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  • August 2024

  • Thu 15
    August 15, 2024 @ 6:00 pm - 10:00 pm

    Boxing Banjo

      Date: August 15 Time: 7:00 pm - 10:00 pm Location: 4626 North Knox Avenue, Chicago, IL 60630 Boxing Banjo Performs in the Mayfair Theatre at the Irish American Heritage Center. Hailing from the picturesque […]

    • Thu 15
      August 15, 2024 @ 7:00 pm - 11:00 pm Haitian Heritage Month Konpa Sware

      Haitian Heritage Month Konpa Sware

      • Dance

      Join the Haitian American Museum of Chicago (HAMOC) at its monthly Konpa Sware! The museum is excited to continue this immersive event which includes an evening of Haitian dance and […]

    • Fri 16
      August 16, 2024 @ 10:00 am - 5:00 pm Teacher Appreciation Month at LEGOLAND Discovery Center Chicago

      Teacher Appreciation Month at LEGOLAND Discovery Center Chicago

        LEGOLAND Discovery Center Chicago, 601 N Martingale Road Suite 130, Schaumburg, IL 60173 601 N Martingale Road Suite 130, Schaumburg

        Celebrate Teacher Appreciation Month at LEGOLAND Discovery Center Chicago! This August, we're honoring the incredible dedication and hard work of educators with a SUPER-MEGA-AWESOME offer just for them! Teachers will […]

        Free — Teachers go FREE!
      • Fri 16
        August 16, 2024 @ 5:00 pm - 8:00 pm 3rd Fridays Free Admission Museum Night

        3rd Fridays Free Admission Museum Night

        • Exhibitions and Gallery Events
        • Tour
        Heritage Museum of Asian Art 3500 S Morgan St, Chicago, IL, United States

        Free Admission Museum Nights take place every third Friday of each month from 5 pm to 8 pm! The tour will start at 6 PM on time. All tours depart […]

        Free
      • Fri 16
        August 16, 2024 @ 7:30 pm - August 17, 2024 @ 12:00 am Stammtisch Open Haus, Every 3rd Friday

        Stammtisch Open Haus, Every 3rd Friday

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

        Feiern Sie mit uns! Our monthly Open Haus Stammtisch is a great way to meet new friends and enjoy a little Gemütlichkeit over some delicious German food and drink! Theme […]

      • Sat 17
        August 17, 2024 @ 12:00 am

        Levitt VIBE Concert Series: Tangueros del Oeste

          Date: August 17, 2024 14:00 Location: Belmont CraginRiis Park Organizer: International Latino Cultural CenterLevitt VIBE

        • Sat 17
          August 17, 2024 @ 10:00 am - 5:00 pm Teacher Appreciation Month at LEGOLAND Discovery Center Chicago

          Teacher Appreciation Month at LEGOLAND Discovery Center Chicago

            LEGOLAND Discovery Center Chicago, 601 N Martingale Road Suite 130, Schaumburg, IL 60173 601 N Martingale Road Suite 130, Schaumburg

            Celebrate Teacher Appreciation Month at LEGOLAND Discovery Center Chicago! This August, we're honoring the incredible dedication and hard work of educators with a SUPER-MEGA-AWESOME offer just for them! Teachers will […]

            Free — Teachers go FREE!
          • Sat 17
            August 17, 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 […]

          • Sat 17
            August 17, 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 […]

          • Sat 17
            August 17, 2024 @ 11:00 am - 2:00 pm

            Teen Saturday Studio – Architectural Drafting: Intro To Sketching

            • Workshops and Classes
            Harold Washington College 30 E Lake St Chicago, Chicago

            Explore the art of architectural drafting in our engaging workshop and learn essential practices to bring your architectural visions to life on paper. Teens will explore the basics, learn sketching […]

            Free
          • Sat 17
            August 17, 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 […]

          • Sat 17
            August 17, 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 […]

          • Sat 17
            August 17, 2024 @ 9:00 pm - 11:00 pm

            Tommy Prine Free Show in the Fifth Province

            • Music, Film, and Theater

            Date: August 17 Time: 9:00 pm - 11:00 pm Location: 4626 N Knox Ave. Chicago, IL 60630 We are thrilled to welcome Tommy Prine for a FREE SHOW in the Fifth Province Pub! Tommy […]

          • Sun 18
            August 18, 2024 @ 10:00 am - 5:00 pm Teacher Appreciation Month at LEGOLAND Discovery Center Chicago

            Teacher Appreciation Month at LEGOLAND Discovery Center Chicago

              LEGOLAND Discovery Center Chicago, 601 N Martingale Road Suite 130, Schaumburg, IL 60173 601 N Martingale Road Suite 130, Schaumburg

              Celebrate Teacher Appreciation Month at LEGOLAND Discovery Center Chicago! This August, we're honoring the incredible dedication and hard work of educators with a SUPER-MEGA-AWESOME offer just for them! Teachers will […]

              Free — Teachers go FREE!
            • Sun 18
              August 18, 2024 @ 10:00 pm - August 19, 2024 @ 2:00 am

              Ox Jam: Goodbye Summer Jam & Open Mic

              • Music, Film, and Theater
              The Promontory 5311 S Lake Park Ave W, Chicago, IL

              SUMMER IS COMING TO A CLOSE, BUT THE OX JAM IS STILL KEEPING THE VIBES HIGH! Welcome back to your favorite late-night monthly jam session and Open Mic featuring some […]

              $10 – $20
            • Mon 19
              August 19, 2024 @ 10:00 am - 5:00 pm Teacher Appreciation Month at LEGOLAND Discovery Center Chicago

              Teacher Appreciation Month at LEGOLAND Discovery Center Chicago

                LEGOLAND Discovery Center Chicago, 601 N Martingale Road Suite 130, Schaumburg, IL 60173 601 N Martingale Road Suite 130, Schaumburg

                Celebrate Teacher Appreciation Month at LEGOLAND Discovery Center Chicago! This August, we're honoring the incredible dedication and hard work of educators with a SUPER-MEGA-AWESOME offer just for them! Teachers will […]

                Free — Teachers go FREE!
              • Tue 20
                August 20, 2024 @ 10:00 am - 5:00 pm Teacher Appreciation Month at LEGOLAND Discovery Center Chicago

                Teacher Appreciation Month at LEGOLAND Discovery Center Chicago

                  LEGOLAND Discovery Center Chicago, 601 N Martingale Road Suite 130, Schaumburg, IL 60173 601 N Martingale Road Suite 130, Schaumburg

                  Celebrate Teacher Appreciation Month at LEGOLAND Discovery Center Chicago! This August, we're honoring the incredible dedication and hard work of educators with a SUPER-MEGA-AWESOME offer just for them! Teachers will […]

                  Free — Teachers go FREE!
                • Wed 21
                  August 21, 2024 @ 10:00 am - 5:00 pm Teacher Appreciation Month at LEGOLAND Discovery Center Chicago

                  Teacher Appreciation Month at LEGOLAND Discovery Center Chicago

                    LEGOLAND Discovery Center Chicago, 601 N Martingale Road Suite 130, Schaumburg, IL 60173 601 N Martingale Road Suite 130, Schaumburg

                    Celebrate Teacher Appreciation Month at LEGOLAND Discovery Center Chicago! This August, we're honoring the incredible dedication and hard work of educators with a SUPER-MEGA-AWESOME offer just for them! Teachers will […]

                    Free — Teachers go FREE!
                  • Thu 22
                    August 22, 2024 @ 12:00 am

                    Thursday Night Music Sessions ? Special Guest Peter Brady

                      Date: August 22 @ 7:00 pm - 9:00 pm Peter Brady is our Special Guest on August 22! Join session leaders Michael Austin and James Conway this Thursday for an […]

                    • Thu 22
                      August 22, 2024 @ 10:00 am - 5:00 pm Teacher Appreciation Month at LEGOLAND Discovery Center Chicago

                      Teacher Appreciation Month at LEGOLAND Discovery Center Chicago

                        LEGOLAND Discovery Center Chicago, 601 N Martingale Road Suite 130, Schaumburg, IL 60173 601 N Martingale Road Suite 130, Schaumburg

                        Celebrate Teacher Appreciation Month at LEGOLAND Discovery Center Chicago! This August, we're honoring the incredible dedication and hard work of educators with a SUPER-MEGA-AWESOME offer just for them! Teachers will […]

                        Free — Teachers go 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.