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
  • October 2024

  • Fri 25
    October 25, 2024 @ 7:00 pm - 8:30 pm

    Recital and Lecture featuring works of exiled Jewish composer Richard Stöhr

    • Music, Film, and Theater
    Reba Place Church 620 Madison St, Evanston

    FREE ADMISSION Richard Stöhr (1874–1967) was a prolific and highly respected Viennese composer, author and teacher. His output includes seven symphonies, two operas, choral music, lieder, numerous chamber works and solo piano music, as well as half a dozen widely used textbooks. During his 50-year career as a teacher, his students included Herbert von Karajan, […]

    Free
  • Fri 25
    October 25, 2024 @ 7:00 pm - 9:00 pm

    Exhibition Closing Reception | Power Frauen: German Women Who Dared to Dream

    • Exhibitions and Gallery Events
    DANK Haus German American Cultural Center 4740 N. Western Ave., Chicago, IL, United States

    Please join us on Friday, October 25 from 7-9 PM for an evening with the curator and artists at the closing reception of our exhibition "Power Frauen: German Women Who Dared to Dream."  This exhibition features profiles on German, Austrian, and German American women who left their mark on the world. Paired with original artwork […]

    $5
  • Fri 25
    October 25, 2024 @ 7:30 pm - 9:30 pm Bluebird Arts Presents Dinner with Friends by Donald Margulies

    Bluebird Arts Presents Dinner with Friends by Donald Margulies

    • Music, Film, and Theater
    Theater Wit 1229 W Belmont Ave, Chicago, IL

    Bluebird Arts kicks off its sixth season with Donald Margulies' Dinner with Friends at Theater Wit. The show runs from Saturday, October 19, to Saturday, November 23, 2024. Performances are Thursdays – Saturdays at 7:30pm, and Sundays at 2pm. Dinner with Friends is a Pulitzer Prize-winning play that delves into the complexities of intimacy in […]

    $20 – $30
  • Sat 26
    October 26, 2024 @ 10:30 am Kino, Kaffee und Kuchen

    Kino, Kaffee und Kuchen

    • Music, Film, and Theater
    DANK Haus German American Cultural Center 4740 N. Western Ave., Chicago, IL, United States

    Date: Start Saturday, January 06, 2024 Time: Location: Location DANK Haus Room 206, 2nd Floor KINO, KAFFEE UND KUCHEN  Saturdays at the DANK Haus in Room 206 10:30 - 11:00 AM | Kaffee und Kuchen 11:00 - 12:00 PM | Vorfilm 12:00 PM | Feature Film Begins   Join us each Saturday at the DANK […]

  • Sat 26
    October 26, 2024 @ 10:30 am - 2:30 pm Puerto Rican Arts Alliance: Studio Arts Program

    Puerto Rican Arts Alliance: Studio Arts Program

    • Workshops and Classes

    El Rinconcito is a free open art space for creative expression for people ages 12-25. You can meet people like you who are interested in arts, painting, drawing, printmaking, and others. El Riconcito provides a safe and welcoming studio for art making. An artist and a counselor in the studio can guide you in creative […]

  • Sat 26
    October 26, 2024 @ 11:00 am - 1:00 pm

    Traditional Storytelling and Skull Mosaics

    • Workshops and Classes
    Trickster Cultural Center 190 S Roselle Rd, Schaumburg, IL, United States

    Join us on decorating with natural elements for a beautiful Day of the Dead design for your altar and enjoy some seasonal storytelling. This event is free and all are welcome.

    Free
  • Sat 26
    October 26, 2024 @ 11:00 am - 3:00 pm FREE Guided Tours at the National Hellenic Museum

    FREE Guided Tours at the National Hellenic Museum

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

    Join us for our FREE, limited-time offer guided tours every Saturday at 11 a.m. and 2 p.m. These one-hour tours offer a comprehensive journey through the museum's rich exhibitions and artifacts.  

  • Sat 26
    October 26, 2024 @ 1:15 pm - 2:15 pm Constructing Jathi Choreography with Harini Nilakantan

    Constructing Jathi Choreography with Harini Nilakantan

    • Dance
    Kalapriya Studio 2101 S. Wabash Ave., Chicago, United States

    Weekly Saturdays 1:15 - 2:15 PM Harini Nilakantan is a student of Aacharya Choodamani Guru Smt. Roja Kannan, and has over two decades of experience in this art form. In this 90-minute class, dancers will learn new choreography - both how to piece together combinations and increase retention with her for advanced rhythmic patterns or […]

  • Sat 26
    October 26, 2024 @ 5:30 pm - 9:30 pm

    Friedrich Rau Workshop & Concert: Lass uns ein bisschen swingen!

    • Music, Film, and Theater
    • Workshops and Classes
    DANK Haus German American Cultural Center 4740 N. Western Ave., Chicago, IL, United States

    We are excited to present an incredibly unique event with Friedrich Rau, singer and songwriter from Leipzig, Germany. Together with his team — Tim Ludwig (guitar and songwriting) and Sebastian Stahl (drums and sampling) — he will not only perform an unforgettable concert but also offer an exciting workshop. Part 1: Workshop In the workshop, Friedrich […]

    $10 – $30
  • Sat 26
    October 26, 2024 @ 7:30 pm - 9:30 pm Bluebird Arts Presents Dinner with Friends by Donald Margulies

    Bluebird Arts Presents Dinner with Friends by Donald Margulies

    • Music, Film, and Theater
    Theater Wit 1229 W Belmont Ave, Chicago, IL

    Bluebird Arts kicks off its sixth season with Donald Margulies' Dinner with Friends at Theater Wit. The show runs from Saturday, October 19, to Saturday, November 23, 2024. Performances are Thursdays – Saturdays at 7:30pm, and Sundays at 2pm. Dinner with Friends is a Pulitzer Prize-winning play that delves into the complexities of intimacy in […]

    $20 – $30
  • Sun 27
    October 27, 2024 @ 4:00 pm - 7:00 pm

    Meetup with Easy German

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

    Join us for a fun and engaging Meetup with Easy German! Whether you are a German Language Learner, a German, or just simply interested in the German language and culture, this event is perfect for you. Was ist Easy German? Easy German is a popular language learning platform based in Berlin that creates educational content to […]

    $10 – $15
  • Mon 28
    October 28, 2024 @ 10:00 am - October 31, 2024 @ 9:00 pm Open House Chicago @ OPEN Center for the Arts

    Trick-or-Treating at Museum of Illusions Chicago

    • Exhibitions and Gallery Events
    • Workshops and Classes
    Museum of Illusions Chicago 25 E Washington St, Chicago, IL

    Experience the mystery of illusions this Halloween at the Museum of Illusions Chicago. While MOI is known for its tricks, it also wants to treat guests. Kids can get a head start on trick-or-treating at the Museum during regular operating hours, and don’t forget the tricks! Fan-favorite illusions like Head on a Plate, Ames Room, […]

  • Thu 31
    October 31, 2024 @ 6:00 pm - 7:00 pm Artecito Virtual

    Artecito Virtual

    • Online Events
    Online Event

    Artecito es un proyecto criado por OPEN Center for the Arts y Lincoln Park Zoo para explorar diferentes temas de la naturaleza y conservación del medio ambiente a través de las artes

  • Thu 31
    October 31, 2024 @ 7:30 pm - 9:00 pm

    Kurt Weill Circus by Anne Fromm (Lyon) Part of the Cabaret Connexion 2024 Concert Festival

    • Music, Film, and Theater
    DANK Haus German American Cultural Center 4740 N. Western Ave., Chicago, IL, United States

    Join us for the opening night of the Cabaret Connexion Concert Festival. Experience KURT WEILL CIRCUS by Anne Fromm (Lyon). Opening with WHAT ARE YOU AFRAID OF? Paulus the Cabarat Geek (London), and a bevy of Parisian chanteuses hosted by Claudia Hommel (Chicago). Meet us in the Brauhaus! Halloween costumes encouraged! Cats & witches, circus […]

    $25 – $55
  • Thu 31
    October 31, 2024 @ 7:30 pm - 9:30 pm Bluebird Arts Presents Dinner with Friends by Donald Margulies

    Bluebird Arts Presents Dinner with Friends by Donald Margulies

    • Music, Film, and Theater
    Theater Wit 1229 W Belmont Ave, Chicago, IL

    Bluebird Arts kicks off its sixth season with Donald Margulies' Dinner with Friends at Theater Wit. The show runs from Saturday, October 19, to Saturday, November 23, 2024. Performances are Thursdays – Saturdays at 7:30pm, and Sundays at 2pm. Dinner with Friends is a Pulitzer Prize-winning play that delves into the complexities of intimacy in […]

    $20 – $30
  • November 2024

  • Fri 1
    November 1, 2024 @ 7:00 pm - 9:00 pm

    Classic German Cooking by Luisa Weiss: Cooking Demonstration & Book Launch

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

    Join us for a special culinary evening celebrating the launch of Classic German Cooking by acclaimed food writer Luisa Weiss, author of Classic German Baking and My Berlin Kitchen.  On Friday, Nov 1, Luisa Weiss will guide us through a live cooking demonstration, bringing the cozy, comforting flavors of German and Austrian home cooking to life. Afterward, Luisa will be joined […]

    $35 – $40
  • Fri 1
    November 1, 2024 @ 7:30 pm - 9:30 pm Bluebird Arts Presents Dinner with Friends by Donald Margulies

    Bluebird Arts Presents Dinner with Friends by Donald Margulies

    • Music, Film, and Theater
    Theater Wit 1229 W Belmont Ave, Chicago, IL

    Bluebird Arts kicks off its sixth season with Donald Margulies' Dinner with Friends at Theater Wit. The show runs from Saturday, October 19, to Saturday, November 23, 2024. Performances are Thursdays – Saturdays at 7:30pm, and Sundays at 2pm. Dinner with Friends is a Pulitzer Prize-winning play that delves into the complexities of intimacy in […]

    $20 – $30
  • Sat 2
    November 2, 2024 @ 10:30 am Kino, Kaffee und Kuchen

    Kino, Kaffee und Kuchen

    • Music, Film, and Theater
    DANK Haus German American Cultural Center 4740 N. Western Ave., Chicago, IL, United States

    Date: Start Saturday, January 06, 2024 Time: Location: Location DANK Haus Room 206, 2nd Floor KINO, KAFFEE UND KUCHEN  Saturdays at the DANK Haus in Room 206 10:30 - 11:00 AM | Kaffee und Kuchen 11:00 - 12:00 PM | Vorfilm 12:00 PM | Feature Film Begins   Join us each Saturday at the DANK […]

  • Sat 2
    November 2, 2024 @ 10:30 am - 2:30 pm Puerto Rican Arts Alliance: Studio Arts Program

    Puerto Rican Arts Alliance: Studio Arts Program

    • Workshops and Classes

    El Rinconcito is a free open art space for creative expression for people ages 12-25. You can meet people like you who are interested in arts, painting, drawing, printmaking, and others. El Riconcito provides a safe and welcoming studio for art making. An artist and a counselor in the studio can guide you in creative […]

  • Sat 2
    November 2, 2024 @ 11:00 am - 3:00 pm FREE Guided Tours at the National Hellenic Museum

    FREE Guided Tours at the National Hellenic Museum

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

    Join us for our FREE, limited-time offer guided tours every Saturday at 11 a.m. and 2 p.m. These one-hour tours offer a comprehensive journey through the museum's rich exhibitions and artifacts.  

  • 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.