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

This Weekend: Midwest Clay Guild Holiday Sale

Midwest Clay Guild Holiday Sale

Dec. 5 - 7

1610 Paynes Street

http://www.midwestclayguild.org/

Swing Set Drum Kit at YEA Festival

Photo by Erika Anderson

Today from 10a-4p Dave Ford's interactive art installation, Swing Set Drum Kit, will be at the YEA Festival at Dempster and Hinman.

Stop by and swing and watch this fun, playful, silly art installation make music on a deconstructed set of drums.

If the line is too long, there will be sidewalk chalk to preoccupy yourself with.

Evanston Arts: Citywide Studio Tours June 7

Event website http://openstudiosevanston.blogspot.com/

Facebook page - www.facebook.com/ArtStudiosEvanston

June 7, 3-8 p.m., Evanston artists, galleries and arts organizations across nine wards will participate in Open Studios Evanston, opening their doors to the public to show that Art is Everywhere in Evanston! 

If you want to participate in the event, email openstudiosevanston@gmail.com

List is participating Artists, Galleries, Organizations

Participants in Open Studios Evanston

Adriana Poterash, 1601 Payne St., midwestclayguild.org

Alfonso Piloto Nieves Ruiz, 2103 Maple Ave., www.anrstudios.com

Alice George, 1125 Florence Ave., www.alicegeorge.org

Angela Valavanis, 922 Davis St., www.creativecoworking.com

Annette Patko, 1793 Darrow Ave., Unit 2, www.bordeaux.com

Annie Andrews, 1145 Judson Ave, www.annieaclothing.com

Ausrine Kerr, 1123 Florence Ave., www.ausrinesartsroom.net

Barbara Bellamy, 1630 Chicago Ave., www.ixiaflowers.com

Beth Adler, 1125 Florence Ave., www.bethadler.net

Carol Hammerman, 1119 Hinman Ave., www.carolhammerman.com

Carol Neiger, 1515 Sherman Ave., www.neigerdesign.com

Chris Heisinger, 1735 Washington, www.heisingerdesign.com

Dana DeAno, 1577 Wesley Ave., www.danadeano.com

Dana Shearin, 1601 Payne St, Unit B, www.formingground.com

Dave Ford, 325 Dempster St., www.fordart.wordpress.com

David Geary, 1132 Hartrey Ave., www.davidanthonyart.com

Fay Kaiser Studio, 927 Noyes St.

Heather Hancock, 1606 Main St., www.hhmosaics.com

Janet Trierweiler, 1030 Maple Ave., www.janettrierweiler.com

Jennifer Presant, 927 Noyes Ave., www.jenniferpresant.com

Jerry Woods, 828 Davis St., www.jwoodspaintings.com

Jessica Jacobs, 1707 Central St., www.jessicajacobs.com

Jill Birschbach, 1601 Payne St., www.formandsurface.com

Jill King, 1402 ½ Greenleaf Ave., www.jillkingstudio.com

Joann Rea, 927 Noyes Ave., www.joannrea.com

Joanna Kramer, 1601 Payne St., www.joannakramer.com

Joanna Pinsky, 1042 Wesley Ave., www.joannapinsky.com

Joe Taylor, 1217 Church St., www.Joetaylorart.com

Joyce Elias, 1210 Sherman Ave., www.joyceeliasart.com

Juliane von Kunhardt, 1610 Payne St., www.juleskunhardt.com

Julie Cowan, 1209 Maple Ave., www.solidprint.com

Julie Meridian, 1145 Judson Ave., www.juliemeridianphotographs.com

Justin Hart, 1601 Payne St., www.justinhartceramics.com

Kristin Mariani/ RedShift, 1570 Wesley Ave.,www.redshiftcouture.com, kristinmariani.blogspot.com

Lauren Levato Coyne, 1317 ½ Oak Ave., #3E, www.hioctaneredhead.com

Lea Basile Lazarus, 1209 Maple Ave., www.leablazarus.com

Lea Pinsky, 1042 Wesley Ave., www.leapinsky.com/

Lindsay Sherman, 1601 Payne St., www.lindsayshermanceramics.com

Lindy Stockton, 1402 ½ Greenleaf Ave.

Lloyd Davidson, 424 Dewey Ave., LloydsWorld.SmuMug.com.

Lynette Martin, 1016 Davis St., bottleandbottega.com/evanston

Maggie Weiss, 927 Noyes Ave.

Matthew J. Schaefer, 1004 Ashland Ave.,www.matthewjschaefer.com

Meg McGuinness, 1610 Payne St.

Mike O’Mara, 927 Noyes Ave., www.etcmusicschool.org

Michelle Korte Leccia, Callan Ave., michellekorteleccia.com

Naomi Sondak, 927 Noyes Ave.

Nicole Gordon, 927 Noyes Ave., www.nicolegordon.com

Patricia Mejía, 9236 Lincolnwood Dr., www.patriciamejia.net

Ray Schooley, 1601 Payne St.

Rory Coyne, , 1317 ½ Oak Ave., #3E, www.coyneart.wordpress.com

Sarah Kaiser-Amaral, 927 Noyes Ave., www.sarah-kaiser.com

Sara Piepmeier, 927 Noyes Ave.

Sheila Ganch, 927 Noyes Ave., www.sculpturebysheilaganch.com

Sheila Oettinger, 927 Noyes Ave., www.sculpturebyoettinger.com

Susan Curry, 1601 Payne St., www.susancurryceramics.com

Ted Glasoe, 600 Davis St., www.tedglasoe.com

Galleries, Arts Organizations & More

Adler George Studio, 1125 Florence

Alt Imagery www.altimagery.com/

Artist Seeds a Studio Workshop, www.artistseeds.com

Ausrine's Art Room, 1123 Florence Ave., www.ausrinesartsroom.net

Bottle & Bottega, 1016 Davis St., www.bottleandbottega.com/evanston

Bordeaux Studio, 1793 Darrow Ave., Unit 2,  www.bordeauxstudio.com 

Creative Coworking, 922 Davis St., www.creativecoworking.com

etc. Music School, 927 Noyes St., etcmusicschool.org

Evanston Public Library,1703 Orrington Ave., www.epl.org

Evanston Art Center, 2603 Sheridan Road, www.evanstonartcenter.org

Fay Kaiser Voice Studio, 927 Noyes St.

Hevanston Gallery, 531 Davis Street, www.hevanston.com

Ixia Flowers, 1630 Chicago Ave., www.ixiaflowers.com

John R. Jacobs, Architect, 1707 Central St. www.jrjarchitect.com

Mary & Leigh Block Museum of Art, 40 Arts Circle Drive, www.blockmuseum.northwestern.edu

Midwest Clay Guild, 1601 Payne St., midwestclayguild.org

NeigerDesign, 1515 Sherman Ave., www.neigerdesign.com

Noyes Cultural Arts Center, 927 Noyes St.

Open Studio Project, 903 Sherman Ave., www.openstudioproject.org

Space 900,1042 Wesley Ave., www.Space900.org

Squeezebox Music & Books, 1235 Chicago Ave., www.squeezeboxbooks.com

The Music Institute of Chicago, 1702 Sherman Ave., www.musicinst.org

Citywide Art Party on June 7 at Open Studios Evanston

Visual artists with a studio in the City of Evanston and select art galleries and organizations will open their doors to the general public 3-8 p.m. on Saturday, June 7, in celebration of the arts in Evanston. 

The website (openstudiosevanston.blogspot.com) will feature a list of all participating artists on a Google Map; the public can choose how to get to the studios and what time. Artists are encouraged to provide marketing materials to share with the public, treats and refreshments are encouraged too.

This is a 100% FREE event!

Participating artists and gallery spaces will be listed below. Please share this information with anyone interested!

Interested in being a part of the fun? Email openstudiosevanston@gmaill.com

List of Participating Artists in Alphabetical Order by First Name

Adriana Poterash - www.adrianapoterash.com
Annie Andrews
Alfonso Piloto Nieves Ruiz - www.anrstudios.com
Alice George - www.alicegeorge.org
Ausrine Kerr - 1123 Florence Ave., Ausrine's Art Room

Beth Adler - 1125 Florence Avenue

Carol Hammerman - www.carolhammerman.com

Dana DeAno - www.danadeano.com
Dana Shearin - www.formingground.com
Dave Ford - www.fordart.wordpress.com

Emily Testa - midwestclayguild.org

Fran Joy - www.franjoy.com

Heather Hancock - www.hhmosaics.com

Janet Trierweiler - www.janettrierweiler.com
Jennifer Presant - www.jenniferpresant.com
Jerry Woods - www.jwoodspaintings.com
Jessica Jacobs - www.jessicajacobs.com
Jill Birschbach  - www.formandsurface.com
Jill King - www.jillkingstudio.com
Joann Rea - www.joannrea.com
Joanna Kramer  - www.joannakramer.com
Joanna Pinsky - http://www.joannapinsky.com/
Joyce Elias - www.joyceeliasart.com
Julie Cowan - www.solidprint.com
Julie Meridian - www.juliemeridianphotographs.com
Justin Hart - www.justinhartceramics.com

Kim Jones -  - midwestclayguild.org

Lauren Levato Coyne - www.hioctaneredhead.com
Lea Lazarus - www.leablazarus.com
Lea Pinsky - http://leapinsky.com/
Lindsay Sherman www.lindsayshermanceramics.com

Maggie Weiss - www.maggieweiss.com
Matthew J. Schaefer - www.matthewjschaefer.com

Naomi Sondak - Noyes Cultural Arts Center
Nicole Gordon -  www.nicolegordon.com

Ray Schooley - midwestclayguild.org
Rory Coyne - www.coyneart.wordpress.com

Sarah Kaiser-Amaral - www.sarah-kaiser.com
Sheila Ganch www.sculpturebysheilaganch.com
Sheila Oettinger - www.sculpturebyoettinger.com
Susan Curry - www.susancurryceramics.com 

Ted Glasoe - www.tedglasoe.com

Continue to check back for event information and if you know anyone interesting in participating in this event, email openstudiosevanston@gmail.com 

Graffiti I Love: Alley Heart

Found this nice piece of graffiti in an alley by Davis in Downtown Evanston.

Photos: Icescape at Lee Street Beach

Congratulations to everyone who braved the cold and wind to join in the second Winter HeARTh event organized by Evanston's Public Art Committee. And big thanks to Jason Brown and David Geary for promoting outdoor arts events in winter! Be sure to pick up a copy of this week's Evanston Review which features a cover photo of the event plus lots more photos inside.

Stay tuned for one more event from Evanston's Public Art Committee before winter is over.

Location Change! Icescape now at Lee Street Beach

Winter HeARTh 2: IceScape

Saturday, March 8, 12-4 p.m.

Lee Street Beach

Bundle up and bring bursts of color to the bleak (but beautiful) icy landscape of Evanston's Greenwood Street Beach, because what's a better way to protest the cold by celebrating community during our second Winter HeARTh event?

Bring your friends, family your own food coloring (all-natural preferred - check out Whole Foods' options), and super-soaking water-blasters of choice. We'll also be freezing water balloons to create spheres of color - so bring any extra balloons you've got laying around too!

What is the Winter HeARTh anyway?

The Evanston Public Art Committee is trying to get folks out of their homes and into public places this winter to encourage community-building and creativity to enliven what can be the solitary cold months. We are aiming for all of these events to be inter-generational and fun for all. We are also asking community members to help us help each other by bringing their own supplies. Not only will this let you really leave your mark on these art projects, but you'll be able to teach others with the supplies you've become an expert in using - that way even our neighbors who may be arts-and-crafts newbies can come and join as well.

Spread the word, spread the warmth!


For more info and a map visit the Facebook event page here.

If you attend the event, help create a buzz on social media and upload your photos with #icescape

Photos: Noyes Cultural Arts Open House

More than 200 people flowed through the Noyes Cultural Arts Center on Saturday night in celebration of Open Studios and art! What a fantastic night. Congratulations to all the artists who did such a fantastic job creating activities and fun for so many people. Click here to visit the event page on Facebook to see more photos. 

To learn more about the Noyes Cultural Arts Center in Evanston, visit http://www.cityofevanston.org/arts-culture/noyes-cultural-arts-center/

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Thank you for reading my blog Evanston Newbie, a blog dedicated to helping you too fall in love with the City of Evanston, just like I did. If you have any questions or need to get in touch with me about this blog, Evanston, or anything else you can email me at thelisadshow@gmail.com. Also feel free to send me announcements about upcoming Evanston events and I will promote them here!

This Saturday: Noyes Cultural Center Open Studios

The diverse artists who have studios at the Noyes Cultural Center are opening their doors for the public to visit.

Artists of all disciplines will be present: painters, printmakers, actors, dancers, singers, and acrobats. The event is family-friendly, and free art activities will be offered for kids. Food and beverages will also be available.

Contact Sarah Kaiser-Amaral at (773) 318-0163 for more information.

Saturday, Feb. 15, 4-7 p.m.
927 Noyes St.
Evanston, IL 60201

Saturday: Public "Yarnbombing" Event at the Evanston Public Library

Press Release from the Evanston Public Art Committee

Come participate in a public "yarnbombing" event at the Evanston Public Library on February 8th. Knitters, crochet-ers, and fabric artists of all ages and experience levels are welcome to join as we bring string and color to the halls and streets around the Library.

BYOY - Bring Your Own Yarn (remnants, old favorites, etc.), needles, and supplies! This will be an opportunity to share what you have, whether it be supplies or crafty wisdom - we invite both! And start knitting today! We will try to incorporate prepared and recycled projects into the installation.

Have an old, "ugly" knit sweater laying around the house that you wouldn't want anyone to wear? We want that too! We'll put it to good use...or at least creative use.

What is "Evanston HeARTh" anyway?

The Evanston Public Art Committee is trying to get folks out of their homes and into warm public places this winter to encourage community-building and creativity to enliven what can be the solitary cold months. We are aiming for all of these events to be inter-generational and fun for all. We are also asking community members to help us help each other by bringing their own supplies. Not only will this let you really leave your mark on these art projects, but you'll be able to teach others with the supplies you've become an expert in using - that way even our neighbors who may be arts-and-crafts newbies can come and join as well.

Spread the word, spread the warmth!

Saturday, Feb. 8, noon - 4 p.m., Evanston Public Library, 1703 Orrington Ave.  

Photos: Artist Marco Rotelli lights up Deering Library at Northwestern

Snowflakes and poetry: Artist Marco Rotelli lights up Deering Library on Northwestern Campus. Photos by Anne Berkeley

All week, Rotelli has been projecting light against the facade of Deering Library from 5 to 9 p.m. in a show named after a Dylan Thomas quote, “Rage, Rage Against the Dying of the Light.” Lights are up until tonight.

Grand Opening: Space 900 Artist's Collaborative

The members of Space 900:

Artists KEN AVICK, COLLEEN CONLEY, CLARK ELLITHORPE,
JUDITH ROSTEN FREILICH, DUSTIN HARRIS AND JOANNA PINSKY

Invite you for wine and refreshments to celebrate the inaugural opening of their new exhibition space in Evanston.

Dates: Saturday, September 7     7:00 PM - 10:00 PM

             Sunday, September 8      2:00 PM - 5:00 PM

Exhibit Dates: September 7 - October 6, 2013:

Open by appointment email space900gallery@gmail.com

Address: 1040 Wesley Ave., Evanston, IL 60201

Space 900 is an artist's collaborative where members meet to talk about their work and generate ideas for group and solo exhibitions. This exhibit features recent paintings, collages and sculpture by the artists.

Contact space900gallery@gmail.com to be on the mailing list for upcoming exhibits and musical events.

Art Opening: Dave Ford (my husband), Hauling Graphite: Five Road Recordings at Packer Schopf Gallery

Granted this is a blog about my family's move from El Paso, TX, to Evanston, IL, every once in a while I go way off topic and post a non-Evanston event or food review. I'm dedicating today's post to my husband, visual artist Dave Ford. He's with Packer Schopf Gallery and has a show that opens this Friday that you really should try your best to attend. Below is why.

This Friday, 5-8p, at Packer Schopf Gallery on 942 W. Lake St., meet Dave Ford and see his Truck Drawings.

Dave Ford / Hauling Graphite: Five Road Recordings / graphite on paper
Lines accumulate as Ford drives a 12′ truck with 100 pencil-tipped water bottle pendulums dancing above the paper lined bed. On the road, he checks the drawing, often sharpening pencils, sometimes removing or adding a bottle depending on where he wants a specific quality of marks or textures. After fifteen years and several Truck Drawing projects later, ‘panels’ from separate trips will be shown together for the first time. The burst patterns created by the bottles as Ford drives across the country evoke a grace that simultaneously jars with the truck as medium and flows with the rhythm of travel.

5 Runs: Dallas to New York, El Paso to Falls Village, CT, San Francisco to Las Cruces, NM, Santa Fe to Chicago, and Chicago / Philadelphia round trip.

Click here for an archive of Truck Drawing blog posts on fordart.wordpress.com 

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Thank you for reading my blog Evanston Newbie, a blog dedicated to helping you too fall in love with Evanston, just like I did. If you have any questions or need to get in touch with me about this blog, Evanston, or anything else you can email me at thelisadshow@gmail.com. Also feel free to send me announcements about upcoming Evanston events and I will promote them here!

This Saturday is YEA! Day Arts Festival in Evanston

26th Annual Young Evanston Artists Festival
Saturday, May 18th, 2013
10:00 am – 4:00 pm
Dempster St. & Chicago Ave., Evanston

Tentative Schedule:

4 a.m In the dark of the morning on YEA! Day, a small group of volunteers can be seen loading display panels off a U-Haul truck and placing them at designated school locations.

6 a.m. A volunteer crew arrives and four teams put up all the panels in preparation for the teachers.

7 a.m. Another volunteer group arrives to blow up balloons and tie them on parking meters, lampposts and trees.

7:30 a.m. House of Rental arrives

8 a.m. Teachers arrive with art work to set up their schools’ presentation

8 a.m. Volunteers arrive to set up the Silent Auction

8 a.m. A crew arrives to set up the sound system for the performing arts

9 a.m. Volunteers arrive to set up the YEA! booths where baseball hats, t-shirts, tattoos, snacks and refreshments are sold

10 a.m. Crowds arrive. We have ignition and lift off: YEA! Day explodes with excitement and enthusiasm

4 p.m. The YEA! festival comes to a close and is dismantled piece by piece by all of the teachers and volunteers. But the YEA! program, itself, continues…influencing school arts programs throughout the year.

Art Party on May 18: The Evanston Art Center's Spring Benefit

Sat, 05/18/2013 - 6:30pm - 11:00pm

Join arts supporters under the tent for cocktails and a live auction. The Evanston Art Center's spring Benefit will be Saturday, May 18 from 6:30 p.m. with live auction scheduled for 8 p.m. There will be wine, food, a raffle, silent & live auctions, and lots of fun! Get your bids in early on your favorite artworks - advance bidding of benefit art will be on line and in the galleries beginning Sunday, April 28 at www.evanstonartcenter.org.

Event held at the Evanston Art Center, 2603 Sheridan Road in Evanston.

General Tickets are $100 each. Contributing Auction Artists can bring a guest for $65. Guests under the age of 35 attend for $65.

All proceeds from the event will help support the educational, exhibition and community outreach programs provided by the Evanston Art Center.

Get the list of participating artists who have their works for sale in the silent auction at www.evanstonartcenter.org

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Thank you for reading my blog Evanston Newbie, a blog dedicated to helping you too fall in love with Evanston, just like I did. If you have any questions or need to get in touch with me about this blog, Evanston, or anything else you can email me at thelisadshow@gmail.com. Also feel free to send me announcements about upcoming Evanston events and I will promote them here!

Have you seen the big Buddha sculptures sticking out of the ground all over Evanston?

Have you seen these big Buddha sculptures sticking out the ground around Evanston and wondered what they were? Here is some background from Indira Johnson's project blog at http://tenthousandripples.wordpress.com/about/: Ten Thousand Ripples (TTR) is a multi-platform public art project. Think sculpture, community engagement activities, art residencies, an interactive website, and a citywide culminating exhibition, all rolled into one. We’ve designed it so that artists, neighborhood leaders, and residents are at the center of this community-driven planning and public involvement effort.

This weekend my son spotted two of the sculptures and we're going to spend next weekend on our bicycles finding all of them! Below are some events you can participate in around Evanston as part of this project:

Art and Peace at Bridge Street

Evanston Ecology Center Sunday, April 14th 1:00 – 3:00pm

Work with well known Evanston artists Alice George, Sue Sommers and Claire Alden.

Participate in the Japanese tradition of Tanabata where in we will write our wishes for peace on colorful, strips of paper and hang them on tree branches along Bridge Street.

Bridging Differences is part of the Ten Thousand Ripples (TTR) Public Art Project that uses art as a catalyst to foster dialog about peace and non-violence. Evanston is one of ten communities; the only one outside of Chicago, participating in TTR.

This is the 1st of four Ten Thousand Ripples Arts based workshops "Bridging Differences"

4/14 Evanston Ecology Center, 2024 McCormick Blvd., Evanston, Claire Alden, calden@cityofevanston.org Phone 847 448 8805
4/21 at Grey Park, 1-5 pm We Are One Community, Janet Beals, janet@openstudioproject.org
4/25 at Family Focus from 5-7pm, Sandy Williams, Sandy.Williams@family-focus.org
5/4 at Twiggs Park from 1-4pm, Indira Johnson, mailto:indirajohnson@comcast.net

Ten Thousand Ripples www.tenthousandripples.com
Changing Worlds www.changingworlds.org/

Ten Thousand Ripples is supported by contributions from the Friends of the Arts Fund of the Evanston Community Foundation, the Weisblat Family Foundation, Albert Pick, Jr. Fund; the Chicago Community Trust; the Field Foundation of Illinois; the Illinois Arts Council, a state agency; the Lumpkin Family Foundation; the Raven Foundation; the Richard H. Driehaus Foundation; Target; and a host of generous individuals.

Calling all Artists, Educators and Arts Providers

Check out this resource dedicated to connecting artists, educators and arts providers in Illinois. I’m sharing this with you as part of my efforts to help boost arts in Evanston. Join the fun and register today at www.artseducationexchange.org - more information below in the words of the Arts Alliance.

In the fall of 2011, Arts Alliance Illinois launched the Arts & Education Exchange in partnership with the Illinois Arts Council and the Illinois State Board of Education. The Exchange is a free, easy-to-use website that connects you with educators to give students an opportunity for expression and self-discovery through creative and artistic outlets.

Here are a few key facts about the Exchange:

•It takes less than 5 minutes to register for an account on the Exchange. Then, you can make contact with educators on the Exchange, helping you build relationships at schools.
•You can share details, pictures, video, and audio about your programs on the Exchange. Educators can then tap into the Exchange and search for arts programming that helps them encourage their students’ success.
•Educators can also post specific arts requests for their classrooms on the Exchange, which you can search and respond to in order to craft tailored programs.

Join the Arts & Education Exchange today! Or visit www.artseducationexchange.org.

You may already have strong relationships with educators, but your participation on the Exchange will help to elevate the presence and importance of arts education across the state.

More than 600 people have already registered on the Exchange.

About Arts Alliance Illinois from www.facebook.com/ArtsAllianceIllinois

We're the state's leading voice for the arts and arts education.

When times are tough, the arts and arts education are one of the first things to be cut. We help people across the state who love everything from painting, sculpture, and film to music, dance, and theatre speak out to elected officials and other leaders. That way, your favorite cultural organization -- whether it's an internationally known museum or a community choir -- has the support it needs to keep its lights on and doors open. We're like AARP or Green Peace, but for the arts and arts education.

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Thank you for reading my blog Evanston Newbie, a blog devoted to covering my family's move from El Paso, TX, to Evanston, IL, in 2011. We arrived in June 2011 and several people have pointed out that I am no longer a "newbie" and should start some other blog. But I disagree and want to keep the "newbie" status for a while longer, maybe five years and for several reasons. #1 - there are many Evanston families who have lived here for generations since the town incorporated in the late 1800s, so in comparison to them, I am very much a "newbie". #2 - I firmly believe this blog is a good branding tool for the city of Evanston and it's the least I can do to thank our new town for being so AWESOME! If you have any questions or need to get in touch with my about this blog, Evanston, or anything else you can email me at thelisadshow@gmail.com. Have an awesome 2013.

This Weekend in Evanston: Free Arts Festival

From the City of Evanston website:

Free Admission

Since 1973, the City of Evanston has presented the annual Evanston Lakeshore Arts Festival. The festival takes place the first weekend in August on Evanston's stunning, historic lakefront at Dawes Park, Sheridan Road at Church St.

The festival showcases live jazz and classical music, a silent art auction, and the popular Children's Craft Tent. The festival hosts a dozen restaurateurs serving a variety of culinary delights.

Free parking is available at the Northwestern University parking lot, three blocks north of festival site (look for the signs). A free shuttle bus runs non-stop between the parking lot and the festival site between 8 a.m. and 7 p.m. Dawes Park's official address is 1700 Sheridan Road, Evanston. For more information, please call 847/448-8260.

The Evanston Lakeshore Arts Festival is presented by the City of Evanston’s Cultural Arts Division. This program is partially supported by a grant from the Illinois Arts Council, a state agency.

August 4-5, 2012: Saturday & Sunday; 11:00 a.m. - 6:00 p.m.

On getting used to living in a small space, what children do with colored chalk and more of the things we inherit

Our new life is an adjustment for all of us, especially because we're living in an apartment, which my children haven't experienced. The best thing about our apartment is our tiny porch, which we call France, and the big communal courtyard in the back. This summer we used the courtyard for lots of dinners, charades, scooter action and some chalk art. This week my older son took it upon himself to produce a massive scale chalk drawing, leading a team of children from other apartments, eventually coloring in 90% of the bricks in the courtyard.

What started out as a few bricks of color ended up as this flag of color, with more than seven children coloring on their knees for hours. My son is very comfortable being bossy on projects and other children follow his lead, regardless of the size of the project. At the beach this summer he was always leading a crew of under 10s to build some huge Mayan village. The beach is too cold for projects and he's taken his energy to the courtyard. I love it and I love the scale of this project.

The timing of this project is very fitting as their father (visual artist Dave Ford) is across the country in El Paso, TX, participating in this year's Chalk the Block, one of the coolest arts festivals for children in Texas and possibly the nation.

Cheers to all the artists who make their work using the world around them, from courtyards to scraps.