12 Sep Columbia College Chicago Unveils “Papermaker’s Garden” Expansion During Wabash Arts Corridor Crawl

Multi-purpose expansion engages interdisciplinary arts, sustainability

CHICAGO (Sept. 12, 2013) – A 5 p.m. unveiling ceremony for Columbia College Chicago’s expansion of thePapermaker’s Garden, located at 754 S. Wabash Avenue, will be one of the  highlights in the Wabash Arts Corridor Crawl on Sept. 18, 5-8 pm.

The 18-bed garden and tree plantings will act as a mini local habitat for wildlife. It also includes a rainwater capture cistern system which will reduce the amount of water used for the garden. The new garden also includes a covered multipurpose performance area.

“Not only does the Papermaker’s Garden transform a gravel lot into an urban garden, it showcases the natural, sustainably grown fibers for papermaking as a part of our academic curriculum and sustainability initiatives,” said Alicia Berg, vice president of campus environment at Columbia College. “It also becomes a highly visible alternative site to present art and performances in the Wabash Arts Corridor (WAC).”

At the ceremony and during the WAC Crawl, students will be in the garden demonstrating papermaking techniques, giving out handmade paper samples, and answering questions about the process and the space.

The Papermaker’s Garden opened in June 2012, featuring a variety of plants grown to be used as papermaking fiber and art material in the Columbia College Chicago Center for Book & Paper Arts studios. It also supports deep, hands-on engagement with the process of fiber production as well as an interdisciplinary practice related to art, science, the environment and social practice.

WHEN:
Sept. 18, 5 p.m.

WHERE:
Papermaker’s Garden
754 S. Wabash Avenue

WHO:
Kwang-Wu Kim, President and CEO, Columbia College Chicago
Michelle Boone, Commissioner, City of Chicago Department of Cultural Affairs and Special Events
Additional dignitaries as confirmed

Presented as part of Wabash Arts Corridor Crawl, 5-8 p.m. www.colum.edu/WACCrawl          

Event Contact: Norman Alexandroff, nalexandroff@colum.edu, 312-369-7416

Columbia College Chicago is an urban institution that offers innovative degree programs in the visual, performing, media and communication arts for more than 10,000 students in 120 undergraduate and graduate programs. An arts and media college committed to a rigorous liberal arts curriculum, Columbia is dedicated to opportunity and excellence in higher education. For further information, visit www.colum.edu. 

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Media Contacts:
Steve Kauffman, 312.307.9534, skauffman@colum.edu
Cara Birch, 312.369.8695, cbirch@colum.edu