Catie Keogh - Irish American News

The heriTage LineExecutive Director’s MessageHanding Down the TraditionMembersofthe IAHCevaluatemy performancebased ontwo things;the overallfinancialperformance of the Center andour ability to deliver our missionto our membership and to IrishAmerica. Although we are makingstrides in building financial strength,thanks to the generous supportof our members and friends, I ammost proud of how substantial theCenter’s programming has becomethanks to combined efforts by staffand volunteers. Frank Gleesonand his tireless Cultural Committeehad an incredibly active first halfof 2011, with 11 events, programs,and exhibits, including film viewingsof The Pipe, Hunger, ShalomIreland, Great Architects, and TheBrendan Voyage, panel discussionsand lectures on the IrishEconomy, No Irish Need Apply, the30th Anniversary of Bobby Sands’death, The Irish in Texas, and IrishRevolutionary Women KathleenClarke and Margaret Skinnider,with Celtic Women and art andmuseum exhibits including TimMcCarthy’s The Old Neighborhoodand James Galbraith’s RegularPeople Doing Regular Things inIreland.We also hosted seven concerts,including Girsa, The Clancy Brothersand Tommy Makem Tribute,with the High Kings, the Makemand Spain Brothers and ClancyLegacy, Frankie Gavin and De Dannan,Larry Cunningham, Barleyjuice,Emma-Kate Tobia and Susan Mc-Cann and two dance shows, IrishDance Chicago and In Love WithThe Dance.This spring also saw the inductionof the inaugural class of theIrish American Hall of Fame, whichas it expands will play an importanteducational role in helping peoplelearn more about those that camebefore us, especially those who hada big impact on Irish America andall Americans. On top of our ownevents, we also played host to theChicago Rose of Tralee competition,the City of Chicago Pipe Band andPiping Academy’s Pub Night, and theMidwest Fleadh Cheoil.Gleeson’s committee has severalmore programs planned for thesecond half of the year, to includeHeritage Camp, Irish Bootcamp, theStone Hearth Staged Reading Series,Yeats and the Irish Peasant literaryprogram,the Samhain/Day of theDead art exhibit, a piper’s tionol, and,of course, iBAM!.I believe that iBAM!, which standsfor Irish Books, Art, and Music and isa partnered event with Cliff Carlsonand Cathy Curry and the IrishAmerican News team, will becomethe Center’s cornerstone event overthe next few years, and based on theCenter’s mission, it should be! iBAM!takes the celebration of Irish culturein a very substantive direction, andthat’s what the Center should standfor; a cut above in its commitment topreserving Irish and Irish Americantraditions and to showcasing the bestof Irish arts and cultural talent acrossall disciplines.Supported by Culture Ireland aspart of its Imagine Ireland initiative,this year’s iBAM! theme is HandingDown the Tradition and willprovide access for the Chicago Irishcommunity to some of the world’sbest traditional Irish musicians;Liz Carroll, Martin Hayes, JackieDaly, Mick Moloney, Jimmy Keane,Dennis Cahill, Matt Cranitch, Ben,Maurice, and Charlie Lennon, SeanCleland, Johnny McCarthy andmany others We’ll also feature someof the best writers in today’s Irelandand Irish America, including ChrisBinchy, Kevin Barry, Bill Cullen,Frank Delaney, Joseph Woods, VincentWoods, Claire Kilroy, BelindaMcKeon, Glenn Patterson, Mary PatKelly and many others, wonderfulexhibits from Ireland including TheLife and Works of William ButlerYeats from the National Library inDublin and From The Sources fromthe Glucksman Gallery at UniversityCollege Cork, Sean Nós dancing bythe Cunningham Family, Irish artistssuch as Elizabeth Cope and JenniferAllen, Irish theater performancesby Seanachai, ShawChicago andwww.irish-american.orgSmock Alley, filmsfrom the ChicagoIrish Film Festival,and food by celebritychef RachelGaffney, all underone roof in oneweekend. If you donot recognize anyof these names,spend a half-houron Google, and getfamiliar. And markyour calendarsnow for November11th-13th. What anevent this promisesto be.Beyond justevents andprograms, the hallsof the Center arealive day after daywith teachers, students, performersand families involved in our culturalpartner organizations; the Academy ofIrish Music, Na Gaeil Irish LanguageSchool, Trinity Irish Dancers, O’HareSchool of Irish Dance, Francis O’NeillCeili Club, Mulhern School of IrishDance, Irish Music School of Chicago,Seanachaί Theater, City of ChicagoPipe Band and Chicago Academyof Piping and Drumming, and PatCannady’s piobairi uilleann pipers’gathering, or here for our own IrishHeritage Singers, Shapeshifters Theatre,genealogy program, the Librarybook club, memoir-writing class, setdancing, Celtic Art, and Book of Kellsprograms, Nimble Thimbles and more.Culture is alive and thriving at theCenter.All of the above is of course supportedby a facility that costs a lot ofmoney to operate and maintain, avolunteer force of several hundredcommitted Irish Americans who careabout where they come from and therole that the Center plays in promotingthe heritage, and a staff that workshard to match the commitment of thevolunteer ranks and goes above andbeyond to support a rapidly expandingprogram and event calendar andcommunity. I just feel privileged tobe a part of it all and plan to spenda lot more time saying thank you toeveryone who makes it all happen.Onwards,Tim McDonnell, Executive DirectorIrish American Heritage CenterI wishto thankeveryone includingthemembers,volunteers,staff andthe Boardof Directors of the Irish AmericanHeritage Center for their supportin electing me to the Board andto the office of President. I wouldlike to also personally thank formerpresident, Bob McNamara, for hisdedication and service to the Center.I look forward to serving and Iam honored to be the President ofthis amazing legacy.I am committed to the purposeof the Center and I look forward tohearing from you and working withyou in the spirit of transparency,sustainability, openness and communication.My Irish roots trace back toLismore, County Waterford. Inthe 1850’s, the widow Mary KeefeCrowley made the long hard journeyand brought her sons Patrick,Edward and John to Americawith her. John is my Great GreatGrandfather. I am sure they wouldbe proud IAHC members were theyhere today.The Center celebrates the bestin Irish American culture. I look4626 N. Knox Ave., Chicago, IL 60630 • 773-282-7035President’s Messageforward to continuing to grow andsupport the cultural vision andmission of the Center.As we move forward, we needto keep in perspective that wehave the responsibility to pass onthe Center, and all that is goodabout it, to future generations.We owe this to the Center’sfounders, past and present membersand all that pass through ourdoors. We also owe the currentgenerations, the best in IrishAmerican cultural experiences.To accomplish our goals, weneed to be a team that will think,plan and communicate openlyas we implement for the shortterm as well as for the long term.Collaboration does have value.Together we will continue to positionthe Center as a cultural magnetfor all ages. We will serve ouryounger members as we launchour Shamrock Kid’s Club and wewill serve our Seniors with theGolden Diners’ Lunch program.And, we will serve everyone inbetween those age groups as wecontinue to be all inclusive andall included.I will do my part. I am sureyou will continue to do your partas well.Thank you and God Bless!John Gorski, President, IAHC