News & Events

February 18, 6:00–7:30 p.m.
LeRoy Neiman Center, 37 S. Wabash Ave.

What is the future of citywide art and design bi/triennials? The Chicago Architecture Biennial and Exhibit Columbus are both a decade into operating contemporary design festivals. Visionary leaders behind these programs will discuss the cultural shifts, new thinking, and emerging directions for bi/triennials across the Midwest and beyond.

Nora Daley, Chicago Architecture Biennial 
For over two decades, Nora Daley has worked at the intersection of strategy, learning, and systems rebuilding across both the public and private sectors. As a respected arts innovator and civic leader, she brings a wealth of experience in cultivating cultural partnerships and fostering community support. In her role with Chicago Architecture Biennial, she focuses on deepening the organization’s engagement with communities across Chicago and expanding accessibility of CAB’s programs.

Richard McCoy, Exhibit Columbus
Richard McCoy is the founding executive director of the Landmark Columbus Foundation, an organization dedicated to preserving and promoting Columbus, Indiana's cultural heritage. He holds degrees from New York University and Indiana University and has a background in art conservation, having worked at major institutions like the Metropolitan Museum of Art and The Museum of Modern Art. He is known for his work in finding innovative solutions to complex cultural heritage challenges. 

March 19, 6:00–7:30 p.m.
LeRoy Neiman Center, 37 S. Wabash Ave.

Joseph Kunkel, a citizen of the Northern Cheyenne Nation, is the director of the Sustainable Native Communities Design Lab and the principal of the MASS Design Group based in Santa Fe, New Mexico. As a community designer and educator, his work explores how architecture, planning, and construction can be leveraged to positively impact the built and unbuilt environments within Indian Country. Joseph’s early work focused on the research of exemplary Native American Indian housing projects and processes nationwide. It has developed into emerging best practices within Indian Country, leading to an online Healthy Homes Road Map for affordable tribal housing development.

In 2019 Joseph was awarded an Obama Foundation Fellowship for his work exploring how to create transformational change through design processes that align with Indigenous values and honors the worldviews of Indigenous populations within North America. Joseph is a fellow of the Civil Society Fellowship and a member of the Aspen Global Leadership Network.

April 15, 3:30–5:00 p.m.
LeRoy Neiman Center, 37 S. Wabash Ave.

An exceptional communicator and leader, Cheryl Durst has spurred progress, driven change, and encouraged the expansion of the interior design industry. As the executive vice president and chief executive officer of the IIDA, Durst is committed to achieving broad recognition for the value of design and its significant role in society through both functionality and engagement in everyday work spaces and the built environment. Durst oversees the strategic direction of IIDA and leads the association's International Board of Directors and its professional staff, all of whom support the work of 15,000 members in 58 countries.

She has been referred to by Interior Design magazine as "an ambassador for innovation and expansion and a visionary strategist." For her leadership in the industry, she was inducted into the prestigious Interior Design Hall of Fame in 2016. Durst holds dual degrees in journalism and economics and is a member of the Board of Trustees for both the New York School of Interior Design and the Museum of Contemporary Art Chicago.