About the Arts Committee Members
Karl Voigt
Committee Chair
Biography:
Karl has lived in Albany Park since May 2013, and has been working with the arts committee for about a year. His involvement in the arts has been a life-long endeavor, having played several instruments as a youth, he eventually transitioned to being a voice major in college. Karl earned both a bachelor’s and master’s degree in voice performance. Early in his career, he did free-lance performing and teaching in the Philadelphia area, but his primary work became managing professional symphony orchestras, which he did for 16+ years. Karl's last “gig” in the orchestra world was as General Manager for the Grant Park Music Festival in Millennium Park. In 2010, he returned to graduate school and earned a master’s degree in nonprofit administration from North Park University, while simultaneously working at Northeastern Illinois University.
Passions:
Music and the arts in general. Karl is fascinated by the creative process of people and how that translates into meaningful expression (both tangible and intangible).
He loves working in higher education and has a deep interest and commitment in promoting the University as a community resource (in all ways, not just through the arts).
Favorite thing to do in the north river community area:
Eat!
Biography:
Colette received her MFA in painting from SAIC and more recently she founded an arts center in Uptown. She has lived and owned property in Albany Park for 23 years. She has served on the North River Arts committee for one year.
Passions:
Her daughter and son, creating with her head and hands (includes gardening and cooking), nurturing others’ artistic impulses and being outdoors in nature.
Favorite thing to do in the north river community area:
Real estate (her work but also her passion), exploring nature in the city, finding out places to eat and shop, and catching up with neighbors.
Colette Wright Adams
Committee Member
Biography:
Helen handles program and site management, project development, grant-writing, marketing, and community outreach for the Museum of Contemporary Phenomena (MCP), an ad hoc curatorial team in Chicago. In 2012 MCP launched Territory, an urban design program for teens in Albany Park, and we continue to work with teens on creating safe spaces in Chicago neighborhoods. Helen is also a licensed architect. Since 2008 she has been doing small-scale architecture projects while running Territory, working with teens, and pursuing new projects for MCP. Helen has lived and worked in Albany Park since 1997.
Favorite thing to do in the north river community area:
Walking the Chicago River path between Spaulding and Kimball. You never know what you are going to see.
Helen Slade
Committee Member
Biography:
A native of Chicago, Mark McKernin earned his MFA in Electronic Visualization from the University of Illinois, Chicago. Before coming to Northeastern Illinois University where he currently serves as Chair of the Art Department, Mark taught at The School of the Art Institute and Columbia College. His industry experience includes serving as the Technical Director for The Center For New Television and he has worked extensively in the exhibit industry. Mark has been involved with NRC since 2006. His national and international exhibits have included the Boston Institute of Contemporary Art; Illinois State Museum; Vancouver Art Gallery; and the Pompidou Centre.
Passions:
Community Art/Public Art