Two fabulous alumni parties were held in August -- on August 9 in Chicago at The Academy and August 19 in the Los Angeles-area home of Leah Stanko Magnum (Class of '87).
Over 100 alumni turned out for our inaugural Annual Summer Alumni Party at The Academy. Alums from nearly all the school's 35 years attended, including Akenya Seymour (Class of 2010), Nick McCreedy (Class of 2005) and Devin Kliewer-Foster (Class of 2009) who spearheaded the night's live music on an outside stage built by our very own, Buck Blue.
The most recent graduates (Class of 2016) were sent off with a proper bon voyage, embarrassing photos were shared and graduates, faculty and alumni parents connected and reconnected. Comments, both online and in person, continue to validate the extraordinary work achieved everyday at The Academy. Here’s a post from one alum who saw a photo of the event and lamented that she couldn’t attend:
I can't speak to the amount of love that I have for the Chicago Academy for the Arts. My whole world would be different if it weren't for [The Academy]. I can't make the event tonight and my heart aches a little... Thank you for everything you have done and continue to do.
About the Southern California gathering at Leah Stanko Magnum's home, Academy alum and LA-based actor Tom Hodges (Class of '83) writes, "We had a very successful evening!! About 35 alums from a range of years attended -- our biggest West Coast event thus far! Everyone had a great time and there is plenty of love in SoCal for The Academy!!"
Thank you to all who were able to attend the Chicago and SoCal gatherings. And thank you to Leah Stanko Magnum and Tom Hodges for making the SoCal gathering such a success!
For those of you who were unable to attend, stop in the school or drop us a line. We would love to hear what you're up to -- be it in the visual or performing arts or anything else.
For more information on the Academy Alumni Program or to get involved in 2017 alumni events, please contact Judith Feldman at jfeldman@chicagoartsacademy.org. Look for info to follow on Summer 2017 alumni gatherings. We look forward to seeing you then!
Photos by Jonathan Ziebarth, Nicole DeGrasse-Mitchell, and Tim Butler.
And see below for pictures from the alumni party in L.A.
