New ChicagoMade Marketplace, “Shorts” Film Series and Podcast Event Highlight City as Hub of Creativity and Innovation

ChicagoMade – a collaboration between World Business Chicago (WBC) and the Chicago Department of Cultural Affairs and Special Events to highlight Chicago as an innovative, global business and tourism destination – will for the first time showcase Chicago artists and makers at this year’s Taste of Chicago on July 6-10 in Grant Park. Screenings of locally-produced short films called “ChicagoMade Shorts” will also continue to run through the summer at the weekly Millennium Park Summer Film Series.

New to Taste of Chicago this year is the ChicagoMade Marketplace, located on the southwest side of the Bud Light Stage. Thirty Chicago artisans from across the city will display and sell their unique, high-quality and affordable products. From chic clothing and custom jewelry to handmade arts & crafts and Indie music, the Chicago makers include: Pot Meets Kettle, Wicked Entertainment, Ceramics by Leo, Peter Field Menswear, Foursided and many more.

Additionally, a live podcast from the “Food For Thought” Podcast Pavilion on Friday, July 8 at 4 p.m., titled, “ChicagoMade: Designing Experiences in Music, Fashion, and Media” will feature creative luminaries Pugs Atomz, an internationally renowned rapper and Creative Director for Iridium Clothing Co.; Anthony Winfield, Tour Manager and Executive Assistant for Grammy Award winning rapper Lupe Fiasco, and Manager for Chicago rapper The Boy Illinois; and Annika Welander, Strategy Director & Partner at Someoddpilot, a creative agency responsible for developing brand identities for legendary Chicago entities such as Second City and Pitchfork. These special guests will discuss the latest trends in experience design, and the ways in which Chicago excels as a global hub of creativity and innovation. Jake Trussell, Creative Director for WBC, moderates the session.

“Chicago is home to game-changing leaders in art, music and product design,” said Trussell. “We’re excited to bring together some of these artists and entrepreneurs in one place, giving them an opportunity to share their talents and stories with the hometown crowd.”

During the summer, movie-goers at the 2016 Millennium Park Summer Film Series will experience Chicago’s robust filmmaking talent with “ChicagoMade Shorts” in advance of each weekly feature film. The short-film series, which runs through Tuesday, August 30 at 6:30 p.m., celebrates the city’s emerging independent film community and highlights entertaining work produced by talented Chicago-based artists.

For more information on ChicagoMade visit: www.ChicagoMade.us.