Brushwood Center

The Nature of Sleep with Nancy Rothstein, MBA, The Sleep Ambassador®
2026-03-28 11:30 - 12:30 (America/Chicago) | Brushwood Center at Ryerson Woods, 21850 Riverwoods Rd., Riverwoods, IL, 60015, United States
The Nature of Sleep with Nancy Rothstein, MBA, The Sleep Ambassador®

What if better sleep could transform not only how you feel—but how you live, work, and connect with the world around you?

In this illuminating lecture, internationally recognized sleep expert Nancy Rothstein explores the science, rhythms, and restorative power of sleep, revealing why it is foundational to physical health, emotional resilience, cognitive clarity, and overall well-being. With warmth, clarity, and evidence-based insight, Rothstein unpacks how stress, light exposure, habits, and modern lifestyles impact our natural sleep cycles—and what we can do to restore balance.

Participants will learn:

How sleep affects immunity, mood, memory, and long-term health

The role of circadian rhythms and how nature influences sleep-wake cycles

Practical strategies to improve sleep quality without medication

How to create a restorative evening routine rooted in environmental awareness

In alignment with Brushwood Center’s mission to cultivate wellness through nature, this program highlights the profound connection between natural light, daily rhythms, and restorative rest. Attendees will leave empowered with tools to reclaim sleep as a pillar of vitality—nurturing both personal health and a deeper relationship with the natural world.

Ideal for anyone seeking to improve sleep, reduce stress, and enhance daily performance, The Nature of Sleep offers practical wisdom grounded in science and inspired by nature.

Register

At Ease Book Club: Chasing the Daylight
2026-03-30 18:00 - 19:00, 2026-04-06 18:00 - 19:00, 2026-04-13 18:00 - 19:00
At Ease Book Club: Chasing the Daylight, by Joanna Rakowski

In celebration of Women’s History Month, the At Ease program is launching our 2026 At Ease book club with a story from a women Veteran. We will examine Joanna Rakowski’s unique story and explore our own personal identities and how the military community has shaped them.

What is it like to be part of the world’s most powerful armed forces at the dawn of the 21st century? Does a military tale have to be about the men going to war? You’ll find out in Chasing the Daylight: One Woman’s Journey to Becoming a U.S. Army Intelligence Officer. Joanna is a fragile, romantic, former ballerina. After a painful rift with her beloved friend and mentor, she joins the U.S. Army. Her dream is to become an Intelligence Officer. She faces a formidable task, but she embarks on a four-year journey to accomplish her goal. The story whirls us into the center of the rigorous army training and transports us into the reality that only less than one percent of the U.S. population would ever experience.

Questions? Please contact Veterans Program Specialist, Jessica Klinge at jklinge@brushwoodcenter.org.

Register here

Radical Hope in the Woods: The Woods as Freedom - Hidden Black Nature Stories
2026-03-31 19:00 - 20:00 | Virtual
The Woods as Freedom: Hidden Black Nature Stories

The Woods as Freedom: Hidden Black Nature Stories is an interactive virtual webinar that uncovers powerful, often untold stories of how the natural world shaped Black survival, resistance, and liberation.

While the woods are often remembered as sites of danger during slavery, they were also places of strategy, nourishment, spiritual refuge, and coded communication. This session explores the layered meaning of the forest through history, folklore, and cultural memory. This webinar invites participants to reimagine nature as a living archive of resilience and resistance. It is both an educational and healing-centered experience that helps participants reconnect with land as a source of identity, strength, and freedom.

Participants will explore:

-The role of the woods in slave narratives and escape routes

-Folklore traditions such as the Drinking Gourd and High John the Conqueror

-Nature as source of survival knowledge, medicine, and direction

-How ancestral relationships with land inform modern healing practices

Register

Special thanks to support from Healing Illinois.

Healing Illinois is a racial healing initiative of the Illinois Department of Human Services (IDHS) in partnership with the Field Foundation of IL.

Water(color) for the Soul: Sounds of the Prairie (Visit 2)
2026-04-03 10:00 - 11:30 | Brushwood Center at Ryerson Woods, 21850 Riverwoods Rd., Riverwoods, IL, 60015, United States
Water(color) for the Soul: Sounds of the Prairie (Visit 2)

Returning in 2026, Black Moon Trio once again invites Veterans and their family members to create and perform their own original musical compositions in Water(color) for the Soul: Sounds of the Prairie. Grounded in the ecology and literary traditions of the prairie, this program explores how our own root systems run deep to withstand tumultuous storms and provide support in shaping individual and collective identity.

Using resources from Brushwood Center’s At Ease and Art Supply Exchange programs, Veterans participate in a six-week graphic score and poetry composition residency culminating in the creation of 15 original pieces of music performed and recorded by professional musicians.

Black Moon Trio is honored to again be joined by poet and creativity expert, Kathryn Haydon and world-renowned botanical artist, Heeyoung Kim and members of her Botanical Art Academy. Together, they help provide expert insight on poetry, literature, and artistic methods and techniques inspired by prairie ecosystems designed to frame participant’s compositions.

This is a six-week program–each week builds on previous work.

This program has been generously funded by the National Endowment for the Arts’ Creative Forces initiative.

REGISTER HERE

Veterans Acrylic Paint & Sip Nights
2026-04-08 18:30 - 21:00, 2026-05-13 18:30 - 21:00, 2026-06-10 18:30 - 21:00 | American Legion Cicero Post 96, 5820 W 35th St, Cicero, Illinois, 60804
Veterans Acrylic Paint & Sip Nights

Join us for a fun and relaxing acrylic paint event led by Veteran artists. ​This event promises to be both educational and therapeutic. Take home your own hand-painted masterpiece!All skill levels welcomed.Non-alcoholic drinks, beer and wine will be available for purchase with the American Legion Cicero Post 96.​ Small snack items will be available for free.Brought to you by Brushwood Center’s At Ease Program, Veteran Art Tribe, and the American Legion Cicero Post #96!​Registration is required.

REGISTER

Water(color) for the Soul: Sounds of the Prairie (Visit 3)
2026-04-10 10:00 - 11:30 | Brushwood Center at Ryerson Woods, 21850 Riverwoods Rd., Riverwoods, IL, 60015, United States
Water(color) for the Soul: Sounds of the Prairie (Visit 3)

Returning in 2026, Black Moon Trio once again invites Veterans and their family members to create and perform their own original musical compositions in Water(color) for the Soul: Sounds of the Prairie. Grounded in the ecology and literary traditions of the prairie, this program explores how our own root systems run deep to withstand tumultuous storms and provide support in shaping individual and collective identity.

Using resources from Brushwood Center’s At Ease and Art Supply Exchange programs, Veterans participate in a six-week graphic score and poetry composition residency culminating in the creation of 15 original pieces of music performed and recorded by professional musicians.

Black Moon Trio is honored to again be joined by poet and creativity expert, Kathryn Haydon and world-renowned botanical artist, Heeyoung Kim and members of her Botanical Art Academy. Together, they help provide expert insight on poetry, literature, and artistic methods and techniques inspired by prairie ecosystems designed to frame participant’s compositions.

This is a six-week program–each week builds on previous work.

This program has been generously funded by the National Endowment for the Arts’ Creative Forces initiative.

REGISTER HERE

Opening Reception: Healing Together: The Artwork of TIERRA
2026-04-12 13:00 - 15:00 | Brushwood Center at Ryerson Woods, 21850 Riverwoods Rd., Riverwoods, IL, 60015, United States
Opening Reception: Healing Together: The Artwork of TIERRA

Healing Together: The Artwork of TIERRA features artwork created by facilitators of and participants in the TIERRA program—Transforming Internal Experiences for Resilience and Restoration through Acceptance—a research-informed, nature-based training program that supports Community Health Workers serving communities across Lake County, Illinois.

TIERRA equips Community Health Workers with tools to address the interconnected challenges of trauma, health disparities, and environmental injustice. Rooted in mindfulness, restorative practices, and the healing presence of nature, the program creates space for participants to explore their own experiences while strengthening their capacity to care for others.

Through visual art, reflection, and creative expression, participants in this program have translated their personal and professional journeys into powerful works that speak to resilience, healing, and connection to the land. The pieces on display offer insight into the inner landscapes of those working at the front lines of community health. These are individuals who navigate complex social and environmental challenges while supporting the wellbeing of others.

Created during guided sessions that integrated nature observation, contemplative practice, and artistic exploration, the artworks reflect themes of renewal, rootedness, and collective care. Plants, seasonal cycles, and the natural rhythms of the landscape serve as both inspiration and metaphor for growth and restoration.

By sharing these works with the public, the exhibition honors the vital role Community Health Workers play in building healthier, more equitable communities.

Schedule

1:00 pm – Exhibition Opens – Refreshments Available

1:30 pm – Artist Panel

3:00 pm – End of Reception

RSVP TO THE OPENING RECEPTION

Healing Together: The Artwork of TIERRA
2026-04-12 13:00 - 2026-05-03 15:00 | Brushwood Center at Ryerson Woods, 21850 Riverwoods Rd., Riverwoods, IL, 60015, United States
Healing Together: The Artwork of TIERRA

Healing Together: The Artwork of TIERRA features artwork created by facilitators of and participants in the TIERRA program—Transforming Internal Experiences for Resilience and Restoration through Acceptance—a research-informed, nature-based training program that supports Community Health Workers serving communities across Lake County, Illinois.

TIERRA equips Community Health Workers with tools to address the interconnected challenges of trauma, health disparities, and environmental injustice. Rooted in mindfulness, restorative practices, and the healing presence of nature, the program creates space for participants to explore their own experiences while strengthening their capacity to care for others.

Through visual art, reflection, and creative expression, participants in this program have translated their personal and professional journeys into powerful works that speak to resilience, healing, and connection to the land. The pieces on display offer insight into the inner landscapes of those working at the front lines of community health. These are individuals who navigate complex social and environmental challenges while supporting the wellbeing of others.

Created during guided sessions that integrated nature observation, contemplative practice, and artistic exploration, the artworks reflect themes of renewal, rootedness, and collective care. Plants, seasonal cycles, and the natural rhythms of the landscape serve as both inspiration and metaphor for growth and restoration.

By sharing these works with the public, the exhibition honors the vital role Community Health Workers play in building healthier, more equitable communities.

Learn more about the exhibition

BASE: Create & Sip - Painted Umbrellas
2026-04-15 19:00 - 21:00 | Brushwood Center at Ryerson Woods, 21850 Riverwoods Rd., Riverwoods, IL, 60015, United States
BASE: Create & Sip – Painted Umbrellas

Create & Sip is a monthly workshop hosted at Brushwood Center where participants can explore fun projects using supplies and tools from the Brushwood Art Supply Exchange, BASE. It’s an opportunity to get creative, try something new, and enjoy the company of fellow art enthusiasts in a relaxed and welcoming atmosphere.

This month’s class will be led by Brushwood’s Director of Art and Administration, Julia Kemerer. Students will spend a fun night creating and leave with a one-of-a-kind hand-painted umbrella! Plus, you’ll take home newfound skills and inspiration to continue your crafting journey beyond the class.

Everyone’s project will be unique, and creativity is highly encouraged. We will have a variety of materials available to use for your project, but if you have something of your own you would like to bring and try to incorporate into your artwork, you are welcome to bring it!

No experience necessary, all skill levels are welcome.

What to Bring:

Your favorite beverage (alcohol is allowed for those 21 +)

Some snacks to enjoy as you immerse yourself in the creative process

Your friends (make sure they register!)

Any extra supplies you want to incorporate into your project (Optional! We have lots of supplies!)

Questions? Please contact Director of Public Programs and Music, Parker Nelson at pnelson@brushwoodcenter.org$20/person. Please register by April 13. BYOB.

register

Water(color) for the Soul: Sounds of the Prairie (Visit 4)
2026-04-17 10:00 - 11:30 | Brushwood Center at Ryerson Woods, 21850 Riverwoods Rd., Riverwoods, IL, 60015, United States
Water(color) for the Soul: Sounds of the Prairie (Visit 4)

Returning in 2026, Black Moon Trio once again invites Veterans and their family members to create and perform their own original musical compositions in Water(color) for the Soul: Sounds of the Prairie. Grounded in the ecology and literary traditions of the prairie, this program explores how our own root systems run deep to withstand tumultuous storms and provide support in shaping individual and collective identity.

Using resources from Brushwood Center’s At Ease and Art Supply Exchange programs, Veterans participate in a six-week graphic score and poetry composition residency culminating in the creation of 15 original pieces of music performed and recorded by professional musicians.

Black Moon Trio is honored to again be joined by poet and creativity expert, Kathryn Haydon and world-renowned botanical artist, Heeyoung Kim and members of her Botanical Art Academy. Together, they help provide expert insight on poetry, literature, and artistic methods and techniques inspired by prairie ecosystems designed to frame participant’s compositions.

This is a six-week program–each week builds on previous work.

This program has been generously funded by the National Endowment for the Arts’ Creative Forces initiative.

REGISTER HERE

Radical Hope in the Woods
2026-04-19 13:00 - 15:00 | Brushwood Center at Ryerson Woods, 21850 Riverwoods Rd., Riverwoods, IL, 60015, United States
Image: 400-year-old Live Oak at the Whitney Plantation in New Orleans. Photo by Ashley Cullen-Williams

Radical Hope in the Woods

Radical Hope in the Woods is a restorative, community-centered experience designed to reconnect the Black community to the land, to one another, and to the wisdom carried in our bodies and stories. Held on the sacred grounds of Brushwood Center at Ryerson Woods, this gathering invites participants to slow down, breathe deeply, and remember that healing is both personal and collective.

We will begin with a guided walk and talk through the forest—an intentional experience that blends reflection, folklore, storytelling, and connection. As we move along the trails, we’ll explore themes of radical hope, resilience, and belonging, grounding ourselves in nature while honoring the histories and experiences of our ancestors. This is not a hike for distance, but a journey inward and together.

Following our time in the woods, we will gather for a family-style Sunday dinner—a shared meal rooted in care, nourishment, and community.

Come as you are. Leave grounded, connected, full, and reminded that radical hope can be cultivated together with the outdoors.

register

Radical Hope in the Woods is supported by Healing Illinois. Healing Illinois is a racial healing initiative of the Illinois Department of Human Services (IDHS) and the Field Foundation of Illinois.

Combat Poetry: Poetry Workshop for Military Service Members & Veterans
2026-04-20 19:00 - 20:30, 2026-05-18 19:00 - 20:30 | Virtual
Combat Poetry: Poetry Workshop for Military Service Members & Veterans

This poetry workshop is an informal environment combined with a bit of formal instruction. We will write. We will learn. Most of all, we will have fun.

We will be led by poet Douglas Self, a United State Marine Corps, Army Reserve, and Iraq War veteran armed with a BA in English and Creative Writing. He’s also the author of Blast Radius, a collection of poetry that examines his experiences with combat and PTSD. This workshop is open for Veterans and military service members of all levels. Don’t worry if you are new to poetry. Come find your poetic voice! This is event is open to combat and non-combat veterans and service members.

Register for the Zoom

Art Impact Project
2026-04-21 10:00 - 11:30, 2026-05-19 10:00 - 11:30 | ​Mundelein Park & Recreation Community Center, ​888 Dunbar Road, Mundelein, IL, 60060, United States
Art Impact Project

Art Impact Project facilitates supportive art projects designed to provide participants a different way to express themselves through art-making. With a focus on emotional wellness through creative expression, Art Impact Project’s small-group environment gives participants the chance to self-reflect and safely share their observations. Each 90-minute session involves the completion of an art project from start to finish. Projects will vary from week to week, exploring various art media and objectives.

Parking is available outside of the building. Ask for the Veteran art program once in the building.

Activity Expectation: Indoor, sitting, cushions available Sensory Expectations: Indoor environment and forest landscape, very little noise, calming area, natural area sounds Available Accommodations: No language interpretation available.Questions? Please contact Veterans Program Specialist, Jessica Klinge at jklinge@brushwoodcenter.org.

REGISTER

Watercolor Painting for Women Veterans and Families
2026-04-23 18:30 - 20:00, 2026-05-28 18:30 - 20:00
Watercolor Painting for Women Veterans and Families

Develop your unique artistic expression through watercolor painting. We will delight in the colorful, transformative nature of the watercolor while also sharing factual information about the natural world and flowers. Student input and discussion are welcome!

Class taught by Gabrielle Tufano.—Art materials will be mailed to your home. Materials will be sent via Amazon, you must register a week beforehand to receive materials.

If registering the day before or of the event, please have your own materials at home – watercolor paint, paper, pencil.

Activity expectation is sitting.

Available Accommodations: No language interpretation available. Virtual Class.

REGIster

Water(color) for the Soul: Sounds of the Prairie (Visit 5)
2026-04-24 10:00 - 11:30 | Brushwood Center at Ryerson Woods, 21850 Riverwoods Rd., Riverwoods, IL, 60015, United States
Water(color) for the Soul: Sounds of the Prairie (Visit 5)

Returning in 2026, Black Moon Trio once again invites Veterans and their family members to create and perform their own original musical compositions in Water(color) for the Soul: Sounds of the Prairie. Grounded in the ecology and literary traditions of the prairie, this program explores how our own root systems run deep to withstand tumultuous storms and provide support in shaping individual and collective identity.

Using resources from Brushwood Center’s At Ease and Art Supply Exchange programs, Veterans participate in a six-week graphic score and poetry composition residency culminating in the creation of 15 original pieces of music performed and recorded by professional musicians.

Black Moon Trio is honored to again be joined by poet and creativity expert, Kathryn Haydon and world-renowned botanical artist, Heeyoung Kim and members of her Botanical Art Academy. Together, they help provide expert insight on poetry, literature, and artistic methods and techniques inspired by prairie ecosystems designed to frame participant’s compositions.

This is a six-week program–each week builds on previous work.

This program has been generously funded by the National Endowment for the Arts’ Creative Forces initiative.

REGISTER HERE

Nature Book Club: April
2026-04-25 10:00 - 11:30 | Brushwood Center at Ryerson Woods, 21850 Riverwoods Rd., Riverwoods, IL, 60015, United States
Nature Book Club: April

The Brushwood Nature Book Club is a space to talk about and explore nature literature in a friendly environment. Each meeting includes discussion, creative writing, and/or art activities to engage with the themes of the chosen book, led by Brushwood’s Poet-in-Residence Kathryn Haydon, and writer-artist Megan Donahue.

Our April book will be The Place of Tides, by James Rebanks. This is a magical work of nonfiction in which James Rebanks reflects on a life-changing summer spent on a remote island off the coast of Norway, where his only companion was an old woman who practiced the ancient tradition of collecting eiderdown from birds that nest on this remarkable landscape each year.

It is the story of a unique and ancient landscape, and of the woman who brought it back to life. It traces the pattern of her work from the rough, isolated toil of bitter winter to the elation of the endless summer light, when the birds leave behind their precious down for gathering, like feathered gold.

Slowly, Rebanks begins to understand that this woman and her world are not what he had previously thought. What began as a journey of escape becomes an extraordinary lesson in self-knowledge and forgiveness.

REGISTER

BASE: Open Art Workshop with Catherine Tully
2026-04-25 10:00 - 15:00 | Brushwood Center at Ryerson Woods, 21850 Riverwoods Rd., Riverwoods, IL, 60015, United States
You Choose the Project · Use Tools and Supplies From BASE · Get Help When You Need It

Open Art Workshop is open to anyone who wants to make something in any area of visual arts and crafts, from the experienced artist looking for a community of others to work with, to the complete novice who just wants to try something out in a low pressure environment, or the family looking for a fun kids’ activity to fill their afternoon – this workshop is for you!

This is the last Open Art Workshop of 2026, due to construction at Brushwood this summer and fall.

This month, our guest artist is Catherine Tully. Catherine Tully is a cyanotype artist from Des Plaines, Illinois, whose visual language is deeply shaped by more than five decades in the world of ballet. Her lifelong engagement with movement, balance, and line informs her distinctive approach to botanical cyanotypes and wet cyanotype experimentation. Stop by to learn from Catherine!

WHAT DOES IT COST? Workspace, use of our tools and any instruction or assistance you need is free; supplies from BASE are “pay what you want” (free to teachers and organizations).

WHAT CAN I MAKE? Almost* anything! Come with a project you want to work on in mind, or pick one from our list of project ideas for all ages and abilities. You are welcome to bring your own supplies and tools, or use ones from BASE. You can work independently, or work with an instructor. Here are just a few ideas of what you can learn and do at the Open Art Workshop:

Watercolor · Embroidery · Mosaics · Book Binding · Charcoal Drawing · Knitting & Crochet · Decoupage · Sewing & Mending · Jewelry Making · Plein Air Painting · Basket Weaving · Picture Framing · Card Making · Kids Art Projects · Block Printing · Stained Glass · Acrylic Painting · Costume Making · Weaving · Collage · UpCycling · Gift Wrapping · Sculpture · Upholstery · Colored Pencil · Wreath Making · Beading · Rubber Stamps · Oil Painting · Quilting · Pastels · Macramé · Miniatures

*We will do our best to accommodate all types of projects, but there may be limitations on what is possible on a particular day due to limitations of space, supplies or tools (supplies and tools are mostly donated, and what is available is always changing), or due to a particular project being too messy or dangerous to be done in a public space. If a particular project cannot be worked on during the Workshop that day, we will do our best to help you figure out how to proceed on a future Workshop date or on your own. Since this Workshop is open to ALL topics and media, we won’t be experts on everything, but we can definitely help you get started.

If you have questions about Open Art Workshop or BASE, please contact Julia Kemerer at 224-633-2426 or jkemerer@brushwoodcenter.org.

REGISter

Environmental Film Series by Kateryna Sazonova
2026-04-26 13:00 - 14:30 | Brushwood Center at Ryerson Woods, 21850 Riverwoods Rd., Riverwoods, IL, 60015, United States
Environmental Film Series by Kateryna Sazonova

Join us for a compelling afternoon of film and conversation with Ukrainian filmmaker, environmentalist, and Brushwood Center Videographer-in-Residence, Kateryna Sazonova.

This program features a screening of Sazonova’s environmental film series—three interconnected short films that examine the urgent realities of climate change and humanity’s impact on the planet through both documentary and speculative storytelling. Currently based in Chicago, Sazonova is a graduate of Columbia College Chicago, where she earned her MFA in Film and TV Directing in 2023. Her work has received international recognition, including a 2025 Emmy Award for her contributions to public television with WTTW / PBS Chicago.

Plastic (2018) is a documentary with experimental elements that traces the rise of plastic from its invention in the early 20th century to its overwhelming presence today. The film imagines a future where plastic has overtaken the natural world, offering a stark warning about the consequences of inaction.

200 Years Before 2389, a prequel to her latest work, is a short fiction film set in a post-environmental apocalypse. It follows a lone survivor navigating a world shaped by ecological collapse, providing an intimate glimpse into a possible future shaped by today’s choices.

2389: Coming Home continues this narrative in a sci-fi context, as two figures from a Martian colony—a scientist and a soldier—return to a devastated Earth to assess its habitability. As they confront the realities of a planet altered by climate change and resource wars, they face a moral dilemma that challenges the future of humanity itself.

Following the screening, Sazonova will lead a lecture and discussion on environmental storytelling and sustainability in the film industry. Drawing from her own creative practice, she will explore how filmmakers can reduce environmental impact and how audiences can translate these ideas into everyday life.

This event invites viewers to reflect on the power of cinema not only to tell stories, but to inspire meaningful change.

Register Here

Water(color) for the Soul: Sounds of the Prairie (Visit 6)
2026-05-01 10:00 - 11:30 | Brushwood Center at Ryerson Woods, 21850 Riverwoods Rd., Riverwoods, IL, 60015, United States
Water(color) for the Soul: Sounds of the Prairie (Visit 6)

Returning in 2026, Black Moon Trio once again invites Veterans and their family members to create and perform their own original musical compositions in Water(color) for the Soul: Sounds of the Prairie. Grounded in the ecology and literary traditions of the prairie, this program explores how our own root systems run deep to withstand tumultuous storms and provide support in shaping individual and collective identity.

Using resources from Brushwood Center’s At Ease and Art Supply Exchange programs, Veterans participate in a six-week graphic score and poetry composition residency culminating in the creation of 15 original pieces of music performed and recorded by professional musicians.

Black Moon Trio is honored to again be joined by poet and creativity expert, Kathryn Haydon and world-renowned botanical artist, Heeyoung Kim and members of her Botanical Art Academy. Together, they help provide expert insight on poetry, literature, and artistic methods and techniques inspired by prairie ecosystems designed to frame participant’s compositions.

This is a six-week program–each week builds on previous work.

This program has been generously funded by the National Endowment for the Arts’ Creative Forces initiative.

REGISTER HERE

bouquet with rogue wave dance
2026-05-03 13:00 - 17:00 | Brushwood Center at Ryerson Woods, 21850 Riverwoods Rd., Riverwoods, IL, 60015, United States
bouquet with rogue wave dance

rogue wave is a New York-based dance company led by Catherine Messina that presents work at the intersection of psychology and movement, often with a comedic twist. They are bringing their piece bouquet to Brushwood.

Neuroscientists classify individuals as dandelions (resilient and able to thrive in a variety of environments), orchids (highly sensitive and reactive), or tulips, who exist somewhere in between. These outcomes are partially determined by epigenetics, the way in which our upbringing, and the generations before, influences genetic expression.

bouquet challenges the cast to examine the unique cultural and demographic experiences that have played formative roles in their development. Various permutations of dancers are matched with the intention of analyzing how their movement changes based on the similarity, or lack thereof, of their respective “flower profiles.” In this, they ask the audience to consider what their own flower might be, and how it feels to be a part of the greater meadow, your community.

The 3:00 pm performance will be followed by a lecture with rogue wave’s Catherine Messina and Dr. Hector Rasgado-Flores, Ph.D from Rosalind Franklin University.

Get your tickets for 1 pm

Get your tickets for 3 pm

Schedule

1:00 pm – Family Performance Begins

1:45 pm – Family Performance Ends

3:00 pm – General Audience Performance Begins

3:45 pm – General Audience Performance Ends

4:00 pm – Special Lecture Begins

Mother Earth Market
2026-05-09 10:00 - 2026-05-10 17:00 | Brushwood Center at Ryerson Woods, 21850 Riverwoods Rd., Riverwoods, IL, 60015, United States
Mother Earth Market 2026

Saturday, May 9, 10 am- 5 pmSunday, May 10, 12 pm- 5 pm

The Mother Earth Market features and celebrates local artists, makers, vendors, and organizations who are inspired by “Mother Earth” and are working towards a more sustainable future. Check out the vendors and don’t miss the BASE Art Supply Clearance Sale.

Over 40 artists are participating this year. You’ll find paintings, jewelry, cards, ceramics, note cards, prints, gifts, and more!

Preview the vendors

BASE Art Supply Clearance Sale

In preparation for upcoming construction, the Brushwood Art Supply Exchange (BASE) is clearing out space with a super sale during the Mother Earth Market. Get your summer art and craft supplies before BASE closes for the season and tell the teachers, camp directors, parents, artists, and kids in your life!

Broken Pieces Benefit Concert
2026-05-23 13:00 - 14:00 | Brushwood Center at Ryerson Woods, 21850 Riverwoods Rd., Riverwoods, IL, 60015, United States
Broken Pieces Benefit Concert

Join us for an inspiring afternoon of music, resilience, and community at a special benefit concert supporting Broken Pieces; a remarkable band made up of outpatient Veterans from the Captain James A. Lovell Federal Healthcare Center. Through their music, these talented musicians share powerful stories of healing, camaraderie, and creative expression forged through their service and recovery journeys.

Recently awarded First Place at the National Veterans Creative Arts Festival, Broken Pieces has earned the opportunity to perform at the national event in Columbia, South Carolina. This benefit concert will help raise the funds needed to make that journey possible, ensuring these Veterans can take the stage and represent their community on a national level.

Your support will directly help these Veterans continue their musical journey and share their voices with a wider audience.

Schedule

12:30 pm – Doors Open and Lawn Seating Available

1:00 pm – 2:00 pm Concert

Get your Tickets

Celestial Nature and Forest Therapy: May Blue Moon
2026-05-31 11:00 - 13:00 | Riverwoods, IL
Celestial Nature and Forest Therapy: May Blue Moon

Forest bathing is a guided experience that works to mend the relationships humans have with themselves, the concept of time, their communities, and their environment. It is a practice focused on remembering reciprocity by connecting to our senses through the natural world.

Join Jess Rodriguez, certified Nature and Forest Therapy guide, for a two-hour practice filled with a series of guided invitations that offer opportunities of presence, stress relief, and relaxation.

During this time, participants can expect to walk slowly for less than a mile with plenty of opportunities to stop and simply notice the world around them. Forest bathing is an adaptable and flexible practice that welcomes people of all abilities. For more information visit reciprocalforestbathing.com

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For the safety of our community, the exact location of the forest bathing experience will be disclosed upon registration and is subject to change in the case of a community safety concern. Registrants will receive a reminder email one week and 24 hours before the walk to be notified of any changes.

REGISTER HERE
