Quantcast

The DNAinfo archives brought to you by WNYC.
Read the press release here.

Palmisano Park Art Displays Will Celebrate Past And Future of Bridgeport

By Joe Ward | October 3, 2017 5:09am
 Performances celebrating the history and future of Bridgeport will be held Palmisano Park Thursday through Saturday.
Performances celebrating the history and future of Bridgeport will be held Palmisano Park Thursday through Saturday.
View Full Caption
Hugo Sato

BRIDGEPORT — A series of multimedia art shows and performances to be held at Palmisano Park this week will celebrate the neighborhood's past and future.

Artist Erica Mott will present "Elemental: Spectacles of Earth, Air and Water," a three-day series of art and performances at Palmisano Park, 2700 S. Halsted St. Running from Thursday-Saturday, the show will have a number of collaborative performances that celebrate the foundation of the community as an industrial hub, as well as its evolution.

"Presented in and around the pond in the northwest corner of the park, Elemental will celebrate the history and future of Bridgeport through the lens of three organic elements that shaped industry, immigration, lore and daily living in Chicago's oldest neighborhood," a press release for the event reads.

Mott, speaking on WZRD Chicago radio, said her goal is to "animate" Palmisano Park, which has a rich history as a longtime limestone quarry and as a municipal boondoggle before it was turned into a sculpted, modern park. She said she hopes to turn the performances into a celebration of the neighborhood.

"We got additional support to make it really about Ward 11 ... to make it a performative celebration of Ward 11," Mott said in the radio interview.

Performances will include signing, music, storytelling, dance, a lantern lighting and even a projection that will animate the walls of the old quarry, according to a press release. Local schoolchildren and artists will collaborate on some performances.

The performances are being held as part of the city's 50x50 Neighborhood Arts Project, which seeks to invest $1 million in artist-led projects in each city ward, and is sponsored by Ald. Patrick D. Thompson (11th).

Performances will be held at 7:30 p.m. Thursday through Saturday, with a rain date scheduled for Sunday if need be. All performances are free and open to the public.