You Gotta HAVE Art

The staff from Have Dreams, a Park Ridge-based nonprofit organization that provides services for children with autism, originally approached Brickton staff with this exhibit idea in recognition of National Autism Awareness Month. Kris Johnsen, Executive Director of Have Dreams says, "This is a great opportunity to collaborate with a well-respected local resource to promote knowledge and understanding of autism, which now affects 1 in 166 people nationwide."

Brickton staff wholeheartedly accepted the proposal for the exhibit and began making plans for an outreach program. "We are absolutely thrilled to be working with the children and staff at Have Dreams. This is a natural partnership and the artmaking is clearly beneficial to the children," says Alyssa Kulak, Executive Director of Brickton Art Center. Dana La Brose, Program Coordinator at Have Dreams, continues, "Many of our students are now given an opportunity to participate in an instructional group art lesson that is tailored to their ability level."

Brickton staff travel to Have Dreams once or twice a week with supplies and projects for the children to work on during the hour-long sessions. Participants also created work for the exhibit with Have Dreams' on-staff art therapist, Nicole Martin. Art to HAVE* will be Brickton's first "outreach exhibit" held in their gallery space. "This has been such an uplifting and meaningful experience for both organizations. We plan to have more exhibits with our outreach recipients in the future," Kulak explains. "Hopefully, viewers will see that this exhibit is about more than just the art on the walls; it is about celebrating the strengths of these children and providing them an opportunity to be recognized as artists in the community."

*Helping Autistic Voices Emerge