credit: Tom Harris Photography
Public Programs Registration
The School of the Art Institute of Chicago (SAIC) hosts programs for the North Lawndale community in the 12th-floor classroom at Nichols Tower in Homan Square. We offer free classes, workshops, and events in a variety of art genres for adults (ages 18+), youth (ages 14-18), and intergenerational groups (ages 13 and up; children ages 12 and under are welcome to attend with an adult).
Our workshops are often led by local art instructors and provide participants with the opportunity to learn a specific art skill or technique.
The LostAndFound Family Reunion Film Screenings
Date(s): Saturdays, July 6–July20
Time: 11:00 a.m.– 2:00 p.m.
The LostAndFound Family Reunion Project will lead the resident participants of Lawndale on a journey that deep dives into ancestral roots to recover lost bloodline relatives and their legacies. The project is inspired by the docuseries Finding Your Roots by Henry Louis Gates as well as the story of the Bruce Beach heirs in California. The project will have multiple programming components, starting with film screenings.
July 6: Finding Your Roots by Henry Lewis Gates, Jr.
July 13: The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks by George C. Wolfe
July 20: The Cost of Inheritance by Yoruba Richen (PBS)
The LostAndFound Family Reunion Workshop
Date(s): Saturdays, July 27-August 24
Time: 11:00 a.m.–2:00 p.m.
The LostAndFound Family Reunion Project will lead the resident participants of Lawndale on a journey that deep dives into ancestral roots to recover lost bloodline relatives and their legacies. The project is inspired by the docuseries Finding Your Roots by Henry Louis Gates as well as the story of the Bruce Beach heirs in California. The project will have multiple programming components:
Mining: Mining is gathering genealogical information using various platforms such as The National Archives and the Bristol English Project to find family histories.
Art making: The creation of silkscreen t-shirts with individual customized ancestor information and/or photo image transfer under "The LostAndFound Family Reunion" heading. 2D printmedia art-making that features mining.
Mining: July 27, August 3, & August 10
Art Making: August 17 & August 24
The LostAndFound Family Reunion BBQ
Date: Saturday, August 31
Time: 11:00 a.m.–2:00 p.m.
The LostAndFound Family Reunion Project will lead the resident participants of Lawndale on a journey that deep dives into ancestral roots to recover lost bloodline relatives and their legacies. The project is inspired by the docuseries Finding Your Roots by Henry Louis Gates as well as the story of the Bruce Beach heirs in California. Closing of the residency will culminate in an event which includes a LostAndFound Family reunion outdoor BBQ (we’ll be wearing our respective family t-shirts creations!), immediately followed by an outdoor spoken word gathering.
Lawndale Civic Design with Landon Williams & Mathew “Mac” Courtade
Date(s): Tuesdays & Thursdays, June 18-August 8 (off July 4)
Time: 1:00 p.m. - 4:00 p.m.
Class, with lunch
Lawndale Civic Design is a youth summer paid internship for real-world application of design in the community. How can design make a neighborhood more livable and vibrant? The project goal is to create incentives for people to contribute using design while improving the community’s ownership of public space and making it friendlier. This year the course will have students create and learn about how designers can improve their neighborhood working with Redline Services on a garden lot.
Artrepreneurs with Hyero
Date(s): Mondays & Wednesdays, June 17-August 10 (off July 3); One Saturday in August for Lawndale Arts Fair
Time: 1:00 p.m.-4:00 p.m.
Class, with lunch
This is a class for Black, female, youth artists to embark on creating art and turning it into profitable careers. We'll explore various art forms, from jewelry making to painting, with a focus on building self-confidence and a supportive sisterhood. Students will receive a stipend for materials. By the end of this program, students will have the ability to create art, market their work, and gain the confidence to pursue their artrepreneurial dreams and sell their work at the Lawndale Arts Festival.