Up & Up 2025

Vontrell Nunn will be representing Arts of Life at this years Up&Up kite themed exhibition featuring over 50 artists!!!

The event will take place at Promontory Point:

July 27th, 2025
11:00 am – 4:00 pm

Up & Up is an annual collaborative kite project originally started by Noël Morical and Christina Sadovnikov, and currently led by Christina Sadovnikov. Each year, over 50 artists from various locations are invited to participate. The initiative was born from a desire to create a community-centered art project that engages with contemporary art in a unique way. Each artist contributes one to two handmade kites to be flown collectively in Chicago, creating a rich, ever-shifting tapestry of kites in the sky.

The history of kites as symbols of defiance and liberation, and tools for uplifting spirits through play, is central to the project. Up & Up’s mission is to dismantle barriers to accessing contemporary art, spark meaningful dialogue between artists and community members, provide emerging artists with a visible platform, and highlight the politics of the public space that is activated. Through fostering new experiences among diverse participants and viewers, Up & Up aims to unite communities for critical conversations via collective play and become a catalyst for art events that directly engage with the site they occupy.

A Special Note About Promontory Point

This is the second year Up & Up will be taking place at Promontory Point in Chicago, IL. For over two decades, this historic park has faced the threat of large-scale redevelopment. In 2027, Promontory Point’s limestone steps will be demolished and replaced with a concrete wall, a project that will close the park for 5 years and cost around 100 million dollars. To learn more or get involved in preserving this unique site, visit promontorypoint.org