Events
- Saturday10 AM - 5 PMOther
Reuse-a-Palooza Light: The Mini Edition
Can't believe you just missed our semiannual Reuse-a-Palooza? We can help tide you over until the next one in spring. The following items are accepted at The Plant during OHC as well as during our regular business hours:
For responsible recycling + reuse:
- Gently used packing and shipping materials for reuse: brown kraft paper, bubble wrap, inflated air pillows
- Spent small-format alkaline, lithium, and rechargeable batteries for responsible recycling, described here. Please see "Rechargeable" and "Primary (Single-Use)" batteries and click the "Learn More" buttons for full details.
- Plastic PakTech beer carriers for reuse by SomosMonos Cervecería; please remove any stickers.
- CLEAN styrofoam (#6) from shipping uses only, for reuse; no food packaging accepted.
To support our community:
- Seasonal clothing to be redistributed to families in need by Cradles to Crayons. Please leave items inside at the drop box.
- Fresh, unexpired food for our Love Fridge, right outside The Plant — just bring a thing from your pantry to share! Hygiene supplies such as soap, shampoo, toothpaste, etc. are welcome as well.
The Plant·Bridgeport / Back of the Yards - Saturday10 AM - 1 PMFamily Activity
Family Day: Proud to Be Me
Create a colorful self-portrait collage with guidance from exhibiting guest artist Nina Chanel Abney.
Smart Museum of Art, The University of Chicago·Hyde Park - Saturday10:00 am - 11:15 amDemonstration
Ikebana - Japanese Flower Arranging
Watch and learn about Ikebana, Japanese Flower Arranging, from The Ohara School of Ikebana Chicago Chapter instructor and lecturer Ms. Yuko Inoue Darcy. She will share her knowledge and expertise while creating her arrangement. Join in the flower selection process, learn floral symbolism, and how to follow the process for making an arrangement in the Ohara School style.
Japanese American Service Committee·Rogers Park / West Ridge - Saturday10:00 am - 4:00 pm Arts Performance
Seth Boustead Solo Piano Repertoire
Seth Boustead performs solo piano repertoire approximately every 20 minutes
The CheckOut·Uptown - Saturday11:00 am - 12:00 pmGuided Site Tour
Let's Visit Motor Row and Bronzeville
This tour highlights the Bronzeville Black Metropolis National Heritage Area and Motor Row, including the former Illinois Automobile Club at 2400 St. Michigan Ave., which previously served as the headquarters of the Chicago Defender. The tour also features Quinn Chapel AME, the oldest Black congregation in Chicago and a stop on the Underground Railroad.
Bronzeville Black Metropolis National Heritage Area·Bronzeville / Kenwood - Saturday11:30 AM - 12:30 PMTalk/Discussion
River Science Chats
Chats and short presentations by some of our ecologists, followed by a Q and A.
Wild Mile·Lincoln Park - Saturday11:30 AM - 4:30 PMActivity
Leave Your Mark
Leave Your Mark invites Open House Chicago visitors to become part of the creative experience at 345 Art Gallery. Guests will have the opportunity to express themselves through an interactive spray-paint art activation, adding their own creative mark to a collaborative art piece. Visitors can also participate in our Love Lock experience, writing a personal message, wish, or reflection on a lock and attaching it to a heart-shaped installation inspired by the iconic love locks of Paris. Together, these activities celebrate art, creativity, connection, and community, allowing every visitor to leave behind a small piece of their story at 345 Art Gallery.
345 Art Gallery·Garfield Park / North Lawndale - Saturday11:30 am - 1:30 pmDemonstration
Papercutting live demonstration with Lucy P. Liu
Meet papercutting artist Lucy P. Liu in person. Learn traditional Chinese papercutting works that inspired by culture, family, faith, nature, or personal story.
Heritage Museum of Asian Art·Bridgeport / Back of the Yards - Saturday12 PM - 4 PMFamily Activity
Annual Harvest Fest
Growing Home Inc.’s HarvestFest is a vibrant, family-friendly autumn celebration hosted directly on their urban farms in Greater Englewood. The free community event marks the end of the growing season with a robust local vendor market, live music, pumpkin decorating, free organic produce giveaways, and children's activities
Growing Home's Wood Street Urban Farm·Englewood - Saturday12:00 pm - 12:45 pmDemonstration
Ikebana - Japanese Flower Arranging
Watch and learn about Ikebana, Japanese Flower Arranging, from The Ohara School of Ikebana Chicago Chapter instructor and lecturer Ms. Yuko Inoue Darcy. She will share her knowledge and expertise while creating her arrangement. Join in the flower selection process, learn floral symbolism, and how to follow the process for making an arrangement in the Ohara School style.
Japanese American Service Committee·Rogers Park / West Ridge - Saturday11:00 am - 5:00 pmArts Performance
Hand-On Activities and Performances | Saturday
To celebrate the skills, creativity, and generosity of Narrow Bridge Art Club members, there will be hands-on activities on Saturday:
Collage with Isissia Drake and Kahari Blackburn | 12pm-2pm
Carbon Neutral Design Tour with Amber Ginsburg and Lead Architect Charlie Vinz | 1pm-2pm
Live Jazz with Dee Alexander | 2-4
Live Painting to Jazz Arthur Wright | 2-4
Computer repair consultation with Elsbeth Klotz | 11-5 (Bring your computer but have all data backed up)
Narrow Bridge Arts Club·Woodlawn - Saturday12:00 pm - 1:00 pmGuided Site Tour
Let's Visit Motor Row and Bronzeville
This tour highlights the Bronzeville Black Metropolis National Heritage Area and Motor Row, including the former Illinois Automobile Club at 2400 St. Michigan Ave., which previously served as the headquarters of the Chicago Defender. The tour also features Quinn Chapel AME, the oldest Black congregation in Chicago and a stop on the Underground Railroad.
Bronzeville Black Metropolis National Heritage Area·Bronzeville / Kenwood - Saturday12:30 PM - 1 PMTalk/Discussion
Introduction to Zen Buddhism: Practices and Aesthetics
The temple will offer a 30-minute Introduction to Zen Buddhism lecture and Q&A in the Buddha Hall for OHC participants. This experience will include an introduction to Zen meditation, a description of temple statues and art, a demonstration of temple ritual instruments, and a Q&A session.
Zen Buddhist Temple·Lakeview - Saturday1 PM - 2 PMTalk/Discussion
Rosenwald and Rising: Community History, and the Future of Homan Square
The event will feature the Rosenwald Campaign video and offer an opportunity to meet and greet elected officials, community stakeholders, and local historian Blanche Killingsworth.
Charles H. Shaw Technology and Learning Center·Garfield Park / North Lawndale - Saturday1 PM - 2 PMArts Performance
Performance by Whitney Johnson, Macie Stewart, and Lia Kohl
Whitney Johnson, Macie Stewart, and Lia Kohl, who are musicians and sound artists in Chicago, will perform at the mausoleum in relation to the sound installation set up by Whitney Johnson inspired by the history and landscape of the cemetery.
Oak Woods Cemetery·Woodlawn - Saturday1:00 PM - 2:00 PMArts Performance
Hanna DiLorenzo: "Behind Closed Doors"
As part of Brendan Fernandes' "In the Round" residency at the Driehaus Museum, Hanna DiLorenzo will present "Behind Closed Doors", a performance that examines how shared family trauma fractures into conflicting truths and seeks reconciliation through embodied empathy and collective understanding. The performance will take place from 1:00 to 2:00 pm on 10/17. Guests are encouraged to stay for as little or as long as they would like! This project is supported in part by the National Endowment for the Arts.
The Driehaus Museum's Murphy Auditorium·Near North Side - Saturday1:00 PM - 1:20 PMArts Performance
Classical Music Concert
Experience the music that fills Seventeenth Church of Christ, Scientist, Chicago during a special performance presented by Classical Music Chicago. At 1 p.m., French horn player Ryan Williamson and pianist Umi Garrett will perform a 20-minute selection of classical works, offering a taste of the free Dame Myra Hess Concerts presented weekly at the church.
Seventeenth Church of Christ, Scientist·Downtown - Saturday1:00 PM - 3:00 PMTalk/Discussion
Crystal City: America’s Last WWII Concentration Camp
Join the Japanese American Service Committee (JASC) and the Crystal City Pilgrimage Committee (CCPC) for the official opening program of the national traveling exhibition: Crystal City: America’s Last WWII Concentration Camp.
Unlike standard War Relocation Authority camps, the Department of Justice internment camp at Crystal City, Texas, held Japanese, German, and Italian nationals alongside thousands of Japanese, German, and Italian Latin Americans who were extrajudicially renditioned from Central and South America for wartime hostage exchanges.
This opening program brings together camp survivors and descendants - including Bekki and Brian Shibayama (children of Japanese Peruvian incarceration survivor and activist Isamu "Art" Shibayama) - to share powerful family narratives and local connections to postwar resettlement in Chicago. RSVP required - seating is limited.
Japanese American Service Committee·Rogers Park / West Ridge - Saturday1 PM - 2 PMTalk/Discussion
Book Talk: CASL’s History Through Architecture
Author Susan Blumberg-Kason discusses CASL’s architectural history and its influence on other Chinatown landmarks, featuring the work of architects Brian Lee, Ernie Wong, and Jeanne Gang. Blumberg-Kason is the author of When Friends Come From Afar: The Remarkable Story of Bernie Wong and Chicago’s Chinese American Service League (University of Illinois Press, 2024), which traces CASL’s evolution from its founding by Bernie Wong to its role today connecting Chinatown residents to daycare, immigration services, culinary education, and more. Copies available for purchase and signing. Proceeds from the book sale support CASL’s Pine Tree Senior Council.
Chinese American Service League Kam Liu Building·Chinatown - Saturday1:00 pm - 3:00 pmGuided Site Tour
Becoming Words: Artist-Led Tour
Join Hekiun Oda and Bahman Panahi for a tour exploring how Shodō and Nastaliq transform writing into movement, sound, abstraction, and shared experience.
Heritage Museum of Asian Art·Bridgeport / Back of the Yards - Saturday1:00 pm - 4:00 pmArts Performance
Live Entertainment and Performance
Join the Haitian American Museum of Chicago for a performance by Rafo International Combo. Recipient of the Chicago Reggae Music Award and International Reggae Music Award, Rafo International Combo is a Caribbean, soul-singing group with roots in Haitian music. They blend rhythms and beats from different cultures, including kompa, reggae, calypso, salsa, bossa nova, tango, cumbia, mambo, disco and jazz.
Haitian American Museum of Chicago·Uptown - Saturday1:00 pm - 3:00pmArts Performance
OUT IN COLOR: An Intuit Art Museum Activation with playOUT!
Explore the newly renovated Intuit Art Museum while listening to performances from the classical musicians of [playOUT!](https://nam04.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.playoutchicago.org%2F&data=05%7C02%7Ceabera%40architecture.org%7C3808563c6d4c438f2f1a08df28847522%7C0a7ea0ad9dc848d7af846c269456260d%7C0%7C0%7C639274221650095025%7CUnknown%7CTWFpbGZsb3d8eyJFbXB0eU1hcGkiOnRydWUsIlYiOiIwLjAuMDAwMCIsIlAiOiJXaW4zMiIsIkFOIjoiTWFpbCIsIldUIjoyfQ%3D%3D%7C0%7C%7C%7C&sdata=MXBGlWTsREqtGTCef2nN7Sf062Y%2BSYv3w%2FRwRWEAQ4M%3D&reserved=0) In response to _[Karla Wong: Journeys of Being](https://nam04.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fart.org%2Fexhibitions%2Fkarla-wong&data=05%7C02%7Ceabera%40architecture.org%7C3808563c6d4c438f2f1a08df28847522%7C0a7ea0ad9dc848d7af846c269456260d%7C0%7C0%7C639274221650124993%7CUnknown%7CTWFpbGZsb3d8eyJFbXB0eU1hcGkiOnRydWUsIlYiOiIwLjAuMDAwMCIsIlAiOiJXaW4zMiIsIkFOIjoiTWFpbCIsIldUIjoyfQ%3D%3D%7C0%7C%7C%7C&sdata=MLy7pFd6mQ%2BWRCzjkiMRs8c71L7OZVh7w0Tdw5tOgkU%3D&reserved=0)_, playOUT! will perform works by LGBTQ+ composers, with a particular focus on award-winning transgender Mexican American composer Mari Esabel Valverde. The performances, which will take place throughout the Museum, will include several of Valverde’s works for solo piano, performed by pianist Nicholas Guetterman, as well as her string quintet _David: A Prison of Gender_, performed by cellist David Sands and playOUT!‘s string quartet. **playOUT!** is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization dedicated to amplifying LGBTQ+ artistry in classical music through performance, commissioned works, and community partnerships. Through innovative programming, playOUT! celebrates LGBTQ+ composers and performers while creating opportunities for community engagement and artistic collaboration. **Intuit Art Museum **(IAM) champions the diverse voices of self-taught art, welcoming both new and familiar audiences. Located in Chicago’s West Town neighborhood, Intuit is a premier museum of self-taught art. IAM collects and exhibits work by artists who often work outside the mainstream due to societal, economic or geographic barriers that have prevented them from pursuing formal training in the arts. Yet, they have developed a sustained artistic practice. The Museum’s mission is grounded in the ethos that the instinct to create is universal, and the arts must embrace, represent and be accessible to all. Image credit: Karla Wong (Mexican, b. 1974). _The Catrina Comes to Chicago (La catrina llega Chicago) _(Detail)_,_ 2026. Oil on canvas, 48 x 36 in. Collection of the artist
Intuit Art Museum·Ukrainian Village / West Town - Saturday1:00 pm - 5:00pmArts Performance
Performance & Talk: Reginald Robinson
At each half hour, pianist and composer, Reginald Robinson, will be performing classic as well as original ragtime compositions. Following each performance, Reginald will be discussing each piece, their role in the evolution of Black music, and their connection to The Forum and other iconic Bronzeville halls. Urban Juncture President, Bernard Loyd will join in conversation to introduce The Forum and describe its history and path to reopening.
The Forum·Bronzeville / Kenwood - Saturday2 PM - 3 PMDemonstration
PineTree Calligraphy & Dance Performance
Enjoy traditional calligraphy demonstrations and dance performances from our PineTree Senior Council members.
Chinese American Service League Kam Liu Building·Chinatown - Saturday2 PM - 2:15 PMArts Performance
South Shore Drill Team Performance
GCYC hosts practices and performances for the South Shore Drill Team. We are coordinating with the Drill Team to arrange a performance for October 17th.
Gary Comer Youth Center·Woodlawn - Saturday2 PM - 3 PMTalk/Discussion
Chat with the Architects: Women and Public Housing Architecture
Meet Terran Wilson (AIA), Principal at LBBA, and Mejay Gula (AIA, NOMA), Architect and Studio Director at site design group ltd., for a chat about their work and the project to remake the last remaining building of the Jane Addams Homes into the National Public Housing Museum. In conversation with Lisa Yun Lee, Executive Director and Chief Curator at the Museum, the wide-ranging chat will also touch on women in architecture and the stories of women architects, planners, and designers who were instrumental in shaping public housing, such as Mary Long Rogers, landscape architect for Jane Addams Homes, and Beverly Lorraine Green, the first African American woman to be licensed as an architect in the United States.
National Public Housing Museum·Near West Side - Saturday2:00 pm - 4:00 pm Demonstration
The Cut Picture: Contemporary Papercutting Demonstration
Join Chicago papercut artist Yang Pulongbarit Cuevo for a contemporary papercutting demonstration with precision knife. Discover how intricate single-sheet and layered papercuts are made, ask questions, and explore the techniques behind the works on view.
Heritage Museum of Asian Art·Bridgeport / Back of the Yards - Saturday4:30 PM - 5 PMTalk/Discussion
Introduction to Zen Buddhism: Practices and Aesthetics
The temple will offer a 30-minute Introduction to Zen Buddhism lecture and Q&A in the Buddha Hall for OHC participants. This experience will include an introduction to Zen meditation, a description of temple statues and art, a demonstration of temple ritual instruments, and a Q&A session.
Zen Buddhist Temple·Lakeview - Sunday10 AM - 5 PMOther
Reuse-a-Palooza Light: The Mini Edition
Can't believe you just missed our semiannual Reuse-a-Palooza? We can help tide you over until the next one in spring. The following items are accepted at The Plant during OHC as well as during our regular business hours:
For responsible recycling + reuse:
- Gently used packing and shipping materials for reuse: brown kraft paper, bubble wrap, inflated air pillows
- Spent small-format alkaline, lithium, and rechargeable batteries for responsible recycling, described here. Please see "Rechargeable" and "Primary (Single-Use)" batteries and click the "Learn More" buttons for full details.
- Plastic PakTech beer carriers for reuse by SomosMonos Cervecería; please remove any stickers.
- CLEAN styrofoam (#6) from shipping uses only, for reuse; no food packaging accepted.
To support our community:
- Seasonal clothing to be redistributed to families in need by Cradles to Crayons. Please leave items inside at the drop box.
- Fresh, unexpired food for our Love Fridge, right outside The Plant — just bring a thing from your pantry to share! Hygiene supplies such as soap, shampoo, toothpaste, etc. are welcome as well.
The Plant·Bridgeport / Back of the Yards - Sunday10:30 AM - 11:30 AMTalk/Discussion
River Science Chats
Chats and short presentations by some of our ecologists, followed by a Q and A.
Wild Mile·Lincoln Park - Sunday10:30 AM - 11:30 AMTalk/Discussion
Book Talk: CASL’s History Through Architecture
Author Susan Blumberg-Kason discusses CASL’s architectural history and its influence on other Chinatown landmarks, featuring the work of architects Brian Lee, Ernie Wong, and Jeanne Gang. Blumberg-Kason is the author of When Friends Come From Afar: The Remarkable Story of Bernie Wong and Chicago’s Chinese American Service League (University of Illinois Press, 2024), which traces CASL’s evolution from its founding by Bernie Wong to its role today connecting Chinatown residents to daycare, immigration services, culinary education, and more. Copies available for purchase and signing. Proceeds from the book sale support CASL’s Pine Tree Senior Council.
Chinese American Service League Kam Liu Building·Chinatown - Sunday11 AM - 12:15 PMActivity
Healing with Yoga
This beginner-friendly yoga series features a heart-centered, healing slow flow. Each session culminates with contemplative viewing of selected artworks from the exhibition _How Do We Heal?_ Led by certified yoga instructor Rhya Moffitt. In collaboration with Arts + Public Life and Spiritual Life.
Smart Museum of Art, The University of Chicago·Hyde Park - Sunday11:00 am - 12:00 pmDemonstration
Tea Ceremony
On Sunday, October 18th at 11:00 AM, discover harmony and hospitality of Japan as you observe a demonstration of traditional tea ceremony, Chado, or Way of Tea. Afterward, guests are invited to enjoy matcha and seasonal Japanese sweets (wagashi). Available while supplies last.
Japanese American Service Committee·Rogers Park / West Ridge - Sunday11:00 am - 12:00 pm Activity
Community Mural Painting Day: Ireland and the Making of America
During Open House Chicago weekend, pick up a brush and become part of a lasting piece of art at the Irish American Heritage Center! Join us for a special Community Mural Painting Day celebrating the 250th birthday of the United States through the theme “Ireland and the Making of America.”
Led by professional Chicago artist, Ken Klopack, this guided, hands-on painting experience will bring the community together to create a large-scale mural honoring the Irish men and women whose stories, culture, labor, and contributions helped shape the United States. Participants will have the opportunity to paint a portion of the mural and quite literally leave their mark on a piece that will remain on display at the IAHC for years to come.
Participation is completely FREE, and no previous painting experience is necessary. Participants must be 12 years of age or older.
To make sure everyone has plenty of room to paint and an opportunity to meaningfully contribute, participation will be divided into three one-hour time slots: 11:00 AM–12:00 PM, 12:00–1:00 PM, and 1:00–2:00 PM, with 20 advance registration spaces available per hour.
If spaces remain available on the day of the event, visitors will be welcome to sign up in person. However, advance registration is strongly recommended to guarantee your opportunity to participate, as each time slot is limited.
Once completed, the mural will become a lasting piece of community-created artwork at the Irish American Heritage Center, commemorating both America’s 250th anniversary and the enduring connection between Ireland, Irish America, Chicago, and the story of the United States.
This special artistic activation was selected for support during Open House Chicago for its close alignment with the festival’s art-focused initiative and its mission to connect audiences with the cultural and civic life of Chicago as part of the America250 celebration.
Irish American Heritage Center·Albany Park / Irving Park - Sunday11:00 am - 12:00 pmGuided Site Tour
Let's Visit Motor Row and Bronzeville
This tour highlights the Bronzeville Black Metropolis National Heritage Area and Motor Row, including the former Illinois Automobile Club at 2400 St. Michigan Ave., which previously served as the headquarters of the Chicago Defender. The tour also features Quinn Chapel AME, the oldest Black congregation in Chicago and a stop on the Underground Railroad.
Bronzeville Black Metropolis National Heritage Area·Bronzeville / Kenwood - Sunday11:30 AM - 12 PMDemonstration
Liquid Nitrogen Show
What’s cooler than ice cold? Liquid nitrogen! Join our facilitators daily to explore the super cooling effects of liquid nitrogen. See how air, water and one of your least favorite vegetables interact with subfreezing temperatures while learning some fascinating science.
Griffin Museum of Science and Industry·Hyde Park - Sunday11:30 AM - 12:30 PMDemonstration
PineTree Calligraphy & Dance Performance
Enjoy traditional calligraphy demonstrations and dance performances from our PineTree Senior Council members.
Chinese American Service League Kam Liu Building·Chinatown - Sunday12 PM - 2 PMArts Performance
Chicago International Film Festival Shorts
A curated screening of short films featuring Chicago talent, presented in partnership with the Chicago International Film Festival. The screening will be followed by a talkback with participating directors.
Harold Washington Library Center·Downtown - Sunday11:00 am - 5:00 pmArts Performance
Hand-On Activities and Performances | Sunday
To celebrate the skills, creativity, and generosity of Narrow Bridge Art Club members, there will be hands-on activities on Saturday:
Woodshop with Miriam Stevens | 12-1:30
Social Justice Quilting Circle with Dorothy Burge| 1-2:30
Carbon Neutral Design Tour with Amber Ginsburg | 1pm-2pm
Knitting Circle with Dorothy Jones, Nef Mart and Anna Marshall | 1-3pm
Computer repair consultation with Elsbeth Klotz | 11-5 (Bring your computer but have all data backed up)
Narrow Bridge Arts Club·Woodlawn - Sunday12:00 pm - 1:00 pmGuided Site Tour
Let's Visit Motor Row and Bronzeville
This tour highlights the Bronzeville Black Metropolis National Heritage Area and Motor Row, including the former Illinois Automobile Club at 2400 St. Michigan Ave., which previously served as the headquarters of the Chicago Defender. The tour also features Quinn Chapel AME, the oldest Black congregation in Chicago and a stop on the Underground Railroad.
Bronzeville Black Metropolis National Heritage Area·Bronzeville / Kenwood - Sunday1 PM - 2 PMTalk/Discussion
Body, Border & Collective Care
Artist Panel: Nazafarin Lotfi, Jasmin Cardenas, and Érika Ordosgoitti Moderator: Susan Gzesh How can creative practice restore dignity to the physical body in a world designed to render people invisible? Join artists and cultural workers Jasmin Cardenas, Érika Ordosgoitti, and Nazafarin Lotfi, in a conversation moderated by Susan Gzesh, as they explore the intersection of community arts, sanctuary, and civic action. Moving from the intimate spaces of internal community healing out into the broad public landscape of Chicago, this program examines how art functions not as a passive commodity, but as a vital tool for survival, belonging, and policy change. From homemade meals shared over life stories to street-level theater that humanizes labor, community-anchored art provides a powerful refuge against systemic isolation. In this dynamic panel, featured artists share how their ground-level work across Chicago transforms trauma, absence, and institutional indifference into radical acts of solidarity and civic power. Featured Projects & Bios Érika Ordosgoitti | The Venezuelan Migration Living Archive gathers Venezuelan immigrants over home-cooked meals to record, preserve, and center their life stories. By bringing these genuine testimonies to the public facade of the art center through audiovisual intervention, the project challenges political rhetoric and transforms individual migration journeys into a collective historical testimony. Nazafarin Lotfi | Hamrah Arts Club Founded by artist and activist Nazafarin Lotfi, Hamrah (meaning "fellow traveler" in Farsi) is a creative mentorship program for youth with refugee status. Using art-making to explore belonging and utopian alternatives, the program fosters deep solidarity and a strong network of support among refugee, asylum-seeking, and immigrant youth navigating Chicago. Jasmin Cardenas | WorkersTEATRO An independent Chicago ensemble of working people, WorkersTEATRO collaborates with theater director Jasmin Cardenas and worker organizer Isaura Martinez. By using theater and storytelling to explore lived experiences of workplace discrimination and exploitation, the group uses creative expression as a direct tool for education, liberation, and labor policy change. Moderated by Susan Gzesh, Instructional Professor at the University of Chicago and former Executive Director of the Pozen Family Center for Human Rights. A longtime human rights lawyer, advocate, and educator, Prof. Gzesh integrates visual arts and film into human rights education and has worked for decades on migration policy, cross-border advocacy, and civil rights in Chicago and internationally.
Hyde Park Art Center·Hyde Park - Sunday1:00 pm - 2:00 pmTalk/Discussion
Body, Border & Collective Care
Artist Panel: Nazafarin Lotfi, Jasmin Cardenas, and Érika Ordosgoitti Moderator: Susan Gzesh How can creative practice restore dignity to the physical body in a world designed to render people invisible? Join artists and cultural workers Jasmin Cardenas, Érika Ordosgoitti, and Nazafarin Lotfi, in a conversation moderated by Susan Gzesh, as they explore the intersection of community arts, sanctuary, and civic action. Moving from the intimate spaces of internal community healing out into the broad public landscape of Chicago, this program examines how art functions not as a passive commodity, but as a vital tool for survival, belonging, and policy change. From homemade meals shared over life stories to street-level theater that humanizes labor, community-anchored art provides a powerful refuge against systemic isolation. In this dynamic panel, featured artists share how their ground-level work across Chicago transforms trauma, absence, and institutional indifference into radical acts of solidarity and civic power. Featured Projects & Bios Érika Ordosgoitti | The Venezuelan Migration Living Archive gathers Venezuelan immigrants over home-cooked meals to record, preserve, and center their life stories. By bringing these genuine testimonies to the public facade of the art center through audiovisual intervention, the project challenges political rhetoric and transforms individual migration journeys into a collective historical testimony. Nazafarin Lotfi | Hamrah Arts Club Founded by artist and activist Nazafarin Lotfi, Hamrah (meaning "fellow traveler" in Farsi) is a creative mentorship program for youth with refugee status. Using art-making to explore belonging and utopian alternatives, the program fosters deep solidarity and a strong network of support among refugee, asylum-seeking, and immigrant youth navigating Chicago. Jasmin Cardenas | WorkersTEATRO An independent Chicago ensemble of working people, WorkersTEATRO collaborates with theater director Jasmin Cardenas and worker organizer Isaura Martinez. By using theater and storytelling to explore lived experiences of workplace discrimination and exploitation, the group uses creative expression as a direct tool for education, liberation, and labor policy change. Moderated by Susan Gzesh, Instructional Professor at the University of Chicago and former Executive Director of the Pozen Family Center for Human Rights. A longtime human rights lawyer, advocate, and educator, Prof. Gzesh integrates visual arts and film into human rights education and has worked for decades on migration policy, cross-border advocacy, and civil rights in Chicago and internationally.
Hyde Park Art Center·Hyde Park - Sunday1:00 pm - 3:00 pm Demonstration
Botanical Cuts: Contemporary Papercutting Demonstration
Join Chicago papercut artist Yang Pulongbarit Cuevo for a contemporary papercutting demonstration with precision knife. Discover how intricate single-sheet and layered papercuts are made, ask questions, and explore the techniques behind the works on view.
Heritage Museum of Asian Art·Bridgeport / Back of the Yards - Sunday1:00 pm - 4:00 pmArts Performance
Live Blues Music
Join The Muddy Waters MOJO Museum for live music from Kenwood Academy high school students and Bluesman Fernando Jones outside in the MOJO Healing Garden.
Muddy Waters MOJO Museum·Bronzeville / Kenwood - Sunday1:00 pm - 3:00 pmArts Performance
Live Entertainment and Performance
Join the Haitian American Museum of Chicago for a performance by Rafo International Combo. Recipient of the Chicago Reggae Music Award and International Reggae Music Award, Rafo International Combo is a Caribbean, soul-singing group with roots in Haitian music. They blend rhythms and beats from different cultures, including kompa, reggae, calypso, salsa, bossa nova, tango, cumbia, mambo, disco and jazz.
Haitian American Museum of Chicago·Uptown - Sunday1:30 PM - 2 PMDemonstration
Liquid Nitrogen Show
What’s cooler than ice cold? Liquid nitrogen! Join our facilitators daily to explore the super cooling effects of liquid nitrogen. See how air, water and one of your least favorite vegetables interact with subfreezing temperatures while learning some fascinating science.
Griffin Museum of Science and Industry·Hyde Park - Sunday1:30 pm - 2:30 pmArts Performance
Music Through the Ages
Experience the sacred choral music that fills St. Nicholas Ukrainian Catholic Cathedral during "Music Through the Ages" a special performance by Glorious Choir, conducted by Maestra Bohdana Chepil. At 1:30 p.m., the choir will perform Ukrainian sacred and secular masterworks by Berezovsky, Bortniansky, and Stetsenko, as well as contemporary pieces. The concert will be dedicated in honor and memory of the fallen heroes in the war in Ukraine. Free admission.
St. Nicholas Ukrainian Catholic Cathedral·Ukrainian Village / West Town - Sunday2 PM - 3:30 PMArts Performance
Westermann: Memorial to the Idea of Man If He Was an Idea Screening
A powerful short documentary following combat photographer Cpl. William T. Perkins Jr. to uncover the story of his heroic sacrifice during Operation Medina; presented in partnership with the National Veterans Art Museum. Followed by a Q&A with Harrison Sherrod, Executive Director of Pentimenti Productions
Harold Washington Library Center·Downtown - Sunday3:30 pm - 4:30 pm Demonstration
Papercutting live demonstration with Lucy P. Liu
Meet papercutting artist Lucy P. Liu in person. Learn traditional Chinese papercutting works that inspired by culture, family, faith, nature, or personal story
Heritage Museum of Asian Art·Bridgeport / Back of the Yards - Sunday4:30 PM - 5 PMTalk/Discussion
Introduction to Zen Buddhism: Practices and Aesthetics
The temple will offer a 30-minute Introduction to Zen Buddhism lecture and Q&A in the Buddha Hall for OHC participants. This experience will include an introduction to Zen meditation, a description of temple statues and art, a demonstration of temple ritual instruments, and a Q&A session.
Zen Buddhist Temple·Lakeview - 12:00 pm - 3:00 pm Arts Performance
Natasha and Marina Stojanofsky Piano Performance
Pianists Natasha and Marina Stojanofsky perform solos and duos by Chicago composers every 20 minutes.
The CheckOut·Uptown






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