By CGN Staff

It's been one year since Intuit expanded its museum and got a new name. On April 10 IAM will celebrate with Life is an Art: IAM the party, the Intuit Art Museum annual gala to celebrate Intuit’s 35th anniversary and the 1 year mark since re-opening.  Co-chairs Kahil El'Zabar and Tony Karman will be celebrating visionary Jerry Stefl and creatives Nick Cave and Bob Faust, agents who advocate for art and the Museum in powerful ways.

The public is invited to purchase tickets, turn up in creative attire ("looking like a work of art") and come together with artists, community builders and connectors to experience inspiring stories, art activations, creative fashion, a curated dinner and more at the gorgeous CityHall Events. In partnership with Museum of House and Gertie, the Art After Dark after party at CityHall is amplified with incredible musical performances by legends DJ Lady D, Mike Dunn, Osunlade and Nona Hendryx.

Bob Faust and Nick Cave, Trendsetter Award

Awardees Nick and Bob are Chicago-based artists, collaborators and cultural leaders whose work has reshaped contemporary art and design through creativity, social engagement and bold experimentation. Nick, an internationally celebrated artist working across visual and performing arts, is best known for his Soundsuits—powerful sculptural forms that merge beauty, movement and social critique, challenging viewers to confront issues of race, violence and justice while holding space for hope and transformation. 

Bob is a beloved artist and designer whose work centers typography, pattern and purpose, creating visually powerful projects that inform, provoke and celebrate human difference. Founder and creative director of the cultural branding studio Faust, he brings a message-driven approach to art and design. For Intuit Art Museum’s renovated building, Faust designed a vibrant façade wrap using photographic assets from the Museum’s collection. Works by Chicago artists were remixed into evolving patterns that connect art and architecture. Bob and Nick together co-founded Facility, a nonprofit creative space dedicated to community and social change through art and design.

Jerry Stefl, Visionary Award

Jerry is a nationally-recognized educator and leader whose lifelong commitment to art education has shaped generations of artists, teachers and cultural leaders. IAM Education Committee Chair and a lead instructor for Intuit’s Teacher Fellowship for more than 30 years, Jerry devoted 33 years to teaching at Carl Sandburg High School and served for more than 48 years as an adjunct associate professor at the School of the Art Institute of Chicago, where he is now Faculty Emeritus. His leadership has extended across the field through advisory and governance roles with Chicago Arts Partnerships in Education, the Illinois Art Education Association, the College Board’s AP Studio Art program and the Illinois State Board of Education, and he is the recipient of the National Art Education Association lifetime achievement award. Jerry’s career exemplifies the values of innovation, mentorship and advocacy at the heart of Intuit’s Visionary Award. 

Party Details

Life is an Art: IAM the party

Friday, April 10, CityHall, 838 W Kinzie Street, Chicago

5:30 pm cocktails

6:30 pm award ceremony

7 pm dinner

Art After Dark Dance Party with Museum of House and Gertie

8:30 pm to midnight, performances by DJ Lady D, Mike Dunn and Osunlade

8:30 pm surprise artist award

Purposefully aligned with EXPO Chicago, Chicago’s biggest art week of the year (April 9-12), Life is an Art: IAM the party is the most exciting way to celebrate Intuit's 35th anniversary and the 1st birthday of the expanded Museum. 

Proceeds go towards Intuit’s efforts to advocate for self-taught art and its power as a unique mirror to the world, a refuge for the spirit, and a force for connection and understanding.

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