Art and Events
Water is life. It also plays important roles in human cultures and offers feelings of joy and calm. The water that flows through lakes and rivers belongs to all who live within the basin. The health of water, ecosystems, and human communities are interdependent. Maintaining mutual health and vitality requires knowledge about water, as well as a good relationship with one’s local watershed.
In the name of promoting and supporting such good relationships, the Freshwater Lab creates artwork and events to help people engage with their water.
Backward River Festival: Damen Silo City
On June 8th, 2024, the Freshwater Lab at the University of Illinois Chicago invites you to reclaim your water and foster a sense of joy and possibility through music, performance and community connection. Meet us where the legendary Damen Grain Silos tower over the South Branch of the storied Chicago River.
Rio de Bienvenida/River of Welcome
A small park without many amenities sits on the shore where the South Branch of the Chicago River turns into the Sanitary and Ship Canal. Although it offers a rare access point on the city’s southwest side, the Canalport Riverwalk is nestled among industry and warehouses. The Freshwater Lab teamed up with artists Cynthia Weiss and Delilah Salgado to create Rio de Bienvenida/River of Welcome, a sculptural art fence and mosaic planter depicting the many species who call the Chicago River home and inviting visitors to sit by the water and envision its future.
Backward River Festival 2021
In October 2021, the Freshwater Lab hosted a two-day outdoor event that brought together artists, environmental justice advocates, local residents, and community organizers to celebrate the Chicago River and help direct its future.
Deep Dive: Great Lakes
The Freshwater Lab partnered with the Chicago Humanities Festival to create a 3-part series exploring the Great Lakes region through the lenses of science, culture, and policy.
Artists, policymakers, and environmental leaders delve into who owns the water, the nature of species migration, and how we might shape a sustainable future.
Who Owns the Waters of the Upper Midwest?
Watch a conversation with Frank Ettawageshik, Naomi Davis, and Liz Kirkwood about water sovereignty, rights, and jurisdiction that challenges the very idea of humans owning water
Chicago Humanities Festival
September 2021
Aquatic Animals of the Great Lakes
Tune into a discussion with Robert Hirschfeld, Sarah Lewison, and Andrew Yang about how invasive species were introduced in the Great Lakes and their detrimental and generative effects on these bodies of water.
Chicago Humanities Festival
September 2021
Speculative Infrastructure
Imagine adaptation and positive transformation in light of climate change with a dialogue about eco-futurism and green technocultures with Toni Anderson, Juanita Irizarry, Derek Hoerferlin, and Rachel Havrelock
Chicago Humanities Festival
September 2021
