Below are some recent samples of Common Threads in the media.
If you would like additional information, please download our Press Kit (PDF).
Art Smith for The Huffington Post: The Power of Food.
June 8, 2010
On June 4, I was fortunate enough to be among the hundreds of chefs who visited the White House South Lawn, eagerly supporting First Lady Michelle Obama's launch of the "Chefs Move to Schools" program.
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Food & Wine Magazine: Star Chefs Making a Difference
June 2010
Art Smith on Childhood Obesity
After Oprah Winfrey asked my partner, artist Jesus Salgueiro, and me to cook in New York for families who had been affected by 9/11, we began to think about ways to bring people together.
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NBC5 Segment on Common Threads
June 2010
Famous chefs in
Chicago are joining the battle against childhood obesity by leading cooking classes for elementary school children in an effort to turn the kids away from junk food.
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Sears Chef Challenge
June 2010
Chef Billy Parisi interviews Common Threads' Staff, leading up to the Sears Chef Challenge where Chef Ron Aleman has chosen Common Threads as his charity.
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Miami Herald - Students learn how to cook tasty and nutritious meals
April 15, 2010
Eating healthy tastes good.
That was the lesson elementary and middle school students learned from a Miami Beach chef this week.
Frank Jeannetti, executive chef of Essensia Restaurant at the Palms Hotel & Spa, taught 17 students from Mater Academy East Charter School in East Little Havana how to make a scrumptious -- and healthy -- meal using locally grown and seasonal ingredients.
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Chicago Tribune - Schools Eat Up Food Info
April 14, 2010
Chicago Public Scools officials have announced new, healthier school lunch menus, but a big question remains: Will kids eat them?
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Chef Art Smith at Common Threads Bash
March 16, 2010
LeeAnn Trotter hits the annual Common Threads fundraiser and bumps into a few superstar chefs along the way.
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What Should Kids Learn to Cook for Themselves
March 2, 2010
An article in Feast with quotes from chefs about what the most important meal for kids should be.
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Celeb chef Art Smith turns 50
03/01/2010
Celebrity chef Art Smith celebrated his 50th birthday at a special brunch at David Barton Gym.
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Fox News Sunday: Power Player of the Week
February 14, 2010
Forrest Sawyer interviews Chef Art Smith about Common Threads and the power of children in the kitchen.
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Miami Herald September
September 10, 2009
Chef Michelle Bernstein held an intimate dinner in North Miami with Chef Art Smith to benefit Common Threads.
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Chicago Works
August 26, 2009
Chicago Works interview with students, Chefs and Jillayne Samatas during Summer Camp 2009.
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Miami Photograph
August 7, 2009
Chef Michelle Bernstein, interviewed about her restaurants and starting Common Threads Miami.
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NBC Nightly News: Making A Difference
August 29, 2008
NBC's Tamron Hall reports on how Art Smith is using his cooking skills to teach- and feed- young hearts and minds.
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YouTube
March 17, 2008
Chicago Tonight’s exposé on Common Threads
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BizBash Chicago
March 31, 2008
Chef Art Smith has friends in high (or highly gourmet) places. This much was evident at the third annual Common Threads’ World Festival,held on March 17 at the Museum of Contemporary Art. Attended by food-world celebrities ranging from Padma Lakshmi to Rocco DiSpirito and Paula Deen, the fund-raiser produced some culinary star power.
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Crain's Chicago Business
March 25, 2008
Common Threads founders Art Smith and his partner artist, Jesus Salguerio, hosted their third fundraising spectacular at the Museum of Contemporary Art on March 17, and this World Festival put just about every other party in town to shame. With more than 600 lively guest circulating around the MCA, a passel of big-name chefs dispensing delicious food at every turn, and an appearance by Grammy winner John Legend at the after-party, the evening entertained lavishly while raising more than $377,000 for programs that teach children the importance of health and good nutrition.
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Chicago Cooks
March 17, 2008
Common Thread's annual fundraiser was packed with national and local celebrity chefs who gathered to help raise funds for Art Smith's charitable foundation which teaches culture and cooking to children.Over 500 guest enjoyed delectable dishes from Chicago's top chef talent, sipped champagne from Moet Chandon and participated in a live auction hosted by Top Chef judges Tom Colicchio, Gail Simmons and Padma Lakshmi.
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Chicago Magazine
March 24, 2008
Common Threads - the charity co-founded by Oprah toque and Table Fifty-Two honcho Art Smith that teaches kids about nutrition and healthy cooking-held its third annual World Festival Monday night at the Museum of Contemporary Art. The scene was sort of like an all-star episode of Top Chef: Local bigwigs including David Burke (David Burke's Primehouse) and Gale Gand (Tru) handed our haute-cuisine samples while schmoozing with guests.
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Crain's Chicago Business
March 17, 2008
Common Threads was founded in 2004 by Art Smith, former personal chef to Oprah Winfrey and co-owner of Table 52, and his partner, artist Jesus Salguerio. It works to educate children on the importance of health and nutrition and to foster an appreciation of cultural diversity through food. Guests at its gala will mingle with Food Network stars Paula Deen, Tyler Florence, Ming Tsai and Jacques; Padma Lakshmi of "Top Chef," and local chefs Gale Gand (Tru), David Burke(Primehouse), Kevin Hickey(Four Seasons) and Matthias Merges (Charlie Trotter's).
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Chicago Sun-Times
March 19, 2008
From Padma Lakshmi to Rocco DiSpirito to Ming Tsai and Paula Deen, the foodie celebs used only two words Monday night to explain their attendance at the third annual benefit for Chicago's Common Threads charity event: Art Smith. Food Network host Steve McDonagh, half of the Hearty Boys catering and cooking team, summed it up: "There's a lot of chefs who are not well liked, but then there's Art, whom everyone loves."
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WPLG Miami
June 2, 2009
Renowned Chef Creates Healthy Meals, Family Atmosphere for Low-Income Students
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People Magazine
December, 2007
Oprah viewers might know Smith – her formal personal chef – from his guest appearances whipping up hummingbird cake or pistachio-crusted chicken on her show. But the boisterous cookbook author says his greatest creation is the nonprofit he launched in 2003, which uses food to teach low-income kids the value of healthy eating. “You have to teach children to make good choices,” he says.
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