Birdhouse 2010 success inspiration for sense of community

Perfect storm of visuals and people solidifies success in Kimler's Studio.

A record number of birdhouses were up for auction as over 300 attended Friends of Pritzker School's second annual event. Attendees seemed to blend with and sometimes replicate images on Wesley Kimler's canvases hanging high over head in his huge studio space along the West Carroll industrial corridor.

While last year's birdhouse creators were dominated by architects, this year's entries came mainly from artists. Most of the 70 items were part of the silent auction, three were sold via a live auction.

Heather Strong, Birdhouse Chair, describes the “birdhouse motel,” donated by Nature House, which Collaboraction’s Anthony Mosley is about to auction.

"It took approximately forty parents an uncounted number of hours over six months to help make this event the success it was," said Heather Strong, the event's chair, who is a future Pritzker mom. "We are very happy that we could add $10,000 to the funds for the Kindergarten and Pre-K playground thanks to the outpouring of support.  In total over a 100 volunteers were involved; when you count artists, retailers, and parents.  This is truly a community event."

The sense of pulling together of so many parents is truly amazing.  It is particularly so because many of the parents who worked diligently on this event and the entire playground project are not sure if their child or children will get into the Pritzker Pre-K or kindergarten programs.  They are doing it because they have a sense of neighborhood.

Kimler's paintings served as an interesting background for several birdhouse.

Strong is a perfect example of this interest in community, "I grew up walking to school. First in elementary which was a block from my house. I even came home for lunch everyday until the 4th grade when it was mandatory for all students to eat in the cafeteria. Then onto junior high and then to high school; I walked to all of them.  Even in college I walked and never had a car. The first time I was ever on a bus was when I joined an athletic team and we had to travel for an away meet.  I believe in neighborhood schools and Pritzker is a block away from my house. It is part of our neighborhood.  Great schools make for great neighborhoods!  I'm just doing my part to make ours the best it can be."

Special thanks to: Heather Strong for her assistance with this article and to Janet Stoddard for several of her photos.

For more info: More Birdhouse; Friend of Pritzker

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