Chicago Department of Cultural Affairs/music festivals (Grant Park, Time: city hall, college)

[Chi-town Native]

Chicago's Department of Cultural Affairs is dismantled as 29 are laid off | WBEZ

Ouch. This is going to have serious ramifications as far as the City being seen as an attractive place to live, especially for younger people coming out of college.

[tonythetuna]

Why would you say that? The city is merging the department into the Chicago Tourism Fund and will likely rehire most of the people.

[salata87]

This SUCK big time. They did really great job. Not many see it big picture but privatization of the city’s biggest free music festivals in Grant Park is basically privatization of Grant Park itself. From May to end of September you'll have to pay just to enter because will be same kind of festival which used to be for free. In my opinion after parking meters this would be another scam by our beloved mayor Daley. Good-bay present to some friend, lobbyist, company, promoter. We will scream but would be to late.

[Chi-town Native]

Originally Posted by tonythetuna

Why would you say that? The city is merging the department into the Chicago Tourism Fund and will likely rehire most of the people.

Because the Dept of Special Events are Daley suck-ups and patronage hires compared to Cultural Affairs. I've met some of the Cultural Affairs staff, those people are beyond dedicated, they're the real deal. Listen to the story...

[Chi-town Native]

good background:

Turn It Up: Chicagoan of year in music: Michael Orlove

... Michael Orlove, who since arriving at the Department of Cultural Affairs in 1993, has been an advocate and a visionary when it comes to music. With the blessing of department Commissioner Lois Weisberg and the help of a small but resourceful team that includes Carlos Tortolero, Brian Keigher and Helen Vasey, Orlove has turned Cultural Affairs into a music-programming force.

The senior program director founded the World Music Festival, which over 11 years has grown into one of the key international music events in North America. He’s had to be resourceful, scrambling for sponsorship funds each year and navigating the constantly shifting terrain of entrance visas, but still manages to book top-flight talent, including South Africa’s BLK JKS this year. Instead of rooting the festival in a single location, he and Keigher turned it into a citywide event, benefiting dozens of clubs.

Orlove also oversees the booking at the Chicago Cultural Center, bringing in everything from cutting-edge DJs to Middle Eastern folk ensembles. The Chicago SummerDance series in Grant Park has been running for 13 years. Orlove calls it “my favorite event that our team produces for the simple fact of who it draws: Chicagoans from every corner of the city. I love sitting on a patch of grass and taking in the ambiance. It is truly Chicago.”

But his most high-profile contributions have come in recent years, as he has overseen the free, non-classical music programming at the crown jewel of the city’s outdoor concert venues, Millennium Park.

[tonythetuna]

Originally Posted by Chi-town Native

I've met some of the Cultural Affairs staff, those people are beyond dedicated, they're the real deal.

Many have already been rehired. I guess your main beef is if the guy mentioned above is not brought back.

[Chi-town Native]

Originally Posted by tonythetuna

Many have already been rehired. I guess your main beef is if the guy mentioned above is not brought back.

My beef is the restructuring, which seems to be the writing on the wall for free festivals like this/more wasteful corruption-ridden privatizing.

One department was clearly good at what they did - why fix what isn't broken, especially if you're going to rehire them anyway? The answer is control, as in, fold control into something more tightly under the iron fist of Da Mare.

[tonythetuna]

Originally Posted by Chi-town Native

One department was clearly good at what they did - why fix what isn't broken, especially if you're going to rehire them anyway? The answer is control, as in, fold control into something more tightly under the iron fist of Da Mare.

He is retiring. So why would he do something for that reason at this point in time?

From what I can gather, the move was made to save money.

We shall see what the results are and what the reason behind it is.

[tonythetuna]

Imagine if this is approved! :

"Chicago aldermen responded coolly Tuesday to a lone bidder’s proposal to charge Taste of Chicago patrons a $20 admission fee — and up to $65 for tickets to a music stage that draws the biggest-name talent to the lakefront festival."

"Celebrate Chicago LLC — a joint venture that includes the Illinois Restaurant Association, JAM Productions and AEG Live — is pressuring City Hall to move quickly to accept its lone bid because time is running out to book top talent."

Alderman asks for hearing on Taste proposal - Chicago Sun-Times

[grapico]

Originally Posted by tonythetuna

Imagine if this is approved! :

"Chicago aldermen responded coolly Tuesday to a lone bidder’s proposal to charge Taste of Chicago patrons a $20 admission fee — and up to $65 for tickets to a music stage that draws the biggest-name talent to the lakefront festival."

"Celebrate Chicago LLC — a joint venture that includes the Illinois Restaurant Association, JAM Productions and AEG Live — is pressuring City Hall to move quickly to accept its lone bid because time is running out to book top talent."

Alderman asks for hearing on Taste proposal - Chicago Sun-Times

$20 admission? Sorry the food @ Taste of Chicago is NOT that good and already overpriced... Killing the free music venues will defeat a bit of the allure. I wouldn't go whatsoever if it wasn't for the music. Now Taste of Randolph, or Halsted etc ... better prices, better food, less idiots. And what about people on their lunch break that go down there?