Creating (in) Community Day
Join us for Creating (in) Community Day! Research shows all sorts of beautiful benefits to making art in community: combating loneliness, building trust and empathy, and supporting healthy aging. With that in mind, we are excited to host our second annual community making day, where we invite neighbors to join us for group activities free of charge. This year’s program will once again feature a weaving activity led by our Longform Mentor, kg gnatowski, followed by yoga and meditation led by Elizabeth Schmuhl. Community Day activities are free, but you must RSVP, as space is limited! Sign up for the morning weaving workshop, the afternoon yoga session, or both, and spend the day nourishing your creative spirit on the meadow.
Saturday, August 15, 2026
10:00 a.m.–6:00 p.m.
This program is inspired by the book Project Unlonely: Healing Our Crisis of Disconnection, by Jeremy Nobel. Ox-Bow House has copies of the book available for purchase.
Weaving Together: DIY Looms & Collective Textile Play
with kg gnatowski
10:00 a.m.–1:00 p.m.
Free with RSVP (limited to 16 participants)
In this hands-on weaving workshop, participants will explore the creative possibilities of crafting their own simple looms and making collaborative woven works inspired by the textures, colors, and rhythms of Ox-Bow’s meadow. We will experiment with approachable weaving techniques using yarn, fabric scraps, natural materials, and found fibers to create both individual pieces and a collective weave that celebrates community making. The workshop will begin with a demonstration on building small DIY looms from everyday materials, followed by guided instruction on basic weaving structures, texture building, and playful approaches to pattern. Participants will then move between solo experimentation and a shared weaving station, where everyone can contribute to a communal artwork that will evolve throughout the session. This workshop is designed for exploration, curiosity, and connection—no prior weaving experience is needed, and all ages and skill levels are invited to participate.
Plan to bring: any yarn, ribbons, fabric scraps, or natural fibers you’d enjoy incorporating (optional). All other materials will be provided.
(top) headshot of kg; (bottom) Standards, kj, 2021, 10 x 12 inches. Images courtesy of the artist.
kg (b. Poland) makes weavings and writes poetry from their home studio by the lake in Chicago. kg values the small the domestic and the everyday, situating those politics in their studio and curatorial practices. They have exhibited work with Horse and Pony (Berlin), The Brooklyn Academy Of Music,The Bruce High Quality Foundation and The Gowanas Ballroom (New York), Left Field Gallery and Adjunct Positions (Los Angeles), Katherine E. Nash Gallery (Minneapolis), Monique Meloche Gallery, Gallery 400, Julius Caesar and LVL3 (Chicago), The John Michael Kohler Art Center (Wisconsin) and their most recent solo exhibition, Here Comes That Feeling at Hawthorne Contemporary in Milwaukee. Some Kind Of Duty, Their expansive weaving survey hosted by The DePaul Art Museum is available as a monograph through the museum shop and online. In 2017 kg attended The Skowhegan School of Painting and Sculpture and The Vermont Studio Center as a fellow in 2018. Current exhibitions include Intranarratives hosted by the Musée d'art Contemporain de Montréal. Upcoming shows include Stitch, Woven, Hooked at The Lubeznik art Center and Beyond: Tapestry Expanded at The Peeler Art Center at DePauw University.
Vinyasa + Yin on the Meadow: Movement, Meditation & Reflection
with Elizabeth Schmuhl
3:00–6:00 p.m.
Free with RSVP
In this outdoor workshop, we will explore the relationship between motion and stillness by blending gentle vinyasa flow with restorative yin poses to create a balanced, accessible practice. Demonstrations will guide students through breathwork, foundational postures, and approaches to seated and walking meditation. The workshop will open with warm-up movement, flow into an all-levels vinyasa sequence, settle into extended yin holds, and conclude with guided journaling and a gentle hike to reflect on the experience.
Plan to bring: a yoga mat, water bottle, and journal or notebook.