The scene: A monologue from an August Wilson’s play, a Bollywood dance and a jazz cabaret show were just a few of the student performances that kept guests entertained at the Chicago High School for the Arts’ fourth annual Kerfuffle benefit at the Art Institute of Chicago (111 S. Michigan) April 21.

The invite list: Co-chairs Elissa Hamid Efroymson, Mirja Spooner Haffner, and Francia Harrington, along with the school’s Board of Directors, hosted more than 300 guests in the museum’s central grand staircase, the Alsdorf Galleries and Griffin Court. Former Chicago Bear Dan Hampton spoke about his musical ambitions prior to his football career before the organization honored its  “All-Stars”: Chicago Public Library, DanceWorks Chicago, the Harris Theater, Chicago Shakespeare Theater and Hyde Park Art Center.

The bottom line: The event celebrated the diverse talents of ChiArts’ students and raised more than $300,000 for the ChiArts’ Arts Conservatories, ensuring that Chicago youth can continue to receive access to pre-professional arts education without tuition. 

Photos by Bob Carl