for his bachelor degree and Northwestern University for his master degree.

Colleen McGaughey

Board Member

Colleen McGaughey (she/her) is the director of development at the National Public Housing Museum, where she leads the strategic direction of the museum’s fundraising efforts with a focus on creative and community-centric approaches.

Mario Longoni

Board Member

Mario Longoni is a cultural anthropologist (“Lead Environmental Social Scientist”) in the Keller Science Action Center at the Field Museum. For over 20 years, he has worked with individuals and organizations to surface and activate cultural and natural assets (specific strengths and characteristics) to help communities meet the challenges they face.

Rob Fojtik

Board Member
Rob Fojtik is Vice President for Neighborhood Strategy at Choose Chicago, the city’s official tourism and convention promotion bureau. In this capacity, Rob oversees efforts to promote and support Chicago’s 77 neighborhoods to visitors from near and far. Programs include the award-winning Neighborhood Content Creator program that leverages resident-made digital content, and Chicago Alfresco, a $2.5 million placemaking initiative created in partnership with the Chicago Department of Transportation to transform public spaces into community plazas for outdoor enjoyment.

Before coming to Choose Chicago, Rob was a Senior Advisor to Mayor Lightfoot on economic development and international relations at City Hall, as well as LGTBQ+ affairs and the expanded outdoor dining program. In this role, he also worked to recommend and place over 150 civic leaders and residents onto City boards and commissions. Prior to government service in the Lightfoot administration, Rob ran her winning campaign in the crowded 2019 Chicago mayoral race as Chief of Staff. In past lives, Rob has worked as a public affairs manager for a Fortune 500 company downtown; had misadventures in management consulting, art sales, and personal cheffing; and spent time in Washington DC working for former Secretary of Defense William Cohen. Rob also served a one-year appointment at the U.S. Department of the Treasury’s Office of Terrorism and Financial Intelligence as a policy advisor on Central and Eastern Europe. In this role, he was part of the NSC’s interagency process to develop a comprehensive sanctions regime on Russia as a consequence of its 2014 invasion of Crimea and Eastern Ukraine.

After receiving his BA in Slavic Languages and Literature at Northwestern University, Rob lived and worked in the Czech Republic teaching English and tending bar before moving to Washington, D.C. to pursue a MA from the Georgetown University School of Foreign Service Center for Eurasian, Russian, and East European Studies (CERES). He enjoys cooking, learning foreign languages, hiking with his partner and their dog, and visiting Chicago’s many neighborhoods.

Paul Durica

Board Member

Dr. Paul Durica is the Director of Exhibitions at the Chicago History Museums and worked in a similar capacity at The Newberry Library. From 2015-2020, he served as the Director of Programs and Exhibitions with Illinois Humanities, the state affiliate of the National Endowment for the Humanities.

Prior to that he drew upon his work as a writer, researcher, and teacher to produce a series of free and interactive talks, walks, and reenactments focused on narratives from Chicago’s past that resonate with its present.

These public history programs led to collaborations with cultural institutions in the city such as the Jane Addams Hull-House Museum, Chicago History Museum, Newberry Library, Chicago Architecture Foundation, Museum of Contemporary Art, and the Chicago Cultural Center among others.

Each program made use of both his original research and the skills of the arts organizations, community groups, local businesses, and publications that acted as my partners. Some of these programs, such as the full-scale reenactment of the Haymarket Affair in 2011, involved recruiting and directing over 300 volunteers and 1,000 participants.

To produce these programs successfully, he wrote grants; managed budgets; generated web content; worked closely with program partners of varying sizes and resources; and identified, engaged, and sustained a diverse multi-generational audience.

Lynessa Rico

Board Member

Dr. Lynessa M. Rico is the Associate Chair of the Business Psychology Department at the The Chicago School of Professional Psychology Chicago campus. She is also a business mentor at 1871.

Lynessa is a results-driven Strategic Consultant with over 25 years of experience enabling leaders to meet strategic business objectives by identifying and aligning business growth opportunities with strategic direction of culturally diverse organizations. By leveraging her strategic experience in identifying and impacting business growth opportunities and maximizing profits in retail firms and higher education institutions, Lynessa leads workshops focused on the creative mindset, women’s entrepreneurship, emotional intelligence, and the value and application of design thinking within entrepreneurship education and entrepreneurial ecosystems. Her services also include consulting with and educating leadership on emotional intelligence, the power of design thinking and the creative mindset, and leadership styles to support inclusive, creative workplaces. She has presented to leadership and innovation teams in small, mid-size, and Fortune 500 companies.

Lynessa received her undergraduate degrees in Marketing and Management from Wichita State University. She then went on to earn a master’s degree in Business Administration from Wichita State University with a focus in Entrepreneurship and Innovation. After earning her master’s degree, Lynessa received her doctorate in Business Psychology from The Chicago School of Professional Psychology where she successfully completed her dissertation titled, “The Relationship Between Personality Types and Color Preference for Color Combinations.” Her current research interests include women’s entrepreneurship, design thinking, creativity, emotional intelligence, and entrepreneurship self-efficacy.

Outside of work and research, Lynessa enjoys mentoring start-ups and judging pitch competitions. Lynessa currently resides in Chicago, Illinois with her four cats. She is an avid long-distance runner, having completed 5 full marathons (and counting), and enjoys watching musical theater.

Briana Thomas

Board Member

Briana Thomas is the Museum Associate at the Abrahamic Center for Cultural Education (a core member of the Chicago Cultural Alliance). She wears many hats including developing exhibition content, facilitating community programs (children and adults), liaising with visitor artists, and other responsibilities. Her previous experience in the nonprofit space includes her tenure as the Financial Empowerment Coordinator at AMERICORPS Sharing Life Center as well as engaging with the public at the Dallas Arboretum. Her past professional experience has remained rooted in marginalized communities. It is their needs, discourse and histories that she has routinely been tasked with protecting and showcasing in the face of poor infrastructure, and willing ignorance. Creating safe spaces is an ancestral practice she has inherited.