Sunday, November 5, 2017

From Alleys to ACTIVATE: Kate Keleman

Picture a typical Chicago Loop alley. Pretty drab, right? Would you believe me if I told you the picture below is one of those very alleys, transformed into a pop-up urban experience?


The brains behind this summer series, called ACTIVATE, is Chicago Loop Alliance Placemaking and Creative Manager Kate Keleman. In order for you to fully understand what ACTIVATE is, and before I go into a little more about Keleman, here are some quotes describing the event from the Chicago Loop Alliance itself:

“Combining the talents of Chicago’s most creative minds, the events feature art, music, and more in unique urban settings."


“Art. Music. People. Alleys. These are the core components of every ACTIVATE.”


“ACTIVATE is not a festival. It’s an interactive exhibition of art and culture that takes place over the course of five nights from June through September.”



Keleman was featured as Artist of the Week in Chicago Woman magazine, where she talked a little about her process and inspiration for creating ACTIVATE. Keleman sees the city in ways most people don’t. Her passion for the older buildings that surround us is what motivated her to study historic preservation. What some people might see as an old run-down building, Keleman sees as an opportunity for reuse and reinvention.

“My work revolves around how people create their cities, neighborhoods, and homes – the planned and spontaneous actions that make places what they are,” Keleman said. “[ACTIVATE] temporarily transform[s] downtown alleys into beautiful immersive experiences filled with art, music, and drinks.”

When asked what was the best piece of advice she had ever gotten, Keleman wasn’t sure. However, she did speak on a piece of advice that had for some reason always stuck with her: “Don’t struggle.” She described it as meaning not to overthink, but instead “to get ideas out quickly and messily, then refine.”

The fact that this advice has stuck with her shows a lot about her process when it comes to producing these events. She has to draw from all types of fields in order to pull together one cohesive event that will leave attendees with a better appreciation for Chicago culture, art, and architecture.

Keleman clearly has an eye for the uncommon, and she uses that vision to create pop-up urban experiences for the public to enjoy. Based on The Four C Model of Creativity by Kaufman and Beghetto, I would categorize Keleman as a little-c as well as a pro-c. She has been able to make a career out of her creative vision for production, art, and architecture. It is clear she has a knack for putting a bunch of small chaotic things together in one cohesive experience, a creative skill that not many people have.

Citations

Kaufman, James C., and Ronald A. Beghetto. “Beyond Big and Little: The Four c Model of Creativity.” Review of General Psychology, vol. 13, no. 1, 2009, pp. 1–12., doi:10.1037/a0013688.







2 comments:

  1. This is so cool and something that I didn't even know was happening in Chicago! The fact that she's able to pull so many different elements together to make such a cohesive finished product, it's really awesome. I definitely want to look more into this since I will be staying in Chicago this summer!

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  2. This is really neat! I love that she describes it as an interactive exhibit rather than a festival--that's really gotta influence the way participants interact while they're there. Do you have to register to attend in advance? Does she pick a different location every year? I'm so invested!!

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