DCASE Presents: Open House @ Chicago Cultural Center

Chicago Cultural Center Open Houses offer a later hours experience of DCASE's artists in residence, music programming , gallery exhibitions, shopping, socializing & more in our architecturally stunning homebase.

Chicago Cultural Center Open House:

Chicago House Music Open House & Conference

Enjoy the live activities, panels, dance workshops, Chicago House Music history experiences AND the transformative visual arts exhibitions on display.

Thursday, August 21 2025 – 4pm-10pm

All Sessions Free and Open to the Public

1st Floor

LEARNING LAB

4-8pm Interactive DJ workshop with Tony Montes

WELCOME CENTER & DANCE STUDIO

4-7pm Welcome Center & Dance Studio: 4-8pm House Chill Out Space with DJ Kevin Cosgrove

RANDOLPH SQUARE

4-8pm The Pop Out: Building A Chicago House Music Archive for the 21st Century with the Chicago Black Social Culture Map (CBSCM)

A pop up activation where you can map your dance music memories, add an entry to the digital map, record a story, or digitize photos, flyers, fashion, and other artifacts and take home a thumb drive with you.

BUDDY

4-7pm Store Open (snacks, drinks & art for sale!)

2nd Floor

G.A.R. HALL - House Dance Spotlight

4:00 PM – Doors Open + House DJ Set
4:30 PM – All Ages / Family-Friendly House Dance Lesson - led by Jus.Be House Collective

Instructor: Jeremiah “JJ” Green (Jus.Be House Collective / BraveSoul Movement)

5:45 PM – Panel Discussion: This is Our House: A Discussion Bridging Past, Present & Future of Chicago House

Moderated by Jus.Be House Collective, Creative Netwerk, and BraveSoul Movement

Panelists: Dayvette (House-O-Matics), Terrayne (Main Attraction), Raw Hat and Fathom

7:00 PM – Open Dance with TribeCago + Body:House Dance Summit Pre-Qualifiers

Judges: BraveMonk, Twan Twan, Lil Bit, Wyatt “Willard” Sutter, Fathom

CLAUDIA CASSIDY THEATRE

6pm Screening - Move Ya Body: The Birth of House Music (followed by Q&A)

CHICAGO ROOMS

Until 7:45pm Exhibition: Fabiola Jean-Louis

3rd Floor

PRESTON BRADLEY HALL

6:15 PM – 7:30 PM Panel: Bridging Generations: Legacy, Lineage & New Directions

4th Floor

4th FLOOR NORTH LANDING

Chill Out Space

5th Floor

MILLENNIUM PARK ROOM

5:30 PM – 6:30 PM Panel: Community, Collaboration & Cross-Pollination

6:45 PM – 7:45 PM Panel: Chicago Nightlife & Bars: Culture, Gentrification & DIY Spaces

8:00 PM – 9:00 PM Fireside Keynote Conversation with a luminary of the House Music Industry.

WASHINGTON ROOM

5:30 PM – 6:30 PM Panel: The Creative Process, Purpose & Production in House Music

6:45 PM – 7:45 PM Panel: Marketing, Monetization & the Musician Strategist

Transportation Tips:

Discounted parking available if you purchase ahead of time at https://millenniumgarages.com/rates/ or take the CTA https://www.transitchicago.com/planatrip.

Chicago Cultural Center Open House programs are alcohol-free events.

We welcome all Chicago residents and visitors who are in the arts or love the arts.

RSVPs are requested but not required. The event may be photographed or video recorded.

More great cultural events at ChicagoCulturalCenter.org.

All events are FREE unless noted. A full schedule of DCASE events is available here.