Open Studio Project
Open Studio Project (OSP) is a non-profit arts & social service organization in Evanston, Illinois. Our mission is to bring the transformative power of art to individuals for personal growth, social emotional learning, and community well-being. Through workshops, classes, gallery exhibits, and community partnerships, we promote art-making as a safe and reliable tool for unlocking creativity, healing, and transformation.
Open Studio Project provides school-based programs to Pre-K through high school students; expressive arts workshops to adults for professional development and personal growth; specialized art programming for individuals experiencing homelessness, adults with disabilities, veterans, and court-involved youth; and individual and group therapeutic arts to youth and adults.
Some of our current partnerships include:
1) Family Focus Evanston: Social-emotional and therapeutic art groups for Pre-K through middle school students, in partnership with Childcare Network of Evanston, Kingsway Prep, Family Focus, and Evanston Cradle to Career. Grant-supported projects include family engagement nights and mindfulness workshops for youth incorporating art and yoga.
2) Chicago Public Schools: multi-year arts partnerships with Chicago Public Schools to address the social emotional needs of youth (grades K-8) in underserved communities on Chicago’s south and west sides. OSP provides partner schools with a 12-week visual arts residency that includes art supplies and a skilled team of art therapists and teaching artists.
3) Embarc Chicago: Chicago Public School high school students from underserved communities travel to our 5th Ward Studio for workshops designed for self-care, social emotional learning and community-building.
4) Evanston Township High School: Art and Wellness sessions for immigrant and refugee students through the school’s Multilingual Services, and social emotional art workshops for Special Education students at the ETHS Day School.
5) Therapeutic art groups for individuals experiencing homelessness, through partnerships with Connections for the Homeless in Evanston, The Harbour in Skokie and Des Plaines, and Northside Housing in Chicago.
6) Evanston Vet Center: with the support of a National Endowment for the Arts: Creative Forces grant, we host Art & Wellness group sessions to address the unique needs of women veterans.
General Email: info@openstudioproject.org
Executive Director, Rob Lentz: rob@openstudioproject.org