Upcoming Events
Mooove Voice
Tuesdays, September 22, October 13, October 27, November 10 from 6-8 PM
Process Art for Burnout
Saturdays, September 26, October 24, November 14 from 12:30-3:30 PM
The Puppet Zoo!
Saturday, October 10 from 1-4 PM
What to Keep?
Wednesdays, November 4, November 18, December 2, December 16 from 3-5 PM
Past events: What to Keep? 11.5-11.12-11.19.25 + 1.21-2.4-3.18-4.8-4.22-5.6-5.20-6.3-6.17.26 Mooove Voice 5.17.24 + 3.15-6.12-11.13.25 + 4.2-5.27.26 Hootenanny 8.7.26 soccer island 6.12-6.13.26 Two Summers on Hayes Ave 5.21.26 The Puppet Zoo! 1.17.26 Tending to the Mother in Me 5.23-6.07.25 Screen Test 9.21.22 + 10.18.23 + 4.05.25 FRUTAS 10.23-11.13-12.11.23 + 2.26-4.15-6.17-8.19-10.21-12.09.24 A Girly Show 10.4-10.5.24 On the Edge 9.26.24 Rising Up Angry 11.20.23 *between the tongue and the taste* 4.19-5.17-6.21-7.19-8.16-9.20.23 In the Future Something Will Have Happened 9.1-9.2.23 Where yo Wurkz/Where yo Mental 8.18.23 Reading the Landscape 9.28-11.02-12.07.22 + 1.11-5.31.23 The Collective Mending Sessions 3.25.23 Ende, Taul, Yu 10.18.22 BOUNDARYMIND 5.28.22 Drift 9.25-10.16.21 In-betweening 7.23.21 Twin Cities 3.29-5.9.21
Featuring Mark Alcazar Diaz, Christopher Corey Allen, Amari Amai, Crystal Beiersdorfer, Lichen Bouboushian, Jared Brown, Maddie Brucker, Joseph Bryant, Andrea Bunch, Ruth K. Burke, Marty Calden, Fionn Casper-Strauss, Gabriel Chalfin-Piney-González, Salome Chasnoff, Ben Creech, Leslie Crum, Mark Dvorjak, Shir Ende, Eliza Fernand, Noa Micaela Fields, Ellie Durko Finch, FRUTAS, E. Mar Garcia, Rojo Génesis, Ali Georgescu, Amber Ginsberg, Laura Glover Rivera, Laura Goldstein, Sky Goodman and Cris War, Remy Guzman, Andres L. Hernandez, Rosé Hernandez, HIJACK, Felicia Holman, Michael James, Linda Jankowska, Lucky Pierre, Hyeji Kang, Mel Keiser, Robert Kelsey, Tracie Kunzika, Maya Lea, JeeYeun Lee, Elaine Lemieux, Ro(b)//ert Lundberg, Matt Martin, Regina Martinez, Lynneah McCarrell, AJ McClenon, Carole McCurdy, Kristin McWharter, Ana Mercado, Mitch Monroy, Sofía Moreno, Laleh Motlagh, Craig Neeson, blake nemec, Zachary Nicol, Kim Nucci and Driven Arts Collective, Betsy Odom, Lola Ayisha Ogbara, Abby Palen, Willy Palomo, Mina Patel, Alan Perry, Carissa Pinckney, Klaus Pinter, Ruby Que, Chris Reeves, Catherine Reinhart, Jordan Rosenow, Christine Shallenberg, Karen Sherman, Anna Marie Shogren, Aurora Tabar, TAITAI xTina, Ramin Takloo-Bighash, Jane Tao, Oona Taper, Paige Taul, Breanne Trammell, Gizeh Trejo, Tianjiao Wang, Loraine Wible, Emilie Wingate, Katherine Young, Cherrie Yu, Sharkey Zalek, Gwyneth Zeleny Anderson, and visitor-participants.
Elaine Lemieux and Sharkey Zalek
Mooove Voice
Loyola Park Fieldhouse
1230 W Greenleaf Ave, Chicago IL
Next Workshops
RSVP for Updates and Reminders
Tuesday, September 22 from 6-8 PM
Tuesday, October 13 from 6-8 PM
Tuesday, October 27 from 6-8 PM
Tuesday, November 10 from 6-8 PM
Explore your voice. Move your body. Mooove Voice combines classical vocal techniques with fundamental Butoh exercises, exploring the physical sensations of vocal sounds in our bodies and in the space around us. We work up to group improvisational scores by playfully passing sound and movement in simple patterns. No experience necessary, all are welcome! RSVP now to ensure a spot. Walk-ins are encouraged as well! If we are at capacity, you will be added to the first spot in the next workshop.
Elaine Lemieux, mezzo-soprano, received Master’s and Post-Master’s degrees in Music Interpretation in Voice from the University of Montreal, Québec. Elaine has been teaching singing for more than 20 years. As a music lover and voice teacher, she feels that her responsibilities are to help young children, teenagers and adults to discover their vocal and singing abilities in a natural and healthy manner. She is the founder of VOIX-DE-VIVRE.
Sharkey (Sara) Zalek is an interdisciplinary artist. Rooted in physical investigations of the intersections of personal, ancestral, and cultural trauma, resilience, and collective transformation. Their work is intimate, raw, and poetic. They make the lived moment stand at attention through performance, workshops, and poignant everyday moments to encourage thoughtful interpersonal connection. They have performed and curated festivals and workshops at the Chicago Cultural Center, High Concept Labs, Elastic Arts, Experimental Sound Studio, Links Hall, Lumpen Radio, dfbrl8r, Boston Center for the Arts, Urban Guild in Kyoto, Japan, and many more.
Mooove Voice is being shared as part of Movement Studies – a programming series investigating social and environmental transitions. This project is partially supported by grants from the Illinois Arts Council Agency; Gaylord and Dorothy Donnelley Foundation; Reva and David Logan Foundation; Teiger Foundation; and through in-kind support from Chicago Park District.
Process Art for Burnout
Berger Park Cultural Center
6205 N Sheridan Road, Chicago IL
Saturday Workshops
September 26, October 24, November 14 from 12:30-3:30 PM
Free RSVP Required to Attend
It is a really hard time to navigate life, relationships, work, kids, and the world we live in right now. You might be experiencing burnout, such as exhaustion, increased worries, difficulty motivating yourself, or feeling like your emotions are out of control. A tool that can help alleviate the intensity of the moment and refocus on our purpose, is tapping into our creativity.
We designed this workshop as an introspective process, where we gently guide you to sit with your body and spirit, and make art from this place. No previous art experience is needed, and no specific techniques will be taught. The first step towards healing is acknowledging the space you are in.
This guided process will include:
- a somatic grounding practice;
- time for art making;
- journaling; and
- verbal witness and sharing.
All sessions will follow a similar format. Join us for one, or all three. Sessions are free, and all supplies are provided (bring your journal if you have one). For all adults ages 18 and older. This workshop has limited capacity; please RSVP to join!
Facilitated by Elyse Schauer, LCPC, ATR, and Marie Shebeck, LCSW. Workshops are inspired by the Open Studio Process. Check out openstudioproject.org for more of their offerings.
Elyse Schauer (she/they) LCPC, ATR, is an art therapist who values community, autonomy, safety, collaboration, and authenticity. Art therapy emphasizes the process and not the product of creation. This makes it naturally aligned with mindfulness and somatic therapies, which cultivate a present moment awareness. So much can be learned through “bottoms up” learning, via sight, sound, touch, movement, smell, and taste. Although these personal and bodily ways of knowing can be essential for healing, they are often devalued within our culture. Elyse aims to create spaces where taste, fun, creation, and flow are honored.
Marie Shebeck, LCSW, is a licensed clinical social worker with over a decade of experience working in various social service settings, particularly with immigrant populations and people experiencing mental health crises. I am bilingual in French and English languages. My professional interests include integrated care, mental health crisis response work, vicarious and complex trauma work, and the immigrant experience. I also enjoy sewing and making quilts out of colorful fabrics, growing tomatoes, flowers and basil in my yard, going on bike rides to find ice cream with my kiddo and swimming in Lake Michigan.
These events are being shared as part of Movement Studies – a programming series investigating social and environmental transitions. This project is partially supported by grants from the Illinois Arts Council Agency; Gaylord and Dorothy Donnelley Foundation; Reva and David Logan Foundation; Teiger Foundation; and through in-kind support from Chicago Park District.
The Puppet Zoo!
Berger Park Cultural Center
6205 N Sheridan Road, Chicago IL
Saturday, October 10 from 1-4 PM
This is a zoo like no other! Explore life-sized and whimsical puppets up close, while learning about real animals. Step into a world where every creature is made of strings, fabric, and recycled materials. The Puppet Zoo is exactly what it sounds like: a living menagerie of puppets brought to life before your eyes by puppeteers. This is an immersive environment filled with a wide variety of animal puppets—some hyperrealistic and life-sized, others whimsical, colorful, and full of character.
Unlike a traditional stage performance or zoo, this hands-on experience allows you to meet these creatures up close. Interact, learn, and build with the puppeteers, as this realm is not only filled with puppets, but face painting, and puppet-building workshops too! From the tiniest critters to larger-than-life beasts, the Puppet Zoo blends art, storytelling, and natural science into one unforgettable adventure. Perfect for families, kids of all ages, and anyone curious about the wild world of puppetry and the animals that inspire them. Plus, workshop activations by guest zookeepers!
Emilie Wingate is a Chicago-based puppet fabricator with a focus on animals, hyperrealism, and pushing to create from 100% recycled materials, down to the glue! Art has been Emilie's passion ever since the third grade, and she is grateful to say that it is now her life. She often works with companies such as the Chicago International Puppet Theater Festival, Rough House, and various smaller companies as a fabricator and an occasional performer. It is her hope to bring more light to the world through the art of puppetry, and the joy of animals.
This event is being shared at Berger Park Cultural Center as part of Movement Studies – a programming series investigating social and environmental transitions. This project is partially supported by grants from the Illinois Arts Council Agency; Gaylord and Dorothy Donnelley Foundation; Reva and David Logan Foundation; and Teiger Foundation; as well as in-kind support from Chicago Park District.
What to Keep?
(a talk circle guided by Carole McCurdy)
Berger Park Cultural Center
6205 N Sheridan Road, Chicago IL
Next Events
Wednesday, November 4 from 3-5 PM
Wednesday, November 18 from 3-5 PM
Wednesday, December 2 from 3-5 PM
Wednesday, December 16 from 3-5 PM
We all own physical items—clothing, photographs, mementos, to name a few—that we aren't sure what to do with. We may no longer use or even see them on a regular basis. Some may feel burdensome and hard to think about.
This is an invitation to talk about such items, to think aloud about what you want or need to keep . . . and what you want or need to let go of.
Our supportive talk circle will encourage discussion of:
- things that hold stories about you or loved ones;
- things that you’ve intended to sift through (and maybe discard) for a long time, but it’s been too overwhelming;
- things that you absolutely need to hold on to, or save for others;
- things that are hiding away in storage, and who even knows what they are;
- things that you’ve already discarded, and how you managed it.
The goal is to share our experiences and ideas without any judgment, advice, or insistence on solutions. Talking and listening together may help us find our individual solutions at our own pace. In other words, no pressure! If you can, please bring an item you’d like to talk about, or a photo of it. If you have questions, please reach out to us!
Carole McCurdy is a Chicago-based artist whose work addresses grief and anxiety, duty and resistance, and the absurd mysteries of embodiment. She has performed at spaces including the Chicago Cultural Center, Epiphany Dance, Links Hall, Hamlin Park, High Concept Laboratories, Defibrillator Gallery, and Movement Research (NY). She received a 2016 Lab Artist award from the Chicago Dancemakers Forum and was a Fall 2016 Sponsored Artist at High Concept Laboratories, Chicago. She created and directed an ensemble piece, WAVER, with support from Chicago Dancemakers Forum, High Concept Labs, and 3Arts Chicago. Recently, she created Just Passing Through (2022) and Death Cleaning (2024) at Roman Susan. For more information, please visit carolemccurdy.com.
These events are being shared at Berger Park Cultural Center as part of Movement Studies – a programming series investigating social and environmental transitions. This project is partially supported by grants from the Illinois Arts Council Agency; CityArts grants from the City of Chicago Department of Cultural Affairs & Special Events; Gaylord and Dorothy Donnelley Foundation; Reva and David Logan Foundation; and Teiger Foundation; as well as in-kind support from Chicago Park District.