Associate Board Activities and Events
The Associate Board actively supports the Rehabilitation Institute of Chicago (RIC) and its programs through the activities detailed below:
ArtFutura website - June 2, 2011 (Art Exhibit runs 6/2 thru 6/9)
ArtFutura 2011
The ninth annual ArtFutura exhibit will be held June 2-9, 2011 at a Chicago gallery (to be named in February 2011). The theme will be "Life" and submissions of 2D art will be juried by James Rondeua and accepted through April 15, 2011 at a cost of $30 for three images. A prospectus will be available on this site as soon as the venue is announced.
To learn more about participating in next year's ArtFutura 2011 and to get the latest information, contact the event Co-Chairs, Sean Daly and Dennis Hull, via Eric Horner at ehorner@ric.org 312-238-1252.
About ArtFutura 2010
Special thanks to our principal sponsor for ArtFutura
2010: Portals Ltd. gallery and owners Nancy and
William McIlvaine.
The eighth annual ArtFutura exhibit was held May 13 to 21, 2010, at the Portals Ltd. gallery (742 N. Wells). This years' principal ArtFutura sponsors, Portals Ltd.'s owners, Nancy and Bill McIlvaine are long time supporters of RIC and have been featured as the Gallery of the Month by the Art Trade magazine. The Gallery Night Award Party on Thursday, May 20 featured a presentation of the artists' awards in a festive atmosphere with hors d' oeuvres and drinks provided by Dennis Catering. Check our our ad in Chicago Gallery News- another ArtFutura sponsor.
View the 2010 Photo Album on Flickr.com.
Congratulations to the 2010 Exhibition Winners:
First Prize - Matthew Ostroff
Second Prize - Erin Hayden
Third Prize - Junko Muta
Honorable Mention - Diana Behl, Ken Forst, John Girouard, Hyounsang Yoo
The exhibit was juried by Mr. James Rondeau of The Art Institute and featured more than 70 works by emerging and established artists. A special RIC patient exhibit was also part of the show. All art services, including shipping and installation, were provided by our artist sponsor the ICON Group, Inc.
Special thanks to 2010 ArtFutura Co-Chairs: Denise Constantine, Christina Schmucker, and Kristine Wexler as well as the entire AF Committee. Funds raised at the juried art exhibition and awards reception help support the Therapeutic Recreation program and fund RIC' s Art Therapy program led by Violleta Woznicka. Art therapy is based on the belief that the creative process involved in the making of art is healing and life-enhancing and plays an invaluable role in the rehabilitation of patients at the hospital and their overall rehabilitation experience. RIC' s Therapeutic Recreation program, including art therapy, contributes to the rehabilitation process by improving and maintaining physical, cognitive, emotional and social functioning - enhancing patients' independence and improving their overall quality of life.
About the 2010 Bearcat Ball
The 12th Annual Bearcat Ball was held on Saturday, October 23, 2010 at the Chicago Cultural Center, Yates Gallery. More than 500 of Chicago's emerging civic, corporate, cultural, legal, medical and non-profit professionals will gathered at the Chicago Cultural Center Yates Gallery overlooking Millennium Park (77 E. Randolph St) to help raise funds for RIC' s Pediatric Charity Care. The black-tie evening included a live performance by the nationally acclaimed Don Cagen Orchestra, casino gaming, food from the city's top restaurants and a deluxe silent auction.
The Bearcat Ball is named for the Stutz Bearcat, a luxury automobile manufactured in the 1920s. It is purported to have carried the heroes and heroines of author F. Scott Fitzgerald' s day to yacht clubs and secluded roadhouses. The ultimate statement of class, style and luxury, the Bearcat is as much a symbol of 1920s youth as jazz and raccoon coats.
The Pediatric Charity Care Fund at RIC provides prosthetic devices and specialized treatment for children with disabilities whose families cannot otherwise afford their care.
2009 Bearcat Ball
Tree of Life recipient IL Secretary of State, Jesse White, (center) posing with RIC
CEO Joanne Smith, Bearcat Co-Chairs Nora Gilhooly, Tyler Akeson, and
Scott Fehlan, and AB President Kevin Hull (left to right)
The 11th Annual Bearcat Ball was held on October 24, 2009, at The Chicago Cultural Center. See photos from the event. The event included delicious cuisine and drinks from Chicago's finest restaurants, a silent auction, casino gaming and a live performance by the Stu Hirsch Orchestra.
The Tree of Life Award is annually presented at the ball to an individual who has played a significant role in making a difference in the lives of people with disabilities. The 2009 Tree of Life recipient was Illinois Secretary of State, Jesse White. Secretary White has been a champion for the rights of people with disabilities, including accessibility and equality issues. In 1959, White founded the internationally known Jesse White Tumbling Team to serve as a positive alternative for children residing in and around the Chicago area. White has spent more than 47 years working as a volunteer with the team to help kids stay away from gangs, drugs, alcohol and smoking, and to help set at-risk youth on the path to success.
The Bearcat Ball is named for the Stutz Bearcat, a luxury automobile manufactured in the 1920s. It is purported to have carried the heroes and heroines of author F. Scott Fitzgerald's day to yacht clubs and secluded roadhouses. The ultimate statement of class, style and luxury, the Bearcat is as much a symbol of 1920s youth as jazz and raccoon coats.
