SkyART

With creativity at the center of everything we do, SkyART provides free, safe, open spaces where people are empowered, nurtured and connected through art. 

SkyART began in 2001 with one employee who taught 18 students two days a week in a small rented studio. SkyART is committed to providing young people with quality programming in safe, accessible spaces. That commitment, and a responsiveness to community needs, has continually positioned SkyART as a trusted center for creativity and community within and beyond South Chicago, the neighborhood we call home. Through a variety of programs, partnerships, and initiatives, SkyART reaches over 3,500 participants annually with its staff of 14, and its roster of teaching artists and art therapists. 

Programs

SkyART offers a broad range of FREE visual art programs for youth ages 3-24 and is defined by three Studio Programs take place at our studios in South Chicago:

SkyWAY, our program for youth ages 7-13, blurs the lines of formal art education and focuses on art-making as an inherently educational experience. Rooted in collaboration and experimentation, participants are immersed in a world of imaginative possibilities and invited to explore a broad variety of creative forms and activities led by our resident teaching artists.

SkyART studios are also open on Tuesdays and Saturdays for our teen program, Project 3rd Space (P3S), a program for young adults ages 14-24 who are serious about art as a pathway into their futures. P3S is meant to be a crucial bridge between high school and meaningful post-secondary educational and career opportunities. The program's weekly open studio session combines focused skill-building and open exploration to create an encouraging environment for self-discovery, communication, and collaboration.

In response to the current pandemic and social unrest, SkyART formally launched Project IMPACT, a program providing free one-on-one and group art therapy sessions, in 2021. Through Project IMPACT, SkyART participants and children from partner organizations connect with Art Therapists weekly to express their emotions and thoughts through creative activities.

SkyART has a number of other programs, including Just-US, which brings art therapy and open studio sessions to incarcerated youth, Family Table, which provides participants with home-cooked meals and teaches them basic cooking skills with food from our Artists Garden, and A is for Art, where young children listen to stories while participating in art activities.