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Thursday, December 31, 2015

What a Year It's Been! What a Year It Will Be!




Hi Everyone,

This is the ONLY blog post I will publish in the month of December, which is totally illegal, I should never go radio silent for that long. BUT it's been a really busy year and I've got projects that have consumed me in fantastic ways.

As you know, I'm a gypsy by nature, lover of shiny keys and all things new, so I'm very aware of cities and what they offer - Evanston so far has offered me the moon and I'm so grateful.

When we moved here in 2011, I told my husband Dave Ford it would take us five years to rebuild our lives - financially, socially, etc. - after moving from El Paso, Texas. Summer of 2016 is our 5-year anniversary, stay tuned.

Here is what I managed to create in terms of "the life I wanted in Evanston" in 2015:

1. Evanston's annual Open Studio Artist Tour will celebrate its 3rd year anniversary and will get a new name so we can stop confusing the annual event with the non-profit Open Studio Project! Stay tuned.

2. My new role at Evanston Magazine as Editor-at-Large, requires great story ideas for each issue that help tell Evanston's unique story. Send ideas to lisa@jwcmedia.com

3. My new role as Engagement Director at Hackstudio, requires I help grow a successful new endeavor in this market and I'm so inspired to do so. Hackstudio's focus is to help people connect with who they are and connect who they are with the world! 

4. I'm proud to be the returning Evanston Arts Council Co-Chair with my colleague in the arts, Dino Robinson. Join us and get the arts funded and celebrated in Evanston!

Additionally, I will continue to work on raising smart and giving citizens of the world (Miles & Louie) and providing shelter for ONE angry bunny. 

Thank you for your continued support and love for all my endeavors. Let me know if we can work together in any of these buckets!

Happy New Year, y'all! 

Lisa 

***




Monday, November 30, 2015

This Weekend: Midwest Clay Guild's Annual holiday ceramics sale


You're invited to the Midwest Clay Guild's Annual holiday ceramics sale! Shop work made by guild members as well as select visiting artists. 

Opening Reception: Friday, December 4th 6-9pm
Sale continues Saturday and Sunday, December 5-6, 11am-6pm

Pictured below, Justin Hart Ceramics



http://www.midwestclayguild.org

The Midwest Clay Guild provides communal studio space and facilities for ceramic artists. Created in 1971, it is one of the oldest cooperatives in the United States. The Guild includes functional potters and ceramic sculptors who exhibit locally, nationally, and internationally.

MIDWEST CLAY GUILD
1601 Payne St., Unit B
Evanston, IL 60201
Phone: 847.475.9697

Pop Up at Sidetracked Studio



Saturday, December 5, 12-7 p.m.

From Sidetracked Studio: First of our one day pop up events for the holidays. Brian Bush has shown at Sidetracked Studio with his paintings, but this Saturday he will be here with his fantastic linocut prints for one day only! Not only that but Brian will be present as well. So come by not only for this pop up, but for "Undiscovered Species" with artists Jordan Scott, Julie Murphy, Vito Desalvo, Lauren Levato Coyne, and Rory Coyne. Lauren and Rory will be working there all day as well, so be sure to come by!

http://sidetrackedstudio.com

West Evanston Art Crawl



Visit six different galleries in Evanston's great West side. Talk to the artists, enjoy refreshments, and consider buying affordable art: it's that simple. Go here for complete list of participating artists: http://westevanstonartists.com/

First Friday: 12/4/15 from 5-9 pm.
Six studios within six lovely blocks.  Affordable art for holiday gifts, interesting conversation and light refreshments (including Sketchbook Brewing samples at Adler George Studio and Space 900).
Visit our Facebook Page for updates and images!
Alice George, at Adler George Studio 1125 Florence Avenue -new work in progress-art postcard sets
Beth Adler, at Adler George Studio 1125 Florence Avenue- Monoprint books on handmade paper and collages on wood panels
Ausrine Kerr, at Ausrine’s Art Room, 1123 Florence Ave (on display: Ausrine’s latest oil paintings, sculptural felt pieces, Alvydas Pakarklis ceramic work, J. Crow oil paintings).
Jack Kraig 1532 Crain Ave (on display: Many new 6×8 framed  photographic images will be available.  Mandel bread plus sale items!)
Mill Creek Miniatures, 1127 Florence-In the Right Place: New Paintings by Amy O. Woodbury
Space 900, 1042 Wesley Avenue (a visual arts collective)–Peggy Robinson and invited jewelers

Thursday, November 12, 2015

MasterChef Junior Casting on Dec. 5



MasterChef Junior Casting will be held in Chicago on Saturday, December 5th. They are looking for kids who love to cook and want to try out for this fun lighthearted show. "The casting call is a total blast for all the kids who try out and everyone leaves with a huge smile, feeling like a winner!" 
Those interested can apply atmasterchefjuniorcasting.com 
From Nicole Mirkof, Casting Associate Producer, MasterChef Junior, "I have to tell kids not to be intimidated by the skill level they see on our show because no one walks into our open casting call cooking like a MasterChef. We are looking for passion and the potential to learn and blossom into the MasterChef inside each and everyone of them!"

Sunday, November 1, 2015

See "Undiscovered Species" on Nov. 7, 6 -9 p.m.

See "Undiscovered Species" Nov. 7, 6 - 9 pm

Sidetracked Studio is proud to present Undiscovered Species, an exhibition featuring doodles, drawings, collages, and paintings that reveal the obsessive and repetitive mania of their makers, all of whom happen to be Chicago-based artists. View works from the exhibition here.


Artists:
Lauren Levato Coyne, Rory Coyne, Vito Desalvo, Julie Murphy, Jordan Scott.
Opening night reception is Nov. 7, 6 - 9 pm and continues through Dec. 19.
Drinks provided by New Holland Brewing, our beloved beverage partner.

above image "Selvedge" by Lauren Levato Coyne, colored pencil on paper, 22" x 20", 2015. 


https://sidetrackedstudio.wordpress.com

Nov. 19 Art Opening: The Art of Normal



So what is "The Art of Normal", you ask? It's an audiovisual exhibit that pulls back the curtain on the everyday lives of those with disabilities. Visitors will see, hear and experience the art up close, granting them a unique view of the artists' hopes and dreams, their challenges and triumphs – and giving them a brand new definition of normal.

Event: Art opening on November 19th,The Art of Normal, an interactive exhibition that attempts to allow visitors an experiential view of living life with a disability and also explores issues surrounding ADA laws and compliance. 

The exhibition will be housed in the newly rededicated Fleetwood Jourdain Gallery on the 2nd Floor of the Morton Civic Center.

Like The Art of Normal on Facebook

Follow The Art of Normal on Twitter


Nov. 6: West Evanston Artists First Friday




Adler/George open studio on November 6. Black and Blue Monoprints by Beth Adler.

1100 block of Florence, Curt's Cafe at 1813 Dempster and Space 900 at 1042 Wesley.

Visit six different galleries in Evanston's great West side. Talk to the artists, enjoy refreshments, and consider buying affordable art: it's that simple. Go here for complete list of participating artists: http://westevanstonartists.com/



Jill King Studio will be joining Ausrine's Art Room! Looking forward to moving onto 1123 Florence Ave.

Six studios within six lovely blocks.  Great art, interesting conversation and light refreshments (including Sketchbook Brewing samples at Adler George Studio and Space 900).
Visit our Facebook Page for updates and images!
Alice George, at Adler George Studio 1125 Florence Avenue -new work in progress
Beth Adler, at Adler George Studio 1125 Florence Avenue -Black and Blue-new monoprints on handmade paper and collages on wood panels
Ausrine Kerr, at Ausrine’s Art Room, 1123 Florence Ave (on display: Ausrine’s latest oil paintings, sculptural felt pieces, Alvydas Pakarklis ceramic work, J. Crow oil paintings).
Jack Kraig 1532 Crain Ave (on display: Many new 6×8 framed  photographic images will be available.  Mandel bread plus sale items!)
Mill Creek Miniatures, 1127 Florence-In the Right Place: New Paintings by Amy O. Woodbury
Space 900, 1042 Wesley Avenue (a visual arts collective)–
Ken Avick -Paintings and Drawings
Colleen Conley- Drawings
Clark Ellithorpe- Collage Paintings
Judith Roston Freilich – Fiber work and Drawings
Joanna Pinsky – 2-D Shaped Paintings
Curt’s Cafe South, 1813 Dempster, Holiday Market

Friday, October 23, 2015

Evanston, the Suburb That Tried to Kill the Car


This is a fantastic read from Mark Peterson at Politico on so many levels, and such fantastic news about Evanston. 

"What's striking about downtown Evanston is that it's missing cars. Or, more accurately, it’s missing a lot of cars. The local automobile ownership rate is nearly half that of the surrounding area."- Mark Peterson / Redux Pictures for Politico Magazine


Excerpt:

At first glance, downtown Evanston, Illinois, doesn’t look revolutionary—just another a gentrifying urban core with the obligatory Whole Foods, the local organic sustainable restaurants serving $14 cocktails, the towering new, high-end luxury apartments filled with stainless steel appliances and granite countertops. The booming downtown feels increasingly hip; this summer it was featured as a “Surfacing” destination in the New York Times Travel Section. “I have everything here,” says Joanne McCall, pausing one evening on her way inside Sherman Plaza, a soaring, 26-story condominium building. “The post office, the dry cleaner, the movies, I work out upstairs, the Whole Foods is over there, the hair dresser over here. And the Uber thing is getting big here.”

It takes, in fact, a few extra minutes in the neighborhood to realize what’s different—and what’s missing. Downtown Evanston—a sturdy, tree-lined Victorian city wedged neatly between Lake Michigan and Chicago’s northern border—is missing cars. Or, more accurately, it’s missing a lot of cars. Thanks to concerted planning, these new developments are rising within a 10-minute walk of two rail lines and half-a-dozen bus routes. The local automobile ownership rate is nearly half that of the surrounding area.

Which again, may sound like so many other gentrifying urban areas. Who owns a car in Brooklyn, after all? But Evanston isn’t Park Slope—the city, now 75,000 strong, is quintessentially a suburb, somewhere to escape the density of nearby Chicago, a place to get extra room and, especially, a place to drive your car, jetting down Lake Shore Drive or the Edens Expressway to the Windy City. The houses in Evanston were so idyllic, in fact, that filmmakers came to use it as the beau ideal of postwar suburban life—it was where Hollywood came to film all-American suburban movies like Sixteen CandlesDennis the MenaceUncle Buck, and both Home Alone 2 andHome Alone 3.
And the whole point of the suburbs, reinforced by decades of local zoning laws and developers’ plans for a car-centric lifestyle, was that you weren’t supposed to live on top of your neighbor, that there was supposed to be plenty of parking everywhere you went and that you weren’t supposed to walk anywhere.

But Evanston had a different idea: What if a suburban downtown became a place where pedestrians ruled and cars were actively discouraged? As it turns out, what looks like normal urban gentrification actually marks the success of one of the most revolutionary suburbs in America. And its approach to development is fast becoming a model across the region—a model even embraced by its urban neighbor to the south, Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel. Evanston, Chicago and their neighbors all now want to attract more people like Tyler Hauck, 27, who pays $2,200 a month for his 1½ bedroom apartment, which he says is “definitely a high-end” building close to one of the region’s transit lines. “On the neighborhood list serve, people say things like ‘You’re paying all this money and you don’t have room for a car?’”
***
Urban density got a bad rap sometime in the mid-19th century—nobody found any redeeming value in the overcrowded Victorian slums of London—and by the beginning of the 20th century, the Englishman Ebenzer Howard’s concept of the “Garden City,” a series of outlying satellite villages to a larger, established central city, became the dogma of city planners around the world.
In the United States, the concept of density was further discredited after World War II when its antithesis—suburban subdivisions with big lots, plentiful cul-de-sacs and large connector roads to move people from home to office park to shopping mall—became not just the norm but the ideal. Aided and abetted by the construction of the federally-funded Interstate Highway System and inexpensive Federal Housing Authority loans aimed at single-family homes for returning veterans, sprawl spread across the country like a wildfire.
Public transit ridership peaked in 1956, the same year that Dwight Eisenhower signed legislation creating the Interstate Highway System, whose original 41,000 miles helped funnel the country’s shift toward suburbia.

Over time, the building practices that facilitated the classic suburban lifestyle became codified in local zoning ordinances, meant to separate commerce and residential life, and in wonky documents like the Institute of Transportation Engineers’ Parking Generation manual, which lays out a rigid ratio for the number of parking spaces required by various buildings, and has long served as the bible for developers and local officials. 

The manual’s fourth and latest edition, published in 2010, includes the number of suggested parking spots for 106 separate land-use classifications, including mosques, synagogues, motorcycle dealerships, and coffee and donut shops with a drive-thru window and those without. It’s a well-meaning book, written by well-meaning people, but the assumptions and mind-set of Parking Generation and other documents like it wreaked havoc on post-war sprawl—pushing American cities ever outward, creating decades of investment in billions of dollars of ever-wider interstates, and contributing to a nation choked by car emissions and hellish traffic.

By the 1980s, even close-in American suburbs like Evanston were beginning to be hollowed out by sprawl, as their residents decamped for cheaper exurbs fueled by new shopping malls filled with big box stores.

Now, a half-century after the rise of the automobile transformed the American landscape, a new generation of urban planners is trying to reverse its dominance. “We treat our land as worthless when it’s not,” explains Yonah Freemark, pointing to a “dead” school bus sitting in a virtually empty parking lot almost directly underneath Chicago’s "L" train, as he walks along the city’s North Milwaukee Avenue.


Read more: http://www.politico.com/magazine/story/2015/10/evanston-illinois-what-works-213282#ixzz3pPYkIcV4


Share Your Thanksgiving Table


PRESS RELEASE

Share Your Table for Thanksgiving 2015 

The International Office (IO) at Northwestern University is proud to announce our Seventh Annual "Share Your Table for Thankgiving" Program! In the spirit of the upcoming holiday season, the IO seeks community members in the Evanston/Chicago areas to host international students, faculty, staff and their families for Thanksgiving dinner (November 26, 2015). 

Complete the form below so we can learn more about you and your family. We ask that you kindly sign up only if you are absolutely certain you are available to host.   

Participate in cultural exchange, make new friends, and introduce NU's international community to the great American holiday of Thanksgiving! 

Due to the popularity of this program, we cannot guarantee any specific matches between hosts and our international community.  

After signing up, Stephanie Cisneros will be providing continuous updates, and reminders. Information about specific host family and international pairings will be sent out approximately 1-2 weeks before Thanksgiving.  

Questions? Please contact Stephanie Cisneros at stephanie.cisneros@northwestern.edu or 847-467-4025.




Tuesday, October 20, 2015

A Bright Night for the Arts in Evanston





Come and celebrate Evanston's rich and diverse arts community with us! Tickets are $20. Featuring wine and tasty small bites. Mayor Tisdahl will present the Mayor's Awards for the Arts, and we will feature a few "Bright Spot" presentations on innovate and amazing projects taking place in the area.

Buy tickets at https://abrightnightforthearts2.splashthat.com


Monday, October 12, 2015

Truly Collaborating at Hackstudio


Collaborating with the team at Hackstudio has been an incredibly eye-opening experience. No two days have been the same; every mind that arrives is unique and compelling; every interest is pursued authentically. 

Our grand opening on Nov. 5, 6-9p.m., will feature a gallery-like exhibit of what kids are working on here. Learn more about this amazing new program for kids in Evanston at www.hackstudio.com

Thursday, October 8, 2015

This Sunday is Evanston Oktoberfest!



Evanston Oktoberfest will celebrate Evanston's craft breweries! Sample beer from Temperance, Smylie Brothers Brewing, Peckish Pig and Sketchbook Brewing. There will be plenty of delicious food available for purchase. Attendees will also enjoy live music, dancing, kids activities and more!

Evanston Oktoberfest runs from 1:00 to 5:00 pm for General Admission ticket holders and VIP ticket holders get early admission at 12:00 pm. Please note that all food is available for purchase so please bring cash. See below for additional ticket information. 

Evanston Oktoberfest will take place at the parking lot behind the Hilton Garden Inn located at 1818 Maple Avenue (also known as the Downtown Evanston Farmer's Market location).

Get your tickets: www.bit.ly/1Izwaor

Evanston Oktoberfest is hosted by Downtown Evanston, a nonprofit organization that manages and markets the downtown Evanston business district. Ticket sales help cover the event costs for the participating breweries and Downtown Evanston.

Special thanks to our sponsors:

Presenting (Barrel) Sponsor
e2 Apartments

Growler Sponsor
First Bank & Trust

Pint Sponsor
Hyatt House

Tuesday, October 6, 2015

Open House Chicago Features 14 Evanston Stops!





For the first time ever, the Chicago Architecture Foundation's "Open House Chicago" will feature a community outside of the city's borders: Evanston! The free public festival, October 17-18, will offer behind-the-scenes access to 200 buildings, including 14 in Evanston. 

Learn more at http://www.openhouseevanston.com/ or 

http://openhousechicago.org/sites/?neighborhood=7

Northwestern will feature several buildings too!


Northwestern University will participate for the first time in the Chicago Architecture Foundation’s popular Open House Chicago program Oct. 17 and 18.

Three historic buildings on Northwestern’s Evanston campus will be open to visitors: Alice Millar Chapel and Deering Library, which will be open both Saturday, Oct. 17, and Sunday, Oct. 18; and Dearborn Observatory, which will be open only Sunday, Oct. 18. Alice Millar Chapel and Deering Library will be open from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 17, and from 1 to 5 p.m. Sunday, Oct. 18. Dearborn Observatory will be open from 1 to 5 p.m. Sunday, Oct. 18.

Open House Chicago is a free annual festival presented by the Chicago Architecture Foundation that offers behind-the-scenes access to more than 200 buildings across Chicago. For the first time, the festival will include sites in Evanston, including Sigma Alpha Epsilon’s Levere Memorial Temple, which is located next to Alice Millar Chapel, the Evanston History Center, several churches and FEW Spirits Distillery. A total of 14 sites will be open in Evanston.

“We’re proud to showcase some of the beautiful buildings on our Evanston campus,” said Alan Anderson, executive director of neighborhood and community relations. “Our campuses have a number of architecturally significant buildings, so we’re pleased that the Chicago Architecture Foundation has chosen to include these in this year’s Open House.”

Following are the Chicago Architecture Foundation descriptions of the Northwestern buildings that will be open: 
  • Alice Millar Chapel (1962). Architect: Edward Gray Halstead. At just over 50 years old, Alice Millar Chapel is a relatively young building. Its design marries a simplified Neo-Gothic form with stained glass that is unabashedly Modern. The 700-seat sanctuary has little ornament to distract from the bold, colorful abstract stained-glass windows that flood the sanctuary with an ever-changing light. The entire chancel wall is covered, floor to ceiling, in this glass -- a most unusual backdrop that highlights the uniqueness of the space. The windows are the work of Belgian-born designer Benoit Gilsoul. They were fabricated by the noted Willet Studios of Philadelphia. Vail Chapel is a smaller space linked by a colonnade to the east. It is a much more traditional sanctuary with intricate representational stained glass.
  • Deering Library (1932). Architect: James Gamble Rogers. On the edge of the great lawn at the heart of Northwestern's campus rises a monumental building by the master of Collegiate Gothic architecture. Its construction was funded by the Deering and McCormick families, who founded International Harvester. The library's mass and four short corner towers allegedly prompted Frank Lloyd Wright to disparage it as "a pig on its back." But you may disagree as you ascend the stairs from the heavy stone-and-timber entry corridor to discover a stunning reading room. Enormous arched leaded-glass windows flood the double-height space with light. The windows illuminate the intricately timbered ceiling and elaborate details in carved stone and wood throughout.
  • Dearborn Observatory (1889). Architect: Cobb & Frost. In 1889, this observatory was jointly constructed by Northwestern University and the Chicago Astronomical Society to hold what was then the world’s largest telescope. This original 18.5-inch telescope is still in use. In 1997, the old handcrank-operated dome was replaced with the current shiny aluminum cover with electric motor operation. In order to minimize vibrations, the core pillar on which the telescope stands is structurally isolated from the rest of the heavy stone structure below. The entire building was laboriously moved several hundred feet over a three-month period in 1939 to make way for a campus construction project.

Support Nichols Middle School Arts Programming





TEMPERANCE BEER COMPANY SOCIAL: Save the date! Come to Temperance Beer Company on Tuesday, November 10th (the day before Veteran’s Day) from 7-10 PM to mingle with other Nichols parents, enjoy light snacks, adult conversation and a cold brew or other beverage. The focus is on providing a fun, low-key opportunity for Nichols parents to relax and socialize. It’s also a no-pressure fundraiser to raise support for arts programs at our school, with opportunities to underwrite items for the new Makers Room and spring musical. Temperance is kindly donating a dollar for every pint of beer sold.  Come enjoy a night out at a great local spot!"

Monday, October 5, 2015

Alfonso “Piloto” Nieves Mural Dedication at Dewey Elementary



Fall Fiesta celebrating Hispanic Heritage Month – This Saturday, Oct. 10, 11 a.m. – 1 p.m.

Enjoy Latino music as you indulge in a tamale and horchata tasting with Dewey friends.  Bring your old costumes to share and grab a new one at the costume swap.  Kids can paint free miniature pumpkins and play relay games in the field.  Plan to buy your carving, decorative, and novelty pumpkins for the season from the Fall Fiesta!  Put October 10 on your calendar now, this is a free, community-building fiesta that you won’t want to miss!  And, it will feature the dedication of the mural created last school year by Dewey students and artist Alfonso “Piloto” Nieves (11:30).  Event volunteers are needed:  please contact Amy Nedoss, anedoss@me.com or Rebeca Mendoza, beccamen@gmail.com.



FREE Talk by Julie Lythcott-Haims on How To Raise an Adult



FREE Talk by Julie Lythcott-Haims on How To Raise an Adult


Julie Lythcott-Haims, former freshman dean at Stanford University and the author of How to Raise an Adult, will be speaking (no cost) at Beth Emet (SW corner of Dempster and Ridge) on Thursday, Oct. 8 at 7:30 p.m.  Her book has been characterized as the Anti-Tiger Mom Manifesto and takes on schoolwork, sports, extracurriculars, college admissions, online school portals, chores, play, adolescence, and mental health.  Click here for the New York Times review.

Friday, October 2, 2015

Serious Sale!


This Saturday Harvey Pranian, Evanston's famous Art & Antiques dealer, is selling tons of interesting objects, 10a-5p, 1035 Wesley. He is occupying a yard, a gallery and an apartment with items. Bring your paycheck and prepare to shop your brains out!

http://harveyantiques.com/

Thursday, October 1, 2015

10.2.15: West Evanston Art Crawl



Six studios within six lovely blocks of Florence Avenue in West Evanston will be open and showing works by a variety of artists this Friday night!  Great art, interesting conversation and light refreshments (including Sketchbook Brewing samples at Adler George Studio and Space 900).



Alice George, at Adler George Studio 1125 Florence Avenue (Alice will be displaying an exhibition called “Metaphysical Comics,” collograph and mixed media prints inspired by comics & thinking about things).

Beth Adler, at Adler George Studio 1125 Florence Avenue (small works on paper)



Ausrine Kerr, at Ausrine’s Art Room, 1123 Florence Ave (on display: Ausrine’s latest oil paintings, sculptural felt pieces, Alvydas Pakarklis ceramic work, J. Crow oil paintings).

Jack Kraig 1532 Crain Ave (on display: Many new 6×8 framed  photographic images will be available.  Mandel bread plus sale items!)

Mill Creek Miniatures, 1127 Florence (displaying local artist Amy Woodbury displaying “Painting Utah”)

Space 900, 1042 Wesley Avenue (a visual arts collective)–a preview of Harvey Pranian’s “Big Sale” will be on display


Curt’s Cafe South, 1813 Dempster, will be displaying the work of Marcy Lichterman (opening night)


For a map and links to artist's websites visit http://westevanstonartists.com/

Tuesday, September 29, 2015

Oct. 1: Bike Light Giveaway



In a continued effort to promote bicycle safety in Evanston, on Thursday, October 1, the City of Evanston will hold its 2015 “Pedal Bright” Bike Light Giveaway and Installation event.
The exciting initiative will provide bicycle safety information and help cyclists increase the visibility of their bikes as the days get shorter during the fall and winter seasons. Teams of volunteers will install a limited number of free bicycle lights, distribute city bike maps, and provide a quick tutorial on the rules of the road for bicyclists.
Bicycle lights will be installed while supplies last on Thursday, October 1, from 4:30 p.m. until 6:30 p.m., at two Evanston locations:
  • Robert Crown Community Center, 1701 Main St.
  • The Weber Arch at Northwestern University, Chicago Ave. and Sheridan Rd.
The morning and afternoon hours are often peak times for bicycle traffic on local roadways. Later sunrises and earlier sunsets make visibility especially important for both bicycle commuters and recreational cyclists. Bicyclists in need of lights are encouraged to have a light installed at one of the locations. Lights will only be installed on bicycles without lights; lights will not be handed out to individuals without bikes.
Illinois law requires that every bicycle when in use at nighttime be equipped with a front lamp capable of emitting a white light visible from a distance of at least 500 feet, and a red reflector on the rear visible from 100 to 600 feet. A lamp emitting a red light visible from a distance of 500 feet to the rear may be used in addition to a red reflector.
The City is proud to announce the event's sponsors and partners, including:
  • Evanston Police Department
  • Northwestern University
  • Northwestern University Associated Student Government
  • NorthShore Evanston Hospital
  • Evanston Township High School
  • Evanston Bike Club
  • Downtown Evanston
  • Wheel and Sprocket
  • The Illinois Bicycle Lawyers at Keating Law Offices
Additional sponsors will be announced. Those interested in being a sponsor should contact bikes@cityofevanston.org.
For more information, please call/text 847-448-4311. For convenience, residents in Evanston may simply dial 3-1-1.

Thursday, September 24, 2015

Sunday: View the Total Lunar Eclipse with CIERA Astronomers




Upcoming Events for CIERA - Center for Interdisciplinary Exploration and Research in Astrophysics

Observe the eclipse through telescopes. Talk to CIERA Astronomers!

Multiple telescope stations will be available to shorten the lines.

Maximum point of eclipse occurs at 9:47 PM. If the weather is questionable, check our Facebook Event for updates.

Admission is free and all are welcome.


CIERA is the Center for Interdisciplinary Exploration and Research in Astrophysics at Northwestern University. Visit us: CIERA.northwestern.edu

8-11:30 p.m.

Segal Visitors Center, Top Level, 7th Floor Parking Garage 
1841 Sheridan Rd   
Evanston, IL 60208 map it

Monday, September 21, 2015

Public Art by Heather Hancock in Downtown Evanston




Have you seen this? Downtown Evanston commissioned local artist Heather Hancock to install a temporary mural on the building at the corner of Grove Street and Sherman Avenue, also known as Other Brother Coffee. Titled "Flourish", Hancock used masonry tape and repurposed reflectors to create a new experience in the streetscape. "Flourish is a playful re-imagining of lines and forms from the built world as organic, growing elements." Stop by during the day and night to see how "Flourish" changes with light. If you share a photo on Facebook or Instagram, use #flourishdowntownevanston. 

Saturday, September 12, 2015

Swing Set Drum Kit at Evanston Streets Alive!


This Sunday, 1-6 p.m., on the corner of Elmwood and Main Streets, Dave Ford's Swing Set Drum Kit will be open for swinging and music making! Stop by and say "hello"

Streets Alive is a Pro-Walk, Pro-Bike, Pro-Place initiative of Citizen’s Greener Evanston (CGE). CGE’s mission is to create a more livable and resilient city while decreasing the community’s carbon emissions. CGE promotes and facilitates green transportation options such as walking, biking, transit, and car-sharing, educates and mobilizes the community, advocates for appropriate policies and infrastructure, and implements a variety of programs that aim to engage underserved constituencies.   For 2015, CGE is excited to partner with the Evanston Environmental Association to bring the Green Living Festival to Streets Alive. The City of Evanston is also a major partner and sponsor of Streets Alive.

Visit http://evanstonstreetsalive.org/ or email evanstonstreetsalive@gmail.com

See activity map below




Friday, September 11, 2015

Fun Alert: Evanston Oktoberfest

Be a part of the first-ever Evanston craft beer fest! Bring your friends and family to enjoy an afternoon of craft beer, food, and fun, fall festivities right here in downtown Evanston!


October 11 - Evanston Oktoberfest will celebrate Evanston's craft breweries and brewpubs, featuring four pours each from Temperance, Smylie Brothers Brewing, Peckish Pig and Sketchbook Brewing. There will be plenty of delicious food available for purchase from some of Evanston's finest resaturants and food vendors. Attendees will also enjoy live music, dancing, kids activities and more!

Evanston Oktoberfest runs from 1:00 to 5:00 pm for General Admission ticket holders and VIP ticket holders get early admission at 12:00 pm. Please note that all food is available for purchase so please bring cash. See below for additional ticket information. Evanston Oktoberfest will take place at the parking lot behind the Hilton Garden Inn located at 1818 Maple Avenue (also known as the Downtown Evanston Farmer's Market location). 

Evanston Oktoberfest is hosted by Downtown Evanston, a nonprofit organization that manages and markets the downtown Evanston business district. Ticket sales help cover the event costs for the participating breweries and Downtown Evanston. 

TICKETS
VIP Tickets ($50 plus tax)
  • Early admission at 12:00 pm
  • Four 3-oz pours of a special cask ale (1 from each brewery)
  • 3-oz pour of a specialty drink from FEW Spirits (more info to come soon!) 
  • Commemorative beer sampling glass
  • Sixteen 3-oz pours (4 from each brewery)

General Admission Tickets ($35 plus tax)
  • Commemorative beer sampling glass
  • Sixteen 3-oz pours (4 from each brewery)
  • Admission from 1:00 to 5:00 pm

Designated Driver and Kids 13 and Older Ticket ($10 plus tax)
  • Commemorative water bottle


Kids 12 and Younger (FREE)