Announcing the First Annual Artist-in-Residency Program

Two talented young Moroccan artists will arrive in Chicago to serve as artists-in-residence for the month of October thanks to Parker’s partnership with the Casablanca Committee of Chicago Sister Cities International.

Bakr Addaoui and Fati Khilad, muralists whose work has appeared in buildings around Casablanca and in other towns in Morocco, along with Parker art teacher Kay Silva, will be working with 8th graders and Upper School students through an after-school Mural Club and occasional classroom visits. The artists will work alongside students to create a large-scale mural for permanent display at Parker. Addaoui and Khalid will also spend time painting an outdoor mural in the Wabash Arts Corridor. Finally, former Department of Languages and Cultural Studies Chair Lorin Pritikin will invite Addaoui and Khalid to classes to discuss Moroccan culture, food, the arts, history and other topics.

And, in the true nature of Parker hospitality, the school encourages the entire community to get involved! Students in all grades are welcome to invite one or two of the artists to their home to share a meal or learn how to make a Moroccan dish, be a cultural escort and show off Chicago, attend a music or sports event, tour the Wabash Arts Corridor or take a bike ride along the lakefront. Anyone interested should contact lpritikin@fwparker.org or Chicago Sister Cities Casablanca Committee Co-Chair Julie Stagliano at jwstagliano@gmail.com with any questions or ideas.