Honoring Cari B Sacks & Brendan Fernandes

Honorary Co-Chairs

Governor JB Pritzker and First Lady MK Pritzker

Co-Chairs

Leah Israel
Lisa Duarte

Arts Alliance Illinois’ annual benefit is the largest celebration of artistic disciplines and cultural workers across the state. Revel brings together the state’s creative community to reflect on the past year’s achievements and look forward to the important work ahead. Each year, we honor Illinois’ most influential creative and civic leaders during this gathering, which has become the premier celebration of the arts in the state.

The event typically draws nearly 400 business, civic, philanthropic, and political leaders, alongside individual artists and creative professionals from across Illinois.

In 2025, we are thrilled to honor philanthropist and civic leader Cari B Sacks with the Citizen Advocate Award and multidisciplinary artist Brendan Fernandes with the Creative Voice Award.

About Arts Alliance

Arts Alliance Illinois builds the creative sector’s power through advocacy and connection to resources to improve the quality of life in communities statewide. Our programs, research, and resources equip creatives and cultural organizations to advocate for themselves, navigate critical funding opportunities, and advance equity in their own work and across the broader field. Learn more at artsalliance.org.

For questions, please contact Kaitlin Donnelly at donnelly@artsalliance.org or (312) 855-3105 ext. 103.