Upon meeting her, Samantha Spencer’s ability to engage people in thoughtful, creative discussions is undeniable. She has spent many years developing her craft as a teaching artist, earned a Masters in Art Education and has produced professional film work, which received various award nominations. In addition to her impressive résumé, the way she accessibly and…
On any given day, Lesley Etherly can be found picking her daughters up from school, recording a podcast, launching an app, writing a thesis for one of her many degrees, pitching a grant idea or hosting a community event, and seems to do it all with ease and boundless excitement. She is the definition of…
I remember seeing Sam Kirk‘s work shortly after I’d moved to Chicago in the winter of 2010 and it was unlike anything I’d seen before – the line work, the colors, the aesthetic – it was incredibly bold and original, and I wanted to know more. I’d been keeping up with new works from Sam…
What does ‘being aware of and responding to one’s surroundings’ mean to you, and how does it relate to what you do? Leigh Vogel: I have read and listened to powerful interviews about instinct and how certain cultures outside of the U.S. utilize instinct as a seventh sense, while here in the U.S., we are…
Several years ago, I was lucky to cross professional paths with Kenyatta Forbes, who was working as a Chicago Public Schools teacher at the time. As a dedicated educator and innovator, Kenyatta sought every possible grant, partnership and resource for her students, so it’s no surprise that her talents and tenacity have propelled her into…
