Makers & Shakers Bash – 2026 Fundraiser & Celebration
An Inaugural Event for our Inaugural Honorees
Woman Made Gallery (WMG) invites you to its inaugural Makers & Shakers Bash, a landmark evening celebrating art, activism, and the unstoppable women and non-binary visionaries who are reshaping our nation.
As the country takes stock of its 250 years of history, WMG is asking: who’s writing its next chapter? This event is launched to recognize and honor those who are already doing the work. In the first year of this annual tradition, we honor Scheherazade Tillet, as our 2026 Maker, artist whose work shifts culture, and Jane Ruby, as our 2026 Shaker, an activist whose work moves communities towards equity and justice.
Makers & Shakers Bash and Fundraiser, September 18, 2026
Join us on Friday, September 18, 2026, at Morningstar’s HQ for a night that is equal parts celebration and call for action.
Presented alongside WMG’s landmark exhibition Feminism 250: Woman Made America, this event marks both the nation’s 250th anniversary and 34 years of WMG’s relentless commitment to championing women and non-binary artists.
Our goal is to raise $45,000 through ticket sales, donations, and sponsorships. Every dollar directly supports WMG’s mission: funding exhibitions, workshops, and artist programs that amplify diverse voices in the arts.
Happening at the Stunning Indoor/Outdoor Venue in Downtown Chicago
Friday, September 18, 2026 | 6–9PM
22W Washington St., Chicago, IL 60602
Morningstar’s HQ, 7th Floor Venue & Patio
2026 Event Lineup
- Panel Event featuring our very special Honorees and Founding Sponsor.
- Silent Auction – Bid on unique experiences and original artworks.
- Live Blues Band, Chicago Music Award 2024 winners, Patch of Blues will be filling the night with Chicago Blues & Soul.
- DJ Justeez will be spinning sounds curated to Makers & Shakers’ vibes.
- Immersive Art Experiences – Get creative at our hands-on art tables.
- Mystery Bags – Pick up a surprise bag packed with art-inspired treasures.
- Cocktails + Bites – Sip a our signature cocktail, enjoy savory and sweet bites on the best patio in the Loop.
- Showcase of the Resilience Community Quilt by Dorothy Straughter – Create with input from the guests at our 2025 Fundraiser, “Art And The City”.
Member Tickets: $90 for one | $160 for two
General Admission Tickets: $125 for one | $200 for two
Every ticket and donation directly funds WMG’s exhibitions, workshops and programs and moves us toward our fundraising $45,000 goal.
Can’t attend and still want to support WMG? Learn about our sponsorship opportunities.
It’s more than a party. It’s a new WMG tradition.
Each year, the Makers & Shakers Bash will honor two visionary leaders who embody the power of creation and disruption: a Maker, an artist whose work shifts culture, and a Shaker, an activist whose courage moves communities toward equity and justice.
Our 2026 Maker & Shaker Honorees: Scheherazade Tillet and Jane Ruby
SCHEHERAZADE TILLET is a photographer, curator, art therapist, and feminist activist whose work centers Black girlhood exploring beauty, grief, play, and freedom within the African Diaspora. In 2003, she founded A Long Walk Home, a Chicago-based organization empowering young people to end violence against girls and women, where she has guided multiple generations in telling their own stories through art. As a curator, she mounted the landmark “Picturing Black Girlhood: Moments of Possibility” (2022) at Express Newark and “The Black Girlhood Altar” at the Chicago Cultural Center. She was named the 2025 Fellowship Recipient in Art by the Gordon Parks Foundation.
JANE RUBY is the President of the League of Women Voters of Chicago, a role she has held since 2022 after serving on the Board since 2018. Under her leadership, LWV Chicago has elevated its civic impact through landmark achievements — including renaming Congress Parkway to Ida B. Wells Drive — and coordinating major candidate forums and televised debates. In 2026, she helped secure passage of two pieces of democracy-expanding legislation honoring Rev. Jesse L. Jackson, Sr. A national voice within LWVUS, Jane is also a UN observer, a ranked-choice voting advocate, and a founding member of LWV Illinois’ DEI Committee. She was named to Crain’s “Notable Leaders in Philanthropy” in 2025.
Makers & Shakers Bash and Fundraiser, September 18, 2026
GET YOUR TICKETS
Help us hit our $45,000 goal!
Every ticket purchased, every dollar donated, and every sponsorship is essential for WMG to carry on its mission and directly funds the exhibitions, workshops, and artist programs that amplify diverse voices in the arts. Together, we’re working toward our goal of raising $45,000 to keep that work alive and growing.
Member Tickets: $95 for one | $160 for two
General Admission Tickets: $125 for one | $200 for two
Can’t attend? Learn about our sponsorship opportunities.
Contact general@womanmade.org with any questions.
Come celebrate. Come be inspired. Come shake things up.
All proceeds benefit Woman Made Gallery, a 501(c)(3) tax-exempt non-profit organization.
Thank you to our Donors and Sponsors!
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; the Arts Midwest GIG Fund, a program of Arts Midwest that is funded by the National Endowment for the Arts, with additional contributions from the Illinois Arts Council Agency; the Puffin Foundation; a major anonymous donor; and the generosity of its members and contributors.