Chicago Cultural Alliance

In-Person Master Class - Lithuanian Threaded Straw/Paper Ornament Making
2022-11-03 19:00 - 20:30 (America/Chicago) | Balzekas Museum of Lithuanian Culture, 6500 South Pulaski Road, Chicago, IL, 60629, United States
The Balzekas Museum presents an in-person 3-Thursday Lithuanian Straw Ornament Making Master Class with artist/educator Laura Lapinskas

About this event

In order to preserve and perpetuate Lithuanian traditions, the Balzekas Museum is launching a series of traditional Lithuanian Folk Arts Master Classes. The first Master Class – on making traditional Lithuanian straw Christmas ornaments– will be conducted by artist/educator Laura Lapinskas, who in 3 successive Thursday evening classes, will introduce students to the fundamental steps and techniques of making threaded Lithuanian straw Christmas ornaments.
Participants will also have an opportunity to view examples of paper, plastic, and natural straw ornaments from the Museum’s exhibits and collections, and to learn about the origin and significance of ornaments and sodai, their pagan predecessors. The history of decorating Lithuanian Christmas trees in the United States will also be highlighted.
Classes will run for 3 consecutive weeks, starting Thursday, Nov. 3, 2022, from 7:00 to 8:30 PM and ending on Nov. 17, 2022. All classes will take place in person at the Balzekas Museum of Lithuanian Culture, 6500 S. Pulaski Rd., Chicago IL 60629. These class demonstrations by the instructor will be filmed and subsequently available for Museum members to view on the Museum’s Vimeo channel. Ornament Kit may also be purchased through the Museum’s gift shop.
For purposes of instruction, paper straws will be used; however, natural straw will also be available for those who want to try the medium. All materials will be supplied to registrants, including straws, detailed instructions, thread and needles for threading ornaments and for making the decorative dangling “fringe” pendants.
Registration includes supplies: (straws, thread, needles, instruction sheets) and light refreshments.
Enrollment is limited to so please register early. This class is not recommended for children under 12 years of age.
This project was supported in part by the Members and Donors of the Balzekas Museum as well a grant from the Illinois Arts Council Agency and from the U.S. Department of Treasury funds through the City of Chicago (DCASE and CityArts.) The opinions, findings, conclusions and recommendations expressed in this program are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the views of the Department of Treasury or the City of Chicago.

Night At The Museum | Paint & Sip!
2022-11-03 18:00 - 20:00 | The National Museum of Puerto Rican Arts & Culture, 3015 W Division Street, Chicago, IL, 60622, United States
An Intimate Night At The Museum | Paint & Sip!
Painting and art made easy for everybody!
Learn how to paint on a canvas with Featured Artist Lorimar Matos.
This art session Includes a Sangria Flight of 4 Flavors Guava, Pomegranate, Pear & Berry.
Welcome / Check In 6pm-6:30pm Taste our New Fall! Blood Orange Sangria
Vejigante Canvas Paint Session Starts at 6:30pm-8pm
*All guest must purchase tickets to attend this event

Ausiàs Parejo
2022-11-02 00:00 | IL, United States
Don’t miss 16-year-old guitar prodigy Juan Ausiàs Parejo from Valencia on Thursday, November 17.
$10 SUGGESTED DONATION AT DOOR
PARKING VALIDATION AT 33 W ONTARTIO ST ($10)
ABOUT THE ARTIST
Born in 2006 into a family of musicians, Juan Ausiàs Parejo began playing the guitar at the age of 4 at the hands of his father, the guitarist Rubén Parejo. The 16-year-old guitarist has won 35 first prizes in national and international competitions, performing with a virtuosity and sensitivity that does not leave anyone indifferent. In 2018, he recorded his first CD Con tanta tenerezza accompanied by his father and with the collaboration of important jazz figures such as Ximo Tébar and Víctor Mendoza. Ausiàs has performed concertos for guitar and orchestra and the composers Eduardo Morales-Caso and Juan Erena have dedicated works to him. Ausiàs’ way of interpreting is rich in nuances: virtuous, brilliant and entertaining.

Craft Convening
2022-10-30 13:00 | Ukrainian Institute of Modern Art, 2320 W Chicago Ave, Chicago, IL, 60622, United States
Please join us for a conversation on Chicago craft in the 1970s-80s with some of the city’s long-standing artists and activists, including Lourdes Guerrero, artist and educator; Indira Freitas Johnson, artist, educator and community activist; Arlene Raconcay, former director of the Chicago Artists Coalition; Fern Shaffer, artist and former director of Artemisia Gallery. Starts at 1pm Sunday October 30th at UIMA. Masks optional. The program is generously supported by the Terra Foundation Art Design Chicago.
We’ll be discussing the barriers marginalized artists faced and had to break through; the city’s art scene; craft’s increased attention, the importance of ‘making a difference’ to society, How are these issues connected to current art practices as makers, crafters and artisans? How are they different?

Film Screenings: Mother's Heart and Thavary Meas Bong
2022-10-30 10:00 - 17:00 | Chicago Cultural Center, 78 E Washington St, Chicago, IL, 60602, United States
Join us for a double feature screening of two classic prewar films: Mother’s Heart and Thavary Meas Bong. Screening for the first time in Chicago, these films are a celebration of early Cambodian filmmakers’ ingenuity, craftsmanship, and talents. These early filmmakers’ aim was to make films that Cambodian audiences would be proud to watch but never did they imagine anything beyond the regional screening. As with many Asian Americans, especially Southeast Asian communities, there are many stigmas attached to their parents’ generation of war and related trauma. These films highlight a positive cultural production of their own heritage.

Not So Scary, Scary Halloween
2022-10-29 13:00 - 15:00 | Bronzeville Children’s Museum, 9301 S Stony Island Ave, Chicago, IL, 60617, United States
Get ready! Our annual “Not So Scary, Scary Halloween ”celebration is BACK! Bring your kids for a great time. Saturday October 29 from 1pm to 3pm! We can’t wait to see you then.

Art After Hours
2022-10-28 19:30 - 23:00 | Ukrainian Institute of Modern Art, 2320 W Chicago Ave, Chicago, IL, 60622, United States
We are so excited to continue our Art After Hours series!
Featuring performances by:

Stafford
milkweed b2b loma
Alejandro Marenco

Sound by Signal Clearance
Lighting and environmental design by Nix
Doors open at 7:30 pm
$15/ $20 at the door
21+
Halloween costumes are encouraged!
Price of the ticket includes admission + beer and seltzer donated by Solemn Oath Brewery (while supplies last).

BOMBA Lab en el Centro
2022-10-28 18:00 - 20:00 | Segundo Ruiz Belvis Cultural Center, 4046 W. Armitage Ave., Chicago, IL, 60639, United States
BOMBA is the oldest musical tradition of Puerto Rico and one of the greatest expressions of the Island’s African ancestry.

Since its establishment in Chicago in the late 1980’s and early 1990’s, enthusiasts, practitioners and teachers of Bomba had come through SRBCC to develop, share and cultivate their craft and honor this ancestral art form from Puerto Rico.

Created in and for the community SRBCC offers BOMBA LAB en el Centro, an intergenerational space to learn, practice and engage with the history and ever-lasting healing rhythms, dance and songs of Bomba.

To enjoy en familia! ALL ages and experiences are welcomed.
Free of cost. No registration needed. Every other Friday starting in September.

Kick off: Friday, September 16, 2022 | 6PM to 8PM

BOMBA Open Lab Dates:
SEPTEMBER 16 & 30th
OCTOBER 16 & 30th
NOVEMBER 18th
DECEMBER 2 & 12

¡Los esperamos! Para más información se puede comunicar a info@srbcc.org o llamarnos at 773.698-6009

For more information feel free to contact us at:
info@srbcc.org or phone at 773.698-6009

Photo by: Herminio Rodriguez
Dancer: Tai Ramirez
Subidor: Quincy Raggs

Seeking Sonder by Akina Curley
2022-10-28 08:00 - 2023-01-31 17:00 | American Indian Center, 3401 West Ainslie Street, Chicago, IL, 60625, United States
Please join us to celebrate the art of Akina Curley. A very impressive show by a talented young Native artist.
Seeking Sonder showcases work by Akina Curley (Ojibwe/ Diné) to explore other capacities/disciplines of expression that missions to challenge audiences about Native art today through a contemporary aesthetic. These new works by Akina will perform, teach, and culturally share

Neighborhood Nights
2022-10-27 19:00 - 23:00 | DANK Haus German American Cultural Center, 4740 N. Western Ave., Chicago, IL, 60625, United States
COME ENJOY A BEVERAGE WITH A SPECTACULAR EXPERIENCE IN OUR ICONIC 6TH FLOOR SKYLINE LOUNGE & TERRACE
A perfect place to meet your neighbors and socialize!
Each 2nd & 4th Thursday of the month from 7-11 PM. Proceeds support the DANK Haus Museum

Journey Chicago: Stories that Travel: Mythology, Folklore, and Diaspora
2022-10-27 18:30 - 20:00 | National Hellenic Museum, 333 S. Halsted St., Chicago, IL, 60661, United States
This event is part of Journey Chicago, the Chicago Cultural Alliance’s annual citywide festival of cross-cultural events.
A panel discussion focusing on the varied relationships different Diaspora communities have with the mythological & folklore stories of their culture of origin. We are specifically interested in interrogating the ways in which different communities invest in or distance themselves from their ancient/classical mythology and folklore in the American Diaspora, and how those relationships have shifted over time. We will examine this question through both an academic & artistic lens.

Our Panel:
Anna Cai (they/them) is a queer Indonesian Chinese American community-driven artist currently living in Chicago who explores the futurities of Asian diasporic identity through relationships, textiles, costume, performance, film, graphic design, and print media. At the center of their creative and social practice is a desire to steer their community into a future that embraces a transformation of fiction and reality and rejects outdated constructs of nation, gender and capital.
Cai has received multiple awards for their work in art, design, and community engagement. They were a finalist in Lesotho Fashion Week of 2018 and their work in film has been selected for Lesotho Film Festival between the years of 2018-2020. Most recently they were a recipient of the 2020 New Artist Society scholarship, the 2022 Caxton Book Club grant, and Graphic Design USA’s 2022 Students to Watch Award. They are also a member of the 2022 Spring Tanda Artist Research fellowship program hosted by Chuquimarca Art Library in Chicago, Illinois. They have collaborated with several organizations internationally including the Morija Arts Centre, The Hub in Morija, Lesotho Girls in Tech, the Public Housing Authority of Residents in Charlottesville, the White House Kitchen Garden initiative, and the Chinese Historical Society of Memphis & the Midsouth. They have initiated numerous independent publications and initiatives such as The Morija Makers (2018), Stories from Westhaven (2016), and the upcoming Chicago-based independent magazine Tongues (2022).
They received a BS in Architecture from the University of Virginia. In 2016 to 2018 they served as a Peace Corps volunteer in Lesotho. Upon leaving the organization, Cai apprenticed with a local textile artist and began exploring identity expression through wearable sculpture and performance. During this time, they gained invaluable experience on how to build trusting relationships and engage in art-making that embraces an art practice at the intersection of community building, education, and design. They recently completed an MFA Visual Communication program at the School of the Arts Institute of Chicago where they were immersed in rituals that combine mythology, pleasure, play, historical fabulation, and the reclaiming of archives.
Dr. Katherine Kelaidis is the Director of Research and Content at the National Hellenic Museum. She has held research appointments at the American University in Cairo, Oxford University, and the Free University Berlin. She is also a Senior Editor at Religion Dispatches. Dr. Kelaidis holds a B.A. in Classical Languages from the University of California, Berkeley and a Ph.D. in Classics from the University of London.

Cori Nakamura Lin a midwest-based Japanese//Taiwanese-American illustrator and designer specializing in movement art and culture-centered storytelling. By visualizing narratives and illuminating concepts, Cori makes art that fuels action. Some current projects include illustrating curriculum covering Japanese American Resettlement to Chicago in partnership with Katherine Nagasawa, JASC, and the JACS Grant, and illustrating Cori’s sister, Jami Nakamura Lin’s, forthcoming book The Night Parade.
Website: https://corilin.co/
Etsy: https://www.etsy.com/shop/CoriLinArt
Instagram: @cori.lin.art

Jami Nakamura Lin is the author of the illustrated speculative memoir The Night Parade (Mariner/HarperCollins and Scribe UK, 2023). A Catapult columnist, she’s been published in The New York Times, Electric Literature, Passages North, the anthology What God is Honored Here? (U. Minnesota Press) and other publications. She received a 2016 National Endowment of the Arts and the Japan-U.S. Friendship Commission, and a 2015 Walter Dean Myers Grant from We Need Diverse Books. Her work interrogates mythology, monstrosity, mental illness, and motherhood.
Website: https://jaminakamuralin.com/
Book updates/newsletter: https://rokurokubi.substack.com/
Instagram: @jami_lin
Twitter: @jaminlin

Moderator: Cairo Dye, NHM Programs & Events Manager

Syria: The Frontlines of Displacement
2022-10-27 17:00 - 19:30 | 625 North Kingsbury Street Chicago, IL 60654, 625 North Kingsbury Street, Chicago, IL, 60654, United States
ABOUT THIS EVENT:
Join the co-editors of Witnesses to War: The Children of Syria, Karam Foundation, ART WORKS Projects, and event sponsor, Howard Conant, Jr., for a discussion and exhibition of acclaimed photojournalist Bassam Khabieh’s nearly decade long project, Witnesses to War: The Children of Syria.
Khabieh (joining via live feed) and Lina Sergie Attar, CEO and Founder of the Karam Foundation, will be in conversation to discuss Khabieh’s unique and personal perspective, the impact of the ongoing war in Syria on children, and the ongoing challenges facing the 3.6 million registered Syrian refugees currently living in Turkey as well as those living in other parts of the globe.
Globally, we have surpassed 100 million refugees worldwide, most recently due to the war in Ukraine. While attention has been shifted to supporting Ukrainian refugees, we welcome this opportunity to connect with our Chicago-land community members to draw lessons learned from different contexts and treatments of refugees, and how we can take action.
ABOUT WITNESSES TO WAR: THE CHILDREN OF SYRIA
Witnesses to War: The Children of Syria – book and exhibition – provides an insider’s account of the impact that the war in Syria has had on children.
From the rebel held area of Eastern Ghouta, Witnesses to War illustrates, through photographs and stories, the incredible resilience of Syria’s young in the face of violence. Children and their families held onto fragments of normalcy through schools conducted in basements, street games played in the temporary lull of battle, and events and holidays celebrated under tenuous conditions.
Khabieh did not start out as a photographer. When the war broke out in Syria, he was studying computer science at Damascus University. As the violence escalated there and around the country, it was clear that there was an urgent need for Syrian photographers to ensure that the world knew what was happening in his increasingly isolated and dangerous homeland. Throughout the conflict—until mid-2018, when the Syrian regime captured Douma, his hometown—he remained in the region, working as a photojournalist for many international media outlets and gaining international acclaim.
In this 11th anniversary year of the Syrian Arab Spring, Syria remains in crisis. There are still millions of displaced people who are living in refugee camps either inside Syria or in Jordan, Lebanon, and Turkey. Thousands of missing detainees are suffering inside security interrogation centers. And, the economic situation in Syria is deteriorating daily as poverty and hunger spread.
Books will be available for sale during the event. 100% of the proceeds go to outreach, advocacy, and the support of Syrian refugee youth and communities through Karam Foundation.

Reset on the Road at Jane Addams Hull-House Museum
2022-10-26 11:00 - 13:00 | Jane Addams Hull-House Museum, 800 S Halsted St., Chicago, IL, 60607, United States
About this event

What’s your favorite scary story? And what makes it scary? Reset with Sasha-Ann Simons will explore all things fearsome at the historic (and plausibly haunted) Jane Addams Hull-House Museum on Wednesday, October 26. Join us for this spooky live broadcast to learn about the cultural significance of creepy tales told throughout Chicago.
Perhaps better known as a place of hope and social progress, the paranormal past of Hull-House has long been hushed, despite continued interest from ghost hunters. But current stewards of the institution are now reclaiming and celebrating its folklore, including stories of the Lady in White, the infamous Devil Baby and even a portal to hell. This free Reset on the Road event is crawling with opportunities to experience these urban legends firsthand!
Come celebrate Halloween and watch radio happen in this notably eerie landmark. Wear a costume and you’ll get a treat!

Night of Terror: Storytelling Event
2022-10-25 18:00 - 20:00 | Mitchell Museum of the American Indian, 3001 central street, Evanston, IL, 60201, United States
Terror awaits you at the Mitchell Museum’s first ever scary stories told by witnesses of horror within Chicagoland’s Native storyteller community!
Immerse yourself and your family in our evening of fear and bone chilling stories moderated by Negwes White from our friends at St. Kateri Center. The event is free for Mitchell Museum Members and $10 for non-members. Admission for Native citizens is always free. Tickets can be purchased onsite, light snacks and refreshments will be available. This event will be located at 3009 Central Street, located just next door to the museum.

Unveiling Nichols Tower Vertical Gallery
2022-10-24 16:00 - 19:00 | 906 S Homan Ave, Chicago, 906 S Homan Ave, Chicago, IL, United States
Join us for the Unveiling of the Nichols Tower Vertical Gallery, a project brought forth by a collaboration between The Foundation for Homan Square, Elevated Chicago, SAIC, and OPEN Center for the Arts.
TRANSFORMATION is a project created by The Foundation for Homan Square
to transform the interior stairwell of the
Homan Square Tower, a historical building, into a vertical gallery which would support local artists, engage local residents, encourage physical activities and highlight the architectural features of the building.
Through art projects like this, we not only
transform spaces but also perspectives
and how people/residents see themselves in and through the Arts.

Dominican American Midwest Association: Annual Dinner and Awards Ceremony 2022
2022-10-22 19:00 | Biagio Banquet Hall, 4242 N Central Ave, Chicago, IL, United States
Join the Dominican American Midwest Association (DAMA) for their Annual Dinner and Awards Ceremony 2022. Featuring a presentation of the DAMA & Ramón García Educational Awards.
_____________
Saturday October 22, 2022
7pm
Biagio Banquet Hall | 4242 N Central Ave
COVID Protocols are observed

Journey Chicago: Navigating Borders: A Creative Collaboration
2022-10-22 14:00 - 17:00 | South Asia Institute, 1925 South Michigan Avenue, Chicago, IL, 60616, United States
This event is part of Journey Chicago, the Chicago Cultural Alliance’s annual citywide festival of cross-cultural events.
South Asia and Korea share a common history of being divided by an arbitrary line that gave rise to new nations, India and Pakistan and North and South Korea. This year is the 75th. anniversary of the Partition of British India and the current exhibition at South Asia Institute revolves around the aftermath of the event. The collaborative program that will be presented by SAI and KCCOC will highlight the experiences of the people of the two nations with talks by South Asian and Korean academicians: Dr. Hardeep Dhillon and Dr. Ji-Yeon Yuh, followed by a musical collaboration by South Asian and Korean musicians: Sandeep Bharadwaj, Woosung Jung, Suwan Choi, Chansoo Lee, Yun Sil Jang, Deokhwan Kim. Food from South Asia and Korea will be served. Attendees will have access to the exhibition at SAI following the event.

Truths as We Speak Them: A Storytelling Open Mic
2022-10-22 13:30 - 15:00 | Chinese American Museum of Chicago, 238 W. 23rd St, Chicago, IL, 60616, United States
Please join us at CAMOC for the first gathering of Truths As We Speak Them: A Storytelling Open Mic on Oct 22! This open mic storytelling gathering, hosted by Ada Cheng, is co-sponsored by the Bronzeville Historical Society, Chinese American Museum of Chicago, and People Matter.
The open mic will rotate between Bronzeville and Chinatown neighborhoods. The inaugural event is on Saturday, October 22, at the Chinese Museum of Chicago and our next event is Saturday, November 19, at Bronzeville Historical Society.
We welcome everyone to participate in these two upcoming events and share their stories.
Open mic rules:
– In-person sign up at 1pm.
– Arrive early for seats.
– All open spots are given 7 minutes with a courtesy warning at 6 minutes to perform and can perform more than once if time permits.
– This is a safe space for all regardless of race, class, gender, sexuality, and ability.

About the producer and host:
Ada Cheng is a professor-turned storyteller, solo performer, and storytelling producer. She has been featured in storytelling shows and done her two solo performances all over the country. She is the producer and the host of multiple storytelling shows, including Pour One Out: A Monthly Storytelling Series, Am I Man Enough?, Talk Stories: An Asian American/Asian Diaspora Storytelling Show, Speaking Truths Series, and This Is America: Truths through My Body.
Her motto: Make your life the best story you tell.
Check out her website here.

Truths As We Speak Them: A Storytelling Open Mic in Bronzeville/Chinatown
2022-10-22 13:30 - 15:00 | Chinese American Museum of Chicago, 238 W. 23rd St, Chicago, IL, 60616, United States
I am very happy to present Truths As We Speak Them: A Storytelling Open Mic in Bronzeville/Chinatown.
This open mic storytelling gathering, hosted by Ada Cheng, is co-sponsored by Bronzeville Historical Society, Chinese American Museum of Chicago, and People Matter.
Our first event will take place in-person on Saturday October 22 from 1:30-3:00pm CT.
Please mask up for safety.
This open mic will rotate between Bronzeville and Chinatown neighborhoods.
We will have our inaugural event on Saturday October 22 at the Chinese Museum of Chicago and our next event on Saturday November 19 at Bronzeville Historical Society.
We welcome everyone to participate in these two upcoming events and share their stories.
Open mic rules:
In-person sign up at 1pm.
Arrive early for seats.
All open spots are given 7 minutes with a courtesy warning at 6 minutes to perform and can perform more than once if time permits.
This is a safe space for all regardless of race, class, gender, sexuality, and ability.

Producer and host:
Dr. Ada Cheng is a professor-turned storyteller, solo performer, and storytelling producer. She has been featured in storytelling shows and done her two solo performances all over the country. She is the producer and the host of multiple storytelling shows. Dr. Cheng uses storytelling to illustrate structural inequities, to raise critical awareness, and to build intimate communities.
Her motto: Make your life the best story you tell.
Check out her website: www.renegadeadacheng.com.

Oktoberfest Stammtisch | Open Haus
2022-10-21 19:30 - 23:00 | DANK Haus German American Cultural Center, 4740 N. Western Ave., Chicago, IL, 60625, United States
Cap off your Oktoberfest season at the best fest in town! Our indoor Oktoberfest features live music from Paloma Band of Chicago, authentic German food and drinks, and more! Attendees will enjoy plenty of yodeling, dancing, and pretzel eating starting at 7:30 PM.

Our historic Marunde Ballroom, located on the 5th floor, will be decorated in traditional festival style and our signature vintage bar will feature imported German Spaten Oktoberfest, Würzburger and local Festzelt Oktoberfest beers on tap. Come hungry and enjoy Thüringer, Bratwurst, Leberkäse, potato salad, sauerkraut, pretzels and Landjäger!

Guests can enter our famous “Stein Holding Contest” and dance to the music of Paloma Band of Chicago. Come wearing your finest Dirndl and Lederhosen to the Oktoberfest of the Season at the DANK Haus!

Interested in becoming a sponsor? Email dank@dankhaus.com

Film Screening: Fabiola Méndez Trio & Negrura Documentary
2022-10-20 19:30 - 21:30 | Segundo Ruiz Belvis Cultural Center, 4046 W. Armitage Ave., Chicago, IL, 60639, United States
Fabiola Méndez: Live Trio Performance and Negrura Documentary Screening

About this event

Fabiola Méndez is a Puerto Rican cuatro player, educator, and composer that has taken part in a musical movement, crossing over the lines of genres such as folkloric, jazz & Latin.
Recognized for being the first student to graduate from Berklee College of Music with the cuatro as principal instrument (2018), Fabiola has worked and performed for artists such as: Totó La Momposina, Eddie Palmieri, Puerto Rican Symphony Orchestra, the Chicago Philharmonic, and Pedro Capó, among others. She currently works as an independent
artist all around the Northeast and Puerto Rico, collaborating with organizations such as Celebrity Series of Boston, WBUR, MFA Boston, MassArt, and Agora Cultural Architects, as well as composing for animated TV productions for Sesame Workshop, Fred Rogers Productions, and WGBH.
Fabiola Méndez’s project Negrura (released in 2022) is an audiovisual storytelling experience that showcases the stories of Afro-Latinx folks from Boston’s Latin Quarter Cultural District. The film aims to create spaces for conversations about colorism, anti-blackness, discrimination, and racism within our own Afro-Caribbean and Afro-Latinx community. Music, at the core of the project, connects our voices to provide a space for self-reflection, support, and healing.

ACCE Soft Reopening
2022-10-20 19:00 - 21:30 | Abrahamic Center for Cultural Education, 55 W Van Buren Street, Suite 220, Chicago, IL, 60605, United States
You’re Invited!
We hope that you and your loved ones have continued to heal and grow from all the difficulties of the pandemic these past two years. In the spirit of recovery, ACCE is BACK for in-person events starting this fall. We are beginning our return to the space with this FREE soft reopening party! Please join us for an evening of refreshments, new and familiar art, artist talk + book signing, and much more…!
ACCE has been working hard over the summer to renovate several features of our gallery and we would love to share all of our changes with you. One of our key new features includes a rotating art space where ACCE will be featuring various art works quarterly. This fall, ACCE is proud to present the photography of Sadaf Syed, the author and artist behind iCover. Sadaf will be our keynote speaker of the evening, sharing more about her work and holding a Q+A. Additionally, guests will have an opportunity to purchase copies of iCover books/prints during this event! You don’t wanna miss out!
Sadaf Syed | Biography
Recognized as a leading artist by the White House, Photojournalist, Sadaf Syed is today’s award-winning photographer and author. Syed is best known for breaking down stereotypes as she educates and inspires her audience through the eyes of photography and the perspectives of her subjects. She was a digital news Photo Editor and Staff Photographer for Al Jazeera America. Syed authored an award-winning coffee table book, iCOVER: A Day in the Life of a Muslim-American COVERed Girl. iCOVER debut it’s photography exhibition in the United Arab Emirates hosted by the royal family of Sharjah in the famous Sharjah Museum of Islamic Civilization.
Syed was recruited by the Chicago History Museum and hired as a photographer in March, 2019 to photograph Muslim Chicagoans sharing their stories of faith, identity, and personal journeys for the new exhibition, American Medina which made its debut October 21, 2019 at the Chicago History Museum.
Book synopsis
iCOVER: A Day in the life of a Muslim-American COVERed Girl
Mrs. Syed captures moments in the day-to-day lives of these Muslim women, moments that the average American can relate to once they “embrace” the fact that she covers her hair. The accompanying photo captions and personal quotes flesh out the dimensions of these women’s lives. In the faces of a dancer, a surfer-girl, a biker, a tri-athlete and even a boxer you hear their voices, and touch their thoughts, dreams, struggles and fears. With each page, a stereotypes is shattered and the misunderstandings that surround the female followers of a faith of 1.8 billion diminish. iCOVER has garnered significant publicity both domestically and internationally.
Event Details
7:00-8:00 PM: Refreshments + Self Guided Gallery Viewing
8:00-8:15: Opening Remarks by ACCE
8:15-9:00: Book Talk by Sadaf + Q/A
9:00-9:30: Purchase Books/Prints + Socialize

*The Abrahamic Center for Cultural Education (ACCE) is an art gallery and resource center dedicated to promoting the understanding of Islam and Muslims in the community by working with individuals and academic, religious, public, and private institutions. ACCE supplements existing educational programs at schools and universities with training sessions, presentations, and other resources to help our community raise more culturally competent generations. Our two main services are educational presentations and visits to our exhibition space.  ACCE is an initiative of the Islamic Food and Nutrition Council of America (IFANCA®), a global leader in halal certification. For more information, visit our website at www.abrahamiccenter.org.
**Please note, moving forward, ACCE will be operating on a hybrid model, offering both in-person and virtual presentations and events.

NHM Virtual Book Club - The Island of Missing Trees
2022-10-20 19:00 - 20:00 | Online, IL, United States
Join the National Hellenic Museum’s Virtual Book Club!
In October, we will be discussing The Island of Missing Trees by Elif Shafak, shortlisted for the Women’s Prize for Fiction.
Book Club is free to join and meets on the third Thursday of each month at 7 PM CDT via Zoom.

More about The Island of Missing Trees:
“A wise novel of love and grief, roots and branches, displacement and home, faith and belief. Balm for our bruised times.” ―David Mitchell, author of Utopia Avenue
A rich, magical new novel on belonging and identity, love and trauma, nature and renewal, from the Booker-shortlisted author of 10 Minutes 38 Seconds in This Strange World.
Two teenagers, a Greek Cypriot and a Turkish Cypriot, meet at a taverna on the island they both call home. In the taverna, hidden beneath garlands of garlic, chili peppers and creeping honeysuckle, Kostas and Defne grow in their forbidden love for each other. A fig tree stretches through a cavity in the roof, and this tree bears witness to their hushed, happy meetings and eventually, to their silent, surreptitious departures. The tree is there when war breaks out, when the capital is reduced to ashes and rubble, and when the teenagers vanish. Decades later, Kostas returns. He is a botanist looking for native species, but really, he’s searching for lost love.
Years later a Ficus carica grows in the back garden of a house in London where Ada Kazantzakis lives. This tree is her only connection to an island she has never visited— her only connection to her family’s troubled history and her complex identity as she seeks to untangle years of secrets to find her place in the world.
A moving, beautifully written, and delicately constructed story of love, division, transcendence, history, and eco-consciousness, The Island of Missing Trees is Elif Shafak’s best work yet.
On the New York Times bestseller list for over 20 weeks * A New York Times Notable Book * A Barack Obama Favorite * A National Book Award Finalist * Named a Best Book of the Year by Fresh Air, Time, Entertainment Weekly, Associated Press, and many more.

Author Talk: “We Share The Same Sky”
2022-10-20 18:30 | Virtual, Chicago, IL, United States
Winner of the Maine Literary Award, “We Share The Same Sky: A Memoir of Memory & Migration,” is a riveting and awe-inspiring debut novel by author and inaugural Storyteller in Residence for USC Shoah Foundation, Rachael Cerrotti. Cerrotti had always known her grandmother Hana was a Holocaust survivor, but what she discovered – an entire archive of her life – after Hana’s passing led to an incredible journey of discovery and self-discovery.
Join us for a live book discussion with Cerrotti as we follow her through a decade-long journey to weave together the thin threads of her family history in this intergenerational storytelling tour-de-force. The discussion will be moderated by Richard Salomon, Vice President of Illinois Holocaust Museum & Education Center’s Board of Directors.
Members: Free; Non-Members: $ 5
Register: https://ihm.ec/wesharethesamesky

The Year the Stars Fell: Toward a Continental History of a Very Few Hours
2022-10-20 18:00 - 19:30 | IL, United States
D’Arcy McNickle Distinguished Lecture with Philip Deloria
Oct 20, 2022
6:00pm-7:30pm
Hybrid – Ruggles Hall and Zoom
This program will be held in-person at the Newberry, 60 West Walton Street, Chicago, and livestreamed on Zoom.
In the early morning of November 13, 1833, meteors from the annual Leonid showers fell in such abundance, frequency, and size that people across North America ran from their homes to contemplate the celestial light show. In the winter count calendars of the Great Plains, the “Year the Stars Fell” has been used to link up disparate local histories. But the event appears in memory and in writing all across the continent, from enslaved African Americans in the South to Latter Day Saints and Second Great Awakening revivalists in small towns, to the scientists of Philadelphia, Cambridge, and New Haven, among others.
In this year’s D’Arcy McNickle Distinguished Lecture, historian Philip Deloria will discuss how the falling stars called into question assumptions about faith, reason, and nature. Making connections across time and place, Deloria will also explore how these stars can help us understand an unknowably broad geography in the narrowest of historical moments.
Speakers
Phil Deloria is a citizen of the Standing Rock Sioux Nation and Professor of History at Harvard University, where his research and teaching focus on the social, cultural, and political histories of the relations among American Indian peoples and the United States, as well as the comparative and connective histories of Indigenous peoples in a global context. Dr. Deloria is the author of many books and articles, including Playing Indian and Indians in Unexpected Places, both of which are widely recognized as essential texts in the fields of Native American and Indigenous Studies, and American Studies. Deloria is also a trustee of the Smithsonian Institution’s National Museum of the American Indian and serves at the liaison for Harvard University within the Newberry Consortium in American Indian and Indigenous Studies.
Fred Hoxie is an esteemed historian of Indigenous peoples in North America and Professor Emeritus at the University of Illinois-Urbana Champaign. Dr. Hoxie was on staff at the Newberry for fifteen years, where he served first as the Director of the D’Arcy McNickle Center and later as Vice President for Research and Education. Hoxie is the author of many books and articles related to Indigenous history and has also served as a consultant and expert witness for the U.S. Department of Justice, the U.S. Senate Committee on Indian Affairs, the National Congress of American Indians, and the National Park Service.
Dorene Wiese is a citizen of the White Earth Ojibwe Nation and CEO of the American Indian Association of Illinois. Dr. Wiese’s relationship with the Newberry spans nearly fifty years and includes serving as the co-chair of the Newberry American Indian Oral History Project (1982-1985) and the Seeing Indian in Chicago Photography Exhibition (1985). Wiese also serves on the Advisory Group for the library’s current Indigenous Chicago project, which will debut in 2024.
This program is free and open to all.
Register to attend IN PERSON.
Register to attend virtually ON ZOOM.

Artecito Virtual - Xoloitzcuintle
2022-10-20 18:00 - 19:00 | Virtual, Chicago, IL, United States
Xoloitzuintle’s are the oldest dogs in the Americas, Xolos have been around for millennia!
Join us as we explore more about Xoloitzuintle’s with our friends at Lincoln Park Zoo!
Contect Here:
https://bit.ly/ArtecitoXolo
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Los Xoloitzuintle son los perros más antiguos de América, ¡los Xolos existen desde hace milenios!
¡Únase a nosotros mientras exploramos más sobre Xoloitzuintle con nuestros amigos en Lincoln Park Zoo!
Contáctese aquí:
https://bit.ly/ArtecitoXolo

What is Artecito?
Artecito is a free workshop in Spanish developed by OPEN Center for the Arts and Lincoln Park Zoo that uses the arts to engage families with nature in ways that resonate with local holidays, culture, and wildlife. With a related art activity, workshops highlight wildlife and nature to encourage children and families to think about nature and their relationship to it in creative ways.

¿Qué es Artecito?
Artecito es un taller gratuito en español bimensual gratuito desarrollado por OPEN Center for the Arts y Lincoln Park Zoo que utiliza las artes para involucrar a las familias con la naturaleza de maneras que resuenan con las festividades locales, la cultura y la vida silvestre. Con una actividad artística relacionada, los talleres destacan la vida silvestre y la naturaleza para alentar a los niños y las familias a pensar sobre la naturaleza y su relación con ella de manera creativa
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Livewire Open Mic
2022-10-20 17:30 - 19:00 | National Indo-American Museum, 815 S Main St, Lombard, IL, 60148, United States
Livewire is your Open Mic platform to jam, tell us a story, act your heart out, enthrall with a verse, drop the mic… You bring the talent we’ll bring the cheers!
Get your $5 tickets: https://www.eventcombo.com/e/Livewire–Open-Mic–NIAM–56669 (includes light refreshments)
You’ll have 3 minutes for any kind of spoken word performance- poetry, storytelling, comedy, acting, essay reading, singing, and even music! Not ready to take the mic? Come join the audience and enjoy the show! Your $5 ticket includes light refreshments.
This month’s spotlight performer: Sonal Aggarwal
Former international street performer turned emcee, Sonal Aggarwal has brought her talents to Chicago as an actor, comedian, producer and movement artist. Her one woman show The Alchemy of Bliss played for a sold out weekend at Chicago’s Steppenwolf Theater and you can see her on Netflix’s Easy as well as the short A Period Piece which debuted at SXSW 2020. She is a regular host of The Moth.

Scandinavian Jam ONLINE
2022-10-16 13:30 - 15:30 | Online, IL, United States
Scandinavian Jam, where we practice what we teach. Join Mary Allsopp and Paul Tyler online on the first and third Sunday of every month. Enjoy an afternoon of traditional roots music. We teach by ear, review and share tunes. We are happy to take suggestions and love meeting new people. It’s a friendly group and we have folks joining in from across the country.
Contact Scandi.Fiddler@yahoo.com or PTyler@ameritech.net with any questions and to get a zoom code. This is a free event.

Journey Chicago: We Walk: A Celebration of Black Community
2022-10-16 13:00 - 18:00 | Douglas Boulevard and Central Park Ave, W Douglas Blvd & Central Park Ave, Chicago, 60623
This event is part of Journey Chicago, the Chicago Cultural Alliance’s annual citywide festival of cross-cultural events.
The Haitian American Museum of Chicago will bring its outdoor, community, traveling exhibition to North Lawndale for the second year in the row. We Walk: A Celebration of Black Community, was originally organized in 2020, in the Uptown neighborhood, in direct response to the Black Lives Matter protests and the disproportionate effect of the Covid-19 Pandemic on the Black community. The primary collaborators of the exhibition came from the African-American and Black Diasporic communities, including BILPOC (Black, Indigenous, Latinx, People of Color) led organizations, immigrant groups, small business owners, local historians, cultural experts, artists and activists. The exhibition is an empowering cultural outlet that highlights positive Black contributions.

Crossing Borders Music will perform at 1PM.

HAMOC is collaborating with Crossing Borders Music, Lawndale Pop Up Spot, the Department of Cultural Affairs and Special Events (DCASE) and Chicago Department of Transportation (CDOT) to expand on the exhibition and transform it into a festival-like event.

Journey Chicago: Calaveras Workshop
2022-10-16 08:00 - 17:00 | OPEN Center for the Arts, 2214 S. Sacramento Ave., Chicago, IL, 60623, United States
This event is part of Journey Chicago, the Chicago Cultural Alliance’s annual citywide festival of cross-cultural events.
Día de los Muertos (Day of the Dead) is a traditional Mexican celebration honoring those no longer with us. Stop by and have fun creating your own Calavera while sharing stories, expressing your creativity, and celebrating life!

As part of Journey Chicago, Intuit: The Center for Intuitive and Outsider Art and OPEN Center for the Arts team up to present a two-day (Saturday/Sunday) event paying homage to the traditions of Day of the Dead which is celebrated on November 2nd. The first day’s activity is a “cut and decorate” Calavera mask: a representation of a human skull, with markers, paints, and other crafting supplies. The second day’s activity is to decorating sugar skulls (Calaveras) with piped icing: they are used in the Mexican celebration of the Day of the Dead to decorate altars for loved ones who have passed.

Workshop Day 1 (Masks): Saturday October 15, 10am-12pm
Workshop Day 2 (Sugar Skulls) : Sunday, October 16, 10am-12pm

Registration is not required.

El Día de los Muertos es una celebración tradicional mexicana en honor a aquellos que ya no están con nosotros. ¡Visítanos y diviértete creando tu propia Calavera mientras compartes historias, expresas tu creatividad y celebras la vida!

Como parte de Journey Chicago, Intuit: The Center for Intuitive and Outsider Art y OPEN Center for the Arts se unen para presentar un evento de dos días (sábado y domingo) que rinde homenaje a las tradiciones del Día de Muertos, que se celebra el 2 de noviembre. La primera actividad es una máscara de Calavera para “cortar y decorar”: una representación de un cráneo humano, con marcadores, pinturas y otros materiales para manualidades. La segunda es para decorar calaveritas de azúcar con glaseado: se utilizan en la celebración mexicana del Día de Muertos para decorar altares de seres queridos que han fallecido.
