As part of Gorton Center’s commitment to foster community well-being, we are proud to unveil our partnership with the Art Impact Project, commencing on June 11th and recurring every 2nd Tuesday of the month.

Art Impact Project, celebrating its tenth anniversary this year, is a non-profit organization in the Chicago area dedicated to enhancing emotional wellness through creative expression. Through a supportive and nurturing environment, participants are guided step-by-step through the creative process, ensuring that everyone, regardless of artistic background, can tap into the therapeutic benefits of art. “Combining art making with safe, non-judgemental emotional support facilitates creative expression and gives people powerful coping skills”, explains Art Impact Project’s Founder and Director, Vickie Marasco. 

Art Impact Projects are free to the public. Participants range from adults to high school and middle school students, all pursuing emotional wellness through the creative process of making art.

Coming Up This Summer…

June 11: Prompted Paintings, you’ll receive a canvas and acrylic paint, along with a prompt, and we’ll see what each person in the group creates. This project is a great analogy for how creating art promotes tolerance by accepting and appreciating different viewpoints.

July 9: Neurographic Art, this watercolor doodling project creates a mindful and meditative, yet aware state through the creation of new neural connections. This relaxing and meditative process teaches mindfulness and a method to deal with any number of emotions.

August 13: Benefit of Art, This multi-media project asks the question, how does art benefit you?  Learn first-hand the benefits of creating art in small groups like this, while you create your own unique panel(s) using acrylic paint and collage materials.  

Each session will be held 6:00 – 7:30 pm and is complimentary, sponsored by Northwestern Medicine. The sessions aim to foster a sense of community and support, allowing participants to connect with others while discovering the profound impact of art on personal growth and healing.

Fostering Community Well-Being

“We are thrilled to embark on this partnership with Art Impact Project as we celebrate five decades of serving the Lake Forest community,” said Libby Johnson, Director of Programs at Gorton Center. “At Gorton, we believe in the power of the arts to enrich lives and promote well-being, and our collaboration with Art Impact Project perfectly aligns with our mission. We look forward to offering these transformative experiences to our community members of all ages and backgrounds.”

Register Here!

Register today for Art Impact Project Sessions and explore the full range of Gorton Center programming Gorton Center website at https://gortoncenter.org/.

A special thank you to Northwestern Medicine for sponsoring the Wellness Programs at Gorton Center throughout our 50th Anniversary year.