| UPCOMING EVENTS |
| | Between the Lines” Exhibit Unites C4 Teens and Bucktown Artist
Opening reception Friday, December 7
Community Counseling Centers of Chicago (C4) will host “Between the Lines: An Exhibit by Teen Artists in collaboration with Tom Robinson.” The exhibit, opening on December 7th, will run through December with open hours on the weekends from 11-5 p.m. and by appointment. The exhibit will be on display at Tom Robinson Gallery, located at 416 W. North Ave, Chicago, IL.
The opening reception for the exhibit will take place on December 7th from
4:30 pm to 9:30 pm. Local teens in collaboration with Bucktown artist Tom Robinson will display drawings, paintings and mixed media art works which explore identity and the perceptions (and misperceptions) we make about others and ourselves. The 25 teens, most of whom are struggling with some form of emotional distress, poverty, and/or very difficult home circumstances, currently participate in the teen photo therapy group, one of the several dozen behavioral health services offered by C4.
Dali McGuire, the C4 Art Therapist who initiated the project, stresses that the art program is an important outlet for the participating teens. “In business, politics or gangs, it is often the toughest people who are protecting a creative, caring side that they fear will show weakness or attract ridicule. Well-run art programs allow people to safely express their vulnerable side in a safe and beautiful way,” explains McGuire. In addition to the original art work created by the teens, charcoal portraits of some of the students created by Robinson will also be on display.
"It was not an easy thing for some of these tough kids to sit for an hour. And almost all said, 'Make me look tough.'" says Robinson. "But what I did, what any portrait artist does, is capture a complex personality that can not be categorized as any one thing. And so many people look at these kids as undeserving, that it is easy for them to agree, and act accordingly. Art allows you to look at someone in many different ways. I hope my art not only captures their tough exterior, but also the quick intelligence and beautiful soul underneath."
The entire project created an experience that was life changing for the teens as well as for Robinson.
“As a hallmark of the teen experience, seeing and knowing oneself only by what others think and say can be profoundly limiting and often based on cultural, 'ageist' and emotional misconceptions,” said McGuire. “C4 has many success stories about neighbors resolving complex issues; this student program is an excellent example of how C4 is making a positive impact throughout the city.”
For more information on the “Between the Lines” Teen Art Exhibit, please contact Dali McGuire at 773.365.3062 or Tom Robinson at 773.227.3144.
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