Celebrating 25 Years!

For a quarter century, Arts of Life has been advancing the creative arts community by providing artists with intellectual and developmental disabilities a collective space to expand their practice and strengthen their leadership.

We hope you will join us for our 2025 celebrations!

Celebrate With Us
Donate Today

Meet Our Artists

We were founded with the idea that the studio belongs to its artists. The guiding principle behind our studio is to give people an opportunity to shape and be a member of an artistic community; a community that changes with the growing needs of the artists and one that is a contributing member of the larger society.

View Our Artists

Join Our Studio

Arts of Life offers artists with intellectual and developmental disabilities an alternative career path designed to help enrich their lives as working artists. 

Become a Studio Artist
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Marice Aiston

North Shore
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Rebecca Kubica

North Shore
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Marcus Imani Kennedy

Chicago Studio
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Nik Heusman

North Shore
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Maria Vanik

Chicago Studio
Chris Viau

Chris Viau

North Shore

See all our current artists

Upcoming & Recent Events

SAVE THE DATE Benefit Auction + Dance Party

SAVE THE DATE Benefit Auction + Dance Party

October 4
Epiphany Center for the Arts
Community on the Make | Arts of Life 2000 – 2025

Community on the Make | Arts of Life 2000 – 2025

August 21 @ 5:00 pm - 8:00 pm
Design Museum of Chicago
Perennial Hug 3 Chicago and Vicinity

Perennial Hug 3 Chicago and Vicinity

August 1 - September 12
Circle Contemporary- West Town
Disability Pride Parade 2025

Disability Pride Parade 2025

July 26 @ 11:00 am - 3:00 pm
Daley Plaza
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News and Announcements

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We Are Stronger Together

May 20, 2025
  In Arts of Life’s 25-year history, we have faced...
Newcity What they said Review

Newcity Arts – Collaborative Agency: A Review of “What They Said” at Circle Contemporary

April 14, 2025
by Frank Geiser | April 14, 2025 Newcity Arts Frank Vega, “Unidad-Float,” 2022,...
Ann at our 2025 25th Birthday Party and Book Launch

Sponsor Spotlight: The Mitchell Group

April 1, 2025
Our deepest thanks go to The Mitchell Group for supporting...
Matt in the Morning

NBC’s Matt in the Morning: ‘Arts of Life’ nonprofit celebrates 25 years

March 31, 2025
Matt Rodrigues pays a visit to “Arts of Life” as...

What's Happening on Instagram

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Providing artists w/ intellectual & developmental disabilities a space to expand their practice & strengthen their leadership. @circlecontemporary

We are excited to announce Community on the Make |...

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Open post by the_arts_of_life with ID 18081089251645698
We are excited to announce Community on the Make | Arts of Life 2000 – 2025 at Design Museum of Chicago! “Yet once you’ve come to be part of this particular patch, you’ll never love another… But never a lovely so real.” — Nelson Algren, Chicago: City on the Make This group exhibition is a celebration of what we’ve accomplished—but also a provocation. It asks us to reconsider: Who is art for? Who gets to shape culture? And how can design become a tool of liberation? Community on the Make highlights artists, staff, and volunteers both past and present who have shaped our community while also allowing the public to contribute and engage in the exhibition. Community on the Make is not just a reflection on where we’ve been. It’s a declaration of where we’re going. FEATURED ARTISTS: Adrian, Ariée, Chris Austin, Renata Berdes, Matt Bodett, Austin Boehs, David Bremer, Maileen Bugnaski, Raina Carter, Guy Conners, Bojana Crnomarkovic, Veronica Cuculich, Samarem Diaz Negrete, Andreana Donahue, Rio Goodwin Perez, Ted Gram Boarini, Stefan Harhaj, Megan Harrigan, Noel Herrera, Nik Heusman, Marcus Imani Kennedy, Emory Jones, Maggie Kamphausen, Anna Kramer, Alexis Krebs, David Krueger, Hana Kulovic, Lawrence M, Ben Marcus, Mike Marino, Noel Mercado, Nick Merlock Jackson, Travis Morehead, Noel Morical, Ingrid Olson, Tim Ortiz, Susan Pasowicz, Hubert Posey, Brian Reed, Mina Romero, Nicholas Schutzenhofer, Alex Scott, Karim Shuquem, Anne Skaug, Annie Soler, Kelly Stone, Tim Stone, Cody Tumblin, Maria Vanik, Chris Viau, Allison Wade, Lacey Whittaker, Jean Wilson, Joshua With, Marvin Young, Christina Zion PLAN YOUR VISIT:  Exhibition Dates: August 11th – September 30th Admission: Free and Open to the Public Hours: 10am – 5pm . . . #ChicagoDesign #ChicagoDesignCommunity #BuildChicago #ArtsOfLife #GalleryOpening #ChicagoArtShow #ChicagoDesignMuseum #DesignMuseumOfChicago

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Partners

This program is partially funded by support from the following organizations (Full Community Partners list here):