Susan Pritzker, Board Vice President of Urban Gateways: Center for Arts Education, hosted an event on Tuesday, December 9 for Chicago’s leaders in the field of arts learning. Forty-five Urban Gateways supporters joined Pritzker for cocktails and dinner, speeches by arts education experts, and related discussion.
Eric Booth, an internationally renowned arts education leader, was the event’s first speaker. Booth has held arts education faculty positions at institutions including Stanford, New York University, and Julliard, where he co-founded the Arts in Education Program. Clare Muñana, Vice President of the Chicago Board of Education since 2004, also addressed the crowd on behalf of Urban Gateways, emphasizing the Chicago Public School system’s commitment to working towards equal access to arts education for all young people. Ms. Muñana serves as President of Ancora Associates, a management consulting firm, and has worked with non-profits all over the world to help them effectively and efficiently manage their resources.
Eric Booth led a lively discussion with all attending guests concerning the role of the Chicago Public School system in forwarding the arts education agenda and the role of Urban Gateways in developing arts education as an integral part of Chicago schooling. Other noted philanthropists and education and cultural supporters in attendance included Rufus Williams (President, CPS Board of Education) and his wife Jae, Allen Turner (President of the Board of Columbia College Chicago) and his wife Lynn, Terry Mazany of the Chicago Community Trust, Francee Harrington of JP Morgan Chase, Susan Wislow, Phyllis Lockett, André and Dana Rice, Diane Carr, and Kay and Jim Mabie. Urban Gateways: Center for Arts Education is a not-for-profit organization that provides culturally diverse literary, performing, media and visual arts programs for children, teachers and parents. As the largest, most comprehensive arts organization in the country, Urban Gateways works with schools and artists across the metropolitan Chicago area to promote arts learning, engagement in and appreciation for the arts.
