Swiss Benevolent Society
Culture Committee
P.O. BOX 2137
Chicago, IL 60690-2137

 

 

Culture Committee

Chair: Marie-Simone Pavlovich, Ph.D.
Members: Ursula Furrer, Gilles A. Noyer


"Culture is what is left when everything else has been forgotten."
(Françoise Sagan)

The goal of the Culture Committee is to sponsor events related to Swiss culture in order to reinforce the ties between the Swiss and the American people of Chicago, and in so doing its goal is to, ideally, reach the greatest number of people.

2011 Report of the Culture Committee

Chair: Marie-Simone Pavlovich, Ph.D.
Members: Samuel Burckhardt, Ursula Furrer, Gilles Noyer

The Culture Committee had another exciting year and supported a great variety of projects. Here is the list:

  • We worked in close collaboration with the Alliance française, and the Swiss Consulate to be very present at the Journées de la Francophonie [March]: first at the soirée commune and on Swiss Day there was the showing of a Swiss film, Pas de panique (2006) by Denis Rabaglia. 
  • At the Literaturlenz Series at the Goethe Institut, Lorenz LANGENEGGER presented his novel, Hier im Regen. [March]
  • Swiss filmmaker, Karl SAURER, presented two films at the Cultural Center of Chicago: Steinhauer and Raja’s Journey. [April]
  • The Ensemble SIX, -composed of 6 musicians-, performed at Fulton Recital Hall (University of Chicago) and also at Elastic Arts Foundation (Chicago).  [May]
  • The Committee supported the first International Amateur Piano Competition organized in Chicago by Thomas Zoells’ Foundation, PianoForte, and made a contribution for the prizes the winners received. [June]
  • The Swiss Day at Daley Plaza gave way to a great celebration that we were happy to support, as well as the First of August badges that were sold at the First of August celebration organized by the Swiss Club. [July]
  • In November European Jazz Meets Chicago 2010 took place at the Chicago Cultural Center; Marc UNTERNAHRER, a jazz musician, represented Switzerland with the Chicago Luzern Exchange Quartet. [November]
  • And last, but not least, we showed our support for the Chicago Artist Studio in Lucerne, placed under the auspices of the Chicago-Sister-City International Program. This time the selection committee chose a Chicago artist, a photographer, Cecil McDONALD Jr., to explore the art scene in Lucerne over the summer.

It is very rewarding for the SBS to be able to support the arts in all of its various aspects, and to enable many people to take part in these exchanges. Many thanks go to the Swiss Consulate in Chicago, especially Margreth Trümpi, and the other collaborators there, for their very judicious suggestions.
In the hope to see you soon at the forthcoming events.

Respectfully submitted,                                                      
Marie-Simone Pavlovich Ph.D.
Chair, Culture Committee
February 24, 2011