by Marie Rowley | Aug 18, 2022 | Member Opportunities, Member Wire
The Creative Placemaking Advanced Leadership Certificate grows and nurtures entrepreneurial, collaborative and culturally competent leaders. It is the kind of leadership that can most effectively enhance places through local arts and cultural activities. It is the right type of leadership for these uncertain and challenging times. The most effective leaders are both deep thinkers and strong communicators. The Certificate will help you master the knowledge and craft of creative placemaking leadership.
This low-residency program is designed for busy community-based professionals and social practice artists anywhere in the world. You can complete it in eight to 10 months.
Learn more about it here.
by Marie Rowley | Aug 16, 2022 | Member Opportunities, Member Wire
Themed Cafecito Placemaking Chats, 4th Monday of the Month
About this event
Placemakers, here’s a monthly opportunity to come together and refill each others’ tanks!
Bring your coffee, tea, or other drink, and your creative mind for free form discussion kicked-off by the following themes…
- Lines and Divisions (January 24)
- Bridge the Gap (February 28)
- Healing the Democracy (March 28)
- Engage your Citizens (April 25)
- Use your Feet (May 23)
- Let’s Talk about Pop-up (June 27)
- Up your Alley (July 25)
- Measure Up (August 22)
- Find your Champion (September 26)
- Teach Someone to Fish (October 24)
- Difficult Conversations (November Date TBD)
- Feed Your Mind (December Date TBD)
We’ll close-out each session with self-reflection: accepting what we must and finding our power to move things forward.
Inspired and Co-hosted by Sherryl Muriente, Initiator of the PlacemakingFL network and Director of Urban Placemaking, West Palm Beach Downtown Development Authority
REGISTER HERE
by Marie Rowley | Aug 15, 2022 | Member Opportunities, Member Wire
Facebook recently changed the tools you can use to manage your nonprofit on their platform. This short video from Candid walks you through how to use the Nonprofit Manager Dashboard:
https://www.instagram.com/reel/Cgt_qEFAbTJ/
by Marie Rowley | Jul 12, 2022 | Chicago Culture
Each of the 45 Core Members of the Chicago Cultural Alliance does important work to preserve, celebrate, and share a specific cultural tradition. Beyond this, though, many of them also serve as important anchors for their neighborhoods. They are much more than museums, archives, or galleries. They are serving their communities both inside their buildings and out in the public spaces of Chicago’s diverse neighborhoods.
While visiting OPEN Center for the Arts’ recent 8th anniversary party, it was exciting to see how important OPEN Center is to so many people. It is more than just a gallery or cultural center. It is an integral part of the Marshall Square and South Lawndale neighborhoods.
Founder and Executive Director Omar Magana addresses the crowd at OPEN Center for the Arts’ 8th Anniversary party. Photo courtesy of OPEN Center for the Arts
Another example of a Core Member that serves as a neighborhood anchor is the DANK Haus German American Cultural Center. It consistently works to balance its mission of sharing German heritage and history with outreach into the Lincoln Square neighborhood. Though DANK Haus may serve its community in slightly different ways than OPEN Center for the Arts, it is also a bedrock institution for its neighborhood.
To learn more about how each cultural center has developed such strong community ties, I interviewed Monica Jirak, Executive Director of DANK Haus, and Fernando Aburto, Development Manager of OPEN Center.
BEING A CULTURAL RESOURCE
Like all of the Core Members of the Chicago Cultural Alliance, DANK Haus and OPEN Center for the Arts provide vital cultural programming. By acting as a resource for cultural knowledge, traditions, and heritage, they serve their surrounding communities.
DANK Haus has seen the neighborhood around it change over time. “Back in the ‘70s was really the heyday of German culture in this neighborhood,” explains Monica. As German businesses in the area closed over the decades since then, DANK Haus has worked to document their history. “We want to preserve and promote their legacy,” Monica explains. “So it’s not forgotten and so that future generations can be reminded of what existed.” Their extensive archives preserve the history of the community, and their museum tells the story of Germans in Chicago.
Museum Director Rosa Gallagher surveys a portion of DANK Haus’ extensive collection of artifacts, documents, and records from the German American community. Photo by Marie Rowley
They also offer contemporary cultural programming, like German language classes, “Kaffee, Kuchen & Kino” (coffee, cakes, and a movie), and German cooking classes. Their goal is to share German culture with everyone. “I feel like with all of our programming it may help to know a little bit of German,” Monica explains “But really we want to be accessible and open and inviting to everyone in the neighborhood.”
Much of OPEN Center for the Arts’ cultural work is driven directly by the needs of their neighborhood. For example, several years ago parents from the nearby schools needed a space to host a Posada, a traditional Mexican Catholic Christmas event. OPEN Center agreed to organize the event, bringing together participants from across the community. “We had to stop people from coming in at one point, it was so packed,” Fernando recalls, smiling. Everyone on staff agreed this had to become an annual tradition, and they soon added Día de los Reyes and Candelaria celebrations. It’s clear OPEN Center’s holiday events have become an important neighborhood tradition; after a couple years with limited capacity due to COVID, community members are already asking if 2022’s festivities will be back in December.
OPEN Center’s COVID-safe “express” Día de Los Reyes event in January 2021. Photo courtesy of OPEN Center for the Arts
CONNECTING TO THEIR NEIGHBORHOODS
Despite having different origins, missions, and audiences, both organizations serve as strong neighborhood anchors through a mix of community outreach and creative cultural programming.
With a mission of being open to artists at all stages, OPEN Center for the Arts is actively engaged with the children of its community. “We have three schools within a block of us, and some of them do not have an art program,” Fernando explains. “We feel like we serve our community in this way.” One of their programs is Wild Marshall Square, where 4-6-year-olds learned about endangered species and then drew their own versions. Their artwork was then entered into an art show, with critiques and juries, just like their adult contemporaries. The winning drawings were made into sculptures, and displayed at Lincoln Park Zoo.
Winning polar bear sculptures from Wild Marshall Square project. Photo courtesy of OPEN Center for the Arts
DANK Haus connects with its neighborhood through creative programming too, though the audience might be slightly different. Taking advantage of the full working bars on premises, DANK Haus hosts regular “Neighborhood Nights,” with beer and a chance to meet your neighbors. Similarly, a recent popular event has been Elternabend, or “Parents’ Night Out,” which includes dinner, drinks, and (perhaps most importantly) childcare.
The Terrasse (terrace) at DANK Haus is a welcome space for events like Elternabend. Photo courtesy of DANK Haus.
Each center connects with their neighborhood through direct service and outreach as well.
“There are a number of ways we feel like we’re a part of Lincoln Square,” Monica explains. Through booths at neighborhood festivals like Maifest, Oktoberfest, and Apple Fest, DANK Haus is able to meet their neighbors face-to-face to talk about the organization and share in the community’s seasonal celebrations. They’re also an early voting site for the precinct, and they have a German-immersion preschool and kindergarten on premises.
DANK Haus staff at Maifest 2022. Photo courtesy of DANK Haus German American Cultural Center.
Fernando explains that they’ve become so strongly connected to their community through constant outreach. “One way we build those relationships is just being out there talking to people,” he says. “And another is being here every day that we can, so people in the neighborhood can come into the space.” Another connection Fernando points to is the Marshall Square Resource Network. “We are really grateful to be a part of MSRN,” he says. “We are really a network. We share resources with each other.”
OPEN Center staff ready to connect with their community at the Marshall Square Resource Network’s Education + Wellness Summit, May 2022. Photo courtesy of OPEN Center for the Arts.
CHALLENGES FOR SMALL COMMUNITY CENTERS
Both find that as small cultural centers, it can sometimes be hard to get people to come through the doors. Even with constant outreach, there are still people in their neighborhoods to connect with.
“We have been around for a very long time, and still sometimes people in the neighborhood are just learning about us,” Monica says. “But really that’s just an opportunity for us to open up our Haus even more to our neighbors.” One way they are doing this is by converting their first-floor space into the Trefftpunkt, a gallery and cafe space that will welcome passersby into the building and make them feel at home. One of DANK Haus’ core values is Gastfreundschaft, or hospitality, and they plan to put that into action in their new space, scheduled to open next year.
Fernando says they sometimes face the exact same issue. “We still have people 8 years later that walk into our space saying ‘I live 2 blocks away, how have I never seen this before?’” he says. For them, community outreach is key. After two years of being mostly closed to visitors due to the pandemic, their recent 8-year anniversary party kicked off their new slate of in-person programming and gallery events. They’re also working more on expanding their connections. “Since 2020 our connections with North Lawndale have gotten stronger and stronger,” he explains. “We realized we’re working on the same things, but we’re working on them separately. It used to be the South Lawndale this, the North Lawndale that – now we are coming together to host these events as one community, Lawndale.”
Bringing the community together for the Lawndale Peace Party in 2021. This summer the community is hosting a series of expanded events. Photo courtesy of OPEN Center for the Arts
VISIT THESE NEIGHBORHOOD CULTURAL ANCHORS
One of the best ways to get to know Chicago’s neighborhoods is by visiting one of the cultural centers that preserve their history and serve their communities. Check out all of the Core Members of the Chicago Cultural Alliance!
DANK Haus German American Cultural Center and OPEN Center for the Arts are always keeping busy. Drop by for a visit, or check out these upcoming events:
DANK Haus German American Cultural Center
4740 N Western Ave
Neighborhood Nights
Thursday July 14, 7pm
Open Haus Stammtisch – Back to the ‘80s
Friday, July 15 – 7:30pm
Elternabend – Back to School Edition
Thursday, August 4 – 6pm
View all their events here
OPEN Center for the Arts
2214 S Sacramento Ave
Lawndale Peace Party
Douglass Park, 2950 W 19th St
Sat, July 23, 11am to 2pm
Lawndale Arts Festival
Douglass Park Community and Cultural Center, 1401 S Sacramento Dr
Sat, August 6, 11am to 7pm
Lawndale Cookout
Douglass 18 Mini-Golf Course, 1401 S Sacramento Dr
Sat, Aug 20, 11am to 2pm
View all their events here
Special thanks to Monica Jirak of DANK Haus German American Cultural Center and Fernando Aburto of OPEN Center for the Arts for their help with this article.
Marie Rowley, Marketing and Communications Manager
by Marie Rowley | Jun 24, 2022 | Member Opportunities, Member Wire
CCA Partner Member The Peace School is launching a photo campaign to celebrate the beauty of all people and cultures in the 77 Community Areas of Chicago, and they are asking their fellow Members of the Alliance for help! Their goal is to spread peace and love by getting to know and understand each other better as we support positive actions for peace. They thought of you because they want to promote people, groups and businesses that are making their neighborhood a better place to live. (That is DEFINITELY the Members of the Alliance!)
It is easy to participate! Go to a place you love in your community and take a photo with your message of peace. You’ll find details and sample photos below. Your photo will become part of the Peace in Chicago Call to Peace series on social media, featuring one Community Area each day.
Here’s an example from the Swedish American Museum of Chicago, who already submitted their photo, and Ben from the Chinese American Museum of Chicago is the cover image for this post!
Here’s how to participate:
· Make a sign that says: Peace in [community area]
· Take a photo with the sign – here are some samples and ideas:
Celebrate something positive in your community:
· Your photo location could be on your own block or in front of a park, community garden, museum, school, public mural, community center, shop, restaurant… pick a spot in your Community Area you’d like to highlight. (This is a great way to represent your own cultural center or museum if you’d like!)
· Your photo can include one person or you can gather your family, neighbors, coworkers or members of your local organization. Please make sure that everyone in the photo gives permission for the image to be shared (including parent or guardian of children).
· Your sign can be on a piece of paper or on a large poster. It can be simple or artistic. Keep in mind that you’ll want the sign’s message to show up well in your photo.
More about Community Areas:
· Use this link for a map of Chicago’s 77 Community Areas. https://bit.ly/35Z49QW
· Type in the name of your Community Area in the search box on top left and it will take you to an enlarged map of your Community Area.
Share your photo with the Peace School:
1. Send your photo as an email attachment to: [email protected]
2. Important! Include a statement in your email giving us permission to share the photo on social media.
3. Feel free to send us your Instagram and FACEBOOK @ handle so we can tag you when it’s time for your photo to be posted in the series. Then please share!
4. You can also send us @ handles of other places in your Community Area you’d like us to tag.
It would mean a lot to have you participate in this special Peace in Chicago Call to Peace as we celebrate The Peace School’s 50th Anniversary in Chicago. Email Lydia Howe with questions at [email protected]. Together, let’s plant seeds of peace in Chicago and the world.
by Marie Rowley | Jun 17, 2022 | Chicago Culture, Cultural Connections
Many of our Core Members are doing extraordinary things to share their cultural heritage through innovative exhibitions. The Korean Cultural Center of Chicago (KCCoC) is a great example, with a new exhibition showcasing art from Korean and Korean-American artists nearly every month! Their efforts were recognized with a 2021 Illinois Association of Museum Award of Excellence.
VIsiting the korean cultural center of chicago gallery
Their emphasis on using their Museum and Visual Arts Program to share both traditional Korean culture and contemporary artists was evident when our Collaborative Programs Coordinator Abby Foss visited the KCCoC recently. Abby visited the gallery in May to view the exhibition “Gyeol” by textile artist Hyelim Kim. Kim designed an avant garde collection created with both modern and traditional Korean textiles and techniques. Abby was lucky enough to meet with the artist herself, and to tour the gallery with the KCCoC’s Executive Director, Kay Kihwa Rho.
Hyelim Kim, Abby Foss, and Kay Kihwa Rho at Kim’s show “Gyeol.” Photo courtesy of Abby Foss.
Kim utilized a sewing technique, Kkaekki, which is a traditional style of seaming created for the Korean Hanbok, where fabric pieces are cut and pieced together in a way that resulted in beautifully thin and flat seams running throughout all of the garments. “As I walked around the space, the avant garde cuts, colors, and lines created by the Kkaekki technique gave a sense of movement, and the colors themselves shifted slightly as the light caught the different layers within the garments,” Abby said. “My favorite piece was a yellow and purple garment that Hyelim Kim explained had been inspired by the sunset.”
Learning More about the Korean cultural center of chicago’s visual arts program
Inspired by Abby’s visit to the Korean Cultural Center of Chicago’s museum and gallery, I wanted to learn more about how they curate their constantly changing exhibitions. I spoke with Gay-Young Cho, the Director of the Museum and Visual Arts Program at the KCCoC to learn more about the thought process behind their exhibitions and what is so unique about their program.
What is your professional background? How did you come to work for the Korean Cultural Center of Chicago?
My professional background is social psychology, specializing in organizational behavior. However, I have been involved with the art world for over 30 years as an art collector and as a volunteer in various capacities in numerous art institutions. I am a founding member of the Asian Art Council at the Guggenheim Museum in NYC, and was Vice President and Chair of Programming of the Asian Art Council Board at the Art Institute of Chicago. I serve on the Collections Committee of the Field Museum of Chicago. I assumed the role of the Director of Museum at the KCCoC as a volunteer.
Image courtesy of Gay-Young Cho
What kinds of artists do you work with or what kind of art do you look for when you are making your curatorial decisions?
One of the goals of our exhibition program is to promote Korean American artists, thereby we give preference to the Korean American artists working in the Midwest. The foremost criterion we are looking for in our exhibitions is excellence. But another criteria is the subject matter or the use of the material that relates to Korean culture, both traditional or contemporary.
Do you have a favorite exhibition that you worked on recently? If so, can you tell me what was special about it?
The exhibition, “FOUNDATION; Chosuk,” which was held on March 5, 2022. It was a group show of eight emerging Korean American artists who are recent graduates of the School of Art Institute of Chicago (SAIC), curated by Dabin Ahn. “Chosuk” is the foundation stone that was widely used in Korean traditional architecture providing structural support for buildings ranging from small Hanok houses to the main royal palace of the Joseon dynasty. Bringing together a group of emerging artists, FOUNDATION showcased how each artist structures their practice by employing Culture, Longing, Color, Identity, Process, Memory and Site-specificity as its foundation. There was some fabulous cutting edge art represented in the exhibition!
Guests view the artwork at the “FOUNDATION; Chosuk” exhibition. Photo courtesy of the Korean Cultural Center of Chicago
What do you want people to know about the Korean Cultural Center of Chicago, its museum, and its visual arts program?
Our museum and its visual arts program is “the little engine that could!” As a small museum, we have limited resources; we work with a very small budget and limited staff. The available budget does not match our ambition. Despite this, with our excellent exhibitions we are beginning to make our presence known both in the Korean community and the Chicago metropolitan area.
We also have an interesting collection of Korean cultural artifacts and arts in our museum, including a mock Korean traditional wedding set.
Anyone can rent the Korean wedding set and traditional Korean dresses for their own wedding.
Can you tell me about the Harry Ahn show happening now? What is special about this show? Why would you recommend people come to see it?
When I made a visit to Harry Ahn’s studio, I was quite stunned and moved by his paintings of homeless people. Not only is Harry an amazing and accomplished portrait artist, but in his rendering of the homeless, we are called to recognize the worth and dignity of every human being, knowing that each has untold stories behind their homelessness. When asked why he focused his art on homeless people, Harry explains:
“A homeless wanderer on the street is an endless subject. I want to make people think about the many different ways ordinary people end up on the street. An artist can transform this outcast into a human being worthy of dignity and respect. I was that same homeless wanderer during the desolation right after the Korean War.“
A guest contemplates a painting by Harry Ahn. Photo courtesy of the Korean Cultural Center of Chicago
Ahn’s affinity for people who are struggling came from his own experiences as a refugee in Korea. He was born in North Korea, and was a young teen when the Korean War forced his family to flee to South Korea, leaving them destitute and homeless. In his art, the viewer can see that his remembrance of his refugee childhood has infused his art with both compassion and spirituality, and Harry seeks out the basic human value of each individual.
The exhibition, “I am not worthless, just homeless,” opened on June 3rd and will be showing through June 30th. The viewers will be moved to see what Harry saw in these homeless people.
Finally, what do you have coming up soon?
We are taking a summer break to focus on upgrading our collections and inventory system; we recently installed new collections management software, and are in the process of revamping our system to make our collections and exhibitions widely accessible online.
We are planning an exhibition, “Earthly Eloquence: Korean Contemporary ceramics.” This exhibition will be timed to coincide with the opening celebration of the Bisch Hall Performing Arts Theater, to be completed next year.
Another future exhibition we are exploring is art made with “hanji”, Korean paper.
Harry Ahn’s “I am not worthless, just homeless,” will be showing through June 30th at the Korean Cultural Center of Chicago Gallery, 9930 Capitol Dr, Wheeling, IL, 60090.
Special thanks to Gay-Young Cho, Kay Kihwa Rho, and Abby Foss for their help with this article. Image used in header is courtesy of the Korean Cultural Center of Chicago.
Marie Rowley, Marketing and Communications Manager
by Marie Rowley | Jun 17, 2022 | Member Opportunities, Member Wire
The Cultural Grants team seeks Chicago-area individuals to serve as grant application reviewers. Candidates must have arts and culture experience and be available for approximately 40 hours over several weeks. There is compensation for service. The application takes about 10 minutes to complete. You can help decide what arts and culture projects receive grants from DCASE!
To apply, please go to: https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/655BL7Z
by Marie Rowley | Jun 9, 2022 | Member Opportunities, Member Wire
Brookfield Zoo tickets are here!
Here’s what you need to know:
We have a limited number of tickets, so to ensure that all Core Members have the ability to access this Member Benefit, we are giving out the Zoo tickets in two rounds this time. From now until August 5, 2022 all Core Members are allowed to request up to 200 tickets. If there are any tickets left, the second round of tickets will be open to all members (including Partner Members) on a first come, first serve basis. This will be announced on August 5, 2022 during the August Town Hall.
EDIT JULY 1: Thanks to many Members responding very quickly to our initial post, we are able to release ALL remaining Brookfield Zoo tickets ahead of schedule. Any Member (Core or Partner) may request any amount of zoo tickets, and they will be distributed on a first come, first served basis until they are gone.
Please contact Abby Foss at [email protected] to request your tickets.
The goal of the Brookfield Pass Program is to provide free access for Core Member communities to Brookfield Zoo. Please make sure to keep the follow Guidelines and Information in mind when requesting and distributing your tickets:
Information about the tickets
- Each ticket provides free admission to Brookfield Zoo for one adult or one child
- Tickets do not include free parking or admission to special exhibits
- Tickets expire on March 31, 2023
Requirements
- Zoo tickets are a Member Benefit, so a Member must be current on dues for 2022 to receive tickets. (If you cannot pay dues now or must pay in installments, that can be arranged.)
- Any promotion of the program should include recognition of Chicago Cultural Alliance and Brookfield Zoo.
- Core Members are the responsible party for distributing the zoo tickets to their community by allowing 4 tickets per family.
- Zoo tickets are not allowed to be distributed in bulk to organizations unaffiliated with the Chicago Cultural Alliance.
- We expect Core Members to distribute tickets in such a way that they are not available for someone to sell illegally.
by Marie Rowley | Jun 3, 2022 | Member Opportunities, Member Wire
It’s time to start thinking about Journey Chicago, our annual festival of intercultural events hosted by you, our Members! Journey Chicago will take place throughout October 2022. Journey Chicago strengthens our mission by promoting our Members to a large audience, fostering cross-cultural dialogue, and supporting our Members with micro-grants for their events.
Check out our Guidelines and Information for full instructions on the event and how to participate.
Here are the main dates to watch out for to apply for Journey Chicago this year:
Initial Program Proposal Due: July 15, 2022
Final Program Proposal Information Form & Budget Due: August 15, 2022
Email our Programs Coordinator, Abby Foss at [email protected] with questions or come to today’s Town Hall to learn more.
by Marie Rowley | Jun 2, 2022 | Member Opportunities, Member Wire
Registration is now LIVE for Chicago’s Alliance for Response Kick-off Forum sponsored by FAIC! This event is open and FREE to any cultural heritage professional. Registration will close on June 15. See details below:
REGISTER HERE
On June 29, 2022, the Foundation for Advancement in Conservation (FAIC), Chicago History Museum, and a local planning committee will convene an Alliance for Response (AFR) Kick-off Forum at the Chicago History Museum in Chicago, Illinois.
The goal of AFR is to help communities more effectively protect cultural and historic resources in the event of floods, hurricanes, fires, and other disasters by bringing cultural heritage and emergency management professionals together to network and learn from each other. Participants will include professionals from museums, libraries, archives, and historic sites, as well as neighborhood first responders, key state and local emergency managers, and civic leaders.
Objectives:
- initiate an ongoing dialogue between cultural heritage professionals, emergency managers, and first responders;
- raise awareness of the need to protect cultural and historic resources within communities;
- encourage disaster planning and training at archives, historic sites, libraries, and museums;
- develop strong networks among these institutions to improve local response to emergencies.
Presentation Topics:
- When the Going Gets Tough: Federal Response for Cultural Heritage (Lori Foley)
- How the Chicago History Museum Prepares for and Responds to Collections Emergencies (Julie Katz, Carol Turchan)
- Collaborating for Water Triage Response at the Ho-Chunk Nation Museum (Josephine Lee, Erin Murphy)
- Response and Recovery to a 2018 Mold Outbreak in Special Collections Storage at the Northwestern University Libraries (Tonia Grafakos)
- Cross-Sector Collaboration: Best Practices for Cultural Institutions (Tom Henkey)
The Forum will convene a broad and diverse array of colleagues at both cultural organizations and regional emergency management organizations.
by Marie Rowley | May 31, 2022 | Member Opportunities, Member Wire
Byoung Sug Kim (2022 Outstanding Community Leader Award Recipient and Founder/Executive Director of the Korean Performing Arts Institute of Chicago) has generously offered 30 free tickets to the Chicago Cultural Alliance for the ADG7 Concert on Thursday, June 9 at 7:30pm.
Tickets will be distributed on a first-come, first-serve basis by emailing Marie at [email protected]. Email Marie with “Concert Tickets” in the subject line and tell her:
1. How many tickets you want.
2. Names of each person who will get a ticket.
3. Email address for each person who will get a ticket.
You will pick up the tickets at the theatre registration table at the concert by telling them your names.
More about the concert:
ADG7 Concert – Korean Folk-Pop Band
https://youtu.be/qMjCWmlLYn8
Date & Time: Thursday, June 9 at 7:30 PM
Place:
Christian Heritage Academy
315 Waukegan Ave. Northfield, IL
ADG7 is a Korean folk-pop band that puts a modern twist on traditional music.
Right now, Korea is going through a sort of folk music revival, and there has been a boom in traditional and pop music crossovers. In this new wave of fusion music, ADG7 stands out as an internationally recognized group that is masterful yet fun and accessible in its performance of traditional music.
They’ve won several awards including the Sori Frontier Award at the 2017 Jeonju International Sori Festival and the award for Best Group at the 2018 KBS Korean Traditional Music Awards, and they’ve performed at famous festivals, including WOMEX (World Music Expo) 2019 and globalFEST 2020, through which they also featured on NPR’s Tiny Desk Concert. ADG7 has even received favorable reviews from NPR Music, Songlines Magazine, and the New York Times.
by Marie Rowley | May 26, 2022 | Member Opportunities, Member Wire
The Mitchell Museum has asked us to share this petition with all our Members! Please take a moment to read about this incident that happened when a young person was not permitted to walk in his high school graduation ceremony at Evanston Township High School because he was wearing sacred Indigenous beads and an eagle feather with his graduation cap and gown.
You can find the petition started by his family here.
by Marie Rowley | May 17, 2022 | Chicago Culture
Why is Haitian Heritage Month celebrated in May?
Haitian Heritage Month is a celebration of Haitian history, heritage, and culture for those from the Haitian diaspora. It began in the 1990s among the Haitian community in Boston, but soon spread across the country and into Canada. Celebrations revolve around Haitian Flag Day, May 18. With so much to celebrate, Haitian communities soon embraced a whole month for the festivities, with Haitian Flag Day as the centerpiece.
I recently spoke with Carlos Bossard, Executive Director of the Haitian American Museum of Chicago (HAMOC) about the meaning of these holidays to the Haitian community. “What’s really kind of special about the Haitian Flag is how it was created,” he explains. “During the Haitian Revolution, Haitians literally tore out the white part of France’s flag and put it together, so that’s why it’s blue and red.” The flag has held great symbolic meaning for the country ever since then.
A celebration in Montreal in 2011. Photo by abdallahh on flickr, CC-BY-2.0.
Haitian Flag Day is a major holiday within Haiti, and is celebrated by diasporic Haitian communities throughout the United States (U.S.) and worldwide. I asked Carlos what activities are common for these celebrations. “There are usually different flag-raising ceremonies, depending on the location,” he explains. “But often what you’ll see is just a big gathering, in a communal space. It’s a chance to come together, to be in community with each other, celebrating Haitian culture throughout the city and everywhere it shows up across the world.”
What is the history of the Haitian community in Chicago?
During Haitian Heritage Month, it’s a great opportunity to remember that Chicago’s first non-Indigenous resident and Founder was a Haitian man, Jean Baptiste Point DuSable. From his time in the 18th century to now, Haitians have made an impact on the city.
(Image on left: A commemorative stamp issued by the US Postal Service honored Jean Baptiste Point Du Sable in 1987, Chicago’s 150th birthday.)
According to historian William Leslie Balan-Gaubert, while their numbers were relatively small early in the 20th century, Haitian immigration to the city increased after the 1960s. HAMOC recently installed a touchscreen platform at the museum highlighting its oral history collection, donated by Haitian historian and scholar Dr. Courtney Joseph. These stories tell in detail the immigration patterns and experiences of Haitians coming to Chicago. The platform is highly recommended for all to engage with at the museum.
The Haitian Consulate General in Chicago reports that there are 30,000-40,000 self-identified Haitians and Haitian-Americans in the city today. “In the Midwest there’s not a huge population of Haitians,” Carlos explains. The museum has become an epicenter for the Haitian community in Chicago, and its role is to connect Haitians of all ages and from different regional areas of Haiti. In Chicago there are pockets of Haitians, primarily in the North Side and South East Side of Chicago, and in Evanston.
How can you celebrate Haitian Heritage Month in Chicago?
I definitely recommend a visit to the Haitian American Museum of Chicago, located in Uptown. You can interact with the oral history platform pioneered by Dr. Courtney Joseph to hear firsthand stories from Chicago’s Haitian community. You can also view art and artifacts to learn more!
On view now:
It’s Different Here: An exhibition featuring works from the Jacmel Arts Center
This exhibition features works by artists from the Jacmel region of Haiti. It showcases the unique beauty and cultural expression of their home on the Southern coast. It also showcases how the artists interpret the changes of their region in response to current events.
Image courtesy of the Haitian American Museum of Chicago
You can also visit HAMOC’s website to view their virtual exhibitions, including a new exhibition, “Faces and Places: Beyond the Headlines – Haiti” by author and photographer Ildi Tilmann.
View all of HAMOC’s events at their website here.
A delicious way to learn about haitian heritage!
Carlos also recommends getting to know Haitian culture through its food and its music!
If you stop by the museum, you can pick up their coloring book about Soup Joumou. This hearty squash or pumpkin-based soup is traditionally served to commemorate Independence Day on January 1. It is so important to Haitian heritage that it was recently added to UNESCO’s “Intangible Cultural Heritage List.” If you want to try some Haitian food before January though, check out Kizin Creole for authentic favorites like marinad (spiced fritters) and griyo (fried pork).
Finally, connect with Haiti through its music. Carlos recommends the work of Nathalie Joachim, a Grammy-nominated flutist, vocalist, and composer, whose work spans many genres, but who always draws inspiration from her home country of Haiti. You can view an excerpt from her piece “Fanm d’Ayiti” (Women of Haiti) here:
Thanks to Carlos Bossard and the Haitian American Museum of Chicago (HAMOC) for their help with this article.
Marie Rowley, Marketing and Communications Manager
by Marie Rowley | May 9, 2022 | Member Opportunities, Member Wire
Hello dear Members!
We are looking for Members to participate in our annual MOSAIC gala on Monday, August 8, at the Chicago History Museum, through Activation Tables. At these interactive stations, a representative from your organization will be stationed during the reception to demonstrate an activity or share objects/photos/items that represent your culture and your connection to the Chicago Cultural Alliance. For example, in the past we have had someone playing a traditional instrument, someone doing traditional calligraphy, someone doing henna painting, or someone sharing objects from their archives.
A small stipend is available for participating.
To apply, please complete the information listed below on a Word Doc (.docx) or PDF and email it to [email protected] with “Activation Table” in the subject line no later than 5pm CT on Monday, May 16.
You can also download this application here.
APPLICATION INFO
Activation Tables are a way to showcase the programming of your organizations and your partnership with the Chicago Cultural Alliance to our vast network of donors.
These tables should be inspired by either a project, program, or service that Chicago Cultural Alliance has run and has served your organization, or an event or program you organized in collaboration with the Alliance. For example, you could share photos or artifacts from your archives, which connect to the Conservation and Collections Program. You could have someone doing a craft demonstration or musical performance that they have previously done during Inherit Chicago or Journey Chicago.
At the tables, representatives from your organization will be stationed to talk about your programs, your organization, and your connection to the Alliance.
Please fill in the details below for your proposed activation table and additional notes you can share with guests of the MOSAIC Gala. Feel free to share any other details about your programming and organization!
COMPLETE THIS INFORMATION:
Your Organization:
Primary Contact(s) Name, Email:
Representatives at Table:
Program Activity:
How it is connected to the Chicago Cultural Alliance:
by Marie Rowley | May 3, 2022 | Member Opportunities, Member Wire
| In partnership with We Will Chicago, the Alliance staff will be hosting two virtual discussion sessions in May to hear your opinions on the city’s arts and culture infrastructure, support, and access to resources. The first discussion will take place on Friday, May 6 at 4:00pm, directly after our Virtual Town Hall, and the second will take place on Friday, May 20 at 3:00pm. You are invited to participate in either session, or both. A representative from the Driehaus Foundation will also attend these sessions to hear your concerns. Core Members can receive $100 for their organization for participating in at least one of these sessions. We will randomly choose ten attendees from either session and notify the winners on May 23. The $100 stipends will be mailed as a check from the CCA. Your valuable insights as cultural professionals can help shape the city’s priorities. We hope you will join us and share your thoughts with us and with We Will Chicago! |
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Friday, May 6
4:00pm-5:00pm (directly after the Virtual Town Hall)
Focus of this discussion: - How can we foster a resilient creative sector that embraces and supports a diverse and varied creative workforce, recognizing that past support has not always been equitable?
- How can we reimagine the traditional means of support for arts and culture to realize a healthy and sustainable level of investment that is equitably allocated and driven by community?
- How can we ensure that all Chicago communities can participate in, have access to, and benefit from the ability of arts and culture to build social capital, bridge divides, and provide healing?
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Friday, May 20
3:00pm-4:00pm
Focus of this discussion:- How do we provide support for, and access to, culturally responsive arts education for young people, workforce development for creatives, and creative engagement for learners of all ages?
- How do we build awareness, promote, and remove barriers to access for Chicago’s arts and culture assets within and across communities, citywide, and beyond our borders?
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by Marie Rowley | May 2, 2022 | Member Opportunities, Member Wire
Professor Amy Tyson of DePaul University has shared with us the call for contributors for a new anthology called Chicago Mosaic: Immigration Stories of Objects Left, Lost, or Kept.
The anthology will be edited by Chris Solis Green and Dr. Tyson and will be published in 2023 by the DePaul English department press, Big Shoulders Books, whose mission is to amplify the voices of ordinary Chicagoans through publishing books about their stories; the books are provided free of charge. We hope Chicago Mosaic will help validate Chicago immigrants and their stories.
They are looking for stories about an object left behind, or lost, or one that remains…and is a meaningful part of one’s Chicago immigration story. This object could be as mundane as a naturalization form or as sublime as a wedding gown. To participate you can write your story (25-1000 words), interview someone (and record), or contact the editors to have them interview you.
Interest form & description is here: https://bit.ly/ChicagoMosaic.
by Marie Rowley | Apr 27, 2022 | Member Opportunities, Member Wire
Our friends at Broadway Chicago have reached out again with an exclusive offer for Members of the Chicago Cultural Alliance: $45 tickets for Fiddler on the Roof at the Cadillac Palace Theater, in town for one week only, May 17-22. Buy tickets here and use code ROOF45 at checkout.
*Offer valid on May 17, 18(mat/eve), & 19 performances. Offer ends Thursday, May 19 at 7:30PM. Valid on middle balcony seating locations only. Subject to availability. Not valid with any other offers or previously purchased tickets. No exchanges or refunds. Normal ticketing fees apply. Other restrictions may apply.
SHOW DETAILS:
Tony®-winning director Bartlett Sher and the team behind South Pacific, The King and I and 2017 Tony-winning Best Play Oslo, bring a fresh and authentic vision to this beloved theatrical masterpiece from Tony winner Joseph Stein and Pulitzer Prize winners Jerry Bock and Sheldon Harnick.
The original production won ten Tony Awards, including a special Tony for becoming the longest-running Broadway musical of all time. You’ll be there when the sun rises on this new production, with stunning movement and dance from acclaimed Israeli choreographer Hofesh Shechter, based on the original staging by Jerome Robbins. A wonderful cast and a lavish orchestra tell this heartwarming story of fathers and daughters, husbands and wives, and the timeless traditions that define faith and family.
Featuring the Broadway classics “Tradition,” “If I Were a Rich Man,” “Sunrise, Sunset,” “Matchmaker, Matchmaker” and “To Life,” FIDDLER ON THE ROOF will introduce a new generation to this uplifting celebration that raises its cup to joy! To love! To life!
ONE WEEK ONLY!
May 17 – 22
by Marie Rowley | Apr 26, 2022 | Member Opportunities, Member Wire
The Illinois State Historical Records Advisory Board (ISHRAB) is hosting Practical Digital Preservation on a Shoestring: Triage for the Underfunded for 25 Illinois archivists and archival volunteers. This four hour online course, taught over two 2-hour sessions, will be held on May 16 and 18, 2022 from 1-3:00 pm. The course is presented by LYRASIS.
This course will help participants develop a pragmatic approach to digital preservation, including how to implement a practical workflow for triaging digital materials in your care. The focus will be on low-cost and free tools and services and the instructor will demonstrate these tools in action through a full life-cycle workflow.
ISHRAB and its representatives will award scholarships on a first-come, first-served basis until all 25 seats have been filled. The completed application form may be submitted by U.S. mail, FAX, or email. All decisions made by the ISHRAB and its representatives will be final.
Applications are available at https://urldefense.com/v3/__https://www.ilsos.gov/publications/pdf_publications/ard175.pdf__;!!Dq0X2DkFhyF93HkjWTBQKhk!CY9UChiHPIcBH6jk_AsUCQVRcyfndtAimEo2zUB05PDZrp4NWuFR57BFQcjny511SzTVwmRpIuINYY0vqbGw5laE$ .
Funds for this opportunity are provided by a State Board Programming Grant from the National Historical Publications and Records Commission.
If you have any questions or to submit an application, please contact:
David Joens, Director
Illinois State Archives
Margaret Cross Norton Bldg.
Capitol Complex
Springfield, IL 62756
217-782-3492
217-524-3930 (fax)
[email protected]<mailto:[email protected]
by Marie Rowley | Apr 20, 2022 | Member Opportunities, Member Wire
Just a few spots left for our April Archives Crawl! Join us at the Swedish American Museum on Thursday, April 28 at 1pm to learn about their archives and share your own challenges, opportunities, and triumphs with your fellow curators and archivists!
This event will take place at the Swedish American Museum, 5211 N. Clark St. Chicago, IL 60640. There is a parking lot available at the corner of Foster and Ashland, a block from the museum.
Because space in the archive is very limited, this event will be capped at 10 participants.
Participants are required to bring and wear a mask to this event.
REGISTER HERE
by Marie Rowley | Apr 19, 2022 | Member Opportunities, Member Wire
Chicago Opera Theater has shared a special deal for our Members, check it out:
We’re preparing for our world premiere of Quamino’s Map and would love to invite members of the Chicago Cultural Alliance to join us with a special offer.
Tickets start at $20
Here is a 20% off code for ticket levels A-E: MAP20
Buy tickets here
The show will be at the Studebaker Theater from April 23-May 1.
Why this production is special:
The entire creative team of Quamino’s Map is made up of women who are trailblazers in their field. Composer Errollyn Wallen is the first Black female composer to have a piece performed at the BBC Proms – and the first to be commissioned by the Royal Opera House Covent Garden. Librettist Deborah Brevoort is co-founder of Theater Without Borders. The conductor, Jeri Lynne Johnson, breaks barriers by being the first African-American female conductor in many opera houses worldwide. Finally, director Kimille Howard is co-founder of the Black Classical Music Archive and artistic director of the Lucille Lortel Theatre’s NYC Public High School Playwriting Fellowship.
The Story:
The year is 1780, the place is London, England. The British lost the War of Independence in the American colonies. Juba Freeman fled a Carolina plantation where he was enslaved to fight alongside the British against his American oppressors. Later Juba arrives in London and tries to build a new life for himself. He meets Amelia Alumond, an idealistic, young, upper-class Black woman involved in a charity to help the ex-slaves who have arrived on England’s shores. Based on historical events, the opera takes us into the worlds of these two little-known Black communities in England during the late 18th century. Quamino’s Map is an opera about the enduring pull of freedom and the ends to which people will go to achieve it.
