by annette coffee | Aug 9, 2022 | Uncategorized
By Kelly Pollock, feature writer for The Buzz Cafe
Maryann Woods was always a curious kid. Her mom still tells the story of how she would go under the kitchen table as a five-year-old, unscrew everything, and then put it all back together. “I was always asking ‘Why? Why does it work like this? Why does it do this?’ I like to know a lot of different things so I ask a lot of questions,” says Maryann. Now she has combined her passion for STEM and her love of teaching at Problem Solvers at 17 Harrison Street in the Oak Park Arts District where she offers STEM programming to elementary and middle school students.
Growing up in a missionary household, Maryann spent a lot of her summers in India where she always spent time with the children—teaching songs, doing arts and crafts, and playing cricket. “I had a huge passion for kids and for a long time I wanted to be a pediatrician,” says Maryann, “But then I realized that I wanted to have my own children someday and I wanted to have enough time to be with them. So I decided to become a teacher.”
She attended Trinity International University in Deerfield where she earned her B.A. in Elementary Education and her M.Ed. in Diverse Learning. She started her career teaching fifth grade in Waukegan and then her principal asked her to pilot a STEM program. “I was teaching in a low-income community with few resources, but our goal was that every student in the district would have access to the program.” Maryann wrote the curriculum and it was eventually rolled out to every elementary and middle school in the district.
“It was a dream job. It combined all my passions—science, technology, engineering, and math—and I got to teach them to kids. But then I felt a call from God to quit my job.” Her faith is a big part of her life, so Maryann told her principal that the 2019-2020 school year would be her last.
To make ends meet during the pandemic, she started tutoring and doing custom design work. She incorporated her business as Niravadhi Services. “My parents are from India and Niravadhi means ‘several’ in Sanskrit. So my business name literally means ‘several services’ which is perfect because I’ve always been a jack-of-all-trades.”
When asked how she ended up opening Problem Solvers (the education services arm of her business), Maryann laughs. “I had no intention of opening up a storefront. I was just looking for a small storage space, but then my realtor showed me the photos and the price was reasonable. I got the keys on July 1.” Maryann had never abandoned her dream of making STEM accessible to all children, and now with her new space, she is hoping to make it a reality. “Problem Solvers is all about getting kids to think critically. Too many kids are focused on instant gratification. If something doesn’t work, then they just give up and move on. We teach them how to push through and persevere.”
The new space is designed for after-school and summer camp programming for students in grades K-8. Maryann is planning to start with classes in LEGO Robotics, Storybook STEM, and Laser Printing. While there is a one-week camp session August 8-12, most programming will begin in September. All classes focus on the Engineering Design Process, problem solving, and learning through play.
Both Maryann’s businesses have a charitable component inspired by 1 Peter 4:10, “Each of you should use whatever gift you have received to serve others, as faithful stewards of God’s grace in its various forms.” She donates 70% of the profits from her custom design work to two non-profits—Urban Reformers and Reaching Indians Ministries International. And she is committed to providing Problem Solvers scholarships to students in need to make STEM education more accessible.
Maryann still can’t believe how much her life has changed in the last few years. She quit her teaching job, started a non-profit with friends, moved from her parents’ home, met and married her husband, and started her business. She and her husband Raymond have a white board in their home where they write down their dreams. Looking around her new space, Maryann says, “Everything that’s here is on that white board. It’s amazing to see it all become a reality.”
To learn more about her custom design work, visit www.niravadhi.com. For the Problem Solvers class schedule and to book online, visit www.problemsolversstem.com. Maryann Woods can be reached at 847-331-2641.
by annette coffee | Jul 3, 2022 | Uncategorized
By Kelly Pollock, feature writer for The Buzz Cafe
Noelle Allen grew up on the West Coast (Sacramento), went to college on the East Coast (Smith College), and has called Chicago and Oak Park home for the last twenty years. And while she will continue to operate a large studio out of the home she shares with her husband Tim and sons Henry and Zeke, she has recently expanded her business, Slowfire Ceramics, to a second location at 907 S. Lombard Avenue in the Oak Park Arts District.
Although her mother was an artist who had an art studio in the house, Noelle preferred ballet to art until she was a teenager. “I really loved dance and thought that I would do it professionally, but the body-shaming culture wasn’t healthy for me. So when I found art at Smith, it was a light bulb moment.” She switched her major from sociology to studio art and never looked back.
Noelle is a tenured professor at Dominican University where she runs the sculpture and ceramics department. And for years, she also exhibited her work in galleries and museums. Then two years ago, Noelle started offering private lessons out of her home studio. “I put a call out on Facebook and advertised that I would accept children who were neurodivergent. A lot of my initial students had mental health challenges and really needed to get out of the house during the pandemic. My studio was a safe space that was cozy and intimate.”
Before long, she couldn’t accommodate everyone with private lessons and so she formed small group classes and hired another teacher, Alice Arreola-Perez. Alice trained at Dominican and had worked with Noelle as an artist assistant for several years. “Alice has been amazing and is like family to me now. I couldn’t have done any of this without her,” says Noelle.
Within eighteen months, Noelle was employing several teachers and the business had expanded into all kinds of art in addition to the wheel throwing and handbuilding that started it all. By this spring, her teachers came to her and said, “This is out of control. You have to expand.” The space that had felt cozy and intimate now felt too crowded. “Our classes were always selling out,” says Noelle.
She considered some different options in Oak Park and then one of her teachers told her about a space that was available next to Buzz Café. “I looked at it and made a decision on the spot. It seemed kind of perfect. It’s in the Arts District, it’s close to the train, and my staff love being next to Buzz. It all made sense.”
Although the business is called Slowfire Ceramics, Noelle wants people to understand that they have a lot of different offerings. The new location has classes and camps for children, tweens, teens, and adults in disciplines including ceramics, painting and drawing, and knitting. There is also a makerspace and classes in 3D printing and CNC routing. “I was interested in a multidisciplinary approach. I don’t believe in just one medium,” explains Noelle.
Classes continue to be small with a maximum of eight students and a minimum 4:1 student-teacher ratio. “Even with just four students, I’ll have two teachers if necessary or I’ll bring in a 1:1 aide if a student needs it. I heavily staff everything so our students get tons of attention.”
Noelle believes that the mission of Slowfire Ceramics is what sets it apart. “As our program has grown, I’ve realized that we’re filling a need that I didn’t even realize existed in Oak Park. We offer a bridge between a community art center and private education services. Our mission is to be an inclusive space, a safe space. Our students know us and we know them. It’s a big family.”
This fall, Noelle is planning to expand into preschool programming. “I’ve hired a behavior therapist who also has a painting degree. Evelyn has been working at an autism center in Chicago and she is going to offer small group preschool classes during the day and afterschool classes specifically geared for kids on the spectrum. In addition, she speaks Spanish, so there will be a Spanish immersion component as well.”
Noelle is committed to making her classes available to everyone and has been funding scholarships out of her own pocket since she started. But she recently formed a 501(c)(3) called Slowfire Arts Foundation that will actively fundraise and provide scholarships for students in need.
To learn more about the class offerings at Slowfire Ceramics visit www.slowfireceramics.com. To make a donation and support the scholarship program visit www.slowfireartsfoundation.org.
by annette coffee | May 8, 2022 | Uncategorized
By Kelly Pollock, feature writer for The Buzz Cafe
For the first time since 2019, What’s Blooming on Harrison is returning to the Oak Park Arts District. This year’s festival is on Saturday, May 21, from 11am-7pm and spans Harrison Street from Humphrey to Cuyler. The Taylor Avenue Beer Garden and Main Stage will operate until 9pm.
Started in 1999, the festival has grown over the years to include an art fair, local business and non-profit booths, food vendors, a children’s carnival, an art raffle, a beer garden, and an entertainment stage. This year’s festival is sponsored by Mosaic Counseling & Wellness who will be moving to Harrison Street later this year. “Helping to bring back this event to the community is an honor, especially during Mental Health Awareness Month. We are opening offices in the Arts District at the end of the summer and could not think of a better way to contribute to our new neighborhood,” said Carey Carlock, founder of Mosaic Counseling & Wellness.
The entertainment stage will feature family programming from 11am-2pm and will include performances from Ovation Academy, Oak Park String Academy, The Actors Garden, Pro Musica Youth Chorus, and student musicians from Oak Park and River Forest High School. Meg Lanfear, founder of Oak Park String Academy, said, “We will be performing many pieces of music! Bach, Mozart, Paganini and more—even an Irish fiddle tune or two. Our students and teachers are looking forward to performing at the festival and then enjoying all the booths afterwards.”
Val’s halla Records is putting together a Main Stage lineup that will perform until 9pm. The acts will include an 80’s all-woman punk band called Barbie Army who are celebrating their return to Chicago after 30 years and the release of their new LP. The group was formed in Hyde Park in 1986 and has had a modern revival thanks to a YouTuber who posted some of their songs online.
The Art Raffle will feature several prizes displayed in the lobby of Centre Physical Therapy at 207 Harrison Street. Included are works from Oak Park Arts District members Mimi Comerford, Kim Humphrey (Bead in Hand), Janice Elkins (Gallery PINK), Ann Viernes (Purple Sun Arts), and other local artists. Tickets are $5 each or 6 for $25.
Food vendors will include local proprietors like Tim Giuffi from Lyman Ave. Bread who has been selling bread subscriptions and delivering his product by bike since 2019; Popify who will also be there with a bike selling their artisan ice pops; Smokey Joel’s Red Hots and his Vienna Beef Chicago-style hot dogs; and Trattoria 225 and their mobile wood-fired pizza oven.
This year, Taco Mucho, a relative newcomer to the Oak Park Arts District, will be selling beer and margaritas at the Beer Garden. Margarita flavors will include classic lime and strawberry guava. Wine will be available at Trattoria 225.
Admission to the festival is free, and while credit and debit cards are widely accepted, the Art Raffle, Beer Garden, and Children’s Carnival are cash only. ATMs are available at the gas stations at Austin Boulevard and Harrison Street.
The artwork for this year’s promotional materials was designed by Tia Etu of Whatever Comes to Mind Studio. She said that she was inspired by the idea of something “tropical” when she created it; the bright pink flowers capture the energy of What’s Blooming.
This is the first year that new Oak Park Arts District Marketing Coordinator Annette Coffee has been involved in planning the festival. “I hope that people will sense the passion that these business and property owners have for the Arts District and for Oak Park. They are bringing their love for the community alive with this street festival filled with all kinds of art and family fun.” Added Annette, “It’s the biggest and best block party in Oak Park!”
by annette coffee | Apr 28, 2022 | Uncategorized
Bead In Hand: Mother’s Day is right around the corner! Come on in and make mom a one of a kind gift or choose from one of their finished pieces. They have kits for their popular bird’s nest, mini flower pot, and peas-in-a-pod pendants. If you plan to sit at the back table and create your gift, please give them a call to make sure they have space available. Give yourself enough time too! 708-848-1761. 145 Harrison St. Note: CLOSED ON MOTHERS DAY. https://beadinhand.com/index.html
Brown Elephant: Mom can feel a queen every day with the furniture selection at the Brown Elephant! Shop from the finest, everyday 11 a.m. 6 p.m. 217 Harrison. https://www.facebook.com/BrownElephantOakPark
Buzz Cafe Mother’s Day Take Out Menu: Mother’s Day is all about celebrating the woman who raised you and shaped who you are as a person. From all the packed lunches with napkin notes to the bandages and kisses after falling off your bike, to being the first one to cry at your graduation– your mom was there for it all. That is why they are offering a special Mother’s Day menu for pick-up only. They want to help you celebrate the special moms in your lives. Pick-up will be between 8 am and 2 pm and all orders must be in by Friday, May 6th at noon! Visit http://thebuzzcafe.com/mothers-day-2022 to order! 905 S Lombard St.
Dima Jewelry Atelier + Boutique. 15% sale on everything in her Etsy store until Saturday. Storefront is at 41 Harrison St. https://www.etsy.com/shop/Dimajewelrydesigns. https://www.facebook.com/dimajewels
Dye Hard Yarns: Give the gift of creating; Beginning knitting or crochet classes available starting at $27.50. Check out the different class options. Gift certificates, Scented candles, bath salts, candle melts, & bath bombs! Everything to pamper, soothe and relax. Find them here. Save 25% of all Chiaogoo Products, Skacel Yarns and Urth Yarns & Kits. Use Code LUVMOM. They’ll be open 12-5 Sunday May 8th for Mother’s Day! 210 Harrison. https://dyehardyarns.com/
Elevate Creative: Celebrate Mom with carefully curated bundles, or create your own! Elevate also offers e-gift cards so mom can shop for herself or update her look. Shop via elevate-OakPark.com. Shipping and gift wrapping are available! 321 Harrison St. http://www.elevate-oakpark.com/
Gallery PINK exhibition Strange Reverie: NEW exhibition featuring new work by Janice Elkins and Gina Lee Robbins. Using expressive images, fractured form, and rich layers of texture, Janice Elkins and Gina Lee Robbins reveal the ghosts of human experience in abstracted, yet vividly emotional ways. ***In conjunction with the exhibition, Janice Elkins will be opening her studio for a special sale of discounted prints and original artworks, great gift! Hours for Strange Reverie: Thru June 26, Sat-Sun 1-5, and by appointment, 708. 648.3131. 149 Harrison St. https://www.facebook.com/GalleryPink/
GRND Coffeehouse: Mother’s Day is a day to honor and celebrate all mothers. GRND is preparing small cakes and cupcakes for your special mom! Stop by and order a small cake or pick up special cupcakes for her special day. …and try their new after dinner coffees and teas! 6″ single layer frosted cake ($45) available for in-store pick up only (with flowers $59, in decorative box $65). Your choice of vanilla or chocolate. Shop https://www.grndcoffeehouse.com/new-page-3. 140 Harrison. 140 Harrison St. https://www.grndcoffeehouse.com/
Happy Apple Pie Shop: Pies: Signature Apple, Apple Crumble, Lemon-Blueberry Chess, Chocolate Chess, Chicken Pot Pie. Friday/Saturday will include Mother’s Day Specials – Lemon Chiffon, small Rosewater-cardamom-pistachio cream pie, assorted quiche. Call 708-606-0037 for latest info or stop by! 226 Harrison St. http://happyapplepie.com/
Jamilla Yipp Photography: A Motherhood Mimi can be booked at the studio at any time slot available. You can get a gift card for a special session just for that mom in your life! Click https://jamillayipp.as.me/Motherhood to book. More specials can be seen here: https://mailchi.mp/84ee0b6f45ed/spring-newsletter?e=b4de86651c. 19 Harrison St.
Kadampa Meditation Center Chicago:
Heal Your Life with Love Retreat, Saturday, May 7th, 9:45 am, Oak Park – Cheney Mansion.
With special guest teacher Gen Kelsang Rigpa. Love is a powerful medicine that is both healing and transformational. Explore different facets of Buddha’s beautiful teachings on love, and gain direct experience of them through teaching and guided meditation. Cost $35
A Mother’s Kindness: A Buddhist Perspective, Sunday, May 8th, 10 am, Oak Park (in-person & Livestream)
A perfect Mother’s Day activity! Guest teacher Gen Rigpa will share unique Buddhist ideas and methods that will help us to deeply appreciate the great kindness of our mothers.
Cost $ 12. https://www.meditateinchicago.org/event-details/a-mothers-kindness-a-buddhist-perspective
Kadampa Meditation Center Chicago is located at 13 Harrison St. https://www.meditateinchicago.org/
Kidcreate Studio Oak Park: Playdate with Mom- Love You to the Moon Workshop (18 Months-6 Years). In honor of Mother’s Day, spend some creative time with your child. How many times have you said “Love you to the moon and back.” to your child? In this class you and your young artist will create an adorable wall hanging inspired by this popular endearment. What a great keepsake! Register here. 200 Harrison St. https://kidcreate.com/oak-park
L’Institut français d’Oak Park: Oh là là! Share the joy of French for Mother’s Day by offering your loved one a gift card to l’Institut français d’Oak Park. Customize the gift card amount on their website for your recipient to enjoy a weekly French-language Conversation Café, arrange for private or semi-private French lessons, or enroll in a French class. Registration opens for the Summer 2022 Session on May 2. Questions? Visit www.frenchinstitute.net or contact Stacy Fifer at [email protected]. 11 Harrison St.
Mora Oak Park: Mother’s Day Weekend Specials 2022. May 6 (Fri) – May 8 (Sun). https://www.instagram.com/p/CdOMGoXvgFm/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link. 201 Harrison St.
Purple Sun Arts: What a unique gift! Cosmic Smashbooking Art Journaling May 28, 10a-1p. $60 per session (pay through www.paypal.com please, prior to session to email: [email protected]). The Fusion of Art Journaling with Intentional Creativity. Intentional Creativity® is to make with love, mindfulness and intention. Sessions are 3 hours long. Minimum of 2. Maximum of 4 persons per session. All supplies will be provided. 142 Harrison. https://www.purplesunarts.com/
Rare Bird Preserves: Moms love scones… and jams …and teas …and chocolates! Put together a special gift for the mother figures in your lives. They have new specialty teas from Rare Tea Cellars and hand-crafted chocolate bars from Ritual and Sirene. Their Mother’s Day Menu is available for pre-order. Snap up an 8″ Chocolate Praline Paris Brest with fresh raspberries or a Spring Green Pea and Asparagus w/ Fresh Herbed Ricotta Quiche before they sell out! Limited quantities with be available in the shop for Saturday walk-ins.
They are also having a special Mother’s Day POP-UP on Saturday, May 7th, 9a-1p. Shop candles by G & G Home, flowers by Ivy & Birch Floral, and Chocolates by Christina…with these 3 amazing local vendors all in one place, they recommend that you DO wait until the last minute to shop for Mom! Come for one-stop gifting and enter to win a raffle basket full of goodies. 211 Harrison St. https://rarebirdpreserves.com/
Studio 144 Boutique: Let them help you find the perfect gifts for your loved one. All jewelry and fragrance are buy one, get one 20% off through May 7. Boutique hours May 3-7 are Tuesday-Friday, 12-5, Saturday 11-5. 144 Harrison St. https://www.facebook.com/studio144boutique
Taco Mucho: Now serving Desert Rose Margarita Cookies from @blackoutbakingco. Celebrate moms and cinco de Mayo with some handmade tortilla tacos & finish with a box of Desert Rose Margarita Cookies! 220 Harrison St. http://www.tacomucho.net/
Trattoria 225: Mother’s Day Brunch at Trattoria 225. Book your reservation by calling 708-358-8555 or use their website for online reservations. Sunday May 8, 2022, 10:00 am-3:00 pm. See menu here. 225 Harrison St. https://www.trattoria225.com/
by annette coffee | Mar 24, 2022 | Uncategorized
By Kelly Pollock, feature writer for The Buzz Cafe
Since 1987, March has officially been Women’s History Month and the Oak Park Arts District celebrated with the 6th annual WOW! Women Owned Works event on March 19 to promote women-owned businesses in the district. Here are some of their stories:
Caty Stegemann, Centre Physical Therapy
As a student at Oak Park-River Forest High School, Caty took a career aptitude test that told her she should consider becoming a teacher, a nurse, or a therapist so she secured a volunteer position at West Suburban Hospital and discovered that she loved physical therapy. College and career took her to other parts of the Midwest, but 25 years later, Caty returned to Oak Park and opened Centre Physical Therapy at 207 Harrison Street in 2018.
Caty, who has been a physical therapist since 1996 and has worked in outpatient orthopedics since 2003, decided to take the leap into entrepreneurship for three reasons. First, in her last job, Caty’s patients were coming to her based solely on referrals. “I was bringing business to my employer and not the other way around,” she says. Second, her patients encouraged her to strike out on her own. “It really resonated with me when one of my patients said, ‘You can’t swim unless you jump out of the boat.’” And finally, with over 20 years of experience, it seemed like the right time to open her own clinic. For more information, visit www.centrephysicaltherapy.com.
Gigi Hudson, The Actors Garden
Gigi discovered her passion for acting in college and has been teaching theatre for more than thirty years. In 2009, she founded The Actors Garden which is currently located at 909 S. Lombard Avenue. Gigi chose the name of her business because her philosophy is that, “It’s not my goal to produce Broadway actors but to develop audience members who understand what it takes to put a production together. It’s about planting the seeds of interest.”
While The Actors Garden offers classes and workshops throughout the year for both adults and children, it is their summer camp that really helps to lay that foundation. A unique aspect of the program is that the productions are original works by Gigi’s husband, Dave Hudson, who is an award-winning musical writer. Now thanks to their collaboration, The Actors Garden summer camp rotates through seven different musicals that have been written by Dave and are customized to Gigi’s needs. “The seven-year rotation is perfect for us because our campers range in age from 8-15 so that’s the typical length of time that they spend in our program.” And each child has an opportunity to speak, to sing, and to dance. “They all have a moment in the spotlight,” says Gigi. For more information, visit www.theactorsgarden.com.
Stacy Fifer, L’Institut français d’Oak Park
Stacy first studied French in high school but didn’t decide to make it her life’s work until she was an undergraduate at the University of Illinois and realized that teaching French at the college level was a viable career path. “My love of French and my passion for social justice and human rights came together and that’s how I became a Sub-Saharan African Francophone literature specialist.”
After earning her Ph.D., Stacy taught for fifteen years at different universities. Her most recent position was at the University of Illinois at Chicago, but the uncertainly that came with being a non-tenure-track professor was too stressful. “I loved teaching and it was really the only thing that I wanted to do so I had to figure out how to make my own language school work.” She founded L’Institut français d’Oak Park in 2016 and now operates two classrooms at 11 Harrison Street. Visit www.frenchinstitute.net for more information.
Chastity Dunlap, Dye Hard Yarns
Chastity was bitten by the knitting bug more than a dozen years ago when she found a woman on Craigslist who gave lessons in a local coffee shop. Later, she took a class at Chicago’s local yarn convention and became hooked on dyeing as well. In 2019, she realized that she had outgrown her former store and moved to a new studio space at 210 Harrison Street where she offers classes, subscription clubs, and a community dye studio.
Chastity wants her store to be friendly and welcoming and Wednesday Fiber Fun Nights are a part of that vision. Even though they are now held on Zoom because of the pandemic, Chastity still sees an opportunity to create a feeling of community. “I want people to feel like they can sit and talk or not talk and just be together. To feel like they’re a part of something and to get a feeling of calm in a very scary world.” For more information, visit www.dyehardyarns.com.
Tamekia Swint, Styles 4 Kidz
Tamekia is passionate about serving her community. She is the founder and executive director of the only non-profit of its kind, Styles 4 Kidz at 235 Harrison Street, that provides “Hair Care with Heart” through its two-fold social mission: to create hairstyles that boost the self-confidence and self-esteem of children with textured hair and to teach parents the skills they need to manage their children’s natural hair at home.
Tamekia attended the University of Illinois to study community health and learned how to do hair as a way to support herself while in school. Years later, after a mission trip to Poland, she had a vision of “hairbraiding missions” in the community and the seed for Styles 4 Kidz was planted. Now, more than ten years after its founding, 80% of the families served are transracial adoptive parents, transracial foster parents, or biracial families. Through workshops and one-on-one coaching, these families are learning skills and building a community. “The kids get a cultural connection in the salon. They see other kids who look like them and other families that look like theirs.” For more information, visit www.styles4kidz.org.
