The Remarkable Story of Kelly Stone

Before Kelly Stone came to Arts of Life, his home reported no artmaking, no verbal language other than “yes” and “no,” and certainly no rock songs written, performed, and recorded. All that changed when he joined the Chicago Studio in 2003. Twenty years later, his life, independence, and creative practice continue to grow.

After living in state-run institutions for 13 years, Kelly's creativity quickly shined at Arts of Life. Co-Founder/Executive Director Denise Fisher recalls, “We gave him lots of art material options. What’s great about Kelly is he’s really curious. I find that common among people in institutions is a need to re-explore developmental areas and new opportunities. He would say yes to everything.”

Kelly’s openness helped him become more intentional about his art practice as he honed his style and color choices. His growing creativity prompted a new opportunity and another “yes” - Kelly joined the Arts of Life Band in the late 2000s. 

As his confidence in the band increased, former artistic director Karim Shuquem encouraged Kelly to write song lyrics:
“What do you want to sing about?” - “I don’t know. I don’t know.”
“Eventually, we got to puppies and babies somehow.”
“Tell me something about puppies and babies” - “Soft. Warm. Smooth.”

The once elusive and quiet Kelly went on to record his hit song, Puppies and Babies, singing pronounced harmonies over distorted guitars and crashing drums. He then performed it live at venues across the city, including The Hideout and Empty Bottle. 

After these experiences, Kelly showed a remarkable increase in self-advocacy. He regularly approached staff and told them things he wanted in his life, both inside and outside the studio. And he took on leadership roles, training new volunteers on the studio’s cleaning system and watering the studio’s plants. 

Many years later, Kelly’s story of personal growth and fulfillment is no less momentous. And it’s made possible for each artist in our community by supporters who believe in our model and the power of our artists’ work. Together, we said yes to new opportunities, including our new community programs and a South Side studio, which opened this month. We now support more artists than ever before.

Now our longest-tenured artist, Kelly continues to advocate for himself and say yes to new creative paths.

After the studio's state-mandated pandemic closure, Kelly put his voice and advocacy to work convincing his team that he was ready to return. But Kelly and our community had both changed in that time. Missing his pre-pandemic studio life, Kelly expressed a desire to leave the Chicago studio for something new. While a major life change like this is unfortunately rarely realized for people with intellectual and developmental disabilities, Arts of Life was committed to supporting Kelly and his request. Knowing what new opportunities and community had meant to him 20 years ago, Denise suggested he try out our North Shore studio. Kelly said yes. 

Today, Kelly is thriving once again. He attends classes at our partner art centers with members of the surrounding community. First printmaking and now ceramics have allowed him to create entirely new ideas while revisiting a favorite abstract motif called “stringles” in 3-dimensions. After a four-year hiatus, Kelly will again find avenues for musical expression next month when he joins the North Shore band Van Go Go. 

And rather than give up one community for another, Kelly’s community continues to expand. Through the weekly virtual Comics Group, he stays connected with his Chicago Studio friends, and rekindles connection with one of his earliest Arts of Life friends, Karim Shuquem, who now facilitates the group all the way from Los Angeles - “In comics group, I’m so taken by his smile. It’s so awesome to see his smiling face. That means a lot to me. He seems really happy.”

Kelly found in Arts of Life a community open to possibility and driven to support artists in saying yes to seemingly out-of-reach opportunities. We’re grateful for his trust and commitment to creative exploration. Twenty years in, we still can’t wait to see what he does next.

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