This site uses cookies for analytics and to improve your experience. By clicking Accept, you consent to our use of cookies.

"Chicago Cultural Alliance" logo
  • ABOUT US
    • ABOUT
    • COALITION STATEMENT
    • SUBSCRIBE TO OUR NEWSLETTER
    • CCA Blog
    • BOARD OF DIRECTORS
    • OUR TEAM
    • OPPORTUNITIES
    • Privacy Policy
  • OUR MEMBERS
    • ABOUT OUR MEMBERS
    • CORE MEMBERS
    • PARTNER MEMBERS
    • JOIN THE ALLIANCE
  • HOLIDAY GUIDE
  • MEETING THE MOMENT
  • ACTIVATING HERITAGE 2026
  • PROGRAMS
    • ABOUT OUR PROGRAMS
    • ACTIVATING HERITAGE 2026
    • JOURNEY CHICAGO
    • ARCHIVES CRAWL
    • WORLD DUMPLING FEST (2024)
    • MOSAIC 2025 Gala
  • CALENDAR
  • MEMBERWIRE LOG-IN
  • DONATE
20 events found.

Events Search and Views Navigation

Event Views Navigation

  • List
  • Month
  • Week
Today
  • November 2022

  • Tue 1
    August 6, 2022 - December 10, 2022

    Exhibition: “Unbearable Memories, Unspeakable Histories”: Partition Anti-Memorial Project

    • Exhibitions and Gallery Events
    • Member Events
    South Asia Institute 1925 South Michigan Avenue, Chicago, IL, United States

    Through experiential art installations “Unbearable Memories, Unspeakable Histories” investigates the Partition of India in 1947. This year marks 75 years since the Partition of India in 1947, which created Pakistan, […]

    $5 – $10
  • Tue 1
    September 9, 2022 - December 30, 2022 A Show of Hands: Handwriting in the Age of Print

    A Show of Hands: Handwriting in the Age of Print

    • Exhibitions and Gallery Events
    Newberry Library 60 West Walton Street, Chicago, IL, United States

    For centuries, handwriting served as a powerful tool for communicating information, preserving knowledge, shaping identity, and building empires. In our digital world, however, fewer and fewer people can read handwritten […]

    Free
  • Tue 1
    September 16, 2022 - December 30, 2022

    RESILIENCE – Photography Exhibit

    • Exhibitions and Gallery Events
    • Member Events
    National Hellenic Museum 333 S. Halsted St., Chicago, IL, United States

    Join us for the grand reopening of the National Hellenic Museum this fall with the world premiere of a major photography exhibition Resilience By HRH Prince Nikolaos September 16 – […]

    $10
  • Tue 1
    September 16, 2022 - April 30, 2023

    Gather Together: Chicago Street Photography by Diane Alexander White

    • Exhibitions and Gallery Events
    National Hellenic Museum 333 S. Halsted St., Chicago, IL, United States

    In this new exhibition, the Chicago-based Greek American photographer presents 80 historic works showcasing Chicago’s Greek American celebrations alongside other ethnic and cultural festivals and parades, primarily from the 1970s […]

    $10
  • Tue 1
    October 10, 2022 - December 17, 2022

    9 Artists/ 9 Months/ 9 Perspectives features work by the collective, Dandelion Black Women Artists

    • Exhibitions and Gallery Events
    South Side Community Art Center 3831 S. Michigan Ave., Chicago, IL, United States

    Nine Black women artists engaged in collaborative efforts to create artworks that transcend and transform events in the year 2020. In their eyes, art-making became a transgressive act through activism, […]

  • Tue 1
    October 28, 2022 @ 8:00 am - January 31, 2023 @ 5:00 pm

    Seeking Sonder by Akina Curley

    • Exhibitions and Gallery Events
    American Indian Center 3401 West Ainslie Street, Chicago, IL, United States

    Please join us to celebrate the art of Akina Curley. A very impressive show by a talented young Native artist. Seeking Sonder showcases work by Akina Curley (Ojibwe/ Diné) to […]

  • Wed 2
    November 2, 2022 @ 12:00 am

    Ausiàs Parejo

      IL, United States

      Don't miss 16-year-old guitar prodigy Juan Ausiàs Parejo from Valencia on Thursday, November 17. $10 SUGGESTED DONATION AT DOOR PARKING VALIDATION AT 33 W ONTARTIO ST ($10) ABOUT THE ARTIST Born […]

    • Thu 3
      November 3, 2022 @ 6:00 pm - 8:00 pm

      Night At The Museum | Paint & Sip!

      • Workshops and Classes
      The National Museum of Puerto Rican Arts & Culture 3015 W Division Street, Chicago, IL, United States

      An Intimate Night At The Museum | Paint & Sip! Painting and art made easy for everybody! Learn how to paint on a canvas with Featured Artist Lorimar Matos. This […]

      $25
    • Thu 3
      November 3, 2022 @ 7:00 pm - 8:30 pm In-Person Master Class – Lithuanian Threaded Straw/Paper Ornament Making

      In-Person Master Class – Lithuanian Threaded Straw/Paper Ornament Making

      • Workshops and Classes
      Balzekas Museum of Lithuanian Culture 6500 South Pulaski Road, Chicago, IL, United States

      The Balzekas Museum presents an in-person 3-Thursday Lithuanian Straw Ornament Making Master Class with artist/educator Laura Lapinskas About this event In order to preserve and perpetuate Lithuanian traditions, the Balzekas […]

    • Thu 3
      November 3, 2022 @ 7:00 pm - 8:30 pm

      Three Lithuanian Threaded Straw Ornament-Making Master Classes

      • Workshops and Classes
      Balzekas Museum of Lithuanian Culture 6500 South Pulaski Road, Chicago, IL, United States

      Join us at the Balzekas Museum for a special three-evening Master Class on making traditional Lithuanian straw ornaments. Classes will be conducted by artist/educator Laura Lapinskas. Traditionally, ornaments were made […]

      $20
    • Thu 3
      November 3, 2022 @ 7:00 pm - 8:30 pm

      Three Lithuanian Threaded Straw Ornament-Making Master Classes

      • Workshops and Classes
      Balzekas Museum of Lithuanian Culture 6500 South Pulaski Road, Chicago, IL, United States

      Join us at the Balzekas Museum for a special three-evening Master Class on making traditional Lithuanian straw ornaments. Classes will be conducted by artist/educator Laura Lapinskas. Traditionally, ornaments were made […]

      $20
    • Fri 4
      November 4, 2022 @ 7:00 pm - 10:00 pm

      JUAN CARMONA WITH YOUBA ADJRAD AND THE ANDALUSIAN TRAIL

      • Music, Film, and Theater
      Instituto Cervantes 31 West Ohio Street, Chicago, IL, United States

      Juan Carmona was only ten years old when his father gave him his first guitar. His passion for the instrument grew and his virtuosity was quickly remarked by professional musicians. […]

      Free
    • Sat 5
      November 5, 2022 @ 10:00 am - 11:00 am

      Scottish American History Forum: Scottish Settlement of Prince Edward Island and Its Implications for Island Society and Culture

      • Online Events
      • Talks and Gatherings
      Online Event

      November 5 | 10:00 am - 11:00 am Free Topic: Scottish Settlement of Prince Edward Island and Its Implications for Island Society and Culture Presenter: Professor Edward MacDonald, PhD, Department of History, […]

      FREE
    • Sat 5
      November 5, 2022 @ 11:00 am - 4:00 pm Native American Artisan and Craft Fair

      Native American Artisan and Craft Fair

      • Cultural Festivals and Fairs
      West Lake Forest Train Station 911 Telegraph Road, Lake Forest, IL, United States

      Native American Heritage Month The Mitchell Museum of the American Indian, Lake Forest/Lake Bluff Chamber of Commerce, Native American Chamber of Commerce of Illinois, and North Shore Chapter NSDAR Saturday, […]

      Free
    • Sat 5
      November 5, 2022 @ 1:00 pm - 2:30 pm

      Interview and Book signing: ATTORNEY JAMES MONTGOMERY

      • Talks and Gatherings
      Bronzeville Historical Society 4455 S King Dr. - Suite 103, Chicago, IL, United States

      About the event: Bronzeville Historical Society welcomes Attorney James Montgomery to reveal his own story in a personal interview with a live audience. The event is supported in part by […]

      Free
    • Sat 5
      November 5, 2022 @ 3:00 pm - 4:30 pm

      Conversations at SAI: At the Intersection of Faith, Culture and Music

        South Asia Institute 1925 South Michigan Avenue, Chicago, IL, United States

        AT THE INTERSECTION OF FAITH, CULTURE AND MUSIC is a conversation between Sonny (Artistic Director of Riyaaz Qawwali) and Aaron Cohen (award-winning Chicago music writer) exploring the role of faith, spirituality and heritage through […]

        FREE
      • Sat 5
        November 5, 2022 @ 3:00 pm - 6:00 pm

        Opening Reception of “Guanyu Xu: to be seen”

        • Exhibitions and Gallery Events
        Chinese American Museum of Chicago 238 W. 23rd St, Chicago, IL, United States

        The Chinese American Museum of Chicago (CAMOC) is excited to announce the fifth exhibition of the Spotlight Series, featuring artist Guanyu Xu. Please join us on Saturday, November 5, from […]

      • Sat 5
        November 5, 2022 @ 3:00 pm - 8:00 pm

        Celebration Dia de los Muertos Y Mercado Artesanal

        • Cultural Festivals and Fairs
        • Dance
        Trickster Cultural Center 190 S Roselle Rd, Schaumburg, IL, United States

        Join us, in our collaboration with the Teolecuilli Aztec Dance Group, for a cultural and educational series. Join us with ofrenda y altares, traditional pan de muerto, dances from Peru […]

        FREE
      • Sat 5
        November 5, 2022 @ 5:00 pm - 7:00 pm

        Film screening: “Bill Traylor: Chasing Ghosts”

        • Music, Film, and Theater
        Intuit: The Center for Intuitive and Outsider Art 756 North Milwaukee Avenue, Chicago, IL, United States

        Bill Traylor: Chasing Ghosts is a feature documentary film exploring the life of a unique American artist, a man with a remarkable and unlikely biography. Bill Traylor was born into slavery […]

        $15
      • Sat 5
        November 5, 2022 @ 7:00 pm

        24th Annual National Cuatro Festival!

        • Member Events
        • Music, Film, and Theater
        Harris Theatre for Music and Dance 205 E. Randolph Drive, Chicago, IL, United States

        The Cuatro is regarded as the national instrument of Puerto Rico and is revered by the Puerto Rican community as an important part of our history. It is recognized and […]

        Coming Soon
      • Previous Events
      • Today
      • Next Events
      • Google Calendar
      • iCalendar
      • Outlook 365
      • Outlook Live
      • Export .ics file
      • Export Outlook .ics file
      • Follow
      • Follow
      • Follow
      • Follow
      • Follow

      600 W. Jackson Blvd, Suite 100 | Chicago, IL 60661 | 312-846-6814
      501(c)3 | © 2025 Chicago Cultural Alliance | Website by David Carling – FutureNotion

      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.