After graduating art school, it’s difficult to maneuver the loss of institutional facilities at your fingertips. Young artists are left without spaces to grow and without communities to support.
Paola Lopez, who graduated from SAIC in 2018, is managing this transition by doing the heavy lifting herself.
Alongside two other graduates, she created a woodworking studio in Humboldt Park where she works daily. Here, the group hosts weekly art critiques.
By creating a community, Lopez hopes to ease the post-art school transition, encouraging artistic growth outside the confines of art school.
Chicago art scene’s inclusivity makes this process easier, providing mechanisms to support emerging artists and giving them the opportunity to gain experience in the industry.
Patsy Newitt 