Chicago Urban Art Retreat Center Promotes Acceptance and Diversity
Our Focus
Bringing people together by offering socially impacting art, positive programs, creative workshops, women’s retreats, and volunteer opportunities to engage the community.
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Introduction to Urban Art Retreat
Chicago Urban Art Retreat Center (CUARC) is organized to provide a safe space for people who are different from each other to come together and learn from each other. This non-profit was created to provide support and positive opportunities for underrepresented people in an environment that strives to be multicultural. CUARC urges its volunteers, program participants, and people, in general, to examine social justice issues, learn from them, and apply that knowledge to decreasing sexism, racism, classism, homophobia, ableism, ageism, and other oppressions.
Through our community building, we partner with other organizations to increase awareness about many important issues that all of us can act upon to bring about positive change in our communities. By utilizing art-making and discussion, we help and support people to learn, change, grow, and become proud of improving their lives. Using early women studies programs as models, our organization offers hands-on real-life inner-city experiences for our volunteers and interns who are supervised by our Program Manager. Everyone involved has a chance to make improvements in their lives, to broaden their view of life and living, and learn more about diverse cultures via the process of art-making and sharing our experiences.
Our programming offers opportunities for people to contribute to the lives of others, feel supported while they change and grow, and help decrease stereotypes and negativity.
Our Programs
Athena’s House
Athena’s House is a safe and affordable women’s residence for female travelers and other women in transition. The residence is located on our second floor, is totally furnished, and offers daily and monthly rates for women who stay with us. We also offer retreats for women to reduce stress. Relaxing Retreats feature art-making, discussion, tea, meditation. Retreats can take place for an afternoon, or even overnight if a room is available. Our guests come from all over the world and find a real “Life In the City” experience.
Florence Gardens
Florence Gardens is our large gardens comprised of a series of small relaxing floral, green gardens. We have many small paths running throughout. During the nice weather, much of our programming takes place outside. The children are encouraged to learn where life is grown, where food comes from, how seeds grow plants. Many youth and adults earn their service learning hours and community service hours here and helping to care for our property in general. We don’t use pesticides and there is always a lot of weeding to do. We have a mural on the side of our small outer building (used to house gardening tools and donations) and on the back, there is a mural of a large peace sign comprised of many kinds of animals.
We have painted many message murals in the garden with words like “even critters don’t litter” and “all you need is love” and “don’t mess with the animals” and “thank you.” We have painted flat stones for some of the paths. There is a small meditation garden in the back. One path has tiny glass vials turned upside down pushed into it with a variety of colors showing through. We have created 3 sculptures in the gardens. One honoring President Obama, one a horizontal homage to Toni Morrison, another a vertical homage to Maya Angelou. We hope to add a water feature one of these days with a constantly running water fountain.
DIFFERENTLY MINDED Art Studio
Differently Minded Art Studio is a place where non-artists, artists, adults with or without mental illness can make art side by side. Located on our lower level, the art studio is the site for diverse community art projects, classes for non-artists, learning and illustrating the social issues of our time, plus a way to relax into art-making to reduce stress and decrease stigma.
A PLACE TO MAKE ART
Have Studio Will Travel
Have Studio Will Travel is our off-site program that allows other organizations without art programming to subcontract our organization to offer programming for their population at their site. CUARC offers art programs, therapeutic art experiences, stress reduction/relaxation sessions, and community participation at other sites for diverse populations. Whether for client populations or employee populations, we can help fill the gaps.
PEACE ACTIVITIES
Peace Walks
Peace Walks are scheduled periodically during nice weather. Children and adults have painted peace signs and peace vests to carry and wear during peace walks around the area. We hope to encourage children to yearn for and become active for peacebuilding. We hope to remind adults that peace can be possible. Reach out to us to find out about the next Peace Walk.
Peace Parks Project of North Lawndale
We are working with other individuals and organizations in the area to acquire vacant lots and create Peace Parks from them. We landscape the lot with pathways, shrubs, trees, flowers, and peace sculptures. In addition, we install life-size sculptures honoring African American heroes to honor African heritage, inspire African American kids and adults in general. We use recycled materials in the creation of the sculptures made by groups of regular folks from around Chicago and beyond.
Our organization is totally run by volunteers!
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