August is one of the busiest months of the year in Chicago, with blockbuster music festivals, can’t-miss concerts, world-class theater, neighborhood celebrations, major sporting events, and cultural experiences happening across the city and suburbs. Whether you’re catching Lollapalooza in Grant Park, spending an evening under the stars at Ravinia, exploring a new museum exhibition, or […]
Lollapalooza is taking over more of Chicago than just Grant Park this week. Ahead of his July 31 Lollapalooza performance, Grammy-winning British rocker Yungblud has teamed up with Tall Ship Windy to transform Chicago’s official tall ship into a black-sailed pirate ship, marking the first artist collaboration in the attraction’s 30-year history. For one week […]
A fellow cancer survivor suggested Lynn Leiro apply to a creative arts program focused on providing support and community to those touched by cancer. She thought it might offer Leiro something different. It did. Leiro, 40, is a double cancer survivor whose diagnoses — triple negative breast cancer and acute lymphoblastic leukemia — left her […]
When the Nazis occupied his hometown of Dęblin, Poland, in 1939, Sam Harris was just four years old. His childhood was shattered by the horrors of the Holocaust, and as a young boy, he became one of the youngest Survivors to endure the concentration camps. Against overwhelming odds, Sam survived. Two years later, Sam was […]
July in Chicago means long days, late sunsets, and no shortage of things to do. Whether you’re chasing live music, fireworks, food festivals, or art exhibitions, this month brings the kind of high-energy, culture-packed calendar that makes summer here feel so electric. This year’s lineup includes Independence Day celebrations ranging from Hyde Park’s longtime 4th on […]
Through competing fiscal responsibilities, budget constraints, and rising bias shaped by the sociopolitical climate, the public education sector is under immense pressure, and it almost certainly has a magnified impact on a specific group: students. As students navigate an environment facing multiple crises, it’s no surprise that access to a quality arts education falls low […]
By the time my daughter Emma was 7, I could see that her “picture-perfect life,” complete with strong grades, extracurricular activities, and an active social world, also made her a prime candidate for the mental health challenges facing an alarming number of “Perfect Girl” teens in affluent communities like ours. My six children grew up […]
In Afghanistan’s Bamiyan Valley, Seema learned to weave from her mother and grandmother before her. Today, her carpets are sold through Christopher Farr in London and Los Angeles, helping support her family while carrying forward artistic traditions rooted in the region’s history. This particular carpet, woven by Seema, features a Buddhist mandala motif that reflects […]
From neighborhood festivals and blockbuster exhibits to outdoor concerts, farmers markets, and landmark cultural events, June in Chicago has a little something for everyone. This month also brings opportunities for celebration and reflection with Pride Month, Juneteenth, and the highly anticipated opening of the Obama Presidential Center in Jackson Park. Whether you’re soaking up some […]
Many of the behaviors that show up in adult relationships — defensiveness, emotional shutdown, perfectionism, people-pleasing, fear of conflict — often begin as survival strategies long before adulthood. At a recent conversation hosted by The Family Institute at Northwestern University — a Make It Better 2026 Philanthropy Award winner — licensed marriage and family therapist […]
