Arts of Life

Arts of Life A collective space for artists with ID/D to expand their practice & strengthen their leadership. Non-Profit Arts Community

Check out this stunning installation of Tim Stone’s work made possible through our partnership with ArtLifting and their...
05/27/2026

Check out this stunning installation of Tim Stone’s work made possible through our partnership with ArtLifting and their corporate clients.

Arts of Life is pleased to partner with Artlifting, a social enterprise and benefit corporation that supports artists with disabilities by showcasing and selling their original works and high-quality prints to corporations nationwide. To date, six Arts of Life artists have been selected for this opportunity: Ted Gram-Boarini, Marcus Imani Kennedy, Susan Pasowicz, Alex Scott, Tim Stone, and Chris Viau.
 

Thank you to everyone that made our Annual Studio Sale and Chili Cook-Off a huge success!! We had so much fun and Can’t ...
05/27/2026

Thank you to everyone that made our Annual Studio Sale and Chili Cook-Off a huge success!! We had so much fun and Can’t wait to do it all again next year. In case you missed it, we will be having a virtual sale until June 2nd. Don’t miss out on these last chance deals! Extended Sale Link https://artsoflife.org/event/2026-studio-sale/

Susan Pasowicz Fabulous City!, 2022Colored pencil and graphite on paper19 x 24 in.Susan Pasowicz is a visionary artist c...
04/27/2026

Susan Pasowicz
Fabulous City!, 2022
Colored pencil and graphite on paper
19 x 24 in.

Susan Pasowicz is a visionary artist creating dreamlike, atmospheric worlds through graphite and colored pencil. Inspired by memory, the everyday, and the supernatural. Her layered mark-making builds into whimsical landscapes filled with portals, mirrors, and mysterious forms—inviting viewers into spaces where the visible and invisible intertwine.

Check out Susan’s work now on view in The Threshold Varies.

Circle Contemporary - West Town
2010 W. Carroll Ave
Chicago, IL 60612

Our next exhibition is just around the corner!Join us on Friday, May 8th, 5-8pm for the Opening reception of Wild Thing,...
04/23/2026

Our next exhibition is just around the corner!

Join us on Friday, May 8th, 5-8pm for the Opening reception of Wild Thing, Guest curated by Pia Singh.

FEATURED ARTISTS:
Elena Ailes – Chris Austin – Sayera Anwar – Cecilia Beaven – Renata Berdes – Chris Bradley – Zachary Cahill – Isamu Guy Conners – Mari Eastman – Sam Filicky – Joshi Radin Flores – Rosemary Hall – Erin Hayden – Mark Joseph Jefferey – Lawrence M. – Allyson Packer – Jasmeen Patheja – Carol Pyes – Tongji Philip Qian – Kellie Romany – D. Rosen – Alex Scott – Jacqueline Surdell – Chris Viau – Jean Wilson

ABOUT WILD THING:
Since 2020, Meta’s algorithm has been flooded with snippets of interspecies empathy- animals in different states of crisis have begun to display “human-like” behavior. From birds caring for pregnant felines, to horses rearing rabbits, or the story of a raccoon and dog forming a lifelong bond… existing (and surviving) stressors of climate catastrophe, war, and urban degradation, we quietly watch primates hug one another, refuse abandonment despite human threat, touching and protecting one another in ways that exceed the human affective awareness.Wild Thing traces these parallel trajectories and continuities, not just between the bipeds and beasts, but more broadly, within the worlds of artists…. Read more (link in bio)

WHEN:
Opening Reception - Friday, March 13 5-8pm

WHERE:
Circle Contemporary- West Town
2010 W. Carroll Ave
Chicago, IL 60612


Join us for our biggest sale of the year, featuring original work from 80+ studio artists, as well as the return of our ...
04/21/2026

Join us for our biggest sale of the year, featuring original work from 80+ studio artists, as well as the return of our famous Chili Cook-off!

Don’t Wait-Tickets are limited! Buying a VIP ticket guarantees you first dibs, plus

- Buy 2 pieces of artwork and get a 3rd one FREE!
- All-you-can-eat meat and veggie chili, drinks included.
- $75 Framing Credit from Artist Frame Service.
- Live Dj set by Tdy.

Tickets https://app.betterunite.com/aofl-studiosale?fbclid=PAVERFWARU1SJleHRuA2FlbQIxMQBzcnRjBmFwcF9pZA8xMjQwMjQ1NzQyODc0MTQAAacgCifUDJR2VlyOsRSAUtXfIX5tiN_EB1tfgmEAoNfXfPH7OjmwgaASkfVmCw_aem_eJhkrxIQAd25KQVGf2Oi3g

With prices starting at just $40, this is your best chance to build your collection, while supporting Arts of Life artists.

Who takes the crown in this year’s Chili Cook-Off? Cheer on your favorite team!
Participating Cook-Off Teams:
Good Weather/Schlep
Weatherproof
Team Gertie
Lan Tuazon & Juan Angel Chavez
Gallucci Foy
TUSK
George & Jeanne’s Mean Chili
Lizelia Towilers
llc .chicago

Thursday, May 21st | 5:00 PM – 8:00 PM

WHERE:
Arts of Life - West town
2010 W. Carroll Ave
Chicago, IL 60612


Staff Spotlight: Payton Harris-WoodardSince 2024, Payton Harris-Woodard has been making history with Arts of Life as the...
04/16/2026

Staff Spotlight: Payton Harris-Woodard

Since 2024, Payton Harris-Woodard has been making history with Arts of Life as the inaugural Program Manager for our South Side Studio. Now in its second full year of operation, the studio is flourishing as a collaborative space for our artists to make art and engage in an active community of artists both with and without disabilities. 

The South Side Studio was created to address two connected needs: a lack of accessible spaces for artists to create work and a lack of adequate disability support services. Payton’s deep roots in the community, her awareness of the needs of artists, and her relentless commitment to equity and justice in creative spaces have made her the ideal leader to launch the studio.

Payton is a painter and papermaker based on the South Side. She received a Bachelor’s from Columbia College Chicago and a Master of Fine Art from the School of the Art Institute of Chicago (SAIC). In her creative practice, she primarily works with acrylic, oil paint, and paper to create large-scale figurative portraits on paper and canvas. Her portraits are inspired by a combination of self-taken photographs and drawings as a means of personal catharsis through the lens of black surrealistic feminism. She juxtaposes fragments of marks, colors, body shapes, and symbolisms of thinking and being. (Read more in our news section, link in bio)

We are deeply saddened to share that longtime Arts of Life champion Betty Fisher passed away on March 27.In reflecting o...
04/15/2026

We are deeply saddened to share that longtime Arts of Life champion Betty Fisher passed away on March 27.
In reflecting on the impact of her mother, our Executive Director, Denny Fisher, shared, “Arts of Life wouldn’t be here without [my mom’s] belief that people with disabilities are vital to a strong community.”
“My mom spent her career working as an aide in special ed classrooms and coaching Special Olympics. I grew up when people with disabilities were educated only in ‘self-contained’ classrooms, [so] we didn’t have any intentional shared spaces. I did get to spend my school’s in-service days in my mom’s classroom, and this changed my life. They led me to connect with students at my school, coach in the Special Olympics, and eventually work at Camp Jened.”
“I’ve come to realize that this wonderful community we have at Arts of Life didn’t start with one idea, but with the many little things; stories my mom would share about the successes of her students, the inclusion I felt in her classroom as a young girl, and the joy I saw in her work.”
“I know our community will honor her legacy by continuing to reflect the values I saw in her every day.”

Denny’s full reflection is available to read here https://artsoflife.org/remembering-betty-fisher/

Image Descriptions:
ID1. Betty, Bob, and Denise Fisher at an Arts of Life Auction
ID2. A piece from Betty Fisher’s collection by Ronnie Cuculich

Paul Heyerevery body , 2025Oil on linen16 x 20 in.40.6 x 50.8 cm.Paul Heyer (Chicago, IL) has had solo exhibitions at Th...
04/14/2026

Paul Heyer
every body , 2025
Oil on linen
16 x 20 in.
40.6 x 50.8 cm.

Paul Heyer (Chicago, IL) has had solo exhibitions at The Green Gallery, Milwaukee, WI; Chapter NY, New York, NY; Mickey, Chicago, IL; and Night Gallery, Los Angeles, CA. His solo exhibition Chicago Works: Paul Heyer was on view in the spring of 2018 at the Museum of Contemporary Art, Chicago, where he has participated in multiple group shows. Other recent shows include Chapter NY, New York; Night Gallery, Los Angeles; Perrotin Gallery, New York; MX Gallery, New York; Galería Agustina Ferreyra, Mexico City, MX; Park View Gallery, Los Angeles; HOME, Manchester, UK; and What Pipeline, Detroit, MI. His work belongs in the permanent collections of the Museum of Contemporary Art, Chicago and the Brauer Museum of Art, Valparaiso University, Valparaiso, IN. His work has been written about in Art Agenda, Artforum, the New York Times, and FlashArt. He lives and works in Chicago.

Check out Paul’s work now on view in The Threshold Varies, at Circle Contemporary - West town, which closes April 24th.

Circle Contemporary- West Town
2010 W. Carroll Ave
Chicago, IL 60612


ChicagoArtExhibition

Marvin Young “Impressions of a City” opens tomorrow at Intuit Art Museum!Curated by Christina Stavros, “Impressions of a...
04/08/2026

Marvin Young “Impressions of a City” opens tomorrow at Intuit Art Museum!

Curated by Christina Stavros, “Impressions of a City” captures Young’s memories of growing up on Chicago’s South Side. Marvin transforms everyday moments into vibrant, large scale scenes and portraitures. His work blends past and present, inviting us to see the city through his eyes.

Intuit Art Museum
Apr 9 – Aug 23, 2026
Douglas O. Robson Gallery
756 N. Milwaukee Ave.
Chicago, 60642

Join us for our VIP Studio Sale + Chili Cook-Off as part of our 4-day Annual Studio Sale supporting Arts of Life! A wide...
04/02/2026

Join us for our VIP Studio Sale + Chili Cook-Off as part of our 4-day Annual Studio Sale supporting Arts of Life! A wide range of artwork from 80+ studio artists will be available at steeply discounted prices. As always, artists receive 60% of their sales!

Get first dibs on the best deals of the year – with prices starting at just $40! Plus, buy 2 pieces, get a 3rd free!

Our VIP night ticket buyers will receive first access to the best deals plus an exclusive raffle, all-you-can-eat all-you-can-eat chili (meat and veggie), and beer, and a $75 framing credit from Artist Frame Service. Tunes by Tdy.

Have you been missing our Chili Cook-Offs of yore? Stop by for some great bites AND the best art deals in town. 

Participating Chili Cook-Off Artist Teams:
Good Weather/Schlep
Weatherproof
Team Gertie
Lan Tuazon & Juan Angel Chavez
Gallucci Foy
TUSK
George & Jeanne’s Mean Chili
Lizelia Towilers

GET YOUR VIP TICKETS BEFORE
THEY SELL OUT!!! Link in Bio


llc .chicago

Address

2010 W Carroll Avenue
Chicago, IL
60612

Opening Hours

Monday 9am - 4pm
Tuesday 9am - 4pm
Wednesday 9am - 4pm
Thursday 9am - 4pm
Friday 9am - 4pm

Telephone

+13128292787

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