NEWS

On April 16, 2026, Stomping Grounds Literary Arts Initiative hosted another powerful installment of Open Stage at Haibayo Café in Uptown Chicago. The evening brought together artists, storytellers, musicians, and community members for a night rooted in vulnerability, healing, and creative expression. From the opening workshop to the final performances of the night, the room carried an energy that felt deeply honest and emotionally present. Many artists shared some of the most

March has been a transformative, challenging, and reawakening month for SGLAI. From welcoming new leadership and teaching artists to expanding our creative programming and community events, this month has been full of growth, reflection, and momentum. Welcoming Our New Board We are proud to officially welcome five new board members to SGLAI: Mariah Balaban , Jean Davidson Meister, Ian McGill, Kendra Mealy Wilk , and Sam Thousand . We gathered for our first meeting at the Ch

On March 18, 2026 , Stomping Grounds Literary Arts Initiative hosted Open Stage at the beautiful Garfield Park Conservatory, featuring the talented R&B artist Paige Ellis. It was a truly special evening, with members of the Garfield Park Conservatory community coming together for an intimate night of storytelling, music, and connection. This was our first time hosting Open Stage in such a stunning garden space, and it made the night unforgettable. The energy in the room was

2025 marked one of the most successful and transformative years in the history of Stomping Grounds Literary Arts Initiative (SGLAI). This year represented a shift from vision to scale, expanding our reach, deepening our partnerships, and amplifying youth voices across Chicago through literary arts, comics, music, and audiovisual storytelling. Building Our Public Presence One of the year’s earliest milestones was the official launch of our website, sglai.org . Having a centra

February 20, 2026 | Community Recap On February 20, 2026, Stomping Grounds Literary Arts Initiative (SGLAI) hosted Story & Stage at SZNL Gallery, an evening centered on storytelling, artistic development, and community-building through live performance. The night began with a workshop exploring the line between personal narrative and performance, followed by a dynamic Open Mic that created space for emerging and established artists to share original work in a supportive env

Celebrating Youth Creativity, Growth, and Community The Holiday Showcase was a powerful celebration of youth talent, creative achievement, and community care. Held in a warm, festive atmosphere, the event brought together young artists, teaching artists, staff, and community partners in the gym of the IYC Chicago facility to honor a season of growth and transformation through music and poetry. SGLAI provided audio production and music for the event. The evening opened with gr