Wednesday 9/12/2012
Chicago's LGBT Community Loses a Friend
Farewell:
Shortly after I moved to Chicago in 2001, I met a guy named Michael Jasinski. He seemed to always be out and about; appearing at every community event.
I made it a point to get to know him and quickly learned his passion for the LGBT community. He and his former partner Milan started a website called BoystownChicago.com on the beginnings of the LGBT internet revolution.
In short order, we began to work together on a campaign to bring the make a difference mission to the minds of Chicago’s LGBT and ally communities. From day one Michael and Milan saw the importance of giving back to the community and changing lives. I worked with them for a few years before moving into partnership with our team here at ChicagoPride.com.
The early years with those of us in new media, changed the way events and organizations were run. Michael was a large part of that; helping to create innovative ways for groups to raise funds, disseminate important information, and create community. In fact, it was Michael who maintained Equality Illinois’ first website.
He made a difference!
Sadly, Michael Jasinski passed away last week in Chicago. The Chicago LGBT community lost a kind advocate, devoted pal and unending spirit! Many of us owe a great deal to Michael and his efforts.
In one of his final Facebook posts, Michael talked of his love of life: "I am so grateful for everything in my life, that I actually can't be happier. I'm human, I can and always want more .... but really, I (sic) thankful to be so blessed in all I experience both in good and bad, up and down, ands (sic) all around .... It's a Beautiful Life! Thank you for being apart of it~!"
Rest in peace MJ, you truly deserve that!
Bill Pritchard
MaD|ChicagoPride.com|PrideLA.com|PrideDC.com|Facebook|Twitter|Email Bill
Shortly after I moved to Chicago in 2001, I met a guy named Michael Jasinski. He seemed to always be out and about; appearing at every community event.
I made it a point to get to know him and quickly learned his passion for the LGBT community. He and his former partner Milan started a website called BoystownChicago.com on the beginnings of the LGBT internet revolution.
In short order, we began to work together on a campaign to bring the make a difference mission to the minds of Chicago’s LGBT and ally communities. From day one Michael and Milan saw the importance of giving back to the community and changing lives. I worked with them for a few years before moving into partnership with our team here at ChicagoPride.com.
The early years with those of us in new media, changed the way events and organizations were run. Michael was a large part of that; helping to create innovative ways for groups to raise funds, disseminate important information, and create community. In fact, it was Michael who maintained Equality Illinois’ first website.
He made a difference!
Sadly, Michael Jasinski passed away last week in Chicago. The Chicago LGBT community lost a kind advocate, devoted pal and unending spirit! Many of us owe a great deal to Michael and his efforts.
In one of his final Facebook posts, Michael talked of his love of life: "I am so grateful for everything in my life, that I actually can't be happier. I'm human, I can and always want more .... but really, I (sic) thankful to be so blessed in all I experience both in good and bad, up and down, ands (sic) all around .... It's a Beautiful Life! Thank you for being apart of it~!"
Rest in peace MJ, you truly deserve that!
Bill Pritchard
MaD|ChicagoPride.com|PrideLA.com|PrideDC.com|Facebook|Twitter|Email Bill
Very nice sentiments. I went to High School with Mike and he was always a great guy with a really big heart. He will be missed by many. RIP Michael Jasinski!! Kathy Sellers
Monday 8/20/2012
Art Outlives Politics
Better than crack:
Growing up, all us kids were exposed to great experiences, cultures, and art. No matter what was happening, art was there. Hot, or cold, active or lazy, republican, or democrat; the art outlived it all. I didn’t know it then, but the presence of artwork in my family home, would shape me into the collector I am today.
My siblings and I would always joke that there wasn’t an inch of wall space left for my Sainted Father to place a piece on. My Mom, herself a fan of art in its many forms; has never been as possessed as my Father; when it comes to its procurement. That may sound harsh of my Father, but it’s not meant to be. I think that possession to surround one self with artistic impression is a healthy one. In fact, he would always say “It’s either art, or cocaine.”. I’d say he made the better choice!
Acquisition:
Over the last few years, I’ve added works to my growing collection. Many of my pieces have been generous gifts from my parents. Some I’ve picked up along my travels and others; at charity auctions and such. There’s nothing like the feeling of seeing a form of art, and getting to buy it. Sometimes it’s expensive; other times, it can cost a few bucks. You’d be surprised at the places you can find creative works.
Just a few weeks ago, I found my friend, and New York artist, Ian Sklarsky doing his Blind Contour Portraits (Drawing with one line, without looking at the paper) at Chicago’s famed Angelina’s. I'm truly overwhelmed by the amazing talent and passion that Ian shows in his art. To be truthful, his work is beyond bizarre. But, that is what I love about it. You’ll not see anything like it.
I wanted Ian to draw me; as a gift for my Father’s 75th Birthday. With dirty martini in hand, Ian looked into my eyes and began his process. I hadn’t realized what an intimate exchange it would be to sit for Ian. I honestly didn’t want it to end. The drawing he produced was superb and my Father adored it! I loved it so much, I asked to sit for another one, for my collection. (See Photo Above) You can see more of Ian’s work here.
Inspiration:
You never know when you might be moved to add, relocate, or hang your artwork in a new fashion. Just last week I was flipping through my Instagram, and happened upon my friend and designer, Kiel Wuellner’s photo of his flat in New York. (See photo above) Its funny how a simple photo can change your world. Instantly, motivation and ideas filled my head. It was time to make a creative change to my own place. Thank God for Mitch Pennell!
Creative Couture:
I’ve known Chicago Lost and Found’s, Mitch Pennell for a long time. Get around him for longer than five minutes and you’ll quickly see his creative ability and talent. Mitch is also a gifted person, when it comes to the placement of art. He’s every art collectors dream pal. To set the stage, I make a few hors ‘devours, chill a few bottles of white and turn on the jazz. From there we get to the Feng shui.
Well, I don’t need to tell you how marvelous it all looks. Scope out the photos above! I’m like a kid in a candy store, in my own home. I want to encourage you to think about developing a collection of your own. I think you’ll find its impact will last beyond your years!
Adoring art!
Bill Pritchard
MaD|ChicagoPride.com|PrideLA.com|PrideDC.com|Facebook|Twitter|Email Bill
Growing up, all us kids were exposed to great experiences, cultures, and art. No matter what was happening, art was there. Hot, or cold, active or lazy, republican, or democrat; the art outlived it all. I didn’t know it then, but the presence of artwork in my family home, would shape me into the collector I am today.
My siblings and I would always joke that there wasn’t an inch of wall space left for my Sainted Father to place a piece on. My Mom, herself a fan of art in its many forms; has never been as possessed as my Father; when it comes to its procurement. That may sound harsh of my Father, but it’s not meant to be. I think that possession to surround one self with artistic impression is a healthy one. In fact, he would always say “It’s either art, or cocaine.”. I’d say he made the better choice!
Acquisition:
Over the last few years, I’ve added works to my growing collection. Many of my pieces have been generous gifts from my parents. Some I’ve picked up along my travels and others; at charity auctions and such. There’s nothing like the feeling of seeing a form of art, and getting to buy it. Sometimes it’s expensive; other times, it can cost a few bucks. You’d be surprised at the places you can find creative works.
Just a few weeks ago, I found my friend, and New York artist, Ian Sklarsky doing his Blind Contour Portraits (Drawing with one line, without looking at the paper) at Chicago’s famed Angelina’s. I'm truly overwhelmed by the amazing talent and passion that Ian shows in his art. To be truthful, his work is beyond bizarre. But, that is what I love about it. You’ll not see anything like it.
I wanted Ian to draw me; as a gift for my Father’s 75th Birthday. With dirty martini in hand, Ian looked into my eyes and began his process. I hadn’t realized what an intimate exchange it would be to sit for Ian. I honestly didn’t want it to end. The drawing he produced was superb and my Father adored it! I loved it so much, I asked to sit for another one, for my collection. (See Photo Above) You can see more of Ian’s work here.
Inspiration:
You never know when you might be moved to add, relocate, or hang your artwork in a new fashion. Just last week I was flipping through my Instagram, and happened upon my friend and designer, Kiel Wuellner’s photo of his flat in New York. (See photo above) Its funny how a simple photo can change your world. Instantly, motivation and ideas filled my head. It was time to make a creative change to my own place. Thank God for Mitch Pennell!
Creative Couture:
I’ve known Chicago Lost and Found’s, Mitch Pennell for a long time. Get around him for longer than five minutes and you’ll quickly see his creative ability and talent. Mitch is also a gifted person, when it comes to the placement of art. He’s every art collectors dream pal. To set the stage, I make a few hors ‘devours, chill a few bottles of white and turn on the jazz. From there we get to the Feng shui.
Well, I don’t need to tell you how marvelous it all looks. Scope out the photos above! I’m like a kid in a candy store, in my own home. I want to encourage you to think about developing a collection of your own. I think you’ll find its impact will last beyond your years!
Adoring art!
Bill Pritchard
MaD|ChicagoPride.com|PrideLA.com|PrideDC.com|Facebook|Twitter|Email Bill
Gay Day OUT in the Park at Six Flags Chicago
Tuesday 8/14/2012
Summer’s End?
Say it isn’t so:
Seems like just yesterday I was ringing in the New Year with my Best Friend Isaiah and Bosom Friend David! Where in the heck did summer go? Mind you, I can’t complain. We’ve had a very fun summer of parties, travel, and festivals. It’s just difficult to grasp winter already.
Market Gays: Thanks goes to all our team members at ChicagoPride.com for their wonderful efforts over Market Days. I especially want to thank Michael Livingston, Brian Decker, Matthew Inawat, Danny Bernardo, Lucas Chen, Andy Masters, Anthony Meade, Arthur Cheney and Andrew Moran for busting their buns at the ChicagoPride.com booth! You can see the photo’s here.
Instagram:
Speaking of photos, are you on Instagram? ChicagoPride.com is and we would love to post your photos! Simply use the hash tag’s #boystown, #chipride, or #chicagopride and your photo will populate to the front of our site. Check out our Instagram today
THANK YOU!:
I want to say a very special thank you to my friend Michael Livingston. (See photo above) Michael has given so much of his time and treasure to the success of ChicagoPride.com and the GoPride Network. Many of the branding items you’ve seen over the years have been at his hand. Michael is moving on to new opportunities and goes with my full recommendation and praise. He’s worth his weight in gold and I heart him more than friends!
Cheers damn it!
Bill Pritchard
MaD|ChicagoPride.com|PrideLA.com|PrideDC.com|Facebook|Twitter|Email Bill
Seems like just yesterday I was ringing in the New Year with my Best Friend Isaiah and Bosom Friend David! Where in the heck did summer go? Mind you, I can’t complain. We’ve had a very fun summer of parties, travel, and festivals. It’s just difficult to grasp winter already.
Market Gays: Thanks goes to all our team members at ChicagoPride.com for their wonderful efforts over Market Days. I especially want to thank Michael Livingston, Brian Decker, Matthew Inawat, Danny Bernardo, Lucas Chen, Andy Masters, Anthony Meade, Arthur Cheney and Andrew Moran for busting their buns at the ChicagoPride.com booth! You can see the photo’s here.
Instagram:
Speaking of photos, are you on Instagram? ChicagoPride.com is and we would love to post your photos! Simply use the hash tag’s #boystown, #chipride, or #chicagopride and your photo will populate to the front of our site. Check out our Instagram today
THANK YOU!:
I want to say a very special thank you to my friend Michael Livingston. (See photo above) Michael has given so much of his time and treasure to the success of ChicagoPride.com and the GoPride Network. Many of the branding items you’ve seen over the years have been at his hand. Michael is moving on to new opportunities and goes with my full recommendation and praise. He’s worth his weight in gold and I heart him more than friends!
Cheers damn it!
Bill Pritchard
MaD|ChicagoPride.com|PrideLA.com|PrideDC.com|Facebook|Twitter|Email Bill
Gay Day OUT in the Park at Six Flags Chicago
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rofan21
Total blog posts: 1
MyPride friends: 1
aww it won't be the same with out Micheal being there. (my husband) But I am sure he will be successful at whatever he does next! xoxo
Friday 7/27/2012
Shove it up your blog!
Blog This:
Sometimes I have the time. Other times, I don’t. It would seem that June, July, and August are the busiest times of the year for me. I’m not complaining, mind you. With all of the ChicagoPride.com tenth anniversary work and 2012 Pride activities; I did manage to squeeze a vacation in there.
So Long:
As many of you probably figured out by my Facebook and Twitter feeds; my best friend Isaiah moved to New York at the end of June. I can’t begin to say how happy I am for him. This has been a dream of his for quite some time. Sure, it sucks a bit to not have him around, but nothing has really changed, other than his geographical location.
Thanks to so many of you for looking out for me. The goodbye was perfect and with the exception of a small thunderstorm and a few tears. I was happy the big day came and went. A special thank you to Spence, Roan, et al, for filling that day with laughter!
Italy:
I’ve been a big fan of the Italian people since my first love, all those years ago. He was a terribly sweet guy and cute as could be. True to form, the Italian people on my visit to Rome, Elba, and Livorno, Italy were so kind! This was a real vacation, but I really learned a lot. You can’t help but to learn when you travel internationally.
Resolution:
I’ve not ever heard of a mid-year resolution, but I’ve made a few. For one, I would really like to write more. I’m not the best writer in the world, but I enjoy doing it. Also, I would like to do things that my brain often times says I can’t. Nothing stupid of course but perhaps I could be more open than usual. Finally, I think I would enjoy a boyfriend. It’s been a while since I’ve had one. Although I really love dating, so who knows?
Here's to you!
Bill Pritchard
MaD|ChicagoPride.com|PrideLA.com|PrideDC.com|Facebook|Twitter|Email Bill
Sometimes I have the time. Other times, I don’t. It would seem that June, July, and August are the busiest times of the year for me. I’m not complaining, mind you. With all of the ChicagoPride.com tenth anniversary work and 2012 Pride activities; I did manage to squeeze a vacation in there.
So Long:
As many of you probably figured out by my Facebook and Twitter feeds; my best friend Isaiah moved to New York at the end of June. I can’t begin to say how happy I am for him. This has been a dream of his for quite some time. Sure, it sucks a bit to not have him around, but nothing has really changed, other than his geographical location.
Thanks to so many of you for looking out for me. The goodbye was perfect and with the exception of a small thunderstorm and a few tears. I was happy the big day came and went. A special thank you to Spence, Roan, et al, for filling that day with laughter!
Italy:
I’ve been a big fan of the Italian people since my first love, all those years ago. He was a terribly sweet guy and cute as could be. True to form, the Italian people on my visit to Rome, Elba, and Livorno, Italy were so kind! This was a real vacation, but I really learned a lot. You can’t help but to learn when you travel internationally.
Resolution:
I’ve not ever heard of a mid-year resolution, but I’ve made a few. For one, I would really like to write more. I’m not the best writer in the world, but I enjoy doing it. Also, I would like to do things that my brain often times says I can’t. Nothing stupid of course but perhaps I could be more open than usual. Finally, I think I would enjoy a boyfriend. It’s been a while since I’ve had one. Although I really love dating, so who knows?
Here's to you!
Bill Pritchard
MaD|ChicagoPride.com|PrideLA.com|PrideDC.com|Facebook|Twitter|Email Bill
Amy & Freddy Cabaret Show August 16th
Friday 6/22/2012
2012 LGBT Pride
KISS This!:
One of the highlights of my year is when my friends Angi Taylor and Brotha Fred at Chicago’s 103.5 KISS FM invite me to come on-air the Friday before Pride weekend starts.
We have such a blast talking about Pride and all the events taking place. It’s especially encouraging to see such great support for equality and community from Fred and Angi! They are so damn sweet to reach out to me every year and shed light on the LGBT cause!
Angi, Brotha Fred, the KISS FM Beat Freaks and DJ Maurice Halsted joined ChicagoPride.com June 14th as we hosted our 10th Anniversary Party at Hydrate Nightclub. It made the evening even more special for us!
Of course ChicagoPride.com and Chicago’s 103.5 KISS FM have been partners for years, through PRIDE Raido; streaming on all the GoPride Network sites.
Take a listen to the fabulous show here:
Special thank you to KISS FM morning Producer MJ for being so sweet and such a good sport! (And damn fine! #hadtobesaid)
Make your Pride plans with ChicagoPride.com’s 2012 Pride Guide. Remember you can also see the parade online with Gay Chicago TV and ChicagoPride.com’s live stream; providing a front row seat to the 2012 Chicago Pride Parade
As much fun as Pride can be, we ought not to forget why we celebrate it! Many individuals have fought for our rights to equality. As corny as it sounds, it is those make a difference people we should be proud of. It is equality we should be celebrating. We may have more to achieve, but we can all agree; we’ve come a long way in our community!
Proud!
Bill Pritchard
MaD|ChicagoPride.com|PrideLA.com|PrideDC.com|Facebook|Twitter|Email Bill
One of the highlights of my year is when my friends Angi Taylor and Brotha Fred at Chicago’s 103.5 KISS FM invite me to come on-air the Friday before Pride weekend starts.
We have such a blast talking about Pride and all the events taking place. It’s especially encouraging to see such great support for equality and community from Fred and Angi! They are so damn sweet to reach out to me every year and shed light on the LGBT cause!
Angi, Brotha Fred, the KISS FM Beat Freaks and DJ Maurice Halsted joined ChicagoPride.com June 14th as we hosted our 10th Anniversary Party at Hydrate Nightclub. It made the evening even more special for us!
Of course ChicagoPride.com and Chicago’s 103.5 KISS FM have been partners for years, through PRIDE Raido; streaming on all the GoPride Network sites.
Take a listen to the fabulous show here:
Special thank you to KISS FM morning Producer MJ for being so sweet and such a good sport! (And damn fine! #hadtobesaid)
Make your Pride plans with ChicagoPride.com’s 2012 Pride Guide. Remember you can also see the parade online with Gay Chicago TV and ChicagoPride.com’s live stream; providing a front row seat to the 2012 Chicago Pride Parade
As much fun as Pride can be, we ought not to forget why we celebrate it! Many individuals have fought for our rights to equality. As corny as it sounds, it is those make a difference people we should be proud of. It is equality we should be celebrating. We may have more to achieve, but we can all agree; we’ve come a long way in our community!
Proud!
Bill Pritchard
MaD|ChicagoPride.com|PrideLA.com|PrideDC.com|Facebook|Twitter|Email Bill
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