ART WORKS Projects

After 11 years in our Chicago office and gallery located at 625 N. Kingsbury Street, AWP will be saying goodbye and going fully remote at the end of March. As an organization that has been committed to ensuring our work is as accessible and public facing as possible, one could say AWP had always been itinerant by design. We invite you to join us for a final open house and closing event featuring AWP's founder Leslie Thomas in conversation with managing director Bora U. on Sunday, March 23 from 3-5pm. This conversation will be moderated by Steve Bynum, AWP Board Member and DEI Manager for WBEZ Chicago. Read more about the event and RSVP here: https://lnkd.in/gR8ba8Jh

On International Women's Day, we're particularly honored to be in the company of brave women who are applying creative approaches to facilitating community-centered storytelling initiatives to highlight our common values in a time when systems of power and influence aim to divide. If you're in Paris, please join us Paramaz - Maroquinerie & Atelier for the closing weekend of Astrig Agopian's seminal visual storytelling project "Like There's No Tomorrow" and participate in an artistic intervention with Astrig on Sunday, March 9 to add your voice to the preservation of cultural heritage as a universal human right. If you're not in Paris, you can view the digital exhibition at: liketheresnotomorrow.info

On March 2, we will be hosting a special event in Paris featuring the work of French-Armenian-Lebanese photographer and journalist, Astrig Agopian who will debut her exhibition, "Like There's No Tomorrow" with a conversation led by French-American journalist and author Lindsey Tramuta. Community-centered storytelling is one of the key pillars that inform's AWP's work, and with that we are proud to be able to partner with two local small businesses that reflect similar values for our upcoming event: Paramaz - Maroquinerie & Atelier and Vins et spiritueux d'Arménie - Kenats As we explore what it means for a population of ethnic-Armenians who have been expelled from a region they've called home for centuries, we are honored to be in the company of those dedicated to preserving (cultural) heritage, through traditional leather working techniques and wine. Through taste and sight, we look forward to bringing together this community of Armenian storytellers who will share with us their stories as a way to connect to one another and the universal human rights we all seek for safety, belonging, and a hope for the future. Purchase your tickets for the opening event at: bit.ly/TERROIRTERRITORY Astrig's project, "Like There's No Tomorrow" was supported through AWP's Emerging Lens Fellowship program, resulting in a digital exhibition that will come to life at Paramaz - Maroquinerie & Atelier and will be on view from March 3 - 9, between noon - 6pm. Astrig will be on site on Tuesday, March 2 and Sunday, March 9 for guided visits of the exhibition. If you're not in Paris, you can view the digital exhibition at: liketheresnotomorrow.info.

?? New Podcast Episode Alert! ??? ?? How Can Human Rights Stories Be Told Collaboratively? Join Dr. Miranda Melcher as she speaks with Bora U. (Managing Director) and Anne Schroeter (Impact Consultant) from ART WORKS Projects (AWP), a nonprofit transforming human rights advocacy through visual storytelling: https://lnkd.in/eqfpr94e ?? Highlights: ???????The power of visual storytelling in addressing critical human rights issues like migration, forced displacement, and cultural preservation. ???????How the Emerging Lens Fellowship Program uplifts storytellers from affected communities, creating sustainable change. ???????Behind-the-scenes insights into AWP’s decision-making process and how they balance creativity, social impact, and resource capacity. ???????Measuring success: impact assessment through community feedback, mentorship, and more. ?? Key Takeaways: ???????Collaborating closely with communities and photographers ensures stories are authentic and impactful. ???????Visual advocacy isn’t just about raising awareness—it’s about creating real, measurable change. ?? Listen now and discover how storytelling drives social justice and empowers marginalized voices. ?? Don’t forget to like, share, and rate the episode! Support our podcast and the fight for justice: Donate Here ?? #HumanRights #VisualStorytelling #ArtWorksProjects #Podcast

The team at AWP has been making a slow and intentional entry into 2025 after what was one of our biggest years yet in 2024. One of the things that makes our work truly authentic are the people in front of, and behind the cameras who make it possible for us to produce, present, and push the boundaries of how we bridge visual storytelling with actionable impact. We are grateful to our board member and programming committee co-chair, Wendy Wei who penned this heartfelt essay about the importance of "slowing down, listening deeply, and creating space" - all aspects of AWP's 2025 commitment to shaping the world we live in through stories that connect us. Read Wendy's essay here: https://lnkd.in/gK9dTkUM Pictured are our 2024 contributors including the photographers we supported, our curatorial fellows, interns, and volunteers including: Wil Sands, Edwin Ndeke, James Whitlow Delano, Astrig Agopian, Smita Sharma, Ashanti D., Oyewole Lawal, Alessia Maiero, Natalia Favre, Mariana Mejía, Stephanie Mao, Ksenia Polyarskaya, Noah Hanna, Linnea Downs, Oscar Castillo, Paloma Jourdes, Nathan Bieneman, and Ana L.

What do wine and documentary photography have in common? On December 12, friends and supporters joined ART WORKS Projects to explore this question through a special evening of wine tasting and an immersive visual experience celebrating 10 years of the?Emerging Lens Fellowship, through the launch of a group show, Terroir/Territories: Roots of Resilience. Through taste, sounds, and visuals, we invited guests to connect with the experiences of over 100,000 ethnic Armenians now permanently displaced from the region formerly known as Nagorno Karabakh, in Astrig Agopian's?"Like There’s No Tomorrow." In addition, through Natalia Favre's?"Maloneras: Seeds of Resistance," attendees?explored how soil and territory preserve heritage and memory amidst the challenges of lithium mining in the Jujuy region of Northern Argentina. Special thanks to Alex Cuper from El Che Steakhouse & Bar/Brasero, and Zach Eastman from Easy Does It, for donating wines that were poured at the event. In addition, we are grateful for the exhibition production support by host committee member, Peter Fitzpatrick and the Dammeyer Initiative. Terroir/Territories will be on view (by appointment: [email protected]) at 625 N Kingsbury, through January 31. We invite you to reach out to us to learn more about this important work and why supporting storytelling that provides reliable news and information that often falls under the fray.

Join AWP for our year-end fundraiser featuring a special evening of wine tasting and an exhibition highlighting 10 years of the Emerging Lens Fellowship. The Emerging Lens model is deeply rooted in community-centered care and collaboration through its support of new and early career visual storytellers whose work shines a light on the lived experiences of those who have experienced human rights and social injustice. This event will feature the work of 2023-24 Fellows Astrig?Agopian?and Natalia Favre, whose projects reflect the deep connection between land, identity, and cultural resilience. Just as wine is shaped by the terroir that nourishes it, Astrig’s?Like There’s No Tomorrow?and Natalia’s?Maloneras: Seeds of Resistance?explore how soil and territory preserve heritage and memory amidst adversity. Join us to toast a decade of powerful storytelling and to experience the rich narratives that intertwine land, culture, and resilience. HOST COMMITTEE: Ivan Arenas, Peter Fitzpatrick, Jennifer Park, Bora U., Cate Walters, Wendy Wei Learn more and purchase your tickets at: bit.ly/AWPY2024

Sustainable solutions can not be achieved without collective action. We see the ways in which powerful visuals and storytelling can help to move people to action. While our outdoor installations at Humboldt Park and Ping Tom Park must come down this weekend, the work to reframe Chicago's immigrant narrative to shape what it means to be a "Sanctuary City" continues. A big thank you to Walder Foundation for their support, for which much of this would not be possible. Read more about Borders Cruzadas: A Welcoming Place through this preview article by our friends at Borderless Magazine: https://bit.ly/3CDBTmM

ART WORKS Projects recently launched Borders Cruzadas: A Welcoming Place, is an outdoor installation series featuring the work of international photographers Oscar B. Castillo and Wil Sands. This series of installations is part of AWP's public engagement campaign leveraging the universal power of photography and storytelling to foster a more inclusive discourse on immigration. Small acts of welcome can turn urban spaces into refuges of hope and belonging. To spread the awareness of these personal stories to wide audience, the installations are spread throughout public park space in Chicago and currently at viewable in Humboldt Park, Marquette Park, and Ping Tom Park. ParkFowler Plus is thrilled to have contributed to this important issue by assisting in the design of the armatures for display.?Please visit and engage with these compelling narratives of migration. You can also check out the website- posted in the comments below- for more information on the exhibit! Design Team: Lead Designers: ParkFowler Plus - Jennifer Park, Founding Partner, Mouna Chahin, Designer Structural Consultant:?Buro Happold – Matthew Jackson-Jones, CEng MICE, Structural Engineer Fabricator:?wealllivehere - Rich Alapack #ParkFowlerPlus #ArtWorkProject #BordersCruzadas #Migration #Chicago #Design #Exhibit #Installation #Architecture #Community #PublicPark #ChicagoParkDistrict

We are pleased to announce the launch of?Borders Cruzadas: A Welcoming Place,?an outdoor installation series featuring the?work?of international photographers Oscar B. Castillo and Wil Sands. This series of installations is part of AWP's public engagement campaign leveraging the universal power of photography and storytelling to foster a more inclusive discourse on immigration. Small acts of welcome can turn urban spaces into refuges of hope and belonging.?Thanks to support from the?Walder Foundation,?this campaign?aspires to create a tool for understanding and serves as a reminder that cities are shaped by their inhabitants. Borders Cruzadas: A Welcoming Place is now on view at: Marquette Park Cultural Center:?6743 S. Kedzie Ave (on the lawn behind the Field House) through November 1 //?Open hours:?Monday-Friday 9am – 9pm + Weekends 9am - 5pm Humbold Park Cultural Center:?1440 N. Humboldt Blvd (on the deck?outside of the Auditorium), October 11 - November 22 // Open hours: 9am - 8:30pm + Weekends 10am - 6pm Tom (Ping) Memorial Park:?239 West 18th Steet, Chicago,?IL?60616 (follow directions towards the Pagoda after the Metra tracks at 19th W Street entrance) October 11 - November 22 // Open hours: 6am - 10pm If you're not in Chicago, we invite you to visit awelcomingplace.info to experience some of the images and stories of the individuals seeking their right to safety and security. We are grateful for the partnership from our friends at the Chicago Parks District Arts + Culture Unit, in particular Latham Zearfoss, as well as the guidance from many essential community partners who play critical roles to ensure that people have access to an opportunity to make a living and a life in this vibrant city of Chicago. Centro Romero, Illinois Community for Displaced Immigrants (ICDI), Once Upon Our Time Capsule, Simmons Center for Global Chicago, Southwest Organizing Project, La Casa Norte, Ping Tom Park Advisory Council, Humboldt Park Advisory Council, and many more!