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ARTSiE

@artsie_edu

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Engaging and empowering children and families through arts and education programming in the Chicago-land area
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✨ HONRANDO Cubano y Artista, PEDRO PULIDO ✨
Herencia cultural de arte, comunidad y resistencia

Join us Saturday, October 24th, from 8–11 PM to honor the legacy of Pedro Miguel González Pulido—a Cuban painter, sculptor, poet, and cultural activist whose work reminds us that art is more than expression: it is a tool for transformation, resistance, and collective healing.

A night celebrating the life and legacy of Pedro’s transformative power and joy sharing art with youth and families in Cuba. The children and people need our support to continue his legacy of healing arts and community. So, join us to celebrate the artists, poets, and visionaries who remind us that creativity can transform lives and bring communities together.

📅 Saturday, October 24th
⏰ 8 PM – 11 PM
📍Zentli, 1813 Dempster St, Evanston Illinois by @artsie_edu

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14 hours ago

✨ Make Main Character Magic! ✨

Ever wanted to create your very own picture book?

Join our very own teaching artist and local children’s author, Avani Chhaya, for an evening of writing, creativity, and picture books. We’ll explore a favorite memory, dive into character development, and start creating a main character for your very own story.

No writing experience needed, just bring your ideas, questions, and creativity!

📅 Wednesday, October 28
⏰ 6:00–7:30 PM
📍 Bookends & Beginnings
1620 Orrington Avenue, Evanston

Check out this link for more information and tickets:
https://bookendsandbeginnings.com/event/2026-10-28/make-main-character-magic-workshop-avani-chhaya by @artsie_edu

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2 days ago

🎨✨ Episode 5: Creating Mosaics - The Process

Children, families, and elders from Fleetwood-Jourdain came together to create ceramic tiles for the mural with the guidance of muralist and artist Alfonso “Piloto” Nieves-Ruiz.

Watch Episode 5 to see how these handmade tiles are transformed into meaningful pieces of a community mural! by @artsie_edu

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4 days ago

🌎 Happy Indigenous Peoples’ Day! 🌿

Today, we honor and celebrate Indigenous peoples, their rich cultures, traditions, resilience, and the generations of wisdom they continue to share. We recognize the history, acknowledge the struggles, and celebrate the strength and beauty of Indigenous communities past, present, and future.

May we move forward with respect, gratitude, and a commitment to listening, learning, and honoring Indigenous voices every day! by @artsie_edu

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4 days ago

🎶 Zentli Prehispanic Music Concert! ✨

You are invited to a special Prehispanic Music Concert featuring Moníque Verónica Santy / ILLHUIKAYOTL at our neighborhood restaurant, Zentli, at Dempster and Dodge in Evanston where art, culture, and community are celebrated.

If you didn’t know already, our very own Guest Artist, Alfonso “Piloto” Nieves-Ruiz, is also the owner of Zentli!

📅 Friday, October 9
⏰ 8:00–9:30 PM
📍 Zentli Restaurant
1813 Dempster St., Evanston, IL 60201
🎟️ $25–$45 sliding scale
✨ Limited seating available!

Cash App, Zelle & Venmo available. RSVP and payment through the QR code on the flyer. The link will also be in our bio!

https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSeLKD51swh6AKigsI18xo3yfPZzWFuMfO1u5IKnrLt8RAUvyQ/viewform by @artsie_edu

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10 days ago

🎨 Episode 3: The Mosaics & Ceramics Process
In this this episode, we’re diving into the mosaics and ceramics that helped bring the community mural to life!

Piloto has a long history of working with mosaics and ceramics, and throughout this project, ARTSiE brought the community together through workshops to create the ceramic pieces that would eventually become part of the mural.

Each piece started with someone from the community creating, shaping, and adding their own touch. Seeing all of those individual pieces come together to become part of one larger mural was such a special part of the project.

Watch and listen to learn more about the process and the story behind how it all came together!

#ARTSiE #communitymurals #mosaics #ceramics #communityart taken in Fleetwood-Jourdain Community Center by @artsie_edu

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12 days ago

Article of the Week - Miami Children’s Museum : Why Art Is Important for Kids

In the creation process, art offers children a chance to express themselves, build confidence, and learn how to work through challenges with themselves and peers.

A few takeaways from this week’s article:

1. Art builds confidence — Creating something of their own can give children a real sense of pride and accomplishment.

2. Art supports emotional growth — Drawing, painting, music, dance, and other creative activities offer children another way to express feelings and ideas.

2. Art builds important skills — From problem-solving and critical thinking to fine motor skills and hand-eye coordination, creative activities help children develop skills they use every day.
Art gives kids the space to explore, experiment, and be themselves.

Read this week’s article: “Why Art Is Important for Kids – The Role of Art Education in Child Development.”

https://www.miamichildrensmuseum.org/news-resources/benefits-of-art-education-for-kids by @artsie_edu

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17 days ago

🗓️October 9th
🕗8-9:30pm

📣Zentli is honored to have in the house @illhuikayotl Monique
Veronica Santy Ilhuikayotl

🪶She is Lakota-Oglala, Yaqui, an experienced Aztec ceremonial dancer and an ancestral/prehispanic sounds musician and storyteller
🌱🌀🌽She’s visiting us from Mexico. We hope you can join us in welcoming her and supporting her offerings, talents and medicine
She will be presenting her music here @zentli_evanston Oct 9, 8-9:30pm

💙Please pre-register as spaces are limited
We need so much to embrace our roots, our medicina, our cultural and spiritual heritage and return to honoring each other, all life and our precious planet with love, respect and appreciate.
Visit her page @illhuikayotl to register and find out more about her medicine. Also, you can go to our bio @zentli_evanston to register!

She also will be teaching a class right across the street from zentli at Heartwood meditation center 1818 Dempster , from 5:30-7:30, same day! After the class, you can just crossed the street and enjoy the concert!!
For a few months @vianey_aileen has been sharing her knowledge of ancestral Mexican dance, this would be a beautiful way to discover the work she does and continue learning our ancestral culture.
🌱🌀🌽💥💙🙏🏽🪶
#aztecdancers #worldmusic #music #flute #healing by @artsie_edu

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18 days ago

🎨 Episode 3: Mixing and matching colors to find the right hue
How do you know when a color is just right?
For mural artists Andrew and Piloto, it starts with an idea and a lot of experimenting. Andrew and Piloto worked from reference images to break those colors down into shades he could mix and bring to the wall.
Some colors started in the paint buckets. Others took a little more mixing and matching to get there.
In this episode, we’re taking a closer look at how Andrew and Piloto built a palette that could carry across the mural and bring its different themes together.
Swipe through to see how the colors came to life. 🖌️🎨
#muralart #muralprocess #artprocess #publicart #communityart by @artsie_edu

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19 days ago

✨ Class Update:

Last week our Lincolnwood, RAS Butterfly Dreams: Creating a Better World through Art session launched beautifully. exploring the fascinating world of Monarch butterflies, milkweed, and the nature all around us.

We imagined where we’ve spotted Monarchs before and shared our memories with a partner. Then, we dove into the first chapter of Grace and the Butterfly Effect, asking questions, sharing ideas, and letting our curiosity lead the way.

Ms. Sholo showed the children milkweed, dried plants, and a nature scrapbook. Every child decorated their very own nature journal, a special place to record observations and discoveries.

We can’t wait to see where their curiosity, creativity, and imagination take them next! 💚🌎🦋 by @artsie_edu

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22 days ago

Episode 2: 🎨 Planning the Mural

What happens before a mural goes up on the wall? What is the planning process behind it?

Since 2025, artists Alfonso “Piloto” Nieves Ruiz and Andrew Walker III have been working together to develop the mural for Fleetwood-Jourdain Community Center. They’ve explored everything from pencil sketches and color studies to 3D renderings of the mural in the actual space.

They spent time researching Adinkra symbols and thinking about which symbols could help tell the story of the 5th Ward community. Each symbol carries its own meaning, the artists were intentional about choosing imagery that connects to the community’s history, reflects where it is today, and gives the community something they can see themselves in and feel proud of from what they’ve built and the generations that came before them.

Watch the video to take a look at some of the early sketches, designs, and planning that went into the mural and hear from the artists about how they approached the process!

Music Credit: Velvet Cashmere by Jeff Kaale

#evanston #publicart #muralart #communityart taken in Fleetwood-Jourdain Community Center by @artsie_edu

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a month ago

Weekly Article Highlight:

We often talk about the importance of arts education, but what do we actually know about how arts experiences shape children as they grow?
This week, we’re highlighting a National Endowment for the Arts article that takes a closer look at childhood arts experiences and why they matter.

Key Points:
Arts experiences supports child development.
Participation in the arts is connected to social, emotional, and cognitive development during childhood.

The arts and academics are connected.
Research points to positive connections between children’s arts participation and outcomes in reading, math, and science.

Opportunity and access matter.
Children don’t all have the same access to arts experiences. Understanding those gaps is an important part of creating more equitable opportunities.

Read the full article:
https://www.arts.gov/stories/blog/2025/educating-ourselves-about-childhood-arts-experiences-and-why-they-matter

#artseducation #artsaccess #artsmatter #artsineducation #childhooddevelopment by @artsie_edu

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a month ago