Chicago Cultural Alliance

Bridging The Divide: Making & Mending
2025-06-28 14:00 - 16:00 (America/Chicago) | South Asia Institute, 1925 South Michigan Avenue, Chicago, IL, 60616, United States
Join us for a moderated community conversation exploring how artists of South Asia and the diaspora navigate careers at the intersection of art and disability. This event invites participants into a community-building experience that highlights the resilience of artists with disabilities working in creative fields that are often not designed with accessibility in mind. Together, we will engage in critical reflection and discuss how humanities-based institutions can lead the way in fostering more inclusive and accessible spaces.
The conversation will be moderated by Anand Venkatkrishnan, an intellectual historian of South Asian religion and author of Love in the Time of Scholarship: The Bhāgavata Purāṇa in Indian Intellectual History.
Featured speakers include:
Pooja Pittie, a Chicago-based visual artist living with a progressive form of muscular dystrophy, whose work explores the tension between a slowing body and an active, curious mind.
Grishma Shah, a self-taught painter and public health professional whose experience with a physical disability inspires her art and advocacy for disability as a valued identity.
Priya Rama, an Ohio-based artist who channels chronic migraines into vivid, expressive work, encouraging creativity as a response to chronic pain and stress.
ASL interpretation and online participation options will be available. Please RSVP to receive a zoom link morning of the event. Mask-wearing is strongly encouraged in person.
This program is supported by a Healing IL grant from the Field Foundation and Illinois Humanities.

Constructing Ecological Landscapes: Ukraine Webinar
2025-07-10 08:00 - 17:00 | Virtual, Chicago, IL, United States
Join us for a virtual discussion for the closing of the exhibition Constructing Hope: Ukraine. This program is hosted in collaboration with the exhibition Constructing Hope: Ukraine which is currently on view at the CAC through September 1, 2025.
This panel, the closing event of the public programming for the Constructing Hope: Ukraine exhibition, will feature speakers Asia Bazdyrieva and Darya Tsymbalyuk, whose research and creative practices engage with the environmental, cultural and political dimensions of war and recovery in Ukraine.
In dialogue with the exhibition, the conversation will explore how both natural and built landscapes are shaped by imperial histories, extractive infrastructures, and ongoing ecological violence. It will also reflect on the role of cultural knowledge, grassroots recovery and interdisciplinary research in shaping resistance and imagining more just and resilient futures.
The event will include presentations by the speakers, followed by a conversation with exhibition curators Betty Roytburd, Ashley Bigham, and Sasha Topolnytska, and conclude with an audience Q&A.

Feierabend | Cider Tasting
2025-07-18 19:30 - 23:00 | DANK Haus German American Cultural Center, 4740 N. Western Ave., Chicago, IL, 60625, United States
Join us this July for a cozy evening of cider tasting in the 6th Floor Skyline Lounge at the DANK Haus. Sample a variety of traditional and modern ciders while enjoying a relaxed atmosphere and scenic views of Lincoln Square and beyond. Whether you’re a cider lover or just in it for good vibes and good company, this is the perfect way to wind down a summer evening. Prost!

Stammtisch Open Haus, Every 3rd Friday
2025-07-18 19:30 - 2025-07-19 00:00, 2025-08-15 19:30 - 2025-08-16 00:00, 2025-09-19 19:30 - 2025-09-20 00:00, 2025-10-17 19:30 - 2025-10-18 00:00, 2025-11-21 19:30 - 2025-11-22 00:00, 2025-12-19 19:30 - 2025-12-20 00:00 | DANK Haus German American Cultural Center, 4740 N. Western Ave., Chicago, IL, 60625, United States
Feiern Sie mit uns! Our monthly Open Haus Stammtisch is a great way to meet new friends and enjoy a little Gemütlichkeit over some delicious German food and drink!
Theme TBD
Food and drink will be available for purchase.
Free parking at 5/3 Bank after 6:00 PM located at Western and Gunnison

Author Talk: "The Invisible Spy" by Thomas Maier (ONLINE)
2025-07-29 18:00 - 19:00 | Virtual, Chicago, IL, United States
Author, television producer, and former Chicago Sun-Times journalist Thomas Maier visits the American Writers Museum to discuss his new book The Invisible Spy. It is the untold WWII story of Ernest Cuneo, a former NFL player turned White House insider who worked with Churchill’s undercover agents in New York City to conduct the biggest foreign spy operation ever within the US and how Cuneo later helped inspire Ian Fleming’s James Bond. The Invisible Spy has been praised by The Wall Street Journal and selected in April as an Amazon Editors’s Best Book in History.
As an award-winning author and journalist, Maier will also talk about how his previous books were translated into primetime television shows—Showtime’s Emmy-winning Masters of Sex and Paramount’s Mafia Spies, both praised by The New York Times.
This is the livestream of an in person program at the American Writers Museum. When you register for this event, you will receive access to the livestream link. If you would like to attend the program in person at the AWM, get your tickets here.
More about The Invisible Spy:
As a tough but smart Italian American kid, Ernest Cuneo played Ivy League football at Columbia University and was in the old Brooklyn Dodgers NFL franchise before becoming a city hall lawyer and “Brain Trust” aide to President Roosevelt. He was on the payroll of national radio columnist Walter Winchell and mingled with the famous and powerful. But his status as a spy remained a secret, hiding in plain sight.
During this time, Cuneo began a close friendship with British spy Ian Fleming and helped inspire Fleming’s James Bond novels. He also began a love affair with one of Churchill’s agents at Rockefeller Center—Margaret Watson, a beautiful Canadian woman with a photographic memory ideal for spycraft. In one nighttime attack, Watson was nearly smothered to death by a Nazi assassin inside her women’s dormitory near Rockefeller Center. Cuneo’s transformation from a gridiron athlete into a high-stakes intelligence go-between and political influencer is one of the great untold stories of American espionage. He has remained “invisible” in the public eye—until now, with this unveiled look into his life.
From the bestselling author and producer of two hit TV series, Mafia Spies and Masters of Sex, Thomas Maier delves into the little-known tales behind the Rockefeller Center spy operation and the origins of American intelligence. The Invisible Spy weaves Cuneo’s remarkable personal story with vivid insights about many top twentieth-century figures, including Churchill, FDR and later JFK. Full of action and fascinating characters, this untold history reveals how Cuneo, as America’s first WWII spy, helped the British launch a covert campaign against Nazi conspirators hidden in America, an espionage war unbeknownst to many.

Constructing Ecological Landscapes: Ukraine [Webinar]
2025-08-06 12:00 - 13:00 | Zoom
Join us for a virtual discussion for the closing of the exhibition Constructing Hope: Ukraine. This program is hosted in collaboration with the exhibition Constructing Hope: Ukraine which is currently on view at the CAC through September 1, 2025.
Free with Advanced Registration
This panel, the closing event of the public programming for the Constructing Hope: Ukraine exhibition, will feature speakers Asia Bazdyrieva and Darya Tsymbalyuk, whose research and creative practices engage with the environmental, cultural and political dimensions of war and recovery in Ukraine.
In dialogue with the exhibition, the conversation will explore how both natural and built landscapes are shaped by imperial histories, extractive infrastructures, and ongoing ecological violence. It will also reflect on the role of cultural knowledge, grassroots recovery and interdisciplinary research in shaping resistance and imagining more just and resilient futures.
The event will include presentations by the speakers, followed by a conversation with exhibition curators Betty Roytburd, Ashley Bigham, and Sasha Topolnytska, and conclude with an audience Q&A.

Design News Roundtable: The Greater Midwest
2025-08-14 18:00 - 19:15 | DANK Haus German American Cultural Center, 4740 N. Western Ave., Chicago, IL, 60625, United States
Join us for the third quarterly Design News Roundtable, a space for freewheeling conversation with architects, designers, preservationists and community leaders dissecting built environment news of note.
Our tapped-in panelists will scour the headlines and opine on recent design, development and planning news across the Midwest and their lessons for Chicago. Brush up on the past few months of built environment happenings and gain a deeper appreciation for the projects, the ideas and the individuals charting the future for our cities. This program takes place at the newly renovated Brauhaus Room at DANK Haus German American Cultural Center, 4740 N. Western Avenue. Registration includes one draft beer or N/A beverage at the bar, and additional drinks are available for purchase. Light snacks will also be provided.

Architect Talk: John Ronan
2025-09-09 18:00 - 19:15 | Chicago Architecture Center, 111 E Wacker Dr, Chicago, IL, 60601, United States
Don’t miss an evening with John Ronan, FAIA, founding principal at internationally-recognized John Ronan Architects, as he reflects on his firm’s design approach and studio culture, and vital practice in Chicago and beyond. CAC President & CEO Eleanor Gorski joins John in conversation following the lecture.
Many will know John for his firm’s widely published, award-winning Chicago projects including the Poetry Foundation, Gary Comer Youth Center, Independence Library and Apartments, Ed Kaplan Family Institute for Innovation and Tech Entrepreneurship at IIT and most recently the new Chicago Park District Headquarters in Brighton Park.
In addition to covering these projects and exploring how Chicago has informed his designs, John will show some work currently “on the boards.” As these projects suggest, John Ronan Architects works across a wide range of building types and scales. The firm has also competed in a number of international design competitions and was a finalist for the Obama Presidential Center and the UCD Future Campus project in Dublin. In 2024, the firm won an invited competition to design the Memorial for Fallen Journalists on the Mall in Washington, D.C.
Ticket holders are invited to arrive early for light bites and refreshments at 5 p.m. outside the lecture hall with the program beginning at 6 p.m.

American Prophets: James Baldwin & Queer Spirituality (ONLINE)
2025-09-16 18:00 - 19:00 | American Writers Museum, 180 N. Michigan Ave., Chicago, IL, 60601, United States
Despite James Baldwin’s disavowal of Christianity in his youth, he continued to engage the symbols and theology of Christianity in works such as The Amen Corner, Just Above My Head, and others. With his new book Jimmy’s Faith: James Baldwin, Disidentification, and the Queer Possibilities of Black Religion, author Christopher W. Hunt shows how Baldwin’s usage of those religious symbols both shifted their meaning and served as a way for him to build his own religious and spiritual vision.
Hunt is interviewed by Northwestern professor Ivy Wilson. Books will be available for purchase and Hunt will sign them following the program.
This is the livestream of an in person program at the American Writers Museum. When you register for this event, you will receive access to the livestream link. If you would like to attend the program at the AWM, get your tickets here.
This program is presented in conjunction with the AWM’s forthcoming special exhibit American Prophets: Writers, Religion, and Culture, opening November 2025. American Prophets is supported by a grant from Lilly Endowment Inc. through its Religion and Cultural Institutions Initiative.

New Architecture in a New World
2025-09-18 18:00 - 19:00 | Chicago Architecture Center, 111 E Wacker Dr, Chicago, IL, 60601, United States
Join us for a conversation with international architects as they reflect on the amazing breadth of contemporary architecture in the Americas and the pronounced impact of the Mies Crown Hall Americas Prize (MCHAP) on diverse stakeholders and communities of practice.
Inspired by the exhibition, The Prize is the Beginning, on view at the Chicago Architecture Center through late October, this discussion will reveal what sets MCHAP apart from other established awards programs.
The program will survey prize-winning and finalist projects as they relate to several broad themes:

Doing More With Less
Working with What We Have
Generosity
Agents of Change
Learning from Each Other

Our panelists bring strong ties to the awards, as past honorees or jurors. Hear unique insights from Stanley Allen, FAIA, Founder of Stan Allen Architect, Professor Emeritus and former Dean of the School of Architecture, Princeton University; Sol Camacho, Founder and Director of Sao Paolo- and Mexico City- based RADDAR; Juan Carlos Bamba Vicente, Founder of Madrid-based BAMBA Studio, Partner with Natura Futura, and Professor at FAD-UCSG, Ecuador; and Michael Maltzan, FAIA, Founder of Los Angeles-based Michael Maltzan Architecture. MCHAP Director Dirk Denison, FAIA, Professor, IIT College of Architecture and Founder of Dirk Denison Architects, will moderate the conversation.
Ticket holders are invited to enjoy a pre-program reception in CAC’s Usher Lambe Gallery with light bites and refreshments from 5 to 5:45 p.m. The program begins promptly at 6 p.m. in the Lecture Hall. This program is presented in partnership with the Chicago Architecture Biennial.

Introduction to Jade Lecture by Jun Wan
2025-09-20 14:00 - 15:00 | 3500 S Morgan Street, 3500 S Morgan St 3F, Chicago, IL, 60609, United States
This lecture, Introduction of Jade, provides an insightful overview of the cultural, historical, and material significance of jade, particularly in Chinese civilization.

What are the differences between jade and gem?

The history of ancient Chinese jade

Why is jade so valuable?

The most valuable kind of jade

About the Instructor:
​​Jun Wan graduated from the Department of Geology of Peking University, majoring in Rock and Mineralogy. During her tenure as Director of the Jewellery Department at Guardian International Auction Co. Ltd, she established the first domestic jewelry and jadeite auction in China. Afterward, she established the first professional jadeite club in mainland China, held jadeite lectures and courses for many years, and served as an appraisal expert on CCTV’s “Treasure Appraisal” program. Currently, for the Art Institute of Chicago (Art Institute of Chicago), jade research guest consultant.
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.

All About Oktoberfest! | Oktoberfest History Presentation
2025-09-25 19:00 - 20:30 | DANK Haus German American Cultural Center, 4740 N. Western Ave., Chicago, IL, 60625, United States
Did you know the world’s largest folk festival started as a royal wedding celebration? Every year, Munich’s Oktoberfest draws million of visitors from across the globe, and its traditions have crossed the Atlantic, becoming a beloved part of American culture.
Join us for an insightful and entertaining presentation as we explore the rich history, unique traditions, and the global impact of Oktoberfest–from its roots in Munich to the vibrant celebrations here in Chicago. Whether you’re a longtime festgoer or just curious to learn more, this interactive talk will leave you with a new appreciation for one of the world’s most iconic festivals!

CAC Designing Futures Gala
2025-09-30 18:30 - 21:00 | Epiphany Center for the Arts, 201 South Ashland Avenue, Chicago, IL, 60607, United States
Join the CAC at the Epiphany Center for the Arts on the edge of the West Loop. Proceeds from the event will benefit CAC’s learning and public engagement programs. Single tickets and sponsor tables available!
The setting for this year’s event is the Epiphany Center for the Arts, a converted historic Church that has been preserved and adapted into an iconic cultural hub ‘For the Good of Art, Entertainment and Events’. Guests will enjoy a memorable evening that includes a sit-down dinner in this stunning space.
5:30–6:30 p.m. VIP Reception
6:30–7:30 p.m. General Reception
7:30–9:00 p.m. Seated Dinner and Awards Program
For sponsorship opportunities or single tickets, please visit our OneCause page.
The evening will feature:
Presentation of the Civic Champion Award to Curt R. Bailey, President of Related Midwest
Presentation of the Lynn Osmond Award
Presentation of the inaugural Lori Healey Rising Leader Award to Maya Bird-Murphy, Founder & Executive Director of Mobile Makers
An exclusive VIP reception in the Chase House featuring live music

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

"Chicago Homes" Book Launch
2025-10-09 18:00 - 19:00 | Chicago Architecture Center, 111 E Wacker Dr, Chicago, IL, 60601, United States
Celebrate the launch of “Chicago Homes: A Portrait of the City’s Everyday Architecture,” the definitive guide to Chicago’s unique housing styles.
Co-authors Carla Bruni and Phil Thompson will share entertaining and illuminating stories of why our homes and neighborhoods look the way they do during the celebration of their book launch. This beautifully illustrated book is for Chicagoans and visitors alike, anyone who’s ever wondered how to spot a Foursquare, or where to find pre-Fire Italianate homes, or how two World’s Fairs revolutionized the way Chicagoans live. It chronicles the emergence of vernacular styles from the mid-1800s through the Second World War. Combining their decades of experience in historic preservation and illustration, Bruni and Thompson have created an evergreen resource for those with an interest in Chicago history and architecture.
Ticket holders are invited to enjoy light bites and refreshments from 5-6 p.m. outside the Lecture Hall. The program begins at 6 p.m. Following the talk, the authors will sign copies of their book, available for purchase at the CAC Design Store in person or online.

Horror Writing and Religion – An American Prophets Program
2025-10-10 18:30 - 19:30 | University of Chicago Divinity School, 1025 E 58th Street, Chicago, IL, 60637, United States
Join us for a panel discussion about religion, spirituality, and horror writing!
Leading writers of horror and suspense discuss their use of religion in their work, from magic and voodoo in Tananarive Due’s The Good House, to historical cults in Matt Ruff’s Lovecraft Country. What frightens us so deeply about religion, and how do different kinds of writing explore the topic? This discussion will be moderated by author Juan Martinez.
This program takes place at the University of Chicago Divinity School, 1025 E 58th St, Chicago, IL 60637. Books will be available for purchase and the authors will sign them following the program.
This program is presented in conjunction with the AWM’s forthcoming special exhibit American Prophets: Writers, Religion, and Culture, opening November 2025. American Prophets is supported by a grant from Lilly Endowment Inc. through its Religion and Cultural Institutions Initiative.

About the authors:
TANANARIVE DUE is an award-winning author who teaches Black Horror and Afrofuturism at UCLA. A leading voice in Black speculative fiction for more than 20 years, Due has won an American Book Award, an NAACP Image Award, and a British Fantasy Award, and her writing has been included in best-of-the-year anthologies. Her books include The Reformatory (winner of a Los Angeles Times Book Prize, Chautauqua Prize, Bram Stoker Award, Shirley Jackson Award, World Fantasy Award, and a New York Times Notable Book), The Wishing Pool and Other Stories, Ghost Summer: Stories, My Soul to Keep, and The Good House. She and her late mother, civil rights activist Patricia Stephens Due, co-authored Freedom in the Family: A Mother-Daughter Memoir of the Fight for Civil Rights.
She was an executive producer on Shudder’s groundbreaking documentary Horror Noire: A History of Black Horror. She and her husband/collaborator, Steven Barnes, wrote “A Small Town” for Season 2 of Jordan Peele’s The Twilight Zone on Paramount Plus, and two segments of Shudder’s anthology film Horror Noire. They also co-wrote their Black Horror graphic novel The Keeper, illustrated by Marco Finnegan. Due and Barnes co-host a podcast, “Lifewriting: Write for Your Life!” She and her husband live with their son, Jason.
JUAN MARTINEZ is a writer and an associate professor of English at Northwestern University. He is the author of the horror novel Extended Stay (University of Arizona Press / Camino del Sol, 2023) and of the story collection Best Worst American (Small Beer Press, 2017). He is also the fiction editor for Jackleg Press. Juan lives with his family near Chicago.

From Ancient Oracles to Modern Mystics: Mystische Frauen
2025-10-23 19:00 - 21:00 | DANK Haus German American Cultural Center, 4740 N. Western Ave., Chicago, IL, 60625, United States
Join us this Hallows’ Eve season as we explore the myst of German women whose spiritual visions transcended the limits of reason. From ancient prophetesses and medieval visionaries to latter-day stigmatists, these women offer us glimpses beyond the boundaries of human perception–reminding us that the world we see may not be all that exists.
Don’t miss this evening of history, mystery, and storytelling!
Can’t make it to the in-person event? Mike Haas will be hosting an online version here the following Thursday, October 30, from 7-9 PM CT.

From Ancient Oracles to Modern Mystics: Mystische Frauen
2025-10-23 19:00 - 21:00 | DANK Haus German American Cultural Center, 4740 N. Western Ave., Chicago, IL, 60625, United States
From Ancient Oracles to Modern Mystics: Mystische Frauen
Presented by Mike Haas
Join us this Hallows’ Eve season as we explore the myst of German women whose spiritual visions transcended the limits of reason. From ancient prophetesses and medieval visionaries to latter-day stigmatists, these women offer us glimpses beyond the boundaries of human perception–reminding us that the world we see may not be all that exists.
Don’t miss this evening of history, mystery, and storytelling!
Can’t make it to the in-person event? Mike Haas will be hosting an online version here the following Thursday, October 30, from 7-9 PM CT.

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.

From Biergärten to Breweries: The Cultural History of Beer from Germany to Chicago
2025-10-24 19:00 - 21:00 | DANK Haus German American Cultural Center, 4740 N. Western Ave., Chicago, IL, 60625, United States
Raise a glass to history! Join us for an evening that blends scholarship, storytelling, and steins as we trace the rich cultural history of beer and brewing from its roots in Germany to its vibrant evolution in Chicago.
Northwestern University professor Robert Ryder will lead us on a fascinating journey through centuries of brewing tradition — from medieval monasteries and Bavarian beer halls to Chicago’s historic brewing giants and modern craft beer renaissance. Along the way, you’ll discover how German immigrants shaped Chicago’s beer culture and why beer has remained a cornerstone of community life on both sides of the Atlantic.
After the talk, enjoy a tasting experience featuring brews from beloved local breweries Dovetail and Seipp, alongside traditional German beers on tap at the DANK Haus. Compare old-world classics with new-world innovations, learn about unique brewing techniques, and savor the shared heritage in every sip.
Whether you’re a beer enthusiast, history lover, or just looking for a fun and flavorful night out, this event is sure to be a perfect pairing. Prost!

American Prophets: Religion in the Lands that Became America (IN PERSON)
2025-11-10 18:00 - 19:00 | American Writers Museum, 180 N. Michigan Ave., Chicago, IL, 60601, United States
Scholar Thomas A. Tweed visits the American Writers Museum to discuss his new book Religion in the Lands that Became America. A sweeping retelling of American religious history, Tweed shows how religion has enhanced and hindered human flourishing from the Ice Age to the Information Age. Tweed is joined in conversation by fellow Indigenous Studies scholar John N. Low. Books will be available for purchase and Tweed will sign them following the program.
This is an in person program at the American Writers Museum. This program will also be livestreamed, and you can register for the link to the online broadcast here.
This program is presented in conjunction with the AWM’s forthcoming special exhibit American Prophets: Writers, Religion, and Culture, opening November 2025. American Prophets is supported by a grant from Lilly Endowment Inc. through its Religion and Cultural Institutions Initiative.

Architect Talk: Pascale Sablan
2025-11-11 18:00 - 19:30 | Chicago Architecture Center, 111 E Wacker Dr, Chicago, IL, 60601, United States
Don’t miss this powerful evening with trailblazing New York architect, activist, and author Pascale Sablan, named one of the most influential voices in design today.
Pascale will dive into how equity, sustainability and community can reshape our cities, sharing inspiring stories from her advocacy and practice. She will also shed light on some of the visionary practitioners from around the globe featured in her new book, GREATNESS: Diverse Designers of Architecture. The book celebrates those transforming the built environment through bold, creative design. Following her talk, Pascale will be joined in conversation by Chicago architect Danielle Tillman.
Come early at 5:00 p.m. for light bites and refreshments and stick around after the program for a book signing with Pascale. GREATNESS is available for purchase in person or online at the CAC Design Store.
This program is presented in partnership with the Chicago Architecture Biennial.

Trivia Night! Stammtisch
2025-11-21 19:30 - 23:00 | DANK Haus German American Cultural Center, 4740 N. Western Ave., Chicago, IL, 60625, United States
Join us for a lively evening of German and American trivia with Herr Rex! Put your knowledge to the test, uncover fun facts, and see how much you really know about both sides of the Atlantic. Whether you’re a trivia buff or just looking for a good time, this night is for you.
Grab your friends, make new connections, and enjoy a friendly competition full of surprises and laughs. Food and drinks will be available for purchase.

The German Imprint on our American Christmas
2025-12-13 13:00 - 15:00 | DANK Haus German American Cultural Center, 4740 N. Western Ave., Chicago, IL, 60625, United States
The German Imprint on our American Christmas | Presented by Mike Haas
Christmas — or Weihnachten — is Germany’s most beloved holiday, and America’s too! What many Americans don’t realize is just how deeply German immigrants have shaped the way we celebrate the season.
From the Christmas tree to Santa Claus, from mistletoe and gingerbread houses to Nutcrackers and Advent calendars, so many of our favorite traditions have German origins. Even our cherished Christmas music from Handel’s Messiah to O Tannenbaum to Silent Night carries the spirit of that heritage. And who could forget A Charlie Brown Christmas or the joyful Christmas markets that now brighten towns across the United States?
Join us for an insightful and festive presentation exploring the stories behind these beloved traditions. Whether you come to learn, share, or simply celebrate, you’ll leave with a deeper appreciation of the German influence on America’s most cherished holiday.
