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
  • MEETING THE MOMENT
  • ACTIVATING HERITAGE
  • 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
  • June 2022

  • Thu 23
    June 23, 2022 @ 12:00 pm - 12:30 pm

    Conversations with Chicago Collections – Ukrainian National Museum of Chicago

    • Member Events
    • Talks and Gatherings
    Online Event

    CCC is proud to host the next installment of Conversations with Chicago Collections - Ukrainian National Museum of Chicago. Join Halyna Sarancha, Archivist, Maria Klimchak, Museum Curator, and Lydia Tkaczuk, President […]

    FREE
  • Thu 23
    June 23, 2022 @ 6:00 pm - 8:00 pm

    Mama Gloria: In Her Honor

    • Member Events
    • Music, Film, and Theater
    South Side Community Art Center 3831 S. Michigan Ave., Chicago, IL, United States

    A film screening and community gathering in honor of the late Mama Gloria Allen. Luchina Fisher will screen her film Mama Gloria, in addition to honoring the life and impact of […]

    FREE
  • Thu 23
    June 23, 2022 @ 6:30 pm - 9:00 pm

    “Let’s Talk Native Horror” Screening

    • Member Events
    • Music, Film, and Theater
    American Indian Center 3401 West Ainslie Street, Chicago, IL, United States

    Join us Thursday, June 23, 2022 @ 6:30pm for a short film presentation and Q&A with award-winning filmaker by Mike Marin (Navajo/Laguna Pueblo/Washoe)

  • Thu 23
    June 23, 2022 @ 7:00 pm - 11:00 pm

    Neighborhood Nights

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

    Come enjoy a beverage with a spectacular experience in our iconic 2nd floor Brauhaus Room! A perfect place to meet your neighbors and socialize. Each 2nd & 4th Thursday of […]

    FREE; drinks available for purchase
  • Fri 24
    June 24, 2022 @ 11:00 am - 3:00 pm

    Midsommar Pop-Up Café

    • Food and Drink
    • Member Events
    Swedish American Museum 5211 N. Clark St., Chicago, IL, United States

    Stop by the Museum for our Midsommar Pop-Up Café! To celebrate the traditional date of Midsommar, we will be serving different kinds of potatoes and herring, along side meatballs, egg, […]

  • Fri 24
    June 24, 2022 @ 6:00 pm - 10:00 pm

    Sommerfest on the Terrasse

    • Cultural Festivals and Fairs
    • Exhibitions and Gallery Events
    • Food and Drink
    • Talks and Gatherings
    DANK Haus German American Cultural Center 4740 N. Western Ave., Chicago, IL, United States

    Are you ready for summer? We sure are! Come celebrate the arrival of summer with us at the DANK Haus! Our very first Sommerfest will be taking place on the […]

    $1 – $22
  • Fri 24
    June 24, 2022 @ 6:30 pm - 9:00 pm

    Chicago ROAR Story Slam 2022

    • Food and Drink
    • Talks and Gatherings
    Vittum Theater 1012 N NOBLE ST, Chicago, IL, 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 […]

    $35
  • Sat 25
    June 25, 2022 @ 8:00 am - 2:00 pm

    Ida B. Wells Festival

    • Cultural Festivals and Fairs
    • Dance
    • Member Events
    • Music, Film, and Theater
    • Talks and Gatherings
    • Tour
    Light of Truth Ida B. Wells National Monument 3729 South Langley Avenue, Chicago, IL, 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 […]

    FREE
  • Sat 25
    June 25, 2022 @ 11:15 am - 11:45 am

    Swedish American Museum Guided Tour

    • Member Events
    • Tour
    Swedish American Museum 5211 N. Clark St., Chicago, IL, 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 […]

  • Sat 25
    June 25, 2022 @ 8:30 pm - 11:30 pm

    Pascuala Ilabaca in Concert

    • Music, Film, and Theater
    Martyrs' 3855 N. Lincoln Ave., Chicago, IL, 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 […]

    $25
  • Sun 26
    June 26, 2022 @ 6:00 pm - 8:00 pm

    Jenny Lind Concert

    • Food and Drink
    • Member Events
    • Music, Film, and Theater
    Swedish American Museum 5211 N. Clark St., Chicago, IL, 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 […]

  • Tue 28
    June 28, 2022 @ 4:00 pm - 8:00 pm

    Celebrating 8 Years – Celebrando 8 Años

    • Exhibitions and Gallery Events
    • Member Events
    • Talks and Gatherings
    OPEN Center for the Arts 2214 S. Sacramento Ave., Chicago, IL, 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 […]

    FREE
  • Tue 28
    June 28, 2022 @ 6:00 pm - 9:00 pm The Reel Film Club

    The Reel Film Club

    • Member Events
    • Music, Film, and Theater
    Instituto Cervantes 31 West Ohio Street, Chicago, IL, 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 […]

    $20
  • Thu 30
    June 30, 2022 @ 1:00 pm - 2:00 pm

    Walking Tour of Andersonville

    • Member Events
    • Tour
    Swedish American Museum 5211 N. Clark St., Chicago, IL, 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 […]

    $7
  • July 2022

  • Wed 6
    July 6, 2022 @ 6:30 pm - 7:30 pm

    Author Talk – Sudhir Venkatesh: The Tomorrow Game

    • Talks and Gatherings
    180 N Michigan Ave 2nd Floor Chicago, IL, 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 […]

    Free
  • Wed 6
    July 6, 2022 @ 8:30 pm - 9:45 pm Film in the Park / Cine en el Parque

    Film in the Park / Cine en el Parque

    • Member Events
    • Music, Film, and Theater
    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 […]

    FREE
  • Fri 8
    July 8, 2022 @ 7:30 pm - 11:30 pm

    Unter 30 | Under 30 Haus Party

    • Cultural Festivals and Fairs
    • Dance
    • Food and Drink
    • Talks and Gatherings
    DANK Haus German American Cultural Center 4740 N. Western Ave., Chicago, IL, 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 […]

    Free entry; drinks and food available for purchase
  • Sat 9
    July 9, 2022 @ 10:00 am - 2:00 pm

    LAWNDALE Block Party

    • Cultural Festivals and Fairs
    • Food and Drink
    • Member Events
    • Music, Film, and Theater
    • Talks and Gatherings
    2652 W Ogden Ave 2652 W Ogden Ave, Chicago, IL, 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 […]

    FREE
  • Sat 9
    July 9, 2022 @ 10:00 am - 6:00 pm Barrio Arts Festival

    Barrio Arts Festival

    • Cultural Festivals and Fairs
    • Exhibitions and Gallery Events
    The National Museum of Puerto Rican Arts & Culture 3015 W Division Street, Chicago, IL, 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 […]

  • Sat 9
    July 9, 2022 @ 11:00 am - 4:00 pm Ukrainian National Museum’s Folk Art Market

    Ukrainian National Museum’s Folk Art Market

    • Member Events
    Ukrainian National Museum 2249 W. Superior St., Chicago, IL, 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!  

    FREE
  • 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.