On May 2008, more than 320 friends and supporters joined Changing Worlds to celebrate our 6th Annual Benefit, themed The Power of the Arts at the City Centre Hotel. Guests enjoyed a silent auction, a display of student artwork and entertainment by Los Rios, a student Mariachi band from Kelly High School. The dinner program, which was facilitated by our emcee, Jim Rose of ABC 7 News, featured students from our Literacy and Cultural Connections (LCC) school program. Their writings and stories from the LCC program inspired audience members with the power of the arts to influence young lives.
More than $115,000 was raised from this year’s event, which was led by our co-chairs, Sy and Susie Frolichstein.
Changing Worlds presented its 2008 Connecting Cultures Award to Clare Munana and Sones de Mexico Ensemble for their contributions to promoting cross-cultural understanding and the arts. The Connecting Cultures Award recognizes Chicagoans whose work promotes cross-cultural understanding and learning.
2008 Award Recipients
Clare Muñana. As a leader in Chicago’s civic community, Clare Muñana has provided extraordinary leadership to support local and international education and arts and cultural initiatives. As Vice President of the Chicago Board of Education and a member of the board of the Chicago Public Education Fund, she has worked to support teacher and principal leadership, district-wide technology efforts, bilingual education and other projects supporting arts, language and cultural programs in the Chicago Public Schools.
Her commitment to arts education and museum development is evidenced through her long standing roles with the Field Museum, The National Museum of Mexican Art, the Musée d´Art Américain Giverny in Paris and the emergence of the first Institute for Puerto Rican Arts and Culture in Chicago.
Sones de México Ensemble. Sones de México is a music and dance performance arts group and a non-profit organization dedicated to artistic excellence and quality education. Formed by a group of accomplished Mexican musicians and educators in Chicago, they specialize in son, a rich Mexican music tradition and its many regional styles. Sones de México Ensemble has performed and offered touring programs that have touched the lives of children and adults across the U.S. In 2007, they received a Latin Grammy Award for "Best Folk Album" and in 2008 were nominated for a Grammy. The ensemble members include Víctor Pichardo, Juan Díes, Lorena Íñiguez, Juan Rivera, Zacbé Pichardo, and Javier Saume.
