Publications & Sites 
News briefs: Art show March 22; Lincoln Park Zoo talk March 25; Brain Gym March 27
The Nature Boardwalk at Lincoln Park Zoo, Chicago, is the topic of a talk at 1:15 p.m. Monday, March 25, at the 19th Century Women's Club, Oak Park.
Updated: April 3, 2013 6:53PM
OAK PARK — A wine and cheese reception will take place for the opening of the Lifelong Learning Center’s Senior Art Show at 6 p.m. Friday, March 22, in the Narrow Gallery, at the Oak Park Arms, 408 S. Oak Park Ave.
The art installation will feature work from all members of the painting class held at the Lifelong Learning Center and will be presented by Nancy Fong, the painting instructor.
A class is held every Friday that consists of men and women age 50 and older.
“Everyone in my class paints for the fun of it and for the camaraderie,” Fong said.
Fong is an artist member and former vice president and board member of the Oak Park Art League. She received her bachelor of fine arts in studio arts from the University of Illinois.
The Lifelong Learning Center, located inside the Oak Park Arms, strives to keep seniors active and inspired within the community. A variety of programs are available, such as ceramics, weaving, lapidary, creative writing, woodshop, quilting, needlecraft and painting.
The gallery can be viewed daily from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.
The Oak Park Arms is a rental retirement community which provides independent and assisted living apartments and a full schedule of activities and services. Furnished apartments are also available for a short-term stay — a weekend, a week, a month or longer.
The reception is free and open to the public.
Call Jill Wagner at (708) 386-4040 or visit oakparkarms.com.
Talk on Lincoln Park
Zoo & tea March 25
At 1:15 p.m. Monday, March 25, at the 19th Century Women’s Club, 178 Forest Ave., Oak Park, Brian Houck, Director of Horticulture at Lincoln Park Zoo, will present “Nature Boardwalk at Lincoln Park Zoo: The Prairie Back Into the City.”
The Nature Boardwalk at Lincoln Park Zoo celebrates its third anniversary this year. The urban oasis represents the transformation from a manmade pond that had run its course to a fully functioning — and stunningly beautiful — ecosystem. More than 100 newly planted trees, submergent, emergent and prairie vegetation stretch across this 14-acre area providing shade, food and ideal nesting places for native and migratory birds, including the black-crowned night heron, which is endangered in Illinois. The vegetation provides a wildlife habitat and restful areas of reflection for Chicago residents. See and hear how it all came about.
Tea follows the program. Suggested donation is $10.
For more information, call (708) 386-2729 or visit 19thcenturycharity.org.
March 27 Brain Gym
at the OP Arms
The public is invited to an afternoon of movement-based learning with Brain Gym with Aimee Edwards at 4:15 p.m. Wednesday, March 27, at the Oak Park Arms, 408 S. Oak Park Ave.
Brain Gym movements, exercises or activities refer to the original 26 Brain Gym movements, sometimes abbreviated as “The 26.” These activities recall the movements naturally done during the first years of life when one is learning to coordinate the eyes, ears, hands and whole body. There are four categories: midline, energy, deepening attitudes and lengthening.
For more than two decades, clients, teachers and students have reported the effectiveness of these simple activities. Although it’s not yet clear why these movements work so well, they often bring about dramatic improvements in areas such as: concentration and focus; memory; academics – reading, writing, math, test taking; physical coordination; relationships; self-responsibility; organization skills; and attitude.
The event is free and open to the public. For more information, call Jill Wagner at (708) 386-4040 or visit oakparkarms.com.
