The Public Square at the Illinois Humanities Council hosts two community events in Humboldt Park and Englewood featuring poets and hip-hop artists.
CHICAGO – Join The Public Square at the IHC for two events in the “Know More: Conversations that Matter” series in October.
Young Chicago Authors, the Juan Antonio Corretjer Puerto Rican Cultural Center, and the Humboldt Park Branch of the Chicago Public Library co-sponsoran evening with noted spoken word poet Willie Perdomo. He will perform along with members of Young Chicago Authors and Café Teatro Batey Urbano, followed by a lively conversation with the audience. Join us on Wednesday, October 10 from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. at the Humboldt Park Branch of the Chicago Public Library (1605 N. Troy St.).
Also join The Public Square at the IHC and the University of Hip Hop at the Southwest Youth Collaborative for Graffiti Revolution, a community baraza and mural dedication on Sunday, October 7 at 2:00 p.m. at the corner of 63rd and Troy in Chicago. After the mural dedication, there will be a discussion of youth liberation with artists including The Deck Boyz, Gihad Ali, Mario Gonzalez, Jr., and Ang13.
Both events are free and open to the public. Reservations are not required. For more information on these events, call The Public Square at the IHC at 312.422.5580.
MORE ABOUT WILLIE PERDOMO
Spoken word artist Willie Perdomo is rapidly gaining national recognition as one of the new voices to emerge from the Nuyorican Poets Café. His work has been featured on PBS and HBO, and he is the author of several collections of poetry including his debut, Where a Nickel Costs a Dime, which invites the reader to "hang out" in the ‘hood as he bears witness to life in East Harlem. His other collections of poetry include Postcards of El Barrio, Smoking Lovely, and Visiting Langston—a children’s picture book introduction to the legendary Harlem Renaissance poet Langston Hughes. Perdomo received the 1996 New York Foundation for the Arts Fiction Fellowship and the 2001 NYFA Poetry Fellowship.
ABOUT THE PUBLIC SQUARE AT THE IHC
The Public Square at the Illinois Humanities Council fosters debate, dialogue, and exchange of ideas about cultural, social and political issues with an emphasis on social justice. Programs promote participatory democracy by creating space for public conversations.
This program is part of our “Know More: Conversations That Matter” series. Art, issues, and dialogue—these are the key components to this exciting set of programs sponsored by The Public Square at the IHC. This series is a way to bridge the gap between the arts and social issues that are of current concern to Chicago’s Englewood and Humboldt Park communities. Performances and presentations by top artists and activists are a prelude to community-based discussions. This series is made possible by a grant from The Joyce Foundation. More information about “Know More: Conversations That Matter” and The Public Square at the IHC is available at www.thepublicsquare.org.
The Illinois Humanities Council is an educational organization dedicated to fostering a culture in which the humanities are a vital part of the lives of individuals and communities. Through its programs and grants, the IHC promotes greater understanding of, appreciation for, and involvement in the humanities by all Illinoisans, regardless of their economic resources, cultural background, or geographic location. Organized as a state affiliate of the National Endowment for the Humanities in 1973, the IHC is now a private nonprofit (501 [c] 3) organization that is funded by contributions from individuals, corporations, and foundations; by the Illinois General Assembly; and by the NEH.
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