Founded in 2001, the South Chicago Art Center provides free visual arts programming to underserved, overwhelmingly poor African-American and Latino youth on Chicago's gang-riddled South Side.
The Art Center's activities fall into two primary areas: out-of-school (Street SmARTs) and in-school (School SmARTs). Through these programs, the Art Center cultivates and enduring appreciation of the arts in the youth we serve. The Street SmARTs After-School Program runs weekly year-round at the Art Center and is complimented by cultural field trips and a teen internship program. School SmARTs In-school classes take place at local schools and the
In 2006, the Art Center began expanding its reach by offering out-of -school programs in other underserved neighborhoods. SmARTreach program runs at community centers and libraries in other similarly blighted neighborhoods throughout the year. These programs are flexible based on a venue’s needs. Sessions are hosted weekly for 5-10 weeks, monthly, or as one-day workshops.
Our College SmARTs program aims to help students build their art portfolios, explore college options, research scholarship and financial aid opportunities, and provide aid in paying for college application fees. Program staff will guide students through the process of writing strong artist statements for college admission and identifying what should be in their portfolio. We also partner with school staff and counselors to prepare youth for the SAT/ACT testing, to identify and help students apply for scholarship and grant opportunities, and to provide other general supportive services as it relates to the program.
Adult SmARTs provides workshops to parents as a way for parents to learn the visual arts techniques that can be shared with their children. We also provide workshops for classroom teachers to help teachers think of creative ways to engage students in more right-brained thinking by incorporating art into their academic curriculum.