Tuesday, May 3, 2022 5:30 - 10:00 PM EPIPHANY CENTER FOR THE ARTS 201 S ASHLAND, CHICAGO, IL
LETTER FROM THE CHIARTS FOUNDATION PRESIDENT Welcome to Kerfuffle! On behalf of this year’s event co-chairs and the Foundation Board of Directors, I thank you for joining us as we celebrate access to arts education in Chicago. Over the last two years scholar-artists at The Chicago High School for the Arts have persevered and proven time and again that creativity has no boundaries. They adapted to new ways of learning, practicing, performing, and connecting. They showed that no matter the circumstances, art breaks through. With support from Chicago’s philanthropic community, ChiArts remains a catalyst for change and a creative home for hundreds of diverse emerging artists–-the majority of whom had limited or no prior access to formal arts training. It is a place where aspiring dancers, writers, actors, musicians, and visual artists uncover their potential as creative opportunities ignite passion, inspire self-discovery, and illuminate possibilities. We are so happy to be together again. This evening you will experience presentations by talented Scholar-Artists from ChiArts’ Creative Writing, Dance, Theatre, Music, and Visual Arts conservatories. Tonight we also honor ChiArts Foundation Board Chair Ronald B. Grais for his leadership and dedication to compassionate arts education. Thank you again for coming out and supporting access to arts education and professional development opportunities for current, future, and former students of The Chicago High School for the Arts. Enjoy! Sincerely,
José Ochoa ChiArts Foundation President Founding Executive and Artistic Director of ChiArts
Kerfuffle! is ChiArts Foundation’s annual fundraising event featuring performances and presentations by our scholar-artists from the Creative Writing, Dance, Music, Theatre and Visual Arts conservatories at ChiArts. 2022 CO-CHAIRS Gary Metzner & Neal Zucker
HONOREE Ronald B. Grais ChiArts Foundation Chair
PROGRAM OF EVENTS 5:30
Cocktails & Arts Presentations in The Chase House
6:45
Music & Dance Performances in Epiphany Hall, Co-Chair Welcome
7:30
Dinner Reception in Epiphany Hall & Performances by ChiArts scholar-artists Remarks José Ochoa, Foundation President Music Performance honoring ChiArts Foundation Chair, Ronald B. Grais
8:30
Post-dinner Celebration & Dessert
9:30
Bars Close Thank you for joining us!
MENU First Course Shaved Kale and Brussels Sprout Salad in a Cucumber Round With Shallot, Parmesan Cheese, Dried Cranberries Cracked Pepper, Frizzled Beets and a Light Dijon Vinaigrette
Entrée Choices Chicken Saltimbocca Medallions With Prosciutto, Sage, Fontina Cheese, Over Roasted Red Pepper Puree Yukon Gold Potato Coins, Baby Carrots, Haricots Vert Madeira Sauce, Micro Greens
Roasted Tomato, Pepper and Eggplant Tower Layered with House made Hummus, Red Skin Potato Coins, Blistered Cherry Tomatoes, Balsamic Drizzle, Micro Greens
Passed Wines Whitehaven Sauvignon Blanc William Hill Cabernet Sauvignon William Hill Pinot Noir Please enjoy passed desserts, cocktails, and coffee and tea stations after dinner in the Cafe & Guild Room outside of Epiphany Hall.
THANK YOU TO OUR 2022 SPONSORS PRESENTER ($50,000)
Jim & Kay Mabie Family DIRECTOR ($10,000)
Lori Efroymson Aguilera & Sergio Aguilera The Collens Family John Hart & Carol Prins Betsy & Arthur Holden
Gary Metzner & Scott Johnson Amisha Rigia & Adam Caplan Neal Zucker & Marko Iglendza
PATRON ($2,500) The Berkowitz Families The Robert Thomas Bobins Foundation Heiji Choy & Brian Black CIBC Bank USA Robert Cook Lois & Steve Eisen
Susan Feibus & Tom Geoghegan Marilyn & Larry Fields Steve & Cassie Gavin Howard Gottlieb & Barbara Greis Kym & Darrell Hubbard James Thomas Interiors
ARTISTIC VISIONARY ($25,000)
Best Portion Elissa Hamid Efroymson & Adnaan Hamid Jim & Karen Frank
STAR ($5,000) Bluhm Family Charitable Foundation Clayco & CRG Deloitte Gail Elden Lori Gray Faversham Peter Fidler & Kate Grossman Christine & Greg Gallagher Bill & Anne Goldstein Marilynn & Ronald Grais Jack & Sandra Guthman Mirja Haffner
Lori & Steve Kaufman Robert Kohl & Clark Pellett Liz & Eric Lefkofsky Michael Perlow Cynthia Plouché & Joe Rafson Bruce Sagan & Bette Hill
Anne Kaplan Robin & Eric Maddix Pam & John McCambridge Sylvia Neil & Dan Fischel Jonathan & Robin Plotkin Pritzker Pucker Family Foundation Abby Pucker Sugar, Felsenthal, Grais & Helsinger -LLP Thresholds
Daniel Sethness Lisa Simmons & John Street Judy Wise Shelly Zucker
CHIARTS FOUNDATION MISSION ChiArts Foundation was established in January 2021 to support arts education opportunities for, and inspire and nurture current, future, and former students of The Chicago High School for the Arts. The Foundation’s key objectives are to provide annual support for ChiArts’ arts conservatories, support outreach through partnerships, develop marketing and public relations activities, and increase engagement and build community through alumni support.
ABOUT CHIARTS The Chicago High School for the Arts (ChiArts) is Chicago’s first public high school for the arts. With disciplines in creative writing, dance, music, theatre, and visual arts, ChiArts provides its scholar-artists with a tuition-free, preprofessional arts training program paired with a college preparatory academic curriculum. ChiArts opened its doors in 2009 and has graduated eight classes of scholarartists at a rate between 92-100% each year. ChiArts is the only pre-professional public arts high school in the nation that actively recruits novice-level students.
EVERY STUDENT - G R A D U AT E S W I T H -
2,500 HOURS OF ARTS TRAINING
2021-2022 HIGHLIGHTS Concealment by Rachel DeVeyra, Visual Arts ‘22
This year, scholar-artists from all five conservatories have made the most of their arts classes, performing opportunities, and community partnerships!
VISUAL ARTS
THEATRE & VOCAL MUSIC
Senior Visual Artist Rachel DeVeyra’s piece Concealment is one of the 8 pieces of Chicago Public School artworks chosen to be projected on the Merchandise Mart for the Art on the Mart program.
ChiArts theatre and vocal scholar-artists were chosen by Netflix to collaborate in a music video honoring Lin-Manuel Miranda’s film “Tick, Tick…Boom!,” public arts education, and the legacy of Jonathan Larson.
DANCE
7 ChiArts musicians were nominated to the highly prestigious ILMEA Illinois Music Education Conference, also known as All-State, featuring the most talented young musicians from across Illinois.
38 ChiArts dancers that have been accepted into various Summer Intensive Programs for 2022.
MUSIC
CREATIVE WRITING
DANCE
Instrumental and vocal scholar-artists participated in a week of masterclasses and performances with world-renowned and Grammy nominated blues artist, Billy Branch.
Creative Writing scholar-artists received 5 Gold Keys, 14 Silver Keys, and 12 Honorable Mentions, for a total of 31 Scholastic Art and Writing Awards.
ChiArts Dance premiered a new immersive production, Journey of the Brown Tights. Celebrated by community members and media including the Chicago Crusader, Journey of the Brown Tights honored 6 Black legends that have shaped our current climate of dance artistry.
SCHOLAR-ARTIST SPOTLIGHT Music Conservatory piano scholar-artist Amarin Wexler traveled to New York City to perform at Carnegie Hall. Amarin performed Pagodes by Debussy as the First Prize Winner of the American Protégé International Music Competition.
PERFORMANCES & PRESENTATIONS CREATIVE WRITING
MUSIC
Visit a typewriter station for ‘Poems While You Wait’ and receive an original work created by our brilliant creative writing scholar-artists.
The evening will feature music groups such as band and vocal ensembles, a gospel choir, and we will end the night with a latin drum party.
THEATRE
MEET SCHOLAR-ARTISTS
Theatre scholar-artists will perform two show-stopping numbers from the 2022 senior production A CHORUS LINE, and ChiArts’ 2021 Netflix collaboration “Louder Than Words.”
Scholar-artists with lanyards will be sharing their ChiArts stories! We encourage you to engage and learn about our tuition-free, pre-professional arts conservatories.
DANCE
VISUAL ARTS
Dancers will present a selection from Journey of the Brown Tights and rhythm dances alongside the latin percussion ensemble.
Visual Artists will have select pieces on display and will be creating a large-scale work throughout the night.
TEXT-TO DONATE “CHIARTS” TO 44-321 KERFUFFLE! IS A VITAL COMPONENT TO CHIARTS FOUNDATION’S ANNUAL FUNDRAISING EFFORTS. SUPPORT ACCESS TO ARTS EDUCATION FOR CHICAGO’S EMERGING SCHOLAR-ARTI STS FROM ALL 50 WARDS.
Best Portion Foundation proudly supports the innovative and compassionate ChiArts community.
We proudly support Chicago’s most promising young artists.Thank you to the scholar-artists, faculty, families, and the ChiArts Foundation who have made ChiArts an exceptional leader in arts education.
Elissa Hamid Efroymson & Adnaan Hamid
Congratulations scholar-artists and thank you to ChiArts’ and the ChiArts Foundation’s staff for bringing public and tuition-free arts education to the forefront.
Jim & Karen Frank
We give a standing ovation to ChiArts, the ChiArts Foundation, Kerfuffle! supporters, and honorable Board Chair Ron Grais. Thank you for building a strong, equitable, and vibrant arts community.
Gary Metzner & Scott Johnson Neal Zucker & Marko Iglendza
We applaud ChiArts, the ChiArts Foundation, and the next generation of scholar-artists. Thank you for your passion and commitment. -The Collens Family
We are proud to support ChiArts and ChiArts Foundation’s commitment to compassionate arts education and exceptional college planning.
John Hart and Carol Prins
We are proud to support tuition-free arts education. Thank you to ChiArts and the ChiArts Foundation for your dedication to Chicago’s young artists. -Betsy & Arthur Holden
Investing in what matters Since our founding in 1937, Mesirow has invested in what matters, including organizations that improve the lives of those around us. Thank you, ChiArts Foundation, for supporting arts education opportunities for, and inspire and nurture current, future, and former students of The Chicago High School for the Arts. mesirow.com
The Mesirow name and logo are registered service marks of Mesirow Financial Holdings, Inc. © 2022, Mesirow Financial Holdings, Inc. All rights reserved.
We are grateful to ChiArts, ChiArts Foundation, and all the scholar-artists who are making an incredible impact in our communities. - Amisha Rigia & Adam Caplan
60%
OF SCHOLAR-ARTISTS C O M E T O C H I A R T S A S N OV I C E S - WITH LITTLE TO NO TRAINING-
CHIARTS FOUNDATION BOARD OF DIRECTORS Ronald B. Grais, Chair Shruti Jayaraman, Vice Chair Erin Clifford, Secretary Christina Huizar, Treasurer Anthony Barash Dana Berkowitz Steven Collens Elissa Hamid Efroymson Arnett Faulkner Lori Gray Faversham Christine Gallagher* Sandra Guthman Mirja Haffner John Hart Betsy Holden Tom Hurvis Pamela Johnson Avril Klaff Marshall Lindsey Samera Ludwig David Mabie Michael McIntosh Gary Metzner Sylvia Neil Jonathan Plotkin Cynthia Plouché* Amisha Rigia Carol Stein John Yonover Neal Zucker *Ex-Officio Directors
CHIARTS SCHOOL BOARD OF DIRECTORS Cynthia Plouché, Chair Carol Friedman, Vice Chair Warren Chapman, Secretary Christine Gallagher, Treasurer Duffie Adelson Carlos Azcoitia Lesley-Ann Brown-Henderson Inger Burnett-Zeigler Janette Cortes-Duewel* Chris Falcon Bill Gerstein Deirdra Lucas Kay Mabie John McCambridge Angela Kiefer* *Parent Representatives and Ex-Officio Directors
TEXT-TO DONATE “CHIARTS” TO 44-321 KERFUFFLE ! IS A VITAL COMPONE NT TO CHIARTS FOUNDATI ON’S ANNUAL FUNDRAIS ING EFFORTS. SUPPORT ACCESS TO ARTS EDUCATIO N FOR CHICAGO ’S EMERGING SCHOLAR -ARTISTS FROM ALL 50 WARDS.
@ChiArtsHS #Kerfuffle2022 chiarts.org/foundation PO Box 772076 Chicago, IL 60677-2076