The Sweet Water team is back in full swing and ready for another amazing year. Despite the snow and cold weather, the SWF team is already busy preparing for Spring. The farm team is growing food inside SWF's two hoop houses and creating a farm plan for the 2020 growing season. The carpentry team has been transforming the attic in the [Re]Construction House, winterizing the RND Meeting House, and refining lesson plans and projects in the Work-Shop to prepare for the next Academy Cohort.
SWF is excited to announce the launch of a new pilot program, Seeding the Future, that will engage elementary students from nearby schools in hands-on, project-based learning experiences that follow the seed-to-table process. This year we will also welcome new Sweet Water Academy Cohorts, host a series of art workshops and artist talks in [Re]Construction House, and continue building out The Commons. We look forward to seeing you at The Commons in 2020!
On Saturday, January 11, SWF Human-in-Residence, Tanya Scruggs Ford, led Family Day: Cottage Constructions at the Smart Museum of Art. Children and their families gathered in the threshold of the Smart to create their own worker cottage house and dream about the future of their communities. The concept built upon SWF’s participation in the 2019 Chicago Architecture Biennial and continued the conversation about the Chicago Worker Cottages.Click here to read more.
ARTIST TALK: TURN YOUR PAIN INTO HONEY
On Monday, January 20, SWF gathered an intimate group for the inaugural Artist Talk at the Gallery at [Re]Construction House, featuringJanelle Dunlap. Janelle, a SWF Human-in-Residence, delivered the first of a series of talks that SWF will host to bridge artistic practices with communal and personal healing. Her presentation explored how her own ancestral reflection led to a practice of creative beekeeping that connects her work as a socially engaged visual artist and curator. Click here to read more.
PEOPLE
Humans of Sweet Water
HUMANS OF SWEET WATER...
Meet Hassan Beymuhammed and Sam Scardefield.Hassan and Sam have each been part of the SWF team since 2019. They bring different perspectives and life experiences to the SWF team, yet their relationship demonstrates the unique relationships that emerge at Sweet Water. Most recently, the two worked closely together to build hoop houses on SWF’s Community Farm. Click here to learn more about Hassan and Sam.
FEATURE STORY
Sweet Water Foundation
2019 Annual Summary
2019 was a year of Re-Rooting via Routine, Ritual, and Reflection
Sweet Water Foundation is just getting started. In the next 10 years, we hope to expand our footprint to 10 city blocks, seeking to build 100 new homes and rehab countless others.
Kids' Workshop | Celebrating Our History Through Art Making
We invite children and families to join us at The Commons as we celebrate our ancestors, history, and legacy through art making inspired by black artists. All ages welcome. All children must be accompanied by an adult.
Time | 1:00 pm - 3:00 pm
This art workshop is free, but space is very limited. Registration is requested.Click here to register.
FRI
FEB
21
Who We Are: Celebrating History Through Card Making
We invite you to join us as we celebrate our ancestry, history, and legacy through card making. Participants will discover creative ways to share and showcase their family's history & legacy through the art of card making.
Time | 1:00 pm - 3:00 pm
This art workshop is free, but space is very limited. Registration is required.Click here to register.
This year, the SWF team has been experimenting with growing produce inside the hoop houses during the winter. Despite low temperatures, the hoop houses that the SWF team built in the fall have continued to provide a space for growing on a small scale. On January 29, SWF harvested kale, spinach, and mustard greens from the hoop houses to use for a meal. This month, we invite you to enjoy a winter harvest with this recipe for Spinach and White Beans by Lindsay from The Live-In Kitchen.
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
3-4 garlic cloves, chopped
10 ounces boxed frozen chopped spinach
14 ounces canned white beans, (like cannellini or great northern), rinsed and drained
