The Field Chicago

The Field was founded in New York in 1986 as an urban-based, artist run organization providing comprehensive programming to artists on a completely non-curated basis. The mission was to create a climate where experimentation, risk-taking, and originality are championed, and where the broadest range of voices are included. The Field continues to fulfill this mission today with a rapidly growing international network of sites including Atlanta, Chicago, Houston, Miami, Philidelphia, San Francisco, Seattle and Toyko.

Chicago's Field was established in 1994 by a group of performance artists who felt Chicago arts would flourish with The Field's two most popular programs, Fieldwork and Field Trips. Today, these programs enter their 14th year of service through host organization The Quarry, a non-profit multi-arts organization that provides performing artists with classes, workshops and performance exhibitions to the Chicagoland community. Fieldwork continues to be utilized by some of Chicago's most prominent performers in the development of their work. Past participants include Julie Caffey, Julie Laffin, Michael Fosberg and Nicole Garneau all of whom continue to perform and exhibit regularly to national and international audiences.

Today, The Field Chicago stands as one of the most substantial network of performance artists in the city and continues to provide invaluable resources to all aspiring and experienced performers, enhancing Chicago's rich cultural tradition of the performing arts.

Nana Shineflug is the founder (1972) and Artistic Director of the Chicago Moving Company, and currently teaches at Columbia College Chicago in the Interdisciplinary Arts Graduate Program and the Theater Department. Nana has received four Choreographic fellowships from the National Endowment for the Arts, a Service Award from the Illinois Alliance for Arts Education, the Chicago Dance Coalition's Ruth Page Award for Lifetime Service to the Field, the Columbia College Lifetime Achievement Award; and the Katherine Dunham Award for Excellence and Dedication to the Arts. She graduated from Northwestern University with a degree in Mathematics and has a M.A. and Graduate Certificate in Laban Movement Analysis from Columbia College. Nana has been a guest lecturer in many Universities throughout the U.S. and teaches modern dance, Qi Gong and Psychocalesthenics at the CMC Studio. In 1998 Nana traveled to India and Israel where she exhibited her photographs, taught and presented dance performances; in 2000 she traveled to Brazil three times to work in Rio de Janeiro, Salvador and Sao Luis. In fall 2005 she traveled to teach in China. Her children, their spouses, and her grandchildren continue to be her great teachers.

Lauri Macklin was one of the founders of The Quarry, and was a choreographer and dancer for over 20 years, performing and teaching in France and Brazil, and coming to Chicago in 1986. She performed throughout the Chicago area until 1995. During that time she received several grants from the Illinois Arts Council for her creative work. Lauri was a facilitator and participant of The Field from 1992-2000. She is currently a corporate communications coach, as well as a rug-weaver, and loves The Field!

"The Field has created an opportunity for community and an accountability. The feedback has been critical to the development of my material and the artists who are a part of the Field are talented and wonderful. They have given me inspiration and encouragement and for that I am grateful."

--Arlene Malinowski, Solo Artist/Actor/Educator

Judith Harding is a writer and performer whose credits include Sesame Street and Blue Man Group. Affiliated with The Field Chicago as a facilitator & co-administrator since 1996, her numerous solo works for theatre consistently acheive critical acclaim. Harding teaches voice, movement and theatre to kids and adults with developmental disabilities as well as autism throughout the Chicago metro region, and just LOVES doing this. Contact Judith.

Clover Morell is a Chicago based interdisciplinary performance artist and educator. She recently received an MFA in Performance Studies from The School of The Art Institute of Chicago where she studied with Goat Island, Sadie Benning, Lida Abdul, Barbara DeGenevieve and Faith Wilding. Clover makes solo and group performances from assemblages of movement, writing and media. Her work explores the immediate and vulnerable live body in relationship to the space of performance and is currently inspired by her interests in contemporary dance, gender studies, mapping and film. Her work has been presented in a variety of formats pending site including sculptural installation, experimental theatre pieces and street performance. Her recent exhibitions include Five Alive From Franklin Furnace at The Prague Quadrennial with Julie Laffin and Site Unseen: Live Art & Media Festival at The Chicago Cultural Center.

Kristina Fluty recently received a Graduate Certificate in Laban Movement Analysis from Columbia College Chicago, and is currently pursuing the MA in Dance/Movement Therapy at Columbia. She is in her fifth year as a movement collaborator with Molly Shanahan/Mad Shak, and enjoys teaching at Thodos Dance Chicago, the Chicago Park District, and The University of Chicago. Kristina graduated Summa Cum Laude from Point Park University, attaining a BA in Dance with a minor in English. She continues to cultivate a personal movement practice influenced by the Feldenkrais Method, Authentic Movement, Body Mind Centering, and Contact Improvisation.