Our collective members were the first group of artists at the scene of 38th and Chicago. Instead of public murals, we knew that we needed to create space for the community to vent, heal and create. We asked a local art store for canvas and supplies, and presented this canvas outside at Chicago Fire Art Center, (right next to Cup Foods). We provided space for our grieving community to heal through art. This ignited a new organizational initiative we call, Art Heals. We expanded the vision of what we started on 38th and Chicago. To date, we have created over 10 Art Heals events throughout the community. Art heals events provide, kids' art therapy activities, with certified art therapists, and certified circle leaders that provide space for healing conversations. In addition, artists lead community murals and we provide free food, music, entertainment, and free bags of art supplies for kids as well as free books and school supplies. We have given out over 500 bags of free art supplies to date. Through the Art Heals programming, we have created over 20 community murals, touched over 600 families with therapeutic art activities, and gathered over 100 volunteers, donations, partnerships and sponsors to aid in continuing the work.
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