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Tribute video is available upon request – for b-roll and promotional purposes only, not for broadcast in its entirety.

CHICAGO — Mayor Lori E. Lightfoot, First Lady Amy Eshleman and the Chicago Department of Cultural Affairs and Special Events (DCASE) are pleased to announce the 2020 Rising Star Honor Roll presented by Allstate. Fifty outstanding young artists will be recognized for their creative leadership and exceptional artistic talents with a tribute video premiering on Thursday, December 10 at 3pm CST at YouTube.com/ChicagoDCASE. The 10-minute video features a “Year of Chicago Music” performance by the Grammy Award-winning producer and artist Peter CottonTale and includes remarks by two of this year’s Rising Stars: tap dancer Alexandrya Fryson and musician Diego Lucero. The full list of 2020 Rising Star honorees and nominating organizations follows – and is posted at chicago.gov/RisingStarHonorRoll.

“We’re thrilled to congratulate each of the 50 young artists being honored this year,” said Mayor Lightfoot and First Lady Amy Eshleman. “What makes Chicago’s arts scene so distinctive is the diversity of our people and their stories. As Rising Star artists, these young people are authors of our Chicago story. Their energy, creativity, and hopeful perspective will help to craft our city’s future.”

Presented annually, Rising Star honorees are nominated by their mentors from Chicago-area arts organizations, school arts programs and community organizations in music, theatre, dance, visual arts, media arts, and literary arts. In 2020, the City of Chicago and Allstate honored 15 more young people than in past years due to an overwhelming number of nominations and in support of the Mayor and First Lady’s new citywide youth initiative, “My CHI. My Future.” In addition to the tribute video premiering on December 10, Allstate and the Chicago Sun-Times will profile several other Rising Stars throughout the month of December.

“We are shining a light on the immense artistic talent of Chicago’s young people,” said DCASE Commissioner Mark Kelly. “We celebrate this year’s Rising Stars as the artists and arts leaders of the future. They inspire other young people to take a creative path.”

2020 Rising Star Honorees and Nominating Organizations

Lamari Banks
Nominated by Chicago Public Library YOUmedia for honor in Visual Arts

Lilia Benavides Medina
Nominated by the After School Matters Advanced Drawing and Painting Program at Theodore Roosevelt High School for honor in Visual Arts

Aaron Bergante
Nominated by the Chicago Public Schools Advanced Arts Program in Animation and Sequential Arts for honor in Visual Arts

Mya Corral
Nominated by the After School Matters Advanced Drawing and Painting Program at Gallery 37 for honor in Visual Arts

Ines Dombele
Nominated by The People's Music School for honor in Music

Jawuan Durant
Nominated by Chicago Arts Partnerships in Education for honor in Music

Dennis Evans
Nominated by Chicago Public Library YOUmedia for honor in Music

Jaime Flores
Nominated by Territory for honor in Visual Arts

Karina Flores
Nominated by SkyART for honor in Visual Arts

Samantha Franco
Nominated by the Chicago Public Schools Advanced Arts Program in Drawing and Painting for honor in Visual Arts

Alexandrya Fryson
Nominated by M.A.D.D. Rhythms for honor in Dance

Saint Gates
Nominated by the Lyric Opera of Chicago EmpowerYouth! Program for honor in Music

Esmeralda Gutierrez
Nominated by the After School Matters Comic Book Art Studio Program at George Washington High School for honor in Visual Arts

Shannon Harvey
Nominated by Musical Arts Institute for honor in Music

Aaliyah Haynes
Nominated by the University of Chicago Arts + Public Life Green Line Performing Arts Center for honor in Theatre

Mia Herrin
Nominated by Collaboraction Theatre Company for honor in Theatre

Danielle Hester
Nominated by the After School Matters TV Broadcast Program at Percy L. Julian High School for honor in Media Arts

Kyla Hubbard
Nominated by True Star Media for honor in Media Arts

Fionn Hui
Nominated by Chicago Architecture Center for honor in Visual Arts

Ahmad Hunter
Nominated by The Chicago High School for the Arts for honor in Visual Arts

Terry Jones
Nominated by Marwen for honor in Visual Arts

Dorcas Keme
Nominated by CircEsteem for honor in Theatre

Londyn LaGon-Green
Nominated by Lyric Opera of Chicago for honor in Dance

Daniela Lopez
Nominated by Little Kids Rock for honor in Music

Diego Lucero
Nominated by Urban Gateways for honor in Music

Javier Martinez
Nominated by Merit School of Music for honor in Music

Hugh Maxey
Nominated by the Chicago Public Schools All-City Performing Arts Jazz Ensemble for honor in Music

Laila May
Nominated by Hyde Park School of Dance for honor in Dance

Isamary Medina
Nominated by Puerto Rican Arts Alliance for honor in Music

Mia Mendoza
Nominated by ArtSmart for honor in Music

Emerie Moreno
Nominated by The Chicago Cuatro Orchestra Project for honor in Music

Rafael Noriega
Nominated by Chicago Youth Symphony Orchestras for honor in Music

Makari Patterson
Nominated by Joffrey Ballet for honor in Dance

Matthew Ramos
Nominated by Chicago Arts Partnerships in Education for honor in Theatre

Janet Rios
Nominated by the Lyric Opera of Chicago High School Choir Residency Program for honor in Music

Maleah Ristau
Nominated by The Art Institute of Chicago for honor in Media Arts

Aria Robinson
Nominated by Guitars Over Guns Organization for honor in Music

Isaiah Robinson
Nominated by the Museum of Contemporary Art Chicago for honor in Visual Arts

Nikita Sekhar
Nominated by Chicago Children's Choir for honor in Music

Harmoni Smith
Nominated by the BandWith All-Star Band Program for honor in Music

Rashad Smith
Nominated by the BandWith Drumline Program for honor in Music

Francesca Stewart
Nominated by Marillac St. Vincent Family Services for honor in Music

Mimi Thran
Nominated by the After School Matters Glass Mosaics Program at Gallery 37 for honor in Visual Arts

Ash Vasquez
Nominated by Yollocalli Arts Reach of the National Museum of Mexican Art for honor in Visual Arts

Litzy Villalobos
Nominated by Music of the Baroque for honor in Music

Charlie Voyda
Nominated by the Chicago Public Schools Advanced Arts Program in Photography for honor in Media Arts

Jonah Weber
Nominated by The Chicago High School for the Arts for honor in Literary Arts

Zachary Webster
Nominated by Free Spirit Media for honor in Media Arts

Daina Wilson
Nominated by Lyric Opera of Chicago for honor in Theatre

Jerry Wilson
Nominated by Forward Momentum Chicago and After School Matters for honor in Dance

About the Department of Cultural Affairs and Special Events:
The Department of Cultural Affairs and Special Events is dedicated to enriching Chicago’s artistic vitality and cultural vibrancy. This includes fostering the development of Chicago’s non-profit arts sector, independent working artists and for-profit arts businesses; providing a framework to guide the City’s future cultural and economic growth, via the 2012 Chicago Cultural Plan; marketing the City’s cultural assets to a worldwide audience; and presenting high-quality, free and affordable cultural programs for residents and visitors. www.chicago.gov/dcase.

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