IPaintMyMind featured on WTTW Chicago Tonight

After being featured in the Chicago Tribune as a result of our huge program push during the first two weeks of September, the good word found its way to Angel Idowu, the Arts Correspondent for WTTW Chicago Tonight. She reached out to us then came out with her crew to film one of our recent client project at Fulton Galley, and then also joined us at Northwest Middle School to see how we turned art for our client into art programs for kids in Chicago.

Our mission grew from 13 annual school partners to 23, with a total community art exhibition roster of 26 locations citywide.

Being able to speak about our mission, programs, and vision for a more connected and creative Chicago was a huge opportunity for us, and we love the way the feature turned out.

As the article says, “The nonprofit purchases collections from local artists to lease to those clients or hang in schools. They’ve developed a large collection that currently totals 1,300 prints. One of those collections hang in Fulton Galley, a food hall in the West Loop.

Together, the food hall and the nonprofit curated the walls with sneakers by local artist All Star Press. About 80% of the artist are local, including visual artist Grae Galindo Rosa. Rosa’s latest collection for the nonprofit can be seen hanging in the halls of Northwest Middle School. It’s a Chicago version of the Mexican game, Lotería.

Like the nonprofit, Rosa also wants to make all types of art accessible to students.

“Knowing that the youth can see my art in their school and then also feel a tie to it … I feel like it makes sense to me. That is really important,” Rosa said.

“Having the artwork here, I’ll be able to bring my students down to see it in their school instead of going to a gallery,” said Roxanne Piersanti, an art teacher at Northwest Middle School. “We’ll create art based on the work they’ve seen here. Use this as inspiration to paint their piece.””

Our model is really all about mutual benefit and we’re proud of how the work was showcased on Chicago Tonight.

IPaintMyMind featured on Chicago Tonight, WTTW Chicago – October 1st, 2019 from IPaintMyMind on Vimeo.