Prague Days in Chicago 2007

 

 

Prague Days in Chicago is a series of official, cultural, social, community and promotional events during the month of June sponsored and co-organized by the City of Prague in cooperation with the Chicago Sister Cities International Program´s Prague Committee, the Consulate General of the Czech Republic in Chicago and the Chicago Mayor´s Office of Special Events. Other sponsors and partners include the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Czech Republic, CzechInvest, CzechTrade and numerous Czech-American community organizations. The Prague Days festival is organized under the auspices of Hon. Pavel Bém, Mayor of Prague, Hon. Richard M. Daley, Mayor of Chicago and H.E. Petr Kolář, the Czech Ambassador  to the United States and H.E. Richard W. Graber, the U.S. Ambassador to the Czech Republic. Various events will be taking part during the whole month of June 2007 and beyond. The Prague Days will produce closer ties between two sister cities, encourage broader and deeper cooperation and exchange between the Czech Republic and the American Midwest, promote Prague as an attractive tourist destination, and focus on the Czech Republic as a dynamic European democracy. Prague Days events will include:

 

·          Czech Day on Daley Plaza, downtown Chicago, June 5, 11:30 a.m. – 2:30 p.m.

·          Robert Balzar Trio – jazz concert, Katerina´s, June 5, 6:30 – 9:00 p.m.

·          David Koller & Band, guest Lenka Dusilová - rock concert, Subterranean Club, June 6, 8 p.m.

·          Silvie Hessová and Daniel Wiesner - chamber music concert, Chicago Cultural Center, June 7, 7:30 p.m.

·          “Czech Encounters: Prague and Beyond” - tourist seminar, Consulate General, June 7, 5:30 p.m.

·          “Czechs in America” - historic exhibition & discussion panel, Museum of CSA Fraternal Life Oakbrook, June 9 – August 31, opening on June 9, 2 p.m.

·          “Awake the Pilsen Specters!”- Pilsen to Pilsen stereo fest, June 9, Busker gallery, morning program 10 a.m.; Polvo Gallery, evening program 6:00 p.m.

·          “The Revolution Will Be Televised” - Czech film days, Facets Cinémathèque, June 15 – 21, opening June 15, 6 p.m.

·          “Jan Grimm - The Retrospective” (paintings), Consulate General, June 13 – July 31, opening June 13, 5:30 p.m.

·          “Oldřich Kulhánek – Prints and Drawings”, The International Currents Gallery of John David Mooney Foundation, June 15 – July 31, official opening June 28, 5:30 p.m.

·          David Černý - “Man Hanging Out”, Michigan Ave., June 28 (location and time t.b.a.)

·          Vladislav Bláha - classical guitar concert, Czech Mission Chapel in Cicero, June 17, 7:30 p.m.

·          “Dynamic Growth Opportunities” - business workshop, Union League Club, June 26, 5:30 p.m.

·          “The Importance of the International Non-Profit Sector” - breakfast seminar, Kellogg School of Management, June 29, 8:00 a.m.

·          “Golden Prague Gala” - dinner and dancing featuring Ondřej Havelka and his Melody Makers, Hilton Chicago, June 29, 6:30 p.m.

·          Rededication of Cermak Rd., Bohemian National Cemetery (9:30 a.m.), Cermak Rd. (11:00 a.m.), Klas Restaurant Cicero (12:15 p.m.), June 30

For most recent and updated information please visit the website of the Consulate General of the Czech Republic in Chicago – www.mzv.cz/chicago

 

Czech Day on Daley Plaza

 

June 5, main program 11:30 a.m. – 2:30 p.m.                                            FREE ADMISSION

Downtown Chicago

 

A special celebration during the Festival of the Chicago Sister Cities International Program (June 4 – June 7) will include a Czech flag raising ceremony, and concerts by Czech pop-rock superstar David Koller, Czech Grammy Awards winner Lenka Dusilová and the Robert Balzar Jazz Trio. The day will also feature folk music and dance performances by the United Moravian Societies and American Sokol gymnasts.

 

www.unitedmoraviansocieties.com  

www.robertbalzar.cz/rbtrio_en.html

www.davidkoller.cz

www.lenkad.com

www.american-sokol.org

 

 

 

From Monday, June 4, to Thursday, June 7, Czech businesses and culture will be on display in the lobby of the Daley Center as well as in the tents of Prague Tourist Bureau, CzechTourism/Czech Airlines and the Czech & Slovak Museum and Library (Cedar Rapids, Iowa) on Daley Plaza. Their offerings will include jewelry, toys and, dolls.

 

www.czechtourism.cz/

www.pis.cz/en

www.NCSML.org

 

 

In addition, the Chicago Czech & Slovak Store and Carlsbad mineral water producer Mattoni will offer Czech cuisine and refreshments in the tents on the Plaza.

 

www.czechandslovakstore.com

www.mattoni.cz/english

 

 

Join us at this unique downtown celebration of Czech-American friendship!

 

 

ARTS / EXHIBITIONS

 

 “Jan Grimm - THE Retrospective” (paintings)                                    

June 13 – July 31 (Mon – Fri: 9:30 a.m. – 5:00 p.m.), opening June 13, 5:30 p.m.      Free ADMISSION

The Consulate General of the Czech Republic, 205 N. Michigan Ave., Suite 1680, Chicago

The art of Jan Grimm is influenced by “expressive figuration,” which can be also  found in the work of Francis Bacon, Albert Giacometti, Willem de Kooning or George Baselitze. Grimm belongs to the generation of artists which revived expressionism during the 70s and which introduced its new dimension. The main features of Grimm’s paintings are hand gestures and face expressions. Grimm often draws his inspiration from an artistic environment – theaters, coffee lounges, music halls, art exhibitions, etc. He likes portraying an audience, laughing and united by the same kind of emotion and enjoyment. In addition, actors and acrobats are also frequent theme of his work.  The world of Jan Grimm is conceived as a stage and an auditorium without any barriers, where everything is mutually linked.

 

 

“Oldřich Kulhánek – prints and drawings”                           Free ADMISSION

June 15 – July 31 (Tue – Thu: 12 - 6 p.m., Fri – Sat: 12 - 5 p.m., or by appointment 312-822-0483)

Official opening: June 28, 5:30 - 8 p.m.

The International Currents Gallery of John David Mooney Foundation, 114 West Kinzie St., Chicago

This exhibition introduces to Chicago the work of one of the most prominent Czech artists Oldřich Kulhánek. The gifted draughtsman and printmaker gained the reputation as one of the most illustrious personalities of his generation not only in his own country but also abroad. The importance of his work can be also documented by the many prizes he has received at international art-exhibitions and biennales, and with its inclusion in some of the worlds most renowned art collections, e.g. the Art Institute of Chicago; the Library of Congress, in Washington, D.C.; the Centre Georges Pompidou, in Paris; and the Albertina, in Vienna. He is also the designer of the current Czech banknotes as well as the stamp of the Czech President Václav Klaus. Kulhánek wishes to dedicate this exhibition to his American friends who helped him and his colleagues over the years introduce their work to the world on the other side of the Iron Curtain.

www.oldrichkulhanek.cz

 

David Černý – “Man Hanging Out”                                                  

June 28 – August 31, opening June 28                                                        FREE ADMISSION

Outdoor installation, Michigan Ave., Chicago

Czech sculptor David Černý is to present to the Chicago audience a statue entitled “Man Hanging Out,” a sculpture evocative of the life and work of Sigmund Freud, the world-famous founder of psychoanalysis, who was born in what is now the Czech Republic. David Černý gained international recognition in 1991 when he painted a Soviet tank on display in Prague pink. The symbolism of this act of artistic vandalism was unmistakable - after forty years of Soviet occupation, the symbol of a brutal foreign occupation was finally rendered powerless. Černý shudders at the idea of being called an artist and sees himself as a simple sculptor, whose main motivator is an incessant and all-encompassing sense of anger. His public image is that of a rebel, whose sole intention is to shock. However, Černy's works are important in their own right, aiming for the head as much as the heart.

www.davidcerny.cz

concerts

 

 

ROBERT BALZAR TRIO – JAZZ CONCERT

June 5

12:00 p.m. - Daley Plaza                                                                             FREE ADMISSION

18:30 - 21:00 - Katerina's Jazz Club, 1920 W. Irving Park, 773 348 7592,    

All members of the trio – Robert Balzar (bass), Stanislav Mácha (piano) and Jiří Slavíček (drums) – have distinguished international careers and discography. Robert Balzar was also a member of an elite group of Czech musicians who played with President Bill Clinton at the Reduta Jazz Club during Clinton's 1994 visit to Prague. Under the name Rober Balzar Trio they joined forces in 1996 and recorded their first CD called “Travelling”. Their second CD, “Alone,” was recorded in 2000. Their CD “Travelling” was voted 1998 CD of the Year by Czech Radio “Jazz Test”. CD “Alone” was voted 2000 CD of the Year. The Trio was also voted 2000 Group of the Year.

 

www.robertbalzar.cz/rbtrio_en.html

   

 

                                                                                                                                   

 

David Koller & band, guest: Lenka Dusilová – Rock Concert

June 5, 1 p.m. – Daley Plaza                                                                         FREE ADMISSION

June 6, 8 p.m.            – Subterranean, 2011 W. North Ave., Chicago, admission: USD 30 presale through ticketweb.com, USD 35 at door

 

The concert performance of David Koller, a superstar of Czech rock music, will be presented by the Czech-American agency Bouncing Czechs of George Vlcek with the support of the City of Prague and of the Czech Consulate General in Chicago. David Koller is a former leader of Czech Grammy-winning Lucie, the most successful band of the ´90s. The concert is part of Koller’s long-awaited world tour. Lenka Dusilová, a winner of a Czech Grammy for the Best Female Vocalist and many other awards, will also be performing at the concert. Her music can be described as rock with the resonances of the traditional Czech folk music. The concert will be opened by a Czech Chicago band, Doggybag.

 

www davidkoller.cz

www.lenkad.com

www.doggybagmusic.com

www.bouncingczechs.us

www.SubT.net.

 

 

Silvie Hessová & Daniel Wiesner - classical chamber music Concert

June 7, 7:30 - 9:00 p.m.                                                                                FREE ADMISSION

Chicago Cultural Center, Claudia Cassidy Theater, 78 E. Washington Street, Chicago

Violinist Silvie Hessová and pianist Daniel Wiesner, two successful and internationally renowned soloists, produced a duet album in 2004 that was the Czech CD of the Year. The repertoire of the duo includes the music of Antonín Dvořák, Bedřich Smetana, Leoš Janáček, Josef Suk and others. The duo also features the music of the 20th and 21st centuries, accentuating the contemporary Czech composers. Silvie Hessová and Daniel Wiesner won the Euro Pragensis Ars Award for her work in introducing Czech music to domestic and international audiences. The program of their Chicago concert features works of Antonín Dvořák, Leos Janáček, Josef Suk, Jan Hanuš as well as Juraj Filas, a contemporary Slovak composer.

 

 

Vladislav Bláha - Concert of classical guitar

Sunday, June 17, 7:30 p.m.                                                                                     Admission: USD 20

Czech Mission Chapel, 2340 S. 61^st Ave., Cicero, 708-656-6356

 

The concert of Czech classical guitarist Vladislav Bláha is presented by T. O. Dálava and the Czech Mission. Vladislav Bláha has performed in 32 countries (including four tours in the United States). He has won international competitions in Volos, Greece; Markneukirchen, Germany; Esztergom, Hungary; and Kutná Hora, Czech Republic. He was awarded a bronze medal in the Radio France competition. His Chicago concert will feature works by John Duarte, Manuel De Falla, Stepan Rak, Jorge Cardosa and Carlos Atilano.

 

 

 

Ondřej Havelka and his Melody Makers

June 27, 7 – 9 p.m. – Chicago Summer Dance Festival, Humboldt Park Boathouse, 1359, N. Sacramento Ave., Chicago                                                                          FREE ADMISSION   

June 29, 6:30 p.m. – Golden Prague Gala at  Hilton Chicago, 720 S. Michigan Ave., Chicago,                 reservation only event,admission: seating - $ 175.00, standing - $ 80 (admission after 8:30 p.m.)  

Ondřej Havelka & His Melody Makers are synonymous with authentic and stylish interpretations of popular music of the swing era, i.e. music dating back to the beginning of the 1930s and early 1940s. Their variegated repertory includes a broad spectrum of attractive tunes, sweet and hot, ranging from Hollywood musicals to both Czech and American big bands’ top swing numbers. The musicians’ thoroughly jazzy style includes both humor and showmanship. To the Chicago audience, they will offer not merely a concert, but a show designed in the minutest detail to emulate the typical manners of the golden swing era, complete with the costumes and hairdos.

www.melodymakers.cz
egov.cityofchicago.org/SummerDance

 

Closing party - Czech disco night

June 30                                                                                                           FREE ADMISSION

Club Euro, 5415 W. Irving Park Road, Chicago, 773 817 7156

Join us for this closing party of the festival and dance with us ´til dawn to the rhythm of the best of the Czech disco music presented by DJ Roman, DJ Peter and DJ Žížala.

www.clubeurochicago.com

FILM

 

“The Revolution Will Be Televised” - Czech Film Days

June 15 – June 21, opening June 15, 6 p.m.

Facets Cinematheque, 1517 W. Fullerton Avenue, Chicago, 773-281-9075

Since 1975 the Facets Cinematheque has been successfully promoting independent and foreign movies in Chicago and via its distribution company across United States. This time, its Czech born director Miloš Stehlík presents a week-long celebration of recent Czech cinema with the focus on the new generation of filmmakers who have emerged since 1989. All of the films will be Chicago (and sometimes North American) premieres. The intent is to showcase films which represent the fresh, energetic and original approaches of young Czech filmmakers. One of the most successful, Jan Hřebejk (director of Musíme si pomáhat, Oscar nomination), will be the guest of honor at the opening night. The festival is organized in cooperation with the Czech Television, whose support was essential to the production of these and many other films.

www.facets.org/cinematheque

 

Pupendo - Fri., Jun. 15 at 7 p.m., Sat., Jun. 17 at 3 p.m.

Czech Toon Tales - Sat., Jun. 16 at 1 p.m.

Women at the Turn of the Millenium - Sat., Jun. 16 at 5:30 p.m.

Skrit - Sat., Jun. 17 at 7 p.m., Thurs., Jun. 21 at 7 p.m.

Buttoners - Sat., Jun. 17 at 9 p.m., Wed., Jun. 20 at 7 p.m.

Double feature - two x Miroslav Janek: The Unseen 7 & Hamsa, I am - Sun., Jun. 17 at 1 p.m.

Forest Walkers - Sun., Jun. 18 at  3:30 p.m

Wonderful Years that Sucked - Sun., Jun. 18 at 5 p.m., Mon., Jun. 19 at 9 p.m.

The Plastic People of the Universe - Mon., Jun. 19 at 7 p.m., Thurs., Jun. 21 at 9 p.m.

 

Ene Bene - Sun., Jun. 18 at 7 p.m., Tues., Jun. 19 at 9 p.m.

Bored in Brno - Tues., Jun. 19 at 7 p.m., Wed., Jun. 20 at 9 p.m.

T
TRADE / TOURISM / Non-profit Sector

 

“Czech Encounters: Prague and Beyond” – Tourist seminar

Thursday, June 7, 5:30 p.m.                             FREE ADMISSION – prior registration required

Consulate General of the Czech Republic in Chicago, 205 N. Michigan Ave., Suite 1680, Chicago

Representatives of travel agencies are cordially invited to this seminar introducing not only the “Golden” Prague, the capital of the Czech Republic, as an attractive tourist destination. The seminar is organized by CzechTourism and the City of Prague/Prague Tourist Bureau in cooperation with the Czech Airlines, Consulate General, and the Chicago Sister Cities International Program. Cocktails and live jazz will follow the seminar. To register please contact CzechTourism at info-usa@czechtourism.com by June 5.

www.czechtourism.cz/

www.pis.cz/en

www.czechairlines.cz

 

 

“Dynamic Growth Opportunities” – Cz/US Business workshop

Tuesday, June 26, 5:30 - 7:30 p.m                            FREE ADMISSION – prior registration required

Union League Club, 65 West Jackson Boulevard, Chicago 

This seminar offers a networking opportunity for investors and entrepreneurs with interest in the European Union market and will be followed by a reception. It is hosted by Chicago Chapter of the Czech-North American Chamber of Commerce, CzechTrade, CzechInvest and Office Depot. This is an opportunity to learn about the success stories of the U.S. entities benefiting from co-operation with the Czech Republic. As a member of European Union, the Czech Republic serves as a gate to the EU market and can also become a platform for business activities in Russia. If you are interested in participating please contact the Chicago office of CzechTrade to register (312 644 1790, chicago@czechtrade.cz).

www.czechcc.org
www.czechtradeoffices.com/

www.czechinvest.org/en

www.officedepot.com/

 

 

“The importance of the International Non-Profit sector” - Breakfast Seminar

Friday, June 29, 8:00 a.m. - 10:30 a.m.                  FREE ADMISSION – prior registration required

Kellogg School of Management, 340 E. Superior Street, Chicago, 312.335.1916

The seminar is presented by the Northwestern University Kellogg School of Management and the Kristyna M. Driehaus Foundation. It will feature panelists from non-profit organizations such as the Donors Forum of Chicago, the Kellogg School of Management, the Kristyna M. Driehaus Foundation, the Prague Committee of the Chicago Sister Cities International Program, American Sokol, and the United Moravian Societies. The seminar will focus on the influence of the non-profit sector on civil society in a globalized world, on its relationship to the arts, commerce, culture, medicine, education, humanitarian welfare, and democracy. It will include the Hon. Tomáš Chalupa, Mayor of Prague 6, who has been greatly inspired by collaboration of Chicago’s non-profits. The event will amplify the connection and collaboration of Chicago and Prague.

www.thekmdfoundation.org

www.kellogg.northwestern.edu/parttime/index.htm

 

HISTORY / CZECH LEGACY IN CHICAGOLAND

 

More than 1.6 million people living in the United States are of Czech ancestry (150,000 persons in the last Illinois census). Together, they constitute the largest Czech minority living abroad and represent an enormous potential for cooperation and strengthening of the ties between the two countries.

 

“Czechs in America” - exhibition & discussion panel

June 9 – August 31, opening panel discussion June 9, 2 p.m. (door open 1 p.m.) ADMISSION FREE

Czechoslovak Heritage Museum – CSA Fraternal Life HQ, Oakbrook, 122 W 22^nd St., Oakbrook

The exhibition “Czechs in America” will open with a discussion of the importance and history of Czech immigration to the U.S. and the Chicago area. Authors David Kraft and Ivan Dubovický will participate. The event is organized by the American Sokol, an organization founded by Czech and Slovak immigrants in 1865 and dedicated to the physical, mental, and cultural advancement of its members; CSA Fraternal Life Insurance Company, America's Oldest Fraternal Benefit Society founded in 1854 by Czechs and Slovaks; and the Czech and Slovak American Genealogy Society of Illinois. It will take place on the premises of the CSA Fraternal Life, the home of a permanent Czechoslovak Heritage Museum can be found.  Refreshments will be provided. 

 

www.american-sokol.org

www.csagsi.org

www.csafraternallife.org

 

 

“AWAKE THE PILSEN SPECTERS!” - PILSEN TO PILSEN STEREO FEST

June 9                                                                                                                         ADMISSION FREE

Busker gallery (2159 W. 21st Pl., Chicago), 10 a.m. - morning program

Polvo Gallery (1458 W. 18th St. 1R, Chicago), 6:00 p.m. - evening program

The Festival is organized by Lenka Dolanová and Michal Kindernay, the authors of the video-documentary “It´s Fun to be Bohemian” history and present of Pilsen, Chicago. Pilsen, one of the most popular neighborhoods in Chicago, is located southwest of downtown. Czechs (who were known here as Bohemians) began to settle in this location in the 1870s. The neighborhood gained its name Pilsen (alias Plzeň which is a city in the Czech Republic) after the pub called “At the City of Pilsen” which used to be here. Soon after its founding, Pilsen became the largest Czech settlement not only in Chicago but also in the U.S. Morning program features opening breakfast (10 a.m.) and the video-documentary premiere “Its Fun to be Bohemian” (11.a.m.). The evening program features lectures on Pilsen (Dominic Pacyga and others) and discussions (6:00 p.m.) as well as student film screenings “There is no place like home” and “Lets animate Plzeň” (8:30 p.m.). Special thanks for the support of Czech Literary Fund Foundation, František Topič Endowment Fund, and Foundation for Contemporary Arts – Prague.

 

www.itsfuntobebohemian.net

 

 

Rededication of Cermak Rd.

June 30

9:30 a.m. – Bohemian National Cemetery (5255 North Pulaski Road, Chicago) - commemoration ceremony at the grave of Anton Cermak                                                           ADMISSION FREE

11:00 a.m.  – Cermak Rd., Rededication ceremony in presence of both Mayor Bém and Mayor Daley              

                                                                                                            ADMISSION FREE

12:15 a.m. – Klas Restaurant (5734 W. Cermak Rd., Cicero) - Welcome by the President of Cicero, followed by a cocktail reception                                                                    admission: USD 15

Chicago´s Cermak Road is named for the late Mayor Anton Cermak, a Czech immigrant who rose to the city´s most powerful position. He became a mythic figure in the U.S. and in his homeland. The rededication is a timely reminder of his historic importance in bringing Czech communities and neighborhoods into the political importance.

 

www.friendsofbnc.org

www.klasrestaurant.com

 

 

 

  

GOLDEN PRAGUE GALA

 

Friday, June 29, 2007, Cocktails 6:30 p.m., Dinner & Dancing 7:30 p.m. – 11 p.m.

Hilton Chicago, 720 S. Michigan Ave., Chicago, IL

 

The Golden Prague Gala is hosted by the Consulate General of the Czech Republic, the City of Prague, the Prague Committee of the Chicago Sister Cities International Program and the Kristyna M. Driehaus Foundation. It is organized under the auspices of The Honorable Pavel Bém, Mayor of Prague; The Honorable Richard M. Daley, Mayor of Chicago; His Excellency Petr Kolář, the Czech Ambassador to the United States of America; and His Excellency Richard W. Graber, the U.S. Ambassador to the Czech Republic.

 

Dancing to the music of the irresistible Ondřej Havelka and his Melody Makers and their authentic and stylish interpretation of popular music of the swing era, i.e. music dating back to the beginning of the 1930s and early 1940s. The ensemble plays authentic musical instruments, features approach to remaking authentic arrangements, and systematically learns and masters interpretation techniques of the swing period. The outcome is quite unexpected – the charming sound we all know from original recordings and films of U.S. as well as Czech provenance.

The music of this prominent big band from the Czech Republic reflects the seminal impact of American jazz and entertainment on the development of Czech culture, a process in which both Chicago and Prague occupied eminent positions. It is therefore more than appropriate that their music enriches this classy celebration of Prague and Chicago Sister Cities relationship. Let us return to the atmosphere of the golden swing era with this show designed in the minutest detail to emulate its typical manners, complete with the costumes and hairdos!

 

Open bar

 

Silent auction

 

Seating - $175.00 per person

Standing - $ 80 per person (admission after 8:30 p.m.)

 

Black Tie