Fabulous Family Event at Twiggs Park on May 19

This Sunday, May 19, between the hours of 1 PM and 4 PM, join in a community art and peace project, ‘Coming Together, Bridging Differences.’  The location is Twiggs Park at the intersection of Simpson and Bridge Streets in Evanston, near the Ecology Center.  There will be music, weaving (a giant web out of fabric and twine!), sidewalk painting and more. In case of rain, meet at Fleetwood-Jourdain Center, 1655 Foster Street.

One of the highlights will be a drumming circle led by Rhythm Revolution.  If you’ve never experienced a drumming circle or the health benefits it promotes, read this excerpt from Rhythm Revolution’s website:

A drum circle, or rhythm circle, is a group of people creating and sharing a rhythmical and a musical experience. The instruments used are usually percussion instruments including drums, metal, wood, shakers and Boomwhackers. The circle format is used to optimize listening and communicating. In a circle everyone is an equal participant with no person in the circle any more or less important. The sustained repetition of the pulse results in a rhythmic phenomenon called rhythmic entrainment. Entrainment uplifts the self physically, mentally and emotionally. There is a calming effect on the body and an energizing effect on the spirit.

Evanston is one of ten communities participating in the Ten Thousand Ripples (TTR) project, a collaborative public art, civic engagement and peace project.  You can read about an earlier TTR event in Evanston here. The other nine communities are all neighborhoods in Chicago.  Each community uses art as a spark to encourage discussions, communication and solutions about peace and non-violence.

Don’t miss out — join in the fun this Sunday at Twiggs Park!

Celebration in Grey Park

This past Sunday, April 21, I helped build a fabric bridge in Grey Park.  It was a fabulously sunny afternoon as artists from the Open Studio Project led by Jan Ellenstein showed neighbors and friends how to begin weaving the bridge.   Merchants from the Main Street business district generously contributed supplies and Evanston’s own Mr. Rick entertained  the many children with songs as he played his guitar.

The theme of the day was ‘We Are One Community,’ a message heralded on brightly colored peace banners hung from a tree in many languages to represent Evanston’s cultural diversity. The celebration was one of several activities taking place as part of Evanston’s participation in Ten Thousand Ripples, a collaborative public art and peace education project.  Over the past eight months community groups throughout Chicago placed one hundred identical Buddha sculptures in nine neighborhoods plus Evanston.  Indira Freitas Johnson designed the Buddha sculpture, one of which sits in Grey Park slightly behind the seating of the amphitheater.

Look for the fabric bridge to be displayed in the gallery space of the Open Studio Project.

Peace banners with ‘We Are One Community’ in many different languages to represent all the different ethnic groups within Evanston.

The famous Mr. Rick finds another fan.

The long view of the fabric bridge under construction.

A close-up view.

An ingenious way to reach the top of the bridge!

Hard at work weaving the bridge in a rainbow’s array of colors, materials and textures!