Chicago Cultural Alliance

Chicago ROAR Story Slam 2022
2022-06-24 18:30 - 21:00 (America/Chicago) | Vittum Theater, 1012 N NOBLE ST, Chicago, IL, 60642, 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 community. Each finalist will perform their story in front of our panel of judges for a chance at a cash prize of up to $1,000. This year’s theme is “metamorphosis” and we can’t wait for you to hear their stories.
Big thank you to our first round judges: Arnold Byun, Ann Choh, Sam Hyun, John C. Kim, Minsoo Kang, Grace Lee, Jeannie Park, Heidi Shin, and Rayanne Williams!
Special thanks to Sheila Ivy Traister, veteran actress, director and story coach who provided professional coaching sessions to all of our finalists.
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TICKET INFO
GENERAL ADMISSIONS: $35 || STUDENT TICKET w/ ID: $25
Ticket w/meal: $50 for GA || $40 for Student
Parking: $12*
>> PURCHASE HERE <<
This year we will be offering individual doshiraks(lunch boxes) provided by our food sponsor, Perilla

Regular Doshirak
Spicy pork, garlic chicken, kimchi, cucumber moochim, shisito peppers with baby anchovy, mandoo, japchae, and white rice

Vegetarian Doshirak
Braised tofu, marinated mushrooms, kimchi, cucumber moochim, shisito peppers with baby anchovy, mandoo, japchae, and white rice

NOTE: FOOD AND DRINKS ARE NOT ALLOWED IN THE THEATER AND WILL ONLY BE ALLOWED IN THE DINING HALL DURING RECEPTION (6:30-7:30PM) SO PLEASE PLAN ACCORDINGLY!
*WE RESERVED A PARKING LOT ABOUT 1 BLOCK AWAY FROM THE VITTUM THEATER. LIMITED SPOTS AVAILABLE. ONE ORDER IS EQUAL TO ONE SPOT.

Ida B. Wells Festival
2022-06-25 08:00 - 14:00 | Light of Truth Ida B. Wells National Monument, 3729 South Langley Avenue, Chicago, IL, 60653, 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 Ida B. Wells National Monument 37th & Langley
Celebrating her 160th Birthday
8:00am – 9:00am : Morning Meditation and Healing Ritual Led by Sylvia Ewing – Media personality, poet, and certified meditation teacher At the Ida B. Wells National Monument, 37th & Langley (Remember to bring something to drink and a folding chair or blanket)
9:30am – 10:30am: Walking Tour of Bronzeville Ida B. Wells Sites Led by Bernard C. Turner – author of A New View of Bronzeville Franklin Cosey – Gay – co – founder, Chicago Race Riot of 1919 Commemoration Project Shermann “Dilla” Thomas – founder, Chicago Mahogany Tours Meet near Sixth – Grace Presbyterian Church at 35th & Cottage Grove. Tour will end at the Ida B. Wells National Monument ( Remember to bring something to drink)
10:30am – 1:30pm: Activities Jump Rope, Hopscotch, Spoken Word, Drumming, Dancing, Games & More! Langley between 37th & 38th Streets DJ RL Breezy ** Chicago Young Authors **The Happiness Club
1:00pm – 2:00pm: Panel Discussion Oakwood Shores Community Center, 3825 S. Vincennes |
*REGISTER to ATTEND PANEL DISCUSSION from REGISTER TAB.
Doors open at 12:30pm Please show proof of COVID vaccine for entrance. Masks required. Bronzeville and Its Importance to the Black American Story Jamie Nesbitt Golden, journalist with Block Club Chicago Lionel Kimble, author of A New Deal for Bronzeville Dawn Turner, author of Three Girls From Bronzeville Moderated by Darryl Dennard, producer and host of Chicago Speaks on V103
Note: Purchase books before June 25th and bring to the event. They are available at Seminary Co – op Bookstore at 5751 S. Woodlawn and all other book outlets.
SPONSORS Bronzeville Historical Society, Bronzeville Trail Task Force, Chicago History Museum, Chicago Race Riot of 1919 Commemoration Project, Illinois Tech, The Community Builders, The Ida B. Wells Memorial Foundation, Wyn – Win Communications
Festival organized by Ida B Action Committee: Tony Burroughs, Dan Duster, Michelle Duster, Eve L. Ewing, Khari Humphries, Lionel Kimble, Robin Robinson, Bernard C. Turner, Sherry Williams For more information about Festival contact bronzevillehistoricalsociety@gmail.com

Swedish American Museum Guided Tour
2022-06-25 11:15 - 11:45 | Swedish American Museum, 5211 N. Clark St., Chicago, IL, 60640, United States
Dive into the history of Swedish immigration to Chicago with a guided tour of the Swedish American Museum’s permanent exhibit, “The Dream of America.” Uncover the stories of real immigrants like Karl Karlsson, who left Sweden with his family in 1893, or Elin and Birgitta Hedman, who made the journey in 1924. Learn about what awaited the millions who came to America via Ellis Island and what life was like in Swedish neighborhoods such as Andersonville in Chicago then and now. The tour is free with admissions, and members are free.
Reservations are recommended and can be made via email to museum@samac.org.

Pascuala Ilabaca in Concert
2022-06-25 20:30 - 23:30 | Martyrs’, 3855 N. Lincoln Ave., Chicago, IL, 60613, United States
Come see a true hidden gem, accordion-wielding Chilean songstress Pascuala Ilabaca accompanied by her formidable band Fauna, on Saturday June 25th at Martyrs’. Doors open at 8:30pm and show starts at 9:30pm.
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Ven a ver una verdadera joya escondida, la cantante chilena que maneja el acordeón Pascuala Ilabaca acompañada de su formidable banda Fauna, el sábado 25 de junio en Martyrs’. Las puertas abren a las 8:30 p. m. y el espectáculo comienza a las 9:30 p. m.

Jenny Lind Concert
2022-06-26 18:00 - 20:00 | Swedish American Museum, 5211 N. Clark St., Chicago, IL, 60640, United States
Soprano Tessan-Maria Lehmussari has been named this year’s Jenny Lind Scholar of the Royal Swedish Musical Academy and Folkets Hus & Parker in Sweden. With this, this large scholarship is re-launched in a new collaboration during the celebration of Jenny Lind’s 200th anniversary in 2020.
”I feel extremely honored and touched to have been selected for this year’s Jenny Lind Scholar. Singing has been my passion since childhood, and now being given an opportunity to share it with others, thanks to this award, makes me extremely grateful. Classical music has so much to give and it will be fantastic fun to show what my heart is beating for”, says Tessan-Maria Lehmussari.
Tessan-Maria has worked with Drottningholm’s Baroque Orchestra, Young Opera (Royal Swedish Opera) and Norrköping Symphony Orchestra, among others.
Dinner starts at 6 p.m. and tickets can be bought through the Swedish American Museum website link below or at the Museum. The concert is free. Attendees should plan to arrive at 6.30 p.m. for the concert.
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The jury’s motivation for the 2020 Scholarship:
“This year the scholarship goes to Tessan-Maria Lehmussari, who possesses a rare ability to capture her audience. With her beautiful sounding soprano and her excellent technique she conveys both musicality and joy”.
”With great satisfaction and expectation, the Royal Academy of Music hereby enters into a lasting collaboration with Folkets Hus on one of the country’s most extensive and exciting singing grants through the world star Jenny Lind’s donation to the academy”, says Fredrik Wetterqvist, the Permanent Secretary of the Royal Swedish Musical Academy. “The special anniversary year 2020 will offer a host of fantastic opportunities for performances and concerts for the scholar and pianist, both in Sweden and abroad, and it is a pleasure for us to contribute to this.”
”It is with great pleasure that we, together with the Royal Swedish Academy of Music, give the 2020 Jenny Lind scholarship to Tessan-Maria Lehmussari. Through this award, we want to support young singers in their careers in the music world, says Calle Nathanson, CEO of Folkets Hus & Parker.
The Royal Academy of Music and Folkets Hus & Parker have announced a re-launch of the large Jenny Lind scholarship. Since 1875, the Royal Swedish Musical Academy has managed a donation from the world-famous opera singer Jenny Lind. And since 1965, the Folkets Hus & Parker have appointed a Jenny Lind Scholar who has toured in both Sweden and North America. From 2020, when the entire opera world celebrates Jenny Lind’s 200th anniversary, the Folkets Hus & Parker’s tour activities and the Royal Swedish Musical Academy’s scholarship work in tandem and highlight this year’s scholarship a little extra.

Celebrating 8 Years - Celebrando 8 Años
2022-06-28 16:00 - 20:00 | OPEN Center for the Arts, 2214 S. Sacramento Ave., Chicago, IL, 60623, 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 creativity that has filled the last 8 years and dream about what is still to come! An evening of music, friends, and all around good time.
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Únase a OPEN Center for the Arts mientras celebramos nuestro octavo aniversario con las puertas abiertas.
¡Gratis y abierto al público, ven a la galería mientras recordamos la creatividad que ha llenado los últimos 8 años y soñamos con lo que está por venir! Una tarde de música, amigos y buena plática

The Reel Film Club
2022-06-28 18:00 - 21:00 | Instituto Cervantes, 31 West Ohio Street, Chicago, IL, 60654, United States
As part of the International Latino Cultural Center’s year-round programming, The Reel Film Club features the most popular films from past Chicago Latino Film Festival editions.
The event opens with a networking reception followed by the film presentation and concludes with a discussion. Each presentation highlights a specific country and takes place at Instituto Cervantes.
Join us for our 13th season!

Walking Tour of Andersonville
2022-06-30 13:00 - 14:00 | Swedish American Museum, 5211 N. Clark St., Chicago, IL, 60640, United States
Learn about the Swedish heritage in Andersonville Chicago with a guided tour led by the Swedish American Museum. Cost is $7 per person and includes admission to the Museum and a copy of the walking tour booklet. Members pay $1 for the booklet. Guided tours will start and end at the Museum on last Thursday of June through September.
Reservations are appreciated and can be made by emailing museum@samac.org or calling 773.728.8111

Author Talk - Sudhir Venkatesh: The Tomorrow Game
2022-07-06 18:30 - 19:30 | 180 N Michigan Ave 2nd Floor, Chicago, IL, 60601, 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 gun violence. In the tradition of works like Random Family and Behind The Beautiful Forevers, The Tomorrow Game is a deeply reported chronicle of families surviving in Southside Chicago Communities. We can’t wait to see you for this live and in person event at The American Writers Museum on July 6, 2022 at 6:30pm CDT! Register for the program here.

Film in the Park / Cine en el Parque
2022-07-06 20:30 - 21:45, 2022-07-13 20:30 - 21:45 | Multiple Venues, Chicago, IL, United States
Enjoy summertime Chi with our annual Film in the Park/Cine en el Parque! In partnership with the Chicago Park District, the series runs family-friendly films projected on large screens in various citywide parks for FREE. The goal is to bring Latino films to various communities in Chicago to showcase diverse storytelling and talent. All films are shown in their original language with English subtitles.
Screenings take place every Wednesday from July 6th – August 3rd, and begin at dusk approximately 8:30PM. Arrive early for a good spot!
THIS IS A FREE EVENT
To view our full line-up, visit our website:
latinoculturalcenter.org/programs/film-in-the-park
SAVE THE DATE
July 6th – Harrison Park
July 13th – Piotrowski Park
July 20th – Kelvyn Park
July 27th – Loyola Park
August 30th – Kilbourn Park

Unter 30 | Under 30 Haus Party
2022-07-08 19:30 - 23:30 | DANK Haus German American Cultural Center, 4740 N. Western Ave., Chicago, IL, 60625, 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 professionals, au pairs, exchange students, and young adults interested in contemporary German culture or wants to have a fun night out! We’ll have ping pong, cornhole, foosball karaoke, dancing, and more! German language is a bonus but not required.

This event will be held on our famous 6th Floor, Skyline Lounge and Terrace. Food and beverages will be available for purchase (cash + card). Get ready for some delicious currywurst, German bier on tap, special Haus drink (alcoholic and non-alcoholic), Stiegl Radlers, and more.

$5 suggested donation at the door! Please note: We will be carding all at the door.
FREE PARKING
at 5/3 Bank after 6:00 PM located at Western and Gunnison
https://dankhaus.com/event-4858019

LAWNDALE Block Party
2022-07-09 10:00 - 14:00 | 2652 W Ogden Ave, 2652 W Ogden Ave, Chicago, IL, 60608, 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 is FREE and open to the community!
We invite you to join us on July 9th from 10am to 2pm at Ogden Commons Parking Lot (2652 W Ogden Ave, Chicago) where we will feature Sinai Chicago’s brand-new facilities as well as FREE Ice Cream from Ida’s Ice Cream, Food, a Photo Booth, Music, Community Resources, and much more!
The LAWNDALE Block Party is part of a series of events connected to the LAWNDALE Project presented by the North Lawndale Community Coordinating Council (NLCCC) and the Marshall Square Resource Network (MSRN).
For more info or to be part of this event contact – Olivia.Arns@sinai.org and Diana.Brokop@sinai.org.
Explore More: Lawndale Project https://bit.ly/LawndaleProject

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El LAWNDALE Block Party organizado por Sinai Chicago tienen como objetivo reunir a personas de North Lawndale y South Lawndale para promover el bienestar y la unidad en nuestra comunidad. ¡El evento es GRATIS y abierto a la comunidad!
Lo invitamos a unirse a nosotros el 9 de julio de 10 a.m. a 2 p.m. en el Estacionamiento de Ogden Commons (2652 W Ogden Ave, Chicago) donde presentaremos las nuevas instalaciones de Sinai Chicago, y a disfrutar de helados, comida, un photo booth, música, recursos comunitarios y mucho más. ¡El evento es GRATIS!
El LAWNDALE Block Party es parte de una serie de eventos relacionados con el Proyecto LAWNDALE presentado por el Consejo de Coordinación Comunitaria de North Lawndale (NLCCC) y Marshall Square Resource Network (MSRN)
Para más información o para ser parte del evento contacte: Olivia.Arns@sinai.org y Diana.Brokop@sinai.org.

Barrio Arts Festival
2022-07-09 10:00 - 18:00, 2022-07-10 11:00 - 17:00 | The National Museum of Puerto Rican Arts & Culture, 3015 W Division Street, Chicago, IL, 60622, United States
The National Museum of Puerto Rican Arts and Culture is organizing the 22nd edition of its signature festival called BARRIO ARTS FEST! This yearly summer event brings together a selection of local artists, merchants, craft makers, food vendors, dancers, and music performers and family workshop activities for the community to enjoy.

During the weekend of July 9th and 10th, the museum will turn into a family gathering space that extends through the museum premises, including the museum facility keeping the galleries open as well.

Join us in celebrating the journey of our Museum, our beautiful Puerto Rican Arts and Culture and our vibrant community here in Humboldt Park, Chicago.
Festival Hours: Saturday, July 09, 2022 10 am-6 pm and Sunday, July 10, 2022 11 am-5 pm.
Every year Barrio Arts Fest, in addition to the artists/vendors, offers workshops for the entire family. This year Barrio Arts Fest is a celebration of the 5th anniversary of Hurricane Maria! In addition to traditional ​dance and ​musical performances​, there are many other extraordinary experiences that the whole family can enjoy.

Ukrainian National Museum's Folk Art Market
2022-07-09 11:00 - 16:00, 2022-07-10 11:00 - 16:00 | Ukrainian National Museum, 2249 W. Superior St., Chicago, IL, 60612, United States
Summer with Ukraine in your Heart!
Visit the National Ukrainian Museum’s Folk Art Market! Browse art works, clothing, jewelry, books, and more!

Barrio Arts Fest Fritura Cook-Off
2022-07-09 12:00 | The National Museum of Puerto Rican Arts & Culture, 3015 W Division Street, Chicago, IL, 60622, United States
We will have 10 Cooks compete in our First Annual Fritura Cook-Off. Our Special Guest Judges will be Boricua Influencers Ivelissa, Omi and Rebeca. We will have a meet and greet with them prior to the Cook-Off.
(Just in case you did not know, Frituras are Puerto Rican fried foods that you could easily eat on the go, on the beach or as an appetizer).
Connected to the 22nd Edition of Barrio Arts Fest, July 9th from 10am – 6pm & 10th from 11am – 5pm, 2022.

Haitian Flag Community Art Project
2022-07-10 11:00 - 13:00 | Hyde Park Art Center, 5020 S. Cornell Avenue, Chicago, IL, 60615, United States
Join us for a family-friendly art project in creating a community Haitian flag! Come learn about the history and significance of Haiti’s flags, with a presentation by Historian William Leslie Balan-Gaubert and create a piece of a soon-to-be flag with Haitian, Chicago Artist Cindy Lys!
Special thanks to the Hyde Park Art Center for hosting this event!
All materials provided – Family Friendly
HAMOC acknowledges support from the Illinois Art Council Agency for this event.

Artist Discussion with Madeline Sayet
2022-07-10 18:00 - 19:30 | Mitchell Museum of the American Indian, 3001 central street, Evanston, IL, 60201, 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 to the Mitchell Museum of the American Indian. We invite you to this in-person conversation and Q&A to celebrate Sayet’s work and the production of her solo play, Where We Belong, now showing at the Goodman Theatre as part of a national tour presented by the Woolly Mammoth Theatre Company in association with the Folger Shakespeare Library.
Where We Belong, at the Goodman Theatre through July 24, 2022, is a personal story of an Indigenous theatre-maker’s journey across geographic borders, personal history, and cultural legacies; in search of a place to belong. Sayet’s autobiographical account in Where We Belong shares her experience pursuing a Ph.D. in Shakespeare in England. There she finds a country that refuses to acknowledge its role in colonialism while echoing a journey to England braved by Native ancestors in the 1700s following treatise betrayals, forcing us to consider what it means to belong in an increasingly globalized world.
This intimate conversation with Sayet is free for Mitchell Museum Members and $10 for non-members. Admission for Native citizens is always free. Tickets can be purchased in advance or onsite.

For more information about this program, please contact: info@mitchellmuseum.org | (847) 475-1030 | www.mitchellmuseum.org/events/

Online Program | Muslims, the Holocaust, and Antisemitism
2022-07-12 18:00 - 19:00 | Online Event
At a challenging time for religious dialogue and healing, join us online with Dr. Mehnaz Afridi, Director of the Holocaust, Genocide, and Interfaith Education Center at Manhattan College and author of “Shoah Through Muslim Eyes,” as she explores the rejection of myths about the Holocaust and Jews, and offers new ways of creating an understanding between two communities through the acceptance and enormity of the Shoah. Dr. Afridi will also discuss Islam and principles of justice, as well as the role of Muslims in North Africa during the Holocaust, rescue stories, and how we can acknowledge narratives of suffering at different times in history.

Members: Free; Non-Members: $5.00

Members must sign in to take advantage of their member discount
Register: https://ihm.ec/muslimsandtheholocaust

HAMOC's Collection Unveiling
2022-07-12 18:30, 2022-07-14 18:30 | Online Event
Through a generous grant from the Gaylord and Dorothy Donnelley Foundation, the Haitian American Museum of Chicago (HAMOC) was able to hire a Collection Specialist, Eve Mangurten, to catalog the museum’s Haitian-specific Collection of art and artifacts.
Join HAMOC and Eve in two events:
July 12: Presentation – Learn about Eve’s process of cataloging the museum
July 14: Workshop – Learn how to access the collection
The full collection will become available to the general public to utilize, research and learn about following the July 14th Workshop.
You don’t want to miss this!

Artecito Virtual - Camaleón
2022-07-14 18:00 - 19:00 | Online Event
¿Sabías? Los camaleones cambian el color de su piel por una variedad de razones, ¡pero no para mezclarse con su entorno!
¡Únase a nosotros mientras exploramos más sobre los camaleones con nuestros amigos de Lincoln Park Zoo!
Contáctese aquí:
https://bit.ly/ArtecitoCamaleo
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Did you know? Chameleons change their skin color for a variety of reasons- but not to blend in with their surroundings!
Join us as we explore more about Chameleons with our friends at Lincoln Park Zoo!
Contect Here:
https://bit.ly/ArtecitoCamale

8th Annual Gathering of Veterans
2022-07-15 - 2022-07-17 | Cantigny Park, Wheaton, IL, United States
Thank you for joining us for the 8th Annual Gathering of Veterans, which honors all veterans and military personnel of all cultures, eras and branches in a Native Way that is open to all. This event is a 3-day event that will be held from Friday, July 15th to Sunday, July 17th at Cantigny Park in Wheaton, IL (1S151 Winfield Road). This event is free and open to the public.
Attendee Registration & Volunteer Registration
This year’s National Gathering of Native American Veterans will focus on healing. Traditional Native American healing not only involves physical healing but also mental, emotional and spiritual healing. The National Gathering Planning Commitee is working on the lineup of speakers, discussions, workshops and cultural sharing and will be listed soon.
Register by July 1st to enter your name in our registration raffle. Winner will be chosen on July 17th. Must be present on Sunday, July 17th to claim your prize.

Our host hotel for this year’s National Gathering of American Indian Veterans is the DoubleTree by Hilton Lisle Naperville. Special room rate is $103 per night.

Host Hotel: DoubleTree by Hilton Lisle Naperville
Address: 3003 Corporate West Drive
Lisle, Illinois, 60532
Group Name: National Gathering of American Indian Veterans
Group Code: CIV
Booking: Book Hotel Room

Exhibition: …of the land: acts of refusal and ratification
2022-07-15 - 2022-09-24 | South Side Community Art Center, 3831 S. Michigan Ave., Chicago, IL, 60653, United States
A three-person exhibition featuring new and recent works from Chicago-based artists Ajmal ‘Mas Man’ Millar, Lola Ayisha Ogbara, and R. Treshawn Williamson exploring homeplace through sculpture, self-imaging, & materialism.

…of the land: acts of refusal and ratification features new and recent works from Chicago-based artists Ajmal ‘Mas Man’ Millar, Lola Ayisha Ogbara, and R. Treshawn Williamson exploring sculpture, self-imaging and history through postcolonial lenses, collective & individual recollection and peculiar materialism. Their use of storytelling holds significance for spatiality and locality to become common ground through the fielding of land, labor and industry.
Ajmal ‘Mas Man’ Millar expands the sculptural form welding metal, Trinidadian carnival culture and identity politics alongside the African diaspora. Lola Ayisha Ogbara merges West African and African American interior design aesthetics with bodily sculptural ceramic forms, with performative photography – that rest and refuse a Western gaze.
R. Treshawn Williamson creates historical context for his own familial roots in the mining of charcoal material for large scale screen-printed tapestries in a careful consideration of laborious processes as praxis. Millar, Ogbara and Williamson engage in practices that consider topographic timelines and performance as an essential tool making for an interesting dialogue about homeplace.
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Ajmal ‘MAS MAN’ Millar is a self-taught contemporary visual artist and mas man (carnival costume designer). His work includes mixed–media sculpture that combine collage, painting, repurposed materials, scrap metal, performance, and photography interrogating notions of cultural heritage, sexual and gender identity, and ritual practices as a first-generation African American black queer man born to Trinidadian immigrants. Ajmal earned an undergraduate degree from Morehouse College in 2008 and earned an MFA from The School of the Art Institute of Chicago in 2021.
“I am working on a collection of works engaging the Yoruba cosmological concept of Chi and its existence in everything, alive or inorganic. I create amalgamations of found objects and scraps of steel combined with encaustic. Inspired from my carnival technique of ‘wire bending’, Afrofuturism, and Afro Surrealism, I have an opportunity to express my emotions and thoughts as experienced in the various environments I collect from and exist in. My welding is drawing in space to depict the transcendent properties in masquerade. My goal is to contextualize a queer blackness rarely experienced through imagination, invention, and the investigation of dreams, magic, and ritual.”
He currently lives and works in Chicago, IL.

Lola Ayisha Ogbara (cultural worker & artist) born and raised in Chicago, Illinois holds many talents under her belt, i.e. sculpture, sound, design, photography and installation art.
“My practice explores the multifaceted implications and ramifications of being in regards to the Black experience. I work with clay as a material in order to emphasize a necessary fragility which symbolizes an essential contradiction implicit in empowerments.”
Ogbara holds a Bachelor of Arts in Arts Entertainment & Media Management from Columbia College Chicago in 2013 and a MFA in Visual Arts from Washington University Sam Fox School of Art & Design.
In 2017, Ogbara co-founded Artists in the Room, a collective of artists and scholars who host artists, emerging and established, in hopes of serving as a catalyst for artist development and networking. Ogbara has also received numerous fellowships and awards, including the Multicultural Fellowship sponsored by the NCECA 52nd Annual Conference, the Arts + Public Life and Center for the Study of Race, Politics & Culture Residency at the University of Chicago, and the Coney Family Fund Award hosted by the Chicago Artists Coalition. Ogbara has exhibited in art spaces across the country and is currently based in Chicago, IL.

R. Treshawn Williamson is a Chicago based essayist and multidisciplinary artist of Black American descent, from Prince George’s County, MD, by way of Livingston, Alabama, and Augusta, Georgia.
Williamson’s work is a meditation on the obstruction and surveillance of the lived histories of African-Americans. He investigates the application of cultural re-imagination in the African Diaspora through the engagement of oral histories, post-colonial theory, folklore, and ethnomusicology. In 2020 Williamson earned his BFA from the School of the Art Institute of Chicago.
He currently lives and works in Chicago, IL.

Opening Reception: …of the land: acts of refusal and ratification
2022-07-15 17:00 - 20:00 | South Side Community Art Center, 3831 S. Michigan Ave., Chicago, IL, 60653, United States
A three-person exhibition featuring new and recent works from Chicago-based artists Ajmal ‘Mas Man’ Millar, Lola Ayisha Ogbara, and R. Treshawn Williamson exploring homeplace through sculpture, self-imaging, & materialism.

…of the land: acts of refusal and ratification features new and recent works from Chicago-based artists Ajmal ‘Mas Man’ Millar, Lola Ayisha Ogbara, and R. Treshawn Williamson exploring sculpture, self-imaging and history through postcolonial lenses, collective & individual recollection and peculiar materialism. Their use of storytelling holds significance for spatiality and locality to become common ground through the fielding of land, labor and industry.
Ajmal ‘Mas Man’ Millar expands the sculptural form welding metal, Trinidadian carnival culture and identity politics alongside the African diaspora. Lola Ayisha Ogbara merges West African and African American interior design aesthetics with bodily sculptural ceramic forms, with performative photography – that rest and refuse a Western gaze.
R. Treshawn Williamson creates historical context for his own familial roots in the mining of charcoal material for large scale screen-printed tapestries in a careful consideration of laborious processes as praxis. Millar, Ogbara and Williamson engage in practices that consider topographic timelines and performance as an essential tool making for an interesting dialogue about homeplace.

Opening Reception: Vibrancy on the Brink
2022-07-15 18:00 - 21:00 | DANK Haus German American Cultural Center, 4740 N. Western Ave., Chicago, IL, 60625, United States
Growing up in Germany, Anke Fachmann was influenced by remarkable artist movements such as The Bridge (Die Brücke) and The Blue Rider (Der Blaue Reiter). A passion for art, culture, and design led her to initially study graphic design. She received a Bachelors in Graphic Design at the Freie Hochschule für Grafik-Design & Bildende Kunst in Freiburg, Southern Germany. She then came to the US to pursue a graphic design career. Soon, Fachmann’s focus changed and she rediscovered her passion for fine art.
Color and structure are her tools to tell stories, ​to leave room for the imagination. She paints with her fingers as well as with recycled materials such as paper and coffee sleeves to give her artwork an unique expression.
Anke Fachmann on her technique and subject matter:
“One day I worked on a big canvas using brushes. This felt tiring, so I started to dip my hands and fingers into the paint. Over time, I explored painting with recycled materials such as straws, sponges, and the paper sleeves from to-go coffee cups. Friends started saving the coffee sleeves for me and I think that is not a bad idea when it comes to recycling and our beloved planet!”
“After experimenting with mixed media and abstract work, I started to paint animals, learning more and more about endangered species through this media. I decided to focus on them, with the hope to prompt curiosity and to showcase their beauty and uniqueness.”
Fachmann uses her art to create awareness and to work together with environmental organizations and activists whenever she can. She lives in San Francisco.
This exhibition opens with a reception on Friday, July 15, from 6:00 to 9:00pm. The exhibition runs through Friday, August 19. Check back in at dankhaus.com/art or our Facebook page for more information about hours and events.
Questions? Email rosa@dankhaus.com

Open Haus Stammtisch | Back to the '80s!
2022-07-15 19:30 - 23:00 | DANK Haus German American Cultural Center, 4740 N. Western Ave., Chicago, IL, 60625, United States
https://www.dankhaus.com/event-4865226
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Put on your acid washed jeans, neon t-shirts and dark sun glasses and join us for a blast from the past!

Our monthly Open Haus Stammtisch will take you back in time to the 80s! Neue Deutsche Welle 80’s Music Night will rock you to the Casbah and back with German and American Pop Songs… Grab a drink at our vintage bar and then head out to our terrace to see one of the most amazing views in Chicago. Come and dance the night away at the DANK Haus!

There will be food, cold German beer on draft, and, of course, the terrace will be open to enjoy the view and spend another fun-filled summer night at the DANK Haus.

Our Open Haus is a great way to meet new friends, or bring your friends and introduce them to the Haus! This event is held in our popular 6th Floor Skyline Lounge, complete with vintage bar and sweeping panoramic views of the Chicago skyline.

Free parking at 5/3 Bank after 6:00 PM located at Western and Gunnison

Kombilesa Mi: Baila Como en Palenque
2022-07-16 13:00 - 14:30 | Segundo Ruiz Belvis Cultural Center, 4046 W. Armitage Ave., Chicago, IL, 60639, United States
Dance Styles of Palenque
Traditional Dance
Dance in San Basilio de Palenque is an artistic and cultural activity where the people of Palenque express feelings emotions and basic sentiments of everyday life.
Themes and styles covered:
A brief explanation of the traditional dance
Styles of dance:

El Mapale
Cumbia
Culebra
Catalina
El pavo

The traditional dance can be seen in two ways:
1. Dance as celebration
2. Dance as pain/mourning
Dance as celebration are those dances that constitute different styles and movements filled with limitless energy. Individual expression (pases) or as couples.
These include mapale, cumbia, culebra, catalina and pavo.
Dance as pain carry movements and melancholic “tones”. These are dances that demonstrate the crucial importance of women and of grandmothers. The dances are ritual-based, specifically rituals of collective mourning. These dances also exhibit the most authentic expression of religion, oral tradition and of the “kuagros” or familial groups of Palenque.
About Kombilesa Mi
Kombilesa Mi from San Basilio de Palenque was born in 2011 as a musical concept that fuses Hip Hop with traditional rhythms such as the sexteto, pavo, bullerengue and chalusonga, among others) safeguarding the “palenquero” language and using typical instruments from the region, contributing new sounds to the rich history of Afro-Colombian music.
