Warm up with friends, family and community members during an afternoon of music, stories and craft-making to create a public art installation in downtown Evanston. Listen to the stories and music and draw or write as you feel inspired. The sketches will be combined with a decorative garland and installed in trees throughout downtown Evanston.

The Evanston Public Library will host a family-friendly event from 2 p.m. to 4 p.m. featuring inspirational stories about overcoming obstacles. Participants are invited to create ornaments inspired by the stories read and garland to be installed on the trees. Children of all ages are welcome to attend the free event, which will take place in the Children’s Library on the first floor. 

From 4 p.m to 7 p.m., guests are invited to The Celtic Knot Public House to sketch images or write down thoughts while they listen to music, songs and stories. Evanston singer-songwriter Monica Laytham will play, sing and tell stories in The Snug Room from 5 p.m. to 6 p.m. Downtown Evanston will provide all materials and complimentary appetizers; attendees are invited to purchase beverages of their choice. 

Now in the fourth year, Winter HeARTh is an annual series of events promoted by the Arts Council to help keep public art alive, thriving, and fun even when the public square is frozen over. The goal is to create spaces where the community can come out and create public works of art together and warm up as they congregate and create with strangers and neighbors alike.