The North Shore’s Latest Team Member!

The North Shore welcomes Mike Hancock to our team as a one-to-one supporter and arts enabler for Cole Fox, a staple artist in our community!

Mike brings laughter and joy to the studio, with his energy lighting up the room each day he’s here. Due to his strong arts practice and positive attitude, Cole and the collective quickly took a liking to Mike. We are delighted to have him on board and excited to share a little bit about him!

How did you hear about the Arts of Life?

“I heard about the Arts of Life through a posting on the Chicago Artist Resource website, which led me to explore the Arts of Life website.”

What do you like most about The Arts of Life?

“I love the community environment of the Arts of Life. It is a very open and loving community where the artists are free to explore their creativity in a wide variety of ways. The studio meetings and community meal times provide opportunities for the artists to express their thoughts and feelings about everything happening at the Arts of Life, creating fantastic group synergy.”

What do you like most about being in the studio environment?

“I love how open the studio environment is. It allows for the artists and staff to communicate freely and bounce ideas off each other constantly. This openness facilitates easier assistance for the staff and encourages artist-to-artist interactions, creating a strong bond among everyone in the studio.”

What kind of work are you looking to do when you are here?

“While working at Arts of Life, I aim to interact with the artists as much as possible and assist them in any way they would like. I want to help them bring their visions and dreams to life while also challenging them along the way, so they can become more confident in their own artistic practice.”

Are you an artist and, if so, what kind of art do you do?

“I am a practicing artist myself. I do a lot of live painting at concerts and festivals over the summer. I love collaborating with musicians and other artists, exploring the ways in which different forms of art can connect and interact with each other. I think a lot about how we experience and construct life, exploring the connection between our thoughts and emotions with outside influences from the cultural to the natural world. Everything is beautifully interconnected, and those points of intersection are what I enjoy exploring in my own work.”

Do you have a favorite artist?

“Some of my favorite artists, as I can’t pick just one, are Android Jones, Autumn Skye Morrison, and Stephen Kruse. All are incredible visionaries in their own way.”

What do you do when you are not at The Arts of Life?

“Outside of the Arts of Life, I try to survive as an artist! I work three different jobs, some art-related and some not, and in my free time, I book live painting gigs and work on my own body of paintings in my studio. Since art is my passion, I integrate it into my life as much as I can, both inside and outside of work!”