Archer Avenue Senior Center (Fall 2012/Spring 2013)

In conjunction with the American Institute of Architects Chicago (AIA Chicago), archi-treasures ran a short series of mosaic workshops with the senior citizens living at the Archer Avenue Senior Residence Building to create decorative wall pieces to be installed across from the elevators on each of the five residential floors. Volunteers from the AIA Community Interface Committee and the AIA Design for Aging Committee worked with seniors in a series of workshops led by a professional mosaic artist. Each participate was be responsible for designing and making one square foot of mosaic work that will be set in a frame and professionally hung in the five corridors. The mosaics will be installed later this month.

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Archer Avenue Senior Center (Fall 2012/Spring 2013)

Transformation of Space

51st and King Dr. (Spring 2012)

51st and King Dr. (Spring 2012) Partner- CCDC (Chicago Community Development Corporation) archi-treasures offered a Spring Mosaic Workshop in the community room at 51^st & King Drive to create additional enhancements to the enclosed outdoor courtyard space, specifically tile mosaics for the built-in concrete benches that face one another in the central narrow section of the courtyard. The Workshop was held with artist Damon Reed in three sessions and with residents.

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51st and King Dr. (Spring 2012)

Transformation of Space

Rosa Parks (2010)

Rosa Parks Apartments is Bickerdike Redevelopment Corporation’s first comprehensively planned, energy-efficient, and environmentally-friendly development. Partnering with Bickerdike, archi-treasures conducted a series of free mosaic workshops open to residents of the Apartments with the goal of fostering community through the creation of three floor-to-ceiling entrance panels and an entrance wall celebrating Rosa Parks and her life. As an added bonus, the project allowed for employment of several community residents through the Put Illinois to Work Program.

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Rosa Parks (2010)

Transformation of Space

Humboldt Park Mural Arts Program- HPMAP Murals

About HP MAP The mission of the Humboldt Park Mural Arts Program (HPMAP) is to create new murals, to restore old murals, and to develop strategies that use murals as a way to represent community issues, ideas, and vision. HPMAP promotes murals as local destinations and uses them as a tool to revitalize the health, well-being and vitality of Humboldt Park by developing neighborhood tours for biking and walking, a web-based mural guide, and a school-based curriculum for teachers to use on walking field trips with their students. HPMAP Murals Preventing Broken Moments (2012-2013) 3535 W Armitage Ave The Humboldt Park Mural Arts Program is an example of how archi-treasures is addressing the issue of violence at a grassroots level. In collaboration with the McCormick YMCA Street Intervention Program, archi-treasures organized a project in which teen comments at a critical reflection workshop became the visual imagery in the new mural for Humboldt Park that reimagines a world in which people choose peace over violence. The mural, "Preventing Broken Moments," by artist John Vergara was installed at the corner of Armitage and Drake, a few blocks away from the YMCA, so that participants and residents can see how civic engagement makes a positive impact on the community.

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Release, 2010 Corner of Grand & Tripp Workshops were held with ex-offenders participating in Association House’s Transitions to Careers program, and artist Damon Lamar Reed worked with the participants to visually share their story.

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Our Memories, Our Communities, Our Lives, 2010 Multi-generational residents convened by West Humboldt Park Development Council came together for Dr. McDowell’s workshops with artist William Estrada, who created a mural reflecting the ever-changing look and feel of Humboldt Park. The mural has yet to be installed. Mural Restoration, 2010 Underpass at Pulaski & Bloomingdale In 1992, Youth Service Project and artists from Chicago Public Art Group painted a stunning mural on both sides of a Pulaski Street underpass. Over the years, the mural, “It’s Time to Remember,” fell victim to an accumulation of dirt, rust, and crumbling concrete. As part of MAP, two of the original artists worked with community residents to restore the mural. Untitled (Black/Brown Working Group), 2009 Los Vecinos, 4250 West North Avenue. archi-treasures partnered with DePaul University’s Egan Urban Center to develop the first mural in MAP. Reconvening participants from an initiative to encourage discussion between black and brown residents living in West Humboldt Park. archi-treasures invited artist Bernard Williams to participate in community workshops, then developed a mural design based on the conversations.

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Humboldt Park Mural Arts Program Partners, (2009-Present) LISC/Chicago New Communities Program (NCP), Humboldt Park NCP: Building Community through the Arts Committee, Seabury Foundation, Illinois Humanities Council, ComEd, Advocate Bethany Foundation

Humboldt Park Mural Arts Program- HPMAP Murals

Transformation of Space

Westhaven Park Design/Build Program (Summer 2010)

Formerly the Henry Horner Homes, Westhaven is located just north of the United Center on the near west side. The challenge or working in such a neighborhood is to work with residents whose lives are vastly different from one another in an attempt to facilitate real community. archi-treasures embraces this challenge and has performed multiple successful projects in Westhaven Park over the years. archi-treasures partnered again in 2010 with Brinshore Michaels Development to bring together fifteen Westhaven Park teenagers and involve them in the beautification their own neighborhood. These fifteen young people worked together and transformed a vacant lot into a lush community park. The park features organically-shaped, stainless steel flower beds, seating areas, and a sandbox.

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Westhaven Park Design/Build Program (Summer 2010)

Transformation of Space

Germano-Millgate Summer Design/Build Program (2010-Present)

About Germano Millgate

The Germano-Millgate Apartments were originally built to house steel workers in South Chicago. Partnering with the Chicago Community Development Corporation, archi-treasures gave fifteen teenagers from Germano families the opportunity to work to better their community. Those teenagers seized that opportunity and built outdoor areas for residents to enjoy while cooking meals and playing games. Additionally, the teenagers created a “Germano Man” and feisty “Germano Woman.” Each summer, participants

2012 Summer Program

This summer's youth employees repaired and spruced up past projects and added new plants. Additionally, the teenagers created a partner for the “Germano Man” created the previous summer. Thanks to their creativity and artistic talents, the community is now also protected by the feisty “Germano Woman.”

2011 Summer Program

Germano youth were afforded the opportunity to create a play structure that looks like a train and also functions as a bench

2010 Summer Program

The summer employees built outdoor areas for residents to enjoy while cooking meals and playing games. They created game tables, an outdoor community meal space, and mosaic benches with shade umbrellas. Additionally, the teenagers created “Germano Man” to reflect the community and its values.

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Germano-Millgate Summer Design/Build Program (2010-Present)

Transformation of Space

BJ Wright Courts Summer Design/Build Program (2010)

BJ Wright Court Apartments (2010) Partner - Chicago Community Development Corporation BJ Wright Courts is an affordable housing complex located on the near west side. For over 12 years, archi-treasures has employed teenagers who live at BJ to design and build creative projects that enhance their community. During the summer program, youth built an outdoor dance floor with a mural backdrop designed by artist Damon Reed.

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BJ Wright Courts Summer Design/Build Program (2010)

Transformation of Space

Spencer TechYard Project

Spencer TechYard Project (2010) Partner - CPS Office of Academic Enhancement In January of 2009, archi-treasures was invited by DePaul University’s Egan Urban Center to become involved in the Technology Academy Partnerships (TAP) Program, created to foster collaborative relationships between five technology schools and community organizations in their respective neighborhoods. With funding from CPS Office of Academic Enhancement, which oversees the technology school program, archi-treasures launched an ambitious new endeavor to design, build and celebrate a public art project on the school grounds that would highlight Spencer as a technology-focused school. archi-treasures partnered with Project SYNCERE and Neighborhood Writing Alliance (NWA) to utilize the arts, engineering, and technology while inviting school- and community-wide participation, strengthening community ties, and expressing the unique nature of Austin. In November 2009, archi-treasures began meeting with school and neighborhood groups, including the NCLB group and the LAC, in order to create an Advisory Committee to guide the project. Meanwhile, archi-treasures hired renowned artist Stuart Keeler to actualize the project. Stuart created three sketches illustrating various ideas, and after a very energized conversation, the Advisory Committee chose to integrate two of the ideas: adding a vibrant sculptural element to the building along with colorful window film in order to brighten the face of the school and stir curiosity. Stuart developed new drawings based on this conversation and archi-treasures worked with NWA Teacher Cynthium Woodfolk-Johnson to conduct a series of community writing workshops and a student workshop around the theme, “What is a Hero?”. These stories were personal explorations of real life heroes, and more often than not, writers recognized their own heroism. Experimental Sound Studio then audio-recorded the workshop participants sharing their stories. Meanwhile, Project SYNCERE led two workshops with 20 students, teaching the mechanics of building a simple computer and speaker system. This simple computer would eventually be installed in a small enclosure on the exterior of the school for all to hear the community stories. As the sounds and stories were coming together, archi-treasures installed the window film–some with text excerpted from the recorded stories–along with brightly-colored spun aluminum hemispheres. On Thursday, June 3, students, parents, staff and community members came together to see it all come together – the traditional façade of Spencer now dotted with bulbous protrusions in primary colors and portions of text visible in the windows. Passers-by, intrigued by the School’s transformation, can now press a button and hear someone from the Austin community showing pride and respect for their community and the heroes within it.

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Spencer TechYard Project

Transformation of Space

Dumas TechYard Project

Dumas TechYard Project (2010) Partner - CPS Office of Academic Enhancement In January of 2009, archi-treasures was invited by DePaul University’s Egan Urban Center to become involved in the Technology Academy Partnerships (TAP) Program, created to foster collaborative relationships between five technology schools and community organizations in their respective neighborhoods. With funding from CPS Office of Academic Enhancement, which oversees the technology school program, archi-treasures launched an ambitious new endeavor to design, build and celebrate a public art project on the school grounds that would highlight Dumas as a technology-focused school. archi-treasures partnered with Project SYNCERE and Neighborhood Writing Alliance (NWA) to utilize the arts, engineering, and technology while inviting school- and community-wide participation, strengthening community ties, and expressing the unique nature of Woodlawn. In November 2009, archi-treasures began meeting with school and neighborhood groups, including “Coffee And” and a group of teachers at a Professional Development Day workshop, in order to create an Advisory Committee to guide the project. Meanwhile, archi-treasures hired nationally renowned artist Stuart Keeler to actualize the project. Stuart created three concepts, but the Advisory Committee was clearly drawn to the idea of sending a message by “texting” on the front of the school building. Given that technology has altered the way we communicate, this new language, while having the potential to divide us, also has the potential to add a new layer of creativity in our expression; we need only understand that though our styles vary, our need to communicate about ourselves and our stories does not change. With the concept chosen, archi-treasures held a school-wide competition to generate text messages about the Woodlawn community; with over 100 entries, the competition was fierce. Five text messages that creatively encapsulated a range of ideas about “community” were chosen and each of these text messages became a theme for a community writing workshop led by NWA Teacher Cynthium Woodfolk-Johnson. Cynthium conducted writing workshops with a group of parents and community members, wherein she helped the participants to break down the concepts and write personal stories that reflected these concepts. Experimental Sound Studio then audio-recorded the workshop participants sharing their stories. Meanwhile, Project SYNCERE led two workshops with 20 students, teaching the mechanics of building a simple computer and speaker system. This simple computer would eventually be installed in a small enclosure on the exterior of the school for all to hear the community stories. As the sounds and stories were coming together, archi-treasures fabricated the winning text messages into 12-inch high aluminum letters and symbols, eventually installing them near the school’s entrance. On Thursday, June 16, students, parents, staff and community members came together during the school’s field day to celebrate the project’s completion. Passers-by, intrigued by the mysterious text showcased on the façade of the building, can now press a button that corresponds with a text message and hear stories that illustrate each concept.

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Dumas TechYard Project

Transformation of Space

Westhaven Mosaic Project

Formerly the Henry Horner Homes, Westhaven is located just north of the United Center on the near west side. The challenge or working in such a neighborhood is to work with residents whose lives are vastly different from one another in an attempt to facilitate real community. archi-treasures embraces this challenge and has performed multiple successful projects in Westhaven Park over the years. In 2009, archi-treasures partnered with Brinshore Michaels Development and conducted a series of mosaic workshops which engaged Westhaven Park residents of all ages. These residents came together to create a beautiful mosaic wall which was later dedicated during a beautiful ceremony.

Westhaven Mosaic Project

Transformation of Space

Legends South- Summer Programs (2008-2010)

About Legends South

Legends South, located in the footprint of the former Robert Taylor Homes, is one of the Chicago Housing Authority’s mixed income housing developments. Partnering with Brinshore Michaels Development, archi-treasures first worked with the Legends South community in the summer of 2008.

2008 Summer Program

During the summer of 2008, archi-treasures launched a summer job program for Legends South youth. Legends South residents participated in a design charette to brainstorm new art and garden projects for the community, and a team of 15 teenagers was then afforded the opportunity to implement those ideas and created seating, mosaics stepping stones, and an outdoor movie screen.

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2010 Summer Program

Legends South youth were afforded the opportunity to transform a vacant lot on Prairie Avenue into a multi-use space intended to benefit the entire community. The results were astounding, as the space now contains play areas for young children, walking paths, and raised garden beds for senior residents.The Summer Job Program projects created the new park for Coleman Place with the help of Architect Lori Fine.

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Legends South- Summer Programs (2008-2010)

Transformation of Space

BJ Wright Courts Summer Design/Build Program (2010-Present)

About Barbara Jean Wright

Located on the Near West Side just south of the University of Illinois Chicago Campus, archi-treasures has partnered with residents of Barbara Jean Wright Courts, an affordable housing community since 1999. Each summer, archi-treasures offers a summer job program for teens. Youth assess the condition of past archi-treasures' projects, use community input from a design charrette, create a plan, and then work on their own design/build project to add to the BJ grounds.