As our first fully operational year comes to a close, the Chicago Cultural Alliance is well on its way to enriching Chicago's cultural landscape by strengthening the city's ethnic museums, cultural centers, and historical societies. In a city of neighborhoods, these organizations are vital to maintaining our city's character, providing a sense of historic perspective and linking this history to the issues facing our communities today.
Since our official launch in February 2008, the Alliance's programming, membership, and profile have grown tremendously. The city's institutions and communities have embraced the Alliance. Our mission of promoting social change and public understanding of diversity through the first voice perspectives of our members has resonated throughout the city. In the past year,
•Our membership has grown by 25% to include 25 ethnic museums and cultural centers that represent over 21 ethnic groups.
•We have built partnerships with 12 high profile institutions in the metropolitan area, including Chicago 2016, Brookfield Zoo, and the University of Chicago's Center for International Studies.
•In the wake of a devastating fire at the Chinese American Museum of Chicago, the Alliance coordinated volunteers, resources, and fundraising efforts, and we continue to provide assistance in the museum's recovery efforts.
•We have developed several workshops with our partners to deepen our members' organizational capacity. We are also providing training around significant issues such as immigration.
•Conservators from the Field Museum & Chicago History Museum are training our members on proper artifact conservation practices.
•With the Arts & Business Council of Chicago and through the generous funding of the Joyce Foundaton, we have delivered a series of seminars based on our members' SmARTscope results.
•The Alliance has joined the International Coalition of Sites of Conscience, representing Chicago in an impressive network with organizations such as South Africa's District Six Museum and Atlanta's Martin Luther King Jr. National Historic Site.
•We have remained committed to a unique model of cross-cultural collaboration. Our members are working across ethnicities in programs such as the Field Museum's Cultural Connections series. Members have also collaborated in environmental and arts programs developed by the Alliance.
•The Alliance has received broad public support and is becoming a resource for the city of Chicago. This year, we have received funds from a number of high profile foundations such as the Chicago Community Trust and the Joyce Foundation.
•As the Alliance, our members now have wider access to Chicago's institutions and agencies, who recognize the collective expertise and perspective that the Alliance can bring conversations about the past, present, and future of our city.
The Chicago Cultural Alliance is a one-of-a-kind organization. By working together as the Alliance, Chicago's ethnic museums, cultural centers, and historical societies have strengthened their presence and influence in the city. The Alliance is creating a new and exciting model of how ethnic communities can collaborate to preserve their cultural heritage. |
