Events
Join us for the Arts & Business Council’s (A&BC) 2017 Benefit Luncheon and Reception dedicated to the convergence of Arts, Business and Community – The “ABC’s” of building strong, active neighborhoods throughout Chicago.
Featuring a spectacular panel of speakers:
- Greg Cameron Executive Director, Joffrey Ballet
- Nora Daley Civic Leader, Former Board Chair and current Board Member, Steppenwolf Theatre Company
- Commissioner Mark Kelly City of Chicago, Department of Cultural Affairs and Special Events
- Maurice Smith BCBSIL President; Board Chair of Chicago Sinfonietta
Our luncheon fundraiser enables us to continue working with hundreds of Chicago’s arts organizations and business volunteers each year.
Guests will have the opportunity to meet a handful of local community arts organizations, including Beverly Arts Center, Forward Momentum Chicago, People’s Music School, Segundo Ruiz Belvis Cultural Center and Storycatchers Theatre, and learn how they can get involved and contribute to the arts sector through corporate and individual opportunities.
On July 18, meet your peers at this festive night of live performance and vibrant networking at Revolution Brewpub for the annual A&BC Summer Bash. Arts and business professionals will mingle and watch short performances highlighting a few of the many arts organizations A&BC serves. We’ll also honor a business professional and a company making a difference in our arts programs.
All of this will take place on Revolution Brewpub’s well-appointed second floor, where there will be an unlimited supply of Rev Brew’s lauded beers and delectable appetizers. Pass this invitation along to a friend who might be interested in participating in Arts & Business Council programs.
$75 per person
SIGN UP FOR THE SUMMER BASH RAFFLE!
Enter the Summer Bash Raffle! Enter using the form below, or buy tickets at the Bash. You do not need to be present to win!
Prizes include packages of tickets to performances or classes (noted) from: Athenaeum Theatre, Chicago Human Rhythm Project, Chicago Sinfonietta, Elmhurst Symphony Orchestra, Green Star Movement (class for two), The House Theatre, Lifeline Theater, Lucky Plush, Sideshow Theatre, 16th Street Theater, and more!
The Raffle form is not required to complete your Summer Bash ticket purchase.
The Arts & Business Council of Chicago invites you and other members of the arts and business communities to our Holiday Wonder party, Thursday, Dec. 14, 6:30-8:30pm, at Elastic Arts in Logan Square.
Feel the warm, sparkly, cinnamon-infused joy of gathering with colleagues to celebrate the successes of 2017 and to anticipate the triumphs of 2018. Bring your team and make merry!
A $25 ticket to this fun and casual event—in partnership with Audience Architects, an ArtCoremember—will include:
- A 2-drink ticket and small bites
- Short performances throughout the night
- Open mic shout-outs to our peers and arts organizations, recognizing the year’s high points
- Viewing of the current Elastic exhibition – PAZ: Piñatas & Zines, by Oscar Arriola
- A performance from dance artist and educator Adriana Durant
- The sparkly sounds of Paul Giallorenzo, Co-Founder of Elastic Arts, on the piano
- Admission to the 9pm Elastic Arts show following the party: the jazz quartet of Dave Rempis, Jim Baker, Kent Kessler, and Avreeayl Ra (do not miss this!)
Elastic Arts’ address is:
3429 W Diversey Ave, #208 (near Milwaukee).
CTA: Logan Square Blue Line; 56, 76, and 82 buses.
We hope to see you there!
“Impact investing is where you’re investing for a financial return but you’re also doing something positive that’s having a social return, like micro-finance, preserving the environment, and fair labor. And you can actually achieve those same social impact goals by investing for impact in the creative economy.”
Laura Callanan
You are invited to A&BC’s annual benefit luncheon, March 20 at 11:30 am at 300 E Randolph. The Luncheon is dedicated to impact investing in Chicago’s creative economy.
Laura Callanan, founding partner of Upstart Co-Lab, an unprecedented collaboration between investors and artists, will present the keynote address followed by a lively audience Q&A moderated by Genevieve Thiers, founder of Sittercity, tech investor, and opera singer.
Arts & Business and Capital: Impact Investing in Chicago’s Creative Economy will mobilize impact investors, creative entrepreneurs, and artists to come together in shared purpose to discuss innovative ways to drive economic development. You will not want to miss this cutting-edge conversation with a creative industry thought leader that’s sure to provide you with stimulating new ideas about the creative economy’s role in generating revitalization, community stability, and social cohesion.
We look forward to seeing you!
Tuesday, March 20, 11:30am
Blue Cross-Blue Shield of Illinois, 300 E Randolph, 30th fl., Chicago
If you wish to become a sponsor and/or purchase multiple tables, please contact Kristin Larsen, klarsen@artsbiz-chicago.org.
About Laura Callanan
Callanan’s national organization, Upstart Co-Lab, connects artists, impact investors, and social entrepreneurs to create opportunities for artists to innovate in society, delivering scalable social impact. Prior to Upstart Co-Lab’s 2015 launch, Callanan served as Senior Deputy Chairman of the National Endowment for the Arts under the Obama administration. With McKinsey & Company, she led work on social innovation, sustainable capitalism, and social impact assessment.
About Genevieve Thiers
Genevieve Thiers, moderator, is an entrepreneur, tech investor, and opera singer based in Chicago. Her first company, Sittercity.com, now has millions of users in the US, UK, and Canada. She was recognized by President Bush at the White House as the Small Business Administration Young Entrepreneur Champion of the Year for 2006, and her companies have won over 18 major awards. She is an investor in TechStars and the Firestarter fund, and in female-run new tech startups that target women and lesser-known industries.
The Arts & Business Council of Chicago convenes a monthly morning gathering for arts administrators to discuss topics and share ideas relevant to the business of art. Breakfast Club supports leaders and staff of nonprofit arts organizations through informal peer-to-peer sharing, casual facilitated conversation, and information dissemination.
Join us Tuesday, May 1st from 8:30-9:30am.
Topic: Making Money
Say it again for the people in the back. Nonprofits can make money! The nonprofit sector often carries a stigma of unprofitable, but business planning is just as important for nonprofit organizations as it is for any business or corporation. Sustainable nonprofits don’t wait around for the next big grant or angel donor. They create several diverse revenue streams to support the organization’s financial well-being. Join Breakfast Club: Making Money to connect with peers over successes and strategies in creating mission-driven generated revenues.
A cereal bar, tea, and coffee will be provided.
Looking forward to seeing you there!
Price: $5.00
Cancellation Policy:
The Arts & Business Council of Chicago reserves the right to cancel or re-schedule any Breakfast Club for which registrants will receive a full refund.
No refunds are issued for cancellations. No refunds are issued for “no shows.”
BOARD MEMBER TRAINING
Topics include:
- Structures of arts organizations and their boards—staffing, income, and programming models
- Life cycle of arts organizations, from the founding board to the working board and the governing board
- Relationship between the board and staff, and challenges posed by staffing and board transitions
Price: $150
Advance registration is required as space is limited. We will not accept walk-up registrations. For details on registering for this training, please contact Noemi Garcia at ngarcia@artsbiz-chicago.org.
Meet the Boards is a networking session for On BOARD candidates and arts organization boards to meet and learn about each other. Attendees discuss the mission and history of the organization, current and upcoming initiatives, and how new board members can contribute to the organization.
Interested organizations must fill out an arts client On BOARD application – the deadline for which is April 13, 2018.
Meet the Boards is by invitation only.
Meet us at 2112, the creative tech incubator where Lady Gaga and Chance the Rapper have worked, and up-and-coming innovators and their companies have put down roots.
Tour the 160k square foot facility. See the inner workings of a high-powered creative incubator developing entrepreneurs in music, film/video, and creative industry-focused technologies. Hear a presentation by Rob Tovar, one of its directors. Have some food and drink while discussing impact investing in the Chicago arts scene with other arts supporters. This evening will give you insight into the burgeoning creative/tech scene in Chicago as well as bragging rights that you had an inside peek at this powerhouse.
Members $25/Public $40. Please contact contact Karen Yates, Engagement Manager to receive membership pricing.
This event is also our Membership Program kick-off! Members receive $15 off their ticket price. To learn more about our Membership Program and how you can stay engaged with the Arts & Business Council of Chicago year-round, go here.
Tony Award-winning Steppenwolf Theatre Company was born from an idea a couple of former high school classmates had to produce a play in a suburban church. Four-time Grammy award-winning ensemble, Eighth Blackbird, have called Chicago home since 1996. With the right foundation in place, the growth potential for Chicago arts organizations just like yours is immense.
In Arts Administration 101, smARTscope Consultant Lisa Tylke will guide emerging arts organizations through two key pillars of stability: understanding the roles and responsibilities of a board of directors and concept development for the artistic and administrative visions of organizations. These pillars are vital for mastering the basics; understanding who you are, what you do, and how you do it.
This Learning Lab is most appropriate for emerging organizations that have:
- Unpaid or stipend-payed staff and artists
- A few sources of contributed income
- Hands-on Boards of Directors that fulfill administrative roles and do minimal fundraising
- Average budgets of $0 – $100,000
- A strong desire to grow and develop!
Price: $65
The Arts & Business Council of Chicago convenes a monthly morning gathering for arts administrators to discuss topics and share ideas relevant to the business of art. Breakfast Club supports leaders and staff of nonprofit arts organizations through informal peer-to-peer sharing, casual facilitated conversation, and information dissemination.
Tuesday, June 5th from 8:30-9:30am.
Topic: Moving From, “We Think” to, “We Know”
Arts and cultural organizations should be data-driven; using real information from real experiences to inform programs, marketing, fundraising, and audience engagement. But, that’s much easier said than done. Your work is so fast-paced that it often feels impossible to fully segment your mailing list or dig into survey responses.
Are you looking to connect with colleagues in the field to discuss ideas about data collection, evaluation, interpretation and more? Share successes and strategies in effective data practice at Breakfast Club: Moving From, “We Think” to, “We Know.”
A cereal bar, tea, and coffee will be provided.
Price: $5
BOARD MEMBER TRAINING
Speakers:
- Michael Clark, Partner, Sidley Austin LLP
Learning objectives include:
- Non-governing boards and committees
- Laws governing nonprofit boards of directors
- Bylaws
- The role of the director: responsibilities & restrictions
- Role of the lawyer on the board
- Fiduciary duties
- Conflict of interest
- Directors & Officers insurance
- Contracts
- Strategic Planning
Price: $150
For details on registering for this training, please contact Noemi Garcia at ngarcia@artsbiz-chicago.org.