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Help Our Artists Lead!
As Arts of Life approaches its 25th Anniversary, we can’t help but reflect.
We remember how exciting it was early on to focus on building our artists’ leadership skills and giving them total control over the program development. We could not have imagined then that our community would grow from nine artists and two staff in our original 1,500-square-foot space to 75 artists and 25 staff in three locations across Chicago-land.
This growth inspired us to envision how Arts of Life could be a model for a more inclusive art ecosystem. With your help, our artists with disabilities have led the way toward realizing this vision. Simply put, our community would not be possible without the unwavering support of inclusive art champions like you. Thank you!
We have the unique privilege of making space for our artists to develop their leadership skills, and we’ve witnessed how transformational this is to their lives. I can’t imagine a better representation of this than long-tenured North Shore Studio artist Laura McManus.
Fiercely independent and driven by an insatiable curiosity, Laura begins each day by maneuvering her wheelchair throughout the studio to see what’s new in the space and with her friends. Laura sets the tone for the day by ensuring each member is welcomed and appreciated. Studio Facilitator Travis Morehead shared, “One thing I love about Laura is whenever somebody enters a space that she hasn’t seen in a minute, she will point to them and just yell, announcing their presence and greeting them.”
Together in 2025, we will support even more artists like Laura to strengthen their leadership in our community and the broader contemporary art world.
Laura’s instincts are best highlighted by her commitment to her creative practice. Seeing her confidently and carefully create, it is clear that being an artist is at the core of who Laura is. Driven to express herself, she refuses to be held in by creative boundaries, recently expanding her practice into a new sculptural dimension. This creative risk was rewarded when one of her sculptures was exhibited at Chicago Artists Coalition this summer.
Our unchanging commitment to putting our artists first has led to incredible growth in each artist, their community, and their broader artistic reach. Imagine what is possible as we build on this momentum together into the next quarter century. To kick off this next chapter, in 2025 we will host a major museum exhibition, release a new book, and launch a line of household products. We will continue to expand our programs to include more artistic voices at our newly launched South Side studio and beyond.
To make this possible, we need to raise $160,000 by the end of the year. With your help, we can reach that goal. Your generous donation today will empower our artists to bring their bold vision to those who need to see it.
Our artists are ready to put their stamp on the art world. Will you join them?
To help us get there, we have several exciting opportunities.
Matching Challenges – double or even triple your impact!
- Gifts of $250+ are being matched dollar-for-dollar up to $30,000 by the Coleman Foundation through December 3rd.
- New recurring monthly $25 donations are also being matched dollar for dollar by the Coleman Foundation.
- Gifts of $1,250+ receive an additional dollar-for-dollar match up to $20,000 by an anonymous donor.
Employer Matching
Visit our new Employer Matching Gifts page to search and see if your employer offers a program to match your gift!
Peer-to-Peer Fundraising
Supporters who host a fundraiser through Facebook, Instagram, or Give Lively and follow our 5 simple requirements receive a FREE limited edition fine art print of their choice from 4 artwork image options including a new one by Laura. Access instructions and information here.
Noncash Giving
Visit our Noncash Giving page to donate Stock, Crypto, or DAF and learn more about how these gift types optimize your tax benefits!