Dress like a bird and find your whimsy at Crow Fest

What they're saying: "It's First Friday and I am just trying to get more people to come out, for myself, for the other artists and just for the museum," Quinn Tailor, a member of Third Rodeo and founder of Crow Fest, told Axios.

• "So it's like, how can we get people out? Let's throw a party."

• Tailor said the plan quickly snowballed after pitching it to the other two members of Third Rodeo, morphing from a party where people are encouraged to dress like crows into an annual festival.

The big picture: CAMI opened earlier this year in a 125-year-old former dairy barn and industrial space that Big Car Collaborative transformed into 40,000 square feet of light, color and sound on its Garfield Park campus.

• The project more than doubles local museum space dedicated to contemporary art and includes studio space, a bar and small storefronts for budding businesses.

What to expect: Costumes aren't required, but Tailor said visitors are encouraged to dress like a crow, wear black or come as a crow "disguised as a human."

• If you bring a trinket to trade, you can be inducted into the Crow Court. There will be crafts, including screen-printing your own Crow Fest shirt, and art for sale.
• Tailor has made a large-scale art quilt and will transform their studio into an immersive space for the event. The other artists with studios in the building and shops have gotten involved, too.

The bottom line: "We want to create experiences that just help people feel fun, feel creative … and help people find their whimsy again," Tailor said.

If you crow: 1125 Cruft St.

• Crow Fest runs from 5–10pm Friday.
• Admission to CAMI is free.