African American Arts Alliance Rebrands as the Black Arts & Culture Alliance of Chicago

At its festive Black Arts Month kickoff celebration last night, the nonprofit African American Arts Alliance of Chicago announced its new name, effective immediately: the Black Arts & Culture Alliance of Chicago.

President Charlique C. Rolle and Vice President Vershawn Sanders-Ward spoke of the service organization's 26-year legacy and mission to support, showcase and advance excellence in the vibrant Black arts and culture sector in Chicago.

“We are immensely grateful to our founders for creating this space for us. As the next generation of Black voices and artists in Chicago, our goal is that the Black Arts & Culture Alliance is truly a hub for artists and voices of the diaspora, where we can see ourselves represented through all of the nuances of our history and our future. Art-making and storytelling have always been a vital tool for liberation in our community and a driver of our cultural experience and community-building efforts. The Alliance will continue to build and support the intersections of how Black artists influence and stimulate our culture, society and economy,” said President Charlique C. Rolle.

In 1997, African American Arts Alliance co-founders Jackie Taylor, Joan Gray, Chuck Smith and Ron O.J. Parson saw a great need for community interaction and development, and incorporated the African American Arts Alliance to build upon the rich history of the original Black Theatre Alliance, expanding the organization to serve the needs of Black performing, visual, literary, technical and design art forms.

The Black Arts & Culture Alliance presents its 23rd annual Black Excellence Awards gala on Monday, November 6 at 7 p.m. at Black Ensemble Theater (4450 N. Clark Street, Chicago). The Awards were established in 2001 to honor outstanding artistic accomplishments of Black artists across genres including theater, dance, music, film, literature, visual art and digital media. This year, the event will also honor the inaugural Black Arts Hall of Fame inductees. Hosted by Melissa Duprey, the event will feature performances by Chicago Poet Laureate avery r. young, Sam Thousand and The Soul Vortex, Forward Momentum Chicago, Perceptions Theatre and DJ Rae Chardonnay. Tickets for the Black Excellence Awards range from $50-$100 and are now on sale at aaaachicago.org.

Black excellence across artistic mediums is also showcased throughout Black Arts Month this month, with two remaining programs on Monday, October 16 from 7-9 p.m. and Monday, October 23 from 7-9 p.m. Both events are hosted by Melissa Duprey and include post-event celebrations with DJ Rae Chardonnay. Additional featured artists and companies include: Growing Concerns Poetry Collective, Congo Square Theatre, LaTaryion Perry/Missed Turn Productions, Lo Williams, Perceptions Theatre, Enneréssa LaNette Davis, McKenzie Chinn and Jamal “Litebulb” Oliver.

To purchase tickets for the Black Arts & Culture Alliance's Black Excellence Awards gala, or to register for Black Arts Month public programs, please visit aaaachicago.org.

Registration for new individual, organizational, and affiliate memberships is now open, and all new members who register by October 31, 2023, will receive 15% off their Black Arts & Culture Alliance membership fee. More information, including member benefits, is available at aaaachicago.org .

About the Black Arts & Culture Alliance of Chicago

The Black Arts & Culture Alliance of Chicago is a nonprofit service organization dedicated to supporting and promoting Black excellence within the performing, visual, literary, technical and design art forms. The Alliance works to increase the stability, visibility, marketability and sustainability of the Black arts and culture sector. Founded in 1997 as the African American Arts Alliance by a group of Chicago's leading Black artists and arts organizations, the Alliance promotes the continued development of organizations and individual artists as well as highlighting their accomplishments through its annual Black Excellence Awards. For more information, visit aaaachicago.org.

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