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  • December 2022

  • Sun 11
    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
  • Sun 11
    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
  • Sun 11
    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
  • Sun 11
    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, […]

  • Sun 11
    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 […]

  • Sun 11
    December 11, 2022 @ 9:00 am Breakfast with Tomten

    Breakfast with Tomten

    • Cultural Festivals and Fairs
    • Food and Drink
    Swedish American Museum 5211 N. Clark St., Chicago, IL, United States

    One of our most popular family event of the year! Join us on either Saturday or Sunday for a Swedish pancake breakfast with traditional crafts, a special visit from Tomten, […]

  • Sun 11
    December 11, 2022 @ 12:00 pm - 5:00 pm Ukrainian Institute of Modern Art Holiday Makers Market

    Ukrainian Institute of Modern Art Holiday Makers Market

    • Cultural Festivals and Fairs
    Ukrainian Institute of Modern Art 2320 W Chicago Ave, Chicago, IL, United States

    December 10 - 11, 2022 12 pm - 5 pm $5 admission Ticket prices also include complimentary water donated by Open Water and beer donated by Solemn Oath Brewery and […]

    $5
  • Sun 11
    December 11, 2022 @ 1:00 pm

    FESTIVAL OF CAROLS…WE STAND WITH UKRAINE

    • Cultural Festivals and Fairs
    St Nicholas Ukrainian Catholic Cathedral 835 N Oakley Blvd, Chicago, IL, United States

    The Ukrainian Institute of Modern Art cordially invites you to attend a holiday concert, “FESTIVAL OF CAROLS…WE STAND WITH UKRAINE” on Sunday, December 11th at 1PM, at St. Nicholas Catholic Cathedral. Choral groups […]

    $20
  • Sun 11
    December 11, 2022 @ 1:00 pm - 7:00 pm

    Holiday Extravagant 2022

    • Cultural Festivals and Fairs
    American Indian Center 3401 West Ainslie Street, Chicago, IL, United States

    Join us as Toys for Tots comes to AIC! The start time is tentatively 1PM. As we get closer to the date, we will update information. The Google Form is […]

  • Sun 11
    December 11, 2022 @ 3:00 pm - 6:00 pm

    Chicago Scots Annual Holiday Party & General Meeting

    • Cultural Festivals and Fairs
    2800 Des Plaines Avenue North Riverside, IL 60546 United States 2800 Des Plaines Avenue, North Riverside, IL, United States

    As we approach Saint Andrew’s Day and the Holiday Season, we wish you and your loved ones health and every happiness on behalf of the Board of Governors of the […]

    FREE
  • Tue 13
    December 13, 2022 - December 20, 2022

    Holiday Donation Drive

      American Indian Center 3401 West Ainslie Street, Chicago, IL, United States

      The American Indian Center is currently accepting donations for our Holiday Donation Drive from now until December 20. Items we are currently accepting include: food, gift cards, new toys, and […]

      FREE
    • Tue 13
      December 13, 2022 @ 1:00 pm - 2:00 pm Bold Byzantine Women: Empress Theodora, Anna Komnene, and St. Kassia

      Bold Byzantine Women: Empress Theodora, Anna Komnene, and St. Kassia

      • Member Events
      • Online Events
      • Talks and Gatherings
      • Workshops and Classes
      Online IL, United States

      Join NHM Discussions as we explore the lives and legacies of three of the Byzantine Empire's most influential figures: Empress Theodora, Anna Komnene, and St. Kassia. Theirs are stories of […]

      Free
    • Tue 13
      December 13, 2022 @ 2:00 pm

      Ikebana Holiday Workshop

      • Workshops and Classes
      Japanese American Service Committee 4427 N Clark St, Chicago, IL, United States

      Ikebana Workshop In Person at JASC building! Explore the art of Ikebana (Japanese flower arranging) by creating your own holiday centerpiece with instructor Mrs. Yuko Inoue Darcy of the Ohara School of […]

      $65
    • Wed 14
      December 14, 2022 @ 6:30 pm - 9:30 pm

      FALL FUNDRAISER- A Musical Evening by Palini Ramnarayan

      • Cultural Festivals and Fairs
      • Food and Drink
      National Indo-American Museum 815 S Main St, Lombard, IL, United States

      Palini Ramnarayan is a versatile musician with a music minor from Cornell University. Palini started singing when she was five years old, training in Hindustani classical under Aparna Pai and […]

      $65
    • Thu 15
      December 15, 2022 @ 5:00 pm - 6:30 pm

      Art After Work: Roman Villarreal

      • Workshops and Classes
      Intuit: The Center for Intuitive and Outsider Art 756 North Milwaukee Avenue, Chicago, IL, United States

      Join Intuit for Art After Work, a free series of facilitated art-making workshops inspired by outsider and self-taught art and artists from the museum's collections and exhibitions. This month, Chicago-based […]

      FREE
    • Thu 15
      December 15, 2022 @ 5:00 pm - 8:30 pm

      12th Annual Benefit Gala ‘Hope to the New Future’

      • Talks and Gatherings
      Korean Cultural Center of Chicago 9925 Capitol Dr, Wheeling, IL, United States

      The Korean Cultural Center of Chicago (KCCoC) invites you to give a brief greeting at the 12th Annual Benefit Gala, “Hope to the New Future.” The gala will be held […]

      $130
    • Thu 15
      December 15, 2022 @ 6:00 pm - 7:00 pm

      Artecito – Animales en Invierno

      • Online Events
      IL, United States

      Did you know: while humans are dreaming of sugar plums and chocolate abuelita, animals in hibernation don't! During hibernation, an animal’s body is too cold to produce the electric currents […]

      FREE
    • Thu 15
      December 15, 2022 @ 7:00 pm - 8:00 pm

      NHM Virtual Book Club – The Minotaur Takes a Cigarette Break

      • Member Events
      • Online Events
      • Talks and Gatherings
      Online IL, United States

      Join the National Hellenic Museum’s Virtual Book Club! In December, we will be discussing The Minotaur Takes a Cigarette Break by Steven Sherril.  Book Club is free to join and meets on the third Thursday of […]

      Free
    • Fri 16
      December 16, 2022 @ 6:00 pm - 8:00 pm BOMBA Lab en el Centro

      BOMBA Lab en el Centro

      • Dance
      • Workshops and Classes
      Segundo Ruiz Belvis Cultural Center 4046 W. Armitage Ave., Chicago, IL, United States

      BOMBA is the oldest musical tradition of Puerto Rico and one of the greatest expressions of the Island’s African ancestry. Since its establishment in Chicago in the late 1980's and […]

      FREE
    • Fri 16
      December 16, 2022 @ 7:30 pm

      Open Haus Stammtisch: Christmas Party

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

      Open Haus Stammtisch: Christmas Party 2nd Floor Brauhaus Room Friday | December 16th | 7:30 PM Come and join us as we celebrate an early Weihnachten at the Haus! This […]

      FREE
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    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.