As the summer heat subsides, we invite you to gather in the glow of the Arts Lawn one last time this season.
Join us at golden hour for a special session of Sunset Yoga designed by instructor Rhya Moffitt to tap into your inner radiance.
Carry that spark forward with a fragrant candle you pour yourself, guided by creative entrepreneur Jamica Harper.
Gather around a bonfire to make s’mores and share the warmth with local storyteller Karla Estela Rivera and music by Anaiet Soul.
Together, we’ll celebrate the season’s transition with a night of heat and light before winter brings us inside.
Event Schedule:
5:30pm-6:15pm | Sunset Yoga with Rhya Moffit
From Rhya, “We'll begin with a yoga and pranayama (breathwork) practice to generate internal warmth. Practice gratitude for the season past with heart-pumping sun salutations, then turn your gaze inwards with aromatherapy to support you as the practice winds down and encourages reflection and introspection.”
6:15pm-7:30pm | Candle Pouring with Jamica Harper of Red Elephant Candle Co begins
6:30pm-7:30pm | Storytelling with Karla Estela Rivera and music by Anaiet Soul by the fire
All APL programs are free and open to the public. To help us continue to provide these programs and build a hub for arts & culture on the South Side, we appreciate donations of all sizes. Your support sustains the rich ecosystem of artists that make the Arts Block so vibrant. To make a donation, please visit our giving page.
About the Artists
Anaiet Soul (she/they) is a 25-year-old Composer, Pianist, Guitarist, and Vocalist from the South Side of Chicago. Anaiet is influenced by a myriad of musical backgrounds (including Jazz, Soul, Gospel, and Classical). Their music exists as an amalgamation of their life's experiences in love, grief, and gratitude. They seek to turn the stage into an intimate place where they can unravel, and in turn allow space for their audience to do so as well.
Karla Estela Rivera (she/her) is a dynamic writer, performer, activist, and arts advocate who harnesses the power of storytelling to create opportunities and drive change in strategically underinvested communities. A proud product of Chicago Public Schools, she attributes her deep connection to the arts to the transformative impact of both in-school and out-of-school arts education programs.
Karla has previously served as executive director of the historic Free Street Theater, where she led the organization through the height of the pandemic—an experience that profoundly shaped her leadership.
As an artist, Karla is a company member of 2nd Story in Chicago and the author/narrator of "Rita Finds Home", the first-ever commissioned young audiences piece for the Joffrey Ballet, co-produced with the Miami City Ballet. She continues to perform across the country, teach storytelling, and lead a consulting practice dedicated to advancing change in the arts, education, social justice, organizational leadership, cultural organizing, and policy. She also co-hosts the *Why Change?* podcast by Creative Generation, where she serves as the lead of liberatory practices.
Jamica Harper/Red Elephant Candle Red Elephant Candle’s are made with natural components. The natural oils and essential oils are blended to aid to calmness, focusing, clarity, restlessness, relaxation and happiness to ones space. The coconut wax base is able to apply the wax to your skin The candles are held in a cement vessel that is hand crafted by Jae as well. The purpose is to repurpose the vessels to create a story for ones space.