Valerie Jarrett, Michio Kaku, And Michael Pollan To Headline 2019 CHF Presents Spring Series

On Thursday, April 4, two days after Chicago's municipal election run-off, the 2019 CHF Presents Spring series will kickoff with one of Chicago's most powerful women, Valerie Jarrett. Jarrett will reflect on her longtime friendship with the Obama family, her time in public service from LaSalle Street to Pennsylvania Avenue, and what she plans to do next. Jarrett's event will be held at KAM Isaiah Israel Temple in Hyde Park.

On Thursday, April 11, physicist Michio Kaku will broaden minds with a conversation focused on the future of humanity at the Music Box Theater. From terraforming Mars, traveling between stars, and even shedding corporeal form, Kaku will argue that giant leaps are already being made towards these once improbable dreams.

On Tuesday, May 21, author Michael Pollan comes to Chicago to discuss his recent work, How to Change Your Mind: What the New Science of Psychedelics Teaches Us About Consciousness, Dying, Addiction, Depression, and Transcendence. Pollan, author of The Omnivore's Dilemma and The Botany of Desire, lends his eye to the therapeutic potential of psilocybin, LSD, and other psychedelics.

"We're spending our 30th anniversary year looking at Power in its many guises, as physical, historical, cultural and political force," said Marilynn Thoma Artistic Director Alison Cuddy. "This first array of speakers - all powerhouses in themselves - together offer a sense of the breadth and depth of our exploration over the coming months."

Tickets will go on sale to CHF Members on Tuesday, February 19 at 10 a.m. Tickets will go on sale to the general public on Tuesday, February 26 at 10 a.m.

Visit chicagohumanities.org or call the Box Office at 312-605-8444 between 10 AM and 5 PM Monday to Friday to become a member and purchase tickets.

Valerie Jarrett: Inside Power
Tuesday, April 4, 7:30 p.m.
KAM Isaiah Israel Temple
5039 S Greenwood Ave
Chicago, IL 60615

Michio Kaku: Humanity in Space
Thursday, April 11, 7:00 p.m.
Music Box Theater
3733 N Southport Ave
Chicago, IL 60613

Michael Pollan on the Power of Psychedelics
Tuesday, May 21, 6 p.m.
First United Methodist Church at the Chicago Temple
77 W Washington St, Chicago, IL 60602

The Chicago Humanities Festival believes that humanity thrives when people gather, connect, and open themselves to ideas that go beyond their individual experience. For 30 years, the Festival has been curating live events that allow audiences to connect with today's most provocative thinkers-both established and emerging-and to see the world differently. Under the leadership of Executive Director Phillip Bahar and Marilynn Thoma Artistic Director Alison Cuddy, CHF is one of Chicago's most vibrant civic institutions and a platform for celebrating the social life of ideas. chicagohumanities.org