BOLD VISIONS
CHIARTS 15TH ANNIVERSARY BENEFIT
LETTER FROM CHIARTS & FOUNDATION LEADERSHIP
Welcome to Bold Visions, and thank you for joining us to celebrate a truly momentous occasion: 15 years of The Chicago High School for the Arts.
Fifteen years ago, ChiArts opened its doors with a bold mission: to provide passionate young artists from across every corner of Chicago with access to pre-professional arts training, regardless of their previous experience or financial means. Tonight, we honor how far we ’ ve come, and reaffirm our commitment to the young artists who will shape our future.
ChiArts would not exist without the belief and investment of a community that values creativity, access, and opportunity. Thanks to you, our steadfast supporters, partners, and friends, ChiArts has become a home where hundreds of scholar-artists each year discover their voices, hone their talents, and begin journeys that extend far beyond our studios and stages. With more than 1,600 alumni leaving their mark as artists, educators, entrepreneurs, scientists, and civic leaders, we see every day how vital and far-reaching your support truly is.
Philanthropy has carried ChiArts from a dream to a thriving institution, and it is philanthropy that will sustain our mission for generations to come. Every contribution tonight helps ensure that ChiArts remains a beacon of possibility for the next generation of dancers, writers, actors, musicians, and visual artists.
On behalf of our co-chairs, board of directors, faculty, staff, scholarartists, alumni, and staff: thank you for believing in ChiArts, and for being part of this incredible community. Here’s to the next 15 years, and beyond.
With gratitude,
Tina Boyer Brown ChiArts Executive Director
Johnny Merrifield ChiArts Foundation Executive Director
ChiArts is still the only arts high school in the nation recruiting novices
BOLD VISIONS 2025
CO-CHAIRS
Arnett Faulkner & Chardai Johnson
SPECIAL HOST
Val Warner, ABC7 Chicago
PROGRAM OF EVENTS
5:30 COCKTAILS & PASSED HORS D’OEUVRES
Featuring ChiArts Jazz, Poems While You Wait, & Visual Arts’ Live “Mythical Portraits”
7:00 WELCOME
Arnett Faulkner & Chardai Johnson, 2025 Co-Chairs
Val Warner, 2025 Special Host
7:15 DINNER SERVICE
Musical entertainment by the ChiArts Music Conservatory
7:45 ALUMNI & DONOR SPOTLIGHT
Host Val Warner in conversation with Isaiah Collier, Music ‘16 Spotlight on Caerus Foundation
8:10 CHIARTS PERFORMANCES
Feature Performances by the ChiArts Creative Writing, Dance, Music, & Theatre Conservatories
8:30 PADDLE RAISE & FINAL PERFORMANCE
Every donation made will be matched dollar for dollar by the generosity of the Caerus Foundation, doubling your impact for ChiArts.
9:45 BARS CLOSE
TONIGHT’S MENU
FIRST COURSE
SANGRIA SALAD
Baby arugula, toasted pine nuts, basil, orange segments, peaches, gold beets, goat cheese, red wine vinaigrette [VG, GF]
FRESH FOCACCIA
Served with whipped ricotta, balsamic essenza, lemon, Italian parsley
ENTRÉE CHOICES
TRUFFLE ROASTED CHICKEN BREAST
Parmesan risotto, broccolini, with leek sauce [GF]
MEDITERRANEAN GRILLED BROCCOLI
Mediterranean grilled broccoli, tahini chickpea puree, lemon-scented couscous, Fresno chili golden raisin tabbouleh, pine nuts, vegan cashew yogurt sauce, parsley [VG]
WINE OFFERINGS
BLOCK NINE CABERNET SAUVIGNON THE SEEKER SAUVIGNON BLANC
DESSERT
FAMILY STYLE PETITE SWEETS
Crème Brûlée Strawberry, Mini Key Lime Tart, Flourless Chocolate Cake Bite, Mini Salted Caramel Tart
Brewpoint Regular & Decaffeinated Coffee & Tea Service
2025 SPONSORS
The Jim & Kay Mabie Family
ARTISTIC VISIONARY
Elissa Hamid Efroymson & Adnaan Hamid
Carol Prins & John Hart
J. Thomas Hurvis & Ann Andersen
PRODUCER
Mary Jo Basler
The Collens Family
Marilynn & Ronald Grais
Sylvia Neil & Dan Fischel
Amisha Rigia & Adam Caplan
Mirja Spooner Haffner
Gary Metzner & Scott Johnson
STAR
AKIRA
Duffie A. Adelson
Peter & Katharine Darrow
Arnett & Greg Faulkner
Two Fish Foods
Peter Fidler & Kate Grossman
Christine & Greg Gallagher
Bill & Anne Goldstein
Sandra & Jack Guthman
The McKeever Family
Lisa Simmons & John Street
tgin (Thank God It’s Natural)
PATRON
The Robert Thomas Bobins Foundation
Lori Efroymson Aguilera & Sergio Aguilera
Susan Feibus & Tom Geoghegan
Helyn Goldenberg & Michael Alper
Hyde Park Hospitality
Kilpatrick Townsend & Stockton LLP
Sabrina A. King
Pam & John McCambridge
Denis & Martha Pierce
Wintrust Community Banks
SPOTLIGHT ON CAERUS FOUNDATION
Caerus Foundation has been an invaluable partner of ChiArts from the very beginning of our journey, helping to shape the future of young artists across Chicago. Through the leadership of Foundation Board Member Tom Hurvis, Caerus has provided critical support for our arts conservatories, student outreach, and summer learning initiatives. This partnership has created lasting opportunities for students at every stage of their artistic journey.
A key part of this support has been their role in establishing and growing ChiArts’ Summer Camp program. Through their generosity, Summer Camp continues to offer middle school students a transformative arts education experience, fostering creativity and passion in the next generation of artists.
We are incredibly grateful for Caerus Foundation’s continued commitment to our mission, helping ChiArts remain a beacon of excellence in arts education and empowering future leaders.
Summer Camp 2018-2019
CHIARTS FOUNDATION MISSION
ChiArts Foundation was established in January 2021 to support arts education opportunities for, and inspire & nurture current, future, and former students of The Chicago High School for the Arts (ChiArts). The Foundation’s key objectives are to provide annual fundraising support for ChiArts’ arts conservatories, support outreach through partnerships, develop marketing & public relations activities, and increase engagement & 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 donor-funded pre-professional arts training program, paired with a college-preparatory academic curriculum. ChiArts opened its doors in 2009 and has graduated 12 classes of scholar-artists at a rate between 92-100% each year. ChiArts is the only public arts high school in the nation that actively recruits novice-level students.
2025 CHIARTS HIGHLIGHTS
Learn how ChiArts scholar-artists across all five conservatories are advancing their craft through rigorous pre-professional training, performances, and community partnerships.
CREATIVE WRITING
CONSERVATORY
Creative Writing senior Julissa Ortiz was announced as the recipient of the prestigious Posse Foundation Scholarship. This fulltuition leadership award will support her as she joins a dynamic, multicultural cohort at Oberlin College this fall, fostering her growth as a scholar, leader, and changemaker.
VISUAL ARTS CONSERVATORY
Scholar-artists received four Gold Keys, five Silver Keys, and 14 Honorable Mentions, bringing home a total of 23 Scholastic Art and Writing Awards, the nation’s longest-running recognition program for creative teens.
THEATRE CONSERVATORY
Theatre scholar-artists earned third place in Group Interpretation at the IHSA State Drama Sectionals and five seniors were also named to the All-Sectional cast, each nominated by three out of five judges. ChiArts’ student-directed short film Eating Me Alive also placed second statewide among 53 competing schools.
DANCE CONSERVATORY
Dance celebrated Connections Week by welcoming top collegiate and professional instructors, featuring guests from Northern Illinois University, the Peabody Institute at Johns Hopkins, Illinois State University, AMDA, Loyola University, Alabama State, and a special masterclass with the Hiplet Ballerinas.
MUSIC CONSERVATORY
The ChiArts Jazz Combo was invited to perform at the Chicago Jazz Festival, a recognition from the Jazz Institute of Chicago and the City of Chicago following their outstanding performance at the Jazz in the Chi Festival.
IHSA Cast of IN THE RED AND BROWN WATER
ChiArts scholar-artists come from all 50 wards in Chicago
CHIARTS PERFORMANCES & PRESENTATIONS
CREATIVE WRITING CONSERVATORY
Visit a typewriter station for ‘Poems While You Wait’ and receive an original work created by our brilliant Creative Writing scholar-artists. The dinner reception will also feature a poetry reading by Dayna Garcia-Ruiz.
MUSIC CONSERVATORY
The evening will feature performances by the ChiArts Jazz Combo, guitarists, vocalists, and instrumentalists, including an Earth, Wind & Fire medley, and a solo vocal performance. Student band El Corazon del Ritmo will close the evening with a bang.
THEATRE CONSERVATORY
Scholar-artists Matteo J Clark and Braeden Malayter will present their short film Eating Me Alive, which placed second statewide among 53 competing schools at the Illinois High School Association (IHSA) short film competition.
DANCE CONSERVATORY
During cocktail hour, the conservatory will showcase a live rehearsal and New Orleans-inspired Second Line performance. Scholarartist Sheridan Morris will also perform a feature dance solo.
VISUAL ARTS CONSERVATORY
Visual Artists will have select pieces on display to admire. Throughout the evening, the conservatory will also be creating one-of-a-kind “mythical portraits” for guests to receive as a keepsake.
MEET CHIARTS ALUMS
We encourage you to engage with ChiArts alums at tonight's event, to learn about their current creative and professional endeavors and the impact ChiArts had on them.
Did you know it costs almost $6,000 per student to provide pre-professional arts training each year?
Celebrating 15 years of excellence, we proudly support Chicago’s emerging artists. A heartfelt thank you to the scholar-artists, faculty, families, and the ChiArts Foundation who have made ChiArts a transformative leader in arts education.
ELISSA HAMID EFROYMSON & ADNAAN HAMID
“WeareproudtosupportChiArts, theChiArtsFoundation,and celebrate15yearsofempowering Chicago’snextgenerationofartists. ChiArts’transformativeimpactis shapinglivesandstrengtheningour city’sculturalfuture.”
“It’sanhonortosupportChiArtsin its15thyearoffosteringcreativity, leadership,andopportunityfor Chicago’syouth.ChiArts’dedication continuestoshapeavibrant, inclusiveartscommunitythatwill inspiregenerationstocome.”
J.THOMASHURVIS&
ANNANDERSEN
“WeareproudtosupportChiArtsandthe ChiArtsFoundation’sunwavering dedicationtonurturingyoungartistsin Chicago.ChiArts’workistransforming lives,fosteringcreativity,andenriching theculturalfabricofourcity.Thankyou forempoweringthenextgenerationof artistsandleaders.”
CHIARTS FOUNDATION BOARD OF DIRECTORS
Mirja Spooner Haffner, Chair
Gary Metzner, Vice Chair
Erin Clifford, Secretary
Christina Huizar, Treasurer
Duffie A. Adelson*
Steven Collens
Dr. Jessica H. Darrow^^
Elissa Hamid Efroymson
Arnett Faulkner
Peter Fidler*^
Ronald B. Grais
Sandra Guthman**
John Hart
Tom Hurvis
Chardai Johnson
Pamela Johnson
Marshall Lindsey
Samera Ludwig
David Mabie
Michael McIntosh
Amisha Rigia
Lisa Simmons^
Jill Snyder
*Ex-Officio Directors
**ChiArts Founder
^ChiArts Alum Parent
^^ChiArts Parent
CHIARTS SCHOOL BOARD OF DIRECTORS
Duffie Adelson, Chair
Janette Cortes-Duewel, Vice Chair^
Peter Fidler, Treasurer^
Christine Gallagher, Secretary
Carlos Azcoitia*
Jacqueline Crawford*^
Carmen Echevarria
Karen Fishman
Sabrina King
Kay Mabie**
John McCambridge
Michelle Pierre-Farid
Yulinda Rahman*
*Ex Officio
^ChiArts Alum Parent
**ChiArts Founder
