Art and Mind

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At a local Chicago studio, neurodiverse creators make art and community Written by Wilson Chapman Designed By Emma Ruck

During the early months of found the studio staff’s support the pandemic, Cherylle for her as she was trying to imBooker was in a difficult prove her situation invaluable. situation. “When you’re in a tough aiming to continue support and criticism

She was living with a family situation, just that little bit of help education for neurodiverse Gallery to artists, but Jablonski said this is member she has a contentious re- and support, and people being 37 students after graduating high focused more on helping them to lationship with, and being stuck in there for you and understanding, It school. execute their vision to the fullest that environment was taking a toll means a lot,” Booker said. The program moved to virtual extent rather than change their on her mental health. Her primary Project Onward is a Chicago operations last year following subject matter or structure. outlet for therapy and self-ex- studio that provides resources for Chicago lockdown orders, but the “They support me in a way that pression is art, a lifelong interest local neurodivergent artists and studio and gallery is scheduled to they validate what my ideas and that began from watching Bob helps exhibit and sell their work. reopen on May 12. concepts are,” said John Behnke, Ross as a child. She specializes in Currently, the program supports “As an organization, I’m hoping an artist who has worked with creating beautiful, detailed ceramic 49 local artists. Some of those to become much bigger than we Onward since 2011. “They never masks inspired by anything from artists, like Booker, have depres- are right now, and I know we’re question anything that I was think-mythology to her internal feelings. sion, anxiety or bipolar disorder, going to succeed,” Gomez said. ing about doing, and they give Lockdown made it difficult for while others are on the autistic “If COVID didn’t take us down, me an outlet for creative criticism, her to create; she couldn’t attend spectrum; all share a passion and nothing’s gonna take us down.” which I never got.” her art therapy group, she found talent for the visual arts. Creative The staff employs part-time During lockdown, Onward it stressful working at home, and Director Robyn Jablonski said the volunteers, many of whom have pivoted their strategy to remote her worsening depression made program aims to counteract popu- backgrounds in art therapy or operations. Jablonski and Oliver producing work increasingly hard. lar stereotypes about neurodiverse social work, to assist artists while began hosting a weekly Zoom

Luckily, after a few months, artists, which tend to infantilize working in their studio. Jablonski meeting with all of the artists to Booker was able to find her own them and dismiss their work. and Studio Manager Whitney discuss their projects. Volunteers housing. She saved up money “It used to be, ‘Oh that’s cute,’ Oliver both started working as have also helped deliver supplies to move out by selling artwork ‘Oh look what they can do,’” interns and volunteers at Onward and pick up artwork from the through Project Onward, the through Project Onward, the Jablonski said, referring to how au- before they took on full-time. On- artists. studio she’s worked studio she’s worked diences often receive neurodiverse ward itself doesn’t provide social The pandemic has altered the with since artists’ work. “The work speaks work for its participants, but the way many artists have produced 2019. for itself, and the work next to staff does help connect artists to artwork. Before the pandemic, Booker any other Chicago artist, it stands resources when they struggle with Behnke would spend three to four said parallel.” mental health or financial issues, months creating an individual she Onward has its roots in a pub- Gomez said. painting — his work is brightly licly funded Chicago organization, Onward isn’t intended to teach colored fluorescent portrayals of Gallery 37, according to Executive art to participants as the program landscapes mixed with animals Director Nancy Gomez. The mostly accepts people with an and fantasy creatures. He found gallery offers programs operated existing portfolio of work, and that his emotions were constantly by Chicago’s Department of Cul- seeks artists who have a unique changing and every week felt like tural Affairs, including art classes viewpoint and style they’re he had an entirely new perspective to gifted juniors and seniors passionate about. The staff does that made working on a long-term in Chicago Public Schools. provide guidance and constructive project impossible. As a result, he Onward was founded in 2004,

has been working on draw- program. Onward helped him find Prince Phillip. Holt began making getting artists featured in more ings and smaller projects a wider audience for his work by these portraits in response to his outside museums and exhithat he can finish within a featuring him in exhibitions, and personal loss of his father, mother bitions such as EXPO week. he has enjoyed sales of his pieces and grandmother, as a way to show Chicago. At this stage, Behnke has anxiety, and through the online store. Last year, his “love and respect to all people.” however, she is focused since the pandemic began he Onward featured Shemroske’s art Holt said he’s very close with on supporting her current has drawn constantly in order in the international Outsider Art the staff and other artists at On- staff and artists through to alleviate it. He said Onward Fairs in New York and Paris. ward, who he describes as a “alpha the end of the pandemic. has been very supportive “They’ve been really helpful mega team” that has taught him Booker said working of him, calling to check in that way, there’s a lot of stuff I how to work professionally as an at Onward has helped her and giving him prompts and wouldn’t have sold if they didn’t artist. Onward has provided him develop her voice as an exhibitions to submit to so he come through and upsell them,” personal support during difficult artist, and has allowed her to can work. Although he is in a Shemroske said. “They’ve opened times; when his mother died in advocate for other neurodibetter place than he was in the me up a lot of a lot of doors and 2013, several artists and staff mem- verse people or people dealing beginning of the pandemic, it kind of given me a lot of oppor- bers attended her funeral. with mental illness. As has been difficult for him and tunities that I wouldn’t have had “They have been an awesome she describes it, many artists like him. otherwise.” blessing in my life,” Holt said. “If the image

“A lot of artists, they see In addition to the professional I ever need them, they are there of mental things going on around them, opportunities, Onward acts as a for me.” illness for too and they’re always observing, they support system and social network In the future, Gomez said many people see all the negatives,” Behnke said. for many of the artists. Artists tend she is aiming to expand Onward is a “person in a “Even when everything is perfectly to stay with the program for a long substantially, including moving straightjacket, in great, they see all the negatives.” time and develop long-lasting to a larger space, hiring a full-time a padded room.”

As the studio has been closed, friendships with each other. social worker or therapist, and Her art allows her to Oliver has focused on visualize her experiencexpanding the website’s es in a way neurotypical online store, and Onward started hosting monthly virtual exhibitions, including an ongoing exhibition for autism acceptance month called “The Feels” that began on April 16. " If COVID didn’ t take us down, nothing's gonna take us dowN." people can understand, and helps her and other people with similar struggles feel validated. “It’s given me a chance to kind of get on my soapbox and say, ‘Hey, you know, people with menOliver said the online store has become an entirely new source of revenue for Onward, one that has — Nancy Gomez Executive Director, Project Onward tal illnesses are human beings,’” Booker said. “Like we experience the same emotions as you do. They just present themselves in a allowed them to reach a different way.” ◊ much wider audience.

According to Gomez, the store has been a huge boon for Onward, and has helped “We laugh all day in the studio, the organization weather the there’s always something funny financial issues that have plagued going on,” Oliver said. “We are businesses during the pandemic. truly a community.” Onward gives 50 percent of their Long-time member David sales back to the original artists, Holt joined Onward in 2006 after and the program was able to taking classes at Gallery 37. Holt financially assist artists who were specializes in making “obituary unemployed during the pandemic. portraits,” drawings of notable

Luke Shemroske, an artist who people who have passed on. Some has been with Onward for two recent subjects include Chadwick years, said he had limited oppor- Boseman, Ruth Bader Ginsburg, tunities to display his art or submit and when he spoke with The Daiit to shows before he joined the ly, he was working on a portrait of