Concert
Millennium Park
Jay Pritzker Pavilion
This concert was free and open to the public.
Image by Sergio Farfán
Day of Action
How can we use culture to confront gun violence in Chicago?
The Greening of North Lawndale: Come plant a tree!
19th & Kostner
Together with the North Lawndale neighborhood, the City of Chicago and the School of the Art Institute of Chicago (SAIC), the community came together to plant trees and site stones. The project built on a partnership between artist Pedro Reyes and SAIC that reproduced Reyes’s work “Palas por pistolas” (Guns into Shovels). North Lawndale-based gardeners, artists, and musicians led volunteers using shovels crafted from donated weapons.
A special program at 10:00 included a welcome from community leadership; a presentation of the project by Pedro Reyes and SAIC; and musical performances by Yo-Yo Ma, Civic Orchestra of Chicago flutist Alexandria Hoffman, and student guests.
Conversation: how culture can create a stronger, better, safer, & more peaceful community
National Museum of Mexican Art, Pilsen
A special installation of JR’s living mural “The Gun Chronicles: A Story of America” kicked off a conversation about culture’s role in combating violence. The discussion was moderated by WBEZ’s Natalie Moore and included Yo-Yo Ma, Mayor Lori Lightfoot, author and activist Jahmal Cole, and artist Hailey Love. The event featured performances by OpenMike artists from SocialWorks, Chance the Rapper’s youth empowerment organization.
Explore “The Gun Chronicles” on your own: download JR:Murals from your app store or visit time.com/guns-in-america
Make Music Chicago
The Confluence on the Chicago Riverwalk
Yo-Yo joined members of the Civic Orchestra of Chicago to perform J.S. Bach’s Brandenburg Concerto No. 4 on the Riverwalk between Franklin and Lake.
All events were free and open to the public.
