Hearing who IWA will honor as Woman Extraordinaire at its annual luncheon reveals a woman for Chicago to celebrate and a jubilant way to learn of profound accomplishments.
On March 4 at the Ivy Room, The International Women Associates (IWA), noted for its popular luncheon which blends culture, camaraderie and cuisine, has for the first time selected more than one winner. Three Chicago powerhouses: their careers advance the welfare of women and children and inspire action by others.
The non-profit cultural and educational organization will be supporting International Women’s Day as it salutes Barbara Gaines, founder and former artistic director, Chicago Shakespeare Theater; Irma Suárez Ruiz, Artistic Director, Ensemble Español; and Josephine Lee, President and Artistic Director, Uniting Voices (formerly Chicago Children’s Choir).
The three women were chosen by IWA for their contributions to building international artistic excellence in Chicago and advancing the arts around the world for women and children.
“Because our organization is dedicated to education and cross-cultural exchange, we felt that each of these nominees should be honored this year for their accomplishments and contributions to Chicago,” IWA President Ying Hirsh said. “An added plus is that they each share many characteristics with IWA members. They’re perseverant, globally-minded, travelers, transformers of lives, teachers and dreamers who made their dreams come true.”
We spoke recently with Irma Suárez Ruiz and Josephine Lee, each acknowledging how much the award means to them.
Lee told us: “It is an honor to be recognized by a group with a global platform and reach that encourages stories of resilience, hope and courage. For Uniting Voices, music is a unifying force making us part of a global network as well.”
The 3000 plus youth singers who perform at venues from classical concert stages to Lollapalooza will embark on a 15-day tour of China in March shortly after the IWA luncheon, collaborating with local partners there.
“Our youth are not just activating notes on a page, they are also learning about culture, excellence, leadership, and teamwork. We provide for them a portal to the world,” Lee said.
We asked Lee, who was born in Chicago, about the current K-Pop world phenomenon.
“As a child in the 1980s there really wasn’t that much excitement about Korea even with the Olympics there at the end of that decade. Mitchell Owens, one of my former students whom I have known since he was eight, is a top K-Pop producer whose work has received over 100 million streams. K-Pop is letting people know what a beautiful country Korea is. And delighted that kimchi has become such a popular dish.”
Ruiz told us: “My first reaction to hearing about the award was: ‘what, me?’ It often takes someone else to recognize you. I would just say it is part of my job.”
Ruiz is Artistic Director for the Ensemble Español at Northeastern Illinois University, with choreographer, educator, and costume designer as facets of her work. Born in Chicago, she has Mexican and Puerto Rican ancestry.
“I love seeing my vision being created, it is a process which begins in my mind. Then there are months of rehearsals, making fabric and color selections, and finally seeing it all come together,” she said.
Ensemble Español will offer a summer festival of performers in June.
Ruiz explained that the company does dances from Spain only including classical, regional and fiery Flamenco often with castanets.
“What does Spanish dancing have in common? You see passion in all. It is dramatic at the same time fun and athletic. Emotions show on the dancers faces,” she said.
IWA President Ying Hirsh told us more about her organization, including its founding by one of Chicago’s most captivating and committed women, Doe Thornburg.
“International Women Associates is an organization of women from over 50 countries in the Chicago area and beyond. We welcome both foreign-born women and those who have lived abroad or have international connections. Since our founding in 1978 by Doe, we continue to celebrate our diversity through friendship, community service, philanthropy, and cross-cultural exchange. Doe’s vision was to create an organization that promotes global understanding by seeing the ‘sacred’ in everyone. It is this vision that attracts new members to IWA and keeps the organization vibrant.”
The public is invited to the 2026 IWA Woman Extraordinaire luncheon and program on March 4th at the Ivy Room in Chicago, while tickets are available. We look forward to sharing photos of the event and winners’ remarks in a future issue of Classic Chicago.
For further information, including a list of previous Woman Extraordinaire awardees, visit the IWA website at iwachicago.org or contact IWA at iwa@iwachicago.org or 312.263.1421.