We’re excited to host our 7th Annual Elastic Arts Benefit on May 10th, 2025! Elastic hosts hundreds of events, presenting more than 1,000 artists every year. We keep prices low, and we don't sell alcohol. Ticket sales aren't enough to support all this energy! Elastic Arts needs our community’s support to remain a sustainable space for creative music, art, and performance. Our annual Benefit highlights the things that make Elastic Arts such a vibrant place: boundary-defying performances and art, a rich variety of creative expressions, and a deep sense of commitment among a very diverse community. But most of all, it's a celebration of togetherness and creative achievement. Our community is invited to our Logan Square space for the celebration, but we welcome anyone and everyone to join us virtually as we'll be streaming the benefit in entirety live through the streaming page on our website.
The 2024 Elastic Achievement Award will be presented to the legend and dear friend Tatsu Aoki. In addition to an award ceremony, we’ll hear a live set from Tatsu’s ensemble MIYUMI Project. Tatsu is a multi-instrumentalist trained in traditional Japanese music, an educator and an experimental filmmaker. In his career as a creative improvisor, he is best known as a long-standing bassist for Velvet Lounge owner and saxophonist Fred Anderson, also having worked with George Freeman, Von Freeman, Malachi Favors, Roscoe Mitchell, Don Moye, Hamid Drake, and countless others. Aoki also facilitates cultural events that promote the history of Japanese artistic traditions and contemporary Asian influences in jazz. As the founder and artistic director of Asian Improv aRts Midwest, he hosts events such as the annual Chicago Asian American Jazz Festival and the Japanese American Service Committee's Tsukasa Taiko Legacy arts residency program. Many of Tatsu’s AIRMW events occur right here at Elastic Arts, so it is our absolute honor to celebrate Tatsu’s accomplishments thus far, and for many years to come.
The evening will feature a 16-speaker CLEAT performance from Elastro curator Paige Alice Naylor in collaboration with prolific artist Haruhi Kobayshi. We’ll also experience The Ooze, an improvisational dance/music concept from our brand new J E L L O series curator Mya McClellan.
Attendees will enjoy food from Logan Square's delicious Mexican restaurant L’ Patron plus specially curated drinks from Star Union Spirits and Illuminated Brew Works. As always, we’ll have a robust silent auction featuring visual art, experiences, record label bundles, gift certificates, and more. Don’t miss this incredible night at Elastic Arts!
$50 Early Bird Tickets / $60 Standard Tickets
