Creative Grounds

Photo: Joe Ignatius Just like that, it's a wrap again! We held our last Community Day of the season on Saturday, October 18th. It was a quiet afternoon — a good environment for reflecting on the care, effort, and fun the plaza saw this year. To close 2025 out, we invited Annabell Renn of Converge Architecture as our featured guest. Converge is a Chicago-based firm that aims to create spaces communities can define and make their own, much like our work here at Overton. Photo:

Photo: Joe Ignatius With the summer winding down, we kept the back-to-school theme going on our Saturday, September 27th Community Day. The Overton plaza buzzed with families and neighbors of all ages who came together to play, connect, and make the space our own. Photo: Joe Ignatius The spotlight that day was a visit from Creative Chicago Reuse Exchange (CCRx) , a Chicago-based nonprofit that supports local educators and organizers by redistributing donated surplus materials

Photo: Joe Ignatius On Saturday, August 30th, we held our monthly Community Day at Overton. To get us in the back-to-school spirit and showcase the talent and creativity of the young ones among us, we had a completely youth-led Overton Exchange. Vendors included: Jade and Joy's World , Snack Attack, and Justin’s Corner with delicious treats Paper Paradise with paper crafts and jewelry Charred Rooks and Silly Column of Art, with magnets, stickers, t-shirts, and other crafts C

Photo: Joe Ignatius The morning of Saturday, August 16, attendees met at the Overton plaza and community garden for Soil 101, an interactive workshop focused on the foundation of every healthy garden: the soil beneath our feet. Led by Lucía León , the workshop invited participants to dig into the basics of soil through observation and touch. To start, we took a closer look at four different soil samples: germination mix, potting soil, a topsoil and compost blend, and compost.

Photo: Joe Ignatius It was sunny the afternoon of August 10th, a pleasant time to be outdoors crafting in good company. A small group of neighbors took advantage of that lazy Sunday and joined us for the second installment of our Creative Nature series. Photo: Joe Ignatius Under the enthusiastic guidance of our workshop leader Jenny Guzman , attendees painted small storage containers to house their personal seed collections. Once finished, they were offered a selection of th

Photo: Joe Ignatius On Saturday, July 26, we gathered at Overton for a summer Community Day full of rhythm, color, and creativity. Our...