“Opera-Matic brings moving visual art to the streets. We activate public spaces for community engagement through people-powered sound, story and interaction. By combining modular design and material repurposing, Opera-Matic weaves together the fantastic and familiar in unexpected places, encouraging culture building and neighborhood participation.”
Last month I documented Opera-Matic‘s Moon On The Lagoon event in Chicago’s Humboldt Park for their website, social media, and use in grant proposals for their organization. Opera-Matic is a 501(c) (3) non-profit organization that brings visual art to neighborhoods and communities, free and open to the public. They do some great work for the Chicago community, and are funded entirely by individuals, fundraisers, and foundations.
They brought Moon On The Lagoon to the Humboldt Park in May, creating stations around the lagoon with “orbits of light, movement, and sound.” There were lullabies in English and Spanish, songs, dances, and marches around the lagoon with multi-colored light up horses (complete with clip clop coconuts). While families with children made up the majority of attendees, people of all ages came to enjoy Moon On The Lagoon.
A “rain or shine” event, the first night was held in the Humboldt Park boathouse due to safety hazards of thunderstorms. Still, they managed to put on an excellent event in the abbreviated venue.
Part of the two-day twilight event included a march of lights around the lagoon.
On the final night, everyone assembled around the 3-D moon (with the face of an owl projected on it, no less!) and sang the last lullabies of the night.
Thank you for the wonderful experience, Opera-Matic!
If you’d like to learn more about Opera-Matic’s work in Chicago, check out their website.
And as always, if your organization or company has an event coming up and you’re looking for event documentation, feel free to reach out!
Have a great weekend,
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