Saturday evening (1/30), Northern Trust’s SVP and Managing Director Linda Nolan along with Allstate Insurance Company’s SVP of Sourcing and Procurement Solutions Cheryl Harris, co-chaired the 45th annual Black Creativity Gala at the Museum of Science and Industry. The Gala acts as one of the fundraising arms of the juried art exhibition which has been in existence at MSI since the 1980s, showcasing African-American art of different mediums and the longest running exhibit of African American art in the nation.
Brian Booker, Cheryl Harris, Linda Nolan
As guests arrived they were first treated to presentations from MSI’s Science Minor teen volunteers including a game of magnets. The object was to place as many magnets on a surface without attracting other magnets. The first few tries were a bit challenging until the student let us in on a trick, since the north and south poles of magnets attract, placing the same magnet poles next to each other would repel, science!
We then made our way upstairs winding through some of the museums displays of historic cars, to view the artworks on display including the winning pieces selected by jurors such as Andrew W. Mellon curatorial fellow Sheridan Tucker, Ronald Thompson, Tiffany Malone, Britney Evans Allison Glenn and La Keisha Leek. Many of the artworks from the juried exhibition which will be on display until February 21, are for sale and prices range from $40-$5,000.
Sheridan Tucker
The evening’s emcee NBC Chicago’s Art Norman, got the chattering crowd quiet for a period of time to begin the program portion of the night with performance from Opal Staples, sponsor recognition by MSI President & CEO David Mosena and brief speeches from the co-chairs.
The strolling dinner in the Museum’s rotunda concluded with a spinning desert station followed by music and dancing courtesy of the Opal Staples Orchestra and DJ Nick Nicholson.
The mission of Black Creativity is to inspire African-American children to pursue educational opportunities and careers in the fields of science, technology, medicine and engineering utilizing MSI as a resource. The gala which is attended by Chicago’s prominent African-American leaders including Tim and Sandra Rand a former United Airlines exec, BMO Harris Bank’s US Head of Diversity & Inclusion Cedric Thurman and wife Michelle, former City of Chicago Treasurer Stephanie Neely, newly appointed Chicago Urban League President and CEO Shari Runner, Andrea Zopp, Robin Kelly to name a few.
Sandra and Tim Rand, Deven Rand
Gale Foster Farley
Nick Daniele, Dana Daniele, Kelly Aloisil and Don
Jenn and Obie LeFlore
Santrice Martin
Tenisha Jackson and Crystal T. Jones
Stephanie Wang Kochlefl and John Kochlefl
Ceola Oware
Photo credits: J.B.-Spector; Jillian Marsala
