Throughout the year, each of us has the opportunity to make a difference in many ways, for so many people! Gorton is grateful for our donors and we want to share more about how our supporters make an impact through generous donations.

Gorton is fortunate to be in the heart of the Lake Forest/Lake Bluff communities; welcoming many local patrons and organizations into our historic building! These relationships inspire us to keep a pulse on local trends and issues; which guide our priorities and programming.

In 2024, a partnership between Gorton Center and Art Impact Project (AIP) was initiated – made possible only through donor gifts. The mission of AIP is both simple and innovative: to enhance emotional wellness through creative expression by providing free workshops at many locations throughout the Chicago area (please visit their website to learn more!). Each month, Gorton welcomes AIP to hold sessions that combine art creation with nonjudgmental emotional support – which facilitates creative expression, builds connection, and gives attendees powerful coping skills and a window through which they can communicate their needs when words alone are not enough. These workshops are free to attendees through Gorton’s arrangement with AIP.

I had the pleasure of attending one of the first AIP x Gorton collaborations last summer; about a dozen of us chose our spots in the Art Room where the tables were arranged in a U-shape. After a short introduction of AIP, our facilitator shared with all of the participants that our project would be to use acrylic paint to create a canvas of “summer” – whatever that means to each of us. Each of us chose a palette and the paint colors as our ideas of summer took shape on our 8”x10” canvasses.

Throughout our session, all of us chatted as we painted – forming a small, intimate community for 90 minutes. With kind guidance to complete our paintings as the session neared its closing, each of us was able to show our project and explain the process of how we decided what “summer” means to us.

I left that evening with my painting (picture attached!), a smile, and a genuine warmth as I reflected on the small community that came together for a meaningful and powerful workshop.

This is one of the many ways your gifts to Gorton make a difference! Nearly 25% of Gorton Center’s costs are funded by generous charitable gifts, and the impact of this generosity comes to life in every area of programming – from the Children’s Learning Center and Gorton Drama Studio to films, live music, enriching classes, and community gathering spaces! Thanks to our donors, Gorton has flourished into a vibrant hub for community, arts, & culture. To see upcoming AIP x Gorton sessions, please visit gortoncenter.org. We hope to see you soon!

-Ann Kiesling, Manager of Donor Engagement