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Who We Are
Click the image to view our Introduction to Arts of Life video, or watch on YouTube (opens in new window)
Our Story
Arts of Life is a 501(c)3 non-profit founded in January 2000 with a shared vision: to create a working, person-centric, artistic community while providing a work environment of equality in Chicago. Motivated by founding artist Veronica Cuculich along with two co-directors Arts of Life brought nine other individuals with developmental disabilities to create the organization we are today. Our shared vision grew from a passion for artistic expression and a need for an alternative system.
For artists at Arts of Life, a career in the visual arts is an opportunity for meaningful employment. Each artist has their own studio space and works independently from individualized project plans or receives 1:1 visual arts facilitation to increase their artistic skill set. Artists earn a monthly stipend for participation in the program with eligibility to receive bonuses based on personal annual art sales.
Today, we have two professional art studios and represent over 60 artists with varying levels of physical and intellectual disabilities. Each studio is 6,000 square feet and includes a community gallery that is open to the public.
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 Values
- Inspiring Artistic Expression: The Arts of Life model supports creative decision-making and experimentation, creating a safe place to take risks while promoting self-confidence, critical thinking, and problem-solving.
- Building Community: Arts of Life is a collective of professional artists built upon a foundation of collaborative decision-making and mutual respect.
- Promoting Self-Respect: Everyone at Arts of Life has both strengths and weaknesses. Within the community, we are fully accepted and encouraged to develop a deeper understanding of ourselves.
- Developing Independence: Our community members gain a sense of inner freedom through their creative practice and professional development, enabling us all to trust our own judgment and take personal and artistic risks.
Strategic Plan | FY21-24
Interested in Art of Life's three year strategic plan? Check out the overview here.
Miami Debut at NADA and Untitled Art
Arts of Life exhibits for the first time during Art Basel Miami Beach at two fairs – NADA and Untitled ArtChicago EXPO Debut
Arts of Life exhibits for the first time at Chicago EXPO – the city’s largest art event of the year.
The Outsider Art Fair Debut
Arts of Life exhibits in New York City at The Outsider Art Fair – a fair showcasing self-taught art, art brut, and outsider art from around the world.
Community Programs Launch in Evanston
Fueled by investments from Builders Initiative, Arts Work Fund, and the Block Family Foundation, Arts of Life launches our first community programs in Evanston with in-home supports and a partnership with the Evanston Art Center.
Awarded a Builders Initiative Grant
Arts of Life receives a three-year capacity-building grant through the Builders Initiative to expand our gallery and community programs.
Art on the Mart
Arts of Life participates in Art on theMART, the largest permanent art projection in the world, alongside the Art Institute of Chicago and Joffrey Ballet.
Arts of Life Becomes State Licensed CDS
Arts of Life is approved as a state-licensed Community Day Service – a program outside of the individual’s residential living arrangement that focuses on the development and enhancement of daily adaptive living skills and economic self-sufficiency.
20th Anniversary
The pandemic disrupts most anniversary plans, but our Arts of Life North Shore Studio celebrates its 10th birthday at the Wilmette Theatre.
ABC7 News Feature
Hosea Sanders and Marissa N. Isang from ABC 7 news highlight Arts of Life.
In Good Company at the Chicago Cultural Center
The Chicago Cultural Center invites Arts of Life to curate an exhibition titled “In Good Company,” featuring seven artists from the studio and four from the community.
Middlebrow Beer Co Artist Beer Can
North Shore studio artist, Amanda Gantner, partners with Middlebrow Beer Co., designing a line of beer cans.
A is for Artist at the Ukrainian Institute of Modern Art
Arts of Life featured at the Ukrainian Institute of Modern Art A is for Artist exhibition curated by Scott Hunter showcasing 24 studio artist.
Waisman Center Permanent Collection
28 Arts of Life pieces are accepted into Waisman Center’s permanent art collection and featured in the exhibition Drawn to Art.
Circle Contemporary Gallery Launch
Arts of Life’s first gallery, Circle Contemporary – Chicago, launches with year-round exhibition programing.
Awarded a Coleman Grant
Arts of Life receives a three-year capacity-building grant through the Coleman Foundation and launches the Artist Enterprise Program (AEP) to advance artists’ professional development.
CB2 Partnership
Chicago studio artist, Guy Conners, partners with CB2 for a limited-run print of his painting “Ice Cream Cone.”
Enrollment Reaches 60
Artist enrollment reaches 60 between the two studios.
Teaching Artist Residency Program Launches
The Arts of Life’s Teaching Artist Residency Program (TARP) begins serving schools and students in the North Shore, providing arts-based education to a broader community.
Awarded Chicago Community Trust’s SMART Growth Grant
Arts of Life is selected to participate in the Chicago Community Trust’s SMART Growth program, a four-year capacity building initiative.
Get the Dinosaurs on the Phone Album Release
The North Shore band, Van Go Go, releases their first album “Get the Dinosaurs on the Phone” with a launch party at the Wilmette Theatre.
