Wabash Arts Corridor Crawl

The Wabash Arts Corridor (WAC) Crawl will take place during EXPO ART WEEK, a showcase of the

city’s visual, performing and culinary arts September 16-22, presented in conjunction with EXPO CHICAGO, the International Exposition of Contemporary and Modern Art at Navy Pier, September 19-22.

The WAC Crawl is a free public event, open Wednesday, Sept. 18, from 5–8 p.m., and located along Wabash Avenue from Congress to Roosevelt. The WAC Crawl will feature gallery openings, concerts, dance and street performances, multimedia demonstrations, chalk art, sidewalk sales, discounts to area restaurants and pubs, the unveiling of the Columbia College’s Papermaker’s Garden and a Joffrey Ballet rehearsal performance in the storied Auditorium Theatre.

The WAC Crawl is the latest development of the Wabash Arts Corridor, a long-term partnership between the city and local business community to transform empty storefronts, parking lots, walls and vacant land in the South Loop into a dynamic, creative community that will serve as a gateway to the South Loop. Recent developments include an installation of large-scale fashion photography on the exterior of the Hilton Chicago; a mural project on George’s Lounge (650 S. Wabash); the Harrison Gateway, a collaboration with the Chicago Transit Authority to install images and haikus on the El Track support beams on Harrison Ave; expansion of the Papermaker’s Garden across from the Hilton Chicago; and updating the façade of 619 S. Wabash.

“The WAC Crawl is going to be a dynamic celebration of the cultural and educational life of the South Loop,” said Mark Kelly vice president of student affairs at Columbia College, and one of the driving forces behind the WAC Initiative. “This area is home to more than 30,000 students, 17 major cultural organizations and a thriving business community. The WAC Crawl is going to unleash the creative energy and assets of this community and use it to transform the South Loop into a major tourist destination.”

Organizations participating in the WAC Crawl include Columbia College Chicago, Roosevelt University; DePaul University; East-West University; Jones College Prep High School; The Harold Washington Library; Greater South Loop Association, Hilton Chicago; The Blackstone Hotel; The Elephant Room Gallery, Buddy Guy’s and the Near South Planning Board among others. For more information on WAC Crawl events, contact Norman Alexandroff at 312.369.7416.

Join the Columbia Community Chorus

The Sherwood Community Music School is looking for members to join the Columbia Community Chorus. The Chorus provides a fun, relaxed environment where members can experience singing with others.

Members of the chorus learn a variety of choral literature, with an emphasis on healthy tone production, blend, musicianship, and ensemble. No experience is necessary to join.

The chorus also welcomes its new director, Bart Bradfield, who teaches in Columbia’s Music Department.

The Columbia Community Chorus meets Wednesday evenings. Registration is currently open. If interested, please call 312-369-3100.

For more information, please visit colum.edu/sherwood.

Q & A with recording artist and Bash on Wabash performer, Jess Godwin

Singer-songwriter, Jess Godwin

If you attended the 2012 Bash on Wabash this year, you may have heard Jess Godwin perform. It was a rainy Sunday afternoon that August 26th, but Godwin was a trooper and performed for the small crowd huddled under a tent.

A singer-songwriter, Godwin is making a name for herself and could be pop music’s next big thing. We were impressed with Godwin’s poise and, dare we say, charm while performing under less-than-perfect conditions. She looked like a natural, but you’ll see from some of the answers to our questions below that this was not always the case.

SLC: Are you a Illinois/Chicago native?
JG: I was actually born in Atlanta. I moved around a lot as a kid (5 states and 13 different schools!), so I was constantly the new girl. We finally settled down in Chicago my freshman year of high school. I was able to find a lasting group of friends, and I quickly picked up the “horrible” Midwestern dialect. I can’t imagine calling anywhere else home.

When did you realize you wanted to be a performer?My mom is a performer, so I grew up watching her gig around town and appear in various productions of Godspell (it was the 80s). I’m not sure I always wanted to be a performer per se - I was incredibly shy for most of my life...but I always wanted to sing.

You studied voice at Vanderbilt University and also studied at Columbia College. Some pretty famous folks came out of both places. I imagine the experiences at each were unique. One being in the “Athens of the South” the other in the “Windy City.” Did you like one over the other?
You know, they were at total opposite ends of the spectrum for me...but both culture shocks. To be honest, I wasn’t a college kid. Sororities and frat parties didn’t make sense to me. I was always ready to be out and working. I definitely learned a lot from both institutions, but I won’t be going back for grad school any time soon.

Jess Godwin fans gathered and listened, in spite of
the rain, at the 2012 Bash on Wabash.

Who were some of your musical influences growing up?
Stevie Wonder! Lauryn Hill, Erykah Badu, Fiona Apple, Justin Timberlake, Robin Thicke, John Legend, 90’s R&B, jazz standards...and Ella Fitzgerald. I wrote a lot of papers about her. Yep! I’m pretty sure my college essay was about Ella and how she sounds like she’s always smiling when she’s singing.

The song “Katy’s Side,” besides having a great pop hook, seems to have an underlying serious message. It deals with jealousy and not being satisfied with one’s physical appearance. What made you tackle this subject?
I have always struggled with the green-eyed monster. I think it’s a pretty universal feeling for most girls. We’re constantly comparing ourselves to others, but we neglect to see the good qualities in ourselves that other people might see or even be jealous of. I know that I am incredibly hard on myself, but instead of blaming myself all the time, the masochistic side of me likes to blame other people for my own self-loathing. It’s ugly, I know. “Katy’s Side” was a big release for me. When I was finally able to articulate how I saw myself through other people and poke a little fun at the situation (because it IS a silly waste of energy), I was able to cut myself a little slack and forgive myself for some of my imperfections. SOME being the operative. I’m still a work in progress.

You seem very comfortable performing in front of an audience. Was this always the case?
Why thank you! Heck no! I was a wallflower for most of my life. I couldn’t act myself out of a cardboard box. (Is that even something people actually say?) I always loved singing but felt really really, REALLY uncomfortable on stage. A few years ago, I played a lot of smaller piano venues (3-4 hour gigs). Something clicked then - I realized that the only thing an audience wants is to feel like you are talking to them. So I started engaging with individual people during and in between songs. Making eye contact. Trying to get them to want to engage back. Now I absolutely love being up there - when I think less about how I look up there and more about the people I am talking to, I have a lot more fun. I think they do, too!

What are your career aspirations?
I just want to use my music to connect with as many people as possible. And play in front of an audience every night. And make enough money so I can support my kids one day. And not have kids for a really long time. And make good decisions. And be a good person. And change the world.

That’s all.

If you weren’t a singer-songwriter, what would you be?
A trophy wife.

Tell us something that we don’t know about you that might surprise us.
I’m a big tennis player!

The video for “Katy’s Side” was filmed at the Blackstone Hotel in the South Loop.

Community Meeting To Discuss CTA Green Line Station at Cermak

On March 22nd at 7:00PM, the Chicago Transit Authority and the Chicago Department of Housing and Economic Development will be hosting a community meeting to discuss the proposed CTA Green Line Station at Cermak. The meeting will be held in Room 203 at Columbia College, 623 S. Wabash Ave.    

For more information, please contact, James Cox, Project Manager at 312-744-0097. 

3rd Annual Green Awards Event

The Alliance’s Gail Merritt hosted the event

The Greenest of the Green
Last night was the 3rd Annual Greener South Loop Awards at Columbia College, 1104 S. Wabash Ave. Gail Merritt hosted the event that recognized the “green, greener, and greenest” efforts of institutions, businesses, and residences. Don McLauchlan from Elara Engineering (consultant to 2010 Greenest Building winner Dearborn Tower) was the evening’s featured speaker.

The winners of the 3rd Annual Greener South Loop Awards are listed below in each category.

Institutions
Green: East West University (819 S. Wabash)
Greener: Roosevelt University (430 S. Michigan)

Businesses
Green: Overflow Coffee (1550 S. State)
Greener: The Forth Group (22 E. Cullerton)
Greenest: ORA Dental Studio (1827 S. Michigan)

Residential Buildings
Green: Film Exchange Lofts (1307 S. Wabash)
Greener: 1620 S. Michigan Ave
Greenest: State Place Condominium Association (1101 S. State)

Alliance Mission Statement: Alliance for a Greener South Loop works to make the South Loop a greener place to live, work, and play.  We engage South Loop individuals, businesses, buildings, and city agencies so that we all “tread more lightly on the earth.”

For more information on the Alliance, visit their Web site.

Organizing With You Tip of the Week: Off To College !

Pooja Gugnani


Starting college this fall and want to have an organized dorm room?  Follow these three rules.

1. Plan ahead. 
2. Buy the right products. 
3. Personalize your room a little. 

Dorm room organization is all about space maximization. Use under the bed storage containers and utilize that space, invest in accessories such as hooks and baskets and buy clever organizing products such as pocketed hanging clothes organizers for the closet, which you will likely share with your roommate(s).

Before founding Organizing With You, Inc., Pooja Gugnani worked for six years as a marketing and communications executive in a health care non-profit organization. Her belief that organizing paves the way for personal development and general well-being led her to explore a career as a professional organizer. Pooja is passionate about organizing and loves that she is able work with clients ranging from executives, busy moms, entrepreneurs, students to seniors. Pooja resides in downtown Chicago with her husband, and is also an avid artist. She has had numerous clients benefit from her services. You can find Organizing With You on Facebook and you can follow her on Twitter.

Columbia College Window Blow-out Snarls Traffic on Michigan Ave.

A window blew out of a window at 618 S. Michigan Ave. today during the evening rush hour. The building is part of  Columbia College's South Loop Campus. South-bound traffic was diverted at Harrison.  At approximately 5:25 p.m., firemen were busy removing remaining pieces of glass, which were dropped onto the sidewalk below. Check the video for a look at some of the action.

Columbia College bought the former Spertus Institute of Jewish Studies facility at 618 S. Michigan in 2005. Spertus moved into a new state-of-the-art building at 610 S. Michigan Ave. designed by Chicago-based architectural firm Krueck & Sexton in 2007. The Institute worked out a lease agreement with Columbia until their new building was completed.

Hook and ladder at 618 S. Michigan Ave.