The program, pronounced “Earth Art Chicago,” is a citywide community-based art initiative to raise awareness, create dialogue, and inspire action.

With the success of the BWC Gathering Spaces, the Field Museum and Forest Preserves of Cook County (FPCC) saw an opportunity to develop something similar at Beaubien Woods Forest Preserve on Chicago’s far South Side.

Originally from Houston, Texas, Sam started playing trumpet at the age of seven. 2024 celebrates his thirtieth year of playing music. He came up playing classical, marching, and jazz band music and has always found himself in a position of peer leadership.

Madera Once is a four piece band that plays traditional Mexican regional music but with a contemporary twist through the instruments they use. They write and play their own music, which you can hear on their EP, Amado. José Alfredo, singer and co-founder, describes some of the many deep connections between the band and their music. 

Anna Murphy on Community Engagement and Working in Public Spaces

Dorian is a lead artist on the Sankofa for the Earth gathering space. She teamed up with Arty Crawford and Raymond Thomas to create Sankofa for the Earth.

Arty, along with fellow artists Raymond Thomas and Dorian Sylvain, brought the idea of the Sankofa bird to the gathering spaces project.