Her Mark: WMG’s 27th Anniversary Gala
Thursday, April 25, 2019 
Honoring Sapphire & Crystals

“Thanks to Beate, Deb, and all those who support WMG for a great Gala and honoring of Sapphire & Crystals. It was a wonderful evening, and Felicia and Juarez did us proud with their presentations. Shanta Nurullah’s band, Sitarsys blessed the event with affirming and soul-inspired music. Here’s a link to my slideshow presentation:  Sapphire & Crystals Slideshow. – Much Love, Rose”

Her Mark: 27th Anniversary Gala a Memorable and Successful Event!

Thank you to all our supporters who helped make our 27th Anniversary Gala a joyful event and great success. WMG’s major annual fundraiser took place on Thursday, April 25th at Lacuna’s Reverie Gallery, 2150 S. Canalport, Chicago IL 60608. It was a fabulous occasion to support Woman Made Gallery (WMG), an arts organization that promotes and celebrates the diverse contributions of women in the arts through programs that serve, educate and enrich the community. The theme, “Her Mark,” reflected on the important contributions women artists have made to our culture. It was with great joy that we honored Sapphire & Crystals, a collective of African American women artists in Chicago. Each of them has made “Her Mark” on Chicago’s art scene and on WMG.

Current active members include Rose Blouin, Juarez Hawkins, Candace Hunter, Malika Jackson, Renee Williams Jefferson, Makeba Kedem-DuBose, Joyce Owens, Felicia Grant Preston, Patricia Stewart, Shirley J. Sullivan, Dorian Sylvain, Pearlie Taylor, Arlene Turner-Crawford, Shahar Caren Weaver, Rhonda Wheatley, and Shyvette Williams.

WMG’s silent auction offered a variety of original fine arts and craft works by WMG supporters, and an array of creative gift packages, certificates to theaters, restaurants, and various services. Included was a Raffle put together by Gala Co-Chair, Cali Bergold  with the 1st Prize: “Brunch, Bubbly and Bling” won by Nina Corwin; the 2nd Prize: “The Four Seasons” with four original artworks, one for each season, and won by Bill Siavelis; and Kathryn Chapman received the 3rd Prize: “Journey of the Senses.”

Thank you to Shanta Nurullah Sitarsys for entertaining our guests with rhythms of blues and jazz, as well as lyrical, dreamlike sounds performed by sitarist Shanta Nurrullah, bassist Harrison Bankhead, clarinetist/pianist Angel Bat Dawid, vocalists Zahra Baker and Keewa Nurullah, guitarist Alex Wing, saxophonist Fred Jackson Jr., and drummer Lenny Marsh. Find out more about Shanta on her website: shantastoryteller.com.

Thank You to WMG Gala Sponsors + Donors

Roberta Allen; Mary Ann Anthony; Maureen Rowley Barnett; Marty Bash; Andrea + Isaac Bempong; Kathy Bergold; Fran Bull; Patricia Callahan; Vicki Curtis + Bill Siavelis; Mary Dougherty; Cecily + David Dvorak; Ruth Eckstein; Deb Flagel; Tammi Franke; Indira Freitas Johnson; Shelley Gilchrist; Andrea Ginsburg; Kathy Greenholdt; Jesy Grose; Marcia Grubb; Pat Guizzetti; Kelly Hensen; Barbara Kay Herring; Joanna Gardner-Huggett; Roberta Jameson; Margo Jeanchild; Anita Jenke; Julie Karabenick; Jacqueline Kirley; Jamie Kost; Jenny Learner; Roberta Malkin; Elizabeth Markman; Suzanne Massey; Joan McLane; Bobbi + Steven Meier; Beate + Michael Minkovski; Nora Lloyd Moore; Diana Myers; Jean Nerenberg; Jane Norling; Louise Pappageorge; Yoonshin Park; Mary Penn; Sandra + Michael Perlow; Julie Pitzen; Susan Pritzker; Madeline Murphy Rabb; Usha Raj; Karen Rechtschaffen; Ann Regan; Carol Rizzolo; Elizabeth Schraft; Janet Schumacher; Catherine Schwalbe; Yolanda Fernandez Shebeko; Rebecca Sive; Cynthia Staples + Sandra Garber; Wilma Stevens; Amy Stoeffler; Katherine Strause; Linda Erf Swift; David B. Sykes Family Foundation; and Kathy Weaver.

Thank You to WMG Silent Auction Contributors

16″ on Center (160C); Macus Alonso; Cynthia Ashby; Marty Bash; Sam Bean; Cali Bergold; Jenny Bergold; Kathy Bergold; Steven Bild; Jan Brandt; Rae Broyles; Café Selmarie; Barbara Melnik Carson; Casa Yari Restaurant; Cellar Door Studio; Chicago Opera Theater; Chicago Wolves; City Lit Theater Company; Joy Coombes; Sz Theater Chicago; Dark Matter; Soumisha Dauthel; Dana Daydodge; Diane Frederica; Nancy Ferro; First Folio Theater; Tammi Franke; Anne Farley Gaines; Linda Gleitz; Goodman Theatre; Maria Gouveli; Jesy Grose; Marcia Grubb; Barbara Grunewald; Shirley Guay; Kimberly Gust; HaiSous; Juarez Hawkins; Barbara Kay Herring; Mary Melissa Hogan; Holly & Tanager; Nicolina Holt; Dorothy Hughes; Jazz Institute of Chicago; Margo Jeanchild; Marielle Jennings from iCanvas; Indira Freitas Johnson; Solvei Jurmu; Safir Kaylan; Makeba Kedem-DuBose; Catherine Keebler; Rosalie Koldan; Marta Kowalska-Porcz; Ginny Krueger; Haeley Kyong; Kati Lambert; Lifeline Theatre; Roberta Malkin; Midnight Circus in the Parks; Beate Minkovski; Madeline Murphy Rabb; Museum of Contemporary Art; Niki Nolin; Geoffrey Novelli; Louise Pappageorge; Corinne D Peterson; Laura Phelps Rogers; Virginia Pitre-Hay; Amy Pleasant; Felicia Grant Preston; Cherry Rahn; Usha Raj; Rivendell Theatre Ensemble; Carol Rizzolo; Sue Scanlon; Harin Song; Wilma Stevens; Patricia Stewart; Pearlie Taylor; Gwynneth VanLaven; Mariko Ventura + Bert Menco; Janet Webber; Rosalind Faiman Weinberg; Georgia Lang Weithe; Gail Willert; Mary Winter; and Ashley Paige Young.

Thank You to WMG Gala Advertisers

Amazing Edibles Gourmet Catering; Amy L. Stoeffler M. D.; Choices in Dentistry; DJ Marsden Giolas; Grubb Property Management; Lauterbach LTD; Mollie Ryan LCPC, BC-DMT; Nina Corwin; MA; LCSW; Spacca Napoli Pizzeria; Terra Engineering LTD; Trimac Restoration; Inc.

Thank You to WMG Gala Volunteers

Macus Alonso; Anoush Bargamian; Pamela Barnet; Cali Bergold; Kathy Bergold; Marianne Biagi; Cara Boldarini; Hollie Davis; Sheila A. Donovan; Monica Fox; Kimberly Gust; Aidan von Huene; Beata von Huene; Frieda von Huene; George von Huene; Stephan von Huene; Dorothy Hughes; Mari Lopez; Susan Mazzeri; Eben Mazzeri; Vessy Minkovski; Ann Quinn; Mary Rauer; Kathy Blankley Roman; Val Shebeko; Pat Standley and Lisa Whiting.

Special Thanks

Thank you to the Gala Committee with Co-Chairs Cali Bergold and Beate Minkovski, and all members of the WMG Board of Directors.

Thank you to Erin Waser for invite design and to Susan Mazzeri, for creating our Gala program. Thank you to Kathy Bergold, for the lovely flower arrangements. And gratitude to George von Huene from Aeoflex, for handling check-in and check-out procedures. Thanks to Pamela Callahan for editing, and thanks to Cali Bergold for hands-on magic.

(Banner Image from left to right: Younde Olu, Juarez Hawkins, Dorian Sylvain, Renee Williams Jefferson, Evelyn Davis Frazier. Arlene Turner-Crawford, Felicia Grant Preston, Pearlie Taylor, and Makeba Kedem Du-Bose. Photo by Rose Blouin)

Woman Made Gallery
2150 S. Canalport – Chicago, IL 60608
Enter through Parking Lot at North Entrance on 21st Street
312-738-0400 | general@womanmade.org | www.womanmade.org

Woman Made Gallery is supported in part by grants from The Chicago Department of Cultural Affairs and Special Events; The Gaylord and Dorothy Donnelley Foundation; The Illinois Arts Council Agency; a major anonymous donor; and the generosity of its members and contributors.