Rojek's “Breeze Keeper” at Evanston Art Center

If you have visited Evanston’s Lighthouse Beach recently, you probably noticed a new installation in front of the Evanston Art Center. Christine Rojek's “Breeze Keeper” is a site-specific sculpture that presents a field-like expanse of 62 counter balanced aluminum prairie images that sway with the wind.

Over the course of the next year people of all ages will be invited to share their personal stories of inspiration. Rojek will interpret and translate the stories into 12 additional images which she will scatter throughout the “field”.

According to EAC’s website: “In essence, ‘Breeze Keeper’ will become an homage to the collective ambitions and aspirations of people of all ages, but more importantly it will illustrate how our goals change over time. The piece will lyrically explore what is interesting to a 5 year old in comparison to a teenager or a person experiencing mid-life. True to its title, ‘Breeze Keeper’ will literally become a keeper of stories as we ‘shoot the breeze’ about our lives."

Each year, the EAC invites an artist to create a site-specific installation for its front lawn as part of its well-established program Sculpture on the Grounds to provide interactive outdoor art for the public to enjoy.

Chicago-based Rojek specializes in public sculpture and uses the tenets of fine design to create interactive environments that appeal to a wide audience. Her installations can be provocative, theatrical, or whimsical and have become destination pieces in over 25 locations throughout the United States.

Rojek earned a Bachelor of Fine Arts from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign and continued her studies at the American School of Art in Fontainebleau, France where she focused on both performance and installation art. Rojek has received widespread recognition for her achievements, including several fellowship grants from the Illinois Arts Council, the National Endowment for the Arts, and an AT&T Technology in Art Grant.