In a city shaped by steel, concrete, and some of the most celebrated architecture in the world, there is something deeply grounding about working with wood. It takes you back to fundamentals: grain beneath your fingertips, the rhythm of hand tools, the quiet merge of patience and precision. And across Chicago’s creative landscape, few places invite that experience as warmly as the Chicago School of Woodworking.

Part workshop, part studio, part community hub, it’s a space where novices learn the basics, hobbyists refine their craft, and seasoned makers explore new techniques. For residents at Optima Signature® and Optima Lakeview® who love design, materials, and making things by hand, it offers an opportunity to step away from screens and schedules—and return to the art of shaping something real.

Craft, Mindfulness, and Making Something That Lasts
Like the WasteShed, the Chicago School of Woodworking is built on a simple idea: creativity flourishes when you have space to explore it. Step inside, and you’ll find workbenches lined with tools, wood stacks that hint at future forms, and a deliberate pace that encourages focus. Here, the act of making becomes its own meditation.

Woodworking teaches patience. It requires you to slow down, measure twice, and stay present. The result isn’t just a finished object—it’s a sense of calm, confidence, and capability that comes from shaping something with your own hands. It’s tactile. It’s physical. And in a world where so much of our work is abstract, that alone feels like a gift.

Classes That Welcome Every Skill Level
What makes the Chicago School of Woodworking so inviting is the range of classes they offer. Beginners can explore foundational courses—learning how to safely use shop tools, understand species of wood, and create simple pieces they can take home. More advanced students can dive into furniture making, joinery, cabinetry, or specialized techniques that push their skills further.

It’s hands-on from the moment you walk in. You’re guided by instructors who bring both expertise and encouragement, helping you gain confidence with tools that may have once felt intimidating. Projects unfold in stages: sketching, selecting materials, shaping, assembling, finishing. Each moment brings its own small triumph.

For those who are crafty at heart, the school also offers something harder to find: the experience of learning alongside others. Woodworking becomes a social art—a place where people share ideas, swap stories, and discover a shared love for the craft.

A Beautiful Counterpart to Modern Living
Optima®’s architecture celebrates materiality—glass, steel, concrete, and the warmth of natural textures. Woodworking offers a parallel appreciation. It deepens your understanding of how things are made, how materials behave, and what it takes to create something enduring.

And there’s something especially satisfying about bringing home an object you’ve shaped yourself: a small stool, a cutting board, a side table that finds its place in your living room or kitchen. These pieces don’t just fill a home—they add meaning. They’re reminders of the time, focus, and personal creativity that went into making them.

Crafting a Life of Curiosity
The Chicago School of Woodworking invites us to reconnect with creativity in a hands-on way. Whether you’re a longtime maker or someone simply curious about trying something new, it’s a chance to explore a craft that’s both timeless and deeply satisfying. Exploring the school’s workshops also represents an opportunity to engage with the city’s creative ecosystem, learn a new skill, and find joy in the process of making. In a fast-moving world, woodworking reminds us that some of the most meaningful experiences happen slowly, deliberately, and with our own two hands.

Visit their schedule of upcoming classes and workshops here.

Winter arrives softly in Wilmette. Morning light drifts across quiet streets, lake air sharpens just a little, and neighborhood storefronts begin to glow with the warmth of craft and community. As the season turns inward, the village’s creative spirit moves indoors—into studios, workshops, and shared spaces where hands stay busy and imaginations stay bright.

For members of the Wilmette community and residents of Optima Verdana® alike, winter becomes an invitation to explore the places that nurture this creative energy. Among the many pockets of artistry throughout the village, one stands out as a true hub of expression and connection: the Center for the Arts at the Wilmette Park District. Here, through programs in visual arts, ceramics, dance, music, and theater, the community gathers to learn, make, perform, and find warmth in creativity all season long.

At the heart of this creative landscape, the Center for the Arts serves as a cultural anchor—an inclusive space where artistry and community come together. Housed within the Community Recreation Center, it is a place where children, teens, and adults can explore craft and performance in welcoming, light-filled studios.

A Community Engine for Creativity
The Center for the Arts is a vibrant ecosystem supporting creativity across ages and skill levels. Its offerings span the visual, performing, and applied arts, and the environment is intentionally designed to encourage curiosity, skill-building, and expressive freedom.

For those drawn to a design-forward lifestyle, the Center reflects a similar ethos: attention to craft, celebration of materials, and an understanding that creativity enhances well-being.

Visual Arts & Ceramics: Slow Craft for the Winter Season
Winter is an ideal time to embrace creative practices that reward patience and presence. The Center’s visual arts programs provide rich opportunities:

• Drawing, painting, and mixed-media classes for youth and adults
• Ceramics studios offering wheel-throwing and hand-building instruction
• Seasonal art parties and special workshops, perfect for holiday décor or handmade gifts

Clay studios hum with warmth, and art classrooms glow with color—providing a sanctuary of making during Wilmette’s colder months.

Dance & Movement: Expression Through Motion
Inside the Center’s dance studios, winter’s stillness gives way to rhythm and motion. Programs include:

• Creative movement and ballet for preschoolers
• Jazz, tap, modern, lyrical, and hip-hop for children and teens
• Adult classes designed for joy, health, and expressive play
• Elevé, a year-round dance program supporting deeper training and performance

These offerings give families and individuals the chance to stay active, engaged, and inspired—even when outdoor activities pause for the season.

Theater & Music: Performance, Play, and Skill-Building
The Center’s performing arts programs bring Wilmette’s creative spirit to life:

• Wilmette Children’s Theater — A beloved local institution, this program offers young performers a chance to build confidence and collaborate through plays and musicals. Winter productions become community events, filling the theater with families, friends, and neighbors.
• Music Classes & Lessons — From early childhood explorations to more advanced instruction, these programs cultivate both skill and joy. Music rooms become warm havens of melody and discovery throughout the winter.

Family & Community Workshops: Art as Shared Experience
The Center also hosts:

• Family-friendly workshops
• Holiday-themed sessions
• Open studios
• One-evening creative activities

These short-format experiences are ideal for those trying something new or seeking meaningful, low-pressure ways to infuse creativity into the winter season.

A Creative Refuge for the Winter Months|
When lake winds rise and daylight shortens, the Center for the Arts becomes a place of warmth—both literal and emotional. In its studios and rehearsal spaces, winter finds a counterbalance and the Center hums with life, offering community connection and creative expression just when residents need them most.

How to Get Involved

• Visit the Center for the Arts at the Community Recreation Center (3000 Glenview Road).
• Browse winter and seasonal offerings online and note early registration periods.
• Begin with a workshop, or dive into a full-length class series.
• Encourage friends or family members to join—creativity grows in company.

A Cultural Anchor for Wilmette
The Center for the Arts stands as one of Wilmette’s most meaningful community assets. It embodies the village’s values: creativity, connection, inclusivity, and lifelong learning. As winter settles in, it becomes a particularly treasured sanctuary—inviting residents to explore new skills, deepen passions, and warm the season with color, movement, and collaborative making.

For those who call Wilmette home—including the community at Optima Verdana® — the Center offers a way to embrace creativity as a daily practice and a shared joy.

Winter arrives differently inside an Optima® community. Light pours through glass walls, warm air rises from indoor pools, and the rhythm of daily life shifts into something quieter, more intentional. The cold months invite a different kind of wellness—one shaped by architecture, ritual, and the quiet beauty of moving through thoughtfully designed spaces.

From Chicago to Wilmette to Scottsdale, here’s how winter wellness takes shape within Optima®’s world, offering comfort, energy, and balance during the season.

Mornings That Start with Light and Clarity
In our modern, open-plan residences, winter mornings become a gentle ritual. Natural light—soft, angled, often diffused by snow or cloud—filters into living spaces, creating an atmosphere that’s calm and grounding. A slow start becomes part of the day’s wellness practice: warm tea, quiet journaling, simple stretching or breathwork with the sunrise.

For many, the architecture itself becomes part of the ritual. Floor-to-ceiling windows offer a daily connection to the outdoors, while the warmth of the home invites stillness. It’s a chance to begin the day with intention before the pace of the world speeds up.

Movement That Matches the Season
Winter can shift the way we think about fitness—but at Optima®, movement remains a year-round joy. Indoor amenity spaces are designed to support a range of experiences, from energizing workouts to restorative sessions.

• Indoor fitness centers provide room for strength training, cardio, and mobility practice without stepping into the cold. Natural light and clean lines make these spaces feel uplifting even on overcast days.
• Yoga and meditation rooms become sanctuaries during winter, offering a warm, quiet place to stretch, breathe, and reset.

And in Scottsdale, where winter means crisp mornings and cool evenings rather than snow, the season is perfect for outdoor workouts, walks, and sunrise routines in the mild desert air.

Warmth, Water, and the Joy of Resetting
Pools, saunas, and spas take on a special significance in cold months. These are places where muscles unwind, stress softens, and the body warms from the inside out.

• Indoor heated pools offer a sense of escape—a warm, gentle environment where you can swim laps, float, or simply breathe. Watching snow fall outside while gliding through warm water is one of winter’s most unexpected luxuries.
• Saunas provide a restorative counterpoint to the cold. The heat relaxes tension, supports circulation, and creates a meditative moment that resets the nervous system.
• Spas and whirlpools become gathering places for quiet connection or solo relaxation—a way to release the day’s chill and sink into comfort.

Together, these spaces create their own season of wellness, offering warmth and recovery without leaving the building.

Moments of Mindfulness, Built Into the Architecture
Optima®’s architecture naturally supports reflection throughout the winter months. Open spaces encourage slower movement. Lush landscaped courtyards—visible from both amenities and private homes—bring a sense of nature into daily life, even when temperatures drop.

Quiet alcoves, lounges, and shared spaces invite reading, sketching, or simply watching the changing sky. The architecture makes room for stillness, offering a refuge from the intensity of the season. And because Optima® communities are deeply connected to their neighborhoods, winter rituals often include small outings—to local cafés, cultural spaces, or parks—keeping life balanced between the comforts of home and the energy of the city.

A Season of Intentional Living
Winter wellness at Optima® isn’t one thing—it’s a collection of gentle habits that resonate with the season: slow mornings, warm water, thoughtful movement, quiet reflection, and meaningful connection to light and nature.

The architecture supports it. The amenities elevate it. And the result is a season lived with intention, comfort, and a deep sense of well-being.

For Optima® residents and visitors alike, Chicago’s Candlelight Concerts offer something both familiar and transcendent: live music performed in evocative settings, bathed in the soft glow of candlelight. It’s an experience that aligns beautifully with the ethos of Optima®—vibrant living, sensory enrichment, and a deep engagement with the cultural life of the city.

The Magic of Candlelight
At a Candlelight Concert, audiences are invited into a world of intimacy and warmth. String quartets and small ensembles perform beloved works—ranging from Vivaldi and Mozart to Coldplay and Taylor Swift—within strikingly atmospheric spaces. The venues themselves, often historic landmarks or architectural gems, are transformed by hundreds of flickering candles into spaces that feel suspended in time. The result is an immersive evening that transcends genre or generation, offering both comfort and awe.

The experience is intentionally multi-sensory: the shimmer of light on vaulted ceilings, the resonance of strings in a room alive with history, the shared stillness among an audience fully present in the moment. For many, it’s a welcome antidote to the pace of city life—an invitation to pause and let music work its quiet magic.

A Citywide Stage
Chicago’s Candlelight series unfolds across an inspired selection of venues, each one amplifying the music in its own way. At the gilded Stan Mansion in Logan Square, the glow of candles against marble and gold leaf sets a tone of romance and grandeur. The Wicker Park Lutheran Church offers stained glass and soft acoustics that make every note shimmer. And in Oak Park, the Arts Center brings the neoclassical grace of the early 20th century into dialogue with modern musical interpretations.

The repertoire is as diverse as the city itself—offering everything from classical masterworks to jazz tributes and contemporary pop arrangements. This thoughtful mix ensures that every audience member finds something that resonates, whether rediscovering a timeless sonata or hearing a favorite song anew through the language of strings.

Living Beautifully, Locally
For residents of Optima Lakeview®, Optima Signature®, and Optima Verdana®, the Candlelight Concert series is an invitation to connect with the artistic heartbeat of Chicago. Just as Optima® communities blur the boundaries between architecture, art, and life, these performances celebrate the beauty of shared experience—where design, light, and sound converge to create something more than the sum of their parts.

Both Optima® and the Candlelight series share a belief that aesthetic experiences shouldn’t be reserved for special occasions—they should be woven into daily life. Whether attending a concert in a nearby landmark or gathering with neighbors afterward to discuss the performance, residents engage with their city in ways that are thoughtful, tactile, and inspiring.

In the end, a Candlelight Concert is an experience of place, presence, and connection—one that reflects the same commitment to culture, community, and beauty that defines life in our communities.

To learn more about upcoming Candlelight Concerts in Chicago and plan your next illuminating evening, visit the official Candlelight Concerts website.