Art Maker’s Outpost is an art studio loved by artists and nature lovers alike.
The walls are lined with glitter jars, bottle caps, buttons, and other creative materials sourced from the community and diverted from landfills.
These materials are then used in art classes, children’s summer camps, adult bring-your-own-beverage (BYOB) workshops, and community events hosted by Art Maker’s Outpost at 609 South Boulevard.
Earth Month inspired the studio’s recent community event. Between 12 p.m. and 4 p.m. on Sunday, children and families stopped by to make art out of recycled materials, paint a large outdoor mural, join a drum circle and eat some cookies.
Community members could also donate used art or take part in a plant swap.
Valerie Kahan, co-founder and creative director of Art Maker’s Outpost, said that while the event provided a fun afternoon of art-making, it also showcased the types of materials the studio collects and how they can be reused.
“Our space is really geared towards helping people imagine how materials can be reused,” Kahan said. “We collect arts and crafts materials that are used with care, but we collect so much more than that.”
Local art lover Lily Mcquarters, 11, attended the event with her mother, Rebecca Phend. She helped paint the outdoor mural and did handicrafts in the studio.
“I love making art,” Lily said. “Me and my mom, that’s our thing.”
Lily also participated in the drum circle led by Tony Garrett, a prolific African drum teacher. On the weekends he teaches drumming at Art Maker’s Outpost and once a month on a Friday he leads a drum circle for the community.
Garrett taught Lily various drumming techniques as she practiced, Lily said. “It was really fun,” she added.
The event also raised awareness of another upcoming Earth Month event: a 10 Second Film Festival hosted by local climate organizations D65 Climate Action Teams and Citizens’ Greener Evanston.
The hosts invite community members to submit a film to the festival website. The last day to submit a film is April 21, and films will be screened on April 22 at 6:30 am at the festival, held in the Rotary International Auditorium.
Marie Cabiya, member of the D65 Climate Action Team, said this is the third year of the festival.
Having just completed a short film of her own, Cabiya said that while ten seconds isn’t a lot of time, it’s surprisingly time-consuming to shoot and direct a short film.
Kahan said that in addition to planning camps for the summer, she’s organizing more adult BYOB events. The studio is also planning more printmaking, painting, sculpting and mosaic making, she added.
“We’re really excited for what’s to come,” Kahan said.
