Meet our newest artist, Montell Payne!

Montell has been in our community for a little over a month and he’s a perfect addition to our community. He’s always in good spirits, talks to everyone, and has a generous smile and contagious laugh. Everyone enjoys his sense of humor and addiction to practical jokes.
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During this holiday season I feel that it is especially important to thank our founding artist, Veronica Cuculich, for the inspiration she continues to give us and for the wonderful person she was.

It’s hard to believe that January 3rd will mark 12 years for our community and even harder to believe that Ronnie isn’t here to share in the success. If you are an old friend of the studio, you had the pleasure of meeting Ronnie. If you are a new friend and weren’t able to meet her, I want you to know the important role she had in creating The Arts of Life.
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Why do we keep falling in love with
Kelly Stone over and over again?

Ever meet someone and instantly feel like you have known them forever? And then as your relationship develops, you wonder why it took you so long to meet? That’s how we feel about Kelly Stone. He’s so amazing in every possible way; we can’t believe that we haven’t been friends forever.

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What does The Arts of Life mean to Shannon and her family?

As part of The Arts of Life community, Shannon has gained friendships, pride in herself, and independence. Shannon’s family is pleased to find that at the studio “Shannon can be herself; she can express herself in a way that works for her. She’s finally come out of her shell and has become her own person”.

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Happy Holidays from the Board of Directors for The Arts of Life! We hope you had a wonderful, healthy 2011, and wish you continued happiness in 2012.

On January 3rd, we will celebrate twelve years of providing high quality, innovative service to 50 adults with developmental disabilities. I believe strongly in the core values with which Denise and Ronnie formed The Arts of Life and it has been an amazing experience for me to watch both studios grow using our model of collective decision-making. Each artist that joins our program challenges our model and moves us forward with their unique views and creativity. It has been a pleasure for me to help continue our mission of creating an artistic culture for both people with and without disabilities. I continue to be both encouraged and motivated by the artists in our community who have taught me how strong the need is for an environment that is open to both learning from all of its members and growing to represent everyone equally. (more…)

What does Jean mean to
The Arts of Life and L’Arche Chicago?

“Jean believes in The Arts of Life community”, says Steve Nazaran, Community Coordinator at L’Arche, an international federation of intentional communities in which people with and without intellectual disabilities live, work, play and pray together, creating home. Steve remembers a meeting before she joined the studio where Jean stated, “I guess workshops just don’t work for me”. She felt they weren’t invested in her and, in return, she wasn’t invested in them. “The Arts of Life is a natural extension of her life in L’Arche and something that she believes is really worth investing in”, says Steve.

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