Chicago’s Small Arts Organizations Present Alternative and Diverse Holiday Fare This Season
This holiday season, Chicago’s community of small arts organizations offers audiences a diverse and affordable array of alternatives to the usual holiday fare. The planned winter arts programming will be packed with exciting events, including aerial dance performances, innovative theatrical adaptations, live music concerts, literary readings, visual art exhibitions, and more. Even the most incorrigible holiday Scrooge will find something to enjoy. Most event tickets are priced at $25 or less, with many organizations offering free or donation-based pricing.
“Small arts organizations are producing exciting new work across Chicago. Groups offer experiences that are funny, dramatic, inquisitive, and experimental—something for every interest and taste. Ticket prices are affordable and some offerings are free, so that curious folks can try something fresh while supporting their local artists and venues,” says Ellen Placey Wadey, Program Director of Chicago Arts & Collections for the Gaylord and Dorothy Donnelley Foundation. “The diverse range of programming this December into the New Year showcases the unique artistry and innovation happening in communities across the city.”
All programming will be presented by grantees of the Gaylord and Dorothy Donnelley Foundation, which provides more than $1.7 million in multi-year general operating grants to 170+ small arts organizations in the Chicago region each year.
Some of the programs in December include Aerial Dance Chicago, on December 6 & 7, 2024. Aerial Dance Chicago’s performers move between the floor and the ceiling and everywhere in between (aerialdancechicago.org), 6018North’s, Myth of the Organic City (open through February 23, 2025) which presents a historical and contemporary overview of Chicago’s design and land use, from its indigenous roots through 20th century infrastructure projects to present-day developments (6018North.org), and the Ukrainian Institute of Modern Art’s Agency: Craft in Chicago from the 1970s-80s and Beyond (open through December 22, 2024). The program spotlights artists historically marginalized within mainstream art narratives. The exhibition features over 40 artists and focuses on fiber and ceramics, including jewelry, wood, and glass works.
For information on the additional programs offered, please phone the Gaylord and Dorothy Donnelley Foundation at 312.977.2700.
