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“The world is but a canvas to the imagination.” —Henry David Thoreau
In life there are problems and there are solutions. Most of
the time, solutions solve dilemmas, more or less allowing
people to put a period on situations that formerly had question
marks. Yet every now and then, there is a solution that is not finite in its grasp, but begetting of rich, vibrant ideas that are woven into a once gray fabric to create an ever-growing tapestry of life in living color.
Case in point: The Arts of Life. This 10-year-old Chicago-based organization exemplifies the model of a dynamic solution in action. What was started as a way to give people with and without disabilities a refuge of sorts where they can explore and thrive in the limitlessness of their creativity has become a community pillar that gives back not only to the artists within but to people near and far, serving as a beacon of hope, inspiration and proof that we all can live up to the best of our abilities if we're given the chance.
Here, THE FAMILY GROOVE talks to Tim Sarrantonio, the outreach coordinator for The Arts of Life, about the organization that has helped so many people over the past decade find their true colors.
THE FAMILY GROOVE: Let's start here with a blank canvas. Paint us the picture of how The Arts of Life came to be.
Tim Sarrantonio: Our organization began when our executive director, Denise Fisher, was working with our founding artist, Veronica Cuculich. “Ronnie,” as she’s affectionately called, would come home from work annoyed at the frustrations that come with much of the job opportunities available for people with developmental disabilities. To calm herself down, Veronica would do small art projects, and with that, the foundational idea of The Arts of Life was born. Denise and Ronnie, along with about 10 other artists, founded the organization in 2000 as a place for people with and without disabilities to come together to create and grow together.
TFG: How does the program work?
TS: Our organization has its four guiding principles that are designed to help enrich the lives of our artists:
1. Building Community. Our primary purpose is supporting each other as professional artists in creating a thriving arts community based on cooperative decision making and mutual respect.
2. Inspiring Creativity through Art. Our model uses art facilitation to support creative decision making and experimentation, increasing the artists’ self-confidence. Because there are no mistakes in art making, each artistic decision creates a new problem-solving opportunity.
3. Promoting Self-Respect. We encourage our members to accept themselves for who they are and develop a better understanding of their strengths and weaknesses. The artists grow to understand that they are as unique as their works of art and learn to value their differences.
4. Developing Independence. Our environment naturally encourages our artists to develop their sense of independence. Through their artwork and as members of the community, they gain a sense of inner freedom, enabling them to take risks and trust their own judgment.
In a practical sense, artists come to our studio and have their own workstation, with artists grouped together to facilitate conversation and artistic exchange. We have a wide variety of materials the artists can work on and with—glass panels, wood, canvas, dolls, fabric and much more. We also have a band that has played many venues around Chicago, as well as a performance art group and a puppet show. Yet the best part of our program is how we run the studio itself. Every other week we hold a studio meeting that gathers every artist in one area and we discuss decisions pertaining to the studio. We talk about new artists and staff, accreditation with state agencies, potential issues in how the studio is being run, marketing materials and anything else that goes into running a full-time arts studio. We also have committees that discuss everything from advocacy work to how the studio will be cleaned. Artists, staff and board members all participate in these committees and collectively decide what should be done. Overall, we feel this is the aspect that makes us Chicagoland’s most unique art studio!
TFG: Artists’ enclaves have pushed modern culture forward for hundreds of years. Your organization has created a community through art for almost 10 years now. How has the program, its members and its mission enriched the community at large?
TS: We have worked with more than 60 artists throughout the 10 years and currently have 25 in our Chicago studio. Through a partnership with Starbucks, we have our art displayed throughout the Chicago area, giving people a fresh outlet to view our art. Our Awards Show and Summer Exhibition draw hundreds of people to come and enjoy both our artists and their newest work. We have partnered with organizations like Easter Seals and Perspectives Charter Schools to bring our art into their communities. In the past year, our band has played at venues such as the Old Town School of Folk Music, the Hideout and the Heartland Cafe, with each show drawing an average of 100 people dancing and singing along with our songs.
Yet the best and most exciting example of enriching the community at large would have to be our new studio in Glenview, soon to be open to serve the suburbs of northwest Chicago. This expansion in our 10th year will support at least 10 new artists from the North Shore area. The opening of the new studio was prompted by the desire of parents of artists in the area to have our wonderful program brought closer to them. We are working feverishly to have the studio open on Jan. 4, 2010, and look forward to bringing our mission of building community through art to even more people!
TFG: Tell us about your artists. What are their goals, hopes and dreams? What draws them to enter the program?
TS: Our artists are a diverse set of people. Each of our artists has an artistic statement that answers this question, so I’ll draw from their own words:
Artist David Krueger says, “To me, art makes me really happy about myself. It makes me feel happy to experience the different colors. I like to draw anything that comes to my mind. Circles, triangles, ovals, hexagons, the Hulk. I like to do mountains and the Special Olympics. I like people; it reminds me of my father. I miss him, he passed away; my mother and grandmother passed away, too, so I like to draw pictures of them. I’m inspired by family members I’ve lost, and my dog who passed away—he was my best bud. I draw him all the time.”
Artist Frances Roberts says, “I’m learning how to paint more and draw more. When I first started, it was trees and houses. I put the sun and the sky and clouds. I’m learning how to draw people right now. I like coming here to the studio. I haven’t made flowers in a long time; I’m trying new things. I like to make art because I’m learning new things.”
Artist Debbie Vasquez says, “Art is cool! When I make art, I use all kinds of things: paint marker on windows, paint on windows. I did a collage with paper on the windows. Papier-mâché. Collage that I draw on with black marker. Sculpture, I use wooden boxes and glue. Also I do sewing and photography. My family looks at my pictures— they say, “That’s Debbie’s!” I like to dance. CDs are great—cowboy CDs. Art makes me feel good. I like to come to the studio. I like to be on the website and in shows and in photos. I like to show people my art.”
That is just a sampling of our artist statements. For anyone interested in hearing more from our artists, they can visit our artist profiles at: www.artsoflife.org/our-artists.
TFG: The art is truly powerful on so many levels. What's in the works for 2010 in terms of getting the art and your message out there on an even bigger level?
TS: For next year, we have a campaign planned celebrating our 10 years. The campaign, called “I AM… Ten Years of The Arts of Life,” will feature 12 different types of people who make up our organization—artists, collectors of our art, musicians, board members, volunteers, donors, etc. We’re about to do a photo shoot that will showcase each of these types of people. Each month we’ll be touring around the Chicagoland area showing portraits of these photos and having fun events that explain about each part of our program. For instance, during our mentor-themed month, we’ll be holding a forum on outsider art and disability at a local university. There will also be other fun events tied into this campaign, and we would love to have a large-scale promotional campaign throughout the Chicagoland area. We’re extremely excited for this 10-year celebration and want as many people to know about it as possible!
Also, through the opening of our Glenview studio, we’ll be expanding into the North Shore area, giving a whole new group of people the ability to see our art. We’ve started talks with local merchants in the area to showcase our work, and our annual Awards Show is planned for a location between both of our studios to reach a wider audience. The Awards Show, an event for appreciation of our artists, will be held at the Irish American Heritage Center on Feb. 11. With the addition of the new studio and the 10-year campaign, we hope to have even more art to showcase and are looking forward to a busy year.
TFG: You're opening a new studio. Any plans to take the studios nationwide?
TS: We currently are not looking to expand outside of Illinois, but with proper support, we would love to have our model go nationwide. We’ve taken 10 years to perfect our model and simply want to make sure that the artists come first and have a direct say in their studios. Yet with proper support, we’d love to be able to open a new studio every 18 months.
TFG: What do our readers need to know about the state of adults with disabilities?
TS: More than 15,000 people with developmental disabilities and their families are on the "wait list" for home- and community-based services in the Illinois Medicaid program. Families struggle to do the best they can to earn a living while also caring for our loved ones who may require extensive help with the activities of daily living that most take for granted. The challenges facing people on wait lists and their families are significant, and in many cases can be debilitating.
Medicaid home- and community-based services are not portable! That means that people with developmental disabilities who are fortunate enough to receive services cannot move to another state for a military transfer, or take a promotion in the private sector, or help care for an aging family member without starting over at the bottom of the wait list in the new state.
There are 200,000 individuals with developmental disabilities in Illinois.
Illinois is ranked 50th nationwide in funding for individuals with developmental disabilities.
There are still eight state-operated institutions in Illinois, where they have no personal space or personal rights.
There is a 90 percent unemployment rate for persons with an intellectual or cognitive disability.
TFG: To what do you attribute your organization's staying power?
TS: The simple yet powerful idea that drives our organization is that adults with disabilities cannot only make their own decisions but steer the growth of an organization. Everything we do, from setting up the studio to deciding what songs our band plays to creating the promotional materials for our events, is done in such a way to give the power and direction to our artists. We have several artists who have been with us since the start and are still making art in the studio. We love what we do and feel that people respond to the optimism and creativity our studio represents.
TFG: Where is The Arts of Life 10 years from now?
TS: In 10 years we’d love to have hundreds of artists working with us in studios all over the country. But most importantly, we’ll still have the same basic foundation—bringing people with and without disabilities together to create art and grow together.
TFG: How can our readers help?
TS: Regardless of their connection to the disability population, your readers can enjoy our art and our music. They can visit our website to find out more, watch our videos on YouTube, bob their head to our CD, or come visit our studios if they’re in the Chicagoland area. Even if they don’t live in the area, they can check out our artists’ work on our Flickr page or our Facebook page, and if they see something they like, we can ship it to them!
If they have children with disabilities who might fit our program, let us know. The reason we opened a North Shore studio is because of the hard work and drive of parents in the area. And, of course, donating to our organization is a great way to show support. In addition to buying art, donations for art supplies and operating costs are gladly accepted; as little as $10 can buy brushes for our artists, while $2,000 would support one artist’s art and administrative needs for an entire year! If they’re interested in donating, they can visit our page here.
Finally, we’re launching a program called “Friends of The Arts of Life,” which gives people the tools to become elite fundraisers for our organization. Anyone interested in the program can contact Tim Sarrantonio for more information on this exciting new program.
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