MARWENNOW SPRING 16
We gratefully acknowledge ALL who helped bring the Marwen Arts Campus to life. $1,000,000+ Virginia James/The Hickory Foundation Dr. Bryan S. Traubert & Ms. Penny Pritzker/Pritzker Traubert Family Foundation
$50,000+ Anonymous Scott & Theresa Beck Family Belgravia Group Ltd. Jud Bergman Craig & Janet Duchossois Vicki & Bill Hood/ $500,000+ Kirkland & Ellis LLP Karen & Steve Berkowitz Illinois Clean Energy The Crown Goodman Family Community Foundation Helen & Sam Zell/ Motorola Mobility Foundation Zell Family Foundation Jai Shekhawat John & Jill Svoboda $250,000+ Andrew Weimer The Collins Family Foundation Jim & Susan Wicks Northern Trust Deborah & Stephen Quazzo $25,000+ Jennifer Aubrey & $100,000+ Jonathan Harries Amy & Andy Bluhm/ Anne & Tom Cox The Bluhm Family Paul Francis Charitable Foundation Lloyd A. Fry Foundation Robert Buchsbaum & Douglas & Elyse Klein/Blick Art Mary Clare Gourley Materials James & Mary Hill/ICL, LLC Mr. Robert Buono & Loraine Kaufman Foundation/ Ms. Liz Cicchelli Lori & Steve Kaufman Marcy & Greg Carlin James & Michelle Pass Elissa Hamid Efroymson & The REAM Foundation Adnaan Hamid/Efroymson Katherine K. Scott & Family Fund/ Efroymson- James Jimenez Hamid Family Foundation Leif Selkregg John & Jill Freidenrich Shalini Sharma & Grosvenor Capital Pradip Patiath Management, L.P William S. Singer & The Hearst Foundations JoAnne Cicchelli Invest For Kids The Joyce Foundation $10,000+ Anne L. Kaplan Heiji & Brian Black Carol & Larry Levy Antonia Contro & Gail & Andrew Marks George Marquisos Rivers Casino Walter and Karla Burton X. & Sheli Rosenberg Goldschmidt Foundation Tom Shapiro & Steve & Barb Hearn Madeleine Grynsztejn Mary Ittelson Michael & Shauna Stark Mr. & Mrs. H. Michael Kurzman/ Robert & Susan Wislow Lurie Management, LLC Karen Zelden & Ralph Senst/ Nila & Ron Leiserowitz Goldman Sachs Merete & Mark Lupa Louis R. Lurie Foundation Isa & Adam Pressman SCE Hilary Wolfe
Up to $9,999 Anonymous (2) Jerry Adelmann JC Aevaliotis & Devon de Mayo Anne Loucks Gallery Cornelia C. Bryer & Herman Siegelaar Robert & Jane Calvin Cushing and Company Andrew & Marla Dembitz Carter & Susan Emerson Robert Eskridge & Jean Sousa Joel David Farren Elizabeth Fernandez D.K. Finucane Lee Francis & Michelle Gittler Reuben & Sherry Gamoran Carol Gourley Elaine & Rick Greiwe Claire & Glen Hackman Paula Hagerty Akilah & Tremaine Halley Elaine Hayes-Shaw & Kenneth Shaw John & Liz Heiner Vicki & Bruce Heyman Mitchell & Mary Lou Horwat Deborah & Brian Howes Lamar & Lisa Johnson Richard P. & Susan R. Kiphart Tom & Susan Koltun Life Safety Hardware Consultants Michele Lowe Kent & Toni Lydecker Curtis & Cathy Maas Judith Male Nicholas & Katherine Marquisos Steve & Mary Kay Marquisos Carlos M. Martinez & Michael Tirrell The Harvey L. Miller Foundation Dr. David Morris & Dr. Aruna Ganju Tim & Alicia Mullen Mario & Mary Kay Pasin Betty & Tom Philipsborn Francine & Gregory Purcell Deborah Radek Elliot & Susan Rawls Erica & Rob Regunberg Richard Gray Gallery Jill Riddell & Tim Brown Susan A. Rieser Gladys E. Rodriguez Burton W. Ruder Foundation Ellen Rudolph
Amy Saltzman Shirley Schneider Shaw Contract Group Tamara & Scott Sheridan Nancy Simonian Sheri & Ron Spielman Mark & Sue Thorndyke Virginia C. Vale Andy Vegter Cynthia A. Winter & Nicholas H. Weingarten Julie & Larry Zachary In-Kind Support Anonymous Advanced Mechanical, Inc. Business Office Systems BuzziSpace Centaur Construction Chicago Power & Communications Columbia College Chicago Desks Inc DLA Piper EFCO Corporation Emeco Forward Space Furniture Shop GEI Consultants Gensler Green Mansions Gunlocke Haworth Hearn Company Bill Heye Holly Hunt Independent Publishers Group Interface KI Knoll Lakeshore Recycling Systems Leo Burnett USA Lista Maharam George Marquisos Martin Brattrud MechoSystems, Inc. Moen One Source Power Construction Sheridan Contract Skyline Design Steelcase Unilock Vector Vitra Wheeler Kearns Architects
MARWENNOW = THIS ISSUE’S STORIES
JANUARY, 2016 Marwen officially wraps up the Campaign for the Marwen Arts Campus TUESDAY, JANUARY 19 Student recruitment workshop with students from Manierre Elementary SATURDAY, JANUARY 30 Spring Term New Student Orientation TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 9 Spring Term begins FRIDAY, MARCH 4 “Conceptualize/Realize” opens, an exhibition of work from Marwen teaching artists SATURDAY, APRIL 2 Marwen Career Day SATURDAY, APRIL 16 Spring Term ends MONDAY, APRIL 18–22 Marwen high school students visit Chicago area college campuses during CPS spring break FRIDAY, MAY 6 Paintbrush Ball
ABOVE: MARWEN STUDENT, STEPHANIE GUILLEN; COVER: MARWEN STUDENT, DORINDA BARLOW
LAST YEAR MARWEN COMPLETED the transformation of studios, galleries, and administrative spaces—the most visible aspect of the $10 million Campaign for the Marwen Arts Campus, launched in 2013. This undertaking added new resources and significantly more space, propelling the organization into an exciting period of programmatic growth. Anchoring the fundraising efforts for the past three years has been an ambitious goal to increase enrollments by 30 percent to better meet student demand. Those who supported Marwen’s efforts are now seeing the pay off.
“We’re very proud of our association with Marwen,” said Mason Granger, director of grants with The Hearst Foundations in New York City, a longtime supporter of Marwen, “We’re proud of what the organization has accomplished and we’re certainly committed to supporting the capital campaign to improve Marwen’s ability to prosper.” The Hearst Foundations were one of more than 150 corporations, foundations, and individuals (see inside front cover) that invested in Marwen’s vision for adding capacity—like a new Technology Suite with a state-of-the-art special effects lab and a first-ever fashion studio. These funders were also investing in the programming to fill these new spaces. “Many people don’t have creative opportunities and our purpose has always been to try to fund organizations that are reaching those individuals and trying to embrace as many of them as possible with programming that is thoughtful, focused, and consequential,” said Granger. “One of the ways that I think Marwen has excelled is in making sure that teachers and individuals who are responsible for this
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Early results are compelling: we had 50 percent more students in our most recent spring term than we did at the same time last year. education are properly nurtured, developed, and trained, and that’s an important part of what the capital campaign was about.” With program growth and organizational sustainability as key focus areas for the campaign, Marwen has now hired a full-time outreach coordinator (see page 6), brought on new teaching artists from diverse backgrounds, and expanded professional development opportunities. Early results are compelling: we had 50 percent more students in our most recent spring term than we did at the same time last year. “The stunning generosity of arts education advocates has turned the vision of a Marwen Arts Campus into a reality,” said executive director, Antonia Contro. “We’re beginning to activate the building’s transformed spaces with new and more robust programming.” While the Campaign for the Marwen Arts Campus has now come to a close, its effects will be long-lasting. Safe and confidence-inspiring studios have been created for young artists, new and innovative programs are being developed to fill those spaces, and accomplished leaders are being given the tools to grow their own teaching practices. “Our belief has always been that we’re trying to invest in people, both in terms of the people who are providing the services and the people who are receiving them,” said Granger. “That’s the way the world is changed—and it’s for the better.”
ACTIVATING THE SPACE
MARWEN STUDENTS IN “GLASS MOSAIC: MANDALAS” PHOTO BY STEVE HALL, HEDRICH BLESSING PHOTOGRAPHERS
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“I believe in nurturing all of our relationships”
OUTREACH EVENTS AND WORKSHOPS AT JENNER ACADEMY, UIC FORUM, AND IN MARWEN’S CERAMICS STUDIO. LEFT: MARWEN’S OUTREACH COORDINATOR, LAUREN WILLIAMS
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REACHING OUT ALL NEW STUDENTS are asked the question: “How did you hear about Marwen?”
Not surprisingly, most young people find their way through our doors after learning about the positive art-making experiences of a friend or sibling. And while recruitment workshops have historically introduced additional students to Marwen, the need for an individual who could work exclusively on student outreach was long overdue. Marwen found that expertise in Lauren Williams. Lauren is Marwen’s first-ever outreach coordinator who, despite the chaos of an impending renovation, enthusiastically joined the Marwen staff in March of last year. Her extensive background in outreach, program administration, and community engagement work was developed at the Birmingham Museum of Art, the Council on Culture & Arts in Tallahassee, and most recently through working with neighbors in Chicago’s Greater Grand Crossing neighborhood. “I started the week we were moving out of the building,” said Williams. “It was crazy, there was demolition above me and my first thoughts about Marwen were all about construction and building.” Since those first days when Williams worked to inform families of last summer’s off-site classes at UIC, she’s been reaching out to potential new students across Chicago and in Marwen’s own backyard. Marwen already draws students from nearly 300 Chicago schools, but Lauren is helping to add to that figure and engage young people from far removed communities. Now with additional studio space, more classes are being offered than ever before, and outreach efforts are beginning to show real results.
“I think that at its best, outreach connects communities to our mission,” she says. “Often the biggest roadblock to participation is simply not knowing that Marwen exists. So when I enter a school or community meeting and share this opportunity, I’m overjoyed to see their excitement.” Lauren is quick to point out that the initial introduction to Marwen is often exciting, but only the beginning of her engagement efforts.
“I believe in nurturing all of our relationships,” she says. “When you really want to grow in people’s minds you have to offer opportunities for them to get to know who you are, and I have to be paying attention to a community’s values as well.” With strong support from Marwen’s education staff and teaching artists, Lauren is traversing the city, making those connections by speaking at community meetings, schools, and PTO gatherings, then consistently reinforcing new relationships with follow-up calls, visits, and emails. As an ambassador for Marwen throughout Chicago, and an observer of our city’s diverse culture, Lauren has an ability to pick out the aspects of Marwen’s programming that might be best suited for a specific group and present those offerings in a compelling light. While conscious of her goal to increase Marwen’s enrollment numbers, she also knows that success in this new position is about more than just quantity. It’s about engaging young people who would have never sought out Marwen on their own, and providing them with a high-quality arts experience that will provide meaningful opportunities for personal growth.
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WHAT COULD YOU accomplish with
five extra hours? Beginning in 2016, that’s the additional instruction being afforded to all students enrolled in a Marwen course. This increase — from eight sessions to ten— comes after careful staff and teaching artist consideration and is further backed by empirical research on arts education. With three longer terms annually— rather than four shorter ones — and the addition of two new studios, nine more courses were offered this spring compared to the same period last year. All this taken together offers students a more substantive and enriching learning experience.
Drawing is about slowing things down. “Ten weeks is actually a godsend,” said Marwen alum and longtime teaching artist, Regin Igloria, “it’s a nice boost to how you can lay out your class. Regardless of the medium, an instructor could spend a lifetime working on a particular craft and it’s never going to be enough time.” Regin, who took his first Marwen course as a tenth grader in 1989, and has since taught more than 30 classes of his own, just wrapped up Looking vs. Seeing: Drawing with Impact, a Saturday afternoon course for high school students. “Drawing is about slowing things down. To have two more working sessions where students can continue one particular exercise or do another variation on an exercise — it’s fantastic. It’s an opportunity for them to delve in a little more, to realize how important it is
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to be patient and to realize that things come slowly with art, and to understand that’s not a bad thing— it’s actually a beautiful thing. ”Sharing many of Igloria’s philosophies on teaching artistry is his former student and current peer, Eddie Morfin. In 1999 as a high school freshman, Morfin took his first Marwen class. Today the two are both teaching artists at Marwen. Morfin is similarly attuned to speed and pace, noting, “I sometimes see students really getting into an activity and gaining momentum. With ten weeks I can afford to let them follow their excitement and energy and I’ll still be able to fit in the bulk of what I want to teach in class.” These anecdotal observations were crucial in the decision to add two more weeks of instruction, but they weren’t the only factors in making the change to Marwen’s term structure. Research, including “Qualities of Quality: Understanding Excellence in Arts Education,” a study published by the Harvard Graduate School of Education, notes that adequate time is necessary for “artistic exploration, emotional openness, the development of a sense of ownership, and reflective practices”— all factors considered crucial to the work taking place inside our studios. The three-term structure has further granted Marwen flexibility in developing new opportunities between terms including additional exhibitions, open studios, and teaching artist residencies. Equally important is the added time for relationship building. “It might seem like just two more days” says Morfin, “but it really helps to cement the relationship you have with your students and that can make all the difference.”
EDDIE MORFIN IN “SKIN DEEP: EXPLORING CERAMIC SURFACE TECHNIQUES”
REGIN IGLORIA WORKING WITH STUDENTS DURING MARWEN’S ANNUAL “ARTWARD BOUND” TRIP ON LITTLE BABSON ISLAND, MAINE
TIME to EXPLORE MARWEN’S NEW TEN-WEEK TERM
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UPCOMING AT MARWEN MARWEN LAB EXHIBITION RECEPTION
SPRING TERM EXHIBITION OPENING
Thursday, May 26, 2016 An exhibition and celebration of the students in Marwen’s capstone studio art program.
Friday, June 24, 2016 Celebrate the work of all Marwen students in our recently completed spring term.
SUMMER TERM NEW STUDENT ORIENTATION
Monday, June 27– Friday, August 5, 2016 Marwen embarks on its largest term ever, including more than 35 different courses over six weeks of instruction.
SUMMER TERM
Saturday, June 11, 2016 First-time students learn about Marwen, summer term course offerings, and enroll in classes.
ABOVE: STUDENTS IN SPRING TERM’S “MUSIC VIDEO PRODUCTION”