At what is traditionally known as a finance-focused institution, Chicago Booth’s Arts & Culture committee of the Graduate Business Council brings MBA students together to celebrate the city’s cultural side.
Through a number of events at the school and various locations across Chicago, the group creates opportunities for students to meet one another and share their interests. The committee has organized several outings in the past year to local art museums, including the Mana Contemporary Chicago and Renaissance Society, ballets such as Modern Masters at the Joffrey, and comedy shows at Second City and iO Theater.
The Arts & Culture committee hopes these events serve as opportunities for students to form relationships outside the traditional social events at business schools. Chicago is internationally celebrated for its arts and culture, which gives students unparalleled access to museums, galleries, and cultural celebrations throughout the city. Thus, whether catching up over drinks at Adler After Dark or enjoying the warm weather by participating in the Chicago architectural boat tour, there are more things to do and see than can possibly be done in just two years’ time.
Perhaps one of the most popular attractions is right here on campus. “A well-known secret among Chicago’s art lovers is that one of the best collections of contemporary art in the city is not at a museum,” a Bloomberg article states, “It’s at the University of Chicago’s Booth School of Business. The school boasts about in its building, the Charles M. Harper Center.”
Professor Prendergast, one of the collection’s five curators, provides four tours per year to students at the Harper Center. The art reflects the mission of Booth and the University of Chicago by including works that are sometimes conceptually challenging, yet raise important questions for the students, staff, and faculty.
While the committee itself is not explicitly a pre-professional organization, it sees that art can be a complement to any future career in business. To promote this thinking, ideas for events in the coming year include a lunch and learn about serving on a nonprofit board at an arts-focused organization, as well as an event with the Public Speaking student group to see The Improvised Shakespeare Company.
We hope the variety in outings will entice students across the MBA program to join and we always welcome any recommendations for future events!
Joffrey Ballet – Modern Masters – February 11, 2018
Lyric Opera – Jesus Christ Superstar – May 16, 2018
