After three months on the job, the city’s new commissioner of the Department of Cultural Affairs and Special Events sat down in his Cultural Center office to talk about how he got to his position and what’s coming up in 2017, Chicago’s Year of Public Art.
I’m a percussionist. In college I actually had the honor of being a percussionist for an Allen Ginsberg happening. And for Hal Russell—I was the worst percussionist to ever play for a world-class player.
The last thing I’ll mention about my background is the Halloween Gathering, which started two years ago. I was asked by the Cultural Mile Association to create an event that had an impact for the cultural life of the city, and I said, “Let’s do a procession that gathers together all of our creative communities.” First year, we had 200,000 people.
Were you given a mandate?
We have the same budget going forward ($31,292,551).
And then 50 years ago was also the anniversary of the Wall of Respect. So here’s a different form of public art, political art, at 43rd and Langley, long gone but highly impactful.
