Garfield Park Conservatory

Artist's Garden Exhibit: Fairy Garden
2023-07-08 10:00 - 17:00, 2023-07-09 10:00 - 17:00, 2023-07-12 10:00 - 20:00, 2023-07-13 10:00 - 17:00, 2023-07-14 10:00 - 17:00, 2023-07-15 10:00 - 17:00, 2023-07-16 10:00 - 17:00, 2023-07-19 10:00 - 20:00 (America/Chicago) and 11 more dates | Garfield Park Conservatory, 300 North Central Park Avenue, Chicago, IL, 60624, United States
The whimsical world of wonder and architecture of our resident fairies!

This summer’s Artist’s Garden exhibit features more than 15 magical fairy houses set creatively within the beautiful flowers and greenery of the Artist’s Garden. Classic flowers including hollyhock, sunflower, sweet alyssum, and nasturtium are joined by enchanting varieties such as Salvia ‘Fairy Queen’, ‘Dreamland Pink’ Zinnia, and ‘Spellbound White Blush’ Petunia. The mini-homes represent a wide range of design styles and materials, limited only by the builders’ imaginations. If you don’t already believe in fairies, this display might just change your mind!

This seasonal outdoor exhibit will open on July 5th and run through September 17th, 2023

Reserve your spot today: garfieldconservatory.org/visit

Admission: $5 for Adults; Free for kids, people who live in Garfield Park and GPCA members.
Neighbors who need the discount code, please fill out this interest form or contact Drea Slaughter at dslaughter@garfieldpark.org. Become a GPCA Member here: garfieldconservatory.org/support-join/membership

AACM: 60 to the 60th featuring Dee Alexander and Art Turk Burton
2023-07-09 13:30 - 14:30
Register

AACM: 60 to the 60th celebrates the Association for the Advancement of Creative Musicians (AACM) through a series of concerts to commemorate 60 years of artistic brilliance. Presented in partnership with Old Town School of Folk Music (OTSFM), each concert will include AACM member-led ensembles, and will take place at OTSFM Music Moves partner locations. The first concert will feature the Dee Alexander Trio along with Art Turk Burton and the Congo Square Ensemble.
Join us Sunday, July 9 at Garfield Park Conservatory at 1:30pm.
AACM: 60 to the 60th is presented by Old Town School of Folk Music, the Association for the Advancement of Creative Musicians, and Garfield Park Conservatory Alliance.

—————–

Accommodations: When you register for this program you will be asked to provide any accommodations requests. If you have any questions or would like to request an additional accommodation, please contact access@garfieldpark.org at least 72 hours prior to the event start.

Wild Wednesdays
2023-07-12 16:00 - 19:00, 2023-07-19 16:00 - 19:00, 2023-07-26 16:00 - 19:00, 2023-08-02 16:00 - 19:00
Join GPCA’s Nature Educators on Wednesday evenings to explore and discover together! We will get our hands dirty, play, and discover new things about plants, animals and nature. This is an evening of imagination and exploration sure to make Wednesday the best day of the week.
During the summer months through early fall, this program will be outside in our Play and Grow Garden, where kids can get a little wild as they climb on our tinker tree, build a fort, dig (or make cupcakes) in our pebble pond and run around. We will learn about plants, make art projects, conduct experiments to better understand nature, and much more!
Due to staff limitations, we cannot accommodate groups. Kids must be accompanied by an adult (at least one adult per 5 children). This event may be canceled in case of inclement weather. No pre-registration is required for this drop-in program, but all attendees need a general reservation to the Conservatory. Get one here on the Visit Us page!
Family programs are supported by Peoples Gas Community Fund and PNC.

Food Sovereignty: Roots, Relationships, and Rest
2023-07-12 18:00 - 19:00
Register

“Food Sovereignty: Roots, Relationships and Rest”

In this panel presentation moderated by Lisa Tallman of the Community Food Navigator, we will be in conversation with Angela Taylor from the Garfield Park Community Council and Pastor Reshorna Fitzpatrick of Stone Temple Baptist Church about their work towards building a collective and transformative vision for food justice and sovereignty on Chicago’s West Side.
Panelists will explore:

What does food sovereignty mean?
What does community mean and how do our relationships support us in this work?
As we grow, what does generous reciprocity mean in relationship with people and our ecosystems – land, water, air, soil, plants, animals, and insects.
How do we hold and find time for rest and healing with the community and the land?

—————

Tickets: Free; donations are accepted. Space is limited; if you register and are no longer able to make it, please let us know so we can open up the ticket.
Accommodations: If you’d like to request accommodations, please contact Tiye Johnson at tjohnson@garfieldpark.org. On the registration form, there is also a spot to indicate if you’d like to request an accommodation. Please submit requests at least 72 hours prior to the start of the program.
Registration closes Wednesday July 12th at 12pm Central Time
This program is made possible in part by Blue Cross Blue Shield, PNC Bank, The MacArthur Fund for Culture, Equity and the Arts at Prince Charitable Trusts, the Illinois Arts Council Agency, the National Endowment for the Arts, DCASE and CIBC.

Virtual Yoga with DuShaun
2023-07-22 09:00 - 10:00
Register
Join us for a virtual yoga session with DuShaun from the comfort of your home!
Join instructor DuShaun in this one hour yoga session from the comfort of your own home with the views of the Conservatory! This gentle yoga class is a great way to start your weekend. The class is open and accessible for all bodies and abilities. Pre-registration is required so we can send you a link to join. Space is limited.
About DuShaun:
DuShaun Branch Pollard has been practicing yoga for almost 13 years and fell in love with yoga because it allowed her to find peace of mind while moving her body.
As a yoga student, DuShaun noticed that in the majority of her classes she was the only black and plus sized person in the room. This inspired her to become a practitioner to bring yoga to more people who looked like her. “DuShaun is a Registered Yoga Teacher (RYT-200) through the Yoga Alliance and was certified through Bloom Yoga Studio in June of 2020.In addition, she received her 95-hour Children’s Yoga Certification from Mission Propelle in the summer of 2018. DuShaun previously worked in higher education, is a trained restorative justice circle keeper and is currently a community organizer in North Lawndale, a community on the west side of Chicago.
Registration closes at 9:00am when the session begins.

Yoga with Natalie (In-Person Only)
2023-07-26 18:00 - 19:00
Register

Join instructor Natalie for a special in-person yoga session at Garfield Park Conservatory on Wednesday July 26th at 6pm.
Weather permitting, participants will join Natalie outdoors in the City Garden for a 1-hour class. We will relocate to Horticulture Hall if the weather is less than ideal.
Registration closes at 9:00am on Wednesday July 26th.
**This is offering is separate from our bi-weekly virtual classes and will not be available for virtual participation.
***Our virtual classes with Natalie and DuShaun on alternating Saturdays will remain virtual at this time.

Tree ID Walk - Summer (Bilingual-English/Spanish)
2023-07-28 10:00 - 11:30
Register
Join us in person for a walk around the Conservatory grounds to learn about trees!
Spring, Summer, Fall and Winter – learn about city trees throughout the seasons with Openlands.
This in-person tree ID Walk will be hosted in both English and Spanish. We will explore the trees of beautiful and historic Garfield Park. Interested children are welcome, but must be accompanied by an adult.
The walk will take place outdoors, rain or shine. Register soon to reserve a spot! Pre-registration is required.
The program is free however donations are appreciated to off-set programming costs. All donations will be split 50/50 between the non-profit educational organizations Openlands and Garfield Park Conservatory Alliance.
Registration closes on Thursday, July 27th at 9:00am Central Time.

Primavera, verano, otoño e invierno: aprenda sobre los árboles de la ciudad a lo largo de las estaciones con Openlands.
Este en persona Tree ID Walk se realizará en inglés y español. Exploraremos los árboles del hermoso e histórico Garfield Park. Los niños interesados ​​son bienvenidos, pero deben estar acompañados por un adulto.
La caminata se llevará a cabo al aire libre, llueva o truene. ¡Regístrese pronto para reservar un lugar! Es necesario registrarse.
El programa es gratuito y se agradecen las donaciones para compensar los costos de programación. Todas las donaciones se dividirán 50/50 entre las organizaciones Openlands y Garfield Park Conservatory Alliance.
La inscripción cierra el 27 de julio a las 9:00 hora central.

Urban Gardening Show & Tell: Insect Identification & Eco-friendly Management
2023-07-29 11:00 - 12:00
Register

Join us in person for a free Urban Gardening Show & Tell in our behind-the-scenes Giving Garden. West Side Community Gardeners participating in our Train the Trainer Community Gardener Workshop Series will share what they are learning about Insect Identification and Eco-friendly Management. This program will happen rain or shine. If the weather is nice, the Show & Tell will take place in the Giving Garden, a behind-the-scenes space where we practice eco-friendly techniques for growing food. In case of rain, the Show & Tell will take place indoors. Children are welcome but must be accompanied by an adult.
There are 2 sessions for the Show & Tell, 11 AM & 11:30 AM. Registration is required and each program admission ticket includes time for a self-guided visit to the Conservatory’s public gardens and showhouses after the Show & Tell ends.
The deadline to register is 6 pm on Friday 7/28/23.
If you would like to request an accommodation to attend this event, send an email to access@garfieldpark.org at least 72 hours prior to event start.
Please note that there are active beehives near the Giving Garden and we strongly recommend following these bee safety protocols:
• Wear light, neutral colored clothing and avoid wearing blue and yellow as these colors are most attractive to bees.
• Use only unscented bath, body and hair products. Floral, herbal and fruity scents are very attractive to bees.
• If a bee becomes interested in you, remain calm & notify one of the GPCA Staff present for assistance. Refrain from swatting, as it encourages bees to become aggressive.
By attending this program, attendees confirm that they wish to participate as an attendee in this program that includes access to non-public areas of the Garfield Park Conservatory. All attendees are responsible for their own safety and personal property for the duration of the program and agree to assume such responsibility. Attendees agree to stay with the group and only access areas granted by Garfield Park Conservatory Alliance staff. Attendees agree that they will not hold the Chicago Park District or Garfield Park Conservatory Alliance, its employees, Board of Commissioners, officers or sponsors responsible for any injuries or losses they might sustain as a registered attendee for this program.

Elu Indigo Dye Workshop
2023-07-29 14:00 - 16:30
Register

Join us on Saturday, July 29th, from 2 pm- 4:30 pm in partnership with the Garfield Park Conservatory Alliance for our celebrated Ẹ̀lú Indigo Dye + Over-dye Workshop!
Scholarships are available. Apply for a scholarship here by Tuesday, July 25 at 12pm CST
———-
Our indigo dye bath workshop is led by Oluwakemi Oritsejafor, who will teach you how to:

Set up and create an indigo dye bath at home.
Upgrade fabric provided plus one personal item or fabric of choice using traditional West African batik printing folds.

———-
The meaning of ‘Ẹ̀lú’
The Yoruba name for indigo is ‘Ẹ̀lú.’ Indigo is an organic substance derived from the Indigofera tinctoria shrub that grows in tropical regions worldwide. You can find this shrub growing wildly during the beginning of the rainy season across Nigeria, where the leaves are then harvested and then dried. After they have dried, they are formed into little balls, which are used to prepare the dye. Throughout history, indigo has been used as medicine to remedy a troubled stomach and as a dye. Indigo is also used to ward off viruses; houses are painted with indigo to prevent sickness from entering the Yoruba tradition. Most importantly, Ẹ̀lú also means love in the Yoruba language. The color and meaning of Ẹ̀lú have spiritual and communal meanings that we are excited to share with you at this event and to add to your creative practice.

———-

Oluwakemi ‘Kemi’ Oritsejafor is the founder and CEO of SOLA Market. SOLA Market is a second-hand marketplace for art materials and equipment serving the global creative community. Founded in 2022, she started SOLA Market from her experience of feeling that a career and life made of art and art making was not an option given her socioeconomic background of being born to and raised by Nigerian and Liberian immigrants in the American South. But she realized her creative desires regardless, finding a world of art-making that was passionate and beautiful but defined by access and considerable waste. Oluwakemi built SOLA Market to champion a mission to make art more accessible, sustainable, and equitable to serve the nearly 175 million adults (54% of American Adults) making and creating art by building a circular economy and marketplace to serve the art production and making industry.
