PRAGUE
DAYS
CHICAGO
June 2015
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Celebrating 25 years
of the Prague-Chicago relationship
Honoring Czech history in Chicago
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HONORARY BOARD
Antonín Čermák Committee
Eugene Cernan
James Lovell
Kim Novak
James Peterik
Anton Cermak Kerner, grandson of Anton Cermak
Joseph Topinka, son of Judy Baar Topinka
Tomáš Garrigue Masaryk Committee
Hon. Adriana Krnáčová, Mayor of Prague
Hon. Rahm Emanuel, Mayor of Chicago
Dagmar Havlová, former First Lady of the Czech Republic
and wife of President Václav Havel
Lukáš Kaucký, Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Czech Republic
Hon. Bruce Rauner, Governor of Illinois
H.E. Mr. Petr Gandalovič, Ambassador of the Czech Republic to the United States
H.E. Mr. Andrew Schapiro, Ambassador of the United States to the Czech Republic
Hon. Bořek Lizec, Consul General of the Czech Republic in Chicago
Hon. Rosemary Macko Wisnosky, Honorary Consul of the Slovak Republic in Chicago
Edward Dellin, Co-Chair of the Prague Committee of Chicago Sister Cities International
Judith Munson, Co-Chair of the Prague Committee of Chicago Sister Cities International
Adriana Krnáčová
Mayor of Prague
Esteemed and dear visitors of Prague Days in Chicago,
It is my infinite pleasure to extend to you a most cordial welcome
to this festival, which aims to bring you a selection of the most
interesting of the highly diverse offer of the contemporary Prague
cultural scene and to familiarize you with potential business
opportunities that our beautiful capital has to offer.
In addition to a whole range of highly important historical milestones, this year we will also celebrate
the 25th anniversary of the establishment of an official partnership between Prague and Chicago.
You may notice that this took place almost immediately following the Velvet Revolution, which for
our country meant a definitive end to totalitarian dictatorship and a return to the fold of liberaldemocratic states along the Western model.
Yet the Czech Republic is tied to the city of Chicago by a very warm relationship with roots that go
even deeper. Just to name one thing, we can point out the origin of the Czech native from Kladno,
Antonín Čermák, who was the local democratically elected mayor at the start of the 1930s. At that
time Chicago was referred to tongue-in-cheek by many as the “second largest Czech city.”
There is a relatively large community of compatriots proud of their Bohemian and Moravian spiritual
heritage living in Chicago to date. With a sensitive evocation of the elements of their cultural identity,
Prague Days in Chicago attempt to expand the general awareness of our countrymen and women of
their origins and at the same time to tastefully present this culture to the general public as well.
I hope that this festival will speak to you and perhaps even inspire you to pay a personal visit to
Prague in the near future.
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Rahm Emanuel
Mayor of Chicago
Bořek Lizec
Consul General
of the Czech Republic in Chicago
Dear Friends,
Dear Friends,
As Mayor and on behalf of the City of Chicago, it is my
great pleasure and honor to offer my warmest greetings on
the occasion of Prague Days Chicago. I would like to take
this time to express my deep appreciation to all those who
came together to organize and realize Prague Days Chicago,
including the City of Prague, the Consulate General of the
Czech Republic in Chicago, Prague City Tourism, and the
Prague Committee of Chicago Sister Cities International.
Prague Days Chicago provides an opportunity to celebrate the 25th anniversary of the strong Sister City
relationship between Chicago and the City of Prague. Our two cities share a special bond, and I was
honored to pass a resolution in Chicago City Council last January that commemorates this wonderful
relationship. I am honored that Mayor Adriana Krnáčová has traveled to our city to attend this festival.
Prague holds a special place in my heart, as I visited Prague in 2012 to celebrate my daughter’s BatMitzvah. Each day, I am reminded of the impact of the Czech community in Chicago when I sit at my
office desk that was once used by former Chicago Mayor Antonín Čermák, who was born in Kladno.
Chicago shares a long history of friendship and partnership with the Czech Republic. City
Hall is honored to house a heart sculpture this summer dedicated to former President of the
Czech Republic and renowned artist Václav Havel to commemorate his legacy and important
accomplishments. In addition, Chicago is the proud home of vibrant Czech communities that have
made numerous important contributions to our wonderful city.
Shortly after the Velvet Revolution in 1989, Prague
and Chicago became Sister Cities, creating a forum for
exchanging ideas on art, education and culture, and
establishing a pathway for rediscovery of the shared origins
of their people.
Not many nations can say that there is a place on the other side of the planet where their countrymen
became a Mayor of one of the world’s most powerful cities, as Anton Cermak; got to walk on the moon, as
Eugene Cernan; founded the most successful sports enterprise in the world and one of its major teams, as
“Papa Bear” George Halas; created the largest global food chain, McDonald’s, as Ray Kroc; taught the world
during a space mission to never give up, as Jim Lovell; became the symbol of Hollywood charm, as Kim
Novak; wrote songs, which dominated the music charts all over the globe, as Jim Peterik; created a statue
placed next to one of the world’s most respected art museums, as Albin Polasek; and became, as stated by
President Obama, “an institution in Illinois politics,” as Judy Baar Topinka.
That is why I am so proud to represent the Czech Republic in Chicago and why we dedicate this
festival to the great Czech history here.
Please allow me to thank all friends of the Czech Republic in Chicago, without whose help this
festival would not be possible; to our generous sponsors; and to the Mayor Adriana Krnáčová and the
City of Prague for the opportunity to help bring this unique presentation of our capital to Chicago.
I look forward to seeing you during “Prague Days Chicago”!
Please accept my heartfelt gratitude for the Czech community’s contributions to make Prague Days
Chicago a reality for our city. I offer my best wishes for enjoyable celebrations.
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 Music, Visual Arts & History | June 10
“THIS IS PILSEN: BOHEMIAN PAST, LATINO PRESENT”
Music: Ondřej Havelka and his Melody Makers
Vivian García, Esso Afrojam Funkbeat & special surprise guest
Visual Arts: Viktor Valášek, Diana Solís & JASSO
History: “Czechs & Chicago” exhibit by Thomas Gaulkin & Irena Čajková
Opening of exhibits: 6:30 p.m., Concerts: 8 p.m.
Exhibits remain on display untill Friday, July 31, 2015
Thalia Hall, 1807 South Allport Street, Chicago, IL 60608
Admission: Standing – $15, Balcony – $22
 The Prague Days Chicago festival kicks off
with a celebration of the history and heritage of
Pilsen from its Czech origins to its largely Latino
present. Enjoy music and art from Prague
and from the local community, discover the
neighborhood’s past through the eyes of its early
residents, and experience the vibrant cultural
life that continues to define Pilsen today.
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MUSIC: Ondřej Havelka and His Melody
Makers will play retro hits from Pilsen’s early
days as a mostly Czech neighborhood, and offer
an authentic glimpse of the music and style of the
Big Band swing era. ¡ESSO! Afrojam Funkbeat
is a Chicago-based fusion band cofounded by a
Mexican Chicagoan, Armando Pérez. Known for
their blend of AfroLatin-Funkbeat-Cumbiaton,
¡ESSO! brings together some of the city‘s funkiest
live musicians in a celebration of international
culture and unity. Vivian García is a Chicago-
based singer-songwriter. Her musical journey
has taken her around the world from studying
rumba flamenca rhythms in Granada, Spain to
jamming with international folk musicians in
Madrid, and back to Chicago where she performs
her own compositions and sings with global
bands like ¡ESSO!
VISUAL ARTS: Viktor Valášek is a painter based
in Prague, Czech Republic. Using traditional
media of painting and drawing, Valášek depicts
and comments on his own surroundings,
including sociopolitical issues such as
waste reduction, abuse of power or cultural
stereotypes and memories from his own nation‘s
collective consciousness. Diana Solís was born
in Monterrey, Nuevo Leon, Mexico and grew up
in Chicago’s Pilsen community. Her work often
depicts whimsical, anthropomorphic creatures
set in multi-colored abstract backgrounds or
against the stark white of paper. There is an
unspoken complicity between her characters
that give the work the feel of a contemporary
fairy tale. JASSO is one of Chicago and Pilsen’s
most recognized young street artists and painters
today. Influenced by his Mexican roots, graffiti,
and pop culture, his work juxtaposes historical
Mexican iconography with contemporary pop
figures. His large wheat paste works are part
of the everyday urban landscape that offers
viewers a refreshing and important perspective
on reexamining and deconstructing cultural and
historical parameters through the arts.
HISTORY: In an effort to bring arts and
entertainment from Bohemia to his Czech
neighbors in Pilsen, John Dusek, a Czech
immigrant, established Thalia Hall in 1892. His
architects, Faber & Pagel, used the Prague opera
house as a model for their design. The facility
was re-established in 2014 by Bruce Finkelman
(Empty Bottle, EBP, Longman & Eagle, Beauty
Bar) and Craig Golden (SPACE, Union, Longman
& Eagle) as a modern town hall with a central
meeting place, a tavern (Dusek’s Board & Beer),
and a world-class performance space. Panels on
the Czech history of Chicago and the Pilsen
neighborhood have been prepared by Thomas
Gaulkin and Irena Čajková specifically for
Prague Days Chicago 2015.
The event is co-organized by the Consulate
General of Mexico and the Mexico
City Committee of Chicago Sister Cities
International.
www.melodymakers.cz, www.essoafrojamfunkbeat.com, viviangarcia.bandcamp.com/album/
cold-bed, dianasolisarteypapel.blogspot.com, jassostreetart.tumblr.com, viktorvalasek.com,
thaliahallchicago.com/history
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 Music | June 11
 Visual Arts | June 12 – July 31
Seating opens to the public: 5:30 p.m., Concert: 6:30 p.m.
Millennium Park‘s Jay Pritzker Pavilion, 201 E. Randolph St., Chicago, IL 60601
Free Admission
Gallery Hours: Tuesday – Friday 10 a.m. - 5 p.m., Saturday, 11 a.m. – 5 p.m.
Maya Polsky Gallery, 215 West Superior Street #1E, Chicago, IL 60654
Free Admission
EGGNOISE
“TREASURED LEGACY” - ALPHONSE MUCHA & JARMILA MUCHA PLOCKOVÁ
 Formed in 1994 by singer-songwriters
Ondra Kopička and Ondřej Galuška, Eggnoise
puts its own stylistic trademark on grunge,
punk, rock, jazz, and pop. Its albums feature
a centrifugal tendency that allows the band to
move into various approaches to music while
maintaining their own singular sound. The
band’s live performances throughout Europe
are known for high energy and humor. The
band has performed with such artists as dEUS,
the Levellers, and Longital. Songs by Eggnoise
are a part of the soundtrack to a popular Czech
film the Holy Quaternity, including the hit “Co je
moje je i tvoje” (What is mine is yours too). The
Chicago concert during Prague Days will be part
of the “Downtown Sound” series.
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eggnoise.cz
 Alphonse Mucha, one of the greatest
Czech artists, will be featured in this
exhibition both as an artist and as an
inspiration for his granddaughter’s work
in glass, jewelry and sculpture. A selection
of Mucha’s legendary Art Nouveau posters
will be on display. The never-before-seen
exhibit will also highlight Mucha’s significant
presence in Chicago. At the invitation of
his patron, Chicago philanthropist Charles
R. Crane, Mucha lived, taught, and worked
here. Five large-scale paintings from Mucha’s
monumental work, The Slav Epic, sponsored
by Crane were on display at the Art Institute
in 1920 to great critical and public acclaim.
Mucha’s depiction of Crane’s daughter
Josephine as the goddess Slavia was featured
on the 100-crown note of the Republic of
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Czechoslovakia that will also be a part of the
exhibit.
Mucha’s granddaughter, Jarmila Mucha
Plocková, relied in her work on a printed
collection of Mucha’s designs known as the
Documents Décoratif and on his conceptions
for a jewelry boutique in Paris. She first
re-created Mucha’s works while remaining
faithful to the originals, and then she used her
grandfather’s work as an inspiration for her
own art. By participating in the exhibition,
she pays tribute to her grandfather in the city
of such significance for his career. The exhibit
will include two sculptures titled, Nature, that
she re-created from the originals made by
her grandfather in cooperation with Prague
sculptor Peter Nižňanský. The sculptures will
be displayed during Prague Days for the first
time. Both sculptors will be present.
Rolf Achilles is the curator of the exhibit. The
project is co-organized by the Maya Polsky
Gallery. It was made possible thanks to the
kind support of Maya Polsky, Richard and
Inese Driehaus and The Archive of Czech
Exile Art of Míla and Jaroslav Kynčl.
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www.alfonsmucha.org, www.muchaplockova.com
www.mayapolskygallery.com, www.driehausfoundation.org
 Society | June 12
GOLDEN PRAGUE GALA, FEATURING ONDŘEJ HAVELKA AND HIS MELODY MAKERS
Cocktails: 6:30 p.m., Dinner: 7 p.m.
University Club, 76 East Monroe Street, Chicago, IL 60603
Admission: $175
 Honoring famous Czech Chicagoans who
have achieved exceptional success, the black-tie
dinner will be the culmination of Prague Days. It
will feature the music of Ondřej Havelka and his
Melody Makers, an orchestra that performed to
great acclaim in Chicago in 2007. The sculpture,
Nature, originally created by Alphonse Mucha
and recreated recently by his granddaughter,
Jarmila Mucha Plocková, in cooperation
with Prague sculptor Peter Nižňanský will
be unveiled for the first time – thanks to the
support of Richard and Inese Driehaus. The
evening will also feature a special performance
by the Czech-Chicagoan rock star, Jim Peterik,
and the original members of the Ides of March.
www.ucco.com, www.melodymakers.cz, www.muchaplockova.com, jimpeterik.com
www.facebook.com/pages/Peter-Nižňanský-sculptor/142500322466244
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 Music | June 13
PRAGUE ROCKFEST HOSTED BY JIM PETERIK OF THE IDES OF MARCH
MICHAEL KOCÁB, EGGNOISE, KATEŘINA & BARBARA GARCÍA, EUROBAND, 4WITHOUT & MORE
UNITED MORAVIAN SOCIETIES, MORAVIAN CULTURAL SOCIETY, AMERICAN SOKOL
FREE INFLATABLE ZONE FOR CHILDREN, CZECH FOOD, BEER & SOUVENIRS
Park opens: 1 p.m., Concerts: 2 – 9:30 p.m.
Cicero Community Park, South 53rd Avenue, Cicero, IL 60804
Free Admission
 Rock giant Jim Peterik, a Czech-American
singer and songwriter from Berwyn, will host
the musical program. Peterik was the founder
of the band Survivor and earned a Grammy
and an Oscar nomination for the song, “Eye
of the Tiger” , the theme from the movie Rocky
III. Today, he continues to perform with his
original band the, Ides of March, and is also
active as a producer and mentor to young,
developing talent.
Michael Kocáb is a Czech rock legend, both
as a singer and as a composer. He is the leader
of a popular music band, Pražský Výběr,
which was suppressed by the Czechoslovak
communist regime in the 1980s. His most
famous hits include “Pražákům, těm je tu hej” and
“S cizí ženou v cizím pokoji” . In addition to being
a singer and composer of classical and film
music, Michael Kocáb is also a well-known
politician. He worked closely with President
Václav Havel and contributed to the departure
of Soviet troops from the Czechoslovak
territory after the Velvet Revolution.
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The open-air music festival will also include
performances by Eggnoise, presenting a
fusion of genres, including grunge, punk,
rock, jazz, and pop; Kateřina García, a singer
with a broad repertoire including traditional
folk songs from Moravia, Ireland, the Balkans
and Spain, joined by her sister Barbara
García; two Czech-American, Chicagobased bands, 4WithOut, the Best Rock band
in Chicago Independent Music Awards
2014 and Euroband; and more. The United
Moravian Societies and Moravian Cultural
Society will provide folk music and dances.
American Sokol will demonstrate gymnastics
and other skills. A playground for children,
Czech food, beer and souvenirs as well as a
presentation of Czech tourism opportunities
will be available.
The event co-organized by the Chicagoland
Czech-American Community Center and
hosted by the town of Cicero, a Chicago
suburb with a long Czech history.
jimpeterik.com,
cs-cz.facebook.com/michaelkocabofficial,
eggnoise.cz,
www.katerina-garcia.com, 4without.com,
www.unitedmoraviansocieties.org, www.moravianculturalsociety.org,
american-sokol.org,
chicagocacc.org, www.thetownofcicero.com
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 Shared Values | June 15
UNVEILING OF A HEART FOR VÁCLAV HAVEL SCULPTURE
BY HON. ADRIANA KRNÁČOVÁ, MAYOR OF PRAGUE, HON. RAHM EMANUEL,
MAYOR OF CHICAGO AND DAGMAR HAVLOVÁ, WIFE OF PRESIDENT VÁCLAV HAVEL
SPECIAL GUESTS: ONDŘEJ GAVLOVSKÝ, ROMAN ŠVEJDA,
AMBASSADOR MICHAEL ŽANTOVSKÝ AND MICHAEL KOCÁB
Unveiling ceremony: 9 – 10 a.m.
On display at Chicago City Hall: Monday June
15 - Friday, August 28, 2015
Chicago City Hall, 5th Floor Lobby, 121 North
LaSalle Street, Chicago, IL 60602
Free Admission
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 When the members of a rock band called
The Plastic People of the Universe were
arrested in Communist Czechoslovakia in
1976, playwright Vaclav Havel issued his call
to “live in truth” and led other intellectuals
in a protest against the government action.
His leadership led to Charter 77, the
most important act of dissent against the
Communist regime and resulted in his
incarceration for several years. With his
essay entitled, “The Power of the Powerless,”
his plays, and his dissident actions, Havel
became a worldwide symbol for freedom,
democracy, and human rights. When the
Velvet Revolution caused the fall of the
regime in 1989, Havel became president of
Czechoslovakia and then the Czech Republic.
On November 19, 2014, the United States
recognized Havel’s historic accomplishments
by placing a bust of Havel in the Freedom
Foyer of the U.S. Capitol.
In this concluding event of Prague Days
Chicago, another sculpture honoring Havel
will be dedicated in Chicago. The sculpture
will join two other major sculptures in Chicago
that honor Czech leaders – the equine statue
on the campus of the University of Chicago of
Tomáš Garrigue Masaryk, who founded the
Czechoslovak Republic in 1918, and the huge
statue on Chicago’s Museum Campus of Karel
Havlíček, the journalist, writer, and freedom
fighter of the 19th century.
www.vaclavhavel.cz
Havel used the heart as his personal symbol.
After his death in 2011, thousands of Czechs lit
candles in public places to honor the fallen hero.
Sculptors Lukáš Gavlovský and Roman Švejda
constructed a giant heart from those candles.
They also made a smaller heart that the City
of Prague will present to the City of Chicago.
Similar to the large sculpture in the Czech
Republic, this Heart For Václav Havel will travel in
Chicago to universities and other public places
to tell its story and the story of Václav Havel. The
journey of the heart will begin at the Chicago
City Hall where it will be unveiled by the Mayors
of Prague and Chicago and remain on display for
two months.
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Film | June 7 – 30
“PRAGUE DAYS – CZECH THAT FILM” HOSTED BY KIM NOVAK
Special Star Guests: Kim Novak - Sunday, June 14, Jiří Mádl - Tuesday, June 23
Gene Siskel Film Center, 164 North State Street, Chicago, IL 60601
Admission: Adults: $11, Students: $7, Youth (aged 6-17): $7, Film Center Members: $6
 Recent Czech cinematography will be hosted by Kim Novak, one of the icons of American cinema
and a Czech Chicagoan. Q&A session with the 1957 Golden Globe World Favorite Female Actress
will follow the special screening of one of her most successful films, Vertigo. One of the most popular
Czech actors of today, Jiří Mádl will appear as special guest of the festival and will present his debut as
film director, To See the Sea, on Tuesday, June 23. The following films will be featured:
Vertigo
Special Screening with the Star Guest Kim Novak
Sunday, June 14 (different venue)
The Icing (Zakázané uvolnění),
Sunday, June 7, 5:15 p.m. | Tuesday, June 9, 8:15 p.m.
Fair Play
Sunday, June 14, 5:15 p.m. | Tuesday, June 16, 8:15 p.m.
To See the Sea (Pojedeme k moři)
Sunday, June 21, 5:15 p.m. | Tuesday, June 23, 8:00 p.m.
Krásno
Sunday, June 28, 5:00 p.m. | Tuesday, June 30, 8:00 p.m.
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www.siskelfilmcenter.org
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Organizers
Prague
Platinum Sponsor
Golden Sponsors
Silver Sponsors
BVSZ
Brunner-Vavra-Slawniak-Zaburda
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PROGRAM OF PRAGUE DAYS CHICAGO JUNE 2015
www.praguedayschicago.com