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“The function of art is to do more than tell it like it is-it’s to imagine what is possible.”
― Bell Hooks
We're excited to share Marwen’s Summer virtual arts courses with you! Over the past months, our dedicated and responsive education team has collaborated with an inspiring cohort of teaching artists (pictured), and more recently, an incredible cohort of young teaching artists (who are also Marwen young artists participating in a paid internship!) to co-create our virtual courses from the ground up.
 
Each course is rooted in a social justice question that invites participants to engage and reflect on their roles as artists during this time of social change. Questions like, “If I was alive in 2020, what would I do?,“ “What does being an artist have to do with designing the future?," and “Have you ever played with gender expression through art making?.” Our teaching teams will pair these important questions with a range of art forms that can be explored from home and shared with family and friends.
 
From plushie making, self portraits, and textiles to observational drawing, filmmaking, and sculpture, our summer offers a variety of creative investigation and expression. Each course spans 8 weeks and many include art kits to fuel creativity. We hope you join us in building a powerful community of artists this summer. Courses start the week of July 6! 
 
In community, 
 
Aurora King
Director of Education
 

REGISTER FOR SUMMER VIRTUAL COURSES HERE

Registration is open for Marwen's Summer Virtual Courses [June 29, 2020]
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“The function of art is to do more than tell it like it is-it’s to imagine what is possible.”
― Bell Hooks
We're excited to share Marwen’s Summer virtual arts courses with you! Over the past months, our dedicated and responsive education team has collaborated with an inspiring cohort of teaching artists (pictured), and more recently, an incredible cohort of young teaching artists (who are also Marwen young artists participating in a paid internship!) to co-create our virtual courses from the ground up.
 
Each course is rooted in a social justice question that invites participants to engage and reflect on their roles as artists during this time of social change. Questions like, “If I was alive in 2020, what would I do?,“ “What does being an artist have to do with designing the future?," and “Have you ever played with gender expression through art making?.” Our teaching teams will pair these important questions with a range of art forms that can be explored from home and shared with family and friends.
 
From plushie making, self portraits, and textiles to observational drawing, filmmaking, and sculpture, our summer offers a variety of creative investigation and expression. Each course spans 8 weeks and many include art kits to fuel creativity. We hope you join us in building a powerful community of artists this summer. Courses start the week of July 6! 
 
In community, 
 
Aurora King
Director of Education
 

REGISTER FOR SUMMER VIRTUAL COURSES HERE

The trauma experienced by the continuous heinous acts of racism and profound inhumanity are undeniable. It's heavy, and it hurts. We cannot be silent as injustices of these times, and of historical times, persist. In the words of Martin Luther King Jr, "Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere."
 
It is with deepened heartache that we all have to process this grief and despair while being physically apart, as this vicious pandemic ravishes Black, Brown, and Indigenous communities at disproportionate rates.
 
Marwen is here. We will hold space for all of our communities to process together and to learn. We will lean on art as an inherent form of self expression, healing, and mobilization. Together we will strengthen, restore, and rebuild.
 
In solidarity, peace, and wellness,
 
 
 
 
Akilah Halley, Executive Director
Statement from Marwen [May 31, 2020]
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The trauma experienced by the continuous heinous acts of racism and profound inhumanity are undeniable. It's heavy, and it hurts. We cannot be silent as injustices of these times, and of historical times, persist. In the words of Martin Luther King Jr, "Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere."
 
It is with deepened heartache that we all have to process this grief and despair while being physically apart, as this vicious pandemic ravishes Black, Brown, and Indigenous communities at disproportionate rates.
 
Marwen is here. We will hold space for all of our communities to process together and to learn. We will lean on art as an inherent form of self expression, healing, and mobilization. Together we will strengthen, restore, and rebuild.
 
In solidarity, peace, and wellness,
 
 
 
 
Akilah Halley, Executive Director
 
 
Marwen Community Connections
Let's get together (virtually, of course)! Marwen is hosting several weekly social spaces for members of our community -- a time to come together, to be in conversation, to share how you are doing, and to see each others' faces.
Just because we are distant does not mean that we have to be alone. Join us for the full hour, or just pop in to say hi - we hope to see you there! SEE FULL LIST OF MEET-UPS
Weekly Meet-ups for Marwen Community [May 2020]
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Marwen Community Connections
Let's get together (virtually, of course)! Marwen is hosting several weekly social spaces for members of our community -- a time to come together, to be in conversation, to share how you are doing, and to see each others' faces.
Just because we are distant does not mean that we have to be alone. Join us for the full hour, or just pop in to say hi - we hope to see you there! SEE FULL LIST OF MEET-UPS

Marwen's College & Career Online Resources

 

Dear Marwen students and families,
 

We at Marwen’s College and Career Center understand that this is a challenging time for everyone, considering the evolving news about COVID-19. In particular, we know that navigating college decisions without the opportunity to visit colleges or to speak with advisors in person can be difficult. We are sad to have canceled our spring break programming to go on college field trips. However, we are excited to provide online college and career resources that you can access from your devices. SEE RESOURCE LIST

Marwen's College + Career Online Resources [March 24, 2020]
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Marwen's College & Career Online Resources

 

Dear Marwen students and families,
 

We at Marwen’s College and Career Center understand that this is a challenging time for everyone, considering the evolving news about COVID-19. In particular, we know that navigating college decisions without the opportunity to visit colleges or to speak with advisors in person can be difficult. We are sad to have canceled our spring break programming to go on college field trips. However, we are excited to provide online college and career resources that you can access from your devices. SEE RESOURCE LIST

February 25, 2020 -- St. Jane Chicago Hotel announced today its charity partnership program with three Chicago area nonprofit organizations, including Jackson Chance Foundation (JCF), the Juvenile Protective Association (JPA) and Marwen. The program comprises guest and employee initiatives that ladder up to the hotel’s greater mission of inspiring change within the local community, while building awareness and increasing funding. 

 

As part of the partnership, St. Jane will purchase original artwork created by Marwen young artists. The pieces will be permanently exhibited in 16 of St. Jane’s corner suites. Marwen will also participate in “Lunch & Learn” programs to educate the hotel team on the organization and how to become more involved. Employees will also be given opportunities to volunteer at Marwen and the other  nonprofits throughout the calendar year. To round out the partnership, St. Jane will offer complimentary meeting space and hotel rooms, along with hosted board meetings and elevated auction packages for fundraising events.

 

“We’re proud to partner with these three impactful organizations and empower our guests and employees to make positive social changes within our community,” says Carrie Meghie, Owner of St. Jane Chicago Hotel. “St. Jane is a deeply-rooted philanthropic member of the city and these partnerships further cement our mission to support local causes through fundraising and collaboration.”

 

St. Jane embraces the arts and culture that defines Chicago, drawing inspiration from the legacy of Jane Addams – a pioneering Chicagoan, civil activist and the first American woman to win a Nobel Peace Prize. This announcement is the beginning of three, long-term partnerships thoughtfully designed with the non-profit organizations.

 

For more information about the partnership, please visit https://stjanehotel.com/charity/partners/. Media may contact Samantha Lera at slera@agencyh5.com or 312.374.8577.

Marwen and the St. Jane Chicago Hotel team up on a new Charity Partnership Program [February 25, 2020]
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February 25, 2020 -- St. Jane Chicago Hotel announced today its charity partnership program with three Chicago area nonprofit organizations, including Jackson Chance Foundation (JCF), the Juvenile Protective Association (JPA) and Marwen. The program comprises guest and employee initiatives that ladder up to the hotel’s greater mission of inspiring change within the local community, while building awareness and increasing funding. 

 

As part of the partnership, St. Jane will purchase original artwork created by Marwen young artists. The pieces will be permanently exhibited in 16 of St. Jane’s corner suites. Marwen will also participate in “Lunch & Learn” programs to educate the hotel team on the organization and how to become more involved. Employees will also be given opportunities to volunteer at Marwen and the other  nonprofits throughout the calendar year. To round out the partnership, St. Jane will offer complimentary meeting space and hotel rooms, along with hosted board meetings and elevated auction packages for fundraising events.

 

“We’re proud to partner with these three impactful organizations and empower our guests and employees to make positive social changes within our community,” says Carrie Meghie, Owner of St. Jane Chicago Hotel. “St. Jane is a deeply-rooted philanthropic member of the city and these partnerships further cement our mission to support local causes through fundraising and collaboration.”

 

St. Jane embraces the arts and culture that defines Chicago, drawing inspiration from the legacy of Jane Addams – a pioneering Chicagoan, civil activist and the first American woman to win a Nobel Peace Prize. This announcement is the beginning of three, long-term partnerships thoughtfully designed with the non-profit organizations.

 

For more information about the partnership, please visit https://stjanehotel.com/charity/partners/. Media may contact Samantha Lera at slera@agencyh5.com or 312.374.8577.

Image may contain: 1 person, smiling, sitting and shoes
 
Congratulations to Marwen's Executive Director Akilah Halley being appointed by Mayor Lightfoot to the Cultural Advisory Council of the City of Chicago's Department of Cultural Affairs and Special Events.
 
"I am honored to be appointed along with esteemed colleagues to collaborate with communities and creative industries to expand equitable access to the arts,” shared Akilah. “The arts have the power to shape lives and futures, especially when we provide equitable access for young people. Creative currency is part of the fabric of Chicago's vitality."
 
Appointed members, including Council Chair Amina Dickerson and Vice Chair Alison Cuddy will advocate for a vital Chicago arts community and help advance the Mayor’s arts and culture priorities, which include making Chicago livable and affordable for artists and creative professionals, expanding public arts programming to help drive the economic life of our neighborhoods, collaborating with communities and creative industries to engage our artists and expand quality jobs, and expanding equitable access to high-quality arts education for all young people in Chicago.
 
Read the full press release here: https://bit.ly/3amrnxN
Marwen Represented on City's Cultural Advisory Council [January 17, 2020]
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Image may contain: 1 person, smiling, sitting and shoes
 
Congratulations to Marwen's Executive Director Akilah Halley being appointed by Mayor Lightfoot to the Cultural Advisory Council of the City of Chicago's Department of Cultural Affairs and Special Events.
 
"I am honored to be appointed along with esteemed colleagues to collaborate with communities and creative industries to expand equitable access to the arts,” shared Akilah. “The arts have the power to shape lives and futures, especially when we provide equitable access for young people. Creative currency is part of the fabric of Chicago's vitality."
 
Appointed members, including Council Chair Amina Dickerson and Vice Chair Alison Cuddy will advocate for a vital Chicago arts community and help advance the Mayor’s arts and culture priorities, which include making Chicago livable and affordable for artists and creative professionals, expanding public arts programming to help drive the economic life of our neighborhoods, collaborating with communities and creative industries to engage our artists and expand quality jobs, and expanding equitable access to high-quality arts education for all young people in Chicago.
 
Read the full press release here: https://bit.ly/3amrnxN

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