Weather the Weather now Open!

Weather the Weather

In collaboration with The Art Center Highland Park, Jennifer Dotson, founder of Highland Park Poetry and I, invite you to Weather the Weather – Artists and Poets respond to the Weather.

Exhibit runs currently through March 1, 2019

Available for viewing during business hours, M-F 8a to 5p.  Christmas and New Years Day, closed.

Photo: Ice Island – Elizabeth Peterson

Reception:  January 14, 2019 at 4pm.

Artist and Poet Reception will include poetry, a welcome by Zoe Carlson, curator for the Art Center Highland Park, an address by the mayor of Highland Park, Nancy Rotering along with special guest Jon Davis, Chief Meteorologist of Riskpulse.
Refreshments will be served.and refreshments.

“Whether the weather be cold or whether the weather be hot, we’ll weather the weather, whatever the weather, whether we like it or not.”
This tongue twister cleverly captures that no matter where on the planet we live, we are all subject to the weather. From drought to flooding, hurricanes to blizzards – all of us are experiencing increasingly severe or extreme weather patterns, global climate change, and traumatic events. We are bombarded with weather alerts, images, suffering and beauty, along with waves of information on our phones, computers and television. Weather phenomenon is an obvious metaphor for the storms of culture, politics, personal relationships and the individual psyche.
Guest curators, Visual Artist, Catherine Schwalbe and Poet, Jennifer Dotson have invited responses to the theme of Weather. Schwalbe, is a practicing artist, curator, and educator. Dotson, is a published poet and founder of Highland Park Poetry (2018 Mayor’s Award for the Arts). Both women have collaborated, exhibited, and created thought provoking exhibitions for over two decades!

The curators have welcomed collaborations, ekphrastic responses, as well as works that evolve into a fusion of both words and visual art.

Participating Artists and Poets:
Tobi Abrams
Melanie Brown
Heather Bryant
Emily Calvo
Joseph Kuhn Carey
Jill Charles
Patrice Boyer Claeys
Marilyn Crocker
Charlotte Digregorio
Jennifer Dotson
Christine Forni
Kristina A. Govorovska
Betsy Katz
Malo Kolodziej
Emma A. Kowalenko
N Masani Landfair
Kerry Leaf
Meredith London
Martin Marcus
Elizabeth Peterson
Hallie Redman
Marjorie Rissman
Larissa Rolley
R. Craig Sautter
Cathi Schwalbe
Mary Seyfarth
Peggy Shearn
Merle Tovian
Joe Weintraub
Lynn West

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Sewing Forgiveness: City of Chicago

Note:  This blog entry is dedicated to Keith Buchholz.  Without his invitation into this amazing group of creatives that is Fluxus, Sewing Forgiveness may never have been born.  With many thanks dear Keith.

Friday night September 5, will mark the next of many Social Practice performances titled Sewing Forgiveness.  Specifically, Sewing Forgiveness:  City of Chicago, will (and already has) entail a variety of sites and a variety of audiences, literally across the city of Chicago.

The piece was drawn from life; mine; fellow humans; as witness to the environment;  history;  @#$%&, even current events!  The struggle with forgiveness many of us have had, currently have, and inevitably will have again.  I consider the concepts and deep sentiment surrounding forgiveness, letting go, and moving on.    The utter bewilderment at the questions… If? How? When? Why? Who even!  Quite possibly, beginning with forgiving oneself.  If Nelson Mandela can forgive…

Sewing Forgiveness, a Social Practice work, unfolded firstly for the Fluxus Fest of 2013.  It was performed with a fellow human also struggling with forgiveness.  Together the conversation began.  I didn’t know that I would be performing the work outside of a couple of times throughout that four day festival of lovely absurdity.  Fluxus is like that.  Sometimes the works tickles your funny bone but more often the artist’s works enter your bones through your heart.  Fluxus makes us pay attention.

Fluxus Fest 2013
Dorcester Projects

I will aim to work backwards a bit, starting with this week to announce a performance of

Sewing Forgiveness:  City of Chicago at Wicker Park Lutheran Church  1500 N. Hoyne in conjunction with First Fridays of Wicker Park.  This announcement from our website:

“Arts Sanctuary (Friday, September 5th) – 7-10 p.m.

WPLC will be hosting a First Fridays series entitled “Arts Sanctuary” – a respite for the arts. September’s event is “Mercy, Unity, Restoration,” and features the social practice piece called “Sewing Forgiveness,” including art of various mediums, live jazz, and local beer. The event is free with donation proceeds funding Youth Futures, a local nonprofit cultivating restorative justice programs with young adults in Chicago.”

I would be honored to have you attend my church and our inaugural Arts Sanctuary event this Friday.  If you are unable, send some good energy our way and watch for further posts as they will relate directly with

Chicago Artists Month – Crossing Borders and this work

Sewing Forgiveness:  City of Chicago.

Thanks for reading and thanks for paying attention.

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