CHINESE FINE ARTS SOCIETY

Since our founding, CFAS has established itself with widely attended and critically acclaimed cultural events in various venues throughout Chicagoland. Our core programming consists of three interconnected programs: Main Stage Events, Young Artist Development, and Community Engagement, which work together to achieve our mission and to provide significant opportunities for Illinois-based artists.

The history of CFAS has been a true "American Dream" success story, beginning when Barbara Tiao, a Shanghai native who fled the country in 1949, eventually settled in Chicago in 1984. She established herself as a piano teacher and a "cultural ambassador," sharing her beloved culture with other students and the surrounding community. This passion was Barbara’s inspiration to start the Chinese Fine Arts Society. Barbara passed away in 2008, having realized her dream: an organization that has bloomed into a professional entity in Chicago’s artistic scene.