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Our Mission
Arts of Life advances the creative arts community by providing artists with intellectual and developmental disabilities a collective space to expand their practice and strengthen their leadership.
Our Mission
Arts of Life advances the creative arts community by providing artists with intellectual and developmental disabilities a collective space to expand their practice and strengthen their leadership.
Upcoming & Recent Events
Our Artists
We were founded with the idea that the studio belongs to its artists. The guiding principle behind the studio is to give people an opportunity to shape and be a member of an artistic community; a community that changes with the growing needs of the artists and one that is a contributing member of the larger society.
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We have a lot to be thankful for at Arts of Life. Camaraderie for our artists, staff, and volunteers. Space for creativity, experimentation, and self expression in our studios and partner organizations. And YOU!
If you are celebrating, we hope you have a joyful Thanksgiving. If you are not celebrating, have a joyful Thursday. 🦃🎉🥧🥂
#Grateful #TurkeyDay #Community #Thankful #HappyThursday
ID 1: Our Chicago Studio artists and staff celebrating Halloween a few weeks ago.
Check out the progression of this drawing by Ariée. Our artists recently participated in a figure drawing class at the Evanston Art Center. These classes help us to reach more artists and to offer our current artists new opportunities to develop their creative practices.
The Evanston Art Center was the launchpad for our community programs. Through conversations with our current artists, artists who didn’t return to the studios since the onset of the pandemic, and new artists, we are developing programs in their local communities that provide not only creative opportunities but community.
Looking forward to seeing these programs continue to grow in the new year!
#ProfessionalDevelopment #EvanstonArt #EvanstonArtist #ArtCommunity #ArtsOfLife #RainaCarter #AriaCarter
ID 1: The finished colorful drawing by Ariée Carter on toned paper. A model sits on a blue chair. Their body is a deep orange, their face a creamy yellow, with blue shadows that nearly match the chair. The background in awash in a deep orange.
ID 2: Ariée’s figure drawing in progress
ID 3: Ariée’s initial drawing is in the background. Raina Carter’s initial graphite sketch is in the foreground.
Together we can ensure that our artists have access to a creative community, meaningful professional development, and external recognition of their work as professional artists.
Built on what we learned during the height of the pandemic, we launched our community programs this year to center our artists as leaders in the contemporary arts sector. And this is just the beginning. In the upcoming months, we will exhibit at Art Basel in Miami for the very first time. We will launch a new satellite program in the South Side. And we will continue to develop programming on the North Shore.
Can you help build on this momentum to provide the country's most progressive programming for artists with intellectual and developmental disabilities?
Your generous donation of $225 or more by December 15 will be matched by the Coleman Foundation – doubling your impact!
Click the link in bio to make your tax deductible donation today!
#Donate #MakeAnImpact #ArtsOfLife #VisibilityMatters #SeasonOfGiving
“I enjoyed working at the Kohler [Arts Center]. I was able to have people come and visit and see what I do. We talked about my artwork. It was a different atmosphere. There were windows and a lot of natural light. I made different designs. It was fun.” - Tim Stone
Thank you @jmkac for hosting Tim Stone as an artist-in-residence this past weekend. We look forward to continuing this opportunity for more Arts of Life artists in the future!
ID 1: Tim Stone in the Social Studio. He sits at a wide table with a small painting in progress in front of him. The studio is filled with natural light from the big windows to the right. A vibrant pink and yellow striped wall is behind him.
ID 2: Tim Stone sits in front of a work in progress. Two large completed paintings and one small one line the table in the foreground.
ID 3: Tim Stone walks through the Creative! Growth! exhibition at the Kohler Arts Center.
ID 4: Tim Stone walks through the Creative! Growth! exhibition at the Kohler Arts Center.
ID 5: Tim Stone at work. A small painting in front of him on the table. In one hand he holds a paintbrush. The other hand is outstretched, welcoming the viewer into the studio.
#ArtistInResidence #ArtResidency #ProfessionalDevelopment #CommunityIntegration #WorkInProgress #TimStone
The deadline for our annual open call and guest juried exhibition is in TWO WEEKS.
We are excited to announce this year’s jurors will be artist and activist Emily Barker (@celestial_investments), Tommy Ralph Pace of the Orange Show Center for Visionary Art (@theorangeshow), and Gallerist Luis De Jesus (@luisdejesuslosangeles).
The exhibition - Perennial Hug - will feature artists of all demographics, and abilities. Through the deployment of various formal and material strategies the work selected for Perennial Hug functions as an assembly of outstretched arms awaiting the warm embrace of the viewer.
Link in bio for more info.
#OpenCall #JuriedExhibition #JuriedShow #OpenCallForArt
News and Announcements
Arts of Life to receive $50,000 grant from Ruth Foundation for the Arts
Arts of Life is thrilled to have been selected for...
John Michael Kohler Arts Center Artist-in-Residence: Tim Stone
“I enjoyed working at the Kohler [Arts Center]. I was...
