Sustainable Sustenance 

Sustainable Sustenance gathers artists, environmental scholars, historians, and activists to explore Chicago’s land, water, and air from its past to its present. During these conversational dinners, we discuss how to more conscientiously understand the ecologies that preceded us to better face urgent environmental issues.

Sustainable Sustenance is part of Art Design Chicago, an initiative of the Terra Foundation for American Art investigating and elevating Chicago’s rich visual art and design histories and creative communities.

September 26, 2022

Beekeepers and environmental scholars gathered to discuss Bees in relation to the Great Lakes region and the climate for dinner. With Stuart Roweth, Emily Minor, Gwenn-Aël Lynn, Noah Frazier, Steve Gustafson, Thad Smith, Michael Thompson, and Chicago Honey Co-op, we discussed the following ideas/questions: Chicagoans perceive and encourage pollinators: over recent years we have been exposed to a wealth of information regarding bees, wasps, moths, flies and butterflies, how do we sift through this and prioritize our actions in the community green spaces throughout the City? Is there a hierarchy of needs for our pollinators? Should we plant for endangered wild bees or create a spectrum of food plants to serve all of our insects? Should we limit the amount of managed honeybee colonies to leave enough resources for our native insects?

September 13, 2022

Led and conceived by Melissa Hilliard Potter, with featured guests are Kelly Church, Amy Doll, and Yaritza Guillen. The discussion focused on the questions: What steps can we take to support the restoration of the prairie? How can we engage the public on the importance of the prairie? Artist and chef Alexandra Antoine shared a gastropoetic meal of native grains and prairie-influenced dishes.

August 9, 2022

Featured guests Julia S. Bachrach discussed the Chicago Park District historical archives, Les Begay discussed Indigenous presence and the history of the region, Nance Klehm discussed geological formation of the land we are on, and Dick Lanyon discussed water and resource management in the Chicagoland region.