Ragdale Ring

Ragdale is an artists' retreat located on the grounds of architect Howard Van Doren Shaw's 1897 Arts and Crafts summer home in Lake Forest, Illinois.The artists' community supports more than 1,500 regional students and 150 creative practitioners each year through residencies, financial aid and fellowships, curatorial projects, and educational programs.

Ragdale Foundation

The Ragdale Ring summer performance series returns for the second performance in our 10th anniversary season.

This year we are proud to partner with <a href="https://lflbhistory.org/" target="_blank" data-msys-clicktrack="0" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer">The History Center of Lake Forest/Lake Bluff </a>to celebrate early and current African-Americans in Lake Forest during our 2022 Ragdale Ring summer series. Read a recent <a href="https://lflbhistory.org/" target="_blank" data-msys-clicktrack="0" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer">Chicago Tribune article</a> about our project. We are also excited about the tenth anniversary of the Ragdale Ring design competition and the winning design by [sic.} + fieldtrip. <a href="https://www.archpaper.com/2022/04/sic-fieldtrip-win-the-2022-ragdale-ring-design-competition/" target="_blank" data-msys-clicktrack="0" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer">Learn more about their project, Echo</a>.Bring blankets , or folding chairs, and food. There will be a cash bar.•	6:30 pm - Event Begins•	6:40 pm - Performance by members of Deeply Rooted Dance Theater•	6:50 pm – Conversation between Carol Summerfield, Executive Director of The History Center of Lake Forest/Lake Bluff, and Dr. Courtney Joseph, Assistant Professor of History and African American Studies at Lake Forest College.•	7:15 pm – Performance by Bill Brickey BandParkingFree parking is available in Lake Forest's Oakwood lot, located behind Lake Forest City Hall at 220 E. Deerpath Rd, on the corner of Oakwood and Deerpath. A shuttle van will run every 15 minutes from 5 PM-8:30 PM. Metra riders may meet the shuttle in the Oakwood lot.

Dance/Movement Performances:

Ahmad Hill performing “Somewhere” by Gary Abbott, Co-Founder / Associate Artistic DirectorAhmad is from Chicago. He started dancing through the dance ministry of St. Mark Methodist Church and then trained with Russell Talbert until he was accepted to Chicago High School forthe Arts (ChiArts). A meeting with Kevin Iega Jeff led Ahmad to the summer program withDeeply Rooted Dance Theater (DRDT) where he also met guest instructor Kevin Thomas who invited him to apprentice with his company, Collage Dance Collective. He also worked with Joshua Ishmon’s project-based company, Production: COLORS, before returning to DRDTwhere performed works such as Heaven, Church of Nations, When Men, and Flack. Ahmad danced for GreeneWorks Project directed by Terrence Greene. He performed the lead in Greene’s Coming of the King and assisted Greene in setting his work Empathy on Ahmad’s alumni school ChiArts. Ahmad also joined Ballet Austin II, during his time spent there, he performed Steven Mills’s version of the Nutcracker as the Nutcracker Prince, as well as the Lead Male in Paquita.

Alyssa McCallum performing “Somewhere” by Gary Abbott, Co-Founder / Associate Artistic DirectorAlyssa McCallum was born and raised in Baltimore, Maryland, and has been blessed with the gift of dance from a young age. She began her dance training at competition studios, ballet schools, and gymnastics gyms in the area, then attended and graduated from The Baltimore School for the Arts, as well as received her Bachelor of Fine Arts in Dance from The University of the Arts. McCallum was an original cast member of Rock the Ballet X while attending college and has completed two European tours with the company. She is now an apprentice with Deeply Rooted Dance Theater and couldn’t be more excited to expand her artistry and touch others with her passion.

Taylor Ramos performing “FIRE” by Nicole Clarke-Springer, Artistic DirectorTaylor Ramos was born and raised in Toledo, Ohio. Back home, she attended Toledo School for the Arts, where she first found dance and additionally trained in ballet, modern, and Jazz at her outside studio, Toledo Ballet. She later went on to study at Wright State University as well as dance as a second company member with Dayton Contemporary Dance Company all through college. Over the course of her training, she worked with many choreographers such as Rob Priore, Greg Graham, and Kiesha Lalama. After graduating with a BFA in dance, Taylor moved her way to buffalo to become a company member with Lehrer Dance where she toured nationally and internationally. In 2018 Taylor toured all through Germany performing in Jon Lehrer’s Shadows in Motion. Now living in Chicago, Taylor is very excited to continue her growth as a dancer with Deeply Rooted Dance Theater as a company member.

Carol Summerfield, executive director of the History Center, has overseen the development of several educational initiatives interpreting historical and humanities topics for the public and is noted for her work in museum strategy and public engagement. Her work includes the strategy, planning and content development for the History Center’s exhibits and public lectures. Her work with the Chicago History Museum began when she was the managing editor on the Encyclopedia of Chicago. She holds a BA from Northwestern University.

Courtney Pierre Joseph (she/her) is an Assistant Professor of History and African American Studies at Lake Forest College. Her specializations are in African American history and culture, Haiti and its diaspora, women and gender studies, and hip-hop culture. In 2021, Dr. Joseph co-led the effort to elevate the African American Studies program to departmental status at Lake Forest College. As a public historian, she has spoken at numerous local and national institutions, including the DuSable Museum of African American History, the Field Museum, Brooklyn College, and Carroll University. Dr. Joseph has also been interviewed by NPR and NBC 5 Chicago. As a scholar, she has published numerous articles and essays, and is in collaboration with the Haitian Museum of Chicago to develop the first oral history archive dedicated to the Haitian community in Chicago. Dr. Joseph is currently working on her first book, titled DuSable’s Diaspora: Haiti, Blackness, and Belonging in Chicago, which will be published by University of Texas Press.

Music Performance:

Bill Brickey has been a performing artist all of his life. From his his early musical theater education to his many years as a frontman in bands of most every genre, Bill has demonstrated an unrelenting passion and deep understanding of the performing arts.A 22 year veteran of the Old Town School of Folk Music headquartered in Chicago, Bill is a much sought-after teacher who freely shares his gifts, talents, skills and experience with his students. He teaches everything from rhythm to fingerstyle guitar, rhythm and blues ensembles, Wiggleworms, songwriting, singing and performance.A founding member of Chicago bands Red Handed, Steam Shovel, BLT, Groove Cognizance, Wood, Bone &amp; Steel, Count the Days, and Come Sunday (whose first critically acclaimed CD received a rare 3.5 stars from Downbeat Magazine), Bill has built a dedicated following. A compelling vocalist influenced by R&B, he is just as comfortable with Country, Folk, Gospel and Rock Music.Brickey is an infusion, an influential voice on the music scene, a skilled guitarist and masterful vocalist. Bill takes his audiences on a wild ride through groove-based jams, blues tinged traditions, and personal story-songs of love and loss. Bill heard music calling and he answered it with his life’s work.

Our {communityGuidelinesLink} describe the sort of content we prohibit on Eventbrite. If you suspect an event may be in violation, you can report it to us so we can investigate.

To report other categories of prohibited or illegal content, submit {link}

Ragdale Ring

More events from Ragdale Foundation

Discover more events from Ragdale Foundation, from Arts to other experiences you might love.

Still looking for the right event?

Explore all events in Lake Forest and filter by date, category, and more to find the perfect fit.

Ragdale Ring

More events from Ragdale Foundation

Discover more events from Ragdale Foundation, from Arts to other experiences you might love.

More Arts events

Browse more Arts events with different dates, prices, and formats to find your next great experience.

Still looking for the right event?

Explore all events in Lake Forest and filter by date, category, and more to find the perfect fit.