Second Sunday PRIDE Salon • Celebrate with MUSIC • PHOTOGRAPHY • POETRY
About this Event
Second Sunday PRIDE Salon
Join us in person for the June 14th Second Sunday PRIDE Salon! It's a chill gathering for MUSIC, PHOTOGRAPHY & WORDS where you can meet cool people, share ideas, and enjoy the good vibe. Whether you're into art, music, or just good conversation, this is the place to be. Don’t miss out on an ecclectic, relaxed evening of Chicago artists, ideas and community!
The Second Sunday Salon is produced by , an arts organization dedicated to the Democratization of the Arts - curated by Linda Solotaire - and presented in collaboration with COLVIN HOUSE.
MUSIC • Jazz Lady ROBIN WATSON
Jazz Lady, Robin Watson
Visit the website for more on the artists. https://www.truemuseinc.com/salons
"Robin is magnetic & engaging. Her passion, humor & vocal-ease are entertaining and fill the room with positive energy that keep audiences wanting more."
Robin Watson is Jazzlady Robin. A jazz vocalist and leader, her vocal styling is described to be an appealing blend of Sarah Vaughn, Dinah Washington, Carmen McRae and Nina Simone, while her creativity is clearly influenced by that of her distant cousin, Ella Fitzgerald. Ms. Watson’s performance career has spanned decades through Chicago’s premiere jazz venues. She has wooed audiences from large stages - Petrillo Bandshell, Garfield Park Conservatory, Pheasant Run, United Center, Odyssey Cruises, Showboat, Empress and Majestic Star Casinos- and more intimate music rooms at the Peninsula Hotel, Braxton’s, Tuscany’s, John & Tony’s, Metropolitan Club, Union League Club, Como Inn, Backroom and Cotton Club.
Ms. Watson has a BA in vocal performance from Spelman College in Atlanta, GA - where she merited solo performances at the inauguration of President Jimmy Carter, the United Nations, and a Brazilian tour. She now headlines her own combo with David Turner on piano, Rolfe Hokanson on bass, & George Aparo on drums. Robin Watson’s humor, energy and authenticity make her performances compelling and engaging. Hermaine Hartman of N’Digo says, “Watch this group, for they are going places.” Rhythm of Hope International talent agent, Kathy Kelly-Hahn says “Robin’s music is swinging, sultry and fun--whatever the style. Her tremendous showmanship qualities bring rave reviews; audiences love her, and the chemistry with her talented combo is great!” “...’Drippin’ N Sugar N Blues’ is just a taste of what this jazzlady has inside,” says WDCB Radio personality, Bruce Oscar.
Ms. Watson has also performed in musical theatre, worked as a studio recording artist and served as sidewoman for Jazz Unlimited Big Band, the Al Fook Big Band, the E-Band and Steve Zuterek Trio. She has had the privilege to also have performed with many other renowned jazz artists; (among them) Harrison Bankhead, Paul Casino, Ken Chaney, Rich Corpolongo, Mel Davis, Bob Dogan, Johnie Feran, Johnny Frigo, Skip Green, Larry Hanks, Roger Harris, Steve Hart, Laura Hoffman, Scott Earl Holman, John Jeffries, Leon Joyce, Spencer Keys, Dennis Luxion, Vijay Tellis Nayak, Corky McClerkin, Frank Menzies, Harold Morrison, Tom Muellner, Dennis Murray, Bruce Oscar, Julie Ponce, Eric Remschneider, Cecile Savage, Nick Schneider, Don Stilly, Skinny Williams, and Ken Wojicik.
PHOTOGRAPHY & WORDS • CHUCK KRAMER
Chuck Kramer’s poetry and short stories have appeared in many publications, both online and in print, most recently in First Light Journal, The Brussels Review, Lothlorien Poetry Journal, and The Raven’s Perch. Memoir in Chicago Quarterly Review (a Notable Essay in Best American Essays 2023), Sobotka, Evening Street Review. Journalism in the Chicago Tribune, Sun-Times, and Reader.
He is also a photographer who freelances for the Windy City Times and whose work has been featured in shows at the Carlos and Dominguez Gallery in Pilsen, the Center on Halsted, the Bezazian Library, the Microcosmic show in Highland Park, IL and the Skokie, IL Through the Lens community photography exhibit. Other photos at Knack Magazine, The Muses Gallery, and A Rock and a Hard Place.
He previously was the cohost of the Weeds Poetry Open Mic and served as a workshop coordinator with the Chicago Writing Conference.
Mr. Kramer has an MA in Writing from DePaul University and taught writing in the Chicago Public Schools at the Communication Arts Center.
Visit the website for more on the artists. https://www.truemuseinc.com/salons
WORDS • TIMOTHY DAVID REY
Timothy David Rey (he/him) is a poet, playwright, and performer. His original solo performances, monologues, poems, and plays have been produced in Chicago, Texas, and Panama (translated into Spanish). He is the author of Zip!, which was a semi-finalist for the 2023 Eugene O’Neill National Playwrights Conference; The Monologue Play, which was a 2021/2022 Changing Worlds/Arts Work Fund Grant recipient; and other works. Rey’s poetry and performance pieces have been published in Obsidian: Literature of the African Diaspora, Black Horse Review, Emerge: 2022 LAMBDA Fellows Anthology, and elsewhere. His book of poetry and performance, Little Victories, was published in 2011 by NewTown Writers Press, an LGBTQ+ imprint.
Chicago poet David Hernandez wrote of Rey’s work for the jacket of Little Victories as
"clearly concise and hits the senses like a velvet sledge hammer. This poet is a talented and gifted writer who paints with words, portraits in the mind that will always be remembered because you want them to be with you forever."
C LAUREN STATEN (she/her)
Lauren is a Chicago poet, born and raised on the North side. She has a Bachelor of Arts from Western Illinois University in Journalism and Creative Writing, and has been involved with several publications and writing groups since 2003; including Louder than a Bomb and Weeds Poetry. After residing in Austin, Texas and returning to Chicago, she is eager to immerse herself in the local arts culture and surround herself with like-minded rebels on a quest to spread spoken word.
ONGOING • NON:OP'S Inventory of Lost Books is a four-room, multimedia, participatory installation that raises awareness about the growing wave of book banning in the U.S. Created by book artist Amanda Love and composer/sound artist Christophe Preissing, the project invites the public to record short readings from banned books, building a collective archive of voices representing suppressed stories.
The installation will be presented in the Chicago area and at the Cleveland Public Library from August 2026 through Spring 2027. The team aims to collect recordings from around 400 participants through neighborhood recording sessions and community partnerships. Anyone can participate—no performance experience required—and each recording takes just 5–10 minutes.
Together, these voices form a powerful, immersive experience that highlights the cultural impact of censorship and the importance of protecting diverse stories.
Agenda
🕑: 05:00 PM - 09:00 PM
Food & Drinks
Host: Colvin House
Info: FOOD & DRINK • Little Poems of Deliciousness • Small bites, wine and a signature drink curated for you by COLVIN HOUSE - For sale throughout the evening.
🕑: 06:00 PM - 09:00 PM
Performances Begin
Host: Linda Solotaire
Info: Performances begin at 6pm with Chuck Kramer, Lauren Staten & Timothy David Rey followed by a 20-minute intermission. At 7pm music from Jazz Lady Robin Watson and friends. Meanwhile, check out Chuck Kramer's photography for sale and on view in the dining room. Not only that - but you can participate in NON:op's "Inventory of Lost Books" upcoming multimedia installation by having YOUR VOICE recorded - so cool!
Where is it happening?
USD 0.00
