Established 2022 in Oak Park, IL
Slowfire Arts Foundation is a 501c3 non-profit arts education service, anchored in Oak Park, Illinois.
We currently provide scholarships to children in need so they can access our education services after school and over the summer at a full day summer camp.
Our team of women artists and teachers educate in the following disciplines: painting, drawing, ceramics, sculpture, jewelry, fibers, and digital arts. Our curriculum focuses on student-led and student-choice centered art making, with guidance from qualified individuals. We are dedicated to our mission of fostering a creative, functional, and inclusive education model that teaches art foundations. Our goal is to lower barriers to art making and provide accessible arts education.
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Slowfire Arts Foundation Appreciates Your Donations!
In the first quarter of 2023, Slowfire Arts Foundation has awarded 27 scholarships to students in need of free or reduced art education. Each recipient has been enrolled in one or more 7 week long classes in the following: Wheel Throwing, Painting and Drawing, Senior Painting and Drawing, and Early Childhood Enrichment.
Our Mission
To provide comprehensive arts education to scholarship students and underfunded communities.
Our immediate goals:
*provide free art classes to senior citizens
*provide more scholarships to lower income families for after school and summer camp education
Innovation & Creativity
We strive for excellence in artistic programming with a team of dedicated professionals. We encourage conceptual thinking, creativity, originality, self-reflection, and unique perspectives. Creativity, innovation and problem solving are cultivated in a healthy artistic environment.
Community & Collaboration
We are respectful of others and believe art should be available to all, regardless of race, gender, color, religion, socio-economic background, national origin, sexuality, and disability. We teach art to build community; flexibility, equity, diversity, and inclusion are core values of our community.
Well Being
We believe creating art can be a healing and therapeutic practice.
Passion
We are passionate about helping others create art at any stage of their life. We strive to provide the best experience to our students. We love to foster imagination and creativity.
Testimonials
"My daughter has been attending the PKP weekday class and from her very first day I could tell she was going to enjoy her experience. She's a very artsy gal- oftentimes bringing home a number of crafts and projects so for her to have a structured class where she could continue to cultivate her creativity has been such a wonderful gift. I cannot express just how grateful I am to have found this class for her, and I'm so excited to watch her continue to enhance her understanding of the arts. I hope to continue to sign her up for more classes as she develops, she already told me she would like to stay in class even when she turns 5! Thank you so much to the whole Slowfire family!"
Kaitlin, Mom of Rooney, 4
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