A New Kind of Art Project

Over the month of April, guests of the LPCS and students from the School of the Art Institute worked together to create a collaborative art project.  At the start of the project, no one knew what they were going to create.  The group met once a week for 5 weeks, talking about different ideas and concepts they could work on.  Three different ideas were presented to the guests of the LPCS (not just those in the class), and in the end the group decided the project of choice was to create a new mural for the LPCS dining room.  The next step in the process was to come up with a couple of different design concepts to choose from.  Again, all guests of the LPCS were asked to vote on which concept they liked the best.  "The Sky's the Limit" was the winner!  But this wasn't going to be any ol' mural--it was going to be an interactive mural!  Using a layer of special paint, the group created a magnetic background.  Guests and students then created individual magnetic pieces that can be moved and changed by whoever walks by. 

The guests loved working on the project.  Haley, one of the SAIC students, had this to say: " I am so glad that I was able to have the opportunity to work with my classmates and [the guests of LPCS] to carry out our mural project....It was exciting to see to hear everyone’s ideas each week, and watch them unfold as the mural became realized....I hope that the space remains as dynamic as it was in the beginning, and that people will continue to engage with it and feel the same sense of empowerment as we did."

Thanks to everyone who participated in the project--what a great collaboration!   

Next time you are at LPCS, be sure to stop by and check out the mural, and if you feel inspired, have fun with it!  

The Sky's the Limit completed mural

More photos can be viewed here:  http://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.10150183308596968.306292.12785941967&l=737c6c5719

Learning through Teaching

Imaginarium, 2010

I first heard about LPCS when I was a student at School of the Art Institute in Spring 2010.  Our class worked with some of the guests for several weeks on a Community Art Project entitled Imaginarium, which we then displayed in a one-night show. We worked together, on separate panels that were finally interlocked to make a free-standing sculpture. Each piece was different, and couldn’t stand up on its own, but together they made a wonderful thing, much like each one of us in our community.  I wasn’t sure exactly what to expect, but found the guests to be so friendly, eager to learn and try new things, expressing themselves through different visual media, I felt privileged to be a part of it. The staff and guests are so welcoming, some of my classmates and I didn’t want our "Art Class Wednesdays" to end, so we continued them weekly throughout the summer.

Now I teach it one day a month, and it is one of the most gratifying things I have ever done: for example, when a guest who claims “oh, but I’m not an artist,” jumps in anyway and tries, and ends up creating something beautiful and unique, the smile on their face is priceless. Even though it takes a bit of planning to balance time for my own homework and hunt for art supplies, I love the friendly creative energy at LPCS so much, working with the guests in these art classes is absolutely worth it. I am honored to have been invited back to participate with the LPCS guests and students in this year’s SAIC Community Art Practices class, and look forward to the new amazing work we will create. We look forward to meeting you at our truly unique show in May, so mark your calendars for Wednesday, May 4th!

--Leona, SAIC student and LPCS volunteer

Imaginarium

Tables covered in scraps of cloth, markers and paint is not the first thing I would expect to see at a homeless shelter! Let alone an entire dining area transformed into an art workspace filled with students from an elite art school and guests at the shelter sharing laughter and creativity! For the past 6 weeks, students from the School of Art Institute of Chicago have been collaborating with guests in projects such as: making felt from scratch, creating a 3-D wall puzzle, and a visualization of each individual’s strengths weaving into one another.


If this sounds like something you have to SEE to BELIEVE, then come to the finale exhibit, entitled Imaginarium, on Wednesday, May 5 between 5:30-7:30pm at the Lincoln Park Presbyterian Church, 600 W. Fullerton Pkwy. In the students’ and guests’ own words: “The creative exchange between both guests and students has evolved into a sculptural mural project that literally links together and transverses the varying realms of our collective imagination. Celebrate with us and enjoy a night of fun, food and joyous conversation!”

If you have any questions, please email lpcsinfo@lpcsonline.org or call 773.549.6111 x216. We look forward to seeing you at the Imaginarium!