The location of this meeting has been changed to the

State Conference Room located in the 9th Floor Tenant Lounge in the IWA Office building, 17th N State Street.

The location of this month's Bridge has changed to member Linda Ewing's home. The address is provided in the confirmation email.

This monthly event is for all interested Bridge players, and includes members who play Basic Social Bridge as well as Intermediate/Advanced Bridge players.

(Please be aware that you need a basic knowledge of

Bridge in order to participate).

Wednesday, September 17, 2024

4:00PM - 6:00PM

Marisol Restaurant and Bar, Museum of Contemporary Art,

220 E Chicago Avenue, ground floor

Join us for this Happy Hour Meet & Greet! Visit with current IWA friends and introduce potential members to IWA while enjoying Marisol's happy hour specials!

https://www.marisolchicago.com

Maximum: 30 IWA members and guests (1 guest per member)

Friday, September 19, 2025
Arrival Time: 10:45 AM; Tour Start Time: 11:00 AM sharp

Newberry Library, 60 W Walton Street

Founded in 1887, the Newberry is one of Chicago’s most historic cultural institutions. Whether you’re curious about family history, interested in taking classes, or excited to learn something new and unexpected, the Newberry welcomes you. The Newberry boasts a world-class collection that spans more than six centuries of human experience. 

On a guided tour, you’ll learn about the Newberry’s iconic architecture and extensive history. You’ll also get to see the Newberry in action and why it receives tens of thousands of visitors each year.  

You are invited to join us at Pizano's Pizza and Pasta, 864 N State St, after the tour. We will get a headcount that morning at Newberry Library.

Parking: Pay-to-park and on-street metered parking are available in the neighborhood and the library’s surrounding streets.
Public Transportation: The Newberry is walkable from multiple CTA train lines. Several bus routes stop within a block or two of the Newberry.

Registration Deadline: September 5, 2025
Cost information provided in confirmation email.

Contact: Pat Naparsteck

Tuesday, September 30, 2025

Arrival 10:15 a.m.; Tour begins promptly at 10:30 a.m.

Second Presbyterian Church, 1936 South Michigan Avenue, northwest corner of Michigan Ave and Cullerton St

Embark on a curated tour of the only Chicago area church with the nation’s highest historical landmark status! Once the place of worship for many Prairie Avenue notables, parishioners included well-known names such as Lincoln, Cobb, Pullman, Blackstone, and Fargo!

Topics of our docent-guided tour will include:

• How and why famed architect Howard Van Doren Shaw transformed the sanctuary from gothic into an Arts and Crafts masterpiece.

• An impressive collection of nine beautiful stained-glass windows by renowned designer Louis Comfort Tiffany…and other important artisans of this genre.

• A look at muralist Frederick Clay Bartlett's infusion of pre-Raphaelite styled images into the space. Plus much more!

There is a small parking lot just to the north of the church. Metered street parking is readily available, as is public transportation.

Registration Deadline: Monday, September 22

Cost information provided in confirmation email.

Contact: Barbara Champion

Monday, October 6, 2025

10:30 AM — 12:00 PM

Loews Chicago Hotel, 455 North Park Drive

Meet in the Lobby of Loews Chicago Hotel

You are invited to an informal gathering of IWA friends in this spacious, warm setting. This is a great opportunity to introduce potential members to our organization! Stay for as little or as long as you like. 

Coffee available for purchase.

455 North Park Drive is at the intersection with Lower North Water Street, just off Columbus Drive between the Chicago River and Whole Foods.

Contact: Barbara Calabrese

Tuesday October 7, 2025

10:30 am social; 11 am program in French

IWA Office, 17 N State Street, Suite 1760

This presentation by Weriem traces the evolution of Pierrot from his origins as the comedic character Pedrolino in 16th-century Italy to a symbol of melancholy, love and solitude in European art.

It highlights his transformation in French theater, his influence on romantic and Modernist movements and his enduring presence in modern culture. Pierrot continues to inspire artists across centuries.

WERIEM is a French-Tunisian visual artist whose work draws inspiration form the performing arts, history and storytelling. Before fully focusing on the fine art, she designed costumes for opera and theater. Weriem holds a PhD in biology from the Université de Lille, a background that fuels the precision and emotion behind her detailed creations.

Refreshments are welcome.

RSVP by October 5

Contact: Nadej Mercier

Save The Date!

Moon Festival Celebration at the Korean Cultural Center

Saturday, October 11, 2025

Approximate Time: 11:00 a.m. - 2:00 p.m.

Korean Cultural Center, 9925 Capital Dr., Wheeling, IL

This event will include lunch, a guided tour of the exhibition, a Moon Jar-making demonstration by a master ceramicist from Korea, and a lecture on the history of Korean ceramics by a curator from the Denver Art Museum. The day will conclude with performances of traditional

Korean dance and music.  

Details to follow.

Contact: Gay-Young Cho

This Board Meeting will be held in person. If you are going to be out of town but plan to attend, please contact Celia for registration.

Friday, October 17, 2025

Host: Sharon Campbell, Address given upon registration

10:15am - Meet to drop off potluck items

10:30am - 12:30pm - Walking Tour of Historic Lakefront of Evanston

12:30 - 2:00pm - Potluck Lunch

RSVP by Wednesday, October 15 for walk and/or potluck

This is 2 hour slow paced walk - wear comfortable shoes for walking! If it rains, dress accordingly and bring an umbrella.

*Please indicate if you will attend the walking tour only or both the tour and potluck.

*Let us know what dish you are bringing. Remember to bring serving utensils for your potluck item!

On the day - if running late or need to cancel, please call or text Carolyn.

Street parking is available.

Volunteers for hosting our pot-lucks, restaurant suggestions and walking location ideas are always appreciated. Join us for friendship and fellowship. IWA North Shore area events are open to all members and their guests.

Book: A Volga Tale
Author: Guzel Yakhina

Discussion Leader: Dell Harmsen

Literature Discussion Chairs: Barbara Herzog and Teresa Kennedy

The Literature Group offers members an international perspective in literary fiction by introducing acclaimed, if sometimes lesser known, writers and books. Members are invited to attend by Zoom, although we request that only those who have read the book participate in discussion.

This monthly event is for all interested Bridge players, and includes members who play Basic Social Bridge as well as Intermediate/Advanced Bridge players.

(Please be aware that you need a basic knowledge of

Bridge in order to participate).

Save The Date!

In-Person Program at the Peruvian Consulate in Chicago

Wednesday, October 22, 2025

Details to follow

Join your IWA friends in a fun and friendly game of Mah Jongg! There is nothing more exciting than when, with your heart racing, your adrenaline pumping, your palms sweating, and you call "Mah Jongg"!

ALL LEVELS ARE WELCOME! A refresher lesson will be given at the beginning of each meeting.

You and your guests are invited to join the IWA Annual Fundraising Celebration to be immersed in international festivities!

RSVP by October 19, 2025.

This Exciting Event Includes:

Cultural Presentation

Mini Holiday Bazaar

Raffle Ticket Sales

Vocal Performance

Plated Lunch

Paddle Raise

Register today to purchase tickets or sponsorships!

If you are unable to join us for the celebration, please consider: 

• Making a donation (Click here to donate)
• Donating an item to the raffle (Click here for Digital Form and Printable Form)

Thank you for your support!

Questions?

Please email iwa@iwachicago.org or call 312-263-1421.

Book: North Woods
Author: Daniel Mason

Discussion Leader: Ann Brody

Literature Discussion Chairs: Barbara Herzog and Teresa Kennedy

The Literature Group offers members an international perspective in literary fiction by introducing acclaimed, if sometimes lesser known, writers and books. Members are invited to attend by Zoom, although we request that only those who have read the book participate in discussion.

Save The Date!

North Shore November

Friday, November 14, 2025

Details to follow

Wednesday, November 19, 2025

4:00 - 6:00 PM

Kirei Atrium Room in the historic Whitehall Hotel, 105 E Delaware Place

Join us for this private happy hour with IWA friends!

Happy hour specials, Asian dishes, brick oven pizza, and bar menu items will be available for purchase. Click here to see the whole food menu.

Registration required.

Maximum: 25 IWA Members and guests.

Thursday, November 20, 2025

1:30PM

IWA office, 17 N. State Street, Suite 1760

Join us as Yuge Zhou presents Art That Moves

While traditional art forms such as sculpture and painting remain timeless, a new generation of artists are transforming art through technology.

Yuge Zhou is a Chinese-born, Chicago-based artist that creates immersive video installations and experimental films that address rootedness, cohabitation, and transient encounters across urban environments. Her work has been presented nationally and internationally, including on the façade of Chicago’s Merchandise Mart and in New York’s Times Square. As curator of 150 Media Stream, a landmark public digital art installation in downtown Chicago, Zhou continues to shape and expand the ways we experience contemporary media in art and public space.

Contact: Ying Hirsh

Join your IWA friends in a fun and friendly game of Mah Jongg! There is nothing more exciting than when, with your heart racing, your adrenaline pumping, your palms sweating, and you call "Mah Jongg"!

ALL LEVELS ARE WELCOME! A refresher lesson will be given at the beginning of each meeting.

Friday, December 5, 2025

Arrive: 11:15AM. Tour begins promptly at 11:30AM

Intuit Museum, 756 North Milwaukee Avenue

Intuit Museum focuses on self-taught and outsider art, showcasing artists who create outside of traditional art settings. ‘Catalyst’, a current exhibit, highlights the ingenuity of immigrant artists. 

After the tour, you are invited to join us for lunch at Gangnam Market Asian Food Court, across the street from the museum.

Tickets: Purchase at the door, $20 for admission and docent-guided tour (cash and credit card acceptable)

Transportation: CTA Blue Line, CTA buses, and street parking available

Accessibility: Elevator available

Intuit Museum website: https://art.org

Gangnam Market website: http://gangnammarketusa.com 

RSVP deadline: Tuesday, December 2

Maximum: 25 IWA members and guests

Contact: Dell Harmsen

Book: Foster
Author: Claire Keegan

Discussion Leader: Teresa Kennedy

Literature Discussion Chairs: Barbara Herzog and Teresa Kennedy

The Literature Group offers members an international perspective in literary fiction by introducing acclaimed, if sometimes lesser known, writers and books. Members are invited to attend by Zoom, although we request that only those who have read the book participate in discussion.