Next Forge:  August 25th, 2019

We are thrilled to return after our month off to showcase the art of J.D. Garretson, the music of Suri, and a brand new play by NoMads' own Danielle B. Szabo.

 J.D. Garretson - Visual Artist

Jenee' Darice Garretson was born and raised in Nebraska. Her studies in Studio Arts & Theatre Arts led her to Chicago and she is proud to have called the Goodman Theatre home for over 18 years. It has kept her very busy, but nothing keeps a painter from painting, whether its done at home or in between quick changes backstage!  Above all other skills in life, she finds the quiet creation of her paintings & prints the most rewarding and is so proud to bring them out for their first public viewing!  Jenee's work is an exploration of how she experiences and processes her experiences in the world & within herself.  Some of these personal pieces are results of/reactions to specific life events, relationships & the unanchored feeling of being far from home.  Others are pure whimsy.  She is so happy that you will be there to celebrate and enjoy the first showing of her work. 

Danielle B. Szabo - Playwright

Danielle writes, directs, dramaturgs, script supervises, reads, and draws. They proudly hail from Flint, Michigan. They're still looking for the right Instagram filter to call home. They plan to hitchhike the galaxy, start a farm in Stardew Valley, draw and write every day, and not panic. SO to my SO Carson boo. P.S. the B stands for Beverly. Except I don't like Beverly. I just like B and that's all. @xoxogossipqueer

Suri - Musician

It started in an airplane from Kunming, China to Hong Kong. Suri was deciding whether she wanted to take a piano teaching job away from Chicago, where she was born and raised. As fears of failure, and worries about her insecurities rose to the surface mid-flight, she knew she couldn't make a choice at that very moment, but she knew one thing for sure, and that was to write a song.  As a classically trained musician playing piano since the age of four, Suri incorporates this in her music through big washes of orchestral sound, while mixing it with her jazzy vocals, creating a unique sound difficult to find elsewhere. She is inspired by artists like Lianne La Havas, Nina Simone, Florence and the Machine, and Lana del Rey because of their emotional rawness which is reflected in her own music.

“As I am “ Available Now @itunes
The Forge is open to artists of all experience levels, with a specific goal to grow and foster new work by talented and under-produced young artists. We accept applications on a rolling basis from any artists who would like to be featured.  If you would like to apply to be featured in The Forge, click here.

Forge Info

Doors open at 6:30pm, with refreshments and a signature cocktail available for purchase as you peruse the visual art and take in live music.  At 7:30pm a reading of Weatherball will begin, followed by a short talk back.  The Forge is, as always, free and open to the public. The Forge is hosted at Esquina Chicago, at 4602 N Western Ave, near the Western Brown line.

There are a few stairs at the entrance of Esquina, if accessability is an issue for you please email us at theforge@nomadsartcollective.org and we will work with you to make sure you can attend!
NoMads Art Collective is a Chicago-based theatre company