Arts & Entertainment
Curating Sounds and Tastes: Meet 2 Chicagoans Working to Make the Obama Presidential Center a Success
For recording artist Andre “Add-2” Daniels, president of the Grammy Chicago Chapter, being at the Obama Presidential Center on the day of its grand opening ranks as “one of the most beautiful things (he’s) been able to witness.” The event was marked with star-studded performances, including Stevie Wonder and Jennifer Hudson, and speeches by both former President Barack Obama and former first lady Michelle Obama. But for Daniels, seeing his work and young mentees center stage was the highlight of the experience.
Daniels is the regional director of the music mentoring program Guitars Over Guns. He and members of the program worked alongside Chicago-area native and Pearl Jam frontman Eddie Vedder to create and perform a new song on the opening day.
“It was surreal because I remember the meetings that they would have with the community,” said Daniels, who helped conceptualize the media center and recording studios. “They would show us the (center’s) renderings and also have us give input. To see it all come to fruition and it looks exactly how they imagined it to be. … I was like, ‘wow.’”
There are a host of locals who acted as the behind-the-scenes cast to prepare the Obama Presidential Center for its opening ceremony. One such Chicagoan is chef Cliff Rome, a partner at BAMJoy, which provides food services and catering operations across the campus.
The South Side native started his culinary career as a dishwasher and moved up the ranks to eventually own his restaurant, Peach’s, and collaborate with the National Museum of African American History and Culture. And now, the Obama Presidential Center.
“It’s a cultural institution,” Rome said, “and he (Obama) did not want people whipping out their phone trying to read or define what was on the menu. I want it very approachable and so I think that we got really close to that by creating those offerings the way that he would want them.”
Among the menu options are lasagna, burgers and Moroccan chicken. Rome said all items were personally curated by Barack Obama with accessibility in mind.
In the week since the center’s opening, local residents and visitors from around the world have descended upon the campus to experience the eight stories of exhibits and memorabilia highlighting Barack Obama’s tenure in office, and of course, eat.
For the on-campus restaurant, Tafari’s Kitchen, business couldn’t be better.
“It gives us a great opportunity not only to incorporate local vendors from Chicago, but even utilizing the product that’s on the rooftop — the garden,” Rome said. “The goal is to be able to use our culinary chops to not just do four-star Michelin dinners. It’s really about incorporating local flavors and ingredients.”
Tickets to the Obama Presidential Center are currently sold out until early fall, but people will get another chance to purchase tickets starting July 8.
