**Meet in Japan House parking lot (F32)**
It’s been said that there’s nothing more hopeful than planting a tree. So come plant a forest with us—be part of a Sunrise May Day forest-planting parade with Unreliable Bestiary artists Deke Weaver and Jennifer Allen, Landscape Architecture students and faculty members Brian Deal and David Hays, and musician Jason Finkelman. Before we head into the Illinois Arboretum, we’ll meet at the Japan House parking lot (F32) just before sunrise, at 5:30 am on Friday, May 1 (rain date: Saturday, May 2).
From The Golden Bough to Totoro, the seasonal rebirth of the land has long been met with ceremony and possibility. Let’s make our own ceremony. We’ll make masks out of the leaves, sticks, and vegetation found in the Arboretum, and parade our way with bells and drums to a new Illinois Arboretum forest plot where we will put in over 2800 plants and trees.
Dress for the weather and walking outside in the dewy early morning grass. Things you could bring: a trowel, some gloves, a tight-fitting cap/hat or a couple of rubber bands, and a cape or a blanket or a tarp. You could even bring your hopes, fears, complaints, and glowing futures. The event is part of The Unreliable Bestiary’s FOREST project and presented in conjunction with the Krannert Art Museum’s exhibition Another Place: Storymaking the Entangled Prairie.
ABOUT THE ARTISTS
Jennifer Allen has been part of The Unreliable Bestiary’s collaborative team since its inception in 2009. After working with many influential dance artists in NYC: John Jasperse, Donna Uchizono, DD Dorvillier, and Jennifer Monson to name a few, her own choreographic work has been presented in New York by The Kitchen, the historic Dance Theater Workshop, Danspace Project at St. Mark’s Church and PS 122. Allen is also an acupuncturist who has been guiding people towards inner balance and wholeness since 2007. jenniferallentherapy.com
Jason Finkelman focuses on music improvisation, combining laptop electronics and acoustic instrumentation to create a distinct ambient, avant-world sound. As a composer for dance, he has collaborated extensively with celebrated choreographer Cynthia Oliver. Urbana-Champaign based since 2000, Finkelman leads the ever-evolving band Kuroshio, and relaunched Nu Orbit Ensemble in 2025. He is a member of Dan Kusaya & The Chimurenga Inspiration and collaborates with singer/songwriter Bourema Ouedraogo. At the University of Illinois, Finkelman heads Improvisers Exchange, a multi-dimensional programming line and student performance ensemble.
Deke Weaver is a writer-performer and media artist who weaves together storytelling, performance, and ecological urgency. His lifelong project, The Unreliable Bestiary, is a series of performances organized around every letter of the alphabet, with each letter representing an endangered animal or habitat. With choreographer/performer/director Jennifer Allen and many other trusted collaborators, he has produced MONKEY (2009), ELEPHANT (2010), WOLF (2013), BEAR (2016), TIGER (2019), and 2023’s CETACEAN (The Whale).
Krannert Art Museum acknowledges support from the Illinois Arts Council.
