Blog

By Abby Csanda, Associate Director of Individual Giving

When planning the Art for All Gala, we try to put together a diverse showcase that highlights much of our programming while also offering really exciting entertainment for our guests. This year, we have an amazing lineup for the March 21 event:

Mexican folklore dance by 5th, 6th, 7th and 8th graders from Greeley Elementary School led by Urban Gateways teaching artist Salvador Cisneros.

Check out a blog post from two weeks ago featuring photos from this residency! We chose Mexican folkloric dance because of the awesome spectacle of traditional colorful costumes and group choreography. Bonus: these 5th-8th graders are adorable and so into their art form!

Jazz music by Second Hand Three featuring Urban Gateways teaching artist Michael Riendeau.

Who doesn’t love a little jazz while sipping on some cocktails and supporting your favorite arts education organization? Second Hand Three is starting to be known around here as the Urban Gateways “house band”! We just love these guys. They’ll set an easy mood for attendees to listen, mingle and enjoy.

Wonderland, a documentary film by Christopher McGill from the Summer Art Options Film Program at the School of the Art Institute.

Christopher McGill was a student in our Art Options Film Program at the School of the Art Institute and his film Wonderland is simply beautiful. Christopher says of his film, it is a “visual representation of my manifesto, which was about peace and friendship.” Here’s to peace and friendship at the Art for All Gala!

Spoken word by Writers Never Die featuring Deandre Scott, Mariah Starks, Ruthie Eldridge and Antwon Funches from Simeon Career Academy.

Get ready to be blown away by this crew from Simeon Career Academy. Deandre Scott and Mariah Starks were students in our Art Options program and were able to further explore and develop their poetry and writing through the visual medium of film, and their group Writers Never Die competed in last year’s Louder Than a Bomb poetry slam competition. Check out their performance here for a taste of their work.

Contemporary dance by Urban Gateways touring group Chicago Dance Crash.

Some of you will remember Chicago Dance Crash from our Launch Party back in September performing contemporary dance “art interruptions” (photos here). We are excited to bring them back as part of the Art for All Gala! They’ll end our evening with a mind-blowing performance featuring a mash-up of the classic and the contemporary, using techniques ranging from ballet to breakdance. Check back next week for a special Q+A blog post with Chicago Dance Crash’s Artistic Director!

The Gala is just around the corner! Only 31 days away (March 21)! Want to join the fun and experience this incredible entertainment line-up? Tickets are available here.