Displaying items by tag: Kara Brody

On Monday, October 26, 2026, the Harris Theater for Music and Dance became a gathering place for Chicago’s artistic community as 3Arts celebrated the artists whose creativity, commitment, and vision enrich the cultural life of our city and state. The 2026 3Arts Awards Celebration was more than an awards ceremony. It was an evening devoted to recognizing the people who make art possible, nurture the next generation of artists, and remind us why the arts remain essential to our communities.

The evening began with a welcoming reception featuring delicious canapés, drinks, and lively conversation. Honorees mingled with guests and fellow members of Chicago’s arts community, creating an atmosphere of genuine camaraderie. There was a palpable sense of excitement in the room, but also something more meaningful: an appreciation for the artistic labor being celebrated and the people behind it.

Guests were eventually ushered into the auditorium, where the formal celebration opened with How I Found My Feet Again, choreographed and performed by Keyierra Collins, a 2020 3Arts Awardee. The performance offered an inspiring introduction to an evening centered on artistic expression, perseverance, and the power of creativity.

Photos by Richard Rankin

Celebrating Chicago’s Artists

The program recognized eleven recipients of the 2026 3Arts Awards, each receiving $30,000 in unrestricted funding to support their artistic practice.

The awardees represented a remarkable range of disciplines. In Dance, the honorees were Kara Brody and Silvita Diaz Brown. Music was represented by Tahirah Whittington and Marvin Tate. In Teaching Arts, the recipients were John Chapman and Wisdom Baty. The Theater awardees were Ana Santos and Tina Fakhrid-Deen, while Visual Arts was represented by Luca Cruzat, Diana Solís, and Sandie (Chun-shan) Yi.

Together, these artists demonstrate the breadth of creative work happening throughout the Chicago region. Their disciplines may differ, but their recognition reflects a shared commitment to making art that engages, challenges, educates, and inspires.

The celebration also recognized ten recipients of the Next Level Awards, which provide $50,000 in unrestricted funding to artists who have previously received a 3Arts Award. The program reflects an important understanding: supporting artists should not be a one-time gesture but an ongoing investment in their creative development.

The Next Level Awardees in Visual Arts were Cecilia Beaven, Brenda Torres-Figueroa, and Farah Salem. Teaching Arts recipients were Stephanie Manriquez, Lional “Brother El” Freeman, Sydney Chatman, Meagan McNeal, and Wanees Zarour. Sandra Delgado received a Next Level Award in Music, and Miranda Gonzalez was honored in Theater.

By investing in artists at different stages of their careers, 3Arts recognizes that creativity needs room to grow. Financial support gives artists the freedom to experiment, take risks, pursue new projects, and continue contributing to the cultural life of their communities.

The evening also acknowledged the recipients of the Make a Wave Awards, an artist-to-artist program through which previous 3Arts Awardees select fellow artists to receive $2,000 grants. This peer-driven approach reinforces the spirit of generosity and mutual support that makes Chicago’s artistic community so vital.

Photos by Richard Rankin

The People Behind the Celebration

The evening’s presenters and organizers helped guide the celebration. Sidney Mori Burnett, 3Arts Director of Programs, Lauren Steinberg, Manager of Programs,and  Shariba Rivers, a former awardee represented the organization’s commitment to supporting artists. Executive Director Cat Tager joined William Estrada, a 2024 Next Level Awardee, in helping bring attention to the artists being honored. Event co-chairs Alicia Del Real and Remberto Del Real, a 3Arts board member, also contributed to the evening’s proceedings. DJ Lady D served as an event co-chair.

Their participation underscored that supporting the arts is a collective undertaking. Behind every award is an organization, a network of supporters, and a community that believes artists deserve the resources and recognition necessary to sustain their work.

The musical interludes added another dimension to the celebration. Sparkimami, a  jazz fusion band, brought an energetic presence to the program, while The Sandra Delgado Experience, featuring Sandra Delgado on vocals, captured the festive spirit of the evening. With its ensemble of musicians, the performance offered a joyful reminder that music can transform a formal ceremony into a shared celebration.

An Evening of Art, Community, and Generosity

After the honorees had been acknowledged, guests returned to the party room for dinner. The buffet offered a satisfying selection of dishes, including fresh garden salad,  roasted sweet potatoes, lentil cakes, pumpkin ravioli, and smothered chicken. Dessert followed with chocolate-covered pretzels, pâte de fruits, and assorted cookies.

The meal was another opportunity for guests to continue conversations, congratulate the awardees, and celebrate the artistic community that had gathered under one roof. There was something fitting about ending the evening around a shared meal after spending the night recognizing the work that brings people together.

What distinguished the 2026 3Arts Awards Celebration was not simply the number of artists honored or the financial support distributed. It was the recognition that artists contribute to the life of a city in ways that extend far beyond the stage, gallery, classroom, or rehearsal room. They preserve histories, challenge assumptions, cultivate imagination, and help us understand one another.

In a city as culturally rich as Chicago, that work deserves to be celebrated—and supported.

The evening at the Harris Theater accomplished both with warmth and generosity. From Keyierra Collins’s opening performance to the musical interludes, the recognition of the awardees, and the convivial after-party, the celebration honored not only individual achievement but also the collective spirit that sustains the arts.

Help Keep Chicago’s Arts Thriving

The celebration also serves as a reminder that supporting artists is a responsibility we all share. The talent celebrated that evening does not flourish on creativity alone. Artists need resources, opportunities, and the freedom to develop their work. Through its awards and programs, 3Arts helps provide that support, investing in artists across the performing, teaching, and visual arts.

You can help keep Chicago’s artistic community thriving. If you believe artists deserve the opportunity to create, teach, experiment, and inspire future generations, consider making a donation to 3Arts. Every contribution helps sustain an organization committed to supporting artists and strengthening the cultural life of our city.

To learn more or to make a contribution, visit 3Arts.org/support.

The 2026 3Arts Awards Celebration was a wonderful tribute to the artists who make Chicago a more vibrant, thoughtful, and imaginative place to live. The next step is to ensure that their work continues—not just through applause and recognition, but through the ongoing generosity of a community that understands the value of the arts.

The Oscars might be over, but this “Best Actress” is just getting started. Welcome to the weird world of the Grelley Duvall Show, or Alex Grelle. His unique approach to cabaret has amassed quite a fanbase over the years. Suffice it to say, there’s nothing else quite like it. In two acts, Grelle and his team blend his favorite female performances with highly choreographed musical numbers set to toe-tappin’ hits performed by a live band. 

Directed by Kasey Foster, “Best Actress” tells the origin story of the Grelley Duvall Show and what inspired a young Alex Grelle and his creative partner Jesse Morgan Young. Their obsessive knowledge of pop culture as seen through the lens of queer millennials is unmatched. They throw anything from a given day on cable TV in the 1990s into the blender and it’s up to the audience to keep up. The irreverent humor, costumes, and slickly produced video segments add up to an evening of hilarious deep cuts and surprise cameos.

To be honest, not all experimental cabaret style theatre is good. Rest assured Best Actress is not that. Rather it’s a 2-hour musical extravaganza with solid gold choreography by Erin Kilmurray and Kasey Alfonso and a kick-ass band led by (and featuring the vocals of) Aunt Kelly. Alex Grelle is a certified triple threat: he can sing, he can dance and he can kick. The team he’s assembled for this production has made something really special for anyone really, but especially for the pop culture obsessed, vintage shopping community.

Joining Grelle onstage is a powerhouse ensemble - Kara Brody, Madigan Burke, Lolly Extract, Darling Shear, Patrick Stengle, and Mary Williamson - plus a handful of puppets that feel like characters in their own right. And make no mistake: Grelle isn’t the only one throwing kicks. This cast matches his energy beat for beat, putting on quite a show. Again, Killmurray and Alfonso’s choreography is killer.

Grelley Duvall Best Actress is one of those shows it’s almost best to not know much about going in. It’s also one of those shows that should just run open-ended for a while, because once you see it, you’ll be trying to explain to people for weeks what exactly it was. 

Through April 12 at the Chopin Theatre. 1543 W Division St. 773-278-1500

This review is proudly shared with our friends at www.TheatreInChicago.com.